Here's what Re-nest readers were clicking on this week:
• Ink Calendar by Oscar Diaz
• 10 Simple Uses for Spaghetti Jars
• Green Style: Storage Shed Turned Guest House
• Urban ...
Sometimes a simple, beautiful picture is all you need. This is a photo from Kim's (aka Desire To Inspire) backyard. Have a great weekend!...
Originally designed for retail displays, this compact storage system stretches from floor to ceiling eliminating the need for drawer space and shelves. Made from industrial metal, the storage has a ...
We fell in love with these pillows the moment we laid eyes on them. They're made from vintage scarves, which is very cool. But we just love the colors....
Do you remember this post on jewelry designer Kristiana Spaulding's amazing Airstream? We were instantly drawn to the light-filled, refurbished interior and loved the thought of spending a little vaca...
Growing up, our family’s composting system consisted of a compost heap enclosed with a fence. Nothing fancy, but it did the job. It wasn’t until recently that we started seeing manufactured comp...
Remember a few months ago, when we encouraged all of you Re-Nest readers with great green ideas for your community to enter the Green Effect challenge? Well, the winning ideas have been announced! And...
Being developed mainly for third world countries, the SCORE (Stove for Cooking, Refrigeration and Electric) stove converts heat into acoustic energy and then into electricity through a linear altern...
Basil, thyme, sage.
These are indispensable herbs, and they grew in abundance on our front stoop all summer. We don't like paying $2.50 per packet for herbs at the supermarket, so when it gets co...
Thankfully, we haven't had to deal with a cracked display on our beloved iPhone (yet). But years ago, our brand-new iPod Mini (remember those!?) went for a ride, flying off the clip during a leisurely...
Though we're slowly trying to wean ourselves off magazines we still get a bunch. We share them with friends or drop them off at doctor's offices and, of course, recycle them. So, when we came across...
Farm City is the account of Novella Carpenter's efforts to turn a vacant lot next to her apartment in Oakland into an urban farm. Determined to eat sustainable meat and produce, Novella recognize...
When we start seriously cleaning our apartment, we always end up with a bag of clothing we plan to take to our local thrift store, and a bag of shoes that we don't know what to do with. For us, shoes ...
With an eye toward longevity and durability, local designer David Sears' Cube Collection utilizes a production process which is an energy- and materials-efficient system to elevate plywood to b...
We have a cat, whose adorable gray fur comes off of her body with not-so-adorable dander and allergens on a very regular basis. We sweep and vacuum, which usually does the trick, but with lavender s...
Eco Pool Technologies's Solar-Breeze is to the pool like a Roomba robotic vacuum is to your living room. Except this helpful pool cleaner doesn't require any outlet, taking advantage of two long, thin...
This old 250-square-foot storage shed was transformed into a guest house by Jeremy Levine Design. The fourth picture above shows what the shed looked like before the overhaul. A large tilted ...
We've seen chairs made from recycled wine barrels before — we've even seen chairs made from recycled whiskey barrels. But, we think we might like these wine barrel chairs from Barrelly Made It i...
Bored to tears with your wood cabinets? We hear you. If you're not a renter or you have some stand-alones that you'd like to embellish, DIY Magazine has ten clever and inexpensive projects for adding...
Urban Outfitters is well known for their trendy clothes and expanding home goods selection, and now they’re taking their brand even further by offering bikes. Not just any bikes, but color cu...
We know you've heard of organic cotton, bamboo and hemp textiles, but what about textiles made from algae? Soy? Pine pulp? Stinging nettles? (Yes, stinging nettles.) We have a few surprises in ...
In our eyes, and to our seemingly black thumb, there is no more beautiful plant than a succulent. Not only are they small architectural wonders of the plant world; they're also highly sustainable beca...
Ooohhh, fun. These Hummingbird Magnetic Bookends appear to be floating and sucking nectar from a flower, but there's a magnet inside (aided by a hidden steel sheet) that's actually keeping your boo...
While bamboo fabric has become mainstream, there seem to be plenty of other naturally occurring plants from which durable and long lasting fabrics could potentially be derived. One company in Taiwan...
Q: As your list of the Best Eco Paints 2009 shows, there are quite a few brands that offer low-VOC and no-VOC paint.
But what about good low-VOC wood stains? I have been greatly disappointed with th...
We use our IPhone for everything from reading books (Kindle for iPhone) to matching color swatches to decorating (Mark On Call). What about applications that make being green a little easier? Here...
