Posted in Concept, Eco-friendly, Furniture, Home Decor on 8 October 2009
Lamu Industries is turning out to be a name to reckon with for those who seek nothing but pure aesthetic pleasure in their furniture. This company has several hand-crafted solid wood armories, beds, chairs and consoles as well as many types of tables including coffe, library and dining tables to its credit. And these are hand-carved by local craftsmen who live on the East African island of Lamu.
The indigenous ‘mbambakofi’ hardwood (and no veneers) is used to make these spectacular pieces for your home decor. And please note that the cutting down of mbamakofi trees us regulated by the Kenyan Goverment. There is a strict rule that for each tree cut, two new ones are planted on the island.
Posted in Eco-friendly, Outdoor, Travel on 8 October 2009
Folding or foldable bikes an urban cyclists’ dream, what with them having to squeeze their eco-friendly vehicles between cars and motorbikes.
A lot has been down to help break down a cycle so much you can fold it into a box. Designs to make them more compact only got more smarter over years. A new folding bike concept by Victor Aleman is one such innovation that adds the smart tag a little more firmly to it.
Optimum use of available urban space, efficiency to stay as compact as possible, were what made the designer work on such a concept.
Posted in Eco-friendly, Luxury, Yacht on 1 October 2009
A handbags and silk scarves major ventures into something really unlikely – luxury yachts! Hermes, the French company has tied up with Monaco-based ship-builder Wally to create ‘WHY 58×38,’ a yacht costing not less than £90 million to make.
The firms displayed a real size model of the 125 sq ft wide vessel in Ancona, Italy, recently.
Its width is two thirds its length of 190 ft. So it looks like a yacht chipped off on its latter half.
Posted in Luxury on 23 September 2009
It’s too good to be believed. But Wataire Atmospheric Water Generator is touted as being able to produce as many as four to eight gallons of water daily in a process that involves merely collecting available moisture from the air.
If you live in a coastal city that has a lot of humidity, you could be luckier. The water apparently tastes good too. A typical Wataire machine has carbon filtration, a reverse osmosis, and UV lamp sterilization with a mineral filter. It also has an option to make hot or cold water. The machine however needs at least 35 per cent humidity to effectively produce water.
It can produce eight gallons of water in a region with 65 per cent humidity and 27 degrees Celsius temperature. Its power requirement is 500 W and the machine is electronically controlled.
Such a machine could eventually eliminate the need for all expensive dam projects in the world! But wait, it costs not less than $ 1,500. Wataire is a manufacturer of innovative water treatment systems.
Via: Coolhunting
Posted in Concept, Eco-friendly, Health, Luxury on 20 September 2009
Beds of all kinds have been seen and slept in but we are quite sure that the one we are going to talk about today is a real novel one. They call it the Soy Bed and it is manufactured by a brand called Spaldin. As it turns out, this Spanish company is shelling out soy mattresses made from biodegradable materials that have been cultivated minus the pesticides and processed without the use of any harmful chemicals.
And that’s not it. You have four types to pick yours from – Aircell-Soy, Biocell-Soy, Sensitex-Soy and Memory-Soy. Quite contrary to popular belief, quality rest and a green peace of state and mind cannot come without a hefty price tag. The Sleepy’s store is selling the Spaldin soy beds with prices ranging between $1,000 and $5,000.
Posted in Luxury on 14 September 2009
Bicycle component and accessory company Bontrager and recycled goods maker, Alchemy Goods have joined hands together to create something unique and charming. Using discarded materials like bicycle inner tubes, truck banners and such other things, they have created waterproof products which can be used in a manner that could make any green campaigner go green with envy.
The collection of bags and collectibles look not only chic but they are essentially created to bring awareness about how bike parts and other recyclable materials are not being used in the right way. Perhaps this would be an indication of discarded materials being used to produce high fashion products.
Posted in Luxury on 14 September 2009
Using steel, aluminium, glass, polypropylene, polyethylene Envi by Julien Bergignat is one of the 58 shortlisted projects for the BraunPrize’s second round competition. It is a postmodern dustbin which aims at keeping the environment clean and tidy. It promotes the composting of bio-degradable material and would help in the process of urban waste recycling.
The dustbin converts the waste into compost which can be used to fertilize the plants with. It also has space for plants to grow and thus looks really chic and less like a dustbin. Envi also has space to store the compost which you can use at other occasions in different places like in your kitchen garden. Envi is ultra environmental friendly and is one of the best designs I have come across lately.
Posted in Luxury on 9 September 2009
If you want to add something to your backyard, then take a look at the Bridge backyard shower from D’un jardin a l’autre, a French company. This unusual backyard shower will help you water your lawn comfortably and easily. It comes with a temperature regulator that allows you to mix hot and cold water at the desired temperature regardless of the weather. The galvanized steel frame is not only durable but it also can withstand all weather conditions.
It has three shower heads, one on the top and two are placed laterally and the water flows copiously. The thermo-lacquering cubicle makes the shield effective enough to withstand corrosion, besides guaranteeing long-lasting protection. The height of this shower is 2.10m and weighs 20kg. You can either fix install this in the sun or shade.
Posted in Automobile, Concept, Eco-friendly, Technology on 14 August 2009
The search could have just ended for you. We have just discovered the ultimate toy for some thrilling times. Lazareth Wazuma Bio V12 could well be the last word in the oh-so-important power-to-weight ratio. This one has been created in France by Lazareth Motorcycles.
We are told that the Wazuma has taken a lot from BMW V12 and so can easily go ahead and flaunt a 500 horsepower that fits in too well with the quad-bike frame. In fact, this vehicle has to be thought of as two monster motorcycles put together. Running on E85 ethanol, you will not have any environment issues too while giving you power boosts. Again, it isn’t a hybrid and there isn’t a single lithium-ion battery here.
Posted in Luxury on 31 July 2009
Kawamura Hideo Activity Inc is a well known designer who designs a lot of cool things. This time around, the company has designed the Eco Warrior Bag, which is quite strangely named. An Eco Warrior is a hero who fights for the survival of the environment. Unlike traditional heroes, anybody can become an Eco Hero, or an Eco Warrior.
The idea is to spread awareness about the environmental concerns and be taken to task people who are “anti-manners” like dropping cigarettes etc. You could actually hand out one of these bags to those who violate such manners and teach them a lesson or two about environment. The bags come with designs that contain warning to people who do not follow manners or environmental guidelines.
