When you think of countertop material, paper probably comes far down on the list, if at all. But Shetka Stone of Minnesota manufactures countertops made entirely of recycled waste paper. The kitchen countertops are durable; scratch-, stain- and water-resistant; and, perhaps most surprisingly, class A fire rated. Check out their web site for more information on this clever use of recycling.
BobVila.com MyProjects featured contributor and furniture maker, Tommy MacDonald, was in his element at last month's Fine Furnishings & Fine Craft Show in Providence, R.I., a show he won last year. In his three-segment Rough Cut Show podcast, Tommy tours the different exhibits and talks with the artists about their work. There is some beautiful stuff in there. I love the hand-cut, 4,000-piece jigsaw puzzle. Check out part one, part two and part three to see Tommy talking shop in his best Boston accent. (Let me assure you, it's 100% authentic). We've created a page listing the artists Tommy interviewed if you'd like to see more of their work. You can also check out the main Fine Furnishings & Fine Craft Show web site for more information.
When I was a kid, I found my parents' home terminally "boring." I mean, there were no fire poles, slides, or trampoline rooms anywhere. Not even a secret passage in the whole building. I swore that when I was an adult my home would have all of these necessities. Needless to say, I am now an adult who lives in a house without any of these things, unless you count the back staircase I use to take out the trash as a "secret passage." But for some, the dream never dies. When Simon Shea of Brisbane, Australia, decided to add some shelf space to the back room of his home, he took the opportunity to build one that elegantly concealed a room. Best of all, the door to the room can only be opened by tilting an old Sherlock Holmes book on the shelf. The guy has got a sense of style. Okay, the concealed room is a broom closet and not the Bat Cave but, still, this is cool. Shea provides a set of photos of the project on his webpage and an explanation of how build a door hinge that opens with a tilted book.
Looking for that special bathroom bling? Vista Group International’s Lumistone answers the call with “ a traditional Class I acrylic solid surface that contains the unique characteristic of long lasting photoluminescence.” English translation—a surface that glows. Of course, you can use the material outside the commode for a variety of applications including commercial (ie. exit signs, path markers and so on). The product comes in solids, strips (for use as moldings, trims) and even as a liquid inlay. Like most glow-in-the-dark stuff, Lumistone needs to be charged by sunlight or some other light source. Available now from Vista.
