apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

We love the look of wood, but it's a tricky environmental problem. The wood beams in this photo are reclaimed antique beams from two-hundred-year-old barns, and were hand-hewn at the time of construction. We would love to live in a home that contains such a unique piece of history.

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This might be a little over the top for a holiday party, but we're charmed by the idea of printing an invite on a hanky. A friend forwarded us the picture above (she was hunting for ideas for her wedding).

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Apartment Therapy reader KB used a string of globe lights to light her vintage bathroom, and was thinking about adding some sconces.

• Cure Clock: 2.5 weeks to go!
• Assignment: Read Week Six, pp. 185-204
  • Clean out your bathroom. Green your personal products.
  • Experiment with natural scents for your home.
  • Light to inspire with CFLs and LEDs. (It is possible!)
• Members: 1,735 (closed)

Whew! I'm sorry my Cure posts this week have been a little off schedule. Apartment Therapy's 2009 Holiday Giveaway launched today, and we were working really hard on it yesterday to get it all set and ready to go. (We're so excited about all the awesome gifts and think you will be, too!) But back to the Green Cure: how has your week been going? You've probably been making your way through your bathroom, but we also want you to focus on lighting in the rest of your apartment. Good light can transform a space, no matter how small. A well lit room should have at least three unique points of light that vary from bright, concentrated light to soft, ambient light. We advocate using energy-efficient light bulbs, of course, like LEDs and CFLs, but many people have trouble finding one that gives off a pleasing glow, much like an incandescent. Well, we have some recommendations for you!

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Why is that that those of us who don’t have a fireplace always wish we did, and those of us who do wish we didn’t? Cold weather is quickly approaching, so those of you who do have fireplaces – embrace your fortune and follow the steps after the jump to make the fireplace more efficient to heat your home for winters to come.

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Art is usually beautiful on its own, but when it also has environmental and social implications — like L.A. Marler's Oil is History series of photographs — it can also convey a point. See more about this series or art, which depicts the remnants of a much less efficient automobile, after the jump.

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Tuesday, we listed a bunch of different cotton tea towels for use in the kitchen. With so many great varieties of design, it would be easy to end up with a surplus, but thanks to their versatility, they can be much, much more than a dish drying towel. Here's a list of 5 other uses for our favorite kitchen cloth.

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Dust is bothersome, isn't it? You think you've taken care of it, and then BAM! It shows up all over everything. Lamp shades, floorboards, sofa cushions, you name it. Any kind of intense cleaning gets the achoos going. And that's the problem: dust is pretty darn disgusting.

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Q: I'm learning to treat myself with lit candles on a more regular basis, and I usually just buy assorted white pillars from IKEA, but I'm concerned about the petroleum content. I'm wondering if readers have found a great source of inexpensive, unscented pillar candles made of soy or beeswax. I'd be happy to buy in bulk, I just don't know where to turn!

Sent by Emily

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From old dresser drawers to new stylin' night tables. Maxwell, this has your name all over it!

We don't drink coffee, but boy do we miss that morning jolt. We got it this morning. Not because we accidentally drank a caffeinated beverage but because we stumbled across Redesign Diva whose infectious enthusiasm for recycling woke us up from our dreamy writing state. Some people rescue stray pets. Kindle of Redesign Diva is on a crusade to rescue stray furniture.

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Buy second hand and keep stuff alive longer! Lots of great furniture finds New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Boston, and Washington DC in today's PM Scavenger.

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To Main Giveaway Page

Name: Z-Decanter Bottle Filtration System
Store: ZeroWater
Value: $119.99

Description: The Z-Decanter is a simple, elegant glass container to dispense ZeroWater from the Bottle Filtration System-the only one that can eliminate all contaminants from your water.

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We're big fans of decorating a table with things that we have already or things we can find outside, rather than buying something new just for looks. During the fall, branches can look beautiful on the table.

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We've written about the Ty Recyclable Shower Curtain before, and now they've added a new twist! Unique artistry and sustainable, environmentally friendly design collide in the essential yet unglamorous world of shower curtains. You may think that creativity stops at the bathroom door but this social and environmentally conscious product will bring about a change of mind.

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We saw these over at AT:LA today and were smitten! These handcrafted one-of-a-kind clocks pair beautiful dishes with complimentary hardware, and we think they all look stunning. A wonderful creative reuse.

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