Material health is a multifaceted concern. The use of harmful chemicals and the practice of landfilling materials before the end of their usable lives are just two issues for designers and manufacturers. This week we’re showcasing products that get their edge from toxin-free and reclaimed ingredients, plus an energy-efficient tankless water heater to round out the group.
Dala Collection, Stephen Burks
New York designer Stephen Burks is adding a pair of accessories to his Dala Collection for outdoor furniture maker Dedon. Like the existing lounge chairs and ottomans in the collection, the lantern and planter are made of fibers that comprise recycled food and beverage packaging and high-density polyethylene and are woven through a geometric aluminum mesh wireframe. The lantern is offered in three sizes and a stone color, while the planter is offered in two sizes and stone or grass colors.
NewspaperWood, Mieke Meijer
Studio Mieke Meijer collaborated with furniture brand Vij5 to turn the Dutch designers’ NewspaperWood into a series of cabinets, jewelry, and tables. Crafted from boards made of recycled newspapers that are folded to emulate a wood grain, the boards are now offered in the colorful yellow, orange, blue, green, and pink hues of four newspapers—Asharq Al-Awsat, Eindhovens Dagblad, the Financial Times, and Italia Oggi.
Silence, Bolon
Swedish design studio Bolon’s Silence Collection of phthalate-free woven carpet tiles, sheets, and planks are offered with an optional sound-deadening backer. Available in nine colors (multiple shown).
Stacked Lights, Ma’ayan Pesach and Sander Wassink
Recent graduates of the Design Academy Eindhoven in the Netherlands, designers Ma’ayan Pesach and Sander Wassink collected an assortment of glass vessels for their Stacked Lights collection. The pieces are assembled, attached via a colored resin, lamped with an LED source, and suspended from thin copper wires. The series debuted as a 17-piece installation at Salone in April.
Obsidian Mirror, Studio Drift
This mirror’s glass-like black base is made of synthetic obsidian, which derives from a chemical-waste recycling process during which the waste is heated to extract raw materials such as gold, mercury, and silver in liquid form. By Dutch designers Lonneke Gordijn and Ralph Nauta of Studio Drift, the cast Obsidian Mirror debuted at Salone in April.
Gas Condensing 120k Tankless Water Heater, A.O. Smith
A.O. Smith is growing its line of high-efficiency residential gas tankless water heaters. The Energy Star–certified gas-condensing 120,000-Btu tankless water heater measures less than 2 cubic feet and has an Energy Factor of 0.93. The unit is available in an indoor and outdoor model, and each features accessible temperatures controls.
