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Exploring Haute Nature

Exploring Haute Nature published on

I stumbled upon Haute Nature yesterday. Maybe I’ve been there before. I don’t know. I have no memory. Anyway, I was like a kid in a candy shop. Check it out….

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These recycled belt tiles from Ting London are both brilliant and beautiful. I personally wouldn’t use them because being a strict vegetarian, I don’t do the leather thing. I know it’s recycled and I’m insane, but maybe I have issues walking on dead animal skin. Bad karma. No, I’m not in therapy. Anyway, the more practical reason I cannot have these is because they cost $75 per square foot.

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Israeli design student Naty Moskovich makes furniture out of these plastic crates. I absolutely love it even though it sends me back to my starving artist days. This was totally how my house was furnished! Ikea? Couldn’t even afford that. Actually, I’m so old, I don’t think was even in the USA yet.

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These plastic bottle curtains were used in Olympic Stadium in Seoul, South Korea. That’s a big space. I can’t see it working in a home. It would look kind of nutty. BUT!! Here’s an idea. If you cut the bottles into little pieces (different shapes), it could work. I’ll try it one of these days. Let ya know how it works out.

$1400 Tiny Cottage

$1400 Tiny Cottage published on

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This pixelated cottage cost a mere $1400 and took three weeks to complete. That is “from clearing land to sewing curtains”.  I found it on Country Plans, the site I spent too much time on Saturday whilst searching for the perfect carriage house/garage. (Yeah, I’m still thinking about that project).

Granted, the article was posted in 1999 but at the time they had planned to install a wood stove, 12 volt solar and battery powered electrical system and a composting toilet. The brief update states that the siding was never finished and the cabin is now only used for storage.

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The tiny cottage in this superior photo cost $6000. It was a DIY job and it looks as if they didn’t get bored with it. They actually got so far as to install the siding!This is a solar passive design featuring denim insulation, a wood stove and sustainable woods where applicable.

Flea Find: Aswoon

Flea Find: Aswoon published on

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I worked the flea on my own yesterday so I couldn’t walk around with my camera and schmooze. But I did see something really cool on my way to get coffee!

Aswoon (that would be Susan Woods Studio) was part of the Greenjeans furniture festival.  Their Dumbo showroom, which just opened in March, gets recycled just like some of the furniture material they use. The space is available for events and shoots.

But let’s talk furniture. Each piece is like a sculpture. I don’t know the cost (since I couldn’t schmooze) but I’d be afraid to use this stuff. I’d just want to keep it in my house and look at it. And keep it away from my pets, of course.

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Make A $5000 Chandelier For Like 20 Bucks

Make A $5000 Chandelier For Like 20 Bucks published on 2 Comments on Make A $5000 Chandelier For Like 20 Bucks

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These Michael McHale chandeliers on Kim Valee’s site caught my eye because they are made with reclaimed pipe fittings. I can understand why the prices are outrageous…. it’s Swarovki crystal. House of European Design does similar work and hey, it’s under $3000!

WTF? Still too much? Come on, this isn’t a highly skilled DIY job here. Piece of cake. Forego the Swarovki and stick some friggin crystals and bulbs on a pipe and you’ve got yourself a fine reproduction. Hell, I’ll do it for you for a couple of hundred bucks. Who wants one? I’m taking orders.

NY Times: On The Cheap

NY Times: On The Cheap published on 4 Comments on NY Times: On The Cheap

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Did we all see this already? Forgive me. I just got to the style section today. Some innovative ideas on how students reuse trash and found objects. 

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Cute for plants and hats, but t’would be even better as cat beds.  

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I love this. I did some switch plates with old wallpaper and used gift wrap. Similar idea. 

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All they are showing here is that the person painted their walls red. No big whoop. I posted this photo because I wanted to show my husband that I’m not the worst painter in the world. Is that red paint on the crown molding? And they didn’t touch it up before the Times photographer came in? Come on, have some pride!  

Igloo Satellite Cabin: I Want One!

Igloo Satellite Cabin: I Want One! published on

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Get out! How cool is this? These igloo satellite cabins have been in use for over a quarter of a century in all sorts of climates. Each floor and wall panel is a composite of fiberglass and poly insulation.

The new Google office in Zurich has two of these that they use as “think tanks”. Why am I blogging from my cat piss house when people are working in red igloos? With 6 weeks vacation, no less! There is something wrong with this picture. Is Google hiring? Hello? Google? Hire me. I can make coffee.

Furniture Festival @ Brooklyn Flea

Furniture Festival @ Brooklyn Flea published on 1 Comment on Furniture Festival @ Brooklyn Flea

So, the Greenjeans Furniture Festival kicked off at the Brooklyn Flea yesterday! They had the most comfie booth at the flea yesterday….astroturf and all. There was some really great looking stuff. Well made eco-friendly designs from local craftspeople. I went around and took a few snappies and collected cards. Then I left the cards in my storage space. So please forgive my lame reporting. If you see something you like, ask Greenjeans! I think the 2 that I can’t place were Ninestories and City Joinery?? I’m going from memory here….. 

