# Colorful Metal Dishes The Desert Collection by Steel Life is Made Out of Salvaged Materials By Meghan Young | Published 2012-08-28 | Eco Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/the-desert-collection References: [design-milk](http://design-milk.com/modern-planters-salvaged-metal-desert-collection-steel-life/) & [shopsteellife](http://shopsteellife.com/) Colorful and contemporary, with a slight hint of a retro element, The Desert Collection is made up of metal dishes for plants, fruits and just about anything else that can be rested in them. The clean lines and shallow bowl set it apart from traditional planters while the [vibrant hues](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/tip-top-glass) will make it stand out in any setting. This equates to a statement-making line that nevertheless doesn't overwhelm. Designed by Steel Life, which was founded by landscape designer Shannon Lester, The Desert Collection is made up of four pieces: Atomic Mod Dish, Mezzo Mod Dish, Shallow Root Vessel and Loft Mod Dish. Each one is fashioned out of [salvaged and upcycled metal](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/dpartment), making them very eco-friendly. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 2.3/10 - Popularity: 49% | Activity: 12% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America, Europe, Asia ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Eco](https://www.trendhunter.com/eco) ## Key Themes ### What's Driving This Trend - **Colorful Metal Dishes:** Opportunity for disruptive innovation in sustainable home decor design. - **Retro-modern Planters:** Opportunity for disruptive innovation in merging vintage and contemporary aesthetics. - **Eco-friendly Materials:** Opportunity for disruptive innovation in creating sustainable products from salvaged and upcycled materials. ### Who This Affects Most - **Home Decor:** Opportunity for disruptive innovation in creating unique and eco-friendly products for home decoration. - **Landscape Design:** Opportunity for disruptive innovation in integrating retro-modern planters into landscape design projects. - **Sustainable Design:** Opportunity for disruptive innovation in the field of sustainable product and furniture design. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Nature-Inspired Design Objects](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/plantbased-2.md) - [Bold Hand-Crafted Planters](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/handcrafted-planters.md) - [Revived Mid-Century Serveware](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/tortugaware.md) - [Plant-Friendly Furniture Collections](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/jcp-universe-coloniae.md) - [Sculptural Ceramic Tableware](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/office-of-tangible-spaces.md) - [Timeless Ceramic Collections](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/gathered-collection.md) - [Flat-Packed Sleek Dish Racks](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/aurea.md) - [Delicate Colorful Vases](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/delicate-colorful-vase.md) - [Upcycled Metal Sheet Cabinets](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/upcycled-metal-sheet.md)