The New Design Crew

Springtime brings with it two design fairs native to New York City
flora: the International Contemporary Furniture Fair (ICFF), and BKLYN
DESIGNS. Taking place in May, both draw top designers who share their
new lines of furniture, accessories, and other objects. Here, five
young designers who fill the “ones-to-watch” bill–with a project from
each that you can make at home.

Moss Panels

Moss Panels

Springtime calls to mind nature bursting into impressive display.
For some–namely furniture and design fans–it also conjures up images
of a different sort: two esteemed design fairs native to New York City
flora, the International Contemporary Furniture Fair
(ICFF) and BKLYN
DESIGNS. Taking place in May, both draw top designers to share
their new lines of furniture, accessories, and other objects. Over the
years, the shows have proven to open doors for a new batch of New
York-based designers. Here, five who fill the “ones-to-watch” bill–with
a project from each that you can make at home. It’s time to get to
know their genius.

by Kiera Coffee

Photos by Bryan McCay

Some designers invent their collections from one dedicated notion or
theme. BOA’s line of eco-conscious beds, storage units, stools, and
tables is more the result of a chain of inspired reactions. Her pieces
have all been born from the need for something that did not exist. And
though her starting points vary, her aesthetic is handsomely focused.
BOA uses almost exclusively nontoxic, recycled, and sustainable
materials, though, she says, “I don’t want the pieces to scream green,”
and in fact they don’t. She adds, “I also don’t want everything to
look like a matched set,” which is why she brings cohesion in tone but
does not endlessly repeat details. In the coming months BOA will expand
her line of upholstered pieces and also her meditation accessories.
She would also like to engage communities that have often been left out
of the larger green conversation on issues of sustainability. “It
doesn’t always cost more money, and the topic shouldn’t be elitist,”
she says.

BOA
Brooklyn, New York
objectinteriors.com

Rig a vertical wetland by sewing live moss into shadow boxes for
your wall. 

1. Cut a section of window screen—½ inch smaller (on all sides) than
inside dimensions of your frame. Thread the needle with a generous
length of fishing line, knotting at the end.

2. Lay screen down and insert needle from the back of the screen so
the knot is not visible. Start sewing moss onto the screen, beginning at
one corner and lightly overlapping layers of moss until you form a
solid panel across the entire screen.

3. Remove any cardboard backing from frame and discard. Transfer
plexiglass from front of frame to back (in place of cardboard),
attaching with any built-in tabs.

4. Turn shadow box front side up (recessed side facing you). Squirt
light layer of super glue along inside edges of plexiglass, and
crisscross in the middle (glue pattern should be a square with an X
inside it).

5. Insert finished moss panel in frame and press lightly to adhere.
Let dry for 30 minutes. To water moss, use a spray bottle and mist
daily.

Moss Panels

$25

ingredients

• • Moss
  • Shadow box picture frame (with plexiglass)
  • Heavy-duty glue (like super glue)
  • Window Screen

tools

• • Scissors
  • Ruler
  • Curved sewing needle
  • Lightweight fishing line



Creeping Toy Caterpillar

Creeping Toy Caterpillar

Springtime calls to mind nature bursting into impressive display.
For some–namely furniture and design fans–it also conjures up images
of a different sort: two esteemed design fairs native to New York City
flora, the International Contemporary Furniture Fair
(ICFF) and BKLYN
DESIGNS. Taking place in May, both draw top designers to share
their new lines of furniture, accessories, and other objects. Over the
years, the shows have proven to open doors for a new batch of New
York-based designers. Here, five who fill the “ones-to-watch” bill–with
a project from each that you can make at home. It’s time to get to
know their genius.

by Kiera Coffee

Photos by Bryan McCay

Lisa Mahar
New York, New York
kidoproducts.com

Designer, toy-store owner, and architect Mahar introduced her first
line of chic, modernist toys in 2008. Her products are a colorful,
gorgeously wrought collection of puzzles, blocks, wooden books, bath
toys, and more. They address the complex issues of child development,
playfulness, and aesthetics all at once. Mahar says, “Before having my
first child, I wasn’t really interested in toys or retail at all.” Which
might explain why her designs appeal to childless adults, parents,
and, of course, kids. “I try to make toys that are conceptually clear
as well as beautiful. If you give kids beautiful things, you show them
respect,” she explains. And she still keeps her focus keenly on each
toy’s purpose. According to Mahar, “My view of success is about hitting a
balance between great craftŃwhich is about love for the process, the
object, and the recipientŃand creating things that are affordable and
accessible. If you get that balance right, even manufacturing becomes
part of the larger community because that’s the step that brings it to
the world.”

