We’re always intrigued when we hear of someone trying to apply good, thoughtful design concepts to a seemingly commonplace product. Launching on Kickstarter today, Soma is a new company out of San Francisco doing just that with a water-filtering carafe. Taking a ground-up approach in terms of design, sustainability…
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Jakarta-based illustrator Melissa Sunjaya brings Indonesian craft global with totes and more
by Maureen Ferry Cuellar When designer and BlueLounge co-founder Melissa Sunjaya, returned to her beloved but chaotic hometown of Jakarta, she was struck by the disconnect that exists among the country’s population of more than 250 million. As a natural resource and manufacturing-rich nation, Indonesia ships top-quality components and ingredients…
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The best timbered adornments for your ride
With summer in full swing, your bike has likely become a constant companion. Giving your wheels some natural lo-fi charm, handcrafted wooden accessories also provide a supreme level of easy functionality. We scoured Etsy to find the best of the bunch, from baskets and grips to storage units, fenders and lights.
The Bike Valet by Reclamation Art Furniture
is a handsome and practical addition to any cyclist’s home—the wall-mounted storage unit features compartments for keys and a wallet as well a place to hang your bike. Made from urban harvest walnut and hand-rubbed with natural VOC oil finish, each Bike Valet is made to order, individually numbered and signed by craftsman Steven Tiller. Available for $185 on Etsy.
The wooden bicycle light from Sean Said Play is fashioned out of reclaimed walnut and attaches via a Velcro strap, relying on a common 3v coin battery to produce a bright flash. The designers utilize as much reused material as possible, aiming to make well-designed lights that compete with their mass-produced counterparts in price, quality and functionality. Available in both a red and white light, the wood can be customized on Etsy for $35.
Broken Board handcrafts these wood grips on a lathe in either Brazilian Walnut Hardwood or Cherry. They’re finished with a spar polyurethane commonly used for marine applications, enabling the grips to withstand the elements while enhancing the natural grain of the wood. Available for $50 from Etsy.
Combing a rustic feel with modern lines, REdesign Studio‘s RE-cycle wooden bike fenders offer a twist in the aesthetic of your ride. Handmade from reclaimed wood, the fenders are crafted in downtown Seattle by alums of the University of Washington’s architecture department. Available for $100 from Etsy.
For rear bike racks, the Wooden Bike Basket from Off Cut Studio is a handsome alternative to the traditional wire or nylon basket. Made from solid walnut and finished with four coats of marine oil, the Wooden Bike Basket’s mortise and tenon joints mean it’s built to endure the elements. Off Cut Studio also welcomes requests for custom sizes. The walnut Wooden Bike Basket
is available for $105 from Etsy.
For those who prefer a basket mounted to the front of their bike, the Classic Porter Crate by Bates Crates boasts the bonus of a cup holder. The crates are handmade from maple before being stained and polycoated to handle the environment. Available for $125 on Etsy.
The colorful eco-bag company opens in Brooklyn
Since opening Baggu‘s first-ever shop in Williamsburg last month, founder Emily Sugihara has enjoyed watching customers ponder over which of her stylishly functional eco-bags they want to take home. “They’ll be holding a bunch of them, and they’ll put one back and try another one, and look at them all together,” Sugihara says. “I think people feel more ownership of the bags because they’re making their own little set.”
Now based in Brooklyn, Baggu was born in San Diego in 2007, when Sugihara and her mother set out to make beautifully simple alternatives to plastic grocery bags that people would actually look forward to using. Releasing its first nylon bag in eight colors, the brand is now known for its vast array of colorful daypacks in everything from tie-dye to vibrant neons, over-the-shoulder canvas totes called “Duck Bags,” and various sizes of the original, all reasonably priced and manufactured with minimal waste. Most recently, Baggu released a line of leather handbags and small leather pouches, made from the fabric cut from the bags’ necklines.
Sugihara says the idea to open a Baggu retail store had been on the table for some time, but the company’s decision three months ago to take over their current space on Wythe Avenue, just steps away from Baggu’s offices, was mainly motivated by a need for meeting space. “If two people in the office wanted to talk,” she says, “there was no way to do that without distracting the other 11 people.”
