Bruno Walpoth Brings Wood To Life In His Contemporary Human Sculptures.

Pinocchio would probably have gladly swapped his creator, Geppetto, for Italian sculptor Bruno Walpoth. Walpoth's ability to turn a hunk of wood into a lifelike looking figure is impressive, to say the least. His sculpted and painted busts and human forms are anything but "wooden." They seem to be imbued with emotion, capable of possessing a soul and striking the viewer as pensive, thoughtful - even melancholy.

30 Carved Wood Baseball Bats by Vincent Kohler in 'Turnaround.'

'Turnaround' is an artistic project by Vincent Kohler which focuses on the theme of the baseball bat. It consists of a collection of thirty baseball bats, turned on a lathe using different species of woods. Each bat is unique in form, and a book combining texts by various authors and photographs was specially done on the subject for this project.

Adorable Hand Carved Wooden Puppets By Australian Wez Champion.

With initial training and a mentorship in Prague under Puppet master Michaela Bartonova, Wez Champion is establishing himself as a “one of a kind” puppet carver in the Australia. Combining the traditional Czech carving techniques with the unique Australian experience and “heart”, Wez is constantly pushing the boundaries of what is possible in wooden puppet building and loves the challenge of custom puppets.

It's a Treehouse. It's a Brewery. It's The Treehouse Brewing Company.

The other night I was watching Treehouse Masters on Animal Planet and caught an episode where Pete Nelson and his crew from Nelson Treehouse and Supply were constructing a 200 foot treehouse that would function as a brewery tasting site for the craft-beer loving folks who own The Mohican Cabins and The Grand Barn, a popular wedding venue in Ohio.



Nelson's team, along with three Amish Carpenters, took four weeks to construct the 200 square foot treehouse. Suspended 22 feet off the ground, the charming micro-brewery has a 40 foot extension bridge that leads you to the front door.




The treehouse was designed to look like an old Ohio barn from the 1800s, painted bright red and outfitted with a $10,000 Gothic stained glass window.




Inside, a custom bar was designed with old wine barrels, a fully functional brewing set up and a European-style draft system.







The tap pull has a special hand crafted wooden tree house atop it:


And there's even a plumbed outhouse neatly tucked on the side:


This is actually the second treehouse that Pete Nelson and his crew built for property owner Kevin Mooney, the first being a honeymoon cabin suite with with three queen beds, two showers, a full kitchen and satellite TV.

The Treehouse Brewing Company (not to be confused with the Tree House Brewing Company in Massachusetts) will be run by Mooney's son and, in addition to their own craft beer, they have others to taste as well. Check it out next time you're in Ohio.



Catch Treehouse Masters on Animal Planet Friday nights at 10PM  (ET/PT)


some images courtesy of Nelson Treehouse and Supply, other images by Quin Mooney and courtesy of Animal Planet and The Mohican Grand Barn blog.

Alphabet Factory Blocks From House Industries and Uncle Goose.

Beautiful handmade wooden blocks from Uncle Goose are inspired by the original House Industries factory logo and feature a selection of letters, numbers and symbols from House's renowned font collections. The 31 interlocking blocks are made in the USA from replenishable Michigan-grown, kiln-dried basswood and printed with non-toxic, lead-free child-safe inks.





Like all products from House Industries and Uncle Goose, the blocks come in beautiful keepsake packaging and are the kind of blocks that will fascinate children and adults alike.




Compatible with all human neurosensory systems and powered by finger oil, children's mucus and a love for learning, the Factory Blocks do not require batteries, software updates or hand wringing over obsolescence.

24 1.75" cubes (44mm)
Ages 3+



Alphabet Factory Blocks, $70 USD
buy them here or here

Le bureau de Paolo by Sam Baron

This unusual and beautiful desk is made in a limited edition of 8 pieces. Crafted of Teak wood by Sam Baron for the Secondome Gallery, it measures 120cm X 75cm X 150cm and has lots of storage in its wonderfully modern design.





Inquire about the price and availability at the Secondome Gallery

Gun Chairs (Or New York Chairs) by Sebastian Errazuriz

If you're not familiar with the witty yet urbane works of artist Sebastian Errazuriz, you ought to be. His tongue in cheek objects and installations are compelling and provocative, not to mention unusual. One of his fun projects is his collection of New York Chairs or Gun Chairs.

Plywood Bikes, Handlebars and Rack by Dots Design Studio of Thailand.

The Dots Design Studio of Thailand continues to perfect their PLYbike design, now executing their third version of the plywood street bike with a Brooks seat, as well as offering two styles of wood bicycle handlebars and a wooden wall-mounted bike rack.

100 Wooden Toy Cars By 100 Different Designers: TobeUs

Matteo Ragni has gathered together 100 masters of design from all over the world including Karim Rashid, Marcel Wanders, Barber Ogersby, Fernando and Humberto Campana, Jaime Hayon, Fabio Novembre and Setsu & Shinobu Ito to name but a few. With these globally renowned designers and the support of Alessi, Ragni created “100% TobeUs: 100 designers for 100 new toy cars.”

Tailgating For The Sartorial Set. The Bulleit Woody Whiskey Trailer by Brad Ford and Moore & Giles - This Time For Neiman Marcus.

A specially designed Tailgate Trailer by New York interior designer Brad Ford in collaboration with leather goods brand Moore & Giles is being offered as one of this year's Christmas Fantasy Gifts from Neiman Marcus.






