Green your Backyard with Eco-friendly Furniture, Part II

Posted on June 10, 2010 by Joyce Benson    |    1 Comment
Tag(s): Green Furnishings, Reclaimed Materials, Recycling, The Great Green Outdoors

In Part I of this series on eco-friendly outdoor furniture, I focused on those made with reclaimed wine barrels and other sustainable woods.  Here, innovative creations made from recycled skis, snowboards and HDPE plastic are highlighted.

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Today’s “Green” Homes Will Surprise You

Posted on June 2, 2010 by Joyce Benson    |    Add a Comment
Tag(s): Green Building, Greening the Home, Money Saving

Looking for something interesting to read this summer?  Author Sheri Koones highlights 25 high-style, eco-friendly homes in her new book titled, “Prefabulous + Sustainable.”  Here, you’ll see how energy efficiency and green materials are used to create beautiful, cost-effective homes.  Check out WalletPop for the full scoop.

photo by Roger Wade Studio

Lower Cooling Bills this Summer

Posted on May 27, 2010 by Joyce Benson    |    Add a Comment
Tag(s): Energy, Greening the Home, Money Saving

This Spring we’ve had a taste of what summer will bring — high temperatures and humidity.  The good news is that there are lots of simple things we can do to beat the heat and still keep our energy bills in check.  Following these tips will not only reduce your expenses, but also benefit the environment.  By lowering energy usage, you’ll reduce pollution and greenhouse gases associated with electricity generation.

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5 Energy-Saving Retrofits

Posted on May 26, 2010 by Joyce Benson    |    4 Comments
Tag(s): Energy, Greening the Home, Greening the Office

Wondering how you can make your business or home more energy efficient?  Houston Neal’s article, on softwareadvice.com, explains how 5 “green” retrofits will reduce energy usage in commercial, industrial and residential markets.

Green your Backyard with Eco-friendly Furniture

Posted on May 22, 2010 by Joyce Benson    |    1 Comment
Tag(s): Green Furnishings, Greening the Home, Reclaimed Materials, The Great Green Outdoors

Looking for some artful, yet functional pieces to spruce up your backyard this summer?  In this particular post in my series of earth-friendly outdoor furniture, I’ll focus on cool collections made from reclaimed winebarrels, watertanks and barnwood.  Other options include FSC-certified furniture where the wood is harvested from well-managed forests.  From patio dining sets to Adirondack chairs, you’ll find a wide array of outdoor furnishings made from eco-friendly materials.

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Green Garden Sheds

Posted on May 19, 2010 by Joyce Benson    |    2 Comments
Tag(s): For Kids, Green Building, The Great Green Outdoors

Thinking about adding a potting shed, storage shed, studio or playhouse to your yard?  Well, the good news is that these utilitarian outbuildings can actually be attractive, functional and even eco-friendly. The following sheds are made from recycled materials:

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Beautify Your Garden with Low-Maintenance Plants

Posted on May 13, 2010 by Joyce Benson    |    Add a Comment
Tag(s): Conserving Resources, The Great Green Outdoors

If you’re looking for low-maintenance flowers, shrubs and trees that will improve your curb appeal and beautify your backyard, look to native plants.  They’re easy-to-care for and come in many varieties suitable for both sunny and shady locations.  There are many benefits to integrating native plants into your landscape, as they:

• are naturally adapted to thrive in your region
• are typically drought-tolerant
• are resistant to pests and diseases

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Add a Touch of Wine Country to your Home

Posted on March 5, 2010 by Joyce Benson    |    Add a Comment
Tag(s): Green Furnishings, Greening the Home, Reclaimed Materials

Love the feeling of warmth and sunshine that emanates from the Napa Valley and other wine-producing regions?  One way to bring that sensation home is to incorporate furniture made from reclaimed wine barrels.  The barrels are typically made from the finest oak trees and are free from knots and defects.  During the course of many years in the wine-making process, the oak barrels absorb the deep, rich color of the wine.  The end product is perfectly-aged wood that beautifully accents kitchens, wine cellars and even outdoor spaces.

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Green Home Tour Seattle Style

Posted on February 11, 2010 by Joyce Benson    |    Add a Comment
Tag(s): Events, Green Building, Greening the Home, Money Saving

Looking for a new love nest?  This Saturday, you and your special someone can take a tour of the Beau Developments new urban lofts project in Seattle’s Judkins Park Neighborhood.  What could be more romantic than saving money on energy bills in your new pad?  These homes are estimated to have 40% lower energy bills than homes built to 2004 International Energy Codes.  You’ll see first-hand how green building methods and materials accomplish this feat.

Your eco-friendly experience will begin at the green building supply store ecoHAUS, with an introduction to earth-friendly elements for the home such as flooring, kitchen cabinetry, paint, solar tubes and insulation.

Learn more and pre-register here.

Straw Building Products are Really Strong!

Posted on February 10, 2010 by Joyce Benson    |    2 Comments
Tag(s): Green Building, Green Furnishings, Reclaimed Materials

Straw, a waste by-product of, most notably, the wheat industry has been gaining in popularity for use in the green building industry, and for good reason.   It’s long been an environmental issue to dispose of straw, the remaining by-product of wheat grain after it is harvested.  Typically, it has been burned which causes serious air pollution problems.

Here’s where eco-friendly strawboard panels come in. They can replace gypsum drywall which consumes much more energy to produce.  The studs aren’t even needed in some interior partition walls with these highly compressed straw panels!   Other applications include:  interior and exterior walls, load and non-bearing ceilings, roofing, doors, and flooring.  Also, since wheat is grown in the U.S. and around the world every year for food, it is a rapidly renewable resource.

Key features of strawboard panels include:

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