RX Made: Chicago’s Rebuilding Exchange introduces a line of upcycled furniture with Strand Design

RX Made

Over the past three years Rebuilding Exchange (RX) has served designers, architects and builders in Chicago as a retail outlet for reclaimed building materials. Since the non-profit’s inception the warehouse has developed a strong reputation for promoting sustainable deconstruction practices and has grown to offer instructional design classes, job…

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Recycled Graffiti Spray

Canlove est le nom du programme à but non-lucratif de recyclage de bombes de graffiti pensé par DJ Neff & Paul Ramirez. Proposant une seconde vie aux bombes vidées de leur peinture, ce programme très réussi propose une exposition au 941 Gallery à San Francisco. Plus d’images dans la suite.

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Recycled Skateboard Magnet Set

Vi ricordate i tipi di Deckstool? Queste sono microdecks magnetiche ricavate da tavole rotte riciclate che trovate in vendita su Etsy.

Microdecks skateboard magnet sets

Stormy Monday Goods

Repurposed skateboards and recycled cutting boards handmade in Southern California

by Liz Cebron

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On a recent visit to the made in America brand collaborative Shelter Half, we discovered Stormy Monday Goods—thoughtfully repurposed and redesigned skate and cutting boards, branded with a simple thundercloud and given a second shot at life. These one-of-a-kind creations are the labor of love of Neil Harrison, a Southern California native who, after nearly two decades in the industry—first at Quiksilver, then helping friends get a “little brand” called Volcom off the ground—decided to slow down and work with his hands.

Stormy Monday was conceived during a trip to Portland in late 2006—Harrison was in the Pacific Northwest visiting friends, one of whom had reshaped a couple of used skateboards and was drawing on them as an art project. Harrison made one for himself and after that, he was hooked. “I was really into the idea of re-shaping a board—not only because it gave me the opportunity to work with my hands, but also from a conceptual standpoint—I liked the idea that a used board could get back on the road again, so to speak.” Upon returning to Southern California, Harrison started collecting used boards from his friends in the skate world, team managers and team riders, who tended to have stacks of used boards laying around and with the underlying ethos of “Recycle, repurpose, reuse,” Stormy Monday was born.

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All of your goods (with the exception of the surfboards, which are made in Hawaii) are handcrafted in California. Can you tell us more, specifically, about the process?

First is my least favorite part, stripping off the grip tape. Some tape is friendly and peels off in one to three pieces. Sometimes it breaks into a million bits and pieces. Once the grip is removed, I trace a shape pattern on to the board and cut it out. Then I smooth out the edges and brand the “3 Bolt Storm Cloud” logo on to the boards. Next is staining, painting and completing the rails and wheel wells. The wheel wells are one of the trickiest parts because you’re doing one at a time and you have to match them to each other as close as you can. Sometimes I’ll let boards sit for a little while before I do this part as I try to get myself psyched up to do them—you can ruin the board very easily after all that work. Each board is then number stamped, signed and logged in the book. Every board to date has been logged, including the cutting boards and now our surfboards (dropping this spring).

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The process of creating cutting boards or cheese boards is very similar to the skateboards. I work out of my friends’ woodshop in Santa Ana and sometimes they have woods that are deemed “undesirable” for cabinets because of knots, sap or mineral streaks. I’ll also find scrap wood that someone leaves out on their yard for pick up. If I can’t find any wood via those two sources I’ll go to the lumber yard and buy their “damaged” wood. It’s perfect because those characteristics or flaws in the wood make our boards interesting looking and unique.

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Speaking of the cutting boards, it’s not the first thing that comes to mind alongside skateboard decks and surfboards, but in your case in seems to work. Why cutting boards in the mix?

It certainly wasn’t on purpose to have them in the mix. It was a happy accident if you will, and they have only come to be part of the mix somewhat recently. It was only after I saw some scrap woods that I thought I could make nice cutters for some friends and after making a few, realized how much fun it was working on them. Then I thought it’d be funny to add to the skateboard order form.

