Design for a Living World

Some say that using sustainable and eco-friendly materials for designing has become a fashion. Though it's not. It has become essential and the only way for survival. It's not a fashion, it's a natural way of living.

"Design for a Living World asks us to think about the products we use - where they come from, how they are made and the impacts they have on our planet.

The Nature Conservancy invited ten designers to create new objects from sustainable materials sourced from around the world. Wood, plants, wool and other organic materials were transformed into intriguing objects, revealing extraordinary stories about regeneration and the human connection to the Earth's lands and waters. Together, designers and consumers can reshape our materials economy and help advance a global conservation ethic by choosing sustainable materials that support, rather than deplete, endangered places."

"Design for a Living World" was another great find I came across browsing the internet and its exhibition is on view from May 14th through January 4 at the Cooper-Hewit National Design Museum in New York.

These are just some designs to admire:

fsc-certified red maple - striking pieces of furniture from red maple by Maia Lin:


'I try to give people a different way of looking at their surroundings. It is about making people aware of nuances, changes in depth, and height-perceptions at a very subtle level-and focusing on a new way of looking at their surroundings, at the land"




chicle latex - Maya forests, Mexico - Dutch (!) designer Hella Jongerius:


"I'm a designer who uses a lot of ingredients to get to a product - not only form, but also history, tradition and contemporary inspiration".



bamboo - China - Ezri Tarazi:


"Rather than use the material as a surface, our project enhances the material to become and object in itself".


vegetable ivory - micronesia - Ted Muehling, jewelry designer.

organic wool rug tiles (yes, FELT! It is knitted from a felted thick yarn) - Dutch (!) designer Christien Meinderstma:

"A lot of the value of a product lies in knowing where it comes from, how it grows, and in what amounts."

Visit the Nature Conservancy site to read and see more.


As a felter myself I tend to choose natural and sustainable materials. Though I know I am not best at it - I am not sure of the processes used to prepare some of my wool I use for felting, but I am proud that I also do buy organic raw wool from the first hands - the sheep keeper. And this year I have discovered wonderful sustainable material I love to use in my felts now - banana fiber.

(Yes, it would be perfect if I was raising my own flock of sheep and were using local plant fibers for my felts :) )

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“Eko” nėra mada, tai natūralus gyvenimo būdas.

“Design for a living world” – dar viena įdomi paroda New York’e , kuri skatina susimąstyti apie medžiagas, kurias naudojame – iš kur jos ateina, kaip jos gimsta ir kokią įtaką jos turi mūsų planetai.

10 kviestinių dizainerių, pasitelkę medį, vilną, augalus ir kitas organiškas medžiagas kūrė intriguojančius objektus, pasakojančius apie atsinaujinimo galimybes, žmogaus ir Žemės ryšius.

Savo darbuose visuomet naudojau natūralias medžiagas, taip pat ir organiškas, tokias kaip iš pirmų rankų pirktą vilną, kuri nėra mačiusi jokių pesticidų bei kitos chemijos, arba atsinaujinančią maisto pramonės sub-produktą - medžiagą – bananų šilką. Visuomet traukė natūralių medžiagų taurumas ir tikrumas.  (Kaip ir nedrąsios svajonės apie savų avių, laisvai besiganančių savose pievose, vilną…)