REDUCE REUSE REDESIGN

Shown above is the Hangelier 1.2 By Organelle Design. Organelle is an independent design studio based in Vancouver, BC that re-purpose off-the-shelf, and found objects in innovative ways. Who knew plastic hangers could looks so classy?















Ramon Coronado Mercado Negro, a cross-media visual designer based out of Los Angeles, creates recycled furniture from shopping carts as part of his Reclaiming & Furniture Design series.


















Designers at Reestore re-purpose old bathtubs into modern love seats using contemporary colors, fabrics and finishes.


















Designer Andrew Gregg from Bike Furniture Design in Michigan specializes in creating modern furniture made primarily from recycled steel and aluminum bicycle rims, handlebars and frames. His work is stunning and can be ordered online. Sweet!

CHAINABLE USB PLUGS

Designer Gonglue Jiang from Tongji University in Beijing, China has created this clever new USB concept. Linkable USB device plugs would increase the amount of ports available for users. An external AC adapter would supply the additional charge needed to run multiple plugs. No word on production yet.

ACCESSORIES FOR THE BALLSY TRAVELER

[Photograph by Marino Thorlacius]

For frequent travelers who are not worried about looking a little, um, out-of-the-box, meet Israeli-born designer Sruli Recht's latest "non product" Masked In Flight.

Recht constructed a series of four masks from folded laser-cut parchment, incorporating a respirator and replaceable N95 filters into each. Other features include light filtering sleep masks and sound reduction ear covers.

This product is perfect for a germ-a-phobe like myself, but if I did ever get the courage to whip it out on a trip, how do you get through customs?

To pre-order you own mask, email contact@srulirecht.com

COVERT WEAPON

This simple baseball cap is actually a deadly weapon. The Sap Cap features a pocket on the back that has a "unique impact material that is 110% the density of lead and will not rust." This impact material is designed especially for whacking people on the head for protection. The instructions are to grab the bill of the cap and swing away. The Sap Cap retails for $30 USD.

I'm all for self-defense and feeling safe to walk in your hood, but to me this product screams "BAD IDEA!" I'm not sure who came up with the concept or who produces it, but I'll never sit comfortably at a sporting event again.

PANTONE

I forgot about this one! A post I wrote in January and forgot to publish. Better late than never . . .

To understand why this post is cool it helps if you have a basic idea of what Pantone is. If you’re in the know just skip the next paragraph and get to the good stuff quicker.

Pantone Inc. is a U.S. corporation that is best known for its PANTONE MATCHING SYSTEM® (Yes, that’s PMS for short…some marketing director was asleep in that meeting). PMS is a proprietary color space used in a variety of industries, primarily printing, though sometimes in the manufacture of colored paint, fabric and plastics. The idea behind PMS is to allow designers to 'color match' specific colors when a design enters production stage—regardless of the equipment used to produce the color. This system has been widely adopted by graphic designers, reproduction and printing houses for a number of years now.

Pantone seems to be creeping into fashion, household products, office supplies...just about everything. Below are some fun Pantone projects for your viewing pleasure.
















[Pantone handbags from Mango in the UK]















[Pantone carpet from The Mohawk Group]















[Pantone glasses from Arm One]















[Pantone flight stool from British design team Barber Osgerby. Pantone decided to sell a limited edition of these stools on their website and Lawrence Herbert, founder and innovator of the PANTONE MATCHING SYSTEM®, has signed 20 of them! Click here to get your own flight stool!]

WATER-INSPIRED SINKS

Since doing design work for a high-end bathroom/kitchen faucet company, I find myself noticing bathroom fixtures around town more than I care to admit. Recently I came (virtually) across the Ocean sink from Bandini. With ceiling mounted faucets, this sculptural, yet entirely functional piece is an eye-catching organic form. The Ocean wash basin is available in black and white, and two sizes which can be combined into different formations due to their modular nature. It's f'n cool!

BLOODY DESIGN

Coming in Spring 2009 from Studio OOOMS is this handmade road kill carpet made from 100% wool. The creative minds behind the Dutch Studio OOOMS are Guido Ooms and Karin van Lieshout. Visit Studio OOOMS to shop or view their other products. A struggle between attraction and repulsion, this cuddly car-flattened, bloody fox is exactly what I’ve always wanted on my floor…no, seriously. It’s awesome!

SAFETY COMES IN A SMALLER PACKAGE

StashKit is an award-winning helmet made by Hatpac Ltd. This multi-sport helmet can be easily folded for quick storage when not in use. The sides of the helmet fold inward making it more compact. In 2007, StashKit won the Eurobike award for its innovative design. It retails for about $90 CDN.

Click here to visit the StashKit website.