Clever Creatables

I was zipping about online recently and came across the sustainability-minded Swedes behind the charming product design firm Creatables. According to them, Creatables is "a network of product designers and engineers that develop smart products from industrial surplus materials and waste." They've only got a few products on the market at the moment, but their take on industrial refuse and it's opportunities to enter the home as winsome products got me immediately. My favorite so far is the Old News newspaper and magazine holder, though anyone still hard up for a bit of holiday decor might well be pleased with a set of A Brighter Future tea light clips.
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The Old News magazine and newspaper holder is made from left over indoor tennis court flooring. As no nation could produce a player as good as Bjorn Borg without access to year-round play, tennis enthusiasts in the wintery north must rely on loads of sets per year on carpet.

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Making clever use of scraps, Creatables has turned the leftovers into these charming homes for yesterday's paper and magazines. They are all made in Gothenburg, Sweden--Creatable's hometown--and were developed in conjunction with designer Jonas Forsman. They come in four colors, though I prefer the classic turf of the Wimbledon Green option and the earthy clay of Roland Garros Red.

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I have one at home and have been storing old papers in it. They mostly fit, but so far they're a better bet for magazines.

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Another of Creatables' wares that I like very much is the recycled steel Construction Hooks designed for Creatables by Lorri Motori.

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They strike me as perfect for any kid's room, especially for young boys who (like me when I was a lad) happily discourse on what separates a excavator from a back loader.

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Finally, and in the old Christmas spirit, have a look A Brighter Future, a quartet of tea light adornments that will help you count down the last four nights before Santa arrives. I wish that a full advent set of 25 were available, but I'll have to be content with this crafty quartet.

Aaron Britt
Aaron writes the men’s style column “The Pocket Square” for the San Francisco Chronicle and has written for the New York Times, the Times Magazine, Newsweek, National Geographic and others.

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