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Sustainable Materials

CALIFORNIA TO REDUCE FORMALDEHYDE LEVELS

CALIFORNIA TO REDUCE FORMALDEHYDE LEVELS

With all the emphasis on energy and water, we sometimes forget that there is another aspect to sustainability that is not as often mentioned, indoor air quality. So it was with great interest that we read

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RECLAIMING DESIGN at HauteGREEN

RECLAIMING DESIGN at HauteGREEN

In coordination with this year’s HauteGreen exhibition during New York Design Week, Inhabitat will be hosting a star-studded panel discussion surrounding the topic of using reclaimed materials in

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STUDIO LIBERTINY’S VASE MADE BY BEES

STUDIO LIBERTINY’S VASE MADE BY BEES

I’m a self-proclaimed Droog addict, and have touted the “je ne sais quoi” of the always-engaging and wryly humorous Dutch design ad nauseam. And this bee-made vessel by Tomas Gabzdil

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PVC = Guilty As Charged

PVC = Guilty As Charged

As mentioned on Inhabitat’s Green Building 101 design guide, PVC has been repeatedly linked to many health concerns. So, you may ask yourself, why isn’t it a subject of the supposedly

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POOPOO PAPER: Made From Elephant You-Know-What

POOPOO PAPER: Made From Elephant You-Know-What

Following today’s theme of animal excrement as viable design material (dare I say Tuesday = “Poo”sday?), here’s another great example of turning waste into function. It turns out

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ECO FLOORS MADE FROM COW POO!

ECO FLOORS MADE FROM COW POO!

While some may look at cows as sources of meat, dairy, or leather, researchers at Michigan State University have found a more sustainable (and abundant!), yet equally useful bovine by-product: you guessed

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ASK INHABITAT: Is imported bamboo really sustainable?

ASK INHABITAT: Is imported bamboo really sustainable?

Q: I’m a regular reader and make my living as a furniture designer/builder. I confess I’m in love with bamboo – I use it as often as I can and would love to spout to every client about

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THE WOVEN COMPANY: Green Window Treatments

THE WOVEN COMPANY: Green Window Treatments

It is rare to find materials that rapidly restore themselves and provide extensive aesthetic range in their simplest, purest state. The Woven Company picked up on this idea nearly 25 years ago, when they

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GREEN SEATS: Ford Escape to use Recycled Upholstery

GREEN SEATS: Ford Escape to use Recycled Upholstery

Upping the green ante in the hybrid car market, Ford and InterfaceFABRIC recently announced that the new 2008 Ford Escape Hybrid will have 100% recycled fabric seating – a first in the U.S. automotive

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SUSTAINABLE STYLE SUNDAY: Gypsy and Loïc Menswear

SUSTAINABLE STYLE SUNDAY: Gypsy and Loïc Menswear

Gypsy and Loïc, a fashion design duo based near San Francisco, produces an appealing line of casual menswear made from equally-appealing materials. Their clothing is full of original details that set

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ILLUMAWALL by DUO-GARD

ILLUMAWALL by DUO-GARD

Meditation Room in Blacksburg VA, Virginia Tech Design Team for ABC’s Extreme Makeover We’ve been singing the praises of daylighting and translucent architecture ever since we began preaching the

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ECORESIN ITHEMBA BRACELET

ECORESIN ITHEMBA BRACELET

Samples! Product representatives have opened our eyes before about their company’s sustainable efforts. So we were thrilled to receive this sample bracelet from 3form, a company that makes laminate

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“REDISCOVERED” WOOD & THE TRITON SAWFISH

“REDISCOVERED” WOOD & THE TRITON SAWFISH

The Sawfish has been around for a couple years now, but we took notice after spotting it at Greenbuild two weeks ago. The timber provided by this robotic logger received accolades as one of Building

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RECYCLED BLUE JEAN INSULATION by Bonded Logic

RECYCLED BLUE JEAN INSULATION by Bonded Logic

If you are feeling the chill at home this winter, why not consider a more eco-friendly form of insulation instead of the hazardous fiberglass standby? We’ve raved about Arizona-based company Bonded

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TAGEI CONVERTIBLE FURNITURE by Akemi Tanaka

