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Home > green living > 'Lifestyle'

Lifestyle

New life for old bulbs

New life for old bulbs

Jan 10, 2010 | Discuss

This lovely chandelier appears grand and luxurious. But what is most interesting is when you look closer and see that it is actually made from bare old re-used incandescent bulbs. These out-dated inefficient bulbs are now being replaced with CFLs or LEDs by people wanting lower energy bills. But rather than having them go to [...]

Luscious Furniture

Luscious Furniture

Dec 23, 2009 | Discuss

A client/friend of mine recently turned me on to this amazingly beautiful furniture by BDDW in New York. Each piece has history and tells a story. The “live” edges and irregularities in the wood not only add poetry, make each piece unique, but also greatly reduce waste in the wood.  Much of the wood is [...]

New Twitter Office

New Twitter Office

Nov 16, 2009 | Discuss

The fabulous design by Sara Morishige Williams
Today the Twitter team moved into their new office which has been designed by the super talented Sara Morishige Williams (@sara).  She worked with an existing shell of a building in downtown San Francisco. I was able to get a sneak peek last week while she was working on [...]


Turning oldies into goodies

Turning oldies into goodies

Nov 11, 2009 | Discuss

Ebay’s green team has joined forces with Zem Joaquin, founder of Ecofabulous, to transform everyday items into stylish must-haves. They have launched a contest with a $5000 prize when you enter your own ideas for transforming an old object into a beautiful new item.

Zem is an eco-fashionista, a friend, and the woman with more energy [...]

A beautiful use of Tyvek

A beautiful use of Tyvek

Aug 18, 2009 | Discuss

I get excited when I find new artists that I love. This past weekend, I had the great pleasure of spending some time with my dear friends, Glen and Wing, who had a new painting from artist Lea Feinstein in their home (that I designed with them).  Their home (photo below) already has the most [...]

The Gift of Building

The Gift of Building

Aug 15, 2009 | 2 Comments

Some friends of ours recently had a baby. When imagining the perfect gift for our new dear young friend, Kevin and I thought about what we enjoyed most when we were children. We both had the same answer: building blocks. I suppose this is no surprise given that he is a contractor and I am [...]


Design For Zero Waste

Design For Zero Waste

Jul 31, 2009 | Discuss

Many times we focus on designing systems, dimensions and methods of construction to reduce waste. We also spend time choosing materials with recycled content.
But what would our designs look like if we focused on designing for zero waste?
Matt Gagnon’s “Paper Tables”  are one solution. These tables, which are made of recycled paper with oil finish, [...]

Pebbles as Organic Furniture

Pebbles as Organic Furniture

Jul 07, 2009 | Discuss

I am always happy to see my friends making beautiful things. But when I saw these Pebbles done by my dear friend, Eva Sobesky, I felt an immediate desire to have one. These pieces are so lovely. They come in a variety of sizes and materials.  The plywood ones are made with efficient use of [...]

furniture friday: box coffee table

furniture friday: box coffee table

May 08, 2009 | Discuss

What do we love about glass coffee tables? The sleek elegance and waterproof nature of the glass, of course. Unfortunately, they’re not so good for sitting on, which is why we also love wooden coffee tables, right? Sturdy, durable wooden coffee tables are great at supporting rumps, feet, and almost anything else you can throw [...]


furniture friday: beam daybed

furniture friday: beam daybed

May 08, 2009 | 1 Comment

Warm weather and daybeds are simply a match made in heaven, so as the days grow longer and hotter, visions of luxuriously comfortable daybeds are dancing through our heads.  Perfect example: the Beam Daybed from Shimna.  This daybed is a gorgeous minimalist piece made from natural materials.  Every piece in the Shimna collection is bench-made [...]

Eco Principles


EcoPrinciple One: Thoughtful Design

EcoPrinciple One: Thoughtful Design

Feb 22, 2010 | 1 Comment

In our practice at Michelle Kaufmann Studio, “thoughtful design” means designing to use less, collaborating with the outdoors, using techonology to improve quality while reducing quantity, and designing for longevity, flexibility and a joyful living environment. Homes should be built to human scale, using only what is needed, but remaining open and airy. High [...]

More

  • EcoPrinciple Two: Efficient Materials
  • EcoPrinciple Three: Energy Conservation
  • EcoPrinciple Four: Water Efficiency
  • EcoPrinciple Five: Healthy Spaces
  • EcoPrinciple Six: Systems Built

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the story of the smart home

the story of the smart home

Apr 08, 2012 | 1 Comment

Michelle Kaufmann from After Black Hammer on Vimeo.
My talented and dear friend Garret Curtis made this beautiful video of the story behind the Smart Home in Chicago. I love his eye and gift for story telling. Lord knows I am no easy subject to deal with.
More of Garret’s work is at After Black Hammer and [...]

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  • My ideal first day back after holiday? Spending it with inspiring friends imagining the home of the future. http://t.co/YXRqv42YNEXT1 day ago
  • Looking forward to launch of Lance Hosey's latest book tonight at SPUR at 6pm.NEXT1 day ago
  • Green roof du jour. http://t.co/e3YNOoSRNEXT5 days ago

Credits

Design by YoungNomadBrand
Photos by John Swain Photography
Video and Photos by Jim Thompson / Destination Productions
Photos of MSI by JB Spector / Museum of Science + Industry
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