Groovystuff Challenge Features 4 Universities

February 21, 2013  by in UnCategorized   

By Home Furnishings Business in Green on February 22, 2013

More than 75 students from four Universities are participating in reclaimed teak furniture vendor Groovystuff's Spring 2013 Design Challenge.

The students from the University of Idaho, University of Minnesota, North Carolina State University and Appalachian State University will debut their designs at the April 20-25 High Point Furniture Market in The University Hall of Innovation & Job Creation.
 
In the design challenge, students will be required to design an accessory, accent or occasional home furnishings product that utilizes or reconfigures the reclaimed material that exemplifies the Groovystuff product line and is competitive enough to be included in the celebrity Dick Idol Legends brand.

"“Groovystuff gives the students detailed, direct feedback explaining their materials and market to the students. This inside view helps the students understand the furniture industry beyond aesthetics," said Professor Alyssa Coletti at Appalachian State, which is participating in the Groovystuff by Design Challenge for the second time since 2010. "Re-purposing otherwise un-usable items into new products is a particularly challenging exercise for industrial designers, as most new products are created with virgin materials. One perk of the project is the story behind the re-purposed materials and knowing that someone's lifelong tools get a second chapter.

"The thought of where those wagon wheels once traveled and the yokes on the bulls that pulled them conjures beautiful thoughts of the Thai countryside. For the students and myself, I'm very thankful for the opportunity to work with a company that practices real sustainability rather than just a marketing exercise.”"

The University Hall of Innovation & Job Creation is an industry co-operative founded by Groovystuff CEO Chris Bruning that bridges the gap between education and the residential home furnishings industry.