String a variety of wooden balls together to make a charming, wiggly
friend. 

1. Drill through center of the 2 1⁄2-inch balls with the 1⁄4-inch
bit. On one of those balls, mark an X 1 inch from existing hole. Wrap
tape around the 13⁄64-inch drill bit, 1⁄2 inch from tip. Drill into the X
using tape as a guide for where to stop. This is the hole for dowel
connection from body to head.

2. Drill into the center of the 2-inch ball, stopping at tape mark
to make the other end of dowel connection.

3. Cut piece of dowel to 7⁄8 inch with the handsaw. Make sure it
fits in holes, but don’t glue yet.

4. Mark two Xs on the 2-inch ball (the head) 1 inch apartĘand 1⁄2
inch from the center of ball (for antennae). Drill with taped bit.

5. Drill into each 3⁄4-inch ball (antennae tips) up to tape. Cut two
pieces of dowel to 2 3⁄8 inches (to become the antennae).

6. Push clothesline through four 21⁄2-inch balls.

7. One inch from the center of each ball, mark two Xs (for wheels).
The front ball gets four wheels so make two more marks 1⁄2 inch from the
Xs. Drill into Xs 3⁄4 inch deep.

8. Collect all 11⁄4-inch balls (future wheels) and drill through. On
all but one, attach countersink for #8 fasteners and drill into one
side of holes deep enough to countersink the screw.

9. Sand all balls, paint, and let dry. Repeat as needed. Glue on
eyes, dowel connections to body, head, and antennae tips.

10. Screw on wheels with washers between wood surfaces.

11. Push rope through balls and tie at front and back. Use last
11⁄4-inch ball for pulling toy, knotting the rope on both sides.

$30

• • Four 21/₂ -inch wood balls
  • 1⁄4 -inch wood drill bit
  • 1⁄4 -inch dowel rod
  • Two 3⁄4-inch wood balls
  • Eleven 11⁄4 -inch wood balls (for wheels)
  • 3⁄16 -inch-thick rope (like a clothesline)
  • Paint
  • Wood glue
  • 20mm wiggle eyes
  • Ten #8 washers

• • Drill
  • Ruler
  • Pencil
  • Tape
  • 13⁄64-inch wood drill bit
  • One 2-inch wood ball
  • Wood handsaw
  • Countersink for #8 fasteners
  • Ten #8 × 1/₂ -inch flathead wood screws with a Phillips drive
  • 220-grit sandpaper

Ostrich Egg Lamp

Ostrich Egg Lamp

Springtime calls to mind nature bursting into impressive display.
For some–namely furniture and design fans–it also conjures up images
of a different sort: two esteemed design fairs native to New York City
flora, the International Contemporary Furniture Fair
(ICFF) and BKLYN
DESIGNS. Taking place in May, both draw top designers to share
their new lines of furniture, accessories, and other objects. Over the
years, the shows have proven to open doors for a new batch of New
York-based designers. Here, five who fill the “ones-to-watch” bill–with
a project from each that you can make at home. It’s time to get to
know their genius.

by Kiera Coffee

Photos by Bryan McCay

Matt Austin
Brooklyn, New York
mattaustin.net

A respected casein-paint muralist for many years, Austin recently
debuted a full line of furniture, lighting, and toys. He has also
innovated numerous finishes that he now applies to an elegant line of
his own furnishings. These include a graphite finish with a masculine
glint (applied to a table) and a secret recipe for glow-in-the-dark blue
pigment (applied to a wooden lightbulb that glows for 12 hours after
the electric lightbulbs are turned off!). Taking much inspiration from
European design, Austin gives great attention to form and juxtaposes
that with a subtle sense of humor. Perfect examples are his side table
shaped like a tooth and his dining table sporting one graceful leg in
the shape of a femur. Austin tempers his respect for design with an
infectious, modern irreverence. “I appreciate the seriousness of
something most when I poke a little fun at it.”

