Apparently what’s bad for us can be good for our plants. For one – they thrive on cigarette ashes. French designer Frantz Brougere took this knowledge and put it in design use. His Cindy ashtray not only provides a free-standing place for cigarette butts, it also helps plants grow (monsieur Brougere wouldn’t be the first frenchman who defends smoking). The ashtray is easy on the eyes as well, it looks like an elegant planter. So, next time you send your guests outside with their cigs – let them grow some green.
Italian designer Enzo Berti thought it would be fun to combine two essentials of interior design – lighting and greenery. And he was right. The result – the Eden lamp – turned out to be an unusual and fun accessory. The piece is illuminated by two LED lights – one pointing upward and one downward, which makes it a sufficient light source. And LED is not harmful to plants – another reason it is perfect for this particular project. Manufactured by Torremato, the Eden lamp comes in a variety of colors and finishes. And with your own choice of greenery, the lamp can be made to fit your specific design.
This beautiful planter/light sculpture concept, called Schattengewächs, belongs to German designer Maximilian Winkel. Unlike its botanical relatives, these ‘flowers’ are powered by darkness rather than sunlight. The light is turned on automatically thanks to the photosensor hidden in the pot. The engineering behind the Schattengewächs is fairly simple – it is powerd either by four coin cells or by two contacts (anode and cathode) directly from the soil of the flower pot. The contrast between the real planter and the light flower projection has some subtle humor to it. The Schattengewächs can add a nice accent to a roofdeck or a balcony (if you are blessed with those) and also illuminate any dark indoor area.
This unusual planter from French manufacturer Jardin Chic is generous in size and in function. It doubles as a pet house and, thanks to its sleek modern form, can lend an air of sophistication to the room. Made from durable plastic, the planter can be used both indoors and outdoors. Perfect for cats and small dogs, it can give your pet a cool urban roof deck. Just be realistic in your greenery choice and plant something pet-friendly. This will not be a good place for your orchids…
Urban Gardens, one of my favorite blogs, posted this clever thing today. Urbio is a magnetic-backed and modular vertical garden system that can bring beauty and greenery to urban walls. The system includes small, medium, and large vessels or pots, wall plates, and individual wall mount pucks that can connect the pots to each other or mount them to the wall. Urbio is a collaborative conceptual effort of two studios – Enlisted Design and Volare. Designers have launched a Kickstarter campaign to raise funds and bring the product to market.
Here is a simple and green idea from designer Patrice Mouillé – a ceramic stand that serves as a plant pot and a compost station. Vertuo, a worm composter, consists of five sections. The compost goes through traps between them, producing liquid fertilizer for your home greenery.
Fill it initially with the composting mix – carton, sand, eggshells, soil, water and earthworms. Each time you produce more organic waste – add it to the top compartment to continue the composting process.
Vertuo can be safely put on a balcony – the ceramic will maintain the perfect level of humidity. This little composting machine can feed all your home plants. And your aesthetic senses too.