Turning the meeting space into a summer shop seemed like a real possibility once the block began attracting more foot traffic, with the spring openings of nearby stores Pilgrim Surf + Supply and Mociun. Baggu’s shop then came together rather quickly, says Sugihara. Just days before the opening, she and creative director Ellen Van Der Lean came up with the clever idea to display the bags on rope ladders and swings made from dowel rope and climbing rope (Sugihara is an avid climber).
The summer shop marks the first time Baggu’s entire product line can be purchased in person from one location. New colors and styles become available at the shop before they appear on the web, simply because that’s where the bags are delivered. At the moment, a number of Baggu pieces—such as a line of neon keychains and the pony hair edition of newly released drawstring bucket purse—are only available in the shop.
As always, Baggu has a number of collaborations in the works. In July, they will release a sturdy vinyl version of the Duck Bag, made by Brooklyn’s weatherproof bag maker Mer Bags, which Sugihara says “makes a great beach bag.” Baggu is also working with design duo Fredericks and Mae, who will incorporate the designers’ horse hair tassels into a line of leather Baggu bags.
Already proving a successful addition to Williamsburg’s burgeoning waterside promenade, Sugihara plans to keep the shop open at least through the winter holiday season. She is also keeping an eye out for permanent retail space that can stay open seven days a week.
Baggu Summer Shop
242 Wythe Ave.
Williamsburg, Brooklyn
, NY
Friday-Sunday
12–8pm
Whole food candy bars inspired by the roaring ’20s
Bixby & Co. is a fledgling candy bar company with a knack for making delectable sweet treats from whole foods and organic ingredients. Hoping to reinvent the classic American snack, McAleer began producing vegan, non-GMO and gluten-free treats with half the sugar of a traditional candy bar, drawing inspiration from her adventurous great-great-grandparents, Lillian and William K. Bixby, for the chocolate’s 1920s packaging and irreverent attitude. Combining a health-conscious culinary sophistication with that sense of sporty nostalgia, Bixby bars are all about the fusion of whole foods and silky chocolate in a compact treat.
First launched in December 2011, McAleer’s unlikely education spanned Chinese, art history and design before settling in the pastry arts. Her shop, located in New York’s Hudson Valley, produces each of Bixby & Co.’s handmade bars. Eco-conscious to the last, the packaging is composed of soy ink printed on FSC-certified paper. McAleer’s sustainability efforts have won the bars Rainforest Alliance Certification and a membership in Youth Trade.
McAleer’s art and design education shines through in the throwback packaging. Cheeky names like “Whippersnapper” and “Knockout” theme the bars, which are mostly inspired by leisure sports of the ’20s. “Heart’s Delight“—a seductive combination of dark chocolate, almonds, dried strawberries and ceylon cinnamon—features an etching of famed ballroom dancers Vernon and Irene Castle. The newly introduced “Mulligan” and “Birdie” flavors are a his-and-hers pair that pay tribute to McAleer’s days as a golfer.
As the popularity of bean-to-bar chocolate compels confectioners to reconsider sweets, Bixby & Co. is turning that same passion for ingredients toward the candy bar. The flavors are inspired by McAleer’s time abroad in China, where unlikely flavor marriages along the silk road have bred rich regional cuisines. McAleer’s tribute to China, “To the Nines” brings together white chocolate, goji berries, pistachios, almonds and cardamom. “I had this equation of chocolate, fruit, nut and spice that occurred to me,” says McAleer. After a a dose of sweet chocolate and sour fruit, the lingering taste is often a spice—ranging from savory fleur de sel to spicy tellicherry black pepper. The addition of organic brown rice crisp lightens the bar considerably, separating elements and making for a more delicate texture.
Bixby & Co. chocolate bars are available from the company’s online shop.
Images by James Thorne
Fish-scaled sculptures raise environmental awareness
Located in St. Ives in Cornwall, England, Muju World is an artist’s studio run by Mr. and Miss Muju that specializes in mixed media and toy creations. Their latest release is a team of “Ocean Guardians“, five sculptural pieces representing the five oceans: Arctic, Indian, Pacific, Atlantic and Southern. The scaled creatures are hand-cast in resin by Miss Muju and painted by hand in aqua gradients by Mr. Muju. Standing at a mere seven inches tall, the delightful figurines help to promote awareness of ocean issues, with £10 from each sale going to the Surfers for Cetaceans Charity.
