Freshome.com - Interior Design & Architecture Inspiration Newsletter

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• Interview: Sustainable Living Through Creative Redesign with Lina Weckner
• Colourful Eco-Friendly Home Encompasses a Family’s Love for Art
• Energy and Art in a Fabulous Contemporary Pool Home
• Magic Display of Light in Milano: Butterflies by Chiara Lampugnani

Interview: Sustainable Living Through Creative Redesign with Lina Weckner Posted: 07 Jan 2011 05:25 AM PST We recently received an e-mail from Lina Weckner, founder of Weckner Design, a company which redefines old, discarded furniture in order to create “unique, sustainable and functional designs”. We found her line of work quite interesting and we decided to ask Lina a few question about this unusual “business”: Freshome: What occupations did you have before Weckner Design took off? Lina Weckner: I used to buy the cans for Pringles. What was the turning point that triggered the idea of redesigning discarded furniture? Lina Weckner: I have had an interest in sustainable design for a long time. Moving to Scotland I saw both a need for sustainable design and great potential to find discarded material to work with. Freshome: Was it difficult starting out? Lina Weckner: Starting out is always difficult, mostly in taking the decision to realize the idea. Freshome: What inspires you? Lina Weckner: The potential in what can be done with what is discarded today is my primary source of inspiration. I think furniture is not just restricted to one life, redesign can give discarded furniture a new personality. Great designers and designs inspire me as well and I find a lot of pleasure working with great designs. I am currently working on an armchair which will be ready end of January where I am using a fabric from one of my favourite Designers Stig Lindberg. Gold Finger is a redesign of a chair by a Philippe Starck which is also a designer I really like. Freshome: How do you select the products that are going to be reconditioned? Lina Weckner: Selecting furniture for redesign requires a flexible approach. A large part of my products are created from furniture which has been discarded, which forces you to be quick to select items to save. Going from selection to final designs can be a much longer process. The hunter chairs redesign was rare in that the redesign idea came the moment I saw them, but for some other designs, there can be 6 months between rescuing a discarded piece and coming up with a design which fits. Freshome: We noticed most of your reconditioned products have a Scandinavian-style influence. Why is that? Lina Weckner: Although based in Glasgow now, I am originally from Sweden. Even though I have been living outside Sweden the past 6-7 years the Swedish culture and design style has shaped me. Freshome: Could you give us more details about the reconditioning process? Who comes up with ideas? How does the actual work go? Lina Weckner: My time is split between sourcing, designing and production. Most of the time I work on a couple of designs in parallel, in different stages of the process. This makes the work more variable and helps to keep momentum through difficult stages. I do all work on my own from the idea to the finish. As the purpose is to redesign discarded furniture to encourage a sustainable living, I may not always have the right piece for my ideas. To solve this I keep all my ideas, drawings and patterns in a Google Doc, which I return to throughout the process to contribute ideas I have, and draw on it when I need inspiration. Freshome: Would you define your work as “fun”? Lina Weckner: My work is very fun most of the time, but once in a while I have these grand design ideas which are far from fun to actually make that's when I wish I could go in the shower, put on a suit and walk to an office. Freshome: How does the public perceive your projects? Lina Weckner: It has been fascinating reading feedback from people who have discovered my designs. Right now, I have found that many people have had their attention caught by the Gold Finger chair. It has been exciting both that people have found the redesign desirable furniture, but also that they perceive that a new idea has been realized from something discarded. Freshome: Share something you would like the world to know about you or your ideas. Lina Weckner: I think the Internet provides an opportunity to connect designers with the public in a way which was not possible before. In the next few months I'm excited about involving people throughout the design process through my website. People who are interested in this can join my mailing list at www.wecknerdesign.com. Ready for more amazing design ideas? Check below ! Sustainable Luxury Living : Aura at Camelback Multifunctional Wall Mount Tv Stand from Fimar 10 Tips to Consider when Hiring a Home Stager Solar Decathlon Sustainable House in Ithaca, New York London’s Sustainable Building by Sheppard Robson Beautiful Room : Chandelier Creative Click here to connect with Freshome on or on

