Don’t move! Just add a backyard room.

By Jenny Tranter | May 20, 2013

As flexibility in the workforce is increasingly supporting work from home arrangements, the search for the perfect quiet study nook away from the noise of family life can often be vain. If only you had the perfect little spot down the end of the garden where you could disappear for a while.  Well your dream could be about to come true, as Melbourne based Backyard Room could have you set up in just over six weeks, and in most cases a council permit is not required. Did you just catch your breath? I certainly did when I first spotted them!

backyard office

Backyard office, prefabricated studio

At the basic level, which may be all that you require, the prefabricated Workpad measures 2.2 x 2.4m (from $15,840), but options are available for larger two story pads complete with lounge, bathroom and mezzanine bedroom. In addition to featuring sustainable timbers and design around passive solar principles, the beauty about each is that the floor plan can be tweaked to suit your needs ~ add or subtract bookshelves, kitchenettes and powder rooms amongst many other options. The mid sized BYR2 pictured still has a relatively small footprint 3.3 x 4.5m (priced from $39.250) and sports a green roof which not only looks great and functional possessing thermal heating and cooling qualities, but also helps it settle well into the surrounding landscape. Are you heading into your backyard yet to pace out the measurements?

Backyard teenager retreat

Backyard studio

Of course the options for use are endless – Instead of a small office space, the pads could be used as a workshop/creative space, guest room, gym, teenager retreat, pool room, woman/man cave – or all of the above at different stages as your household needs change. The only trouble with the Backyard Room, is you may end up having to fight your family for it!

~~ Backyard Room ~~

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Willem Heeffer makes baked bean candeliers shine bright

By Jenny Tranter | May 16, 2013

Helsinki based designer Willem Heeffer has a “can do” attitude. When he was commissioned to create a lighting and accessory range for the new American restaurant Midhill Diner for top chef Hans Välimäki,  he knew the industrial styled interior (by Martina Rosenqvist and Vera Öller) needed to be complimented with an eye catching icon that captured the American theme – Enter the world recognised but humble baked bean can.

Willem3

Willem2

In total, Willem individually sourced 334 recycled cans from numerous restaurants. As if this task was not difficult enough, he then individually cleaned each one – a grand feat in itself! Once all traces of beans and sauce were removed, Willem transformed the cans into statement lighting “candeliers”, bar lights and cutlery holders.

Willem4

Amidst all the excitement of the Midhill Diner opening just yesterday, Willem spoke to State of Green about his latest design;

1. What inspired you to use baked bean cans in this project?  The Baked Bean can light is an old product of mine. It suited this project well as it hints towards pop culture which suits the American style diner. 

2. How long did it take to collect all 334 cans?  I think it took a total of six weeks making daily journeys to the local restaurants, pizzerias and oil recycling centers. All got to know me pretty well!

3. Did you face many challenges in the collection, cleaning and design of the chandelier/candeliers??  I am a good organizer so solved little issues on the way but nothing big.  Sometimes it was hard to keep up a positive attitude when surrounded with so many dirty cans, and to maintain the  belief that something cool will be coming from it.

4. What has the feedback been like from patrons attending the Midhill Diner?  It has only been opened for a day, but so far all the iphones are coming out taking lots of  pictures…

5. Do you have any other exciting projects in the pipeline? I am working on a bigger series of products and one of them is the washing machine drum light. Not a true original but I am sure I can bring it to the next stage!

Willem5

If you have the perfect spot for your very own iconic baked bean can light, or if your palette tends more towards Campbells Tomato Soup, Willem is happy to make one for you – Just pop on over to his website to check them out!

 ~~ Willem Heeffer ~~

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Sustainable dog digs feature rooftop gardens

By Jenny Tranter | May 15, 2013

Dog kennels are generally not renowned  for being stylish additions to your home – but you may change your view after seeing these sustainable dog digs! Rooftop gardening is taking off, and there is no reason you can’t try it out on your dog’s very own kennel.  Today I have compiled some of my favourite finds, which may just inspire you to make or renovate your dog house.

Bow House by meccinteriors

Bow House via meccinteriors

Some of the designs featured here would be relatively simple to make at home, whilst others such as Azuma Makoto’s impressive garden laden dog house may require a little more time and patience!  My personal favourite is the one I found on Inthralld, complete with sun deck and recycled compost bin (?).  Not only will these kennels add a stylish addition to your garden, but the thermal properties will keep your kennel cooler in summer and keep out the breezes in winter. Which is your favourite design?  If you have created your own dog kennel rooftop garden, please share with us!

