Autoban

With the founding of a national design council in 2004 and home to a design week in its third year, Istanbul is gaining recognition as a minor design capital. Founded in 2002, the firm Autoban, is helping the city's reputation along. Making their debut at New York's ICFF this year, their appropriated street sign logo and this wood (down to the lampshade) "King" lamp, made …

Biotube Bench

Made from recycled cardboard cylinders, embedded seeds in a cellulose liquid grow when they're exposed to water and light on the surface of Brooklyn-based designer Julian Lwin's modular bench. Available as individual tubes or bundled as shown, any plant (as long as its smallish, we assume) can be sprouted and the entire chair will biodegrade over time. via Inhabitat

RISD Works

Just across the river from the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), a store called RISD Works sells a wide range of products all designed by RISD alums. The collection includes big names (who you may be surprised to learn went to RISD) like literary installation artist Jenny Holzer, the creators of the Family Guy, and Michael Cousins who co-founded Cousins Design, the award-winning team …