Living Furniture?

No, not livingroom furniture (though it is that too), furniture that is alive!  Some brilliant, inventive concepts from a couple of young designers and an out-of-the-box duo from Australia… read on!

The Bean Screen, created by Judy Hoysak of Philidelphia, is basically a long rectangular planter with a frame built up around it.  The planter is self-watering and includes a small fluorescent plant grow light.  Inside is a bean plant, which, left to grow up big and tall, creates a live, green room divider/air purifier/edible art!  So simple.  So much ingenuity!

Mingling Wang is the product designer behind the Oxygen of Green low table.  This is the little coffee table that could!  Built into the minimalist design table is a live plant called the Tillandsias.  This easy-going vegetation requires little maintenance as it grows without soil, needs a tiny bit of water, and absorbs its nutrients via its leaves.  On top of that, it works like any living green thing does by purifying the air surrounding it!

Another fascinating growing thing-turned-furniture idea is realized by Australian duo Peter Cook and Becky Northey.  The idea behind Pooktre first came to Peter “Pook” Cook  back in 1987:  To make a “growing chair”.  It took almost a decade before his concept of moulding living trees into furniture came to shape, and by 1998 he had all kinds of ideas brewing about what other types of designs might be possible.  That’s when the “people trees” were born, Peter’s favorite design.

Although this particular process of growing furniture/art is by no means quick (it takes 8-10 years for most of the pieces to grow to full size),  the Pooktre creations are about as green and sustainable as you can possibly get!

For more info about these patient, brilliant “eco” designers, check out this interview.

Works as furniture, art, and a playground too!

I want to climb one!