Flower baskets made from old apple and wine crates.

February 02, 2010 by Designsquish

Reusing plastic and wooden shipping crates as shelves and drawers.

Above: Apple crates from Bailey’s Home and Garden

Reusing plastic crates as chairs and coffee tables.

Reusing shipping crates as baskets for bikes.

Above: Bike photographs from Bakfiets en Meer blog - City Cycling News and Opinions from Amsterdam.

Above: Shipping crate as bike basket.  Image from Toronto bike blog - Globe Revolution - Inspiring Everyone to a Cycling Lifestyle

January 19, 2010 by Designsquish

Above:  Chairs by StudioMama

January 14, 2010 by Designsquish

Above: Sledding in Central Park

Above:  Sledding in Prospect Park

I was surprised to find out that sledding was and is a lovable activity after the snow storm in New York City Central and Prospect Parks.  Next time it starts snowing ( as it does not happen too often nowadays) I am definitely hurrying to the Prospect Park with my sled.  But what is even more surprising is that back in the days horse drawn sleigh rides were a popular activity in NYC Central Park during the winter.  Back in February of 1876, the NY Times reported over 10,000 sleighs passing through the park in one day.

Above: Sleigh riding in Central Park

“The Central Park blogger recently recalled the days when the sleighs were active, noting: “For most of the latter half of the 19th century, right up until its demolition in 1915, the McGown’s Pass Tavern awarded a magnum of champagne to the first sleigh that reached it each season. The tradition was carried on with the Central Park Casino until it’s demise in 1934.” The NY Times reported on the tradition back in 1910, saying that year the snow wasn’t heavy enough for “good sleighing.” - Jen Carlson, Gothamist

Watch a video showing how popular sleigh rides were

January 11, 2010 by Designsquish

I like the idea of reusing old plates by drawing on them and arranging them on the wall alongside vintage plates. Inspiration from Fine Little Day

by Designsquish

Above: Images of bird illustrations wallpaper found on Katy Elliott Blog

DIY: newspaper, old book pages, drawings and illustrations as wallpaper.  ( Caution:  newspaper yellows with time.)

January 06, 2010 by Designsquish

Recycled map envelopes by DIREKTRECYCLING.
(Good DIY idea too.)

January 04, 2010 by Designsquish

Above: Table made from reclaimed rusty steel and
sustainably sourced uk oak.

Above: Table made from reclaimed oak finished with hard
wax oil protected against stains with an eco sealant
glues used are non-toxic & solvent free

Furniture from discarded and reclaimed materials by Pacha Design

December 29, 2009 by Designsquish

Above: Orbit Chandelier.  Spotted at The Future Perfect in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

Above:  Sting Light

String Lights and Orbit Chandelier by Patrick Townsend.  I like these designs because they are so ephemeral and simple.  (Will also probably work great with LED lights)

December 27, 2009 by Designsquish

Splashing Water Chandelier

Magic Forest Chandelier

Gorgeous water, trees and forest inspired chandeliers designed by Tony Duquette
recreated locally in U.S by Remains Lighting.

December 24, 2009 by Designsquish

Beautiful handmade ceramic cups and plates by Zena Verda Pesta.
“I’m interested in the importance of accumulated personal objects. For example, my mother had a spray-painted gold brick, which held open the door to the apartment I lived in as a child. This illusion of luxury served more than one function for her. As she would continue her daily tasks like laundry, the brick would twinkle some significance every time she entered or exited. I am investigating the transformational aspects of the gold brick. Pondering its peculiarity, many questions arise in my mind about the functions of this object” - from zenaverda.com

December 22, 2009 by Designsquish

Some of New York City’s rooftop houses and gardens (photos from Apartment Therapy, Treehugger and Brooklyn Roof Garden)

December 19, 2009 by Designsquish

Jason Miller (Jason Miller Studio) challenges the rules that surround modern day consumer items.

December 18, 2009 by Designsquish

Yakkay (with a slogan: “brainwear for smart people”) develops and produces these fashionable bike helmets.

December 17, 2009 by Designsquish

by Nithikul Nimculrat.

November 23, 2009 by Designsquish

‘Seconds’ are items, which, in some way, are not quite right. They are imperfect and therefore of lesser value. But who made these rules that we use to judge perfection? Who says the decoration has to be in the center? Who says a whole bird is better than half a bird? Who says a flower can’t grow down? - Jason Miller

Ceramic Superordinate Antler Chandelier by Jason Miller (Miller Studio)

November 11, 2009 by Designsquish

Chair made from recycled , reused fabric pieces /  discarded scraps. By Fernando and Humberto Campana from Brazil.

