Tag Archives: wall

Beautiful ánd sustainable – Mosaic Decocos tiles made from coconut shells!


Just as I was looking for a special way to treat two walls in a design for an office, I came across Decocos’ tiles. Little mosaic tiles made from residual waste from the coconut processing industry. The unused shell of the actual nut is sawn into tiny ’tiles’. Both inside and outside can be used and create a spectacular wall feature certain to deliver a wow factor.

 

Decocos Edge tiles / Foto: Castillo Foto voor Vega Projects

Decocos Edge tiles / Foto: Castillo Foto voor Vega Projects

100% ecological and sustainable
Because the shell is normally disposed off as waste, Decocos tiles are truly sustainable. Not only did they find a purpose for the shells, but the production of the tiles creates jobs and income for the local community in Vietnam. Because the source of the tiles, the nut, is so natural, the tiles have the same characteristics as wood. This means none of them are the exact same size of texture, and they often show little imperfections or even the fibres tat are so typical for the shell of the coconut. This actually enhances the natural sensation of the wall and gives it a chique and rich look.

 

Inside Out Decocos tile / foto: Castillo Foto voor Vega Projects

Inside Out Decocos tile / foto: Castillo Foto voor Vega Projects

End Strip Decocos tile

End Strip Decocos tile

Inside Out Decocos tile in Coral wassing

Inside Out Decocos tile in Coral wassing

Caré light Decocos tile

Caré light Decocos tile

The tiles come in a variety of finishes, textures and can be finished further with various laques or oils. They can even be dyed in several colours from coral to rich purple ti fit every home or interior. Check out decocos.com for more information.

Edge Decocos tile

Edge Decocos tile

China’s abandoned Magic Kingdom; Wonderland


I love abandoned sites. A few years back we took a trip to California and visited Bombay Beach on the coast of the Salton Sea. Sounds dreamy right? Well, it’s not. This is Bombay Beach.

Bombay Beach California

High salt levels and floods made Bombay Beach, once coined the Riviera of California, uninhabitable. Well, for most that is, as some die-hard residents still call it home.

California is also home to Disneyland. Anything but deserted. The Magic Kingdom draws in about 15.000.000 people each year. That’s close to the population of The Netherlands! Wonderland Theme Park in China, about a 45 minute drive from Downtown Beijing, is not so lucky. What was going to be the largest amusement park in Asia and Asia’s answer to Disney Magic Kingdom, is now probably competing with Tjernobyl as the largest abandoned site in the East. Disagreements with local government and farmers over property prices forced the project developers to stop construction in 1998. It now sits abandoned between fields of corn and houses along the highway to the Great Wall. I have tried to find aerial images of in on Google Earth but have not had any luck yet. But these pictures already show its marvel and make me want to book a flight to China to see it myself.

Photographs by David Grey (Reuters). For more from this series check this article on theatlantic.com

Trompe l’Oeil doors by Martin Margiela


Maison Martin Margiela created this fantastic door sticker. A while back actually, and it has been featured in quite a bit of magazines already, but I absolutely love it.   . The door is printed in real size on adhesive fabric and goes on your wall to create a great trick of the mind. They are not cheap, around 450 euros, but are sure to make for a great feature in your home.

Martin Margiela Trompe l'Oeil