Nature and her many uses! Crafted from salvaged tree limbs that had been discarded as waste, the Timber Block stool was made with the lush environment it reflects in mind. A natural look with smoothed surfaces makes this piece the perfect accent to achieve a rugged yet refined appeal - and I can think of a million ways to use it (end table, door stop for the door you never close, seating, magazine display...). If you’re looking for items with a similar style, take a look at the Tree Slice Table we recently blogged about. (Available at sponsor VivaTerra for $369.)

Sara’s shameless plug: Hi, it’s your editor. De-lurk, dear reader, and leave this fabulous writer a comment. (We love chatting.) You can also share this post with friends – just click your favorite social bookmark listed below. New reader? Be sure to sign up for the weekly newsletter to win free eco goodies! You can also subscribe to any RSS feed your heart desires.

I’m all about sitting. I’m a mover and a shaker when the occasion requires, but when it’s time to call it quits I bet my butt finds a chair before yours.

How can I be so sure? Because I was master of musical chairs in kindergarten. I would somehow throw my little body into place just as the music stopped. Ok, I may have pushed or shoved a bit but I never left a bruise.

As you might imagine, I don’t play musical chairs much these days, but I do appreciate a good eco-chair when I see one. Check out this round up of funky, edgy designs:

Once a Door is a beautifully proportioned chaise lounge made from a reclaimed timber door - get it? British artist Claire Danthois cleverly creates wood furniture and names it after whatever it used to be in its first lifetime. Once a Ladder, Once a Gate, Grandma’s Bed, for example. She is currently working by commission only. Contact the artist for prices and more information.

Another eco-wonderful eye-catching chair is Stomach, designed by Bannavis Andrew Sribyatta for PIE. This bamboo beauty is sexy and simply stunning, as well as green. It measures 26.5” deep x 21” wide x 26.5” high and is available for $1,200 at vivavi.

This next eco-chair is oddly alluring - I couldn’t resist it. It’s called Inkuku (Zulu for chicken) and was designed by Ryan Frank, a South African now living and working in London. Inkuku is made from - are you sitting down? - plastic shopping bags and recycled aluminum. It might be a bit noisy to sit on, but more than likely it’s comfortable and definitely a conversation piece. Email the designer for prices and more information.

On a more conventional note, the Hollow Dining Chair by Brave Space Design is an eco-seat worth every eco-penny. It’s made of solid bamboo (amber and natural) and features a hollow storage space below the seat. It may be difficult to appreciate the elegant details from a picture - the shaped version features ergonomic cutouts in the seat and back with a contrasting grain direction in the bamboo. This style is available for $900; the flat seat and back version is $650.

Last but definitely not eco-least is the Droog Rag Chair by Tejo Remy for Droog Design. It may have been designed 1993, but this chair is as hot today as it was 15 years ago. Why? Because green isn’t trendy and eco isn’t going out of style. The concept is quite simple - the Rag Chair is made of rags. Recycle your own discarded clothes or rags to be included in the design, and get yourself a unique, personal piece to last a lifetime. $5,500 at greenergrassdesign.

Maybe it’s the way they can make or break a room, like the way the perfect accessory can pull together an outfit. Or maybe the whys don’t matter as much as the facts.

Eco-lighting is front-page news and everyone who’s anyone is making the switch to green. For your viewing pleasure, I’ve gathered a cutting edge list of green lighting fixtures. It’s amazing what designers dream up and build out of life’s scraps, like recycled paper, metal and glass, reclaimed wood and sustainable bamboo. There’s literally an eco-light for every style and occasion.

EcoSalon Guide to Eco Lighting (from top; left to right):

Red, yellow, Go. For the minimalist, there’s the Stoplights line of fixtures from Greenlight Concepts. Details here.

I love the clever Honeycomb Lamp designed by Kouichi Okamoto. Made of Japanese denguri paper, it measures 18” x 12”. This eco-lamp arrives flat-packed. Buy it for $52 at a number of online stores.

The Zooey mini chandelier by Amy Adams is perfect in a kitchen or kid's room. Its four hanging 4” ceramic balls cluster together to create this pendant, available in 7 gorgeous colors for $480. Amy’s ceramic is eco-friendly and manufactured at Perch. Details here.

Blue Marmalade, a Scottish company committed to sustainable design, has created Bloom, a pendant shade made from a single sheet of recyclable material. The simplicity of this design is evident in its graceful shape and light weight. It was made specifically for energy saving bulbs. $70 at TheGreenHaus.

