Putting together the eco-friendly man cave for the Green Rooms in a Box series the other day reminded me of two things:

1. How much I love my husband, because I really want to give him a room like that when we have our own home, and
2. How integral our electronic toys are in our everyday lives

Most interior designers worth their fee will tell you that your TV shouldn’t be the focal point of any room. But the fact of the matter is, that way of thinking is a bit outdated. These days, TVs, stereos and other electronics are a big part of our lives, and it’s not always possible to hide them for the sake of a beautiful, magazine-cover ready home. So you have a couple of options. You can hide that big-screen TV behind a piece of art or a folding screen, or you can buy your electronics with aesthetics (and of course the Earth) in mind, so you don’t have to hide them.

I’ll try to present you with more options for beautiful electronics here at Green Your Decor, since it’s unlikely we’ll all forgo our TVs and computers when decorating. These speakers from Pioneer Electronics are a great example of beauty and Earth-friendliness. The speaker boxes are made from reclaimed oak whiskey barrels. Soaking the wood in whiskey gives the speakers a beautiful oak patina and, apparently, a deep, mellow tone. This may sound like nothing more than a gimmicky claim, but all the tech reviews I found claimed there was a noticeable improvement in sound quality over traditional speakers.

I know my husband would get a kick out of knowing where the speaker boxes came from. Of course, if you like building things and happen to have some oak whiskey barrels laying around, you could probably make these speaker boxes yourself. But since neither of those applies to me, I’d consider these a great buy, perfect for a music lover.

Why It’s Green:

• Speaker boxes made from reclaimed oak whiskey barrels

Price: $299/ea.

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I have a secret. I hate vacuuming. It is easily one of my least-favorite chores, second only to cleaning the bathroom. I do both, of course, because they need to be done, but I rarely go about it happily. I hate lugging a heavy vacuum around from room to room hoping that the cord will be long enough to reach everywhere without having to switch outlets. It’s just not a fun chore for me. So when Dirt Devil contacted me about their Accucharge cordless stick vac that is also ENERGY STAR approved, I jumped at the chance. After all, a well-decorated home is a clean, well-kept home.

The Accucharge is very lightweight at less than 6 lbs. Just how light is that in real life terms? My 3-year-old uses and lifts it without breaking a sweat. In fact, she wants to vacuum all the time now because it is so easy to use. The cordless, rechargeable feature is easily my favorite. There’s no long cord to lug around, and it’s so small and light that you can literally take it to any room, get under the bed, under tables, etc. with little effort. And it works on carpet as well as bare floors with the flip of a switch. I haven’t used it on bare floors much, but it does a great job on carpet. Not exactly a deep cleaning, but for everyday spills, crumbs, hair, etc., it’s very reliable.

It sits on a charging stand when not in use. You could choose to put it away, but then you’d have to charge it before using it again. The Accucharge is ENERGY STAR approved, meaning that it uses 70% less power than comparable vacs. I was a little skeptical about this since it does sit on the charger while not in use and could very well be using phantom power. However, it apparently has an unseen feature that monitors the power supply. When it is fully charged, the charging unit is designed to vastly reduce power usage. I like the sound of that, but I still wasn’t convinced, so I unplug the unit when I’m not using it and plug it in about a half hour before I need to vacuum.

It provides pretty good suction for a unit of its size. It is very small and will take up only a little more space than your regular broom. And although I have never used this feature, the handle also folds down to allow storage in a smaller space. But speaking of size, that brings me to a couple of issues I have with the Accucharge.

The size of the dirt canister is tiny. The unit sucks dirt up in a cyclone motion that you can see when you’re using it. This results in a swirly pile of dirt that fills up the unit very quickly. I don’t mind emptying once in a while, because the canister is very easy to remove and replace. But if I were trying to vacuum the entire living room and hallway, I could easily imagine having to empty it at least twice. I would have provided my own photos of it in use, but my camera batteries died on me. Guess I need to recharge them too

My second issue is that the charge doesn’t last terribly long. I thought maybe the charge was running out quickly because I wasn’t letting the unit charge long enough before using it. One day, I left it plugged in all morning with plans to use it in the late afternoon. It didn’t make a difference. I was vacuuming only the visible floor area in our small bedroom. The batteries didn’t die completely, but after about 10 minutes, the suction power was considerably reduced. I was able to finish the job, but it took several passes over the same spot once the battery began to lose power.

