Upcycled: Gray Pants

I am completely enamored by graypants.   No, this is not a post about a wardrobe staple, but about a conceptual design studio.  Gray Pants was founded in 2008 with team members in Seattle and Amsterdam.  Their design philosophy is to create responsible, whether it's furniture or architecture.

Watch the bio: 

Dumpster diving has never looked more appealing.

Here are a couple of gray pants creations to pique your interest.

scraplights, made from salvaged pieces of corrugated cardboard

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

the slice chair transforms flat sheets of plywood into simple geometric forms that redefine seating. by creating a series of slices, the ottoman glides between the chair’s profiles allowing it to shift into a lounge chair. the ottoman can be completely removed and rotated for use as a magazine

Watch them build the slice chair:

ScrapLights are available for purchase here and range from $179 - $1,400.  The StepLight and Slice Chair are also available for purchase.

I look forward to seeing more of their up-cycled creations!

Three Fun Furniture Concepts

These space-saving furniture pieces have been haunting the halls of bookmarks for a while, figured it was time for me to share!

A different take on Murphy beds, instead of nesting into the wall, these beds are on lifts and nest at the ceiling.  Genius!  From Bedup.

 

Sure, a Murphy Bed, but a Murphy Kitchen?  Cool concept via WebUrbanist.

Flat Pack Furniture from RawStudio.  Mad about the hanging chairs!

Innovative Idea: Save Water Brick

Bricks were one of the first man-made building materials materials (the oldest bricks made from mud have been dated at about 7500 BC). Throughout the centuries, the method for manufacturing has evolved, but at it's most basic level, a brick is a mixture of silica, clay, lime, iron oxide and magnesia fired @ 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit.

Designer Jin -Young Yoon took a look at one of the oldest building materials and came up with the idea of the Save Water Brick.

The Save Water Brick is made from recycled plastic and decomposed leaves.The backside of the brick has funnels designed to direct water run off to nearby landscaping or to a underground storage tanks.

The Save Water Brick would definitely have a positive impact on the environment in other ways than water conservation, it would divert waste from landfills & support markets for recycled content products.

This is an innovative idea, but there are still some questions that need to be answered:

 How exactly will it be manufactured? Will it use less energy to produce than bricks on the market today (bricks  have an energy intensive process = more CO2 emissions)?  Bricks are relatively inexpensive to produce (a brick is typically made of silica, clay, lime, iron oxide and magnesia), how will the Save Water Brick compare in cost? And most importantly, how does the performance of the Save Water Brick compare to regular bricks?

I am interested in seeing how this product develops and if it will be released on the market.  Until then, I hope Yoon keeps cranking out the great ideas.

Elixir Fix: Graft

GRAFT is a design studio that was founded in 1998 in LA by Lars Krückeberg, Wolfram Putz and Thomas Willemeit and two more offices in Berlin and Beijing.

The name GRAFT was derived from the terminology of botany, the grafting of one shoot onto another genetically different host. The practice believed that the traditional boundaries of architecture needed to be questioned, as it continually changes when it engages with global and local environments

Graft has received all kinds of accolades for their work, from residential to commercial to humanitarian, including Contract Magazine's 2010 Designers of the Year.

If you are looking for inspirational work, follow the jump, their website shows it best.

My Graft favorites are Loft Hamburg, W Hotel NY, KU64 Dental Spa ( I felt the sudden urge to travel to Berlin to for a cleaning after I saw the images of this AMAZING space), & KU65 Kids Club.

Trust me, it's worth the click: http://www.graftlab.com/

Kinetic Light Emitting Wallpaper and Wall Panels

Dutch designer Jonas Samson is lighting the way for vertical surfaces.  He recently announced his newest addition to his product collection: a customizable, animated Light Emitting Wallpaper. (See product stills, below.  All images courtesy of Jonas Samson v.o.f.)

When I saw this product I had a million questions.  Gad Bros, business partner of Jonas Sampson v.o.f.,  was kind enough to answer all of them.  (Thanks Gad!)

Light Emitting Wallpaper is still in the prototype phase. The wall paper is not sold commercially and they expect it to take about 10-15years before there will be a material which will make it possibly to make an wall paper in this size for everybody. 

But don't be sad! Samson already produces a similar product Ecco Luce, a wall panel with integrated LED lights, that is currently on the market. Ecco Lucce is manufactured in The Netherlands, but available all over the world.  (See image, below) 

Ecco Luce is a single panel (120mm x 300 mm) and can be be combined with other Ecco Luce panels. Ecco Luce panels are about 5-6cm and studies are currently underway to reduce the panel thickness.

Panels are available in different finishes (glass, wallpaper, wood veneer), can be built with fire rated components, and can be placed attached to an existing wall or free standing.

Ecco Luce has an on/off switch.  When it is off, it appears to be a normal wall. But when turned on, patterns of light project through the wall.  Panels do not require an additional L.E.D. driver, they include a specially made computer based interface. There is currently a "regular" option but design possibilities include static, dimmable or motion activated images, RGB colors, and remote controlled operation.

Samson believes in products should work without having to hire a technician to install it. Installation is a snap since panels (free standing or wall mounted) are delivered complete.  Wall mounted units only need to be attached to the existing wall and connected to an electrical source. Free standing panel systems come complete with feet and and when they arrive at the job site, you only have to attach it to an electrical contact and assemble it if it is a multiple panel unit.

There are no standard designs. Panels are designed on a custom, project by project basis.  Price will vary based on size, complexity of the animations, finishing materials etc.  Once the design is finalized, lead time from contract to delivery is about 3 months.

Ecco Luce has been successfully installed at an exhibition in Milan.  The next installation is set to debut April 15th at Amsterdam's Schipol Airport train station on April 15th.   If, like me, you won't be able to see the installation in person, check out this animation to see an example Ecco Luce in action.

Futuristic Yacht Designs

Today I have a wonderful link to share: Schopfer Yachts. 

I love the realistic looking 3d renderings of their yacht concepts.   My favorite concept is the Oculus, when viewed from the side it looks like a giant open mouthed fish.  The exteriors are sleek and and interiors are contemporary and just plain sexy.


Unfortunately, I never received a reply for permission to post their images so I don't have any eye candy for you. But I assure you, it is worth the click.