Kirei Instead of Wood?
Among the ever-expanding sea of wood alternatives, Kirei -- the Japanese character signifying 'beautiful' or 'clean' -- makes some unique materials that can replace your typical (and potentially 'unsustainable') flooring and interior millwork options.
The Kirei product that first caught my eye via Materialicious, Kirei tiles are produced from reclaimed coconut shells. Offered in a variety of weaves, textures, and color combinations, these tiles can be used horizontally or vertically, decoratively or as panelling. Their Sumatra Collection also looks vaguely like a delicious dessert.
The company's original material, Kirei Board, is made from the stalks of the Sorghum plant, which is grown around the world for food. The post-harvest stalks are woven and heat-pressed with an adhesive -- good because these leftovers are usually burned or thrown into landfills, and can also provide farmers with additional revenue. However, since it is straw-based, it is not as hardy as conventional woods.
Developed as an non-structural alternative to formaldehyde-emitting wood MDF, wheatboard is similarly constructed from discarded plant stalks, and comes in a variety of densities.
Ah, so this is why I was thinking of dessert. If you're looking for something a little less mainstream than the typical trendy bamboo look, this material's new dark color is borne from a 'proprietary' deep steaming process instead of just a surface stain. Kirei Bamboo uses Moso bamboo grass to make these ply panels.
Although some eyebrows will raise at the embodied carbon of these offshore materials, Kirei champions their fast growth cycles and rapidly renewable nature. Whether this outweighs shipping from Northern China we haven't yet been able to calculate, but these wood alternatives are no doubt unusual and worth consideration.
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Stackable-Bamboo-Drawer-Organizers
Spring cleaning is (likely) not the most glamorous thing you'll get up to this month, but there's little else that's more fulfilling than emptying out a junk drawer and organizing—really and…
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Reclaimed Wood
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Bamboo Tray
Though Domestic Aesthetic is based in Brooklyn, its undulating Bamboo tray is handcrafted in Detroit. Its makers had previously worked supplying metal parts to the auto industry but have branched…
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What's Your Table Made Of?
Go for wood tables—they’re the modern version of a farm table. Wood has a nice warmth to it; it makes everyone feel as though they’re gathering around a harvest table.
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Toys Don't Have to Be Synthetic
Avoid plastic and instead go for natural wood. Wood furniture and toys may cost more but have a handmade quality, feel nicer, and will last longer.
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great post. thanks for the introduction. love the chocolate bamboo.
very informative. there is a mn company that produces wheat board and dakota burl (http://www.environbiocomposites.com/products.php) save on overseas shipping.
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