Lastly, although I certainly appreciate the ENERGY STAR rating, that alone does not a green product make. Maybe the case could have been made of recycled plastic or even corn plastic, or the filters could be biodegradable. One step towards sustainability is definitely a step in the right direction, but I would definitely like to see the next generation of this product take the green commitment a lot further.

Overall, I have to say I still really like the Accucharge. It has become a trusted part of our household cleaning regimen. We use it at least two to three times a week. It has almost completely replaced our full-sized vaccuum, which we now use only about once a month or if there is a really heavy-duty job (like a picture glass frame breaking on the carpet). The Accucharge handles everyday messes with ease, and it actually works well on area rugs without shifting the entire rug. I love the fact that it is cordless and that my daughter loves to use it. Because of this, I may be able to give it up on vacuuming completely and let her take over that chore.

If you ask me, that alone makes it a winner!

Why It’s Green:

• ENERGY STAR approved

Price: $65.99

© 2008-2011 Green Your Decor. Do not republish any items from this feed without permission.

One of the things I’ve been looking to focus on more here at Green Your Decor is technology. Gone are the days when interior designers could create a room completely devoid of TVs or computers of any kind. They are an integral part of our lives and often, an integral part of our decor. So as Green Your Decor continues, I will present you with some technology options that are both stylish and green, so you don’t feel like you have to hide your computer/TV/gadgets for the sake of a well-designed room.

The first product in this category is a product that I have used and absolutely, positively love. The (re)Drive from SimpleTech by Fabrik is a beautiful, eco-friendly 500 GB external hard drive that you would be proud to display on your desk. Mine is right at home next to my Dell Studio Hybrid PC, a green computer I will be reviewing later thanks to my participation in the ElevenMoms group. You can see my setup in the photo below.

The {re}Drive case is made of sustainable bamboo and reinforced aluminum with up to 30% recycled content, which is fully recyclable. The bamboo case makes it quite a statement in style, and it also means that the drive doesn’t get hot, which is a big deal for a drive with such an impressive amount of storage. With 500GB, instead of having to delete digital photos when your camera’s memory card gets full, you can simply archive them.

What I also love is that the (re)Drive doesn’t start using any power until it is plugged into both your computer and an electrical outlet, so turning it off is as simple as unplugging it from your computer. This makes it more energy-efficient, and the Energy Star power adapter increases that efficiency. Personally, I don’t want to have to think about the ghost power all my electronics are drawing when they are not in use, so this is a great feature and one I have relied on quite a bit.

Another great feature that has served me well is that it is both Mac and PC compatible — absolutely a must since I have one of each. You literally just plug it in to an available USB port on your computer and it works. If you have a Turbo USB port, the drive will be even faster than it already is. Even with a regular USB port, it took me a matter of a few short hours to transfer all of my huge graphic design files from the 5 or 6 jump drives where they had been housed to a well-organized archive folder on the [re]Drive. Now, all — and I mean ALL — of my files are in one place, which makes for a more organized desk for me.

And even the packaging is eco-friendly. I kept the box it came in knowing that we will likely be moving into our own space in a few months (we’re living with family now), but there is no styrofoam. The outer box and cushion packaging are both made of recyclable cardboard, although the drive itself was in a plastic bag marked #4 recyclable. Many stores like Kroger and Walmart will allow you to recycle plastic bags, so it is no-waste packaging. Add to that free online storage (which I haven’t tried yet) and unlimited tech support, and you’ve got a winner.

I absolutely love this drive, and it is proof that no matter what product you are looking to buy, you can find a greener alternative. Anyone who has a computer could use an external hard drive. If you’d like to give one as a , and this one would be a tech-friendly way to introduce them to green living.

Why It’s Green:

• Made of bamboo and aluminum with up to 30% recycled content that is also recyclable
• Doesn’t emit wasted energy in the form of heat
• Power-saving system only powers on when plugged into both your computer and an outlet
• Energy Star adapter requires up to 90% less energy than comparable drives

Price: $139.99

WANT TO WIN ONE?

