Modern Crystal Chandeliers

Michael McHale creates modern, bright chandeliers out of old brass and copper pipes draped in dazzling crystal prisms. Often using salvaged pipes, McHale is concentrating on use of fittings from buildings destroyed by Hurricane Katrina. He says he hopes that the mix of high-end and utilitarian materials creates a message that beauty is all around us.

This version, The Five-Bulb Compact Chandelier sells for about $1,500.

Curtain Call for These Rings ...

It's a glorious day; we're finally taking a break from April showers. But if you still insist on thinking water, at least make it the indoor shower. With glass stalls and all, we've forgotten that some still use the curtain and those sometimes nasty to work rings. Nothing is worse than being perched on the top of a tub trying to manipulate those rings. Well maybe one other thing is worse, having plain old ordinary bathroom rings hanging the curtain you so carefully selected.

Apparently Kenneth Schiller, designer and owner of Manhattan-based Kontextur, agrees about the utility and also thinks that color is key. He has created several that is a complete departure boring old curtain ring -- using vibrant candy-colors shaped in squares (shown here), bamboo or a rounded version which is available in gold, black, silver and chalk.

A box of 12 retails for $50 from the site, and right now, the company is offering 10 "needy" bathrooms a chance for a boost in color. Contest ends May 1.
--diane

Tags: Kontextur, Modern Curtain Rings, Colorful Shower Curtain Rings, Kenneth Schiller

Sheer Brilliance

Window treatments are such a tricky endeavor. Too often they can look, as Vladimir Kagan once said, like rags on a window. While Kagan's sentiment may be harsh, my personal problem with most treatments is that they don't add to the atmosphere. That is not the case with this treatment by Ravi Pankhania.

Rather than block light, these waterfall or banner shades create an ethereal and fluid effect. A veritable wall sculpture. The Canadian designer from British Columbia, sews varying sizes of fabric onto a shear roman shade which results in this fluttering effect of light and material.

"We wanted to find a way to filter and fracture the light. We look at the window and customize the amount of light that we want to get through," he explained. "This one in the bathroom faces the beach, so we increased the density on the lower half to filter the view." 

Pankhania, who specializes in soft furnishings, plays with different weights of fabrics to get different effects. The curtains list at $50-75 per square foot.

Absolutely gorgeous. --diane

Tags: Ravi Panhania, Modern Curtains, Bathroom Shades, Modern Window Treatments

Modern Outdoor Lighting

Gandía Blasco was founded in 1941 in Valencia, Spain as a family-run business with an eye toward keeping up wit the times. Its new collection reflects the company's unfaltering commitment to modern, fresh design with personality and combines the warmth of the interior with the outdoor environment.

Our two favorites...

Lamparas Cubos -- $1,650.
Clear, stacked, glowing cubes compose the Lamparas Cubos from Gandía Blasco. The geometric forms recall the verticality of skyscrapers, evoking a city in miniature; in a natural environment they highlight the grandiosity of the natural world, the dominion of natural, effervescent calm.

Lampara Piramide -- $1,550.
The Lampara Piramide are tall, elongated shapes jutting from the ground, like perfect crystalline, natural forms, appearing to be both part of the environment and distinct from it. The glow is both sensual and unearthly, providing the perfect ambiance for any outdoor space.

Eco Countertop

Anyone who has gone through a kitchen remodel has faced a curious truth: even in America, where consumerism reigns like a clown at a kids birthday party, it can be impossible to buy what you want.

Discovering the ideal material is pretty easy; it's tracking it down that can be difficult. Manufacturers splash images of their fancy products all over the web without adding those oh so important details like where it can be purchased and for how much. So the consumer is lead on a long, ineffectual chase involving sales reps and mileage checks to the nearest retail outlet. This often ends in the big give up, where the defeated consumer abandons her dreams of the perfect countertop and scuffles off to the nearest home outlet to see what's available. These dashed dreams are especially common when it comes to green building products, which still lack a strong foothold in America's chain retailers.

That's why it was heartening to see that an eco friendly, quartz countertop is now available at Lowe's. ECO™ by Constentino is composed of 75% post-industrial and post-consumer recycled raw material, including mirrors salvaged from houses, building and factories; glass from windows and bottles; granulated glass from consumer recycling practices; porcelain from china, tiles, sinks, toilets and decorative elements; and industrial furnace residuals from factories in the form of crystallized ashes.