Can cardboard be pretty? Graypants thought so when they designed their Scrap Lights out of recycled cardboard boxes. Each one is unique and hand-made. Details here.

Recycled white paper is used to create the Cloud Lamp Shade, designed by Yu Jordy Fu. Sustainable, simple and feminine, these are a definite favorite of mine. Shipped flat-pack, with an energy saving light bulb, available in five designs. $175-$500 (via productdose).

Benjamin Hubert uses reclaimed Styrofoam for his playful Candy Lamps and Twisted Floor Lamp. Details here. Take my word, Hubert is a hot British designer to watch!

Another minimalist design that offers versatility and allows for a longer product life span (two eco-ideas that we love!) is the LXL Lamp designed by Jaime Salm. The pendant is offered as a set of components that can be inter-changed to make it larger and/or change colors. Made in the U.S. from locally sourced materials. $195 at Mio.

If modern and understated is more your style, try the Nautilus designed by Rebecca Asquith of New Zealand. Details here.

Check out this 2006 Spectacle Chandelier from Stuart Haygarth. It’s made with several layers of plastic-framed spectacles linked together. Call me crazy, but I adore it. The price tag? You guessed it - available upon request.

The Chandelirium by ARTae (Aaron R. Thomas and Anne Ewen). Each pendant is hand-made of reclaimed clear and white acrylic strips and measures approximate 30” H x 20” W (or commission a specific size). It is available for a hefty $2,950 at artc, but what an impact it would make in a high-ceilinged living room!

What to do with Grandma’s out-of-date teacups? Domestic Construction made a chandelier (Ted Lights) out of theirs - I adore the cluster version. At fist it seemed too kitschy but it definitely has grown on me (via poppytalk).

Jerry Kott creates “hybrid bottles” out of empty wine bottles that he cuts, frosts and pieces back together again. He then turns them into his re-lights of various sizes, shapes and colors - mystical and organic in nature. Available in three designs, one of which holds an eco-efficient tubular compact fluorescent bulb. $126-$490.

And, because I can't pass up the opportunity to showcase something extraordinary and extravagant, here are my over-the-top picks: 

I’m in deep like with Hudson Furniture’s dining tables and benches, and I must spread the love to their lighting. Any of these Hudson fixtures could light my room and I’d be one eco-happy chica. Breathtaking in beauty as well as in price. Details here.

If all else fails, eco-light your room with illuminated wallpaper. Well, I hope we can, because this concept truly amazes me! Learn more about Jonas Samson’s innovative design.

And finally, what do you think about these cocoon mesh lights by UK artist Julie Roberts? They look awfully difficult to dust, but they are eco - and definitely over the top!

That sums it up - my cutting edge collection of eco-lights. What lights your fire?

I have a confession to make. Recycled cardboard gets me all hot and bothered. I mean this in the greenest, most eco-friendly kind of way.

It occurred to me recently when I stumbled upon these amazing pendants - appropriately called scrap lights - designed and hand-made out of repurposed cardboard boxes by two guys in Seattle who call themselves graypants (a.k.a. Seth and Jon).

Architects by trade, their passion seems to be making stuff out of scraps - of newspapers, plywood and cardboard boxes. Hot.


Each scrap light is unique and available in a variety of sizes, priced from $135 to $325. To order, call 206-409-5316 or email. Their online store should be up and running by mid-June.

If the lights aren’t enough hot for you, check out their scrap table. The prototype was constructed out of recycled cardboard, followed by a version made of layered plywood scraps. I love its elegant, curved form - trés cool from every angle. It’s a single, unique piece (and available for purchase). More importantly, it’s a great example of cutting edge designers experimenting with eco-materials.

Imagine reading your favorite new novel, with the daylight shimmering in through your window and the vista of the woods beyond; you lean back against a stack of squishy velvet pillows on a comfortable wooden bench, with a cashmere throw to keep you warm.

Say no more: I'm already there. The Inlaid Antique Teak bench is the accent piece of your dreams. Hand-crafted from aged, reclaimed teak planks, this stunning bench will make a gorgeous centerpiece for your relaxation zone. Its dark hues emit an aura of warmth and comfort that will help to soothe away the stress of a busy week. (Available at sponsor VivaTerra for $695.)

Recently we've spotted a new trend in eco-chic decor. Let's call it Things That Make You Slightly Uneasy. (Like this, for example).

