Dhows are boats of an ancient design that East Africans have long sailed on the Indian Ocean from Goa to Oman, following monsoon winds back and forth to Mozambique for fishing and cargo transport. Though such vessels typically get beached and abandoned when they can no longer weather the seas, Portuguese House of Wonders salvages and gives them new life in its line of one-of-a-kind furniture.

Retired dhows typically contain hardwood planks and frames that are still salvageable, so House of Wonders buys them from sailors on the coast of Tanzania, giving those owners the funds to build new ones. Meanwhile, the company ships the salvaged boats inland to its workshop near Dar Es Salaam, where more than 40 "fundis," or craftsmen, carefully disassemble and then re-invent them using almost exclusively traditional hand tools. More than 150 unique pieces are currently available, each with a certificate of origin including the story of the particular dhow that provided its wood. Custom pieces are also available. In addition to a showroom in Dar Es Salaam, the company's standard furniture line will also be displayed in a gallery in Tortola, British Virgin Islands, and Cascais, Portugal, starting in November. Products are available for shipping directly from Tanzania or consolidated through House of Wonders' logistical points in Europe, the Caribbean or the Americas.

While using salvaged wood with an interesting history is undoubtedly a clever move for any furniture maker, what's even more clever about House of Wonders' approach is making the most of that history with a certificate that explains each product's background. After all, as regular Springwise readers know, there's nothing like a product life story to elevate its authenticity and still-made-here appeal—not to mention its value. What recycled materials could *your* brand salvage and incorporate into its design and marketing...? (Related: Virgin Atlantic's seat covers, reborn as bags — Airplane trolleys, revamped & repurposed.)

Website: www.house-of-wonders.com
Contact: www.house-of-wonders.com/Index.asp?pagename=Contact+Us&site=1&siteid=1873

Carsharing and carpooling are gaining ground across the world, mainly through the efforts of non-profit organisations and for-profit startups like Zipcar and Zimride. An unexpected new member of the movement is Galp Energia, Portugal’s largest oil and gas company.

In March 2009, Galp Energia launched Galpshare, a carpooling platform where commuters can create a profile, specify their daily route and find others heading the same way. Users can also list their musical preferences and interests (politics, sport, business, etc.), helping them find people they’d enjoy sharing a ride with.

Galpshare was created by Galp Energia as a way to promote energy efficiency, helping consumers to save money and decrease their carbon footprint. Which isn’t as counterproductive for a gas company as it may seem; most petrochemical behemoths are actively branching out into renewable energy sources and sustainable energy consumption. Galpshare’s launch was widely promoted to commuters through an ad campaign, and the service is available throughout Portugal. Big brands looking to reap the rewards of eco-bounty: have you already figured out how to help your customers be green(er)? (Related: Rewarding consumers who drive less.)

Website: www.energiapositiva.pt

Taking a firm stand in the face of globalization, A Vida Portuguesa has tracked down Portugal’s unique brands and opened a store dedicated to products that have resisted the urge to keep up with changing times.

At the store, located in a former soap factory in Lisbon’s traditional-yet-hip neighbourhood of Chiado, customers can find over 1,000 products that have maintained their original packaging, that are made by hand, or that represent traditional Portuguese craftsmanship. Soaps, pencils, mugs, jewelry, notebooks, coffee, tea, blankets and even toothpaste—everything on stock holds a fragment of the nation’s collective memory. Some items are widely available and familiar throughout Portugal, while others were almost impossible to find and buy before the store opened.

A Vida Portuguesa appeals both to nostalgic adults delighted to find the brands of their youth, and to younger generations attracted by old-fashioned products and retro packaging that provide an alternative to mainstream brands. It’s a testament, once again, to the enduring appeal of (still) made here, a trend that rewards brands for staying true to their local roots and identity. Time to starting collecting, curating and selling forgotten and enduring favourites in your neck of the woods? And if there's a similar store in your city, please leave a comment and let us know! (Related: Mastic fantastic, now in New York.)

Website: www.umacasaportuguesa.com
Contact: avidaportuguesa@gmail.com

Spotted by: João Coelho

So-called dark restaurants, where sighted customers are literally thrown into utter darkness and served by blind waiters, have been around for nearly a decade. Since a seated meal goes only so far in giving people a sense of what it's like to live without vision, Lisboa Sensorial organizes blindfolded walking tours of Lisbon.

Developed by Cabracega, a new local creative agency, the walking tours take place in Alfama, which is Lisbon's oldest district. After being securely blindfolded, participants are steered through Alfama's narrow streets by a blind guide from the ACAPO (Portuguese Association for the Visually Impaired). The guide shares how he experiences his surroundings, and encourages participants to fully explore their altered perception of "the narrow streets, the smell of grilled sardines, the sound of a Fado that can be heard from afar." A guide with historical knowledge of the area also accompanies each group.

Cabracega explain that their project has two main goals: to provide participants with a new sensorial experience of their surroundings through the stimuli of smell, touch, taste and hearing, and the absence of vision. Secondly, they aim to make sighted people more aware of how the visually impaired experience the world, from a decidedly positive angle. Instead of focusing on perceived limitations, the tours allow blind people to take the visually unimpaired on an exploration of their alternate domains of stimuli, codes and references. Tours cost EUR 20 per person, all of which goes to ACAPO. The first tours took place earlier this month and were fully booked, and Lisboa Sensorial will be back with new sessions in September. Like the aforementioned dark restaurants—which spread from Zurich to London, Amsterdam, Montreal and beyond—this seems like a concept that's worth copying to other cities.