 

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Upcycled jewellery ~ all that glitters is not gold

By Jenny Tranter | May 12, 2013

Upcycled footwear designer Amanda Fox of Dames and Divas (see prior interview here) is expanding her repertoire.  Keeping with her design ethos of upcycling products into stunning new creations, today she is launching her new upcycled jewellery collection.

Dames Divas

For the past six months, Amanda has been working closely with a fairtrade workshop in India, designing the handcrafted limited edition range of bangles, earrings and rings. On first look, the range looks to be made from strand upon strand of expensive gold and silver. But instead, the jewellery is ingeniously crafted from materials far less precious. You may be surprised to learn it is simply made using nickel free scrap iron which happens to be malleable and perfect for making jewellery.

Dames Divas

Dames Divas

If you want to get your hands on this new upcycled iron jewellery range from Dames and Divas, best to get in quick smart as it is a limited edition only. Head on over to Amanda’s store for a peek, and you may well get caught up in viewing her  beautiful recycled kimono shoes too!

$19.95 – $39.95

~~ Dames & Divas debut upcycled iron jewellery  RRP $19.95-$39.95 ~~

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Feast Watson's Re-Loved Project gives to the Salvos

By Jenny Tranter | May 9, 2013

Who loves a good “before and after” project. You know the sort ~ take an old falling down house and transform it into the best looking pad on the street! This time, Feast Watson have challenged 9 Australian designers to take an old piece of furniture, and transform it into statement designer pieces. And here’s the clanger ~ you have the opportunity to buy one of these designer pieces.  As part of the Re-Love Project, Feast Watson are auctioning each of the upcycled pieces on eBay over the next 7 days, and all proceeds will be donated to Salvos Stores.

Feast WatsonSimone

Simone Barter (For the Love of Chairs – Four Dining Room Chairs)

Interior and props stylist Simone Barter (blog:www.stylelifehome.com.au) is particularly on trend with these four paint dipped dining chairs.  I’m predicting these will be a HOT item!

FeastWatsonSophie

Sophie Vine (Talk with tea – Telephone Table and Chair)

Many of you would know Sophie Vine (blog All That I Adore (http://allthatiadore.com), who appeared on renovation reality show, The Block last year with her husband Dale.  I admired their use of upcycled items throughout their renovation projects last year, and this ‘Talk with Tea” table is no exception. Could you picture yourself sitting here with a cuppa on a long distance phonecall to a dear friend – I can!

FeastWatsonOntheleft

The Team from Made On The Left (Chalk it up – Old School Desk)

Made On The Left (blog: http://madeontheleft.blogspot.com.au/) is a great new discovery for me.  They are a non-profit organisation based in Western Australia who promote creative talent across the western seaboard.  Four creatives came together for this old school desk makeover project, namely Nicole Moffat (Tall Rabbit), Jacquie Hughes (Empire of Delight), Rebecca Antos (Little Sparrow Design) and Marie Joubert (Mea Culpa).  The pastel retro waves paired with chalkboard desktops brings together a beautiful nostalgic flavour that would sit well in any childs room in 2013!

Feast Watson, Ella leoncio

Ella Leoncio (Conversation Hub – Steel Framed Coffee Table)

Project Architect and

design blogger EllaLeoncio (Pages from my Moleskine: www.pagesfrommymoleskine.com/) added a touch of glamour to an otherwise uninspiring and boring coffee table.  I know which one I would prefer to have in my lounge room!

FeastWatsonSam

Sam Cannell (The Gossip Table – Telephone Table & Chair)

Giftstore owner Sam Cannell (SE10 Gallery: www.se10gallery.com.au/blogs/homewares)  is passionate about interiors. Taking a formal Telephone Table, she has injected a bit of fun, colour and life into it – but you can still have a good old fashioned chinwag.

FeastWatsonEmma

Emma Blomfield (Standalone Statement – Dining Chair

Interior Decorator Emma Blomfield  (Nest (http://nestdesigns.com.au/) shows just what can be done with grandmas’s old dining chair, with a few relatively simple changes.  A fresh sand and lacquer, with a vibrant piece of fabric have breather another life into this former dull chair.

That’s just some of the great items on offer by Feast Watson on eBay.  If you love any of the pieces above, or want to have a peek at all the great upcycled designers, head on over to eBay – The Feast Watson Re-Love Project auction kicked off at 5pm this afternoon, and runs until the grand finale on 18 May 2013 – All for a great cause!

