LED lamp by Brooklyn based designer Stanley Ruiz,  inspired by fabrication techniques of indigenous peoples.  An energy efficient LED strip is encased in felt, taking advantage of felt’s quality of being a fire-retardant material. 
The lamp was designed to reduce a task lamp to its bare essential- reducing the components and eliminating the use of complex machinery in production.

February 17, 2010 by Designsquish

I actually do not remember where I found this post card or who made it but I really love it.

February 14, 2010 by Designsquish

I love these computer-graphic-design-font-inspired eco-friendly pillows! Pillow sets are made from 100% recycled Plastic bottles Eco Felt .
Eco felt letter pillows by Alexandra Ferduson and Ctrl Alt Del soft pillows by Diffraction Fiber. 

February 10, 2010 by Designsquish

February 05, 2010 by Designsquish

Flower baskets made from old apple and wine crates.

February 02, 2010 by Designsquish

U.S massive high speed rail is officially on the way!

“According to one recent study, implementation of pending plans for the federally designated HSR corridors could result in an annual reduction of 6 billion pounds of CO2” - from High Speed Rail Strategic Plan.

February 01, 2010 by Designsquish

January 29, 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

Ivan Shishkin. Winter. 1890.  Oil on canvas.

(Winter, detail with bird)

Ivan Ivanovich Shishkin born in 1832,  was a Russian painter who is known for his realistic forest landscapes, paintings of wildlife, grasses and especially pine trees. I like the tiny details in his paintings. Click on the images to see in full resolution.

Ivan Shishkin. The Rye Field, 1878. Oil on Canvas,

(The Rye Field, detail with grasses)

(The Rye Field, detail with birds)

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

Have you ever walked in or passed by a large bright yellow field of flowers? Rapeseed (Brassica napus) is a bright yellow flowering member of the family Brassicaceae (mustard or cabbage family). In agriculture, canola are certain varieties of rapeseed oil, or the oil produced from those varieties. Today 80% of the acres sown are genetically modified canola.

January 08, 2010 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

Victorial from Tel Aviv, Israel and originally from Kiev, Ukraine makes these beautiful, delicate mesmerizing photographs of the natural world with different vintage film cameras.

“And he retraced his wanderings in those deep old lanes that began from the common road and went away towards the unknown, climbing steep hills, and piercing the woods of shadows, and dipping down into valleys that seemed virgin, unexplored, secret for the foot of man. He entered such a lane not knowing where it might bring him, hoping he had found the way to fairyland, to the woods beyond the world, to that vague territory that haunts all the dreams of a boy.”
Arthur Machen

-Inmost Light on Etsy

January 05, 2010 by Designsquish

Pillows made from recycled suit-jackets by Hilary Cosgrove.

January 04, 2010 by Designsquish

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

by Designsquish

Flower illustrations from ” Plants - 2400 copyright-Free Illustrations of flowers, Fruits and Vegetables”

January 03, 2010 by Designsquish

TREE
Graphite on panel, 2007
18” x 24”

WINTER TREE
Graphite on panel, 2007
18” x 24”

- By Anastasia Ugorskaya

December 30, 2009 by Designsquish

Frozen lake in Pennsylvania.

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

Listen by Hanna Konola woodblock prints.

December 28, 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

One of my favorite posters by Charley Harper - The Rocky Mountains.

December 21, 2009 by Designsquish

Images from the book Heavenly Visions:Shaker Gift Drawings and Gift Songs.

by Designsquish

First snow on Rugby Road, Ditmas Park, Brooklyn.

December 20, 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

Walton Ford
Borodino, 2009
watercolor, gouache, pencil, and ink on paper

Walton Ford
The Island, 2009
watercolor, gouache, pencil, and ink on paper

New paintings by Walton Ford at Paul Kasmin Gallery. 

by Designsquish