Cosentino is "upcycling" products that have reached the end of their lifecycle, cannot be incorporated in to any other industrial product and would otherwise collect in landfill sites. According to Cosentino, approximately 3000 glass bottles equals 1 ton of raw materials. The production of ECO™ by Cosentino is expected to re-use the equivalent of 60 million glass bottles every year,which represents about 20,000 tons of raw materials.

The recycled content is mixed with 25% natural material including stone scrap from mountains, quarries, manufacturing, and fabrication; and is bonded together with a proprietary eco-friendly 22% corn oil resin. The resin is the result of a major research and development initiative, and is unmatched in the market today.

delivers a hard durable surface that has high stain, scratch and scorch performance. Unlike more traditional materials, it is non-porous and does not require sealers. At launch, ECO™ by Cosentino is available in two sophisticated color palettes - the Revive collection and the Green collection - totaling 10 individual designer colors, suitable for both commercial and residential projects. It is also available in both a polished and a matte Leather Texture™ finish.

ECO™ by Cosentino is available in jumbo slabs of 63"x 128" and standard tile sizes of 12"x 12", 18"x 18" and 24"x 24". The jumbo slabs allow for a higher square footage of material per container, minimizing  carbon foot print, and provides

a higher yield of material during fabrication, minimizing seams and waste. The slabs are available in 1.2cm, 2cm and 3cm thickness to respond to varying market needs. Architects and building teams will gain points toward LEED certification from the U.S. Green Building Council for a building project that utilizes ECO™ by Cosentino surfacing. ECO™ by Cosentino is GREENGUARD certified for low chemical emissions.

"ECO by Cosentino closely matches the superior durability of quartz surfaces, exceeds the performance of more conventional materials such as granite and marble, and is dramatically less damaging to the environment. It is the ideal product for today's eco-minded consumer who seeks performance and sustainability, without sacrificing design," said Valentin Tijeras Garcia, Director of Product Innovation, Cosentino.

Modern Accent Chair

Assises by Calico.

A new take on the round table

Founded in 2007, Spectrum West has reinvented acrylic furniture from its cold, post-modernist roots, to stylish, timeless pieces, bringing a sense of warmth to modern design. And their Pentagonal Dining Table Set is not exception. See more from Spectrum West.

-- allie

Tags: modern dining table, acrylic furniture, contemporary design, modern table

Novus Sink

As I write I am listening to my husband bang and hammer in my previously horrendous kitchen. We are FINALLY remodeling -- new cabinets, new counters, new sink, oh my! Our new and improved kitchen will boast 5 additional cabinets, and 8 feet of additional counter space.

For 3 years we have lived with 6 cabinets (one of course being under-sink storage) and 42" of counter space. Just take a minute to image what my kitchen looked like when I actually threw down a meal that consisted of more than 3 ingredients. If only I had known about the Novus Undermount Single Bowl sink.

With the sliding platform and drying board, I would have been privy to 31 additional inches of cherished space.

-- allie

Tags: modern sink, modern kitchen, space-saving ideas, kitchen makeover

Karton Art Design

Karton Art Design reinvents traditional furniture with a decidedly modern, green flair. With a patented technology that makes their pieces as strong as their old-timey wood counterparts, Karton's cardboard furniture boasts a 10 year lifespan.

According to the company, Karton furniture evokes the the "atmosphere of the good old times, yet gives the feel of contemporary eco-design to make you comfortable in the passage between past and future."

There's a sense of irony and evolution in their work that make it seem even more modern, but with the strength and durability of its pieces, Karton would be more than justified in jumping in with both feet and developing truly modern, cutting edge designs, as well.

Collapse & Expand

Small on space -- this line of home furnishing collapses, stores easily, and can accommodate many!

 

Born out of the desire for an expandable chair, Eugenio Mercado of Green Chair Canada, began experimenting with honeycomb. The result -- a line of more usable furniture that you can carry around with you (they weigh less than half a pound)!

Full list of Green Chair Canada's products:
Green Chair - Expandable Chair to sit up to 15 people
Green Worm -Expandable Stool to sit up to 15 people
Green Table - Expandable Table (expands up to 8 ft.)
Green Turtle - Not expandable stool/table for one person
Enviro Lighting - Semi-expandable lamps

While the honeycomb cannot be painted, the sides of the furniture can feature various designs.

-- allie

Tags: modern furniture, honeycomb furniture, green design, expandable furniture, light-weight furniture