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Tag: Hardscapes & Furnishings

  • Woven Willow Playhouses for Indoors and Out

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    Willow Pod

    Above: The Willow Pod by Willow with Roots is available by commission.

    Willow with Roots is a mother-daughter team in Worcestershire who grow their own willow, hold weaving workshops, and sell their wares—think lamp shades, baskets, and trays—via an online shop. They also do bespoke work, like the otherworldly Willow Pod, above.

    Dreaming Spires Playhouse

    Needham
    Above: Needham’s largest construction, The Dreaming Spires Willow Playhouse ($3,285) is scaled to accommodate parents as well as kids: it’s 8 feet wide, 3 feet deep, and 6 feet tall. She also makes Onion-shaped Dens that start at $767).

    Judith Needham of Surrey, England, is another willow weaver who makes her own designs (including baskets), and came up with her first playhouse for her own daughter. Needham’s willow comes from growers in Somerset, England: “It’s grown specifically for basket making; the method of cultivation, rather than the variety, is what makes the material suitable for weaving. The technique is called coppicing—each plant is cut right down to the ground during harvest in the spring leaving just a stump. New growth quickly springs from the trunk. These stems are long, thin, unbranching, and very pliable. Some plants are left to grow for two or three years to yield ten-f00t-long stems, which is what I need for playhouses, but most are cut annually making it the ultimate sustainable crop.”

    For twig playhouses that are left outdoors, Needham recommends applying an annual coat of linseed oil, and says with this protective finish, they should last for six to eight years. Most of her customers are in the UK, but to date, she’s also shipped playhouses to the States.

    Hocus Pocus

    Chapel Hill, NC-based environmental artist Patrick Dougherty roams the country creating elaborate, site-specific woven sapling installations.
    Above: Chapel Hill, NC-based environmental artist Patrick Dougherty roams the country creating elaborate, site-specific woven sapling installations.

    One of his specialities is play constructions, most of which he builds on the grounds of museums, art centers, and colleges, but on occasion, Dougherty accepts private commissions. One such is Hocus Pocus, shown here, a willow structure at Bittersweet Farms in Ennice. NC. Photograph by Robyn Dreyer. Go to Stickwork to see more and learn about his process.

    For more fanciful children’s play structures, see:

    N.B.: This post was first published July 2017. It’s been updated with new products, photos, prices, and links.

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  • Outdoor Showers: Our 20 Favorite Ideas for Bathing Outside

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    Is there any greater luxury than bathing outdoors? You don’t need much more than a shower head and a modest enclosure (ideally one that offers a glimpse of the sea). We combed through the many outdoor showers we’ve come across over the years and selected the most memorable. Here’s our top 20: Martha’s Vineyard Charm […]

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  • Object of Desire: Philippe Model’s Woven Terrace Furniture – Gardenista

    Object of Desire: Philippe Model’s Woven Terrace Furniture – Gardenista

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    In an overflowing shop near the Odéon in Paris, new editions of standard street furniture, seen outside any French bar or brasserie, are taken to a celestial level. The mesmerizing patterns are the result of veteran designer Philippe Model’s special way with color, and the shop, according to his assistant Pierre Griperay, “gives a good idea of what it’s like inside Philippe’s mind.” We decided to move out of that confined yet infinite space, taking chairs, tables, stools, and benches out into the countryside around Philippe Model Maison’s atelier, in the Burgundy region of France.

    Let’s explore:

    Photography by Philippe Model.

    Above: Philippe Model brings extra zing to the traditional furniture of French pavements.

    All the furniture in the shop is made in Philippe Model’s very spacious rural atelier near Sens, 120km southeast of Paris. It is operated by only six people, an artisan family of skilled craftspeople or “peasant-workers,” says Monsieur Model, including himself—though he is the owner-peasant-worker and, in the words of Pierre, “the sole one to have this genius mind in colors and harmonies.” One of the lovely things about talking to Philippe Model is his playful modesty about the whole operation. Fashion people know Model from his bags and hats; art people know him as an exhibition designer; private clients know him as a “French-fresh decorator.”

    Above: Bench seat, in a diagonal pattern. “It’s like a color kitchen in his mind,” says Pierre.

    The weaving material is “high-end synthetic,” a plant-based plastic that originates in the castor oil plant (Ricinus communis). It is weather-resistant and keeps its vibrancy, looking just as sprightly outdoors near the Mediterranean, or indoors in a city apartment. Woven around bent rattan, its iconic French-ness takes it anywhere. Model describes his clients as “beautiful people,” from “the most aristocratic couple to the peasant-workers that we are.”

    Above: A stack of reinvigorated bar chairs. Woven terrace furniture is available to buy in the shop on rue Racine, or by commission.