October 19, 2009 by Designsquish

Red Chair Antiques.  Found on Wabi & Sabi blog.

October 12, 2009 by Designsquish

Reusing old buttons as fridge magnets. By Skin and Tonic Too.



Rings made with old vintage buttons. Found in Red Chair Antiques shop.

by Designsquish

Book’s Shelf. Bookshelf made from books by Bernardo Gaeiras, Rietveld Academie Sandberg Institute.

September 12, 2009 by Designsquish

Biodegradable moss planter(organic carpet consisting of assortment of mosses) by Japan-based flower artist Makoto Azuma  

September 06, 2009 by Designsquish

Nissan’s electric automobile (EV) is set to go on sale in Japan, the U.S. and Europe next year. The blue hatchback had a sporty design and a recharging opening in the front. Nissan has promised that the Leaf, which goes into mass-production as a global model in 2012, will be about the same price as a gas-engine car such as the 1.5 million yen ($15,000) Tiida, which sells abroad as the Versa, starting at about $10,000.

August 03, 2009 by Designsquish

An Earthship is a type of home made of natural and recycled materials.  Earthships designed by Earthship Biotecture  and are built from 45% recycled materials - tires, bottles, cans.  Earth-filled tires utilize thermal mass construction to naturally regulate indoor temperature. Earthships also usually incorporate their own special natural ventilation system.



Earthships are built to utilize the available local resources - energy from the sun, rain. For example, windows on the sunny side admit light and heat, and the buildings are often horseshoe-shaped to maximize natural light and solar-gain during winter months. Likewise, the thick, dense outer walls provide effective insulation against summer heat.
Internal, non-load-bearing walls are often made of a honeycomb of recycled cans joined by concrete and are referred to as tin can walls. These walls are usually thickly plastered with stucco.

The Earthship costs next to nothing to operate annually and is independent of all municipal utilities.  Earthship Biotecture has a building prototype that harvests its own electricity and water; contains and treats its own sewage;  and heats and cools itself without fuel and produces a significant amount of food.

August 02, 2009 by Designsquish

Glass house made from recycled glass windows in Freetown Christiania, neighborhood/commune in Copenhagen, Denmark created during the hippie movement. Christiania has its own flag and its own set of rules independent from the Danish government. Within Christiania itself no cars are allowed, stealing is forbidden as well as violence, guns, knives, bulletproof vests, hard drugs and bikers’ colors.

July 19, 2009 by Designsquish

Emergency Response Studio, by Paul Villinski, is a solar-powered, mobile artist’s studio, rebuilt from an old trailer. An artist needs to be mobile and free just in case of the ocean water rising because Greenland is melting, and other devastating natural disasters, such as Katrina in New Orleans. 

by Designsquish

Ceramic rubber duckie by Futility l.t.d Really cool.



Ceramic milk carton bt Hanna Risgaard.

by Designsquish

The Waterpod is a floating art project, community and living space on a barge. The structure is built from recycled wood, billboard sign material, metal and powered by a hybrid solar/wind system that also runs all on-board equipment.  The barge also incorporates a garden with vegetables (lettuce, sunflowers, corn, eggplant and e.t.c ) grown with purified water from the vertical agriculture. Four artists live on the barge and are very friendly to talk to you about their project.  There is also a chicken coop made from recycled shipping crate previously used to ship artworks. 

July 03, 2009 by Designsquish

I love the idea of a virtual interactive fish aquarium mainly because you do not have to have a real fish aquarium and because by adding it to your desktop, website and google you can look at it every time you go on your computer.
P.S ( It is really fun to feed them!)
You can change the fish colors, fish food color and background.  This is how my fish aquarium looks like:

July 01, 2009 by Designsquish

Above: Crocheted lampshade at Michele Varian, photo from Apartment Therapy.

The other day I was walking in Manhattan on the Lower East Side and discovered an amazing store full with all kinds of vintage, restored and designer objects.  One of my favorite is a crocheted lamp shade. The fabric is starched to maintain its form. 



Above: Michele Varian on Crosby Street, NY

June 11, 2009 by Designsquish

I found this old vintage chair - $2, and two frames - $3 on garage sale.  They were falling apart and covered in dust.  I washed them and repainted them. 

June 04, 2009 by Designsquish