Wood Wildflowers is a collaboration between father and son. All of the work Theodore and Nathaniel Nienow produce is based on their love of nature. Their flower designs begin with extensive photographic research. They choose a flower to model based on color, shape, and simple elegance. Once they've decided on a flower, art meets engineering. Making wood flow into smooth, delicate curves to mimic flowers in nature can be a difficult task. The many discarded prototypes lining their shop walls are proof of that.

Recreating wild flowers in wood is a process of selective simplification. Nathaniel and Theodore try to key in on the most distinct characteristics of a flower (often developing new production techniques as they go) and build up levels of detail until they're satisfied they have an elegant and accurate yet reproducible representation of nature.

As avid outdoorsman, it has been a blessing for their work to bring them in such constant contact with nature. Not many people can take a walk in the woods and call it research and for that both Nathaniel and Theodore are truly grateful.

When people talk about healthy homes they are really referring to the indoor air quality (IAQ) of their house. Some scoff that IAQ is not a real issue because exact levels of contaminants necessary to produce symptoms of illness and discomfort have not yet been established. EPA studies have shown that the levels of air pollution inside our homes can be 2-5 times greater than outdoor levels even in urban areas. This is a real concern as statistically most adult Americans and children spend 90% of their time indoors. Children breathe in 50% more air per pound than adults and are consequently more susceptible to indoor pollutants and their health consequences.

Fortunately, indoor air quality is an issue that we can each do something about. There a several ways to approach the issue. Improving ventilation and using air cleaners are important factors but often the most effective is to eliminate or reduce each individual source of pollution. Over the next few months the design column will be looking at various potential pollution sources in our homes and ways to minimize them.

This guy pulls into a crowded parking lot and rolled down the car windows to make sure his dog had fresh air. The dog was stretched out in the back seat, and the guy wanted to impress upon him that he must remain there.

The guy walked to the curb backward, pointing his finger at the car and saying emphatically, "Now you stay. Do you hear me? Stay!"

The driver of a nearby car gave the guy a startled look "I don't know about you, man," he said incredulously. "But I usually just put my car in park."