Scoutmob Shoppe

The folks over at Scoutmob recently launched a "Shoppe" which features awesome local goodness "made from the hands of locals."  You get great custom-made crafts at a sweet deal.  What more could you ask for?  The Shoppe is currently available in Atlanta, New York, and San Francisco.  In Atlanta, find products across the board--from anatomical tees by Accelerated Expansion, duct tape wallets by Strange Bird Designs, homemade sea salt by Beautiful Briny Sea to concrete planters, coasters, and reclaimed coffee tables by yours truly. Curious?  Find more here: https://shoppe.scoutmob.com/atlanta

Screenshot of our page: 

Featured in Atlanta INtown Paper

Find a write-up on MDC Interiors in this month's Atlanta INtown paper.  The papers are scattered all over town.  You can find some spots to snag a copy here: http://www.atlantaintownpaper.com/find-a-copy/.  Next time, you're waiting in line for brunch or grabbing a cup of Joe, grab a paper and read about our cool reclaimed designs and how we got started.  Page 43 ya'll.

Reclaiming Design: Artist gets back to basics using local materials

By Collin Kelley, Editor

Leaving a bad job experience is often the key to unlocking a new career. Mike Carpenter said he could feel his creativity draining away as he sat in a cubicle for two years working on CD-ROM development. MDC Interiors was born shortly thereafter, along with a startling array of furniture made reclaimed materials. Carpenter’s education was in computer art, but he decided he needed “some tangible hands-on creative experience.” “I was surrounded by art as a child because my mother is a painter and used to do carpentry with my father and grandfather in their workshops,” he said. “I have always painted and enjoyed carpentry as a creative outlet and wanted to find a profession that would allow me to apply my creativity and skills within a lucrative profession.”

Carpenter worked and trained with artists and furniture refinishers and realized he had a knack for decorative painting and working with his hands. Since the creation of MDC Interiors, he has tackled jobs faux finishing, refinishing and building furniture, murals and cabinetry. Recently, Carpenter has focused on using green materials such as concrete and wood salvaged locally from construction sites and discarded pallets from local warehouses and stores. “I like to constantly challenge myself to use and experiment with new materials to inspire creativity and gain personal growth,” he said. Carpenter has been working on nature-inspired tables and planters, integrating natural elements (moss, river rocks, succulent plants, bonsai) into the piece as a design element.  He’s also working on a series called “Glow,” which are tables made from reclaimed pallet wood and accented with LED lights on dimmer switches to change the mood of a room.

For the online version: 
http://www.atlantaintownpaper.com/2012/08/reclaiming-design-artist-gets-back-to-basics-using-local-materials/

Photo credits: Photo of Mike Carpenter by Mona Patel; Glow Table photo by Karen Shacham

Or here: http://issuu.com/atlantaintown/docs/8.12_intown_digital/43 

Eco-Home Pick of the Week: MDC Interiors’ Glow Table

Leslie Hedrick did a great write-up on the Glow Table on USGreentechnology.com.  We couldn't have said it better ourselves.  Read below or check it out here.  Photo courtesy of Karen Shacham.

Eco-Home Pick of the Week: MDC Interiors’ Glow Table by Leslie Hedrick

A little bit rustic, a little bit sci-fi, a whole lot eco-friendly. The Glow Table by MDC Interiors incorporates green technology materials like recycled pallet wood, glass, steel and concrete, creating a unique look that effortlessly combines industrial and rustic.

And surely you didn’t miss the accent lighting? The illuminated well depressions are perfect for holding a glass, and even light up your drink from beneath for an eye-catching effect you can adjust with a dimmer switch–energy saving green technology. The glowing drink wells are a surprising addition, but they aren’t out of place at all in this modern-rustic hybrid.

As society moves more toward green technology, we’re seeing urban and earthy styles come together in new and exciting ways. The green technology in the Glow Table is a brilliant example blending both worlds. This piece lends an earthy feeling to urban settings, with natural pallet wood and simple, straightforward lines. On the other hand, the concrete and illuminated wells lend a contemporary edge to more natural environments that showcase wood and eco-friendly elements.

MDC Interiors calls themselves a “creative finish company,” probably because they provide such a variety of interior decorating and finishing services. It’s virtually impossible to slap a label on them. You could contact them about a mural or faux finishing, or meet with their team to have them custom design and build a completely unique piece of furniture. When designing furniture, MDC Interiors favors green technology that minimizes their carbon footprint. They also feel that recycled and reclaimed materials have unique personalities–including aesthetics and performance you won’t find in conventional manufactured pieces.

Whether you love it or hate it, the Glow Table definitely has personality.

http://usgreentechnology.com/stories/eco-home-pick-of-the-week-mdc-interiors-glow-table/#comments 

Calico Desk Featured in Inhabitat

We love Inhabitat and were stoked that they decided to feature our Calico Desk.  It's probably one of our most popular sellers and we're excited that the piece will be getting more visibility and feedback from Inhabitat readers.  The write-up and copy of the feature are below.

MDC Interiors' Cool Calico Desk is Made from a Medley of Recycled Materials  by Diane Pham
This gorgeous Calico Desk by MDC Interiors will add a bit of rustic charm to any interior space. Designed for a new series made with reclaimed wood salvaged locally from construction sites and discarded pallets from local warehouses and stores, each desk boasts a medley of colors, textures and depth to create one streamlined design. The front drawers of the desk are salvaged from a broken hutch, thus combining an old discarded piece of furniture to produce a functional desk. The chunky legs are taken from remnant 4×4 exterior wooden posts.

