apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

We have seen bubble wrap abuse many times before. While we love the convenience of shopping online, receiving a small package shipped in a box that is about 10 times bigger than the actual package and filled with bubble wrap or other packaging to pick up the slack is just ludicrous. You could get creative with the packing bits to cut down on waste, but we came across a really simple and recyclable concept that makes a lot of sense...

While the Ikea Summer 2009 sneak peek at AT LA had us lusting over the Arholma outdoor sectional, what we didn't, and should have taken a closer look at, was the solar lighting selection. We are yet to see the Ikea priced solar panels that we blogged about before, but there are definitely some stylish and affordable options when it comes to off the grid lighting for your deck this summer....

When we think of solar panels, two words come to mind. Big and expensive. Picture rooftops covered in black tiles or more innovative solar powered air conditioners. While most people would jump at the chance to incorporate solar power into their daily lives, if the big part doesn't get you, the second word quickly does. Expensive. So what other options are there?

Now I'm no bird keeper. In fact the last memory I had of handling birds was as a young child thinking that my pet love birds needed to get out of their cage so that they could take a walk. An open window quickly ended that fiasco, and needless to say there was no bird walking from that day on. Maybe if they had a stylish eco friendly birdhouse to come back to I would have never lost them? One with a glowing beacon of a perch that was completely self sufficient?

I am fortunate to have a lot of natural light in my bathroom which definitely helps in the morning stumble from the bed to the shower routine. In previous places I have lived however, I haven't been as lucky. No windows and a shower stall with no light whatsoever. Taking a shower in there was not a nice experience. If you are in a similar situation and not in any position to start punching holes in the ceiling to install overhead lighting, there is a simple and relatively cheap alternative.

A laptop and a pillow. That is our home office. With the temperature being what it is now and as the snow continues to fall, a warm laptop sitting on our legs is actually a good thing. When summer rolls around though, what was once cozy quickly becomes annoying. While we have seen a few ways to keep a hot laptop off your lap, buckwheat husks have never been a part of it. But you know what? It actually makes sense.

posted originally from: Unplggd

What is your morning shower routine? Does it sound anything like this:

• Stumble into the shower half asleep

• Get the water running

• Stick your toe or hand under aforementioned running water until it gets to the right temperature

• Continue to wait until running water gets to the right temperature

• Finally duck under the shower head after brushing your teeth, making your bed, maybe even checking your email?

Not a good routine for saving water, that's for sure, and this is where Evolve is trying to do it's green part.

posted originally from: Unplggd

A little bit Scandinavian....and a little bit seventh grade. Do you remember pulling off this amazing feat of electricity at the 'ol science fair? Lemons, electrodes and a light bulb? I do, except it didn't look anywhere near as good and the bag of backup lemons actually ended up as a contest between friends to see who could eat them like oranges. Seriously, I remember that.

posted originally from: Unplggd

Part container garden, part speaker system, part "We're green" billboard from JVC. Exhibited recently at Tokyo Designers, week we're not quite sure what to make of this. Is it really appealing to be able to put plants in your speakers? Is the fact that it is made out of eco plastic a good enough reason to buy these speakers instead of other compact speakers? Click through to see more pics....

posted originally from: Unplggd

Not the prettiest light switch we have ever seen, but we can definitely get behind the idea of saving electricity while minimizing the effort to do so. Targeted for homeowners that are not comfortable or interested in dealing with wiring, the Lights Out AutoSwitch by Black and Decker turns any light switch into an automatic one if you are able to turn a screwdriver.

posted originally from: Unplggd

Just as important as conserving electricity is conserving water. While we can do this by making changes to our daily habits, you can also do it with crazy things like this combo washing machine toilet. But what happens if water is just plain scarce? Why not just pull it out of the air.

posted originally from: Unplggd

As much as Philips is known for TV's and home electronics, they are also very active in conceptual integrated home tech and lighting environments. Most recently they exhibited the ambient experience concept suite at the Fairmont in Singapore and now they have brought the high tech kitchen to Moscow.

posted originally from: Unplggd

At first glance, this looks just like a regular incandescent bulb. Take a longer look and you'll notice that it doesn't look quite right. The thin wire filament is not a wire at all. It is an LED.

posted originally from: Unplggd

We have seen a few different situations where product packaging is reused as a protective sleeve or even TV stand. Commendable efforts, but the fact still remains that most people choose to toss the foam, bubble wrap or whatever else is used for cushioning your new gadget during shipping. It looks like HP realizes this and is going down a different road when it comes to product packaging for their latest laptop.

posted originally from: Unplggd