Thursday, May 20, 2010

Studio Sam







Oh Goodie, it's been a long time... and I had just resigned myself that I may not come back, that was until my inspiring friend Megan said she still regularly visits to check if there is something new. I just needed that push to I realised I'm always stumbling along new bits and pieces. Just need to put them up!
I have always admired the sculptural black tables from Family of Sam as they stock them in Koskela.
What I didn't know is they make a whole range of products out of old books. They use the hard back covers for screens, pages for sculptural tables and gift cards out of the dust jackets. Not a bit of the old book goes to waste. I like this type of evolution.
Infact the whole company is inspiring. I love the prototypes page as it shows the fun that goes into thinking about product design.
Have a look Megs.
http://www.studiosam.com.au

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

How Big Is Your Eco


Fluer Wood

Basslike

Alternative Apparel



I met Matty- the founder of new online directory ''How Big Is Your Eco" through a mutual friend when he was in late stages of development and when Goodie was only just on my mind. I was so inspired by the idea of the site and the wonderful small world coincidences that happen when things are rolling along the right track.

The site launched a few weeks ago and marks a great fashion directory for all the best Aus & NZ fashion labels, with a clear breakdown on each label's production processes and eco footprints.

'How Big is your Eco' reads as an online mag, with up to date fashion journalism that contains a helpful eco factsheet per article
.
If only it was an online store too...perhaps that part is coming.

Monday, March 8, 2010

Bholu collaboration with Porters Paints

(photos from Bholu website)








I was invited to the launch of Bholu's wallpaper design collaboration with Porters Paints by an interior designer friend and I'm very sorry I missed it as this range is super cute- and there are even matching soft toys to the wallpaper prints.
Bholu is a fair trade and climate neutral company that whose designs are brought to life by traditional artisans in rural India.
Part proceeds from the collection go back to the Bholu Anganwadi Project which has now built a total of 8 pre schools with Architects Without Frontiers Australia, in underprivileged communities.
In 2008, Bholu won the Australian Telstra Business Award for Social Responsibility for demonstrated leadership and contribution by a business to the environment, people, education or the community. Most recently Bholu was selected as TIME Magazine’s Top 100 Most Influential Green Designs of 2009.

I think I have just worked out what to get my friend who just had a new baby...

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Habits and Habitat





I can't help it, I love looking into peoples windows as I walk past their houses. I blame it on work and call it research, but it looks like Patrick Ronald and Shannon McDonell have taken it to a whole new level in their exhibition Habits and Habitat and built sets of the archetypal Australian farmhouse to photograph, so no need to speak a peak... it's all laid out waiting to be looked at.

I stumbled across this fantastic exhibition on at Carriageworks when out and about doing recces for this crazy fun Bollywood film I'm on.
Although not eco related I could but help write about it. The images look so great amongst the industrial architecture.

11 Feb- Wed 17 March
CarriageWorks
245 Wilson Street, Eveleigh

Friday, February 12, 2010

Ducati

I thought this was pretty funny. Vert Design have created Laser cut 1.2 mm stainless steel engine mountings, so you can have that Ducati you always wanted but can't afford.
They guarantee "Strap one of these on and you will get better range per tank and just as many girls (possibly)"

Thursday, February 11, 2010

Freefold Furniture





I ventured in to the Australian International Furniture Fair last week pretty much to meet up with Toby Horrocks from Freefold Furniture.

And I have to say that whilst The Edge (emerging designers) had some great furniture and ideas, Freefold really did stand out as an innovative and cool looking design whilst still being sustainable and functional.

Freefold is a modular storage unit that won best sustainable product at the Idea Awards 09 in Sydney.

The flatpack boxes are made out of 97% recycled carboard and don’t require any glues to assemble. Founder Toby Horrocks is a trained architect, who after 9 years working at John Wardle Architects has gone solo in order to have the time to pursue his work at Freefold.


When I met Toby at the Fair he had just finished chatting to a Taiwanese couple that were encouraging him to manufacture in Taiwan. I asked him if this is something he would be interested he didn’t completely say no to the idea. You see- the Xanita board (recycled cardboard which is sturdy and durable) that Freefold is made out of is actually produced in South Africa and along the process to creating the storage system costs just got too high for the product. ($80 + GST per module) This has lead Toby to looking elsewhere for materials and manufacturing.

Currently he is in discussions with Visy to create a thinner completely Australian made recycled card shelving unit.

Freefold is being used in pop up boutiques- being an interesting looking display case that as it is easy to pack down and can be used to transport the products.

It is is soon to be used at Urban Reforestation community garden shop at Melbourne Docklands. The shop is part of a global campaign aiming to inspire urban farming for sustainability and food security.


Friday, February 5, 2010

Ooh Vintage Bikes

Spotted at Bondi. I want!

It seems Sydney might just be making an effort to improve cycling around the city. Its a bit trickier than Melbourne, ie lots of hills, but the City of Sydney have announced developing a 200 kilometre network (including 55 kilometres of separated cycleways) that we are building to reduce road congestion, cut emission and improve public health.
To build this network the City has allocated $76 million over the next four years.

The City of Sydney has purchased the former T2 nightclub at Taylor Square.
Proposals for the site include a bicycle repair center, a bike shop, cafés, and space for tour companies to operate and cycle groups to meet.

So what better time to get a gorgeous vintage bike.

I saw the top bike at the beach the other day and fell in love with it (I'm a bit obsessed with yellow with my name meaning it in Greek)
I then had a friend over for dinner the other night who had just bought the same one in white from Sydney Vintage Bikes- an ebay store specialising in importing 80s ladies bikes from the USA and restoring them.
She had called it Delilah and already has declared it her best friend.