The team at Fabrik has offered up a (re)Drive for one lucky reader of GreenYourDecor. Trust me when I tell you this is one prize you WANT to win. So how do you do that? Visit the SimpleTech website, then come back here and leave a comment about something you liked or learned. Do this by 11:59 p.m. EST on Tuesday, December 16, 2008 to enter.

Want to enter more than once? Boost your chances of winning by completing one or more of the tasks on this list. Please leave a separate comment for each entry:

1. If you haven’t already, sign up for Green Your Decor’s email updates by 11:59 p.m. EST on Tuesday, December 16, 2008. You must verify your email subscription to be eligible. After you sign up, FeedBurner will send you a verification email. Please do not ignore it — your entry will be invalid if you do not verify. All current subscribers are eligible to win. And there’s no need to leave a comment letting me know you subscribe by email. I’ll know you’re a subscriber
2. If you’d prefer to receive your updates via RSS, sign up for the GYD feed. Then please leave a comment letting me know that you’ve done so, and be sure to include your email address. RSS subscribers are anonymous otherwise.
3. Blog about GreenYourDecor.com and post a link to your blog entry here.
4. Stumble or give a thumbs up to any page at GreenYourDecor.com via StumbleUpon and post a link to your SU profile to verify your thumbs up.

So that means every participant can receive up to 5 entries. You have until 11:59 p.m. EST on Tuesday, December 16, 2008, to enter. A winner will be chosen via Random.org and contacted via email. Good luck everyone!

© 2008-2011 Green Your Decor. Do not republish any items from this feed without permission.

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.

One of the major reasons we all want non-toxic products is to make sure that the air inside our homes is cleaner than the air outside, which we have less control over.  As such, an air purifier is a great product to own. This particular purifier, the AirPod (I know, I know…it looks and sounds like iPod) is one that will allow you to breathe cleaner air without sacrificing style.

The folks at Blue Air were kind enough to send me an AirPod to test.  Before I tell you what I think of it, let me mention a very specific fact about this purifier: It is meant to be used in small, personal spaces, up to about 5′ x 6′. In other words, this isn’t mean to be used in your living room or kitchen. It is best suited for use in a confined area, like right next to your bed, on your desk in an office or in a small bathroom. It is also meant to be portable.

Keeping this in mind, I put my AirPod on my dresser very close to my bed. This wasn’t an issue for my decor either, because of the sleek design and the gorgeous black and white damask pattern printed on the filter.  In fact, it added a little pop on my dresser without adding clutter, and actually wound up serving as a sort of barrier between my husband’s side and my side.

It is very simple to put together and very quiet. Of course, you’ll notice the low hum when you first turn it on, but it quickly became background noise and I didn’t even hear it any more.

Without sophisticated tests, it can be hard to tell how effective an air purifier is. But I can tell you this: After using it for a few days, I noticed that my nose wasn’t nearly as dry when I woke up in the morning. And my husband, who has a some breathing issues, wasn’t coughing as much, particularly throughout the night.  The air in the room also smelled fresher. Not sweet or fragrant, but rather the absence of smell — and I think that’s a good thing.

So my final verdict on the AirPod is that it is a good option for smaller spaces, but its effectiveness would be severely diluted if you tried to you use it in a larger room. For the savvy decorators I know all of you are, the filter is available in 5 colors and patterns, you its likely you’ll find one that works in your space. It is recommended that you replace the filter at least once every 6 months, so if the filter you chose isn’t working for you, try a different pattern next time around.  You can get 2 filters in the patter of your choice for $59.95.

Why It’s Green:

• According to BlueAir, it uses approximately 60% less material to manufacture and 50% less packaging than other comparable purifiers
• Runs on less than five watts of power. Comparable units require 40 watts
• No chemicals are used on the filter or elsewhere and no ozone by-products are released from the unit
• All components and the packaging are recyclable

Price: $79.95

Want to win one?

Like the headline says, one luck reader will get to clean their air in style. BlueAir generously sent me a second AirPod with a black and white damask filter to give away.  All you have to do is visit the BlueAir website. Come back here and leave a comment about your favorite filter style and where you would use the AirPod if you won. Comments like “I’d love to win this,” “Great giveaway” or “Please pick me!” will be deleted. Leave your comment by 11:59 p.m. EST on Friday, September 5, 2008.