The latest items to raise the hairs on the back of your neck are those of the Witches' Kitchenware range. No doubt about it - the sustainable two-tone Guatemalan wood looks gorgeous, and reaffirms my belief that plastic kitchen utensils are thoroughly last-century. But....it's the prongs, the spikes, the tangs. The dagger. There's also a gorgeous-looking cauldron - sorry, casserole dish, and a set of witch-inspired gloves and aprons.


If you're happy with feeling like your kitchen belongs in the world of a certain boy-wizard (or, more likely, if young children have out-voted you on this matter), keep an eye on Artecnica's site - they seem to be looking for a new distributor at the moment. And when you're equipped, you could even try out a few "authentic" recipes from Kate West's book here.

(Disclaimer: Ecosalon does not take any responsibility for anyone accidentally being turned into a toad. Thank you).

Images: Artecnica

Sara’s shameless plug: Hi, it’s your editor. De-lurk, dear reader, and leave this fabulous writer a comment. (We love chatting.) You can also share this post with friends – just click your favorite social bookmark listed below. New reader? Be sure to sign up for the weekly newsletter to win free eco goodies! You can also subscribe to any RSS feed your heart desires.

The summer before my junior year in college I dated a surfer - the real, authentic kind who lives, breathes, sleeps and eats waves. We worked nights at the Charthouse restaurant in Malibu, CA and lived the perfect surf-couple lifestyle.

75% of our time was spent outdoors; we ate little and drank a lot; we had few clothes and rarely shopped; we rode our bikes to the beach and his motorcycle to work; we slept under the stars more nights than not. Without realizing it at the time (this was 1987, kids), we were probably living eco-friendly. I simply thought we were living in heaven or paradise or something ultra-sweet and non-intrusive.

These memories came floating back to me when I stumbled upon Maku Furnishings, a sustainable outdoor furnishings company based in Carlsbad, CA. Their first collection was launched in May 2007 at ICFF, and they seem to be growing strong.

Johnny West and Mike Johnson, two “global surfers, travels, marketers and lifestyle enthusiasts”, started Maku after a trip to Indonesia introduced them to the country’s plantation grown raw materials and the artisan talents of its people.

All of Maku’s products are made using the reclaimed, sustainable teak that West and Johnson “discovered” on their travels. The result is a refined, high-quality product manufactured with barely an impact on the environment; furniture that communicates a way of life - organic, natural, contemporary and sustainable.

And that’s not all. Most of their products are shipped “flat packed” and require very little assembly. And Maku is a member of 1% For The Planet - so they give part of their sales right back to the planet.

I like the graceful lines of the Bench, available in two sizes from $629, as well as the gorgeous floral carvings on the Limited Edition Lounge Chair for $1499, add a cushion for an extra $299. Available for purchase online at Maku Furniture, Structured Green, 2Modern, Design Public, Mod Décor and Feel More Human. Check the Maku website for retail shops around the U.S.

Maku also has a blog updated every so often with cool green lifestyle and design tidbits. (You can also see their funky yet modern doors in this post by Tina.)

Plant pots and I...we don't get on. It's not their fault - it's all me. Because whenever they're around, I'm accident-prone. I've reduced three already this year into sad piles of shreds (and successfully rescued the contents in each case). I rode my bike into the last one. I'm a plant pot's worst nightmare. They need protecting from me.

Wood's a good bet. The teak tree planter range by Reforest Teak, say. Produced from sustainable Costa Rican teak certified by the Forest Stewardship Council, these items are solid and durable and reinforced with steel bands (so they're probably Mike-resistant). They come in a number of shapes, from the big practical square planter pictured above to this natty little corner-filler.

Another method might be to use the shock-absorbing properties of rattan - or maybe I need to set up a few of sponsor VivaTerra's Wine Barrel Bottoms-Up planters. Or maybe I shouldn't be let near the garden at all. Yes, that's probably it.

Image: Reforest Teak

You wouldn't think that matches would be the eco-friendly option amongst fire-lighting devices. And you'd be partly right. Although matches are number 36 of 50 Ways to Help The Planet, what they're really applauding over there is the cardboard counterparts made from recycled paper.

But matches are a couple of zillion times eco-frendlier than disposable plastic lighters - and more fun (see above). So let's keep our iconic little sticks dipped in phosphorus - and green them up instead.

Laura Malesich over at Green Daily reassured us back in December that Diamond matches (the most popular out there) were created using sustainable practices. And now Paolo Ulian has improved this simplest of concepts - by using the other end - a design so obvious it takes a true artist to spot it.

Match that.

Image: jot punkt