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2918388198_6272ca6647.jpgDon’t remember but I love it. 

2917540165_e8b630ab8a.jpg Don’t remember but I love it.  

Upcycled Spool Furniture

Upcycled Spool Furniture published on

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Child’s Playhouse: £ 3000.

We’ve all had that table made out of a large cable spool found on the street. Haven’t we? First apartment? Couldn’t even afford Ikea? Well, there’s a company in England that makes a whole line of furniture out of these spools.

Furniture designer David Meddings started Reel Furniture in an effort to protect and conserve timber resources. And to earn money. 

The pieces come (from the UK) flat packed and assembly is required (just like Ikea!). Reel Furniture does commissions as well as the pieces you see here.

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Disk Chair: £325 ea

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Small Rocker:  £ 425.

Shipping Pallet Furniture

Shipping Pallet Furniture published on

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When I first started selling Reclaimed Home pieces, I tried to make something out of discarded shipping pallets. I thought it was the best idea since sliced bread. I scavenged the Home Depot parking lot behind the store and filled my driveway with pallets. Then I tried to take them apart and that was the end of that. Waaahaaayhaaay too time consuming. You know, come to think of it, I don’t even like sliced bread anyway.

Here are some designers with patience.

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Google “pallet furniture” and Studio Mama is all over the place! She makes lamps, chairs and benches. I can’t figure out if these things are for sale or not, but I see that you purchase instructions.

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Corazon Fair Trade has this rustic kid’s chair for $30. Made in Mexico. For $30? Does that mean it was made BY kids FOR kids?

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This fish cabinet from Pallet Art is a bit too whimsical for my sophisticated New York taste, but the hippie designer from Burlington, VT does some nice unpainted pieces. None of which I could grab photos of.

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Martin Davis Furniture has by far the most detailed and finished look of this group. I’m sure it’s the most expensive too. These are made from industrial pallets.

And for all you DIY experts out there, here’s a link to Ready Made pallet lawn furniture.

Fall Furniture Festival

Fall Furniture Festival published on

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Coming this October to the Brooklyn Flea: The Fall Furniture Festival curated by Greenjeans.

Every Sunday in October, 5 to 6 furniture designers out of a total of 15 to 20 will be highlighted. Most of the furniture will be designed and constructed in Brooklyn, but a few upstaters and out of staters managed to finagle spaces. A 20×60 pod will be situated near the handball courts so it will be easy to spot.

Greenjeans closed their Park Slope store in the spring and will re-open in Dumbo in early 2009. They have been working the flea and getting positive feedback, so they spoke to Mr. Flea, Eric Demby to see if they could take it up a notch. If the fall fest goes well, it will become bi-annual, including during May’s International Contemporary Furniture Fair and BKLYN Designs.

You can see a full list of the eco-friendly designers on the festival site. We’ve already covered some here, including Uhuru, Counter Evolution and Nightwood.

Updating Raised Ranches

Updating Raised Ranches published on 42 Comments on Updating Raised Ranches

**Archive. Originally posted November 29, 2007.

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Call it what you want. Raised Ranch. Split Level. Bi-Level. Splanch. Nothing is going to make this type of architecture any less hideous. I mean, who thought this was a good idea?

Actually, historians credit Frank Lloyd Wright as the inventor of the split level. No doubt Mr. Wright has been turning in his grave since vinyl siding and shutters started showing up on these homes.Continue reading Updating Raised Ranches

Retro Countertops

Retro Countertops published on 6 Comments on Retro Countertops

**Archive. Originally posted January 30, 2008.

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Since we looked at vintage cabinets yesterday, we figured we would give you some options for matching retro laminate countertops.

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Formica’s Classic Boomerang: Coral

We all know the biggie: Formica. Their “Classics” collection includes Boomerang, originally designed in the 50’s. This pattern bounces back to us (Get it? Because it’s a boomerang) in 4 historically kitsch colors, including aqua, coral, charcoal and skylark.

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Formica’s Classic VirrVarr: Light Blue

Also available from the Classic collection is the VirrVarr, a European pattern. VirrVarr means criss cross in Swedish. This only comes in white and blue.

Read about Formica’s participation in environmental programs such as LEED and Greenguard here.

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Nevamar, from Panolam Industries, came out with the Twist N’ Shout retro design not too long ago. There are 3 different color options: orange, blue or yellow.

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Nevamar’s LamMate’s “Way Cool Encounter”

Nevamar offers custom print laminates that can allow any digital file to be incorporated into the laminate. They also offer some funky solid colors. They are not as readily available as Formica, so check out their dealer locator.

Nevamar Laminates are Greenguard certified.

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Wilson Art’s Retro Mint

Wilson Art offers 4 “retro” designs under it’s Indie Collection. They also have some groovy retro looking designs such as:

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Kaleidascope

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Mondrian

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Plaid

See here for Wilson Art’s Green Guard certification and other environmental info.

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