Design & Architecture

The cold weather is quickly approaching, which means it's time to start thinking about the holidays! Whether it's gift-giving, entertaining, or curling up to a warm biofuel fireplace, WorkingWonders has what you are looking for in the upcoming winter months. And what's better is that WorkingWonders carefully researches everything they offer, selecting only what meets their unique eco-standards, and then they make that information transparent to all of us.

The company also offers their very own Green Guide in which they ask their manufacturers to identify within eight categories their products fall into and, based on their information, WorkingWonders then assigns the appropriate green icons to assist us in making better buying choices.

Design & Architecture

Since the leveling of forests is linked to everything from sneakers to burgers to biofuels, it's refreshing to find a furniture shop souring all of its timber from reclaimed sources. Urban Woods hand makes all its pieces in Los Angeles from wood that was milled between 50 and 100 years ago. Aesthetically, these are down-to-earth collections, more refined and tame than Hugo Franca's gnarly masterpieces, or even Carlos Motta's rustic reclaimed recliners.

Design & Architecture

via DeZeen

We love transformer furniture, stuff that takes up less space by serving multiple functions. And what do you do with empty suitcases? Dutch designer Erik De Nijs of Nieuwe Heren solves the problem with Suited Case, a collection of suitcases that can be combined into a sofa when not being used to travel.

Design & Architecture

We love the idea of furniture that can slide under a door, that takes up so little space for shipping and storing. Efecem Kutuk designed the Sheetseat to be cut from a single sheet of 3/4" plywood with almost no waste.

Design & Architecture

Images via unplggd

This is a fantastic design, and one of the only pieces of furniture I've ever looked at and thought, "I want that." Rocking chairs are peaceful places, especially when they have this minimalist look. Add a reading lamp and you're set. But this isn't just a plain old lamp-and-chair combo. The light is OLED, and powered by the rocking motion of the person sitting in the chair. Kinetically powered OLED lighting to read by? Nice.

Design & Architecture

If you really want to talk sustainability, you have to look at not only how something is made and what it is made of, but is it easily repairable? Will it last? Transformations builds furniture for the hospitality and education fields that is built solidly (that frame is guaranteed for thirty-five years) but what is more important, the whole chair is designed to pull apart easily so that fabric or foam can be replaced on site. In minutes. It gives new meaning to the word "Renewable."

Design & Architecture

Seen at IIDEX: The Genya Chair is designed for auditoria, but I think would fit well into small apartments. This elegant sloping slab opens up to a very comfortable chair.

A cushioned gas device automatically retracts the arms and seat and folds them into a sleek, rectangular compartment that also functions as the structural framework.

Design & Architecture

A walnut chair from Gürsan Ergil Design Studio in Istanbul.

When Gürsan Ergil started making furniture from reclaimed wood back in 1991, he says, "people were laughing at me for using old wood -- it was a crazy thing to do." Almost 20 years later, the idea has become the height of eco-chic in other places, but Ergil's chairs, tables, and other pieces remain unusual in Turkey.