“We aim to produce artworks that generate a positive vibe,” says Mr. Muju. “The concept of these sculptures as modern-day totems, protectors of nature and elemental forces seems to fit with our sense of creative purpose.” Both Mr. and Miss Muju are avid surfers and dedicated to the environment, the Ocean Guardians a follow-up to an earlier eco-conscious team of Forest Guardians.
The Muju Ocean Guardians are available from Muju World for £90.
Warm water wetsuits built with an innovative recycled polyester fabric
Having mastered innovative wool-lined wetsuits designed for near-Arctic conditions, Patagonia unleashed their research and development team and returned to their Southern California roots with the recent release of the R1 warm water wetsuit. By taking everything they knew about building suits for cold water and applying it to warm water, Patagonia was able to swap the merino wool for a specially developed recycled polyester blend to create a wetsuit unlike any other currently existing on the market.
Designed specifically for surfing non-frigid spots like those in California, Hawaii and Australia, the R1 is a thinner, less restrictive and less insulating alternative to its wool-lined big brothers. While the insulation has been cut down, the material construction itself is still top notch. Patagonia enlisted a renowned—and rather secretive—Japanese mill to produce the unique grid pattern using a circular knit machine only found on the island nation. “If you were to take our R1 wetsuits and flip them inside out and compare them to our wool-lined suits, you will notice that we have not taken away any attention to detail in terms of construction, seam-taping, gluing, bonding, and stitching,” said Patagonia wetsuit developer Billy Smith.
After researching bamboo as a possible fabric option, Patagonia found the production process to be too wasteful, as nearly half of the heavy solvents used often end up as environmental waste. So they chose to develop the recycled polyester, a clean, low-energy intensive fabric previously unused in apparel. This recycled polyester makes up 100% of the R1’s exterior while the grid-lined interior is made up of 50% recycled polyester mixed with virgin polyester and spandex.
To aid in the development process Patagonia builds all prototypes on site, from patterning to construction. “Being a quarter-mile from the beach and surrounded by some of the world’s best point breaks and beach breaks has helped tremendously in the hands-on R&D process. As a team, we are able to build prototypes, surf, make adjustments, and do it all over again the next day,” says Smith.
The always forward-thinking Patagonia sees the use of recycled polyester as an advance in wetsuit design and Smith indicates that the development team has been experimenting with several different knit constructions and blending techniques for potential use down the road. That said we’re already looking forward to what Patagonia has in store for 2013.
For more information on the R1 check out this comprehensive video or head to Patagonia online and check out their full range of warm and cold water wetsuits.
Cardboard cameras document a retrospective line from IKEA
During Salone del Mobile, Ikea took the opportunity to unveil the new PS 2012 collection in the emerging space from Ventura Lambrate. All the designers involved in the project were asked to go through the history of the company, reinventing old pieces and styles. The result is a colorful and clever series of objects, carpets, furniture and textiles.
Some of the products focus on sustainability, like a bowl designed by Marcus Arvonen which comes in either PET recycled plastic or WPC, a special combination of plastic and wood fiber.
Jon Karlsson took inspiration from teak tables of the ’50s, upgrading them with more resilient, faster-growing bamboo.
Green design for the home is another key touchstone in this collection. The vertical pedestal designed by Nicolas Cortolezzis can hold up to three vases, and Henrik Preutz has thought up a series of small tables, whose common thread is a bamboo structure with surfaces for plants.
The real surprise with the exhibition was Knäppa, a cardboard digital camera designed by Jesper Kouthoofd for the launch of PS 2012.
Of course we seized the chance to use the camera, following the instructions uploaded onto the camera itself, along with a sample photo. Taking pictures is very simple, although the sensor needs full light and a firm hand to take acceptable photographs.
Instead of a viewfinder the camera features just a simple square hole. It’s a surprising throwback experience, recalling the very first digital cameras—eight seconds are necessary for each image to be fully captured. While the quality of the images is slightly blurry and shady, it reveals a Hipstamatic-like aesthetic.
Starting in May, customers will be asked to take pictures of their Ikea PS pieces and share them on a dedicated website. So far, the company has uploaded pictures of six Swedish homes, but in the future it will be possible to see private environments from all over the world, shot with the Knäppa, with browsing available by product, country, most liked and recently uploaded pictures.