TAGEI CONVERTIBLE FURNITURE by Akemi Tanaka

The word Tagei means versatility in Japanese, and what better way to describe this fabulous line of plyboo furniture that converts from table into bench? Brooklyn designer Akemi Tanaka caught our eye last

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GREENBUILD DENVER: The Chemistry of Green Building

GREENBUILD DENVER: The Chemistry of Green Building

For those of you who think that last week’s Greenbuild Conference was all about grass roofs and composting toilets, think again. One of the more diverse sessions was led by a group of chemists from

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GREENBUILD DENVER: Products & Materials

GREENBUILD DENVER: Products & Materials

Well folks, we’ve got some good news and some bad news; The good news is that you’re currently reading one of the best weblogs for keeping up to date with all the latest and greatest materials

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MOLEHILL PILLOWS by LOOOLO TEXTILES

MOLEHILL PILLOWS by LOOOLO TEXTILES

While the phrase “sustainable textiles” might conjure up images of hemp and itchy burlap, Looolo’s Molehill Pillows prove that green textiles can can be both luxurious and well-designed.

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BLUE MARMALADE ECO-FRIENDLY HOMEWARES

BLUE MARMALADE ECO-FRIENDLY HOMEWARES

Spotted at 100% Design this year, Blue Marmalade makes deceptively simple house wares from folded single sheets of recyclable plastic. This translate to sexy objects with low waste in both the production

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OHIO DESIGN PHOTOGRAPHIC FURNITURE

OHIO DESIGN PHOTOGRAPHIC FURNITURE

We’ve raved about OHIO Design several times since we fell in love with the company’s innovative furniture back in 2005. So we were super excited to run into OHIO again at the Dwell on Design

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FORM3 Sustainable Furniture Design

FORM3 Sustainable Furniture Design

Northern California-based form3 design is a great example of beautiful furniture that is enhanced, not hindered, by the use of sustainable materials. Their clean-lined and well-crafted pieces exhibit

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GREEN BUILDING 101: Materials and Resources, Part I

GREEN BUILDING 101: Materials and Resources, Part I

When we think of greenhouse gas emissions, most of us envision a tailpipe spewing exhaust out of the back of a car. But 40% of the carbon dioxide that contributes to our warming planet comes from

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DESIGN LIKE YOU GIVE A DAMN!

DESIGN LIKE YOU GIVE A DAMN!

Currently one in seven people in the world lives in a slum or refugee camp, and more than 3 billion people – nearly half the world’s population – do not have access to clean drinking

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ADAPT DESIGN’S SPRING CHAIR

ADAPT DESIGN’S SPRING CHAIR

You’ve got to love the curves on this bent Plyboo Spring Chair from Adapt Design. Just looking at the picture one can practically feel oneself gently boinging up and down in ergonomic bliss. These

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THE GREEN6 at ICFF

THE GREEN6 at ICFF

Design week is almost upon us in New York, and the biggest show of the season is of course, the International Contemporary Furniture Fair at the Javits Center. This year, ICFF is getting greened up by

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UHURU DESIGN STOOLEN CHAIR

UHURU DESIGN STOOLEN CHAIR

One of the best new things I saw at BKLYN Designs over the weekend was Uhuru Design’s Stoolen chair. Reminiscent of a tree stump, this awesome cylindrical seat is actually composed of recycled wood

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GREENGRID ROOFS

GREENGRID ROOFS

We hold a special place in our hearts for green roofs and the economy of modular construction. GreenGrid Roofs brings the best of both worlds together as a modular green roof system. Competitive in cost

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DALEX DESIGNS PAISLEY BENCH

DALEX DESIGNS PAISLEY BENCH

Our friends at Core77 threw the hungry blogging pirhanas a tasty bite from Dalex Designs today — a little tool called a “toothbork” that is both a fork and a toothbrush. But I must say,

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GORILLA FURNITURE DIVING BOARD TABLE

GORILLA FURNITURE DIVING BOARD TABLE

Gorillas may not be immediately associated with holistic lifestyles, but at Gorilla Furniture a holistic approach dictates the entire design process. Designers Dan Weber and Steve Wilson founded Santa

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ORGANO CONTEMPORARY HOME FURNISHINGS

ORGANO CONTEMPORARY HOME FURNISHINGS

It’s been almost a year since we first fell in love with kirei, the natural fiber board made from discarded sorghum stalks. It’s been spotted most frequently in the media inside

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