Trim this naturally beautiful ovoid to create a perfect hanging
light. 

1. Draw a line around circumference of ostrich egg about ⅔ of an
inch from top. Cut egg along line with Dremel (outdoors or in
well-ventilated room), then smooth edge with sandpaper.

2. Drill a hole in the top of uncut end of egg using a brick or
ceramic drill bit. Make hole large enough to feed electrical cord
through (about ¼ inch).

3. Cut ½ to 1 inch of fabric away from electrical cord at either end
to expose the wires.

4. Place 1 inch of shrink-wrap around frayed fabric edges and shrink
with a heat gun (leaving wires exposed).

5. String the electrical cord through the threaded rod.

6. Feed the exposed wires of the electrical cord through the metal
cap of the disassembled porcelain socket. Attach those exposed wires to
the socket screws on the porcelain socket. Reassemble the porcelain
socket.

7. Screw the threaded rod to the porcelain socket and set aside.

8. Feed the electrical cord through the hole in egg, then put vase
cap on cord, as well as the knurled nut, decorative nut, and second
knurled nut (in that order) so they are in a row on the electrical cord.

9. While holding the socket inside the egg, feed the threaded rod
through the hole in the egg. Then place the vase cap over the shaft of
the threaded rod.

10. Screw on the knurled nut until it is firmly holding the vase cap
to the egg, and then screw on the two other nuts. Attach the wires to
the plug and place a lightbulb into the socket.

Ostrich Egg Lamp





ingredients

• • Ostrich egg
  • Fabric-covered electrical cord
  • Black shrink-wrap tube
  • Porcelain hanging lightbulb socket
  • 1-inch length of 1⁄4-inch hollow threaded rod
  • 1.5 -inch-diameter brass vase cap
  • Two 1⁄4 -inch knurled nuts
  • One 1⁄4 -inch decorative nut
  • Electrical plug
  • Small round 40-watt lightbulb

tools

• • Pencil
  • Tape measure
  • Fine-grit sandpaper
  • Drill
  • 1⁄4-inch brick or ceramic drill bit
  • Scissors
  • Dremel Rotary Tool
  • Heat gun

Hammock



DIY Hammock

Springtime calls to mind nature bursting into impressive display.
For some–namely furniture and design fans–it also conjures up images
of a different sort: two esteemed design fairs native to New York City
flora, the International Contemporary Furniture Fair
(ICFF) and BKLYN
DESIGNS. Taking place in May, both draw top designers to share
their new lines of furniture, accessories, and other objects. Over the
years, the shows have proven to open doors for a new batch of New
York-based designers. Here, five who fill the “ones-to-watch” bill–with
a project from each that you can make at home. It’s time to get to
know their genius.

by Kiera Coffee

Photos by Bryan McCay

A self-proclaimed “DJ of design,” Alex Valich works in his Brooklyn
studio mixing design references from numerous cultures. His Slave Betty
teapot is a classic British form sporting a Japanese rope-tied
harness. His Alma Fortune cup and saucer take Turkish tea-leaf reading
as inspiration for their patterned glazes. Valich’s vision for
lighting, rugs, furniture, and tableware is happily unpredictable. And
in a sense, every DJ–a collector of elements from sources the rest of
us might not have–is a curator at heart. Valich proves this by curating
shows of up-and-coming designers whenever possible. He says, “I want
to give young people some of the opportunities I had when I was
starting out.” He also wants to promote the idea of avoiding
overdesigning. “I don’t try to reinvent the wheel (or the fork); I want
to use the toolbox that the world already is,” he says. This spring,
Valich’s work will pop in collaborative projects with fellow designers.
He also intends to create pieces of his own, but the only thing we
know is that we should, of course, expect the unexpected.

