dane decor

We may just think of them as the best toys ever created, but the signature street art from Jan Vormann imagines LEGOs as the rebuilding blocks for crumbling ancient cities. Jan's Dispatchwork project uses LEGOs as patches for damaged buildings across European city centers. He's been fine tuning these pieces for several years now, but the juxtaposition of the bright brick colors against the faded gray architecture keeps the work whimsical.

Carl H. tracked down the people in Copenhagen that makes these by visiting several Danish Museum's gift shops online. This is the absolute best way to describe the new danish design brand, Flatlight. The products come in a single plywood frame, where all the component are. You can easily pop the components out and assemble the product, using simple assembly instructions. All assembly is done without glue or any other form of adhesive. The idea is that when you assembled a piece of furniture yourself, you care a little more about the product as well. The concept is aimed towards being as sustainable as possible while creating something visually interesting.

Can we get some sticky rice with our furniture? Yes, we can. A pair of Danish designers have transformed the slimy into the sublime.  MORE> Want to shop for modern or contemporary chairs? Give a click>

In New York's Nassau County. a 125-square-foot garden retreat offers a haven for bustling contemporary life. Metapod created by Jerome A. Levin is cozy, inviting and conducive to daydreaming. Harmony in lush surroundings. See inside>

These Bulawayo baskets by Design Afrika  are handmade by traditional artisans from all over Africa as part of an effort to provide a sustainable income to indigenous people and preserve their local traditions. These dramatically proportioned one of a kind baskets are inspired by the over-sized vessels of South African potter  Louise Gelderblom  – but we find them very Octoberish and gourd-like .

The team at Sputnik Zurich aim to keep bikers and pedestrians both visible and fashionable when they’re out in the urban world with their high visibility bags . Taking inspiration from the streets for its material and production, the company’s aim was to help bring safety to the complex and intertwining transportation system that left individuals in risky situations. Their solution: bags to hold your stuff while at the same time alerting traffic to your position on the streets. The concept and design seems fitting since the bags are made from safety vests you see joggers wearing at night or construction workers on site. Their idea is to use building containers on construction sites around the city as production locations, bringing a locally produced product to the people in those locations as a way to help shine attention on urban development. Sustainable. Fashionable. We like.

Belgian designer Sebastien Wierinck creates installations of sculptural furniture made of flexible polyethylene tubes. From public benches to cafe seating to temporary installations, his pieces always challenge the way people view and interact with environmental space. Finally a creative use for those flexible polyethylene tubes!

Much of my Toby Poolman's childhood was spent in his father's workshop learning to work with wood and metal to create objects. He explores the relationship between concept, aesthetics and functionality, through the mediums of sculpture, furniture and installation. Manufactured from recycled engineering components, Toby deconstructs, shapes, cleans and welds each component into place to create his art. Click here for more cocktail tables>>

While looking for a modern wallet, someone recommended Italian company mnmur , who takes old tires and makes them into wonderful things like belts, wallets, bags, and even jewelry. We fell for their eco-friendly mission but even more so for their really cool products.

Rocking knit makes the transition to the winter season a little less onerous. Students at The University 
of Art and Design Lausanne, Damien Ludi and Colin Peillex created a chair that will fashion its user a beanie as they leisurely rock back and forth, activating gears that put the machine to work as its sitter relaxes. the project is in response to the exhibition's theme, where students were required to reinterpret the idea of manufacturing - deconstructing the fabrication process of a product to a slower, more considered pace. Video>

These tabletops from the new collection by Cordula Kehrer combine ready-mades with traditional wickerwork. Relics of our throwaway society – that is, old and scratched plastic bowls – are “up-cycled”. The combination with an entirely different material and a completely different production technique creates originals just right for our modern times. Love these!

With Konstantin B, Nika Zupanc displays a playful nostalgia for a time when children had physical friends as toys rather than digital enemies. A sleek sit-on toy car featuring a lacquered epoxy body shell with aluminium and brass components, yes, it's for for little kids, but you can bet your bottom dollar that the big kid will want a ride too. Or at least put it on a pedestal.

We always thought moss would make great carpet. Apparently, so did Interface. Check out Urban Retreat , the new carpet tile collection which explores the intersection of nature and man made materials. The collection juxtaposes seemingly opposite worlds that inspire beautiful, coexisting and functional design in interior spaces. Urban Retreat contains up to 85 percent recycled content including 100 percent recycled content fiber and high recycled content backing. Content yarn is derived from salvaged fishing nets with reclaimed carpet fiber!

Osklen is a small sportswear brand from Brazil that uses reclaimed materials such as salmon skin to make shoes and accessories. Since 1999, designer and UNESCO ambassador Oskar Metsavaht has made environmental stewardship a key component of his company's DNA, with Osklen among the first Brazilian apparel labels to declare itself carbon-neutral. If you get to NYC, You can find Osklen in Soho. The address is 97 Wooster Street.

Utrem Lux is a series of lamps made from discarded glass bottles. Each one of the designs in the series is made individually by hand, boasting its own unique aesthetics. The series includes everything from planter-lamp hybrids to a desk lamp to a pendant. Check out their quasi-instructional “making-of” video here! We are very proud of our large collection of lights. Stop in and browse. mention this blog for a SPECIAL dane decor DEAL!

The Vegetable Light is a little table lamp that uses a large heavy vegetable as a base. Rather than buying a vegetable for its edible potential, the sculptural form and functional qualities are emphasized and the owner is invited to experiment creatively with different vegetables. Yams tend to work best. The lamp was created by Peter Marigold, a furniture designer working in London. For more lamps (without the potatoes)... click .