~~ Feast Watson Re-Love Project ~~

 

 

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Upcycle your kids lego into statement jewellery pieces

By Jenny Tranter | May 5, 2013

Have you ever sat back and looked at your child’s burgeoning lego collection, and wondered how much you have spent on it over the years? What do you do with it when they reach that age that they no longer play with it for hours on end? Hold on to your hats ladies and gents, because San Franciso artist Emiko Oye of Reware is challenging us to re-think these everyday objects, by looking outside the square to see them in a brand new light.

Emiko oye

Dawning II ~ Inspired by Louise Nevelson’s Dawn’s Wedding Feast installation, 1959

Drawing inspiration from significant jewellery pieces spanning back through the ages, Emiko creates sculptural lego, replicating the original piece ~ but without the hefty price tag!. In their place are plastic lego, Connectix, recycled electronic cables, paint and silver.

Emiko intends for these upcycled lego pieces to not only be items of beauty and further function, but to also be conversation starters as “a seductive vehicle for awareness” about our relationship with the environment and our culture.

Emiko oye

Maharajah’s 6th neckpiece: (inspired by Boucheron emerald, diamond, and platinum necklace, 1928)

Emiko

Blue Steel neckpiece: (inspired by Boucheron, Paris. Blue-tinted steel, diamonds, zircons, pearls necklace by Maison Boucheron. 1890.)

In addition

to the intricate sculptural pieces she creates, Emiko also creates more practical, but equally eye catching pieces for everyday wear. Cuffs, bracelets, pendants and earrings are pieced together with rubber cord, and each are adorned with combinations of  sterling silver, 14K gold, recycled silver tube, cubic zirconia, and amethysts amongst other semi precious metals and stones.

Emiko oye

I love the simplicity of the bangles offset with a dash of sparkle for a modern edge. Whilst the mini figurine earrings might not be for everyone, I’m sure they’d be a conversations starter – just as Emiko Oye intended!,

jewelry lego, upcycled lego

Her pieces are available for purchase online, and can be viewed at various exhibitions across the USA and Europe. She also runs workshops, encouraging others to recycle and repurpose what they have in their homes – Watch out kids. I’d be hiding that lego box if you don’t want us to get our hand on it!

~~ Reware by Emiko ~~

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John Dickson uses his noodle to create strip art

By Clare Kennedy | May 3, 2013

Clare Kennedy speaks to artist John Dickson who used a pasta machine to create a set of striking monoprints for his Strip Show exhibition at McKinnon café Mr Burch.

Pasta machines are more often associated with food than art, but Melbourne artist John Dickson saw the potential to make more than linguine.  The result is an exhibition of striking black-and-white monoprints, now hanging at café Mr Burch in McKinnon Road, McKinnon.

Dickson

 

“When an opportunity came up to exhibit at the café, I knew I had to act quickly. To organise a press takes a lot of time, so I wondered what I could use.”  Dickson’s ideas crystallised when, during kitchen renovations at his Melbourne home, he spied the small pasta machine languishing in the back cupboard.

Originally, he was going to use the mangle of an old-fashioned washing machine to make the prints, but that didn’t go to plan. “I went down to the junk shop, but you can’t find them any more unless they’re really special vintage things that you pay a lot of money for. I did find two, but they had big gaps in the rollers, so they were useless. Then I noticed the pasta machine works on the same principle, but with steel rollers and only this wide,” he says. “So I tried it and it worked beautifully, and I don’t have to rely on anyone else to be there”.

“The technique I’ve been using is monoprinting, meaning you get a one-off print, which is not that common in print making.  The integrity of the print demands that you destroy the plate afterwards, so there’s no other prints made.”

So, what motivates the

artist, a graphic designer by day? “This is a relief from the discipline of graphic design, where I can just go in there and do as I bloody well like. Most of my other practice is painting. I don’t use brushes; I just use my hands, like a child, which is great fun. I go through a lot of rubber gloves,” he jokes.  “It’s the old story, you do art from love. I can’t help but do it. I’ve drawn ever since I was a kid and I spent a lot of years doing cartoons for leftie magazines.”

 

Dickson has had an interesting career. The graphic designer at Publicity Works, also designed covers for the Australasian Psychiatry magazine for more than 10 years and worked for the record industry designing album covers for the likes of Men at Work. “They were friends of mine till they got too rich,” he says, grinning.

The artwork, which has a dark and foreboding tone – partly inspired by the skeleton in his studio – is loosely based on the idea of remembering ordinary people, the people whose names you never hear on the news.  “These images are traces, echoes and shadows of the greater portion of mankind who don’t become stars or personalities or victors or virtuosos or champions or co-hosts. They are named after people you have never heard of,” he says.

