Make home a green zone
Décor items to keep your house an eco-friendly one
ROUNDUP. It used to be that if you composted your garbage and only wore hemp, you were a hippie. But with global environmental concerns growing by the minute, this approach to daily living is now proving to be smarter than was originally given credit. As city dwellers, a smelly heap of decomposing orange peels is not so realistic, but here are some things you can do to be more Earth-conscious.
Bamboo for you
One of the quickest renewable wood-producing plants on the planet, bamboo has always been chic, but in recent years, it has become even more attractive as a greener alternative to other kinds of timber. Design collective Modern Bamboo offers a small range of uniquely constructed furniture using both bamboo and reclaimed wood. We love the multifunctional Becca stool, designed by Anthony Marschak. The company also provides custom design and build services using bamboo and original timber slabs.
Modern Bamboo Becca Stool, $590-$610
www.modernbamboo.com
Mood lighting
Lighting control is one of the easiest ways to save energy. A compact fluorescent lightbulb, which, according to ENERGY STA, uses 75 percent less energy than an incandescent bulb and last 10 times longer, is one small step toward big savings. But for something more sophisticated, try Lutron Electronic’s AuroRa wireless lighting control system, which is preprogrammed and provides remote control of five areas of lighting throughout your home. Easy to install, AuroRa replaces five switches in your apartment with dimmers, which are then operated via a tabletop master control, a wireless controller or from individual wall dimmers — a solution that can save you up to 40 percent on your electricity bill.
Lutron Electronic AuroRa system, prices vary per retailer
www.lutron.com
Between the sheets
Rawganique offers one of the most comprehensive selections of certified organic cotton and hemp products on the Web. Among the Earth-friendly products are custom-made organic cotton sheets, all notable for being “certified organic, unbleached, undyed and processed without any chemicals whatsoever,” according to the company’s founders. Choose from cotton sateen, damask, organic hemp and cotton flannel in five colors.
Rawganique organic cotton sheets, $169-$306
www.rawganique.com
DIY paper palace
Labeena Ishaque, interior designer and author of the new creative compendium “The Paper Home: Side Tables, Clocks, Bowls, and Other Home Projects Made from Paper” (Potter Craft, $22), takes an innovative approach to green home decor. Using encouraging language and big, beautiful photo illustrations, Ishaque gives step-by-step instructions on creating bowls out of newspaper, clocks out of corrugated card board, mobiles with paper cranes and a host of other intriguing projects that could be fun to get lost in on a lazy Sunday afternoon.
Little vac that could
Everyday vacuum cleaners are not particularly known for being kind to the environment, but Bissell is tackling with its latest sucker, the Little Green Vacuum. The multipurpose cleaner has been manufactured with PVC-free tanks and a hose and has parts made from 100 percent post-consumer recycled plastic. The Little Green's carton has a minimum of 75 percent recycled corrugated packaging, so there are no Styrofoam or PVC inserts and is small and completely recyclable. The biggest bonus? The deep cleaner uses Earth-friendly formulas that contain no heavy metals or optical brighteners and are free of phosphate and dyes.
Bissell Little Green Vacuum, $75
www.bissell.com