"Wear Nature" by Mr. Lentz

Now this is my type of jewellery.

A few months ago I contacted Mr. Lentz about his jewellery and have been meaning to write about it ever since. The artist has crafted these tiny sculptures using nature's materials, and they feel almost mythical with their tiny, yet perfect, proportions.
Once in awhile I see artwork that truly makes me smile.

These little sculptures -quite literally- took my breath away.

If I were a poet I would suggest that they feel like rain.

Maybe they feel like mother-nature in a bottle? I can't quite peg it, but unique and beautiful they are.

The Redwood Series: as soft and textured as a rainforest.

The Beast Series: as angular and lethal as some of her predators. 

Don't believe me? Take a look for yourself.

Visit the MR.LENTZ online store if you'd like to purchase. 

My obsession with skid pallet decor continues....

PART 1: Repurposed Skid Pallets, A Way to Look at the World here.

(The recycle-upcycle-repurpose movement has truly mainstreamed.)
It's wonderful!
We already know that we need to slow down our over-zealous desires to consume shiny new things.... right? But it can be so hard!

So, here are some guilt-free ideas to spice up your interior. New materials optional.


Unique Palette Ideas & Furniture Made to Measure: Creative ways to use wooden pallets!

Pallet Accent Wall, DIY !
(Please sand and seal.. pallets are sprayed with pesticides during shipping)

Wooden Skids Used as Shelving

Desk Love.

More Wood Palette Coffee Tables: These just keep getting better.

Okay, so this is more of a desk than a coffee table. STILL, AMAZING.

Who would have thought they could look so classy?

Painted Union Jack Repurposed Skid Palette Wonder

Bright Chartreuse Coffee Table. Modern Interior Decor!

Repurposed Skid Pallets - a way to look at the world

The organic / upcycled / repurposed fad must be reaching its peak.
While wonderful to see, my wish is that people add a few trendy pieces to their decor and stop for a moment to think about the why and the how of it all.
The why:
We desperately need to change our habits if we want the earth to sustain our human population and the growth of developing nations.  Culturally, we are changing some of our habits (recycling, composting, and "going-green", if you will.) The eco-trend has found its way into every corner of our lives... and that includes every corner of your home. Eco-fashionable home decor makes sense. Start with what you can, and change as you can.
The how: 
By repurposing waste, we are doing the good green thing. On some level it makes us feel like better citizens of the earth. (In the 80s I got the same fuzzy feeling when I bought bottled Evian.)
The caveat: 
Decoration is just frills. Yes, it's true.
(I am a designer. Please realize that frills are very important to my life / environment /overall well-being. Yes, perhaps that is  shallow. Moving forwards.) 

Let's keep the momentum (which is amazing) and start to examine the other important things in our lives. Things like the food we eat and where it comes from, the supply chain of the things we buy, the politicians that we vote for and the repercussions of our choices - our use of the world's resources and our community, our dependence on oil...

It's a lot to think about. And home decor is, by comparison, so mild. I don't mean that we should strip away any of the great eco-things that are popping up everywhere. They're great! They're phenomenal. 

Meaningful. 

Hopeful. 

Inspiring.

If nothing else, I hope we embrace these trends with a vigour that inspires even more humanity and compassion - and positive change.  If we can change ugly, old and dirty skid pallets into works of modern eco art- we can do.. well,  just about anything.

Without further ado - my selection of repurposed skid pallets:

From Creature comforts

From Apartment Therapy

From /caisak.blogspot.com/

Pallet Garden

The grandaddy of upcycles: from skid pallet to Barcelon-esque Daybed

Upcycling Bullets into Anthrobots

Wow. I just happened upon these steampunk eco-artworks. Perfect little critters made of discarded watches, old nuts, bolts, and bullets. How's that for a 180 degree upcycle?
(We think it's a metal-gear solid one.)

From violent ammunition to steampunk anthropods, artist Tom Hardwidge's creatures express more than the hipster aesthetic you might glean at first glance.

For just a moment, imagine these bullet-locusts flying through the air in true matrix fashion.
The visual appeals to my senses and to my imagination, and serves as a rusty omen of a looming warfare-caused doomsday. Lifeless, unnatural, and completely manufactured by human beings.

See more at the artist's site http://www.arthrobots.com/

Greener Look. Greener Heart?

From http://emmas.blogg.se/index.html

As we move beyond the era of recycling novelty we are starting to surround ourselves with things that look and feel green. Natural fibres, raw wood, dried branches, mini-containers with living moss - the style is fresh and organic and lovely. It's that summer and lemongrass feeling of a spa in your own home,  and the look is eco-divine.