Buy second-hand and keep stuff alive longer. Two of my favorite picks from the Apartment Therapy City Scavengers today are this bright green Boca Lamp from Crate and Barrel in San Francisco, and th...
Penny Arcade has been serving up comics online for over 10 years now and just took delivery of a new conference table with inlaid wood featuring their character's Twisp & Catsby, and a glow in t...
Thanks to a tip-off from a reader, we found this chair made of recycled woods on Etsy, and we definitely appreciate the designer's new take on the classic 1930's design by Gerrit Rietveld. The wood...
Most people we talk to detest the idea of moving day. Not so with friends of ours, who recently elected to move the contents of their Jamaica Plain home by bikes and large bike trailers......
This new design by Shanghai design student Yun Li is a unique take on a solar powered lamp. The layered device absorbs solar power during the day, then gives it off when the device is separate...
In order to save some money and to just save the environment, what if you could just extract the water that you need to drink from the air? This isn't a new idea. For anyone who's had a moist smelling...
This light and airy kitchen was designed by acclaimed French designer and interior architect Andree Putman. We love the slanted glass roof and the feeling of being so close to the outdoors. And wh...
So if we can't have this private writing studio, maybe we'll move on to this: UK-based design firm Roomworks specializes in contemporary eco-friendly architecture, and they're currently working on a...
Recently, I've been giving a little thought to the way my parents ran their house and how that has affected the way I try to run mine. All in all, I would have to say they set a very good example (whi...
While we love the concept of a vertical garden, which of course is perfect for small outdoor spaces, we haven't really come across a good, workable DIY method that doesn't require super-landscaper or ...
Something that’s always bothered us about recycled toilet paper offerings is they're always wrapped in plastic or individually wrapped in paper. It just doesn’t make environmental, or in the cas...
We've always liked Plover Organic. All of their textiles are 100% organic cotton, and just lovely to behold. They'll probably be introducing their Fall 2009 collection in a few weeks at the G...
We plan on using mason jars at our wedding as vases, but now we'll have something to do with them after we're done. We've blogged before about Alyssa Etting's porcelain mason jar lanterns, but these...
Master of Design candidate, Jiyeon Song, has created this amazing interactive pavilion out of little more than perforated panels. The specific arrangements of the perforations reveal different shado...
Planning on making a green escape this month, and packing up in environmentally responsible luggage? Don't forget to pack your toiletries in an equally eco bag, like this one......
Q: My husband and I are buying our first home. I'm slowly packing up less-used kitchen items to put a dent in the packing. Do you have any suggestions for eco-friendly shelf liner? I grew up with my...
Thinking or dreaming about building a green home? Wish you had a friend who'd done it so you could learn from their experience? You might want to check out Green Dream, Popular Science photographer ...
Our favorite Apartment Therapy City Scavenger picks for the day have a bit of a kitchen theme going on: these vintage copper kitchen canisters are available for only $20, and this chrome and formic...
The RainShine house is the first modernist home to achieve the LEED Platinum level in the Southeastern United States. Located in Decatur, Georgia and designed by architect Robert M. Cain, the 2...
We've seen the whole "car hood becomes a table" thing before. But these car hood coffee tables from Weld House have a little more spice....
Project: Outdoor container garden with herbs and vegetables
Time: An afternoon
Cost: Free - $75 for planters, soil, and seeds/sprouts
Container gardening is big right now, and it's a great way...
A couple of weeks ago we took a weekend getaway to a small town in Vermont with a population of 1,000 and not a chain store to be found for miles and miles … and miles. We absolutely loved the pai...
Reusing glass baby food jars isn't a new idea. The chubby pots make for great containers for all manner of items - craft and sewing supplies, spices, spare change. But we always have one complaint a...
At first glance it appears the chosen site wouldn't be suitable for the construction of a house. However, a wide bank of rock was discovered upon which a house could be built without damaging t...
We've been camping for a very long time now, and we can honestly say that we've never seen anything like this 5-gallon solar shower. It's making us laugh. It's blowing our minds. A hot shower while ca...
Of course, they're really much more than decor. Bikes are our functional friends and, for a lot of people, they're a primary mode of transportation. But they also look cool, as we've seen in many home...
It seems fitting that contractor and salvage artist Randy Polumbo would be attracted to spending more of his time in the hand-built homes of Joshua Tree than Manhattan. He says: "I like stuff ...
These gorgeous handmade tiles from Popham Design have completely won us over. The encaustic cement tiles are made using a hydraulic press with air-drying, a method that uses much less energy than th...
