Pretty Little Green Things

Archive for June, 2010

It’s been a busy day today so I’m just sitting down to write a post now.  The cool night air makes me want to sit outside with my computer (underneath the sailcloth umbrella of course!) and I found just the lights to light the patio that I’ll someday have.  These two lanterns are from Gaiam and feature LED lights powered by a solar panel at the top.  Gaiam says that with 4-6 hours of sunlight, they’ll glow for 6-8 hours.  I think that means they need to be in direct sunlight, not hung underneath a tree.  Regardless, these are a nice way to light your patio instead of using string lights and they save lots of energy.  I think they would look fantastic at an eco-chic outdoor party!

Photos from Gaiam

It’s still hot in New York, but thankfully it seems a lot less humid today.  It’s a great day to sit outside and enjoy a glass of lemonade.  I usually seek shadier areas so this umbrella from Sail La Vie would be perfect if I had an outdoor patio.  It’s made from recycled sailcloths and can be customized with specific letters, numbers, logos and colors.   Sail La Vie told me that many of the sails come from Johnson Boat Works, a company that was founded more than 100 years ago.   What a great way to recycle and continue an impressive history.

Here are a few more shots of their chic umbrellas

This one was featured on HGTV’s Curb Appeal

Photos from Sail La Vie

I’ve been procrastinating writing a post today, probably just because it’s so hot in New York today and my office doesn’t have great air conditioning.  Plugging in a bunch of fans is not very energy efficient either which, unfortunately, is what we’re doing.  But maybe if we had this fan, we would only need one instead of three that aren’t working well anyway.

According to Turbo-Aire, this fan “delivers 100 percent more air and is 200 percent to 300 percent more energy efficient than conventionally designed fans with comparable horsepower motors.”  And all of this without making much noise at all.  What they say is that most fans are inefficient and just push air around, which creates noise and not a lot of breeze.  The Turbo-Aire, on the other hand, provides a strong, smooth flow of air, kind of like you would imagine a  jet engine would do. And because the flow is straight, it’s much quieter.  You can read all about the aero-dynamics of this fan on Seabreeze’s website.

Personally I like the slightly retro look of the fan.  And of course, I wouldn’t mind the breeze right now either!  If you’re on the lookout for an energy efficient fan, you can buy this one at Amazon.

The traditional hotel suite is a model of inefficiency, so last year the US Green Buildings Council put out a contest to redefine how a high-performance, energy-and-resource-efficient hotel suite should look and function.  WATG & IDEO partnered up to create their version and this suite was the result.  They named it Haptik, a Greek term meaning to experience interactions because the design was based on a sense of touch.  They wanted to create a “juxtaposition between sustainability and luxury by redefining the guest experience without sacrificing either ideal.”

According to WATG, their Haptik suite features the following green elements:

• An all-off room switch based on passive infrared sensors (PIS) to make sure lights are all turned off
• Solar heat capture to warm shower water
• A graywater irrigation system that filters and recycles shower water to outdoor gardens and landscaping
• FSC wood products
• LED lighting
• Customized lighting and temperature preferences via PDA prior to arrival
• Room key doubles as bus and train passes & complementary bicycle rentals (very cool)
• Nana Wall that opens to the outdoors (this is the type of system that you see a lot of New York restaurants use in the summer)

There aren’t a ton of pictures of the suite, but WATG did do a few renderings before it was built that I’ve included.  I think it’s an interesting study of what a hotel room could be.  What do you think?

If you’re interested in seeing or reading more about this suite, you can visit WATG’s website and read more about the project here.

Photos from Interior Design.  Renderings from WATG.

I was in ABC Carpet & Home the other day and took a walk through the new Jean-Georges Vongerichten restaurant.  There has been a ton written about it so I’ll spare you the details about the amazing organic & locally sourced food.  Instead, I’m going to show you lots of pictures and tell you why it’s fabulous.

The restaurant features salvaged wood for the looring, beams and table tops.  In fact, it seems that recycling, reusing and re-purposing materials is their M.O. here.  And using local artisans too.  According to ABC Kitchen, these artisans contributed to the restaurant in the following ways:

• Handmade porcelain dinnerware by Jan Burtz
• Bread baskets handcrafted by the Mapuche people of Patagonia (okay not local, but definitely fair-trade)
• Steel and concrete installations by Eric Slayton
• Salvaged wood & steel tables by Jim Denney for ABC Home’s goodwood collection
• Venetian plaster wall & mirrors (artisans not attributed)

Another example of re-purposing materials is the bar, which was mounted on a rescued altar from a Mexican church.  I couldn’t find much more information on it than that, but here’s what it looks like.  That’s Phil Suarez, co-owner of the restaurant, in front of it.  Sorry for the teeny picture.

And more importantly, I’ll leave you with some pictures of the interior.  Enjoy and let me know what you think!

Photos from New York Magazine and ABC Carpet & Home

Nothing says summer like outdoor BBQ’s and picnic tables.  You’ll need some outdoor tables to put that food on and to go with the outdoor chairs from yesterday, so here are some of my favorite outdoor table options.

These tables are from Maku Furnishings, a company that you might remember from yesterday’s post on outdoor chairs.  Also made from sustainably harvested teak wood from Indonesia, these tables match perfectly with their chair counterparts.

No post about outdoor furniture is complete without a picnic table.  Here’s a chic version that comes in sustainably harvested Ipe wood (as shown) or recyclable polyboard.  It’s from Modern Outdoor and sold at Feel More Human.

This next dining table comes from Sutherland, which has always made gorgeous outdoor furniture made from teak.  Now they’re venturing into recycled plastic, or Ecoplex to be exact.  The Great Lakes series comes in a variety of table and chair styles as well as powder coat colors.  I apologize for the small picture.  That’s all I have for now, but I’ll be bugging them to get me better pictures.  Their furniture is sold only to the trade, however you can usually purchase it through a design center in your area.

