La Dolce Vespa. Limited Edition Vespas Inspired by Classic Italian Speedboats.

Digital Veneer in Auckland, New Zealand, provides ultra high quality environmentally responsible alternatives to the use of real wood, marble, granite and stone in the aviation, marine, automotive and high-end architectural markets.

They began their Designer Series of Limited Edition "Tribute" Vespas last February with the GTV Tribute Vespa, using the larger model as a canvas on which to try out a Mahogany veneered version of the originally Italian scooter.

The Limited Edition GTV "Tribute" Vespa:





GTV Specs:


Now, they have released Limited Edition LX50 and LX150 "Tribute" Vespas.






LX50 and LX150 Specs:


The styling and prestige of these limited edition Vespas evoke famous Italian speedboats from the 1960’s with their Mahogany mirror finish and hand stitched leather seats.




Each brand new Vespa is transformed by craftsmen into an authentic and unique work of art and carries a numbered limited edition silver plaque. Their personal customization service is also available to meet any specific requirements you might have.

What is Digital Veneer?

The Digital Veneer™ process decorates 3-dimensional and flat surface products made from plastics, metals, foam, wood, composites and any other structural material with a variety of finishes which exactly replicate the look and feel of natural and man made materials.

Digital Veneer™ is a fraction of the weight of real wood veneers and stone equating to lighter structures and significant fuel savings in aircraft, boats and automobiles.

Digital Veneer™ has the following three significant benefits:

• Environmentally Responsible: With exotic hardwoods, teak and other timber products becoming hard to obtain the ability to replicate the look without using valuable scarce resources.

• Lightweight: Using foams and advanced composites we are able to make hand rails, tables, flooring and cabinets that weigh 60 - 70% less than comparable units made from wood.

• Durability and Flame resistant: Considerable cost savings in maintenance can be achieved using 'Digital Veneer'TM. Utilizing our high solids top coating system developed in conjunction with Awlgrip outside products need only be re-coated every 2 - 3 years opposed to every 2 - 3 months for wood / varnish. As the sub straights are made from a stable material they will not warp, split or swell. The composite construction makes the product stronger than real wood products.

Contact Lance Sheppard of Digital Veneer for more information

Luxury Racing Bikes Exquisitely Crafted of Mahogany Wood By Sueshiro Sano.

Exquisite craftsmanship and attention to detail make this wooden bike the finest about which I have written. While it's true I introduced you to Woody Bicycles and the first FSC- certified wooden bicycle, the elegance and proportions of Sanomagic's wooden bikes are in a class by themselves.

A Wicked Way With Wood. Font Wall Art & Coasters By Jen Pepper.

Jen Pepper, the designer behind Peppersprouts, combines technology with crafting to create homewares and wall art that have a modern style combined with a traditional sensibility. While she also works in acrylic, I am especially fond of her hand drawn and laser etched cherry and walnut coasters and wall art.


Sans Serif Font Wall Art:


Fan of sans-serif typefaces? Then you'll love this.
Set in laser-cut walnut wood are Helvetica, Gill Sans Light, Century Gothic, Verdana, Univers Light, and Arial Black.

Easy to hang from Two small finishing nails.
Size: 15" x 14.25" (38cm x 36cm) and 1/4" thick (6.4mm)
Material: Dark Walnut
$70


Serif Font Wall Art:


Prefer serif fonts?
Then try this one. Set in Palatino, Copperplate, Archer Book, Courier Bold, Garamond, Times, and Georgia Bold.

Easy to hang from Two small finishing nails.
Size: 15" x 14.25" (38cm x 36cm) and 1/4" thick (6.4mm)
Material: Dark Walnut Laminated MDF
$70

"Home Sweet Home" Coasters:


The hand drawn houses have been etched on the surface of the wood and someone has gone and cut out all if the windows. The coasters have been laser cut from cherry wood, that has been hand rubbed with tung oil to protect them.



This set of coasters contains 4 coasters, each one has a different house.
Size: 3.4" x 3.4" and approx .25" thick.
Material: Cherry MDF
$28

"Take A Seat" Coasters:

The hand drawn chairs have been etched on the surface of the wood while little pieces have been cut away for very fun look. The coasters have been laser cut from cherry wood, that has been hand rubbed with tung oil to protect them.



