SYMBIOSIS: THE GREENLANTERN by ROMOLO STANCO

I came across this story in a magazine I used to work for in Jordan called Trendesign. Apparently, scientists in Germany looking for a sustainable alternative to plastic stumbled upon lignin, a key ingredient in wood that can be converted into a plastic-like material when combined with natural fibers, resins, and flax. They called the new creation Arboform or liquid wood. It can be molded exactly like plastic, but is 100% recyclable and toxin free. Years later Italian designer Romolo Stanco took the idea a step further, creating a combination lamp/vase. What makes the design genius is that low-energy LED lights in the vase aid the plant's photosynthesis process, and the plant's surplus of electrochemical energy in turn feeds the batteries that power the LED lights, for a nearly perfect symbiotic relationship. My only issue is that Google searches for information on "Greenlantern" are difficult on account of the superhero by the same name.

INTERIOR DESIGN WITH UNLIMITED BUDGETS

As you might surmise from the title, I tend to be less than impressed with interior designers who work with unlimited budgets. Give anyone with half an aesthetic unlimited cash and they are sure to come up with something intereting. Case in point is the home of interior designer Sirin Masri in Amman, Jordan pictured above. I say "home" because it looks like a home, even though her family lives in another house across town. Sirin's father owns most of the 5 star hotels in Jordan, so needless to say the family is extremely wealthy. This home was an exercise in interior design for Sirin, and no expense was spared, from the leather floors in the bedroom, to the imported slate and copper in the family room. It is a very nice space that must have cost millions to design. I'm more impressed when designers work with strict budgets, and even more so when they make their abilities available to the common man. In the end, aesthetics are important, and people of all means should be able to live somewhere that feels good. I guess that makes me an aesthetic socialist.