How to make sofa out of pillows?
This cusioned sofa by Christiane Hoegner “uses the smallest element of a sofa - the little pillow on top - as main component.  Usually used to adjust and customize your personal comfort level, it is now multiplied and piled up to the shape of a sofa” - Christiane

Dad pillows by Christiane Hoegner made from button up shirts. Great idea for DIY project and a way to reuse old shirts!

Another beautiful pillow inspired sofa and stool:

Hanabi by MottoWasabi can be freely transformed according to different needs and seating situations and it is also possible to form a sofa by combining several Hanabis together.

Posted by DESIGN SQUISH on August 24, 2010

I am drawn to comfortable, soft accessories from reclaimed materials.
Slippers made from recycled, felted 100% lambswool sweater and recycled leather by Wooly Baby as well as this upcycled slouch bag made from the sleeves of a mens wool dress coat by Betsy & Bess...

Posted by DESIGN SQUISH on August 16, 2010

Wild blackberries and red salmon berries gathered in Upstate New York, Harriman State Park. I never had salmon berries before.  They are so delicious! Almost as good as or better than raspberries.

Posted by DESIGN SQUISH on July 19, 2010

Pillows from recycled old wool sweaters, jackets or shirts. (Image from Katy Elliott)

Sofa cover from reused jeans fabric. (Image from Design Milk)

Posted by DESIGN SQUISH on July 09, 2010

Cafe America is an upcycled galvanized steel chain-link chair with stainless steel rod and fasteners by Grain. The chair flat-packs for efficient shipping and storage.  Handmade in the Pacific Northwest, USA.

Posted by DESIGN SQUISH on July 07, 2010

Posted by DESIGN SQUISH on July 06, 2010

Old workshop seat.

Coffee table from recycled cable drum.

Chair from old sewing factory.

Pillows from vintage produce sacks.

Images from ArtKraft Furniture and Design.

Posted by DESIGN SQUISH on June 28, 2010

Chair redesign by Jetske Groot.  Jetske finds old chairs, carefully disassembles them and recycles them into new chairs that reflect their past history. Jetske calls her series “Multiple Family”

Posted by DESIGN SQUISH on June 01, 2010

Book LED floor lamp. The lamp’s shade opens and closes like the cover of a book. As the shade opens wider, the light shines more brightly, and as it closes, it gradually dims and turns off. Made from recycled aluminum.

Simple, non-toxic, eco-friendly biodegradable coffin!

Eco-friendly chairs made from strawboard. (Strawboard, a formaldehyde-free material made of compressed straw- an alternative to wood particleboard or fiberboard)

Invisible Street Lights designed by Jongoh Lee are in the shape of tree leaves and can be wrapped around tree branches.  During the day, these leaf structures mingle in the tree’s natural leaves, harnessing and storing sunlight. At night, they provide a poetic alternative to streetlights. 

National Design Triennial is on right now at the Cooper Hewitt National Design Museum, New York City.

Posted by DESIGN SQUISH on May 28, 2010

Scrap wood chair. (Perfect DIY idea)

Skateboard wheels rotating table. (Great idea for reusing skateboard wheels)

Button toy. (Great idea for reusing buttons)

Future Perfect is a good new design store in
Williamsburg and East Village, New York.

Posted by DESIGN SQUISH on May 26, 2010

Irina paints on old wood boards, closet and wardrobe doors, metal pieces or simply on rocks she finds.  Irina’s paintings remind of Russian Orthodox icons, Avant-garde 1910-1920 and Russian folk art.  She paints portraits of Russian writers, happy couples, books, subjects and objects from villages and dacha life.  Irina says: The objects I paint on are just means of expression but their past affects my paintings. I find them in the garbage ...or they find me.

Fyodor Dostoyevsky, portrait. 2004. Oil on reclaimed wood. From “Russian Writers” series.

Requiem. Series of portraits. 2000-2001. Oil on wood

Nikolai Semyonovish Leskov, portrait. 2004 from “Russian Writers” series.

Sugar. 2002. Oil on found metal.

Beloved vegetable garden. 1995. Oil on wood.

Posted by DESIGN SQUISH on May 10, 2010

Reused shipping crate shelves / drawers by Linda Jose.  Furniture designed to reuse shipping crates.

Posted by DESIGN SQUISH on May 08, 2010

Sculpture by Michel de Broin made from discarded batteries.

Posted by DESIGN SQUISH on April 19, 2010

Reused shipping crate wood for shelves, glasses and cups from grandma’s garage, flea market or thrift store and a few handmade ceramic bowls.
Done!

Image found on beautiful blog by Anna Rikje, photographer and musician from Germany currently living in New York City -  I Truly Like That.

Posted by DESIGN SQUISH on March 30, 2010

Sets of mismatched dining chairs. Life becomes much easier with mismatch!  Photos from Emma Blog, unpolished Life and Apartment Therapy.

Posted by DESIGN SQUISH on March 10, 2010

I was excited to find these great “Recycled Banner Golden Mean Messenger Bags”  DIY instructions a la Freitag bike messenger bags.  (Can be made under $5 !!!!!!!!!!!!!). Comfortable, light, tough billboard sign material (waterproof). To view instructions please visit: EEIO Golden Mean messenger bag instructions
In stores, nice bike messenger bags can be $200. Making your own not only saves money but also is good for environment.  I just saw a truck driver discard a big piece of truck tarpaulin and now it is lying on the street waiting to be made into bags.

Posted by DESIGN SQUISH on March 03, 2010

Flower baskets made from old apple and wine crates.

Posted by DESIGN SQUISH on February 02, 2010

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

Posted by DESIGN SQUISH on January 19, 2010

Above:  Chairs by StudioMama

Posted by DESIGN SQUISH on January 14, 2010

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.)

Posted by DESIGN SQUISH on January 06, 2010

Pillows made from recycled suit-jackets by Hilary Cosgrove.

Posted by DESIGN SQUISH on January 04, 2010

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

Posted by DESIGN SQUISH on

Posted by DESIGN SQUISH on December 16, 2009

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

Posted by DESIGN SQUISH on October 19, 2009

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



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

Posted by DESIGN SQUISH on October 12, 2009