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As Tiffany Meyers observes in her overview of the 100 winners, one can’t peg 2009 as the year of any specific color or typographic convention. But the winning projects are reflective of today’s increasingly diverse design discipline. In fact, one has to wonder if there is any longer such a thing as a design discipline—in light of today’s fast-changing and even amorphous practice, the word discipline seems a little out of place.
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Chairs made from recycled yardsticks, handbags made from recycled seatbelts, tin-roof lanterns, and an answer to that age old question, "paper or plastic?" highlight this issue's soft & hard wares. May/June 2005
SOFT & HARD WARES
The Latest and Greatest Gadgets and Accessories
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Figure 1. UncommonGoods Red Ruler Chair, $400, 888.365.0056
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THIS CHAIR RULES
Made with rare recycled yardsticks from customer
freebies given out back in the day by
places like hardware stores, seed companies,
and dairy barns, UncommonGoods’ Red
Ruler Chair is sure to measure up to your
house or office decor. Artist Dorothy Spencer
used classic, unpainted, naturally red rulers
to create these handmade pieces, and each
chair is one of a kind. 14 x 16 x 36 inches.
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Figure 2. Oriac Design Easybag, $16, 866.466.7422
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HUG THAT TREE
Tired of answering the age-old grocery bagger’s
question, paper or plastic? If you find yourself
stumped at that simple inquisition, just
tell them “neither” and go with Oriac’s new
Easybag. Designed by Katja Horst with the
environment in mind, Easybag lets you forgo
chopping down trees or adding to those dreadful
land. lls. It fits quickly and easily in all conventional
shopping carts with little clips that
hold it in place (no more runaway toothbrushes
at the bottom of your cart!). Easybag is lightweight,
with soft and comfortable handles—
so it won’t matter how long your walk home is.
Roll it up and tuck it away when it’s not in use.
Comes in red or black.
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Figure 3. UncommonGoods Retro Circle Lanterns, $48, 888.365.0056
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RAISE THE ROOF
These handmade Retro Circle Lanterns by UncommonGoods are constructed with the tin of vintage barn roofs,
and will lend a rustic mood to your outdoor gathering.
The holes in the lanterns allow the flames from tea lights
(included) to flicker through. Sold in sets of four. 7U–9U
inches high x 3Q–5 inches in diameter.
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Figure 4. The Original Seatbeltbag by Harveys, $37 (Makeup Bag)–$143 (Overnighter), 877.666.2247
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SATISFY YOUR NEED FOR SPEED
Husband and wife Dana and Melanie Harvey
were installing seatbelts into their 1950 Buick
in Santa Ana, Calif., when they got the idea
of making handbags out of the sturdy safety
straps. The result is Seatbeltbags, which can
withstand a major amount of abuse—they’re
made with the same material that saves lives
every day and is able to hold up to 5,000 pounds
of pressure. The Nylon 69 thread that’s used to
put them together meets all government specs
for use by NASA, and genuine flight satin lining
(used by the U.S. Air Force to make flight jackets)
also aids in the bags’ longevity. Magnetic
snaps offer security and easy open/close, and
chrome-plated feet from Italy help “keep your
bottom clean.” Available in 12 high-speed colors
including Ferrari Red, Delorean Silver, Lexus
Gold, and Rally Green, Seatbeltbags come in
tote, messenger, briefcase, clutch, and backpack
bag designs. |
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