Alex Valich
Brooklyn, New York
redstrcollective.com

Weave construction materials—which won’t fade or absorb water—into a
truly comfortable spot for lounging. 

1. Cut fencing into two 30×74-inch pieces, trimming the outside
squares so that weaving has an edge. Lay out a rectangle with all
conduit pieces, attaching elbows to create the “loom.”

2. Overlap both pieces of snow fencing so squares alternate. Lay on
floor in center of conduit frame.

3. Unroll cording and mark the middle of each spool. The middle will
be your starting point for each row of weaving.

4. Hold the middle of one piece of nylon cording. Loop the middle of
cording once around top corner of a 30-inch side of conduit frame.
Weave cording in and out of snow fencing going down the long side. Keep
tension even.

5. At bottom, repeat loop around conduit and weave back up. Repeat
to make four complete passes.

6. Tie off end of nylon cording using a standard square knot (Google
it for how-to). Leave 3-4 feet of excess to be used later.

7. Repeat same weaving process on opposite side of snow fencing and
in the middle of snow fencing. Weave any additional rows to create
desired pattern. Tie all ends with square knots.

8. Cut remaining nylon cording into two 37-foot pieces. Take the
center of each and place one at each center of the short sides of your
conduit. Wrap one strand of cording around right side of conduit (to
secure fencing and hide conduit) and the other strand around left side
of conduit. Tie off with a square knot.

9. With all cording tied off, create “triangle” shape at each end
(to hang hammock from) by pulling excess cording together at each side
evenly, holding cording 1-1½ feet from conduit, and tying into a large
knot.

10. Create a second loop knot ½ inch away (so you can hang it).
Repeat on the other side.

11. Unscrew metal conduit elbows from frame and remove 74-inch
lengths of conduit.

12. Find trees and hang your hammock!

DIY Hammock



$18



ingredients

• • 13 feet snow fencing (the orange kind with holes)
  • Two 30-inch pieces of 1/₂-inch metal conduit
  • Two 74-inch pieces of 1/₂-inch metal conduit
  • Four 1/₂-inch metal conduit elbows
  • 6 spools of 75-foot nylon cording

tools

• • Scissors
  • Tape measure

Mod Medallions

Mod Medallions

Springtime calls to mind nature bursting into impressive display.
For some–namely furniture and design fans–it also conjures up images
of a different sort: two esteemed design fairs native to New York City
flora, the International Contemporary Furniture Fair
(ICFF) and BKLYN
DESIGNS. Taking place in May, both draw top designers to share
their new lines of furniture, accessories, and other objects. Over the
years, the shows have proven to open doors for a new batch of New
York-based designers. Here, five who fill the “ones-to-watch” bill–with
a project from each that you can make at home. It’s time to get to
know their genius.

by Kiera Coffee

Photos by Bryan McCay

Make your own paper pendants and medallions in three quick steps.

Basing much of her work on iconic references, Alissia Melka-Teichroew
tends to turn the world on its side just a little bit…all the time. A
good example is Melka-Teichroew’s diamond ring, which plays with
perceptions of classic jewelry by being entirely made of acrylic and
keeping only the characteristic shape of a gem. She has also cleverly
used broken teacup handles as inspiration for nylon wall hooks. Fond of
playing with materials, tweaking the basic properties of familiar
objects, and re-presenting them to us anew, Melka-Teichroew repeatedly
makes us smile. She relates, “I’m trying to give my point of view, but I
want people to have room to do anything they want; wear the Ring A Day
or hang it on the wall!” Melka-Teichroew has also been expanding her
line of jewelry–bubbly necklaces, bracelets, and rings (think pop beads
from Mardis Gras, only better)–for spring.

View
Alissia’s website.

1. 1. Click to download
      the medallion pattern. Print it out.
   2. Fold pattern according to the indicators, cut using the knife and
      cutting mat, and glue edges where needed.
   3. Glue pin back to your new brooch, allow to dry, then adorn yourself.

Mod Medallions

$5

ingredients

• • Thick paper
  • Glue (for paper)
  • Hot-glue gun (or super glue)
  • Pin back

tools

• • Mat knife
  • Cutting mat



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