Natural Solutions for Home Decorating

Irwin Weiner ASID - There are many home design innovations that fall into the category"old is new again," and it's exciting to be able to share some of the advances the industry has been making recently. A German-Ugandan family business called Bark Cloth have revived the use of bark fleece from the Mutaba tree (wild common fig). Bark cloth is said to be our most ancient textile, and as you see here, it can be used for everything from wall coverings and throws to lampshades.

Speaking of lampshades, Amsterdam designer Nicolette Brunklaus has created a lovely line called Oaksilk, which combines oak pendant or floor lamp bases with patterned silk shades, bringing gentle movement to lighting, which is normally rigid.

I also found the TWB products by Raw-Edges for Cappellini. TWB = Tailored Wood Bench, and these amazing small and large benches are made with an ash veneer over foam that's made to look like crumpled paper. The effect is stunning!

Let's wrap up with another wooden creation, the POH (Patchwork Oval Hemisphere) bench or low service table designed by Raphael Navot for Cappellini. It's new and old wood computer designed and cut into puzzle pieces that fit together in a beautiful shape.

Even though all the materials in this post are technically "old," they've each been reborn with contemporary design twists to make them viable natural solutions for decorating any home.