Lund & Paarmann Chairs

Some new designs due to be debuted at the Copenhagen Design Week next month caught our eye over at Contemporist today. The unique use of wood paired with soft, colorful textiles and fabrics soften the lines of these cocoon shaped chairs. Lovely!

Designer Rugs - Greg Natale

Designer Rugs released their latest collection of stunning floor and area rugs in collaboration with designer Greg Natale. "The rugs are a creation of Greg's passion for repeat patterns. The range is also part of his philosophy of integrating decoration and design."

All rugs by Greg Natale are made from 100% New Zealand wool, stock size is 200 x 300 cm. All designs can be custom colored and sized to suit any application including wall to wall carpet and hall runners. More at Designer Rugs (Australia)

ALNO - Country Kitchen Chic

Often considered a sleek and modern cabinetry company, ALNO is taking a warmer, cozier approach to country kitchens. Their new designs are precisely fit, perfectly tailored and very smart, yet remain functional, inviting and comforting.

From ALNO:

"Right down to the cornices and grooved pilasters of the cabinetry, country kitchens always conjure nostalgic feelings. The warm wood finishes, open sideboard units for baskets and bottles, and glass doors with top light sash bars evoke a feeling that is naturally simple, yet always cozy. Creating a snug, country house ambiance with a high standard of detail, the ALNO Country Collection is designed to embody craftsmanship reminiscent of the good old days. However, ALNO has managed to maintain the look and feel of the lovely quaint farm style kitchen while making it sophisticated, clean and luxurious."

Some of our favorites:

Photos: via

Re:Construction Initiative - Eyesores into Art

The Re:Construction Initiative is a a project organized by The Alliance for Downtown New York. the initiative recasts construction sites and obstacles as blank canvases for public art. Many of these construction projects have lost funding, making temporary barriers and materials now permanent pieces of the landscape. They’ve commissioned several projects over the next few years to beautify lower Manhattan, including four new art installations at construction sites which they hope will “bring color, movement and scenic beauty to downtown streetscapes.”

via: Flavorwire

photos: Lauren Van Haaften-Schick

Recycle Your Denim At Barneys

We're all about sustainability this week, even our newsletter (subscribe here) focused on the use of sustainable practices in materials innovation. Retailers are jumping on the bandwagon offering services, products and features that make their green statement stand out from the rest.

Intriguing to us were the Barneys windows, perfectly timed for back-to-school shopping, that offer to recycle your old denim. The displays were engaging and make you stop for a second look and the 20% off promotion for a new pair when you recycle the old might make you run back to your closet to snap up last year's denim fashions and haul them right into Barneys.

via: A Design Affair

X Initiative - A Modern Tent Colony

X Initiative is a modern colony of geodesic domed tents for temporary colonization, squatting, taking over, and making yourself at home. This indoor paradise was created by Fritz Haeg Studio with the hopes of providing New Yorkers a space to entertain, enjoy and socialize with friends and family in a large, open space as an alternative to small, cramped apartment quarters.

From Fritz Haeg:

"Dearest Friends in New York,

This is an invitation to make yourself at home in the new 8000 square foot "Dome Colony" at X Initiative in Chelsea. It is open to the public, free to use, and populated by four large geodesic tents that can be taken over, squatted, colonized. Set up a clubhouse, a headquarters, a home away from home, a temporary studio, a living room, a lounge, use it as a place to host friends, stage events, make work, rehearse, organize an on-going series of meetings, or regular gatherings, performances...."

If you are in the NYC area and considering a "stay-cation" this seems like a great place to be!

Eco-friendly Service - Karmaboxx

Last week's newsletter series featured innovation in sustainable materials (if you missed the last issue, subscribe here!) and this service is a great way to incorporate green goods and green services for an eco-friendly solution to moving.

Karmaboxxes are made of industrial strength, recycled materials and unlike cardboard, which represents almost 18% of landfill waste, karmaboxxes can be reused over and over. The process is simple, place an order (sign up online to save even more$$!) and the company will deliver you the amount of boxes needed for your move to your home or business and, after you transport your cargo, the company will come to your new location and pick up the boxes to be reused by the next person. To sweeten the eco-friendly pot, Karmaboxx donates 2% of their gross sales to local charities. Now, that's just good karma!

