Extending table inspired by roll-top desks and old wooden roller blinds

Extendable Table

The simplicity of wood roller blinds combined with a metal table frame makes for a great product, both simple and sustainable (apart some plastic pieces) and also versatile, fitting small spaces and also able to accommodate the guests.

The table design by Stefan Weiser is so

Just another folding table: a clever one this time

Picture Table by Ivy Design

From the ingenious folks at Ivy Design, the picture table shown below can be lifted on the wall and turned into an art piece to be proud of.

This kind of furniture becomes more and more important as the living spaces shrink and people are forced to live in tiny spaces.

I’ve covered a lot of great such designs on this blog, starting with

Less clutter in the kitchen with BasicKnives project from Caroline Noordijk

Multi-purpose tools make greener design

We need to tackle the over-consumerism somehow and buying less is usually a good start. Then comes the better-design of all products in the world, considering carefully the earth friendliness of the product. One of the best approaches to this kind of thinking is designing products from environmentally friendly materials and having multiple functions.

This BasicKnives project from Caroline Noordijk does just that and it does it with style,

Put Christmas LED Lights to good use all year round

Isn’t it a little inefficient to use one expensive (or more) Christmas Led String only for a few weeks around the winter holidays? And then toss it somewhere in the balcony or a winter-dedicated storage? Not good. Not even environmentally friendly.

EKOKOOK: the zero waste kitchen island

Faltazi's concept kitchen

I am glad there are so many green thinkers out there trying to make a better world. I like this kitchen island concept that promises to be zero-waste while making good use out of some of it, like grey water for plants watering and compost soil for new planters or filling up the ones you already have.

Waste is an important pollution factor and kitchens

Ecovative to focus on SIPs with greensulate core

Greensulate based SIPs

Remember my  previous article on Ecovative’s Greensulate product to replace polystyrene? You can check it to see what greensulate is. I then wrote another article on Structural Insulated Panels, SIPs, and expressed my wish to see greensulate be the insulation part in a SIP. I have just ran into a youtube video on how greensulate is made and at the end of the movie my prayers are answered. Hit the link to see the video.

Fold-out graphic wall shelving by Mark Kinsley

Fold-out graphic wall shelving

As the apartments around the world shrink as far as space is concerned, modern youngs are forced to rent or (the lucky ones) buy them as they are.

Here comes a helping hand from  product designer Mark Kinsley: with a small footprint, this picture wall shelving openes to full picture or only parts of it to accommodate your daily

discussion on home automation for the environmentalist

For the last week or more I’ve been flirting with home automation. I knew about it but never looked deeper inside its guts. Now I can say my knowledge on the subject is wide enough to be able to make some decisions and discuss it in an article. Anyway any responsible and knowledgeable comments are more than welcomed.

Home Automation Solutions, known as Domotics in Europe, is a way to control every bit of equipment and device in a home with the purpose of lowering energy bills (efficiency) and rising the comfort (quality of life).

zero-energy computer from Fujitsu saves the energy lost by the stand-by state

zero-energy computer from Fujitsu

Having all these devices around consuming power while in stand-by can make an environmentally conscious person feeling guilty but there’s nothing he can do, except always go and push the turn off button on all of them or manage to get a smart extension socket that can be controlled by remote or whatever.
To fight global warming some companies push the limits on technology and

stop unnecessary waste from CFLs: replace the glass tube, keep the precious electronics

Smart Lite CFL saves the electronics ballast from landfills

Unnecessary waste is a big problem of today’s world. We throw away too much of everything. But when you advertise something as greener, like CFL bulbs, and build it so that that complicated circuitry that makes it expensive gets in the landfields together with the damaged illuminating mixture in the glass tube is just stupid. Unless LED bulbs won’t come down to reasonable prices 3E Techonologies has come up with the solution

green flat roofs – the way to go for tomorrow roofing

urbanscape trend: green roofs

Although pitched roofing still is de facto for new buildings, this is the case mostly because it’s cheaper. But from a usability point of view flat roofs offer much more.

In a study on flat roofs I can see many things that would suggest that these kind of roofs will be the way to go for tomorrow. The flat roof technology has improved big time over the latest years and the bad reputation it developed should be certainly cleared. Let’s see a few facts

Grow Your Own Fresh Air with this 3 plants solution

What plants to use to clean the indoor air?

A study made by Paharpur Business Centre and Software Technology Incubator Park (PBC™ – STIP) in New Delhi, India, on plants that can improve air quality indoors has concluded that only 3 plants are enough to induce a healthy change.

In 15 years of trials, Areca Palm (Chrysalidocarpus lutescens), Mother-in-law’s Tongue (Sansevieria trifasciata) and Money Plant (Epipremnum aureum) proved a 42% probability of increasing

Air to Air heat exchangers: get fresh air, keep the energy inside

Air To Air Heat Exchangers for warm interiors, low heating bill

Homes of today follow a green and expense-cutting trend to reduce energy exchange with the environment, keeping a comfortable temperature inside and some money in the bank. But all that sealing actually makes the stall air inside a health treat to the house inhabitants. It can get very humid, due to the paints that prevent vapor exchange through the walls, VOC (volatile organic compounds – chemicals that offgas from paints, plastics, etc) loaded, naturally occuring Radon (Rn) gasses  build up as well as mold and mildew. These problems can be solved by

smart homes need a way to protect wireless communication between devices: paint

Wireless screening paint

Wanna build a smart-home? You have all the ingredients? A central server managing the lights, the tv, the stereo, the blinds, the thermostat, the solar panels on the roof, the LCD displays in every room and who knows what else? I suspect you want a wifi-capable

OneLessDesk is the hi-tech workspace for you

Sorta transformer but stylish and futuristic, MAC-inspired design of OneLessDesk fits perfectly in your room. Retracting input devices holder when you finish working you get a compact piece of furniture that doesn’t get in your way when you don’t need it.

I would have loved a way of lowering the monitor below and get all that space cleared but anyway for $900 you can have it as is or just watch it for inspiration and a free of charge DIY design: