Hot Reclaimed and Recycled Materials!

If you have a weak spot for reused, reclaimed, and recycled in architecture and interior design, you have to check these out!

• The M + E Collection from EcoDomo is made entirely with recycled materials, blending stones, glass and recycled leather - the Recycled Leather is made from leather scraps taken from tanneries which produce leather for car seats and others.

• The free form, organic design of each Bear Creek Glass handcrafted ocean bowl makes it a spectacular focal point for any bath. 100% recycled glass.

• A warm, rustic and very hip way to serve up a compact fluorescent (or incandescent, your choice). Laser cut steel over mica. Made by Eleek from recycled steel square bar stem and 100% recycled cast aluminum canopy, shade rings.

• Mirai collection was designed by Matteo Leoni for Warisan. Fully built in Recycled Teak wood, derived from demolished old houses, bridges, phone posts, etc. The line features 2 beds, nighstands, drawer's chest, as well as desks, bookshelf, sofas , coffee tables & outdoor items.

• These Asian Art Imports palm lamps are made from recycled palmwood. The heights range from 4' to 7' tall. Each piece possesses an individual character.

• The Debris Series Recycled Ceramic Tile features over 112 glaze colors, contains over 60% recycled materials, and is made by Fireclay in their U.S. Northern California sustainable factory, creating one of the most beautiful, sustainable ceramic products on the market.

• Custom made lighting by Function + Art - variable options: size, finish, glass drop length, ceiling or wall mount. Made from recycled steel and glass.

DIY Eco Storage Ideas

You might have scoured the internet for Eco-friendly storage options only to find that they are scarce and often pricey. Fear not, if you are handy you can reuse some common 'useless' items to make your own storage containers. Of course, these are just a few ideas - use your imagination and your local salvage yard to come up with even more creative options!

Large Capacity Recycling: Are your recycling containers so small you have to empty them nearly every day? If you have the space, make a container out of some used burlap bags. You can get some free or at very low cost from your local coffee roaster. Just make a frame out of 2x4s and place the bag in the middle, roll the edges over the frame and secure them with large tacks.

Under Bed Storage: I have come across many old dressers that are just too ugly to be placed in a visible space in the house. Often though, they are very well made. Sometimes out of sturdy and high quality hardwood. Find a new use for old dresser drawers by attaching some casters to the bottom and "voila!" - you've got yourself plenty of under bed storage. Great for dorm rooms by the way!

Bedding Storage: Use an old wine barrel with lots of character to create a unique storage space for extra pillows, comforters, and bedding. Just make sure it is clean and use an old sheet to make a liner bag. Easy as that!

General Organization: Give new life to old wooden crates by creating a fabric liner that will prevent things from falling out. A myriad of things can be stored in these. Organize your craft room, your kids' art supplies, or the glass jar collection (you know, the ones you don't want to recycle just yet because you keep thinking you'll find a use for them).

Storage for the Small Things: You know what I am talking about. The small things you find all over your house that do not have a place of their own. The greeting cards from friends, the tape and scissors, pens and pencils... Just use some old shoe boxes and cover them in fabric, there is no end to the possibilities!

Ecotourism: Vermont Green Hotel

Park Light Inn located in Chester, VT offers Ecotourism packages and also has great winter specials. This green inn adheres to socially and ecologically responsible practices. Here is a list of some of their environmentally friendly commitments:

Carbon free reservations:	Carbon free reservation system conserves energy and dramatically reduces paper consumption and waste.
Organic Amenity Products:	Guests are pampered with quality organic/vegan amenity productions including those from Vermont Soapworks.
Towel/Linen Care Program:	Voluntary participation by guests reduces water waste and unnecessary detergent use.
Cleaning Supplies:	Facilities are cleaned utilizing environmentally friendly, biodegradable cleaning products and sanitizing processes.
Recycled Paper:	Where ever possible we utilize and provide for our guests recycled paper products.
Reduce, Recycle, Reuse Policy:	Active recycling programs address glass, bottles, newspaper, cardboard, and paper products, etc. Cloth napkins, glasses, real china and silver service are readily available to guests 24 hours – even for picnic baskets, eliminating the need for “disposables.”
Plastic reduction / elimination	As opposed to bottled water, personal bedside pitchers and tumblers are provided for each guest, for use with finest Vermont water. You will find only real silver, no plastic utensils.
Energy Conservation:	In addition to low-flow toilets and faucets, over 100 Compact Florescent Lamps CFL's are presently in use at the Park Light Inn. 1.6 GPM shower heads provide exhilarating shower experience while saving water.
In-room recycling bins:	Guests are encouraged to participate by utilizing the convenient recycling containers placed in each room/suite. A full sized recycling sort station is also conveniently located and accessible to all guests/visitors. A full sized recycling station is located off the stone patio.
Local/Organic Refreshments:	Our coffees are locally roasted, decaf is chemical free water processed. We are actively working with our service providers to increase organic and fair trade selections of beverages and snacks.
Donation programs:	Magazines and items/furnishings no longer needed ( but in good condition ), are donated to local charities.
Energy Star:	Energy Star appliances are found throughout including LCD flat-screen TVs in guest suites.
Automobile Free Travel:	Shuttle and guided tour service year round.
Renewable Energy	A collaboration wth CVPS allows the inn to provide a portion of it's energy using COW POWER – which is not only a sustainable energy source, the program supports Vermont Farmers.

Their Winter Wonderland Romance Package includes: thee days/two nights lodging (minimum), refreshments upon arrival, a three course gourmet breakfast, one candlelight dinner served prepared by your own personal chef, snowshoeing at the ponds, and a private horse drawn sleigh ride (holiday blackouts apply) starting at $289 per person.

Green Design: recycled homes

One of the ways to be more environmentally sensitive is to recycle what you would normally throw out or what someone else does not need into a new functional object. We do it all the time anyway, but perhaps not on a grand scale. For example, you might reuse a paper bag to cover a textbook or the glass jam jar to make pickled cucumbers. But some people spend all their time and energy just coming up with new ways to use something that would otherwise go to waste.

You might have noticed some Ikea products that are made from 'waste' materials, like the rocking chair out of banana peels for example. How about a whole house made from reused and recycled materials? Pictured above is a house that is made from disposed materials of Boston's Big Dig (yeah, your tax dollars at work). While 4,300 square feet can hardly be considered sustainable, it does demonstrate the possibility of luxury, comfort, and spaciousness, even from reused waste materials. I prefer a more modest approach that creates a living space sized to live modestly but comfortably. An example would be the Eco Label House, made from waste rice husk and recycled polymer. At a modest 500 square feet it is still bigger than a very comfortable one bedroom apartment that I lived in for a year. Great for newlyweds, bachelors, and retires. They also have a 1, 000 square foot design for those of us with kids. This one, unfortunately, is only suitable for warm climates, and they would never ship it outside of southeast Asia.



I am personally a fan of shipping container homes springing up all over Europe, and recently migrating here to the US. These homes can range from very modest prefab to luxury with the involvement of an architect. Just a little creativity and you can design it in a way that nobody would know it is a shipping container, or you can make it evident like in the photo above.