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After that, I started getting orders from friends and then eventually stores. There’s the whole thing that’s happening right now where people want to know the story behind the product and/or know the person or persons who are making them and I think that’s what’s great about where we’re going as a country, not as whole, but on this very intimate underground level and it seems to be slowly effecting the grander consuming audience.

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Your logo is really interesting, how did that come to you?

The logo and name were inspired on that same visit to Portland. Jake had a simple cloud painting that he had made. It was a puffy cloud with three bolts of lightning floating beneath it and the word Monday at the bottom. So Monday was the original name, then I added Stormy to make it sound heavier. I started working up stylized versions of Jake’s cloud painting—I wanted it to have a Native American look and vibe to it, like a modern version or a petroglyph. Simple, strong and to the point.

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Can you tell us a little more about your background—where you grew up, how you got into all of this (skateboards, surfing, etc)?

I was born in Bellflower and grew up in Buena Park—home of Knott’s Berry Farm. My mom loved to go to the beach and she would take us to the OP Pro, which, at the time, was the big surf contest in Huntington Beach. I was just boogie boarding then but after watching the guys surfing in the contest that was all I wanted to do. I was starting to skate around this time and honestly don’t remember how or who turned me on to it but it just found me. Skating was obviously more obtainable for an inland kook such as myself, so I was a skater first, surfer second. We had this ditch behind a drive-in that was close to my house and we skated that thing every day—it’s all I could think about in class! We were surfing the ditch walls before we learned how to surf real waves.

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After I graduated high school in 1988, I moved to the beach and my friend got me a job working in the warehouse at Quiksilver. Over the next couple of years, I went from the warehouse to the art department, and then into the design dept. Around ’92 I left Quik and took up with some new friends to get the brand Volcom off the ground. I worked there as design and art director for about 15 years and left in 2006. I laid low for a few years, worked on an avocado grove I owned with some family at the time, and did some freelance design art projects here and there. Then last year my friend Danny called and asked if I’d like to stop fooling around and turn Stormy Monday into a proper brand. And here we are.

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Stormy Monday currently sells skate decks for $125 and completes for $225 through Shelter Half, with denim and Hawaiian made surfboards on the horizon. For direct ordering and more information see Stormy Monday directly.


Union Wood Co.

Found objects and custom pieces with a vintage industrial aesthetic fill a Vancouver storefront

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Inspired by the nostalgia of old wooden docks, mills and factories that once thrived in Vancouver, Union Wood Co.‘s recently opened shop in the city’s developing Downtown-Eastside community is a haven for those who covet vintage, repurposed and industrial objects.

After a stint working as a garbage collector, Union Wood Co. founder Craig Pearce discovered his love for things that other people discarded. “I would only buy used clothes. I started collecting things I would find in alleys. I started making things out of old wood. I didn’t like anything to be new.” What started off as a few pieces for friends quickly turned into a series of contracts to make things for those beyond his social circle. By 2009 Pearce had created a full-fledged business, which recently expanded into a storefront as well.

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The shop not only acts as a source for found objects and antiques, but also produces its own line of products and furniture. On a recent visit we fell for the shop aprons made from rigid denim, hand-cut leather straps and vintage brass hardware. The hammered brass rivets and bolts make the straps easily removable, allowing the aprons to be washed when needed. The online shop also currently features handsome vintage treasures like a collection of one-off Victory Cups you can get engraved and an aged brass marine spotlight.

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Using wood reclaimed from salvage yards and demolition sites, Union Wood Co. also creates furniture pieces that are solid, bold and one-of-a-kind. The company also works directly with clients to produce custom pieces.

Head over to the Union Wood shop to see their current stock, or contact sales[at]unionwoodco[dot]com for custom inquiries.


