Hairy Design
Sanne Visser is a designer who likes to push the boundaries of materials. Her latest project explores the potential of human hair, an idea which might feel icky to some but hey, why not? Did you know that an average person grows between 10-15 cm of hair per year? That's a lot of material for recycling, assuming Rapunzel-inspired hairstyle doesn't become fashionable anytime soon.
To demonstrate the potential of the material, Sanne has been collecting hair which is then spun into yarn and made into ropes, which is then turned into products such as baskets and belts. Given the significant tensile strength of hair (an average strand of human hair can hold up to 100 g of weight) who knows where this experiment might lead to? Perhaps one day we could build suspension bridges with human hair. Let's just hope they will be lice-free.
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Product Inspiration
Add interest to your design scheme with furniture made of unexpected materials. The Kuskoa Bi chair from Alki, for example, is the first production chair made of bioplastic. For something more weighty try the concrete furniture from Lyon Beton, such as the elegant and surprisingly comfortable Hauteville counter stool. We also like the photo-realistic wallpaper from NLXL, such as this Scrapwood design by Piet Hein Eek.
Lights in unexpected materials can work surprisingly well. A great example is the Material range of suspension lights from New Works. Who would have thought it would be possible to make pendants with marble, cork or terracotta?
For accessories with an interesting woven effect try the Fish Design rings and bowls from Corsi and the hand crocheted knitted truck from Anne Claire Petit.