Colourful Eco-Friendly Home Encompasses a Family’s Love for Art Posted: 07 Jan 2011 04:19 AM PST This next home used to be a vacation retreat for an art loving family, but it became more than that over the years. The land was purchased in 1958 and suffered some modifications since then. The extensive international family started to meet in this beautiful house they all considered their primary home. Once the residence was completely redesigned, the family decided to live here all year round and enjoy the extreme connection to nature. Occasional guests and family members can enjoy one of the three bedrooms and have their reunions in a beautiful, natural setting. The most important feature of the home lies in its eco-friendly legacy: “healthy indoor air quality, very comfortable and stable temperatures from the radiant floors, and exceptional energy performance with renewable energy systems. And, the artist family members immediately felt that the new home's bright red, orange, and cedar colors really 'made the house“. Solar electric panels on the roof provide 30% of the home's electricity and smartly placed windows ensure the home’s natural ventilation system. The interior features modern and vintage furniture splashed with a mixture of different styles, just enough to create a suitable environment for any member of the family. ZeroEnergyDesign worked together with Cape Associates to create this wonderful place a family can call home. Ready for more amazing design ideas? Check below ! Karakiri the Friendly Octopus Eco Friendly Furniture – PLI Fun and Colourful Hamburger Scatter Cushions Going Green Inside the Home Wood Table/Stool by Albero Coffee table that can turn into a love seat Click here to connect with Freshome on or on

Energy and Art in a Fabulous Contemporary Pool Home Posted: 07 Jan 2011 02:45 AM PST Here is a modern crib that spells freshness and vitality. Designed by architect Steve Kent and located in Santa Monica, this residence seems sprung out of a postal card. With a simple rectangular shape, white walls and plenty of colors, 24th Street House looks like a giant gift box. The contrast between the front and back of this building is striking. While the facade (facing the street) seems to reveal a cold, concrete home, deprived of an expansive personality, the back (overlooking the pool) shows the true nature of this spacious crib filled with energy. The interior arrangements are simply breathtaking, featuring state-of-the-art furniture and tasteful decorations. Each room faces the pool and has a unique design. Intriguing art works are present, turning this home into a cozy, noble and original living space. Ready for more amazing design ideas? Check below ! 14 Indoor Pools for a Delightful Swimming Experience Indoor Pool Transformed into a Home Theater Malibu 5: A dazzling home brimming with solar goodness Western Minneapolis Residence Amazing Home With Original Elevated Pool Pool Table Disguised as Dining Room Table Click here to connect with Freshome on or on

Magic Display of Light in Milano: Butterflies by Chiara Lampugnani Posted: 07 Jan 2011 12:19 AM PST "Light Butterflies" by Chiara Lampugnani Design is an innovative project displayed in Paolo Sarpi Street and Canonica Street in Milan as part of the the Milan International Led Light Festival (held from 4 December 2010 until 10 January 2011). Here is some information from the official press release: Inspired by the Butterflies Oasis based in Palestro Street in Milan, the light butterflies by Chiara Lampugnani are an homage to the beauty of Nature through the splendor and magic of light. A message to the city of Milan which is always in a hurry so that it may stop and think about the simple things of life through the eyes of a child. We salute this uncommon project and we consider it to be a great idea of urban regeneration that could be applied in different cities in order to bring streets and neighborhoods back to life. Ready for more amazing design ideas? Check below ! The Magic Box Cheerful and Practical Italian Sofa from Milan Bedding Table with Transparent Drawers, Milan 2010 Decorating Butterflies Made From Beer Cans The Most Impressive Stand from Salone del Mobile, Milan 2010 was Empty Magic Chair Transforms Into a Suitcase in a Matter of Seconds Click here to connect with Freshome on or on

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