Green Over Grey, a Vancouver, Canada-based company that design and install green walls (also known as living walls), have produced the largest outdoor green wall in North America.

Located in White Rock, a suburb of Vancouver, the green wall covers 3000 square feet of the Semiahmoo Public Library and RCMP Facility.

The unique design is nearly 3,000 square feet and consists of over 10,000 individual plants representing more than 120 unique species. It includes ground covers, large perennials, shrubs and small trees.

A green wall, also known as a living wall is a self-sufficient vertical garden that is attached to the exterior or interior of a building. The technology being used is soil-free, and the plants receive water and nutrients from within the vertical support instead of from the ground. It closely mimics how plants grow vertically in nature such as on cliffs, bluffs, tree branches or next to waterfalls.

“The large diversity of plant species chosen creates a balanced ecosystem that is an urban oasis for bees, butterflies and hummingbirds,” says Patrick Poiraud, Principal at Green over Grey – Living Walls and Design, the Vancouver-based company designing and constructing the wall. “The living wall helps to insulate the building, purify the air and transforms the grey concrete into hundreds of shades of green.”

Concrete Architectural Associates have designed the Castell D’emporda pavilion in La Bisbal, Girona, Spain.

Castell d’emproda was build in 1301 on a hill nearby the small city of La Bisbal close to Girona (Spain). The castle has been owned for centuries by the Margarit family. In 1973 Salvador Dali wanted to buy the castell for his wife, but the owner refused a payment in artworks. Since 1999 Castell d’emporda has been transformed into a boutique hotel.

Next to the hotel’s restaurant there is a large terrace with great views over the surrounding landscape. Concrete had been asked to create a covering for this terrace with the possibility to create an enclosed space with full wind and rain protection.  It was a client request to create a covering that works in harmony with the ancient and listed building. We added one question for ourselves: we wanted to maintain the terrace feeling while be seated under the covering.

In basics a terrace is an outdoor space where one can enjoy the wheater. If necessary there is only a parasol for sun and rain protection, but there is no obstruction between the visitor and the view. A glass roof or wintergarden would to much become a building, create a feeling being inside a structure and would also appear as an extension of the building, damaging the ancient character.

The solution was to create abstract parasols. 12 Circles in divers diameters are placed randomly on the terrace. Where the circles touch they melt together, where not, the open spaces between circles are filled in with glass. With the circular parasol shape, the feeling of being in an outdoor environment on a terrace, remains. The same shape makes sure the covering appears as a separate almost temporary element, leaving the ancient building untouched.

The top and edge of the parasols are made in rusted steel, seeking harmony with the ancient building and the natural environment. The white painted steel columns and ceiling create an open and light outdoor atmosphere under the parasols. Transparant sliding curtains can be hung easily in colder periods but always stay open. When the mistralwinds suddenly appears the whole covering can be closed in a couple of minutes.
Round and square marble tables and two white leather lounge couches create different seating facilities. Under one parasol a circular outdoor bar is placed. The restaurant now has his own name: Margarit

Transform your outdoors into a real showpiece with this exotic outdoor furniture by Koji. This contemporary Deco collection of patio furniture is so much more than a folding chair and plastic table.

These pieces exude quality and charm, made of natural materials like wood and rattan, and featuring original designs that are as artistically inspired as they are comfortable to use. We love the aptly named and shell-inspired Shall Easy Chair, a perfect complement to the sculptural Gui Lin chair, the Overlap Sofa and the unusual Ripple Sofa. This interesting furniture collection is eclectic and will fit seamlessly with your existing pieces, or give your outdoors an overhaul with a new and modern look.

Who said regal furniture is reserved for the indoors?

This cool Baroque outdoor chair by SAW Italy will make you feel like a king or queen, even in the outdoors. Appropriately names Queen of Love, we truly do love this modern chair design, which draws from the rich and traditional look of Baroque style furniture, with a modern twist. Made of recyclable linear polyethylene, the chair comes in a range of cool colors including Chic Black, So Celestial, Red Passion, Pink Intimacy, Sweet Mandarin, Pure Green, Happy Yellow and Simple White. Bring some functional fun to your outdoor space with the Queen of Love, by SAW Italy.

Create a contemporary oasis with the new Green room separator from Dedon.

Divide your space with this unique piece, designed to create distinct areas in your home without visually blocking them off. The Green separators feature a multi-faceted, organic shape inspired by a spider’s web, done in a cool white “chalk” finish to complement your contemporary decor. This versatile piece is perfect for indoors and outdoors; placed vertically or horizontally; decorated with vines and blooming plants or on its own as a showcase of designer Jean-Marie Massaud’s modern sense of style. The possibilities are endless and you’re only bound by your imagination.

Holly Palmer is a contemporary furniture designer with a crush on vivid colors. The original and interesting Tea Cup Stools ideea belongs to him and i thought it to be interesting enough to present it to you, my readers.