This set of coasters contains 4 coasters, each one has a different chair.
Size: 3.4" x 3.4" and approx .25" thick.
Material: Cherry
$28

Classic Wood Silhouette Coasters:


The hand drawn silhouettes have been cut from the wood and the fancy ornate frame was engraved into the surface of the wood. The coasters have been laser cut from Colour Rimu wood, that has been hand rubbed with tung oil to protect them from water damage. Easy to clean, just wipe with soap and water.



This set of coasters contains one coaster of each silhouetted figure.
Size: 3.4" x 3.4" and approx .25" thick.
Material: Cherry MDF
$28

"Song Bird" Coasters:


The ornate designs or twirls and swirls have been engraved onto the surface of these wood coasters, while some dots, leaves, branches, and stars have been cut out making for a very lovely 3 dimensional object. The coasters have been laser cut from a cherry wood, that has been hand rubbed with tung oil to protect them from water over time.



This set of coasters contains four coasters of the same design.
Size: 3.75" diameter and approx .25" thick.
Material: Cherry Wood
$28

Shop for all the above shown items and more here.

About peppersprouts

Blurring the line between computer aided design and traditional craftsmanship, peppersprouts offers a wide range of affordable and eco-friendly homegoods.

It all started in 2009 in a tiny basement apartment in Brooklyn, NY. With a background in graphic design and the urge to create something new, Jen sketched a design for a coaster that she would love to see on the shelves of her favorite shop. With the help of some awesome people she was able to have her design protyped through laser cutting. After that, the ideas just keep flowing.

By using modern manufacturing techniques, and a little elbow grease, peppersprouts is proud to offer an affordable, well designed product.

The First 100% FSC-Certified Wood Bicycle in the U.S. From Renovo & Collins

above: the Renovo R4 Pursuit model made with FSC-certified CollinsWood.

The Collins Companies has just announced that it has commissioned the first 100% FSC-certified bicycle in the nation. In case you were wondering, FSC stands for Forest Stewardship Council.

The bike, manufactured by Renovo Hardwood Bicycles, is an “R4 Pursuit” model that features a stiff, powerful and lightweight frame. All of Renovo’s bikes are custom-made – adjusting the stiffness and ride quality to the customer’s individual riding style and weight.

Renovo is one of the few companies in the world that manufactures wood bicycles (but not the only one, be sure to see Woody Bicycles ) and the only one making them with hollow frames.

Here's a few of Renovo's beautiful wood bikes and frames made with Black Cherry, Hard Maple, Birch, Hickory, Padauk, Sapele, Laminated Bamboo and exotic woods like Purple Heart, Bubinga and Wenge:








“I am proud to have used 100% FSC-certified wood on this particular bike,” stated Ken Wheeler, owner, Renovo Hardwood Bicycles. “We utilized a species combination of CollinsWood® from the Collins Pennsylvania Forest including; Black Cherry, Hard Maple, and Birch.”






Collins had this bike commissioned for one of their employees, to demonstrate their continued commitment to this mission. “Although wood bicycles are still in their infancy, we are constantly exploring new ways to have CollinsWood incorporated into everyday products and we want our customers to explore new uses,” said Cameron Waner, marketing coordinator for The Collins Companies. Waner continues, “Specifying FSC-certified wood in their projects is one of the most powerful things our customers can do to change the way wood products are harvested and sold around the world.”

The bike made its worldwide debut at the Greenbuild International Conference in Chicago, on November 17-19, 2010.

Renovo Bikes

With Packaging Like This, I Don't Care What It Smells Like - Shigenobu Twilight

Shigenobu Twilight by Anicka Yi & Maggie Peng

This is the first handcrafted scent by NY artist Anicka Yi and architect Maggie Peng. The fragrance is inspired by the Fusako Shigenobu, former leader of the Japanese Red Army, who was believed to be in exile in Lebanon for many years after orchestrating some of the group's most political statements.



Yi and Peng have chosen cedar wood as a central theme of this fragrance's narrative, as cedar is highly regarded in Lebanon as a national emblem. The scent uses three different kinds of cedar wood as its base note, along with violet leaf and nutty heart notes, and top notes of yuzu, shiso leaf, and black pepper. The packaging for this hand-distilled fragrance is made of raw cedar wood, each bottle uniquely (and painstakingly) hand-cut by the creators in architectural geometry, encasing a 10ml glass bottle of liquid within.



all info courtesy of oogabooga

Shigenobu pics by Noah Sheldon.

$160.00 a bottle, with refills for $80.00
buy it here.