Forests are the dominant terrestrial ecosystem. Their biomass is the oldest source of renewable energy used since our ancestors learned the secret of fire. Much of this biomass occurs below ground as partially decomposed plant detritus. Its decay is a clear example of the transformative energy of nature. The final stages in the life cycle of a forest tree attracts specialised fungi organisms which attack the wood breaking down the tough lignin layer that protects it.

One of the effects of the early stages of wood decay is the fungi texture inside the matter of the tree: the fungal growth can create some of the most dramatic wood color changes with regions of discoloration and intricate patterns of amazing dark lines, adding a new dimension to the woodgrain.

Alcarol have used the fungi from dead trees and abandoned logs to create unique pieces of furniture. The company employs experimental processes to preserve the raw material exactly as it appear in his original habitat, giving it a new life before it goes to waste. The ‘fungi console’ is made of a single wood plank obtained from an abandoned beech log with its  native populations of fungi, recovered in the Italian dolomite forest. the plank is cut into two  parts with a very thin blade  and then joined so that in the corners the  fungal woodgrain matches perfectly like a single bent piece, and also the resin – through a special process – is a single piece and not seen separations between horizontal and vertical resin edges. 

The console shows the most fascinating creations of the fungi: wood discolorations and intricate dark lines that look like free-form art drawn with a calligraphy pen, pigment demarcations constructed by the fungal colonies to protect their territories from potential competitor fungi.

The ‘fungi console’ is made of a single wood plank obtained from an abandoned beech log

Milan 2016: British fashion designer Paul Smith has created a new striped version of the cactus-shaped coat stand launched by Italian furniture brand Gufram in the 1970s.

Smith updated the prickly-looking coat stand, which is one of Gufram's most iconic pieces, using a bright blend of pinks, blues and black inspired by the "hallucinogenic vibes" of the decade when it was designed.

"The strength of this project lies in the fusion between two different worlds: Sir Paul Smith did not merely cover a cactus with colours, but he reimagined and transformed it by drawing inspiration from the hallucinogenic vibes of that crazy time period," he added. "The outcome is psychedelic, a creativity peyote."

Smith's Psychedelic Cactus will be available in a limited edition of just 169, and will be presented during this year's Milan design week at Salone Del Mobile.