Cork is a wonderful material that we usually associate with wine stoppers, but these designers have revised the way we see cork completely! Did you know why cork is a truly sustainable material? This is because cork is made from the bark of the Quercus suber, or the cork oak. These gentle giant trees usually live for 300 years from which the bark of the tree is extracted, leaving the tree unharmed! With the wave of sustainable designs taking steam, more and more designers are looking at cork to create flooring, walls, furniture, tableware, clothing, even NASA uses it for the isolation of their space shuttles. The industry is coming to realize that cork is a very resistant waterproof material and of course eco-friendly since its extraction doesn’t harm trees as the barks just grow back. Our curation today brings to forefront this humble material and its genius applications!
The main body of the stove is composed of steel with cork profiles placed and fixed to its structure. These profiles are separated from the steel structure to prevent the cork from darkening over time. The cork material also does double-duty as a security layer, allowing users to safely touch and feel the woodstove by INNGAGE.
At the base of the SOLE x Jasper Wool Eco Chukka shoe by Canadian footwear company SOLE (made in collaboration with United By Blue) is the sleek and supportive midsole that is ReCork Recycled Cork; the naturally cushioning and lightweight material lends itself to this application and is quite possibly the most sustainable material for the job! This has been accompanied by an array of environmentally conscious materials; from the Natural Rice Rubber that’s used for the tread, through to the Foam insole that is made using Algae!
OAK OAK is a children’s chair with storage space for toys and books etc. The chair consists of two parts, an oak frame, and a cork seat. When you remove the lid from the seat you get access to the storage compartment. The box consists of smaller parts that are assembled like a puzzle and held in place by the frame and is designed by Morten Husum Nielsen.
It’s the aesthetics of these power tools by Lukas Salley that really make them stand out from their competitors; the high contrasting colors that make up the body are then softened by the natural, untouched finish of the cork, which has been used on the handles to offer comfort.
Classy and space-conscious, Volto is a dual-container spicer designed by Mireia Rius that takes inspiration from an hourglass. The containers come with their own cork-stops with an angular cut along the base that allows you to ‘open or close’ the containers. Just rotate the cork to expose or cover the shaker’s holes and you’re good to go!
Bouchon Stools by Domitalia is a lovable piece that marries the dynamic duo of cork and steel in a timeless fashion. Charming and versatile, Bouchon’s natural cork seat sits atop an industrial steel base that is offered in Bar and Counter heights as well as a selection of finishes.
Students at Industrial Design of Konstfack Sofia Almqvist and Carl Cyrén have developed a bicycle saddle made of natural cork material. Such a beautiful ode to nature draws us to ride more often, and so we are connecting with the environment by integrating Eco-friendly elements in everyday details.
Message in a bottle USB Drive by Saburo Sakata lets you capture a lot of memories in this tiny little bottle or just keep your pen drive’s safe when not in use!
KORK, created by Twodesigners proposes to start from the simple and usual cork and realize a family of objects based on the connection between different elements. Every combination has its own identity as well on a visual level as on a functional level. Every piece is composed of a metal hooping in which two elements enter and combine.
Inspired by basic shapes and the interaction among them, Tarro by Studio Diario tries to revalue the beauty of simplicity. It is a family of containers where the shape and material of each part are strictly defined by its function. Each product is unique, pottery and cork-wood pieces are hand-made using the technique of lathe. The cork lid provides sealing, and the handle is made out of wood for more pleasant contact.
