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 

Biologically-Inspired Light

I got sidetracked with summer festivals and took a mini-break from posting projects from the Industrial Design (ID) program.  Not that I'm complaining.  Summer festivals are a great way to interact with local artists and to meet new people.  I digress.  I'll probably be sprinkling ID projects here and there from now til indefinitely in between other festivals, furniture launches, and hopefully more features *fingers crossed.  You'll be able to get your ID fix today. 

Design Challenge 3: Design a light that aids in providing natural light for those with seasonal affective disorder (SAD).  The light will be organic in form and be made using sustainable materials. 

My light was inspired by a human eye and eyelid.  I used remnant strips of thin wood soaked in water to create a curved form to represent the eyelid.  The bolt on the side allows the "eyelid" to move over the "eye" to change the amount of light emitted.  The lamp neck fell right into place by supporting the eye and controlling the direction of the light.  I used a flexible metal tube with metal rods and pins to create a resemblance of a spinal cord.  The base of the lamp and the outer eye are made from handpoured concrete, the cornea is made from a plastic ball, and the retina is made from a bolt.  Not only will the lighting provide light therapy for SAD but maybe the bio-inspired quality may provide you some company as well?  Hm.
See images below.

New concrete coasters at Youngblood Gallery and Boutique

Just created a new batch which will be sold at Youngblood Gallery and Boutique.  Get em' while they're hot!  I've posted some samples below.  They call also be found on Etsy if you're interested in purchasing.  We decided to sell coasters individually so people can mix and match and choose based on personal preference.  Bike + Butterfly + Number Coster hybrid?  Why, yes of course.  You pick.

Below are some sample mix ups.  The possibilities are endless.

Indoor Concrete Planters featured in Inhabitat!

We can't be more excited about the coverage we're receiving from Inhabitat.  They covered our Indoor Concrete Planters which we launched 2 weeks ago at the Artlantis Arts and Music Festival.  Read below to see what Mark Boyer from Inabitat had to say: 

Turn Your Houseplants into a Work of Art with MDC Interiors’ Indoor Concrete Wall Planter by Mark Boyer, 06/13/12

From furniture made using reclaimed wood to a living table that doubles as a bonsai tree planter, Michael Carpenter of MDC Interiors has been developing a wide range of innovative green interior furnishings in recent years. Now, Carpenter has come up with another impressive design. The indoor concrete wall planter presents a neat new way to display houseplants by hanging them on the wall. The planter consists of a reclaimed wooden box and a thin slab of concrete, and there are a couple of holes that can be filled with plants and stones.

Read more: Turn Your Houseplants into a Work of Art with MDC Interiors' Indoor Concrete Wall Planter | Inhabitat - Sustainable Design Innovation, Eco Architecture, Green Building

Vote for MDC Interiors!

CHASE and Living Social are partnering up to provide 12 grants (up to $250,000) to small businesses across the US.  I've submitted a proposal for MDC Interiors and with the funding hope to expand the eco-furniture series (the Nature-inspired series, Glow Table series, and Calico series) and focus on some community-specific projects to create a line of products that can improve bike safety.  If I win the grant, I plan to work with the Atlanta Bicycle Coalition to pilot some projects and to establish a team that is forward thinking, progressive, and has strong ethos of supporting local economy, minimizing our impact on the earth, and promoting healthy outdoor activities such as cycling.


 250 votes is daunting but with the support of the community, it is definitely feasible! 


Search for "MDC Interiors" (business is listed under the city of Clarkston) at www.missionsmallbusiness.com/.  Thanks in advance for everyone's suppport!

Concrete Planters are here and we're on Etsy.

Thanks to everyone who came out to the Artlantis Arts and Crafts Festival.  We launched the concrete coasters and concrete planters and we are happy to say that we may have generated some buzz.  If you weren't able to make it out and/or are feeling down about not having one of our sweet coasters, have no fear.  We are selling the coasters on Etsy along with the concrete planters. 

A bit about the planters.  The planters are made from reclaimed wood, thin slabs of concrete, succulents, and river rock.  The piece can be hung on your wall, bringing a bit of nature and the outdoors inside. Mist with water to keep hydrated.  I've included some images below.  Take a gander.