Slate-ish

Just discovered, Slate-ish, which is a triple green product (I just made that up--It's not a technical term.) 

1. Slate-ish is made from construction scraps instead of new materials
2. The source material (Richlite, Paperstone) is already an eco-friendly material, which builders and architects are using to gain LEED points in their projects.
3. The company has a buyback program (or a buy program) where they will gladly buy your countertop scraps to make them into tiles.

The tiles look like slate, but are actually a combination of paper and resin, laminated and pressed into a solid form. The material is durable, often used in countertops and skateboard ramps. The tiles are cut from the scraps leftover from construction projects--sink cut-outs, oddly shaped corners, anything too small or strange to be useful. 

This might be perfect for our new fireplace, which has been languishing unfinished without tile for far too long. If I can only decide on a design--trendy hex, long strips, triangles?

Images from Slate-ish.

It's a doggy dog world*

If you're a crafty DIY type, you should know about the amazing team and HomeMade Modern. They regularly post easy, well documented, and industrially styled DIY projects for you to add to that list of "I'd like to make that!" Fond of simple materials--concrete, plywood--they come up with some really interesting and modern shapes and provide enough detail for you to modify the projects for you own needs. In this case, easy instructions to size the cubby to fit your own particular size dog. Currently on their site they have several projects using faceted shapes, but I wanted to share this fantastic dog house.

I don't have a dog, but if I did, I would be so tempted to make this charming pet bed for him.

*Before the pronunciation police get onto me, I know the traditional phrase is dog-eat-dog, but this is one of my favorite mis-stated cliches. 

Images from HomeMade Modern. Via NOTCOT.

Drink up!

This stunning Brazilian garden is further evidence that you can make beautiful modern design out of almost anything (even plastic soda bottles), provided you are willing to use enough of them.

Images from This is Colossal. Via NOTCOT.

Out on a limb (twig?)

Tricia found this great image on Pinterest, but the source link was broken. I managed to track down a credit (thank you Google image search) on a Czech website.

I don't know anything about it, but thank you Tomáš Vacek of STUDIO VACEK for designing such an interesting twiggy modern bench.

Image from Pinterest. Via Tricia.

Tie one on...

Tricia has been doing some very cool weaving projects (details and photos to come very soon), and I've been succumbing to my weakness for chairs in need of love. I started to mash the two together and have been exploring weaving and chairs and reclaimed materials. In my website wanderings, I found some really lovely examples.

I'm headed in a more modern direction with my project, but there's something about these vintage chairs and woven necktie seats that warms my little Alabama heart. And when the color palette is restrained, the result can be sophisticated.

Enjoy!

Update: After writing this post, I kept coming back to Alabama Chanin, who I blogged about a couple of years ago. Apparently I've fallen for necktie chairs before. At that time, there was something sentimental about it. This time around, I'm inspired by the pattern and texture. 

Images from 
1. ToolGirl Mag Ruffman 
2. Etsy shop preserved
3. Peter Russo Design

Tag! You're it!

 

Every so often you see one of those dresses made from something crazy (vegetables, pop tabs, AmEx gold cards), and they look good on the mannequin or in the fashion show, but they are more costume than real life. Then you see something like this, where an Aussie fashion designer turned an inside joke with her boyfriend into a wedding dress. 

In case you can't tell from the pix, the dress is made of bread tags. Not sure what those are? When you buy a loaf of bread from the grocery story, it's often secured with a little plastic tab that has the best-by date printed on it. Stephanie Watson and her boyfriend saved these each week. As their collection grew, they joked that when there were enough to cover a wedding dress, they would get married. Friends and family helped out, and 10,000 tags later, they couple was married, and the bride wore this. 

I think she looks radiant, and talented, and I love the sense of humor here. Best wishes! 

Via Ecouterre. Images from Constructing Nadine.

Line drawings in the air

 

One of the best things about the global maelstrom of images is that when people are showing off their new awesomeness in Italy, bloggers share that with the world. I find this piece so lovely, delicate, modern, and retro all at the same time.


There's nothing really green about it except the simplicity and minimal use of materials (and let's be honest, I'm not posting it because it's simple. I'm posting it because the design my heart go all a-flutter). 

File under inspiration.


Via Apartment Therapy.