At ICFF this month, I discovered a few new green designers who are working with materials in unexpected ways. Grain is a collective of RISD graduates who now live and work in Bainbridge Island, Washington. The photo above shows a beautifully patterned object made of upcycled paper spools that once served as rods for fabric rolls.

With chipboard connectors, you can construct the modular parts into a room divider, a table base, or your own freeform artwork. The Cafe America Chair is another example of a product designed with repurposed materials — the seat is made from chain link fencing with a slight cushion, and Grain says it makes "a surprisingly comfortable indoor/outdoor chair."

Grain maintains an online shop, where you can see their full catalog. As a member of 1% for the Planet, they donate one percent of all sales to environmental causes.

SHOWN ABOVE
• Spool Build-It-Yourself Modular System, $199
• Cafe America Indoor/Outdoor Chair, $875
• Bound Hand Mirror, $275
• Chi Chi Fat Strand, $36
• Electric Love Ring, $19
• Solola Purse, $38
• Ty Recyclable Shower Curtain, $30
• Hung Mirror, $350
• Bound Mirror, $750
• Electric Love Bangle, $38

Images: Grain