Eco-Friendly Storage Solutions

Looking to organize and de-clutter your home or workplace and want to do so with environmentally-sensitive materials?  Well, if you’re handy, or can hire a carpenter, one option is to build your own storage solutions from wheatboard, sunflower board, kirei board, formaldehyde-free MDF, reclaimed wood, or FSC-certified wood. For a variety of pre-built storage options, [...]

Free Green Building Web Seminars

The not-for-profit educational initiative, The Green Building Initiative, will be offering 4 free, interactive web seminars this month for commercial building owners.  The series, called “Managing Green Performance of Existing Buildings” will focus on “the dynamic, cost-effective, design and assessment tool, Green Globes™, Continual Improvement of Existing Buildings. Green Globes™ helps establish a baseline, prioritize [...]

The Surprising Beauty of Rammed Earth Floors

If you’re thinking that a “rammed earth” floor sounds like it’s made of dirt, then you’d be right.  It may seem a bit strange, but a floor comprised of dirt, gravel, straw, sand, and clay, actually has many redeeming qualities.  Once it’s been compressed, and sealed with natural linseed oil, a rammed earth floor is [...]

Build Character into Your Next Project with Reclaimed Wood

Looking to make your next woodworking project extra special? By building with reclaimed wood, your project will obtain instant character and beauty. Whether reclaimed wood is sourced from historic buildings and barns, old wine barrels, or even from the bottom of lakes and rivers, it reveals a rich patina when it is re-milled for its [...]

Eco-friendly Kids’ Furniture

When furnishing your little one’s room, nontoxic materials and good indoor air quality are important considerations that will create a healthy environment for your developing child. Some U.S. furniture manufacturers go the extra mile and offer solid wood furniture that is made with nontoxic paints to minimize harmful VOCs, or Volatile Organic Compounds. Stay with [...]

Go From Homely to Homey with Sustainable Furnishings, Part II

In part one of my series on new, sustainable furnishings, I discussed eco-friendly options for the living room. Today, I’ll talk about companies that make sustainable, high-quality bedroom furniture, including headboards, dressers, nightstands, and more.

Go from Homely to Homey with Sustainable Furnishings, Part I

Need new living room furniture? Whether your current sofa is torn and tattered or your living room is sitting empty, you can go green with new, eco-friendly furnishings. Some companies offer stylish seating collections that use sustainably-harvested wood frames, soy-based or natural latex foam cushioning, and natural or recycled-content fabrics. Top quality pieces that will [...]

Reclaimed Wood Furniture

After writing about new, sustainable dining room furniture, I got to thinking about an even more earth-friendly option — furnishings made from reclaimed wood. The wood is sourced from fallen trees or salvaged from old buildings and barns. Rich with an aged patina that is lacking in new wood furniture, these pieces using reclaimed wood [...]

Sustainable Dining Furniture

If you are on the look out for new dining room furniture, there are a few earth-friendly ways to go. To find gently used furniture, check out your local consignment shop; shop online at ebay or craigslist.org; or discover great finds in your hometown newspaper. Or if you have your heart set on a new [...]

The Ultimate Architectural Glass

I came across this unique embossed architectural glass that is comprised of 15-30% recycled glass, and up to 100% upon request. UltraGlas is a product of heat “slumping” (often referred to as “kiln-formed,” “heat-molded” or “cast” glass) which allows for a wide array of designs and textures.

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