IDS07: Up to You
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03. 2.07
We were surprised to find a retailer with a booth at the Interior Design Show but Up to You is no ordinary retailer. It is in a second floor apartment in an old building- "Upon entrance this concept shop appears to be the living quarters of a young professional making their way in the world. Immediately you are taken into a voyeuristic paradise where incense fills the air and an unlikely mashing of Shakespearean theater and popular music delights the ears." And this young professional appears to be a TreeHugger type, (or at least a fan of Charles Jencks and Adhocism) having things like this fruit bowl that you essentially make yourself from the netting wrapping bag that the fruit comes in- a zero-waste solution! "the structure of the fruit bowl is provided for you and all you have to do is fill in the rest."
Grandma's teacups don't get much use for tea anymore, so by adding stems they are repurposed into a whole new circle of friends.
old rulers are formed into jewellery
kite material into really light shopping bags
old towels into cute stuffed toys
and seat belts into cushions.
So much clever and useful repurposing of old objects and materials. New to us but clearly an international hit- the Economist said " ...hundreds of hard-to-find internationally sourced design objects from home wares to high heels are displayed in the rooms of an actual flat. "
Thirsty for more? Check out these related articles:
- The Living Walls of San Francisco's Embarcadero
- Honda FC Sport Concept: So Funky it's Actually Cool, or Just Plain Funky Ugly!
- Barcelona Forever, a Recycled Interior Design Installation by Mette Bak Andersen
- Top 7 Green Categories of 7 Green Lists of 7 Green Things
