January 27th, 2012
The Styleture editorial team is always on the lookout for creative furniture designs; especially ones that make use of recycled materials that many would consider trash. Bike Furniture Design (BFD), based out of Marquette, Michigan on the shores of Lake Superior, is a design and manufacturing studio specializing in contemporary/modern furniture made primarily from recycled steel and aluminum bicycle rims, handlebars and frames.
BFD founder Andy Gregg, working within the vernacular of classic modern furniture design, has continued to refine his craft of making comfortable and durable bike-based furniture since 1990. Since they created the original Bike Chair, BFD has grown to include a wide-ranging collection of high-quality tables, bar stools, loveseats, and more chairs. Some designs, in addition to utilizing the bicycle, also utilize components from other transportation industries. BFD has created furniture designs from train and automobile windows – used as tabletops – and surplus automotive seatbelt webbing for seating upholstery. BFD upholstery options are wide ranging and include: leather, rubber, cork, clear and colored acrylic, and vinyl. So what made Gregg decide to make furniture out of bikes? He’s been influenced by his years spent in bike shops and on bikes. BFD has been featured in a variety of publications including Momentum Magazine.
As huge fans of Gregg’s work, the Styleture editorial team picked out a few of his pieces that particularly captured our imagination:
Modulus Side Table
Modulus Side Table
The Modulus Side Table is made with strategically bent and welded chrome-plated bicycle rims. The table is topped with a choice of either glass or acrylic.
Vector Lounge Chair
Vector Lounge Chair
The Vector Series Lounge Chair frame is constructed of aluminum bicycle rims. This chair is available with custom padded vinyl cushions in a choice of colors. The rims that serve as arm rests on this chair can be fitted with your favorite mountain bike tires or with inner-tubes only. They can also be fitted with a simple pad. Read the rest of this entry »
January 16th, 2012
Murakami Chair designed by Rochus Jacob
Maybe your grandma has a rocking chair. Maybe she sits on it and crotchets, or reads magazines about crocheting. Or maybe not. But the fact is, rocking chairs ain’t just for grandma anymore. The Murakami Chair offers a modern twist on the age-old furniture piece – it’s a rocker with a built-in OLED (organic light-emitting diode) lamp that’s powered by the rocking of the chair. That’s right – rock this puppy and you get to be a human power plant.
Designed by Rochus Jacob, an award winning product designer based out of New York City with essential interaction and strategy experience, the Murakami Chair brilliantly harnesses the kinetic energy that is created by rocking the chair and utilizes an advanced nano-dynamo technology built into the skids of the chair to power the reading lamp above the rocker’s head. The OLEDs require very little juice to power and if you happen to want to read without rocking, no worries; rock a while and the battery pack will store enough so you can read later while sitting still. Perhaps best of all, the chair looks sleek and cool, and it will never embarrass you. How did such an idea come about? “I was looking for opportunities to generate energy through activities we naturally do,” said Jacob. “The final result is a rocking chair that enables the user to experience production and consumption of electricity in a gentle and rewarding way.” Jacob also stated that in the future, “To have a drastic reduction of consumption the big challenge will be to make consuming less feel like getting more.”
A bit more about Jacob: He holds a master’s degree in product design and design research from the University of Art and Design in Offenbach, Germany. He gained international working experience at HTC Taiwan, One & Co. San Francisco andIDEO Munich by working with clients such as Microsoft, Samsung, P&G, Nike, Steelcase and Google. He uses a holistic and user-oriented approach that is dedicated to developing meaningful service, interaction and products that have a positive impact on peoples’ lives. Undoubtedly, his Murakami Chair embodies his noble work philosophy.
December 29th, 2011
With the exception of the clothes you wear, nothing is more telling of your style than the couch in your home. A couch usually takes center stage in a room and is the first piece of décor people notice when they enter. They’re checking out its shape, color, fabric and pattern, and they’re also judging if it’s something they would like to plunk down on. So with that in mind, it only makes sense that you would want to adorn your apartment with the coolest couch, love seat, divan, chaise or lofabed out there. The Styleture editorial team, in our eternal pursuit of the perfect couch, offers you our picks:
Songololo by Haldane Martin
Songololo by Haldane Martin
Haldane Martin creates contemporary furniture that integrates, man, nature, culture and technology, with the human qualities of wisdom, love, and beauty. The Songololo Sofa is inspired by nature’s creepy crawlies. Its curvy sensual form is a reinvention of the classic 70’s sectional sofa by Ueli Berger. A patented pivot & bracket system allows Songololo to be made to any length and curved into a variety of shapes by the user. Read the rest of this entry »
October 4th, 2011
At Styleture, our editorial team always stays attuned to the latest in interior design trends. We’re never too proud to benefit from the wisdom of other design bloggers – especially a blogger like Boston-based Linda Merrill (www.surroundings.net), who also happens to be a designer. For Fall 2011, she’s been generous enough to share with us her favorite trends and product picks for the upcoming season, including eclectic mixes, vintage looks and soothing styles for the spa:
Mix and Match
“From high-low pricing, to mixed finishes and styles, antiques and vintage mixed with modern forms – true eclecticism is taking hold in the design world,” said Merrill. It’s partly a response to the economy and partly environmental. “We’re all reusing and refurbishing what we have, stretching the budget, splurging on some items, saving on others, keeping things out of landfills,” she adds.
Mix and match Hastings Tile & Bath's GDO Raised Panel Ceramic Tile
With Hudson Valley Lighting's® Chatham
Read the rest of this entry »
September 8th, 2011
Bamboo is making quite a name for itself as an eco-chic material used in the contemporary bath environments of discerning homeowners. Bamboo’s environmental benefits stem from the fact that it can grow and spread quickly without the need for much water or care. A bamboo grove can release 35 percent more oxygen into the air than a similar-sized lot of trees, and it matures within seven years as opposed to 35-plus years for trees. Furthermore, bamboo can yield 20-times more timber than trees planted in the same-size area. With a heightened awareness among consumers to be green in their bath environment, bamboo is undeniably a great design resource. Of course, bamboo would never fly in the bathroom if didn’t look beautiful, too – and that it does. The Styleture editorial team has zeroed in on some of our favorite bamboo products for the bath:
Xylem Bambu 36″ Vanity in Dark Bamboo
The Xylem Bambu 36" Vanity in Dark Bamboo
The eco-renewable bamboo veneer is the starting point for this versatile and fresh design vanity. Highlighted with natural bamboo accents, it can be wall mounted or floor-standing using either of two floor stands that provide comfortable heights for vessel applications or under-mount lavatory installations. Read the rest of this entry »
August 17th, 2011
The ultra-modern Hoerboard Scomber mix DJ stand
Admit it – you’ve entertained dreams of telling your boss at your day job to go fly a kite, just so you can jet off to Ibiza and DJ the summer club circuit. It’s ok, we all have. Perhaps that dream was never more appealing than now, considering that the ultra-modern Hoerboard Scomber Mix DJ Stand is just a few thousand bucks ($2,330 once fully customized, to be more precise) away from being yours. Read the rest of this entry »
August 4th, 2011
Master of Wood: Vito Selma
Life must be pretty good when you’re a 20-something furniture designer working out of your own shop in Cebu, Phillipines, and the world has taken keen notice of and a strong liking to your pieces. This is the life of Vito Selma, a master of design, geometry and working with wood to create stunningly complex and beautiful chairs, tabletops, sofas and other pieces. Read the rest of this entry »