Urban Green Living

Our digital newsletter will be going out later today, so we have been very focused on sustainable material innovations for this week's theme, making this feature on architecture makes perfect for today. If you would like to subscribe (it's free!) please feel free to email us.

Architect Edouard Francois has created a unique apartment building in Paris that creates an environmental space that stands out in an urban setting. The exterior of this tower is covered with potted bamboo plants on all sides. The plants are lined along the kitchen, living room and bedroom balconies and fed and watered automatically through artificial stems running inside the metal balustrades of each level.

via: 2Modern

Collective Retail - Konsthantverkarna

The concept of collectives, cooperatives and shared space retail isn't new, but it is becoming more relevant as artists, designers and business owners are creating more unique and innovative experiences in their collaborative spaces in this challenging economy.

Konsthantverkarna (which translates as "the craftspeople") is Sweden's oldest and largest craft collective featuring unique products, displays and individual works of art. The gallery and shop in central Stockholm displays and sells the works of 160 carefully selected Swedish craftswomen and men who form the cooperative, now nearing it's 60th birthday. Since 1906 a crafts guild known as Konsthantverkarnas Gille has existed in Sweden with an aim to promote Swedish handicrafts, but it was only in 1951 that the committee decided to start an organization that intended to display and sell crafts. The simplicity of the retail space allows the different products and varying artist's designs to stand out against the modern, white environment.

via: WGSN

Headed back to school with a smile...

It's that time of year again, time to pick up the supply list, hit the sales and stock up for school. Here are a couple of ways to add a smile to your school year!

The Goodbyn, a happier, healthier lunch bin with a smile, is not only made of recyclable food safe plastics approved by the FDA, it's an all American lunchbox made right here in Michigan and packaged and shipped from Washington state. You child can customize his or her Goodbyn with the three sheets of stickers the company includes making a personal statement that won't be confused with other lunch pails in the cafeteria. One of the best features of the Goodbyn is it's one piece design, meaning your little diner won't leave behind lids, containers and cups that end up in the school lost and found... never to be seen again. Make back to school lunches a little more fun and friendly - grab a Goodbyn today!

Or, if lunch pails are passe (as they often are for the middle school set) you might just be in need of a new, earth friendly water bottle for drinks on the go. Make a quirky, eco-friendly entrance with these plastic-free, ultra cool bottles from Blue-Q. These are perfect for the child who aspires to save the planet without making a lunch room faux pas.

Bicycle design is all the rage these days, so it makes sense that bikes for the school aged rider just might be the cool must-have accessory of the year. Even fashion labels are getting into the game, such as Paul Frank's line of retro-inspired bicycles in vintage colors with nifty decals and an easy to ride design. These bikes, with their fat tires, comfy seats and cool accessories, will be as much fun to ride and they are to look at.

Tweets, Bikes, Crafts & A Laugh

A round up of new and noteworthy trends and innovation from around the blog-o-sphere:

Tweets for sweets! Twitter for your dinner? Yes, you can Twitter your way to win tickets to the exclusive Jack Daniel’s birthday party at the Beard House on September 9. In 140 characters or less, Twitter in your best recipe (make sure to use the hashtag #jbfrecipe) and the top 15 will be featured on the Beard House blog and the winner revealed on August 24th. For more details, read The Strong Buzz.
Use up those leftovers! Feeling uninspired? Need more crafty bits to wrap up your latest Etsy shop bestseller? Or, maybe you need to stock up on school project and diorama supplies before the school year hits. If so, then you are in luck because Parcel now has an online shop. Based out of Montclair, New Jersey, the shop carries two sizes of "pretty parcels" consisting of vintage and hard-to-find bits of ephemera, millinery, and supplies perfect for craft projects, gift wrapping, party planning, or simply as decoration. Choose from motifs like fairies, nature, magic, nesting, and school.

Feet on the street! Looking for a better alternative to your current delivery service? Well, those of you in the Boston area are in luck. MetroPed is a pedal powered, eco-friendly solution for delivering your wares across town and I've got to tell you, these folks can haul. Their bike delivery service, working in all weather conditions, can deliver up to 500 lbs. of catering, wholesale, retail, grocery and errand items to your door right from the trunks of their very green, very cool pedal trucks.

A smile in your strategy! It is Monday after all, so we are pretty sure you could use a good laugh right about now. Don't you think customer service sounds so much nicer when it's set to a lovely tune? We enjoyed this more that we thought we would!