Porcelained out? Carve your niche with an alternative sink for soaking up greener materials like certified teak, bamboo, recycled metal and glass and friendly painted ceramics. You can even experiment with poured concrete with 50% recycled fly ash, as seen in the striking orange basin by Jeremy Levine Design.

Here is a handful of other options we rounded up:

From William Garvey’s Fusion Line of handmade sinks from certified teak grown in the mixed deciduous forests of South Asia….

Tags: aluminum , art , bamboo , basins , bathrooms , ceramic , clay , craft , decor , decorating , design , eco , green , home , house , interiors , luxury , metal , poured concrete , powder rooms , recycled glass , rooms , sinks , sustainable , teak

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It’s Saturday and you know what that means!

We’ve given you a best-selling wrap dress from Mountains of the Moon and a statement necklace by muichic crafted from tagua nuts and braided hemp. Today we’re bringing you a grab at something sweet and perfect for lounging from the designer Meadow.

Made from bamboo and organic cotton with cotton twill tape as trim on the boy shorts, you can tie the top’s shoulder straps and throw a cardigan over it in colder weather or wear as a stand alone top in …

Tags: bamboo , EcoEtsy , Meadow , Mountains of the Moon , muichic , organic cotton , sustainable

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I love that designers are creating new road rules.

WWD recently printed a study saying a Mintel survey of 2,500 adults found that 54 percent said they would buy more green products. The report concluded that even in a period of reduced consumer spending, competitively priced green merchandise may do well because it stands out. Still, sustainably-focused designers realize they’re not exempt from the recession. And in an eco-pool so full of talent and expertise, is there really room for everyone to survive?

A handful of designers have some …

Tags: bamboo , Content 09' , eco-designers , NOW Showcase , organic cotton , Sustainability Across America , transparent marketing , WWD

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A short walking distance (yes people do walk occasionally at their own peril in L.A.) from the Hollywood sign, Mann Chinese Theater and Griffith Park, the Hollywood Pensione is a green boutique lodge housed in a 1915 Craftsman dwelling.

Can Hollywood glamor be paired with good eco ethics? Naturally. They go together like J-Lo and Brad Pitt. Can’t you see that duo cast in a romantic feature? Perhaps Marc and Angelina can visit the set. But if they want to stay here they better book soon. This hotel only has three guest …

Tags: bamboo , eco , eco mattress , Hollywood , lodging , organic bedding , organic wine

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True, we are still living in a material world, but cotton grown with pesticides is no longer the fabric of our lives.

The green movement is making huge strides replacing toxins and waste in the marketplace with organic fibers like bamboo and hemp, as well as good old corn starch, throw-away cork and used paper.

The brave, new soldiers of eco industry believe enough is enough when it comes to creating more waste and adding to our grossly overflowing landfills and plastic islands. Bet you do, too!

Instead, the …

Tags: bamboo , cork , corn , furniture , greenest materials , guide , hemp , how to , howto , materials , organic , PET , plastic , reference , resource , textiles , upcycled

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I say throw in the towel, as long as it’s a softy and measures up when it comes to the green ABC’s of terrycloth: Absorbency, beauty and certified organic.

Here’s s an eco stack that will dry you off in comfort and style.

Schlossberg Sensitive Towels

(shown above)

Not only are the colors yummier than Italian ices, the SENSITIVE towel by Schlossberg USA is the world’s first and only towel line to be certified “Cradle to Cradle”. Each towel is made from biodegradable ingredients (even the label, yarn and thread). Sold under the Bonjour label, you can buy …

Tags: bamboo , bath towels , beach , eco towels , organic , pool , terrycloth

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“Can you do a diatribe on dry-clean-only labels?” asked my editor friend, Tam, citing the numerous times she threw caution to the wind and hand washed a garment despite the dry-clean-only instructions.

Yes, Tam, we can do that. We at EcoSalon are here to please the frugal green crowd looking for ways to avoid high cleaning costs, as well as the toxic detergents regularly used by conventional cleaning companies.

For some answers, I turned to Karl Huie of Eco Dry Cleaners in the San Francisco Bay Area which goes by the …

Tags: bamboo , cotton , eco dry cleaners. dry clean only labels , handwashing garments , nylon , polyester , silk , wet cleaners

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The concept of letterpress first surfaced more than a thousand years ago when woodblock printing became a medium for expressing spirituality in Eastern civilizations. After Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing press, this technique evolved and became the standard method throughout the 19th century. Although less widely used today, letterpress printing has emerged again as an art form. Fortunately, there are green options.

Here’s a list of the five fabulous resources to help spread the word.

With extensive customization options, Bella Figura is a great …

Tags: bamboo , Bella Figura , Bird Dog Press , cotton , eco friendly , EcoEtsy , Julie Holcomb , letterpress , Smock , stationery , Sweet Beets

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Okay, when I threaten to send my daughters to reform school, this is not at all what I’m talking about. This fanciful emporium at 3902 Sunset Blvd. (in the hip L.A. Silverlake neighborhood) is earning major gold stars, not demerits, for its forward thinking and commitment to responsible design.

Most girls would be thrilled to go to this ReForm School, a store and web shop founded by Billie and Tootie (see below) who met in high school and dreamed of opening a retail business focusing on the four R’s: reduce, reuse, recycle …

Tags: bamboo , cotton , green business , Green home decor , hemp , organic , reclaimed wood , recycle , reduce , reuse , Silverlake , vintage pottery

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