Each year at Grand Designs Live Kevin McCloud hand picks his Green Heroes. This is a group of his favourite stand-out recycled designs on offer at the event.

This year at the NEC in Birmingham, (9^th – 13^th October), we had the pleasure of having a Trade Stand at the event and were very impressed with his selection of Green Heroes.

It is a fact that we have to become more eco-friendly with our buying habits in this modern age.

As a retailer we actively endorse this through our range of, FSC Accredited products and responsibly manufactured outdoor rattan furniture which can all be classified under the umbrella term Eco Furniture.

Green Hero’s Recycled Designs – a selection of three to whet your appetite …

Drum Lamps:

Drum Lamps are a spectacular recycled design

These funky and ingenious recycled designs from Willem Heefer, a Dutch Designer based in Helsinki, are lights made from up-cycled washing machine drums.

They make for a real eye-catcher and are available in six powder coated colours. The most appealing them about them for us is the fact that they are hung from three, 1mm thick chords making them seem like they float in mid-air from a slight distance away – groovy!

Rupert Blanchard:

Rupert Blanchard's recycled retro designs

Based in Margate, Rupert Blanchard’s recycled designs are largely retro items of furniture made entirely from re-purposed waste materials that he finds on his travels.

Each and every piece is one of a kind and he has a large collection on his website – many of his designs are, as Kevin McCloud says, ‘made to share a story or preserve a moment in time.’  

Aircraft Workshop:

Recycled furniture from decommissioned aircraft

This was set up by Harry Dwyer and Charlie Waller on the back of McCloud’s Channel 4 television programme – Kevin’s Supersized Salvage – which was hugely successful and based around upcycling and recycling.

These really are grand recycled designs made from the mass of materials available from decommissioned aircraft.

These pieces are designed and made in London’s historic Docklands next to the Thames.

If this post has got you keen to know more then visit the Grand Designs Live Green Hero’s page where you will find full write ups and links to all contributors.

If you want to know more about recycling and upcycling in general then Garden Recycle is a good blog to visit.