In addition to its being water resistant, naturally antibacterial, sustainable, and recyclable, cork can be turned into all sorts of things. Oakland designer Melanie Abrantes hand turns it on a lathe and pairs it with leather to make pots and hanging planters. A graduate of the Otis College of Art and Design with a specialty in product design, Abrantes started experimenting with cork two years ago at a summer workshop at Domaine de Boisbuchet in Lessac, France. She's been covered in cork dust ever since.
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Above: Abrantes' Modern Cork Planters come in three sizes; the small, shown here, are 5 inches tall and $84 each, plants not included. They're shellacked on the inside and have a beeswax finish on the outside.
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Above: "I'm drawn to materials that are natural and beautiful in their raw state," says Abrantes. Her cork and leather lace Large Hanging Planter, $110, doubles as a fruit bowl.
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Above: The Leather-Strap Hanging Planter is $115.
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Above: Abrantes also makes 5-inch-tall, hand-turned wood vases that come with glass vial inserts for fresh flowers; $75 each. Shown here, from left: the Straight Cherry Wood Vase; Double Cherry Wood Vase; Walnut Straight Hardwood Vase; and Double Walnut Vase. Go to Melanie Abrantes to see her full line.
We also love the inventive cork designs in Ilse Crawford's New Indoor-Outdoor Collection for Ikea. Browse our Pots & Planters posts for other favorites, including 10 Self-Watering Planters.
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