    The Philippe Model Maison shop in Paris is on the Left Bank’s rue Racine; it runs from the St Michel quarter to that of St Germain des Prés, an area that is still known for its galleries and antiquaires. “It is expensive and brands are everywhere but there are also small shops and plenty of curiosities.”

    Above: In the country, woven furniture reminds people of towns; in towns they are reminded of being out of doors.

    “Philippe Model never takes holidays because colors, tinting, and making things… drawing shoes, making hats and inventing new weavings—all of this, it’s already his holidays.”

    Above: New chair shapes and always, new colors. Philippe Model estimates that he has made about 5000 different color harmonies to date.

    “We have two retailers who sell our chairs: one in Saint-Malo, Brittany, and Studio ALM in Sydney, Australia. It’s enough for us because the atelier is full of orders already, and we do not want to grow the team. Six is big enough.”

    Above: Infinite colorways come in five basic patterns, with this one called ‘Ray’.

    Philippe Model Maison is at 19, rue Racine, 75006 Paris. Open Tuesday-Saturday. Prices on application.

    For more Object of Desire posts, see:

    N.B.: This post was first published June 2022.

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  • Hardscaping 101: Solar Panels Pros and Cons – Gardenista

    Hardscaping 101: Solar Panels Pros and Cons – Gardenista

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    How much does a solar energy system cost?

    The cost of a photovoltaic system is an up-front investment; the exact amount depends on how much electricity you use and what percentage of that you would like your solar energy system to supply. The more electricity you require, the larger the system required (see chart below for a ballpark figure).

    Government-funded solar incentive programs vary from country to country and even from state to state. Some solar-incentive programs pay you back over time based on the energy you generate. Other solar incentives are one-time payments of rebates or credits. To find out the incentives in your area, consult Wholesale Solar’s Solar Incentives by State.

    The average cost of installing a solar system varies across the US, and some of the differential is due to these local, regional, and state incentives. But estimates show that solar energy systems create monthly savings across the board: According to EnergySage.com, the average savings from use of a solar system over 20 years can range from $7,000 to over $30,000 (but varies, depending on locale). For estimates based on your specific area, try Google’s Project Sunroof feature, which allows you to plug in your home address for personalized figures.

    Above: The photovoltaic panels in this building have been integrated into the standing-seam metal roof. Photograph via Fabral.

    How much can I expect to save on utility bills?

    The answer depends on what you currently pay for electricity and how much credit your utility company will give you for the amount of power you don’t use. This estimate can be determined by approximating how much power your solar system will provide compared to your current usage.

    Are solar panels ever good-looking?

    Don’t like the bulky look of solar panels? The next generation of solar products, Building-Integrated Photovoltaics (BIPV), show great promise: photovoltaic cells are being incorporated into shingles, windows, siding, and other building materials, enabling structures in the future to have seamless solar solutions.

    Tesla’s latest solar roof is disguised as charming slate tiles; see Tesla Solar Roof: Is It Worth It? on Gardenista.Tesla’s latest solar roof is disguised as charming slate tiles; see Tesla Solar Roof: Is It Worth It? on Gardenista.
    Above: Tesla’s latest solar roof is disguised as charming slate tiles; see Tesla Solar Roof: Is It Worth It? on Gardenista.

    Solar Panels Recap:

    Pros:

    • Good for the environment
    • Reduced utility costs
    • Lessens our dependence on fossil fuels

    Cons:

    • Relatively high initial cost
    • The amount of savings is not straightforward
    • Not traditionally aesthetically pleasing

    Had firsthand experience with solar paneling? In the Comments section, fill us in on your finds.

    On Telegraph Hill, in San Francisco, a flat-roofed building by Feldman Architecture has solar panels mounted at an angle to catch the sun’s light. The optimum angle to mount a solar panel varies throughout the year depending on the seasons and geographical location. In an ideal world, solar panels would track the location of the sun minute by minute to optimize their harnessing capacity, but this is expensive and energy consuming. Instead, the panels remain stationery at an angle that is calculated to achieve optimum overall performance within the constraints.
    Above: On Telegraph Hill, in San Francisco, a flat-roofed building by Feldman Architecture has solar panels mounted at an angle to catch the sun’s light. The optimum angle to mount a solar panel varies throughout the year depending on the seasons and geographical location. In an ideal world, solar panels would track the location of the sun minute by minute to optimize their harnessing capacity, but this is expensive and energy consuming. Instead, the panels remain stationery at an angle that is calculated to achieve optimum overall performance within the constraints.

    For more on eco-friendly upgrades, see:

    N.B. This post is an update; the original story ran on Remodelista on July 3, 2014.

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