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Kim Markel's candy-colored recycled chairs inject a juicy burst of fun into any room Glow chairsWe design writers like to use words like "drool-worthy" to describe particularly evocative pieces of furniture, but take one look at <a href="http://www.kimmarkel.com/">Kim Markel</a>'s juicy new Glow collection, and you'll see why it actually made us drool a little. Spotted at the <a href="http://addesignshow.com/">2016 Architectural Digest Design Show</a> last week, the Beacon, NY-based designer's playful, popsicle-colored chairs, side tables and accessories have a fun, imperfect flair thanks to the discarded soda bottles, eyeglasses lenses and other salvaged items they're composed of. Who knew that recycled materials could look so tasty?1
Kim Markel's candy-colored recycled chairs inject a juicy burst of fun into any room chairs and tableThe effervescent collection consists of chairs, side tables, wall and handheld mirrors, and vases made using reclaimed plastic pellets bonded together with resin.2
Kim Markel's candy-colored recycled chairs inject a juicy burst of fun into any room Glow Collection<a href="http://www.kimmarkel.com/">Markel</a> says that the ratio of recycled material to resin is currently about 70%, but that she hopes to take that number even higher soon.3
Kim Markel's candy-colored recycled chairs inject a juicy burst of fun into any room mirror trio"I've always made things, but I studied public policy, specifically relating to the environment, so I'm really interested in making things in the most responsible way," the designer told Inhabitat. "If I'm going to put new things into the world, I want them to be made of mostly reused material."4
Kim Markel's candy-colored recycled chairs inject a juicy burst of fun into any room mirrors on wallThe plastics that make up the pellets come from a variety of sources from beverage bottles to lunch trays to eyeglasses. The unique makeup of the pellet/resin mixture gives the finished pieces a perfectly imperfect, organic form.5
Kim Markel's candy-colored recycled chairs inject a juicy burst of fun into any room mirrorsBut coming up with the right blend of materials wasn't as easy as grinding up a bunch of bottles and mixing them with resin.6
Kim Markel's candy-colored recycled chairs inject a juicy burst of fun into any room tablesMarkel explains that figuring out the perfect ratio of ingredients for the Glow collection took almost a year and required a lot of experimenting.7
Kim Markel's candy-colored recycled chairs inject a juicy burst of fun into any room vases"The design of the form and material happened together--they both informed the other," she said. "I tried to make a form that complemented the material, and a material that would help the shapes of everyday objects look more interesting."8
Kim Markel's candy-colored recycled chairs inject a juicy burst of fun into any roomThe Glow collection is available via the <a href="http://www.kimmarkel.com/shop/">Kim Markel webshop</a>, and starts at $120.9