From http://lalalovelythings.blogspot.com/

From http://www.anthropologie.com

The more I think about this look, however; the more I wonder if we aren't giving ourselves the illusion of being eco-advocates.  I am a huge fan of FSC or repurposed wood. If given the choice I would chose organic cotton over regular cotton, of course. It makes me feel great to purchase sustainable products for my home. Sometimes, it makes me feel so great, in fact; that I stop thinking about what I need to do to make the world a better place. I feel like I have done my part by buying up beautiful eco-friendly things.

So here's where my contemplation begins and my doubts creep in... do dried tree stumps, moss stolen from its natural fauna & fake animal antlers make me a greener, better person? I'm pretty sure they don't.

They certainly allow me to look that way, though. 

From Manolo Home

Upcycled Felted Wool Brooch Pins

I was browsing Etsy today, and I found these amazing little upcycled sweater pins. They are so gosh-darn-cute I think I need one in every colour ! The seller, Babongo, has a great eye for design and texture and her stamped, felted and sewn brooches make me smile just looking at them. These eco pops of colour are only $15.00. My Christmas list just grew.

What a great way to use old sweaters and fabrics. Repurpose everything ! The earth needs as much of a break from the manufacturing of goods as it can get right about now.

Albero Upcycled Reclaimed Wood Side Tables To Die for

Today I came across these Albero side tables. They are eco-perfection in a nutshell. (I suppose we could say that they are perfection in Walnut shell ?)

I, for one, love having a few accent pieces that scream rustic, and these would certainly fit the bill.
They are made from fallen trees, put together by hand, and of course - each piece is absolutely unique. They run a steep $1025 - $1200, but considering the manufacturing process, the overall look and the fact that they are one-of-a-kind; the price tag seems to fit these eco-chic little tables.

If you are a do-it-yourselfer, a well chosen set of ikea legs and a friendly phone call to your local  arborist might be a cheaper option.

Upcycled Throw Pillow eye-candy

I love Etsy. There are so many wonderful and unique items, and so many crafty creatives all in one spot - I just came across a cute shop run by tallulahssatchels - and her upcycled repurposed throw pillows are fantastic. They run from $30 - $50 dollars, and are a steal if you are looking for one-of-a-kind accents that are kind to the earth.

She has a wonderful eye for colour... and I love the fact that you can literally see the old sweater in some of the pillows. I could design a full room around one of these !
Cute Cute. Did I mention that I love Etsy ?

Maam Project's Carpet Bags

Here's the fun design of the day -
Maam Project out of Spain are making these nice looking handbags out of repurposed carpet.
One woman's junk is another woman's treasure ?


via Dezeen

Corrugated Cardboard Love

Eco Furniture for Green Spaces is all the rage, and this bio-degradable upcycled and re-used corrugated cardboard accent furniture doesn't disappoint. This table can be used vertically or horizontally, and boasts a stylish built in magazine rack.

Displayed at this year's Argentinian Pure Design Expo "Feria Puro Diseño 2010", these unique pieces are sure to please even the most discerning green tastes. The designer, Buenos Aires' Santiago Morahan, works with urban garbage collectors and buys the old cardboard boxes from them, then turns them into art.

Urban garbage collectors get paid more from the designer than they would from a recycling factory, so not only is his amazing artwork eco-conscious, but it is also helping to create a better wage for people who, essentially, create their own jobs collecting cardboard from the garbage.
Ecologically green, socially just and creative ? Where do I sign up ?

Um Purses made with recycled organic felt to carry it all

Josh Jakus' Um Bags are made of one flat piece of dense wool felt (organic leftovers from industrial processes) and the unique design makes the most of the materials.

Strategically placed zippers create the form of the bags, when zipped closed, and the line lies competely flat when opened up. Great design to hold all the doo-dads that designers tend to carry around. (Make sure your exactos are locked shut)

DIY Upcycled Pendant Lampshade (One more reason to love Threadbanger)

Threadbanger, we love you. Your amazing eco-deco tips, your inspiration, your creative flair for turning junk into faux-couture. Here is a DIY video that shows us how to use chicken wire, galvanized steel wire and bit of used, found, or discarded items (a.k.a. one man's garbage) and turn it into an amazingly chic upcycled lamp shade. (a.k.a. another man's treasure.)

How to Make an Upcycled Pendent Lamp

Thanks for the wonderful ideas !
5 minute life videopedia

Upcycled Repurposed Clothes hangers

Organelle Design has this fantastic set of repurposed clothes hangers... If you have extra - instead of throwing them away, why not "upcycle" or repurpose - and join the thousands of design savvy eco-conscious creators that are swinging the art of recycling to new heights. These awesome hanging lamps can be purchased in Organelle's etsy shop .

As seen on Curbly