{eco}: design: Joe Manus & Shiner

I got an email today from Joe Manus of Shiner, designer of INCREDIBLE furniture made from recycled materials.  I've seen this type of thing before, but often the designs are either not aesthetically pleasing or not functional.  These are neither.  I'm thoroughly impressed, and am more than happy to post about it.  Shiner is full of personality - using common materials for uncommon designs.  I love how he describes himself and what he does:

"Joe Manus remembers his first black eye. He was 7, he deserved it, and he wore it like a badge of honor. Ever since, the shiner has become his personal emblem for something tough, dark, and proudly damaged.

Now Joe applies the manufacturing techniques and brutal aesthetic that earned his reputation for high-end boutiques and nightclubs in Atlanta to his first collection of modern, eco-friendly furnishings. It’s dirty, sexy, clever and dark. Of course, he named it Shiner.

All materials are selected with environmental responsibility in mind. Steel is 85% recycled. Cardboard is 100% recycled. Plywood comes from responsibly farmed, new growth timbers. Hardwoods come from drop cuts from board manufacturing that were destined for the landfill.

All goods are cut using CNC technology, which means maximum yield because of close nesting of parts on a panel, low labor overhead and low energy equation overall.

All leftover materials from cut panels go to fuel the timber kiln that dries our hardwoods or to be used in the production of biodiesel."

{the lights are probably my favourite.  made with recycled cardboard!}

{a few of my other faves}