The first Woody tailgate trailer by Brad Ford and Moore & Giles was launched at the 2011 DINING BY DESIGN in New York and auctioned for charity as a part of DIFFA’s “30 for 30” auction featuring 30 exceptional, one-of-a-kind auction packages to commemorate 30 years of fighting HIV/AIDS.




Now, available through the catalog for $150,000, this version is made with aged oak wood (much from reclaimed Bulleit Bourbon casks) instead of the Sapele Mahogany and Ash in the original.



From the description in the 2012 Neiman Marcus Christmas Book:
A chorus of cheers rings out the minute you pull up. Tailgating will never be the same now that your Bulleit Frontier Whiskey Woody-Tailgate Trailer is on the scene. Designed by interior designer Brad Ford, it's impressive on the outside, but what's on the inside truly astounds: sleek leather furnishings and details from Moore & Giles, rich wood finishings (aged oak handcrafted from reclaimed Bulleit Bourbon casks), elegant glassware, and a top-notch entertainment system, including a flat-screen TV, Blu-ray Disc™ player, and a state-of-the-art sound system, plus a one-year supply of Bulleit Bourbon and Bulleit Rye*. You park, open the hatch, and slide out the bar—cocktails anyone?



details:







The details:

•Two limited-edition trailers available. (First available for immediate delivery; second available within six months of placing order.)

•Transportation and delivery of trailer is included within the continental United States.

•Created by designer Brad Ford, who has more than 10 years of experience in interior design and was named one of America's Top Young Designers by House Beautiful and recognized as one of the Rising Stars of Interior Design by the International Furnishings and Design Association.

•Moore & Giles, founded in 1933 in Lynchburg, Virginia, is dedicated to designing and developing the most luxurious natural leathers, working with tanneries worldwide and delivering unparalleled quality.

•Entertainment system by Sony® and includes: TV, sound-bar speakers, receiver with touch screen, and smartphone controls.



10% percent of the proceeds from the purchase of the Bulleit Woody Party Trailer will benefit amfAR™, The Foundation for AIDS Research.

*One-year supply of Bulleit Bourbon and Bulleit Rye not to exceed four cases of each, based on FDA average consumption.

BULLEIT WOODY TAILGATE TRAILER, Price $150,000

For more information, call 1-877-9NM-GIFT

Brad Ford talks about the making of the Bulleit Woody Tailgate Trailer:



BULLEIT TO GO (a second gift offering by Bulleit Frontier Whiskey)
Some of the best things in life are best savored in small doses. Case in point: Bulleit Bourbon. Available in a limited-edition of 25, this spirited gift includes a bottle of Bulleit Bourbon signed by founder Tom Bulleit, a Moore & Giles signed-and-numbered pewter flask with a handcrafted American crocodile cover, and a leather-bound edition of The PDT Cocktail Book: The Complete Bartender's Guide from the Celebrated Speakeasy, by Jim Meehan and Chris Gall. All of which come in a beautiful handcrafted box made from reclaimed Bulleit Bourbon casks.


BULLEIT TO GO, Price $1,500

For every purchase, 10% of the proceeds will go to amfAR™, The Foundation for AIDS Research. For more information, call 1-877-9NM-GIFT.

additional images courtesy of followthewoody and charitybuzz.

Handcrafted Sycamore and Walnut Tables Shaped Like Nautilus Shells by Marc Fish.

UK Furniture craftsman Marc Fish has created two table designs inspired by the Nautilus Shell. His first, Nautilus I, was designed and crafted in 2010-2011 and awarded Guild Mark no. 435 by the Worshipful Company of Furniture Makers. The Nautilus I has aluminium legs (photos are shown later in this post) while in Nautilus II, the base is formed of wood.




In Marc's own words he describes the brief as one calling for "a large statement piece, with maybe a hint of the sea - its location being a large loft style apartment overlooking the English Channel. An open brief from the client is every makers dream- room to explore, experiment and innovate. A new technique was developed to turn 4000 pieces of veneer strips into a 10 mm thick logarithmic spiral."

Materials used for the Nautilus I are Sycamore, Walnut, Japanese paper, glass and aluminum; for Nautilus II, Sycamore, Walnut and Glass.

Each was produced in an edition of 5, each unique in colour and style.

Nautilus II (2012)
Handcrafted Table by Marc Fish, walnut and sycamore woods, glass









Edition of 5, each unique in colour and style.

Dimensions
Height: 45cm Width: 200cm Depth: 150cm
Height: 17.7" Width: 78.7" Depth: 59.1"
price available upon request


Nautilus I (2011)
Handcrafted Table by Marc Fish, walnut and sycamore, Japanese paper, glass and aluminium




Dimensions
Height: 45cm Width: 200cm Depth: 150cm
Height: 17.7" Width: 78.7" Depth: 59.1"
price available upon request

In situ:


 Nautilus No 1 was awarded Guild Mark no 435 by the Worshipful Company of Furniture Makers.


Marc Fish:


Marc Fish is a UK based maker of fine furniture using a mix of traditional cabinet making and contemporary furniture design. He also runs Robinson House Studio in Sussex, UK which provides furniture making and cabinet making courses including furniture design.



Both Nautilus tables can be purchased through Andrew Lamberty of London