Read more: MDC Interiors' Cool Calico Desk Is Made from a Medley of Reclaimed Wood Pieces | Inhabitat - Sustainable Design Innovation, Eco Architecture, Green Building

Inhabitat Feature: MDC Interiors' Glow Table Is a Cool Recycled Pallet Wood Creation

This post has been long been due.  MDC Interiors' Glow Table was featured in Inhabitat on Feb 8, 2012.  Time got ahead of us and thus we are only posting now (although we definitely tweeted and facebooked our heart out in Feb regarding the news).  Either way, we were very excited to be highlighted by a great eco-blog that always provides inspiring and innovative ideas.  Read the feature below or here.  The amazing photo was taken by Karen Shacham.

MDC Interiors created this uber-cool Glow Table from recycled pallet wood, concrete, glass, pine, and steel. The concrete combined with a narrow pallet strip provides an industrial feel along with a warm and earthy presence, and the natural opening in the pallet wood creates a perfect place to hold your favorite drink. A set of accent lights under the glass illuminate the beverages atop, and a dimmer switch is attached to change the light setting

Read more: MDC Interiors' Glow Table Is a Cool Recycled Pallet Wood Creation | Inhabitat - Green Design Will Save the World

Chairish the Future 2012

We participated in "Chairish the Future," an event held every year by the Furniture Bank of Metro Atlanta at the Puritan Mill.  The organization requested artists "adopt" unfinished chairs to create into art pieces which are then auctioned (silent) off at the event.  We found these cool high back chairs which we refinished, and incorporated sketching and yarn designs into the base of the chair.  Lastly, we sealed the chairs with wax.

"Into Flight" Chair

"Jellyfish Chair"

 

Below are additional pictures from the event and our favorite light pieces from the night, which were part of a design competition for local design companies.  The pieces were donated and included as a part of the silent auction.

Lighting made from local business cards:

Lighting made from conduit:

Additional lights:

MDC Interiors' Living Table Doubles as a Bonsai Tree Planter

The Living Table was featured on Inhabitat!  We are very excited and happy to say that we just sold a piece today to Rev Russell May, who does great work with the community in Winston-Salem, NC as a part of Anthony's Plot.  Could not have asked for a better week.  The write-up is below.

MDC Interiors‘ nature-inspired Living Table integrates a bonsai tree into the table as a design element. The table is made with concrete and incorporates a hand painted design, etching, and recycled wooden block legs. The table has a ground niche used to house and grow a bonsai tree. In the Japanese culture, bonsai trees represent the harmony between man, nature, and the soul whereas Buddhist monks associate bonsai as a symbol of honor and prestige. Combining natural elements with furniture is not only aesthetically pleasing, but also brings a sense of calm and tranquility to a room and allows us to appreciate and incorporate nature and the environment into everyday activities.

Read more: MDC Interiors' Living Table Doubles as a Bonsai Tree Planter | Inhabitat - Green Design Will Save the World 

MDC Interiors Featured In Treehugger

     MDC Interiors was recently featured on Treehugger!  Exciting news as we love Treehugger for its inspiration and great and innovative ways to incorporate sustainability into our lives.  As Treehugger puts it, they are "partial to a modern aesthetic, [we] strive to be a one-stop shop for green news, solutions, and product information."  The write-up is posted below or go directly to the article via this link.

Via Treehugger: Handmade Coffee Tables from Reclaimed Wood Come with Built-In Gardens
(by Alex Davies)

I'm a big fan of using design to work greenery into home furnishings, and these two coffee tables are great examples. Designed by Mike Carpenter's MDC Interiors, the Balance and Maka models each have a center section that's filled with green moss and river rocks. Best of all, both tables are handmade, mostly from reclaimed materials.

Carpenter uses discarded wool pallets (which are showing up just about everywhere) and split rail wood that he purchases from a company that collects it from condemned buildings and construction sites. Carpenter keeps things local, too. The pallets come from nearby his Atlanta home; the split rail company is located 45 minutes away.

MDC Interiors lists sustainability as a key tenet of its philosophy, writing:

In an attempt to reduce the impact production and consumption have on our life, MDC Interiors strives to create positive change through eco-friendly design solutions.

The company offers murals, seed bombs, jewelry and art in addition to furniture.
I'm impressed by the look and feel of both designs, and only have one real concern: How do you water the plants, considering the layer of glass that covers them?

Updated:
I spoke to Mike Carpenter regarding my last concern, and it turns out he's on top of it. He wrote in an e-mail:

The green moss in the Balance Table is dried out so no need to water, and for the Maka Table, simply lift up the glass and mist the succulents. There is space between the glass and table so air can circulate

Buckhead Spring Arts and Crafts Festival

MDC Interiors was involved in their first festival, and we are happy to say it was a success!  We participated in the Buckhead Spring Arts Festival in Chastain Park.  Although thunderstorms were expected all weekend, we didn't see a single drop of rain.  Saturday (May 14th) was actually perfect- not too hot and not the usual Georgia humidity we have come to expect, while Sunday was a bit chillier (but no complaints).  MDC Interiors launched their first line of eco-furniture, all made from local reclaimed wood  and from pallets found down the street at the Dollar General and a local steel company down the road.  The goal was to find materials locally within a 20 mile vicinity, and we are happy to report that the mission was successful.  Not only are the discarded materials rejuvenated and brought back to life in our furniture pieces, they also traveled a minimal distance from the trash bins to our studio, saving fuel and reducing emissions.  The age, travels, and history of the wood also provides great character and aesthetic to each piece.  For example, in an attempt to use the natural space created when 2 pallets meet, we created the Glow Table, and used the space to create a cup holder with an accent light glowing from below to create beautiful light and to use the color from your beverage as a filter.  The light is placed on a dimmer so you can adjust the brightness based on your desired ambiance.   MDC Interiors is looking forward to expanding the line and creating new pieces. If you would like more information or would like to share your thoughts on our new line of furniture, be sure to contact us or leave us a comment.