Lastly, I’ll leave you with this super cute side table from VivaTerra.  It’s made from thick reeds found along the shore near Guatemala’s Lake Atitlan.  Mayan villagers having been using these reeds for years to create mats.  More recently, artisan Gregorio Perez began creating three-dimensional objects from these chunky reeds, so now they come to you in the form of an outdoor piece that can be used as a sturdy stool or side table.

Beautiful summer days in New York City, make me long for large open spaces, grass and patios.  While I don’t have any of those, I can buy an iced tea and live vicariously through these outdoor furniture pieces.  I’ve put together a few of my favorite outdoor chairs and loungers for you.  Now you can enjoy your icy beverage in eco style!

I have to admit that I have a secret love for Adirondack chairs.  Someday I’ll have my house on the ocean in Maine with tons of these kinds of chairs.   In the meantime, I can admire these Adirondack chairs from Loll.  They’re made of recycled plastic (or technically HPDE) and come seven different colors, many of which are as fun and bright as these two.

These chaises are also from Loll and come in the same bright colors or as shown here, neutrals.  I love the slightly faceted shape.  Throw a couple organic cotton pillows on top and this would be a perfect place for a nap – with lots of sunscreen of course!

If natural materials are more your style, here are two teak versions from Maku Furnishings.  They’re made with sustainably harvested teak wood from Indonesia from a company with a commitment to the environment.  They’re also available with or without cushions.

This lounge chair from VivaTerra is also made from sustainably harvested teak wood.  It’s their updated, outdoor version of Mies van der Rohe’s Barcelona Chair.  Very stylish!

This last chair comes from Bleu Nature, a French company from the North of France.  They comb the beaches there for driftwood and then use for their furniture.  What a gorgeous way to recycle.  And the amazing thing is that they don’t have to do anything to the driftwood, it’s already been finished and made beautiful by the ocean.

Today is the official start to summer and in New York that means lots of outdoor concerts and theater.  And what better way to enjoy the outdoors then with a picnic?  I’ve compiled some eco-chic picnic selections for you so you can look and feel good about your outing.

The start to any great picnic is a comfy throw to sit on.   Here are three gorgeous and colorful options that will help you stand out from the crowd:

This first quilt is from Plover Organic.  It’s made from 100% organic sateen and the inside is 100% organic cotton batting.
This knit ikat comes from Green With Glamour and is made from pre-consumer clippings cast off during the cut & sew process.

This last throw comes from VivaTerra.  It’s made from Indian sari remnants sewn together into a very tight blanket.

No picnic is complete without an actual basket.  Here’s an eco-friendly option from Uncommon Goods.  The basket is made from willow and includes bamboo plates, cutting board and utensils, wine glasses made from recycled glass and natural cotton napkins (not sure if that means organic or not).

Lastly, you’ll need dishes and silverware to fill your basket.  While using bamboo plates and utensils is better than plastic, it’s much better just to not throw anything away in the first place.  Here are some lightweight and reusable options for your eco-chic picnic.

These plates and glasses are from VivaTerra.  While they’re not made from recycled or organic materials, you’ll be able to use them over and over again.

Last but certainly not least, this gorgeous utensil collection comes from Merchant_4.  They’re made from acacia wood that was plantation farmed with no chemical finishes.  This set is so beautiful, I would buy it just for my house, never mind only using it for picnics.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this picnic as much as I have.  Please drop a comment and tell me what you think!

Alila Villas Uluwatu is an amazing luxury resort in Bali that just opened about a year ago.  Designed by WOHA, a Singapore based architectural firm with a commitment to the environment, it includes clusters of private villas, pools, gardens, restaurants and a spa, all perched above the Indian Ocean a top limestone cliffs (sounds nice, huh?  Wish I was there right now!).   Traditional materials and building techniques were used to allude to the rich Bali culture and heritage, but all done in a very modern way.    What I love the best is that they’ve blurred the lines between indoors and out so that you really feel a connection to the environment.

Here are a few eco facts for you according the WOHA:

• Alila Villas Uluwatu is on track to achieve Green Globe design and build accreditation, a certification system for sustainable hotel management and operations.
• Use of local materials throughout the resort
• Use of local plants from the Bali Savannah ecosystem which saves on water consumption and encourages local bird and animal life
• Water conservation with rain gardens and gray water systems
• Use of heat pumps for water heating
• Use of salt water pools (no chlorine!)

I could go on, but I’ll let the pictures speak for themselves (and there are quite a few!).  If you want to know more about the project, make sure to visit the website for Alila Villas Uluwatu.  Enjoy!



















Photos from Alila Hotels & Resorts

I have to admit a weakness for anything sparkly or green and these two light fixtures from TOKENnyc definitely fit the bill.  TOKEN developed the GreenLight fixture for XDESIGN, an Environmental Health Clinic in Brooklyn.  I think it combines the best of light and greenery and improves both.  According to TOKEN, “This lighting product diffuses light by coupling to photosynthetic processes. Planting strategies can be specified to address particular indoor air quality issues including VOC, benzene and formaldehyde removal.”  Indoor air quality is a huge factor in interior design and it’s wonderful to see manufacturers combining aesthetics with health.  What a perfect fixture for city dwellers!

What this second light fixture is lacking in greenery, it definitely makes up in sparkle.  The Bell Kelp fixture is hand-blown in Brooklyn from partially recycled glass and finished with traditional gilding.  Recycled content, made locally and and if you use CFLs, you’ll save energy too!  What’s not to love?

I have to admit that I’m in love with these fixtures.  How chic would a bunch of these look hanging over a dining table in a charcoal grey room?  Where would you put them?



Photos from TOKENnyc