Want to enter more than once? Boost your chances of winning by completing one or more of the tasks on this list.

1. If you haven’t already, sign up for the Green Your Decor newsletter by Monday, September 1, 2008. You must verify your email subscription to be eligible. After you sign up, FeedBurner will send you a verification email. Please do not ignore it — your entry will be invalid if you do not verify. All current subscribers are eligible to win. And there’s no need to leave a comment letting me know you subscribe by email. I’ll know you’re a subscriber
2. If you’d prefer to receive your updates via RSS, sign up for the GYD feed. Then please leave a comment letting me know that you’ve done so, and be sure to include your email address. RSS subscribers are anonymous otherwise.
3. Blog about GreenYourDecor.com and post a link to your blog entry here.
4. Stumble or give a thumbs up to any page at GreenYourDecor.com via StumbleUpon and post a link to your SU profile to verify your thumbs up.

So that means every participant can receive up to 5 entries. You have until 11:59 p.m. EST on Friday, September 5, 2008, to enter. U.S. and Canada mailing addresses only. A winner will be chosen via Random.org and announced here, and the winner will be contacted via email. Good luck everyone. And don’t forget, you have until September 1 to enter the SusyJack eco-wall art giveaway!

© 2008-2011 Green Your Decor. Do not republish any items from this feed without permission.

I’ll say upfront that I know this product isn’t practical, or even necessary. But how cool would it be to have this on display in your living room?! This fully functional radio will let you listen to the sounds of nature. Well…not really. But because of its sustainable construction, you’ll be able to feel like you’re listening to Mother Earth herself.  Designer Singgih Kartono set out to create a product that would allow Indonesian artisans to have a sustainable form of income beyond making cheap souvenirs — one that was sustainable and socially beneficial.

I know…it looks a little ancient. While I think that’s part of its charm, don’t be fooled by its retro appearance. It does play AM/FM and two shortwave bands, but it is also MP3 ready, so connect your iPod and get to dancing!

Why It’s Green:

• Handmade by Indonesian carpenters in areas with high unemployment
• Case made of sustainably harvested wood

Price: $250 (aff)

© 2008-2011 Green Your Decor. Do not republish any items from this feed without permission.

A few weeks ago, I offered a simple, eco-chic decorating tip: Use Vintage Furniture. As it turns out, there are lots of other home decor products that have stood the test of time and can be restored and/or repurposed to fit right in with our modern lifestyles.  And this Sixties Style Restored Phone from Uncommon Goods is a perfect example. I’ll start with the disclaimer that it is sold out, but I wanted to feature it simply for inspiration.

It is a relic straight from the days when Kennedy was president — in other words, well before my time. It is an actual Siemens telephone model from the 1960s that has been restored by hand. Essentially, the shell of the phone is all original, but the microphone and other internal parts take advantage of more sophisticated modern technology. And the chic baby blue color makes it a great fit for a bedroom decorated in vintage Hollywood glam style, a whimsical teen room or an eclectic office.

My mother actually still owns one of these old-school rotary style phones. This makes it very tempting to find someone to restore it. I don’t know about you, but if I can make my phone an integral part of my decor instead of blending into the background, I’d like to jump at the chance.  If you’re willing to do the legwork to find one of these relics at a local antique shop or yard sale, here’s your chance to do the same.

Why It’s Green:

• Restoring vintage objects reduces the demand for and the need to manufacture new products

Price: Whatever it costs you to find your own phone to restore.

© 2008-2011 Green Your Decor. Do not republish any items from this feed without permission.

This easily qualifies as one of my coolest, most unique finds in recent weeks. This one is for all of the eco-conscious music lovers and iPod owners out there (and I am among them). This gorgeous hand-crafted speaker system will take your iPod along for the green ride. The Vers 2X is sustainably designed using wood from plantation sources, energy efficient electronic components and comes in 100% recycled packaging. And as a sweet bonus, you will get a $15 iTunes gift card for purchasing it. It will play and charge just about every iPod model, including iPod touch and iPhone, and it comes with a remote. What more can you ask for?

Why It’s Green:

• – Uses plantation-grown wood
• – Includes energy efficient electronic components
• – Packaged in 100% recycled packaging

Price: $148.50

© 2008-2011 Green Your Decor. Do not republish any items from this feed without permission.