Website: www.cabracega.org/lisboa-sensorial
Contact: info@cabracega.org

A few months ago, we featured pop-up nightclubs in Australia, which were part of a marketing effort by Southern Comfort. Australian clubbers aren't the only ones being treated to transitory clubs—in Barcelona and Lisbon, Kubik recently opened its temporary doors.

Designed by Berlin-based urban design agency ModulorBeat and light artist Andreas Barthelmes, Kubik is built from stacked, reused water tanks. Lighting in each cube is controlled separately, which makes for a spectacular backdrop that pulses to a DJ's beats. Kubik operated a temporary club in Berlin last year and has now (wisely) relocated to warmer climes. Kubik Barcelona is located in two separate locations in the Parc del Fòrum: one venue is illuminated in green, the other in magenta. It won't come as a surprise that Kubik Barcelona is sponsored by three beverage companies: Estrella Galicia (beer) Strongbow Gold (apple cider) and Burn (energy drink). Kubik's 275 illuminated cubes house a bar and lounge from Sunday through Wednesday, and a club from Friday through Saturday.

Kubik Lisbon was one of the venues for the first Portuguese Creamfields event, an outpost of the major UK dance festival, with Bacardi featuring as main sponsor. Both Kubiks will close at the end of summer. One to dance the night away in if you're interested in experiencing well-executed temporary architecture, or if you're looking for inspiration on where next to take the transient trend of pop-up.

Website: www.kubikbarcelona.com — www.kubiklisboa.com
Contact: info@kubikbarcelona.com — info@kubiklisboa.com

Spotted by: Petz Scholtus

Home buyers and sellers increasingly circumvent real estate agents by finding each other online. And while many buyers can do a very adequate job negotiating a good price, home inspection is a different matter and best left to professionals. So, who should they call? In Portugal, Checkhouse gives independent buyers confidence by extensively testing and checking a building's foundation, acoustics, wiring, roof, etc.

While traditional surveyors are mainly accustomed to dealing with real estate agents and builders, Springwise believes there's a growing market for pre-sale building inspectors that focus on consumers, combing a keen eye for structural problems with a good bedside manner when it comes to telling potential buyers that their dream house is in fact a money trap. Start small, but think big: build a well-branded, nationally-known chain or network, partner with real estate sites and stay impartial by not working for construction companies. For real estate agents feeling the pinch from online listing and pricing tools, it might be time to change careers and become a home inspector.

Website: www.checkhouse.pt
Contact:geral@checkhouse.pt

Spotted by: Miguel Muñoz Duarte

Let's face it: from the moment human beings turned into avid consumers (moving from defense and protection to enjoyment as their main goal in life), we've been living in an entertainment economy. Which is why it's quite surprising that it took so long for dedicated experience stores to pop up. It's starting now, though: witness Portuguese-based A Vida E Bela, which has turned experiences of a lifetime into a flourishing business.

How it works: the gift giver purchases an experience card from A Vida E Bela, which looks like a personalized credit card and can be redeemed for an experience of the gift recipient's choice, depending on the card's value. Experiences can be selected from the company's website or via its call centre, and range from a professional photography session (be a top model for a day) to flying fighter jets over Moscow (top gun for a day).

Experience cards or vouchers can be bought as presents, but also make great promotional giveaways and incentives. A Vida E Bela is distributing pre-paid versions by the thousands daily, through incentive programs and nationwide promotions with partners like BP. Proving that the experience business is booming, the company is expanding to Spain and Brazil in 2006, and will even have its own TV show in Portugal.

Meanwhile, in the US, Signature Days and Experience Wish are vying for the rapidly growing USD 200 million experience gifts market. Chicago-based Signature Days offers service similar to that of A Vida E Bela, enabling experiences such as trapeze lessons or (in the self-improvement category) hypnosis sessions.

Californian Experience Wish caters specifically to women, and sells a combination of experiences and products. From a Marc Jacobs' knitted sweater to a day of flower arranging with top floral designer Rebecca Cole. Packages are priced from USD 420 (EUR 350 / GBP 230) for the 'Petite Wish', to USD 10,000 for the 'Ultimate Wish'.

For more international inspiration, see Total Experience in Australia and Red Letter Days in the UK.

Opportunities

Credit card companies were actually among the first organizations to catch on to this fast growing industry; Diners' Club recently launched Ultimate Experiences, allowing customers to spend membership points on such experiences as being a rodeo clown for a day, while American Express started up an auction site where Blue Card holders can bid on experiences like meeting Sting backstage.

With consumers continuously befuddled by the sheer overload of mass goods, desperately on the look out for riveting and unique experiences, this is a perfect business idea, whether developed as an urban gift outlet or as a well-designed website.

Experience stores offer the opportunity to become an aggregator and intermediary in an ever-growing industry (the market for gift giving is USD 250 billion a year in the US alone). Millions of niche providers of unique experiences eagerly await the moment you'll bundle and promote their services to experienced, experience seeking consumers! A no brainer.