August 2008

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You’ve still got two days left to catch all the Labor Day sales. And remember, don’t go shopping just because you feel like it, because consumerism isn’t green. Buy if you need to replace something, and make your dollars speak for you by choosing more sustainable products. Trust me when I tell you that manufacturers are paying attention. Now on to the links:

From the Blogosphere (and News-O-Sphere):

• How To: Craft a Table Using Old Magazines {Apartment Therapy re-Nest}
• How Green Is Your Candidate? Interviews and info on the presidential candidates’ environmental positions {grist}

Green Your Decor has been nominated for Divine Caroline’s “Love This Site” awards, and I could use the votes of my faithful readers to make it to the top of a very competetive category: Home & Food.  I’m competing with the likes of blogs like Blissfully Domestic (which I coincidentally just became a contributor for) and Simple Mom, one of my favorite blogs.

The top vote getters from each of our category will receive a $250 Visa gift card, along with one editor’s pick from each category. But I’m more concerned about spreading the word about Green Your Decor. So head on over and cast your vote!

My very first entertainment center was a piece of junk. It was one of those cheap (my bad…inexpensive) pieces from Wal-Mart that had to be put together. It was made of a very lightweight MDF, and lets just say it didn’t last very long. The next was a behemoth from Best Buy that my husband and I almost broke the last time we moved because we couldn’t lift it. It was a sturdy piece, but it was also entirely too large — meaning it took over our living room.  I vowed that the next time we were in the market for a piece of TV center, it would be minimal and have just enough storage space for the essentials.

I remember watching an episode of the Discovery Channel’s “Dirty Jobs” when host Mike Rowe worked with a company that does tire recovery. They went out to a forest with beautiful scenery along the way. Then all of a sudden in a clearing, tens of thousands of illegally discarded tires. Stacks of them for as far as the eye could see. They spent all day loading a truck with precision to ensure they could fit at least 800 tires on board. They didn’t even put a dent in the pile.

There are reasons all of us greenies want everyone to take care about the products they are bringing in to their homes. Reasons that will make sense to even those people who are against the whole idea of “going green.”  Yes, we want to have the least impact on the Earth as possible. But we are also doing all this detoxifying and patronage of organic, natural and non-toxic products for the sake ouf our health and the safety of our families. Next time you buy a can of paint, think about whether you’d want your infant breathing in the fumes. That should be all the convincing it takes to get you to go low- or zero-VOC.

Every time I talk about a piece of furniture or I don’t need, I always find products that tempt me to change my mind. Since I mentioned last week that I’ve never had, or needed, a coffee table, I have come across several that have made me drool.  This gorgeous cube is no exception.

As much as I love animals, I’ve never been partial to prints that include photorealistic images of horses, dogs or even dolphins. I prefer them in silhouette, much like the birds prominently displayed on so many of the items I’ve featured at Green Your Decor. There’s something about the hint of an image that appeals to me.  What I’ve been drawn to more often lately is animal illustrations and caricatures. It’s fun to see artists’ interpretations of nature’s creatures.

I used to think of cork boards as the type of thing you’d see in a teenager’s room or a dorm — maybe in a busy family’s kitchen. But that’s because cork boards typically lack style. They are plain and look like…well, like cork. As much as I love the look of cork flooring, putting it on my walls was a harder sell.

If I could shop at only one website — yes, one — I would choose Etsy.com, hands down. I know I’ve talked about it before, but I’m only just beginning to skim the surface of all the wonderful handmade items the site has to offer. Looking for beautiful letterpress stationery? You can find it on etsy. Looking for some organic cotton clothing for a new baby? You can find it on etsy. And there’s home decor and furniture galore, many of which are inherently eco-friendly because of their handmade nature. Many of the artisans on etsy use found materials like reclaimed wood or, really, whatever they have around their homes.  I love the idea that I can connect directly with the person who made an item I use to decorate my home.

Today’s Room: By reader’s choice, a stimulating eco-friendly home office under $2500!

I like to think of a home office as a space that is bright and cheerful — a place where you love to go and where its easy to get work done. This office is colorful and eclectic, and perfect for any creative home worker.

1. Kennedy Bamboo Grommet-top Panels, 48″ x 84″  |  $84/ea., $168 for 2  |  Made of 100% bamboo
2. Large Karma Vase, Mustard  |  £30 or about $55  |  Made of stoneware and hand-finished with non-toxic paints