What is minimalism?

Peoples idea of what minimalism is and what it means...very inspiring as for me, that is the way forward and the key words connect with my way of thinking!

'Waste not want not'! Super scrimpers

Mrs money penny channel 4 - saves you money!!

Mrs Money penny meets the Jane family who spend and waste money beyond their means. Money spent on clothes, takeaways and petrol for a big car! The best part of this show is when the family are presented with all their possessions and the amount of waste they create as a family expressed in takeout bags, fuel canisters, a skip and clothes hung on the fence. The visual element clearly shocks them into making better decisions!

Ekokook - Zero waste in your kitchen

If you’ve spent a fair amount of time in a kitchen cooking up a storm, then you’re probably aware of one of the major drawbacks of major home-cooking… it generates a ton of waste. That’s right up to 85 or 90 percent of a family’s trash can be generated within the vicinity of the kitchen. Faltazi’s concept kitchen should be interesting for just that reason.

Ekokook is designed to generate essentially zero waste. The solid waste things like glass are ground down using a hand-activated steel ball, and there’s also a manual paper shredder which compacts the leftovers into small bricks. Water is stored, filtered, and reused, with waste water being used to water plants. There’s also an eco-friendly earthworm compactor in a drawer! 


http://www.techmagnews.com/ekokook-concept-kitchens-mantra-waste-not-want-not.html

The story of stuff! - Annie Leonard

OMG!!...this women is brilliant!!!...with 20 years of background in the field, explains elaborate concepts so well that even kids will benefit from a viewing. Annie as Coordinator of the Funders Workgroup for Sustainable Production and Consumption.
 

Katcha Bilek - Upcycling

From the designer who dislikes waste, Katcha Bilek presents her collection of stylish and  versatile bags; belts, crocodiles, chandeliers from upcycled, recycled and reclaimed materials.

I think because they are design-led and hand-crafted, people were attracted to them – my methods cut out industrial machinery and any chance of unethical practices. Plus, each piece is completely unique – you might cut the same design from an inner-tube, but the final result will always be slightly different.”

Her designs have an intrinsic element of relaying environmental issues. “Promoting awareness of the environment and of the raw resources and materials we consume daily  are essential components in all of my creations.”

Katcha continually expresses her love of design, beauty and originality through transforming discarded materials and objects she finds on a scavenge, fashioning them into useful, well-designed pieces.

Katcha Bilek has also designed some popular upcycled tyre sculptures. But, in true Katcha style, not just any ordinary sculptural design – these are life-sized crocodiles from unwanted tyres! Her full collection can be viewed at the coexist gallery on Stokescroft, St. Pauls,Bristol. 

Visit our website: www.re-collect.net
http://www.upcycling.co.uk/news/katcha-bilek/

Dieter Rams Less and More

Dieter Rams is my hero!...Jonathan Ive, Tom Dixon, Jasper Morrison and Philippe Starck are all avowed fans of Rams, who has often been referred to as the ‘designer’s designer.’

After visiting his exhibition at the design museum 'less and more' earlier this year, I was in complete admiration for this man's great achievements. 

I hope to follow in his foot steps in creating innovative designs which are, as he quite rightly states 'better design helps people understand it's functionality. To make products usable is important, not to make it spectacular! that's not important, but to make it unspectacular, especially in the future'.

Dieter Rams Less and More - Interview

Dieter Rams - Gestalten (HD).mp4 You tube

Mies van der Rohe - Visions Of Space 2/7

When I studied Interior Design, I visited the famous 'Barcelona Pavillion' and it was impressive!..I loved the lines, the marble, water, and sleekness of what appears to have been designed for the rich and famous. Although, it's missing the comforts of soft tactile furnishings, apart from his leather 'Barcelona chairs' to be able to comfortably live there, yet it oozes class.

I try to connect his ethos with that of Dieter Rams and have come to the conclusion that his modernist, simplistic approach does resonate through Dieter's products. Ludwig was a craftsman a stonemason's son, while dieter was also focused on making, trying new materials and experimenting with form.