Brush Factory started in Brighton, an historic industrial district of Cincinnati.  It has been home to artists, artisans, designers, and others for many years. Brighton is filled with handsome old brick multi-story buildings steeped in history. This history and unique setting inspires and infuses everything we do.  Brush Factory brand places value on things like little material waste, a balance between innovation and tradition and above all, creating a product that has a unique personality built to last. We are committed to excellence in craft, quality, workmanship and design. Rosie Kovacs, fashion designer, stylist and purist at heart, believes that living a simple life doesn’t have to be dull.  A Cincinnati native, she chose to start her clothing label after attending the University of Cincinnati’s DAAP School of Design. Residing in Cincinnati allows her to spread out, giving her the room and means to make her own products in house as well as collaborate with partner and fellow designer, Hayes Shanesy.

- http://brushmanufactory.com/

August 13, 2012

Handwoven in Brooklyn from found and reclaimed fabric. 

July 24, 2012

May 31, 2012

The Cod Collection from Kria is a study of the fish which has sustained Icelandic culture for centuries and focuses on extracting details to imagine objects of ritualization.

- http://kriajewelry.com

May 28, 2012

Re-Love  is a project by MAEZM.“Most clothes and chairs used in the past were collected by the artists and other relevant parties. It was designed based on a new method using objects in which memories remain and original function gone.  The discarded chair once again becomes a comfortable sofa with clothes on top. Clothes are what enable the chair to play its part. This is also understood as one’s own past. As clothes are tangled, memories can be tied up to create a new love. To love the things again means to add another function to them. To love the things again means to add another function to them”

“To love the things again here needs be distinguished from recycling. Though the old and ragged chair in my room will gradually lose a great deal of its original function, it will hold prevalent value over other new ones through the time and space shared with me. This chair may carry an image of myself on it, stretching leg to the floor, or elaborately cherish a reminiscence of a time when I conversed with someone.
Sharing of such time and memory is also a matter of intimacy between me and the thing. However, regrettably enough, we repeatedly replace the thing for a new ‘goods’ unconsciously in pursuit of the ‘function’ it provides. The relationship between a thing and people should be understood as an expression of
‘self love’ on oneself as a result rather than personifying a thing. The intention is that the act of loving a thing again is engraved as love of one self about the time and space, and such love be proposed as methodology through ‘RE_LOVE’ “

May 11, 2012

Stunningly dizzying handwoven saltillo sarapes at the Museum of American Indian. “The earliest Saltillo Sarapes, from before about 1850, employ hand-woven wools and organic dyes (indigo, vegetal green and ivory/natural wool—including an extremely costly red dye, cochineal, produced by pulverizing cochineal bugs, a parasite of the nopal cactus. The designs of these early sarapes, generally a diamond of some sort, are linear and geometric. Sarapes are distinct from the world’s other great textile traditions. There are eye-dazzling effects, particularly in the central medallion, and some early examples vibrate like a piece of Op Art”

May 08, 2012

Ceramic cloud shaped dishes by JD Wolfe on Etsy.

April 02, 2012

March 19, 2012

Moss rag rugs from recycled fabric and yarn by Kate Fenker.

- http://www.katefenker.com

February 11, 2012

http://www.asmallspace.com/index.php?/project/a-cabin-in-a-loft/

January 30, 2012

Upcycled old toys sofa / lounge couch by Dan Kennel.   Looks very comfortable.

January 27, 2012

Felted fox hat by Vaivanat

January 25, 2012

Scrapwood furniture by Dutch designer, Piet Hein Eek:

- http://www.pietheineek.nl/en/collection/scrapwood

August 06, 2011

DIY chairs from around the world.

- http://www.folkforms.ru

July 24, 2011

July 14, 2011

French designer Ariane Prin has been working on a project called “From Here for Here” as a part of her master’s program at the Royal College of Art. This project produces pencils sustainably by using waste from various departments of the school with the goal of supplying drawing tools for students. Each pencil has a center filled with graphite from the glass department, and its body comprised of sawdust from the wood workshop, clay from the ceramic department, and flour from the cafeteria.  Watch a video on how these pencils were made on DesignBoom

July 10, 2011

Above: DIY wooden toy car

Above: DIY scarecrow

Above: DIY sleds

Above: DIY bird feeder

Above: DIY stool

Above: DIY bench

-DIY Russia on folkforms

June 21, 2011

Avoska, translated as “just in case” is a Russian net bag.  Avoska collapses to fit inside your fist and expands to hold 12 grapefruits. It is easy to wash and boxes edges do not rip it’s threads. Best of all, it prevents plastic bags from gathering in your kitchen corner or the world’s landfills.  With the popularization of plastic bags after the 90’s (after the fall of Soviet Union) avoska bags gradually went into disuse in Russia.

Above: Russia 1959. People carrying avoska bags. Photo: Carl Mydans.

Contemporary Russian folklore:  Once upon a time in Russia there lived a simple little net bag - Avoska. Everyone loved her.  People took her with them everywhere - to the store, farmers market and even birthdays. But then….plastic bags came and people forgot about Avoska.  To see what happens next watch this really adorable 3 minute film on Youtube:  http://www.youtube.com/avoska

Above: Boy hugging avoska bag from short “Avoska” film (See above)

Read blog dedicated to Avoski:  http://avoski.livejournal.com/

June 07, 2011

Space saving invisible bookshelves.  Minimal and simple! Book on the bottom acts as support for every other book on top. 

May 21, 2011

Palm reed (buri) is the matured leaf of the palm. It is a great material for hats, bags, slippers, window blinds, mats, brooms and baskets. 

Carefully handcrafted baskets made of palm reed, leather, and metal designed by Brooklyn-based designer from Philippines,  Stanley Ruiz.

-http://stanleyruiz.com

May 12, 2011

April 17, 2011

April 14, 2011

DIY Panton Chair by Peter Jakubik incites users to make their own original fake famous chair designed by Verner Panton. All what you need is a picture of Panton chair, found log, DIY tools and passion for designer classics.

April 12, 2011

Great blog from Vancouver, BC - http://www.old-chum.com/

Autumn Workshop is a design and fabrication studio started by Brooklyn based designer Daniel Goers. The workshop designs products and furniture inspired by natural and found materials, often integrating plant and animal habitats.  Autumn workshop lamps are now on display until May 11 at Saffron* flower shop(31 Hanson Place, Brooklyn, NY)

-http://www.autumn-workshop.com

*Saffron is a boutique flower, vintage and handcrafted goods shop in Fort Greene, Brooklyn. They regularly present work by local artists amongst an exciting assortment of exotic plants and handmade items.

March 20, 2011

“The project deals with giving new life to damaged, out-of-use furniture. over the past year, I practiced furniture-healing through design. The cultural and personal history of each piece of damaged furniture served as a starting point for the treatment, which attempted to preserve each one of their stories. the intention was to explore with joy, the multiple personalities, and the defects that exist in old products, and to create a human and hybrid aesthetic language[...] I started exploring a visual language that deals with imperfections, and giving objects human-like gestures.” - Noam Tabenkin

Read more about noam Tabenkin’s furniture on Visual Syntex

February 22, 2011

I love this extra shabby, homemade wardrobe. Found on http://www.kabinettandkammer.com/

February 09, 2011

Gamper Martino has been collecting discarded old/broken chairs from London streets over a period of two years and then spending 100 days reconfiguring the design of each in an attempt to transform its character and function.

February 05, 2011