Basalt is a volcanic rock which is pushed out by volcanic forces onto the earth’s surface. It is a thick, slow-flowing lava that has been found not only on earth and the Moon, but which has also been observed erupting on Jupiter and Venus. Raimonds Circulis is the creator of Maffam Freeforms and has been able to tame basalt and transform it into his incredible line of furniture. He uses a special weaving technique to shape his volcanic creations by hand into their desired fea

Handcrafted by artisans in Vietnam, these bluetooth speakers provide high quality sound with traditional design. They are made from bamboo, which is resistant, eco-friendly and a perfect carrier of sound. Each piece takes several weeks to finish and relies on the dexterity and experience of local craftsmen to coil and carve bamboo, a century old tradition unique to Vietnam. Made by the company Hazang, the speakers are a perfect example of how craftsmanship, design and sound c

Reversing the tradition of deforestation, the Masaya Company is dedicated to sourcing their wood from their own forestry in Nicaragua. Their integrated sustainable model starts from the planting of seedlings, the harvesting and milling of timber logs, to their production of high-quality hard-wood furniture, handcrafted by local artisans. The seats are handwoven from either sustainable Manila cotton or locally sourced leather. For every chair sold, the Masaya Company plants 10

Made out of vintage and antique hand-woven Moroccan rugs, each pair of shoes from Ten & Co tells a unique story. The creators scout flea markets and souks in Marrakech, attend rug auctions around the country and even travel to the Atlas mountain high up in the Maghreb to find the perfect rugs for their shoes. Local cobblers in Marrakech then carefully bind them together with supple leathers, resulting in these classically shaped shoes, each embodying sophisticated craftsmansh

It seems fitting that a designer team from Canada would work with wood when they are surrounded by one of North America’s most pristine and lush coniferous forests. The group of Loyal Loot sources its main material from these forest in the form of found wood, which was torn down by heavy winds and storms. They collect and dry the wood for about eight month, then bring it to an artisan wood turner who gives it the symmetrical shapes needed to create bowls. The finishing touch

To this day, Laos is the most heavily bombed country, per capita, in the world with tons of scrap material up for grabs to be recycled. It was first the ingenuity of Laotian villagers who decided to make spoons out of the remains of Vietnam era bombs and sell them to tourists. Now, local craftsmen bring the artistry to a new level by skilfully designing this beautiful jewellery from the scraps of bombs dropped during the 'Secret War' waged by the US CIA. Watch the video on th

The Egyptian design group REFORM have finally made it happen - reuse used plastic bags by turning them into a strong, durable and washable material called Plastex. The material is interwoven with eco-friendly material on traditional Egyptian hand looms, thus preserving the local weaving industry and reviving its culture. At the same time Plastex offers a practical solution to one of the country's biggest problems: waste. Check out the process of how Plastex is being woven tog