Etsy store KOZO3 has created some pretty unique lamps consisting of raw galvanized iron parts, assembled completely by hand. The materials are left as authentic as possible and can include rust and ...
Christine's "Slice of Brooklyn" in Gowanus, available for for $70/night.
Here's another great travel resource if you're watching your pennies and would prefer a more home-grown vacation experience: ...
Austin is a pretty hip place, if you ask us — and here's something that makes it even hipper. Just a few miles from downtown, there's a new development going up. A team of architectural firms ...
Buy second-hand and keep stuff alive longer. My two favorite Apartment Therapy Scavenger picks today are these Kartell Charles Ghost Stools for sale in Chicago, and this Eames Surfboard/Elliptical ...
Olive oil has replaced butter in our house. But did you know that it can be used for more than just cooking? We've compiled a list of alternative uses. Feel free to add your own, after the jump......
Q: Do you know of an eco-friendly alternative to upholstery foam and where I might be able to purchase such a material? I want to have something reupholstered and I was told the foam needed to be repl...
There are thousands of wonderful places you might chose to vacation to this summer. You might be headed out in search of good food, family and friends or just seeing the sights. But would you be m...
We love it when creative reuse goes to the next level, when an artist or designer is able to take old things and shape them into new, more beautiful, more useful objects. Like this Dram Tumbler Lamp b...
Currently in The Atlantic, there's an article by Ellen Ruppel Shell on the unsustainability of IKEA. In Buy to Last, Shell makes these points...
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Almost missed this bit of news mentioned in last month's Westways magazine: the South Coast Air Quality Management District is sponsoring a program called "Mow Down Air Pollution," offering LA, Oran...
It's a greenhouse... and it's a house! This house by Hiroshi Iguchi is part of the Fifth World Project which aims to promote eco-friendly and sustainable architecture. Trees were even incorpor...
The Re-vive Table Leg Clamps by Cohda Design (£73.00 ) can turn practically any rigid surface (even a book) into a table. The clamps themselves are made from "previously redundant production equipm...
When we leave for vacation it seems that we leave the stressful worries behind us in favor of adventure, relaxation and something a little bit different. But if you really look at what you do on vacat...
What’s your typical routine when you get home? Start cooking dinner, run the dishwasher, and do some laundry all while watching a little TV and cooling off in the A/C? Well, that’s the typical A...
Whether it's re-using original fixtures and building materials in your renovation, installing newer energy-efficient appliances, using non-toxic paints and finishes, or downsizing and reducing your ...
Simple can be so cool. This Ink Calendar consists of little more than paper and a bottle of ink, yet keeps you up-to-date for an entire year, even displaying what day of the month it is, all sans en...
The folks over at Kitchn have some fine recipes for spaghetti sauce, but for the time-limited pasta lover, a jar of Classico or Trader Joe's simple sauce usually works out okay. But what to do with ...
Over the weekend, the topic of non-stick cookware came up after an incident with tofu left our stainless steel skillet...well, covered in burnt tofu (our fault, not the skillet's). Not to mention that...
Buy second hand and keep stuff alive longer. Another beautiful card catalog for sale in Boston today, and a sweet couch from CB2 in Chicago. Get all the links below...
Apartment Therapy Furniture...
Yeah, we know what you're thinking. Eeew, gross. I like a natural lawn. But especially in hot climates (read Los Angeles) or in places where the grass is mostly just there to "look nice" (that patc...
Welcome to the Personal Irrigation Sanitation System, otherwise known as P.I.S.S. Here's what it is:
The concept derives from the drinking culture of modern society, and the urination that comes w...
Now that the sun has finally decided to grace the east coast with its presence for more than a few hours, we’re on the lookout for porch décor in honor of some outdoor parties we hope to be havin...
If only every empty lot in every urban area in every U.S. city looked like Alemany Farm, 4.5 acres of formerly abandoned land (where neighbors used to toss their junk) that is now a thriving urban fa...
Creative reuse with a touch of whimsy — Korean designer Kim Hyunjoo has found a new use for discarded pool cues. Her Cues Table uses 24 discarded birch pool cues as legs. It's like an upd...
Bored with reusable bags? These new thought-provoking designs by TBWA/Vancouver certainly shake things up. The bags feature images and statements that contradict with eco-friendly practices. The i...
Small kitchens can get hot, fast, especially in the summer. Do you have a fan? Do you keep your windows open? Crank the AC? Let us know your tricks......
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