"What's the use of a fine house if you haven't got a tolerable planet to put it on?" ~ Henry David Thoreau
Think about what physically constitutes a home - building materials, appliances, furniture, décor, cleaning products, paint, insulation...the list seems endless. The U.S. residential housing sector is second only to China in terms of inefficient energy use. This makes our homes a major player in the depletion of precious ecological reserves. But, there is a bright green light lurking in the shadows of what seems like an environmental nightmare...CLICK HERE FOR MORE
10 Modern Birdhouses
Pre-fab homes are all the rage in the eco-modern design world. Want to dabble in modern architecture and pre-fab homes? Why not start with a modern birdhouse? In a recent post Get Busy Building Birdhouses, here the plans are provided for making your own birdhouses/birdfeeders. While it is wonderful to create birdhouses from scratch...CLICK HERE FOR MORE
Image: modernbirdhouses.com
Recycling Can Make Being Green Hilarious (VIDEO)
The folks who design for our future are looking to us for clues to helping people go greener. How about using humor? I recently wrote about how designers are incorporating people's behavior in their "design thinking." This 'power to the people' premise only goes so far (although, it is virtuous to always consider the consumers needs). The next common sense step to sustainable design is to implement a shift in people's behavior towards, let's say - garbage and recycling. My family was recently reminiscing about a trip we took to Spain to visit relatives. I asked one of my kids...CLICK HERE FOR MORE
Less is So Much More: Living a Minimalist Life
Not long ago, troche I discovered a blog called “mnmlist.” I’ve been following Lloyd Alter’s Frugal Green Living series and he has added some interesting quotes from mnmlist creator, Leo Babauta, who also founded Zen Habits. What I really like about mnmlist is how refreshingly clean it is — no ads, no pictures, no clutter. What is mnmlist about? CLICK HERE FOR MORE
Bringing Heirloom Design Concepts Home
Are we replacing old items too often? Our culture has made it easier for companies to create disposable goods–or items designed to have a short life–that it’s hard to separate what we need, healing from what we want, treat from what will last. Then there are changing styles and trends. Can stuff be designed and built to be durable, ed beautiful and affordable enough to last generations? This is where the term “heirloom design” comes in. This has been a huge challenge in the design world. Products should be well made, attractive and affordable. Period. We only have to look at electronic technology and the automotive industry to know that this challenge has not been met. How many computers, cell phones and cars have you had in the last 20 years? CLICK HERE FOR MORE