~ Strip Show runs throughout May at Mr Burch café, 129 McKinnon Road, McKinnon, Melbourne ~

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GIVEAWAY: Win an upcycled rug from new store Upcycle Studio

By Jenny Tranter | April 30, 2013

Joanne Crocker is a girl after my own heart – She is so passionate about how our daily lives impact upon the planet, that she decided to do something about it. With a background in the homewares industry, she has just opened a new online store based in Sydney named Upcycle Studio. There, you can find all manner of smart looking homeware and lifestyle products from haversacks, to ottomans, belts and rugs ~ but the difference is that all are either upcycled, recycled, reclaimed or repurposed.

To celebrate the launch of Joanne’s store she is generously offering one State of Green reader the chance to win a floor rug from her Trash Garden collection valued at up to $400! (Entry details at the bottom of this page!!)

denim rugs

Upcycled Rugs, Recycled rugs, upcycled homewares

Before flying down to the bottom of this giveaway to sign up to win, Joanne provided us with a peek into her new business and the ethos and inspiration behind her new business;

1. Why did you decide to launch Upcycle Studio? I always had a love for good, innovative design that had a particular attention to detail. It’s easy in our era to become brainwashed and swept up into thinking that it’s ok to continue to consume in excess with little to no regard as to the consequences our decisions have on our planet.

Having come from a background in Interiors and buying for the Homewares industry for over 12 years, it became really evident that too many people just didn’t care. While there are many choices out there for those that want to contribute positively to our planet many of them are unaffordable or simply just overpriced. If we are going to make changes to our buying and consumption habits consumers need affordable choices that are easily accessible. With a shift in thinking at all levels from manufacturers, to retailers and finally to the consumer we can make the right changes so that eco friendly products are no longer a niche industry but a mainstream choice that becomes the norm. Strength in numbers I say.  The more of us behind supporting and protecting our environment the better the prospects are for the planet and its future.

Joanen Crocker, denim rugs, upcycled rugs

 2. What’s your favourite product of the moment?  The plastic bag ottomans and baskets. They’re hand woven in Cambodia from plastic bags that are reclaimed from streets, landfill and waterways. Once collected they’re washed, colour matched, cut into strips and then woven to create amazing and practical pieces that are super affordable. A 60cm ottoman removes 280 plastic bags from landfill which otherwise would have taken hundreds of years to break down. The final product is bright, durable, water proof and can be filled with your own plastic bags or better yet fill them with blankets, linen or towels for extra storage. An all-round great choice for eco-friendly, affordable, comfy seating that will brighten up any space.

 3. Upcycle Studio is a brand new business. What are the highlights of being a new business owner?  Anything that you invest late nights and countless hours in you have to love. The number one best thing about being a business owner is that you can pursue something that you’re passionate about, direct your energy towards what it is that you feel is important and hopefully make a difference.

Denim Rug, upcycled rugs

 4. What can we expect to see from Upcycle Studio in the future (any sneek peeks?)  The most amazing bags from Katcha Bilek in England. Handcrafted from Inner Bike tubes and reclaimed seat belts, they are truly a work of art. Every piece is unique and special in its own way, making them an ideal purchase for someone looking for quality, craftsmanship and outstanding design. Messenger Bags, handbags, travel bags, clutches, wallets and belts.  There is an incredible selection that will be hitting Australian shores very soon and all will be exclusive through Upcycle Studio.

Upcycle Studio

 5. Share with us your easy eco living tip:   Think twice…think twice about what it is that you really need. Plastic is one of our biggest issues on the planet right now. It’s filling our landfills and our oceans quicker than our earth can process it. No one yet knows exactly how long plastic takes to completely break down, but scientists estimate between hundreds if not millions of years which makes it virtually impossible for us to simply make it disappear. Think really long and hard when you head out on your next shopping visit….Can you carry that takeaway on its 2 minute journey to the car without a plastic bag? Do you need to buy all of your produce pre-packed in plastic cartons and wrappers? Do you really need to consume all of your coffee and drinks in disposable cups and plastic bottles

every time you’re out and about, or can you invest in a reusable cup or bottle? It’s a small sacrifice for each of us to help make an enormous difference and if we’re all working together every little change is a step in the right direction.

~~ GIVEAWAY DETAILS ~~

To go in the draw to WIN your choice of an upcycled floor rug (Value up to AUD$400), please head on over to the Upcycle Studio store and tell us your favourite rug design  in the ‘Comments” field below this post.  The winner will be drawn at random on Sunday 5 May 2013 after 7pm. Goodluck!

NB:  This giveaway is open to Australian residents only.

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