Tools to help you build, maintain and manage growing in the city
by Kelly O’Reilly and Greg Stefano
With the emergence of a flourishing urban farming movement in recent years, the need for certain tools to maximize more limited natural resources has also arisen. As they lead the charge to shorten the distance from the farm to the table, commercial groups and individuals alike have demonstrated the possibility for fully functioning city-based farming and growing operations across the world, providing inspiration for other intrepid growers both professional and amateur. Whether you want to grow food indoors or outside, run a massive outfit or are just interested in becoming more sustainable, we found just a few essential tools to help you grow.
Design students Mirko Ihirg and Olli Hirvonen devised a starter kit concept of five hand tools for urban farming and a backpack to transport them. Combining the efficiency, compactness and mobility crucial to a city-dweller, the two larger tools—a shovel and a pitchfork—share one detachable handle that can strap onto the exterior of the stylish bag, and every piece will find its proper place inside. The simplicity of the set makes it a good place to begin an urban growing adventure, so we’d be keen to see the project become a reality.
Whether you are just getting started or already have a thriving indoor farm, our friends at CityGrow offer a wide selection of great products for indoor growing using hydro and aeroponics. From the super simple to the extremely high-tech, the possibilities for indoor gardening can appeal to gardeners at all levels who lack space or just want to try something new. The Apollo 3 system is engineered to provide rapid plant growth with a small learning curve. The system has a double channel root chamber to give the plant roots space and uses atomized nutrients, letting the roots absorb them quickly. For something a little simpler there is the Aerojet Hydrogarden from Botanicare. This true aeroponic system sprays the roots directly, delivering high levels of nutrients and oxygen, allowing for rapid plant growth. The system is also modular so it can be expanded or shrunk to adjust to your space. For the more casual enthusiast there is the Turbo Garden, a compact growing machine that promises higher yields and speedy results. It provides seedlings with a multitude of nutrients and is great for propagating plants or just keeping a little garden around the house.
Established in 2005 in partnership with the Community Environmental Center, Build it Green! is a non-profit that provides the New York City area with salvaged and surplus building materials. With everything from reclaimed bathroom stalls to salvaged lumber, Build it Green! has a surprising selection of eco-friendly building materials. This makes them the perfect jumping off point for anyone looking to build out a DIY urban farming platform, they provide almost all the materials you would need to build planters, beds, greenhouses and just about any other essential farming structure. You can view parts of their inventory on their online shop but you have to visit to see the full, ever-changing selection. Those outside the New York area can check out their list of similar organizations throughout the Northeast U.S., or contact them to see if they have advice for anyone in your locale.
Those interested in committing to the farm-to-table movement would be wise to continue the cycle by composting what’s left on the table back into the ground—especially if they live in cities where garbage disposals aren’t allowed. Though it may seem like a daunting task to hold onto waste in small living quarters, the five-gallon, air-tight All Seasons Indoor Composter fits compactly under the sink and uses the Japanese method of Bokashi, an all-natural, odorless mixture packed with microorganisms to ferment waste in just 10 days, nearly half the time than traditional composting. Once planted, compost produces a rich topsoil in about a month, enriching the fertility of the soil, detoxifying chemicals in the soil and attracting helpful insects. The composter kit sells from Uncommon Goods for $48, with refills available for $12 a bag.
Organic hydration in an eco-friendly powdered mix
Powdered varietals of anything can be a bit hit-and-miss. As coconut water aficionados, we approached YogaEarth‘s “Purity” coconut water with a due degree of skepticism. While it didn’t quite live up to other fresh offerings, the mix was met with unanimous approval. Powder—while not the sexiest of states—has the advantage of extended shelf life, commuter-friendly packaging and a lower ecological footprint since you’re transporting powder in biodegradable paper rather than liquid in plastic bottles.
YogaEarth’s personal relationship with their farms ensures fair treatment of workers at the source, and their commitment to health keeps the crystalized coconut water 100% organic. The virgin coconuts are hand-harvested in Brazil and Java, and no ingredients are added to enhance the flavor.
YogaEarth’s recently released ready-to-go sticks are also a boon for commuters in need of convenient hydration. The powder fully dissolves without any gritty dregs for a slightly sweet drink or a healthy addition to smoothies. Teeming with electrolytes and minerals, coconut water is the recovery drink of choice post-workout and post-Saturday night.
Purity Coconut Water is available from YogaEarth’s online shop.
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