Thursday, February 4, 2010

New Business Cards



Yay! I have new business cards. My super talented boyfriend Sam Clayton designed them for me and we printed off 10 for a prototype yesterday.

I have just discovered 100% Pure Green Print in Surry Hills who use 100% recycled paper, are not chlorine bleached - eliminating highly toxic dioxin as a residue and are made by environmentally certified mills (EMS, ISO 14001 or EMAS). Their inks are vegetable and soy based (an alternative to greenhouse gas emitting mineral oil based inks containing toxic volatile organic compounds).

So I've sent off the designs to them today. Fingers crossed they turn out well.

Monday, February 1, 2010

Sun Jar






I know the sun jars have done the blogging rounds for a while but I just couldn't resist posting about them as I think they are such a great idea.

These Mason jars hold solar cells so charge in the day and become illuminated at night. They are perfect for garden lighting as they are completely watertight.

Thursday, January 28, 2010

Local garden


I walk past this garden on the way to the shops. I love the fact that even in the city you get such generosity and a feeling of community....

Monday, January 25, 2010

Jordy Fu


Its been over a week since I last wrote, I just don't know how The Design Files does it every day when work gets hectic. Hopefully I will get to pick her brains one day as I really love her blog.

I spotted these lamps in the latest edition of Green Magazine. They are made by architect Jordy Fu. They are such beautiful sculptural pieces and remind me of fairy tales. I would love to see the shadows they would cast...

The lamps are made from recycled paper and treated so they are not flamable.

Thursday, January 14, 2010

I Ran The Wrong Way

Yesterday was blessed by the little kick you get from a small world experience that makes you feel like all the pieces are fitting together.
I'd been meaning to head into a cute new store on Cleveland St I Ran The Wrong Way and only when another store didn't have what I was after did I remember about this new shop.

When I entered, I realised I had previously worked with owner and founder Melinda Tually as she is another filmy who has moved into the sustainable design industry. Mel set up the store on a whim after a friend kept pestering her to check out this great space for lease. I understand why- the architecture in itself has so much character, and Mel has added to that with a warm eclectic mix of second hand furniture acting as displays for the vast mix of products.
She stocks Keep Cups, Bio PLates, Bholu soft furnishings and more.
This tiny store is loaded with so many green products it feels like you could keep looking for hours and still find something new.

Tika




I used to pop into the old Skipping Girl shop for a bit of fun on my way walking to my friend's house in Bondi. Sadly it is no longer there, but I discovered some very skipping girl looking products at Koskela last time I went there (on a tangent, I must write about Koskela).

It turns out Skipping girl has teamed up with a Peruvian woman to make a range of sustainable accessories, toys and homewares called Tika.
'Its aim is to combine the Peruvian women’s traditional knitting and crochet techniques with Allen’s own contemporary design skills to create a new and original range of lifestyle products.'
'At the Peruvian end of this unique partnership are 280 women from two of the capital’s most populated districts, Tres de Mayo and Cerro Candella. The aim is to help these people of the Candela district earn a sustainable income for them and their families.' (images and text from website)

Tika also has a whole section on their website in relation to their involvement in community development projects. Such an inspiration.

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Sydney classic



Cloth
has to be one of Sydney's best sustainable homewares stores.
I remember when I first saw their products- I was working on a TV series and someone had bought some small woodblock prints for set dressing, I thought they were the best thing about the whole set! I've been a fan ever since and regularly try and squeeze them into a project I am working on.

Besides being so unique, the Cloth fabric range is so inspiring because it is all made using hemp and linen, in a small shed in rural NSW. The small batch production method sticks to the keeping it local theme.The shop also has a great range of reupholstered vintage furniture.

Love love.

Monday, January 11, 2010

Keeping it in the family

Sydney festival has started, Obama has announced $2.3 billion in tax credits for clean energy manufacturing, and today I'm going to post about my ever so talented cousin.

Anna Wili Highfield started creating her hand made paper and found object sculptures when she had her new baby and took time off working as a scenic painter Opera Australia.
She crafts her animals by sewing torn cotton archival paper, and that is much better for longevity on recycled timber block stands.
What started off as a one off bird mobile for her young daughter, has now become Ana-Wili's business, with her being commissioned to exhibit at the Rockerfeller centre in NYC later this year.
Such a talent.

Friday, January 8, 2010

Memories of the north

Jan Billycan 'Kirriwirri'

Jan Billycan 'Kirriwirri'

Lydia Balbal Gjinabalyi 'Kalarmidi'

This time last year I had just come back from working on The Circuit having spent three and a half months in Broome- a magical part of Australia.
I was lucky enough to spend time with the wonderful people at Short Street Gallery.
Short St is the longest indigenous running gallery in Broome, the gallery endeavours to purchase indigenous artworks from established and reputable community owned Art Centres. This ensures that artists are paid the market value for their work and the integrity and reputation of the artist is respected.
Short St has been responsible for showcasing many spectacular artists that many otherwise never have been seen such as Alma Webou, Jan Billycan, Lydia Balbal Gjinabalyi.

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

This is the first day of your life


Hooray for my first post!
I am an Art Director working in the film industry based in Sydney...this comes with it's ups and downs. I originally got into the film industry with this blind belief that it was a way of utilising art to change the world. Well that might not have actually happened but one great bonus is that as I am continually sourcing and searching I stumble across the most fantastic sustainable products constantly.
So Goodie is all about showcasing these amazing designers, artists, companies that are doing their bit to create beauty whilst considering the world that they are a part of. In various ways.

I was in Planet Furniture yesterday looking for some ceramic lamps and thought they are a wonderful place to start.
Planet's bespoke range is made using certified sustainably grown range timber from re-growth australian forests rather than old growth or rainforest timber. Their products are all made locally by handcraft, limited batch production and ethical practices.
And their shop always looks stunning!