Coco Mat Surfboards

Innovative design uses discarded coconut husks to make lighter, stronger models

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As the latest innovation in sustainable surfboard production, Global Surf Industries‘ Coco Mat Technology employs coconut husk fibers to reduce both board weight and harmful chemicals used in processing and manufacturing. Weighing between three and four pounds lighter than traditional epoxy boards, the strength-to-weight ratio of the Coco Mat boards supports their claim as the world’s lightest, strongest and therefore fastest surfboards currently on the market.

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The production process for Coco Mat surfboards uses discarded fibers gathered from local self-sustaining crops near the manufacturing facility, making the production process significantly more environmentally sound than the methods to make traditional epoxy models. The readily available husk fibers only require minimal processing before being randomly arranged between layers of fiberglass, an innovative technique that lends each board a unique look and, more importantly, reinforces the fiberglass laminate.

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The agile, loose-riding boards include the small fish, which at just 6’4″ makes an ideal board for less than ideal conditions. Plus, the board’s squat shape helps it retain stability, which would otherwise be lost with extra length.

As the boards grow in size the weight differential increases as well, with the Coco Mat stand-up paddle boards and longboards weighing in four pounds lighter than traditional epoxy models. Keep an eye out online and in specialty shops for the NSP Coco Mat boards‘s March 2012 release.

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Another innovation from Global Surf Industries is the foamtop Albacore, an update on the Seaglass Project Tuna. Available in two sizes under 5’6″ the finless surfboards are an ideal learning tool for kids and adults, even in sloppy, small-wave conditions. Usually only found on massive rental longboards, the foamtop design is added to the super short board for a fun, safer ride. Look for the Albacore in select shops and online April 2012 where it will retail for under $275.

For other innovative uses of discarded coconut fibers on CH check out Homeschool Outerwear.


From the Library: No Waste

Revisiting Pentagram’s gorgeously photographed collection of repurposed Cuban objects

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Design isn’t always about showrooms and industry idols. Beautiful objects show up wherever there’s ingenuity and an appreciation of aesthetics. High or low, you either get it or you don’t. Of all the books on the always-relevant topic, “Pentagram Papers #32: No Waste” perhaps gets closest to the heart of what good design on a dime means. The monograph explores a Cuban world of objects on their second life as people repurpose materials to suit their needs, all from the perspective of an industry-leading design firm.

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Pentagram has been producing the “Papers” series of gorgeous volumes since 1975, filling signature black covers with page after page of provocative content. This 32nd volume, originally published in 2003, makes an astonishing case for the prevailing influence of its subject, not to mention the publication.

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As an object, this book proves print’s enduring place as a medium too with austere photographs printed on richly textured matte paper folded into double-leaf pages. Details like a die-cut jacket cover that slips off to reveal a cardboard shell held together with copper staples embody the underlying concept it takes up. Part of the cooperative Laboratorio de Creación Maldeojo, the work is a result of efforts by Ernesto Oroza, Fabián Martínez and Nelson Rossel.

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Featured in the book are a number of ingenious devices: slingshots made from PVC and discarded condoms, taxi signs of old gas canisters, modified guillotine-style mouse traps, antennas constructed from public lunch trays. All of the items reflect the importance of objects in times of scarcity. Seeing discarded plastics melted and reshaped by hand into nicely marbled drinking cups, it becomes hard to return to the world of disposable design.

A limited number ($20 each) are available from Pentagram by contacting info [at] pentagram [dot] com.


Preserve Toothbrush

Keep the environment and your teeth healthy with a unique subscription service

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With an estimated 50 million pounds of toothbrushes ending up in U.S. landfills annually, there must be a better way to curb the waste of the everyday essential. After all, it’s only the worn-out bristles that need replacing, not the plastic handles that make up the bulk of the refuse.

A potential solution comes in the form of a subscription to Recycline’s Preserve Toothbrushes whose BPA-free handles are made from recycled yogurt cups. Included in the pack, along with the toothbrush, are self-addressed stamped envelopes so the used brush can be conveniently returned to the manufacturer for recycling.