The Tea Cup Stools rank high on chromatic but also on originality. The set features small plastic chairs in six different colors, bound to create a special universe for children, filled up with life and personality. The storing idea is also surprising. Once the chairs are no longer needed, they can be hung on a cool device, especially created for giant cups.

You can for sure find a perfect spot for them anywhere in your yard and more even if you have kids which will certainly enjoy sitting on them. They can be the attraction point of your garden/yard or summer resting space.

Would you purchase a set of Tea Cup Stools? I know i would!

In the 18^th century, the rocking chair was the vogue. It was made out of wood and a lot more comfortable than the wrought iron furniture of the day.

The porch swing was also in the spotlight back then. Considering that there were no air conditioners back in 1800’s, the porch swing was the perfect relaxing piece of outdoor furniture on a hot summer evening.

Along with the Victorian era, the wicker outdoor furniture came into vogue. It was more appealing due to being more sophisticated and having more furniture pieces. To the old porch, plant stands and many different types of tables were added. Also the Victorian style was based on the idea “the more, the better”, due to this most of the porches were full of outdoor furniture in that period.

Over time, the outdoor furniture switched from large, over sized furniture such as wicker to cotton upholstered, from iron made furniture to wood and cushion for more comfort.

Around the 1930’s, casual outdoor furniture began to appear. Years later, handcrafted wrought iron cast and tubular aluminum became popular. However, costumers were focusing more on comfortable outdoor furniture. Lawn chairs, along with straight back chairs became the rage.

As time passes, more high-tech materials are developed for the construction of outdoor patio furniture, as people are more picky and want both durability and comfort. There is also the trend of extending the home through the concept of outdoor kitchens and rooms. As the people emphasize more and more on outdoor patio furniture, this industry will continue to evolve into stylish pieces.

There are several factors that must be considered when deciding on outdoor patio furniture. The first three things you must consider are:

• the material the home was built with,
• the colors used,
• the furniture itself.

Building material and color

Different types of building material can be used, including brick, wood, steel and also other kind of stone. Conventional wisdom would suggest that a building structure comprised of wood would likewise have wood based patio furniture. In certain situations color may be used as a substitute for building materials. The main idea when choosing colors is that the furniture should blend nicely in the homes décor, be it with matching colors or styles.

Indoor and outdoor styles

There might be home owners wishing to match their interior furniture with the exterior one. In some cases the patio is technically in the home enclosed with a roof on a balcony. These settings make it easier to decorate in order to match sofas, recliners and desk located indoors. For enclosed patios, wallpaper and/or tile colors can be the basis for the color scheme of your patio furniture just as the actual colors of your home can be applied for outdoor patios. Also, the patio furniture could be chosen to match the environment.

Simply by mixing and matching colors and materials any home can be brought to life with patio furniture.

Where better than fashionable Milan to see unique pieces of outdoor furniture? The Italian sun shone on the fabulous pieces signed by talented names from the world of international design… Patricia Urquiola, Setsu and Shinobu Ito, Denis Santachiara, Massimo Iosa Ghini, Angelo Micheli, Antonio Bullo, Michela Baldessari and Paul, with Emu, Camping and Fornasarig, Metalmobile, Caimi, Talenti!  Basic shapes with smooth, curved corners dominate this year’s exclusive selections. Enjoy!

Giorgio Biscaro’s inspiration to create the Atlas bench came by noticing that since many pubs and bars in Europe no longer allow smokers to smoke inside, they’re all outside on the street with nowhere to sit, although they can often be seen sitting on the front of parked cars. So the idea is to provide a bench for one or two people to sit on. The benches are well suited to be used outdoors, since they’re made from rotational moulded polyethylene. Atlas is a rotational moulded bench designed for Slide Design, intended for indoor as well as outdoor use.

Karmelina Martina was born in Sarajevo. She now lives and works in Udine. In 2001 graduated with honours in industrial design from Florence University. She studied under Vanni Pasca, Isao Hosoe, Paolo Deganello and other internationally-renowned designers. She has worked in Moroso’s product development department since 2006. She seeks to perfect a design precisely in the space that separates technical/manufacturing reasoning from symbolic/emotive motivations. In addition to her product development activities, she also designs jewellery, lamps and private homes.
Helix the snail got fed-up with the same old life in a kitchen garden, so one day she decided to leave and discover the wonders of the world. In choosing her direction she was guided by her instinct, the moon and the sun. As she was going through a wood one day, she got stuck between two tree roots. She struggled hard and long to free herself and at last, when she was almost completely exhausted, she succeeded.

How strange, though…. All of a sudden, Helix had a funny feeling of lightness. She turned to look behind her and realised she had lost her home. And she felt completely naked! From that day on, Helix slides furtively into people’s homes and covers herself with the clothes she finds there. Every day a new outfit for a new life!