Rare + Fibrous

Colorful side tables built from an Amazonian root

Using Kufa, an aerial root fiber native to the Amazon rain forest, John-Michael Ekeblad builds furniture by hand using a variety of techniques unique to the region. Ekeblad works with local Amazonian craftsman in Georgetown, Guyana to harvest the nomadic plant, then collaborates with them throughout the design process. His latest project, Rare + Fibrous—which is operated by strategic design consultancy, Daytime NYC—presents a series …

Haeckel Haus Co.

Nineteenth-century lithographic curiosities reborn for home and fashion

The 19th-century biologist Ernst Haeckel is credited with categorizing thousands of species, creating a genealogical tree that unites all life and coining the world “ecology.” But his prominence in the scientific community is matched by his cultural legacy: Haeckel’s lithographs of rare creatures have become emblematic of the Victorian era. More than a hundred years later, Haeckel is enjoying a second heydey as the inspiration …

Cristian Reyes Creative Studio

Light ash, dark felt and polished steel come together in the young designer's modular furniture collection shown at Feria Habitat Valencia 2012

At this year’s Feria Habitat Valenica, Cristian Reyes Creative Studio presented a comprehensive range of household furnitures unified by light wood, dark felt, soft finishes and, of course, modularity. The uniquely calming combination of materials—along with clever design tweaks—encourages a sense of exploration in the user. The seemingly simple Alma lamp, for example, can actually be broken down into a desk lamp and coat rack. …