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The old dentist’s axiom says the brushes should be replaced every three months – so a $15 annual subscription can deliver a new Preserve Toothbrush within that timeframe, or every two months over an eight-month period. For those who can’t wait, Recycline offers four American-made brushes in a bulk pack, complete with return-mail packs.


Nudie Jeans and Barneys New York

Swedish denim specialists release an exclusive, limited-edition batch of recycled jeans
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Swedish denim purveyors Nudie Jeans will soon stock a short run of just 500 pairs of their straight-leg Slim Jim jean in a unique “Post Recycle Dry” denim at Barneys New York. While the limited-edition style lacks the coveted selvage weft, the raw indigo dye creates a brilliant color sure to wear in well over time.

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The “Post Recycle Dry” jean is made up of old Nudie Jeans denim, which is then cut, milled down to a pulp and blended with virgin organic cotton. Due to the recycling process and the material’s subsequent natural irregularities, the denim takes on a distinctive slubby look up close, but from afar maintains a clean, vibrant blue hue. By dropping the signature bright stitching they’ve become known for over the past decade, Nudie keeps all attention on the denim itself.

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Starting 12 January 2012, the Post Recycled Dry jean will be available in-store and online exclusively at Barneys for $215. For a better idea of how the recycled jeans are made watch Nudie Jeans’ informative video.


SPREAD by GUM by Eureka

SPREAD by GUM by Eureka Design

Architects Eureka have made a bicycle shop in Hong Kong where recycled paper tubes can be pushed in and out to make an ever-changing display wall.

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Eureka were inspired by the Pinscreen executive toy, creating a wall of 5,412 recycled paper tubes so that products can be cradled in, nestled into, rested against or hung off a display that is different each time.

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The crinkly silver façade of the shop is made from sheets of creased recycled laminated paper.

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The bicycle shop also acts as a flexible space for film nights, parties and cycling-related events for bicycle lovers.

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A swivelling desk at the back of the shop can be rotated to the side to free up extra space.

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The sliding shop front allows events to spill out onto the street whilst the extendible concrete plinth behind can be used as a window display box.

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Here’s a little more information from the architects:


The client is young company which promotes anything and everything bike related in the rather non-bicycle friendly city of Hong Kong. To increase their market exposure, we were approached to design their first retail shop (SPREAD by GUM). The client’s brief aims to shift away from the traditional “bike-shop” model, but rather operates closer to a “Gallery / Event Space” which is more in-tuned with their marketing direction.

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They need a space which can be dressed up holistically every month in a different theme to showcase their products, messages and events. Inspired by the Pin Art toy, the PLAY and DISPLAY wall was developed as a concept to amalgamate the functional need of a shop and the fluidity of a gallery / event space. 5412 recycled paper tubes of 38.5mm Ø was used to create a display wall which can be totally customised to suit the products on display or the theme of the month (may be just a bold message!).

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Products can be indented into, leaned against, cradled in or hung on this wall like a 3D wall mural. To contrast this, the rest of the space was treated simply with bare white walls and a dark grey polished concrete floor. The table is hinged which can be turned and rest on top of the floating cabinet to create a bigger space in the shop for events or display use.

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The space is also used as a socialising hub for like-minded customers and friends, where film nights, parties and cycling related events will be held regularly. An extendible concrete plinth (known as the STAGE) was introduced by the open-able glass shop front, allowing activities to spill out onto the street and videos projected onto the adjacent walls.

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The STAGE will double up as a shop window display box, like a stage set in theatre in front of the unobstructed glass shop front. To be consistent with GUM’s green ethos (GUM stands for Green Urban Mobility), the facade was simply dressed with hand creased recycled laminated paper, from the same supplier which produced the paper tubes.

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All light fittings used in the shop are LED to reduce the dependency on A/C. Bike parking will be provided in the light-well at the back of the store to encourage customers to visit on 2 wheels!

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Location: Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong
Type: retail shop
Year: 2011
Area: 35m2
Cost: HKD180,000