Footloose and Fancy Forest Huts!

Kolarbyn is an awe-inspiring adventure eco-lodge located by the glade of the stunning lake Skärsjön.  It is Sweden's most primitive hotel, no electricity, water collected from the spring, sheep skin rugs for warmth, candles and a crackling fire to help you drift off to sleep. You will be awakened by songbirds and a crisp dip in the lake to set you off on your day full of moose safaris, forest walks, canoeing, mushroom and berry picking.  If it's all sounding a little strenuous, never fear, all of that outdoor adventure-ism will soon be blissed away by a bonfire BBQ and a steamy sauna in their sauna that floats on the lake!  You may ask what this has to do with design, but in fact I think Kolarbyn is at the true essence of design: simple, mindful and oozing with natural charm and style.

Listen to Something Rootsy!

I stumbled across these beautiful, simplistic Magno Wooden Radio's while flicking through an interiors magazine.  I immediately fell in love with the natural tones and curves and just like the bamboo bike I previously posted about,  I adore the use of natural elements with a technological product.  We are so used to seeing radios/sound systems looking very high tech, cold, plastic, stainless it was very refreshing to see one in such an organic form, in fact it has re-sparked my love of handmade products, not in a crafty way, but to see beautifully hand-crafted items, that have had love, attention and pure skill poured into them is a real honour.   Each Magno radio is made by hand as a single piece and takes 16 hours to make, ecologically and in a social fair manner. The Magno radio combines the most current mp3 player compatible electronics with sustainably grown woods.  I was happy to hear that it has won the British Design Award for 2009, well deserved I say. 

You Need To Meet Miss Jones!

Jennifer Jones of "Have You Met Miss Jones" has a stunning collection of bone china, clay pottery, capiz shell, metal and woodwork that she carefully handpicks and scrutinizes from various spots around the globe. Miss Jones has a very fine eye for detail and her current collection is full to the brim with delectable crisp white bone china pieces including these cute-as-a-button plates (as shown above), absolutely perfect for a slice of lemon meringue pie, although you will have to excuse the crumbs...  Jennifer's wonderful finds can be found on her online homewares store.  Pay her a visit.

Wheely Nice Bamboo!

Industrial designer Ross Lovegrove, better known for his groundbreaking design work for Sony Walkman and Apple iMac, let his creative brilliance loose with this innovative bike design "Bamboo" created exclusively for Biomega.  Bamboo growth is fast and prolific and apparently tougher than steel when used correctly and the combination of cold hard steel and natural radiant bamboo creates a really beautiful design aesthetic.  I was really inspired by Biomega's philosophy of wanting to create the ideal city, clean, peaceful, stunning. A more pure environment where we are more in tune with the natural world.  It's this dream that drives them to create their urban-landscape-changing bikes.  Biomega's range include other superb designs by designers of the likes of Marc Newson and Karim Rashid, but I think this particular design by Ross really encapsulates their design ethics.

Milk Gone Bad, But Looks So Good!

If only my milk looked so good when it went bad!  These genius creations are a culmination of two great minds, that of industrial design studio Anatomicfactory and Italian illustrator Bombo.  Milk Gone Bad is a collection of 8 cute lamps, each built like a milk carton and the magical part...the illustration is can only be seen once the light is switched on, revealing the secret world of mould that lies inside!  They consider their product to be half way between a toy and furnishing, but I think that these lovely little lamps would light up any room in more ways than one.

Bananas About The String Republic

I find it really refreshing when designers take an old (and perhaps a little tired) design like the espadrille and give it a new lease of life.  Stephane Bucco a graphic artist of the young French company Dead Sexy,  has done just that with this super artist customised espadrilles range The String Republic!  Stephane wanted to illustrate what happens when graphic art and daily life merge and I think here it has worked perfectly, the espadrille was invigorated yet the soul and essence of the design was not lost.  So far, The String Republic have collaborated with a great array of artists and designers from around the globe including a few of my favourites Sauerkids, Alberto Cerriteno, Masa and Paulo Arraiano. 

Style Will Save Us

Ethical fashion doesn't need to mean off-white hemp t-shirts or have to be bought a "good-vibe" festival.  It also comes in the form of gorgeous, beautifully designed clothing by ethical fashion label Gorman.  "Sustainable" is a word Gorman have truly embraced and put into real action throughout their business.  Some of the positive steps they have already taken include increasing the use of sustainable yarns and fabrics, developed innovative organic fabrics such as an australian organic wool, opting for water-based printing and azo-free dyes, reduced garment packaging by 90%, switched to 100% accredited green power plus so much more.  Gorman have even extended their green values through to their customers by offering discounts to customers who ride their bikes to their stores and donating 49c to Friends Of The Earth everytime a customer rejects a bag.  All of this, plus the many other sustainable and 'green' actions they have taken make Gorman a wonderfully inspiring business model, with much more substance on their business bones then the size 0 models of the fashion industry we are used to!

On May 3rd, the Gorman 'Ship Shop', a super shipping container turned boutique (as pictured above) will be docked at the City Of Stonnington's 'Sustainable Living Expo' where inside you can learn more about ethical fashion and even try on their new 100% merino organic wool and organic collection! If you live in Melbourne, be sure to take a lovely bike round to the Ship Shop, you might need to invest in a little bike trailer to take home all of your goodies though!