The perfect inspiration, Nature provides endless ideas to creative souls everywhere. Combining the best in design, functionality, and green performance, fluid faucets use metaphors of nature as gentle reminders for us to do our part to conserve the environment.

Penguin
Smartly dressed and debonair, the Penguin Collection brings joy and style to any space. This lever faucet provides a streamlined silhouette, upright form and horizontal spout – similar to that of a penguin.

Penguin faucet by fluid

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With summer upon us people will be taking advantage of the friendly climate to spend more time outdoors: hosting parties, dinners, and other social events. This means you will want to have plenty of light for your back yard or patio, lest people be standing around in the dark. At the same time, you won’t want to rack up a huge electric bill in the process.

We came across an eco-friendly and stylish solution. These cool looking Vazon Magnum translucent planters by Rotoluxe are made for indoor or outdoor use and use low watt CFL/LED lighting to give off an ambient glow. You can use them to hold your outdoor plants and place them throughout your back yard. They serve as great night lights and accent pieces.

The planters can be powered via standard wall plug or by rechargeable battery (LED lights lasting 8-10 hours). There’s also an assortment of modifications available for your planter, including speakers, outdoor draining system or fabric. Best of all, they are made of 100% recycled plastics and the low wattage will keep your energy costs to a minimum.

Find more information about the Vazon Magnum planter at www.rotoluxe.com

Vazon Magnum Translucent Planter

With Earth Month coming to a close and environmental concerns becoming a worldwide political issue, eco-consciousness has reached an all time high. In light of increasing concern for our environment, many believe more emphasis should be put towards saving the earth every day. Consumers can take steps to protect the environment by simply replacing unsustainable items in their home with more “earth-friendly” products. Each year manufacturers around the world develop new products that are made using more sustainable materials; conserving natural resources, reducing unnecessary waste, and also featuring stylish design aesthetics and luxurious performance. It seems you really can have it both ways!

Caroma Caravelle 305 Elongated

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The Smile Stool is a melting point between contemporary design and Indonesian craftsmanship. Studio Hindia is breaking from the reality that wood bent technology is not widely available in Indonesia, and are using a new approach to overcome this barrier. This design uses reclaimed wood and other waste wood materials from the Indonesian wood furniture industry, with embedded rod metal construction. This results in an eco friendly stool with a wood bent shape and unconventional wood grain direction. We really like this stool, and feel it easily could have made our list of top Designer Stools from last year. We just love stools!

Studio Hindia was  established by designer Fitorio Leksono and architect Adisty Kanastari in Bali, Indonesia. After they finished their studies at the Bandung Institute of Technology, they both worked for various companies in Indonesia and Singapore before they decided to form their own studio. Their work is a combination of playfulness and the unique diversity of Indonesian culture.

Here are some pictures of the stool and the process of creation. Click on any image to view a larger version.

Reclaimed Wood Smile Stool

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The use of nature in designs can be a common theme, but one place we feel it is really appropriate is in the bedroom. While camping or “glamping” is fun, what better way to feel like you are part of nature every day than to use nature based elements in your bedroom. Here are a few ways we suggest you can use nature in your decor:

Bedding:

Nourish in Grass Bedding

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As more and more consumers embrace lifestyle changes that minimize their carbon footprint, companies are taking notice and designing familiar things in a different way. Eco-chic is “in” and innovative manufacturers are creating products that maximize style while incorporating key green attributes, such as sustainability, water conservation, and recycled materials. Inventive and in balance with nature, the state-of-the-art products incorporated into the home décor of today’s modern age are creative, technically savvy, and functional — without sacrificing performance and style. (Click any image for a larger version).
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fluid^® – www.fluidfaucets.com
Imaginatively designed and crafted by artisans, the fluid Fan takes inspiration from an accessory once representing social status in ancient Asia. With graceful lines and smooth motion both the Fan faucet and tub filler emit a waterfall flow for the true spa effect with water-saving technology. The meticulous curves, unique angles, and mirror-like polished surfaces are unmatched, and the eco-friendly collection can be equipped with a low-flow aerator for an industry-breaking 1.5 gallons-per-minute, a rate that has awarded it WaterSense certification.

fluid Fan

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The green movement has just gotten a boost from one of the most famous designers in the world. Philippe Starck has teamed up with the Italian manufacturing group PRAMAC to develop the first designer wind turbine designs for home use. The turbines come in two designs, and will produce 400 watts of power and 1 kilowatt of power. They will cost $3,495.25 (2,500 euros) for the smaller  “quadrangular” turbine and $4,893.35 (3,500 euros) for the 1 kilowatt “helicoidal” turbine.

These designs comes on the heels of the ultra-famous designer denouncing design and his works and announcing his retirement saying that ‘Design is Dead’, and that he felt that ‘Everything I designed was unnecessary… and I am ashamed of this fact. When he unveiled his new turbine designs in Milan his tune had changed when he said:

“We have to help people to produce energy, to be part of the fight. Energy should not be a punishment, we should create a desire (among people to produce it).”

Philippe Starck Wind Turbines

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In the world of eco-chic, sometimes style is sacrificed for the sake of the environment. But what if you could minimize your carbon footprint while still maximizing innovation and creativity? fluid faucet’s future-forward fixtures do exactly that. Meet a brand of bath fixtures that feature meticulous curves, unique angles, mirror-like polished surfaces, and industry–breaking water saving technology. The choice for LEED-certified projects. Green has never looked more fluid^TM. Visit the fluid website at: fluidfaucets.com

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Dinamico Rain Shower

It’s easy being green!  Do you think that “going green” always means sacrificing comfort? Think again. JACLO’s exclusive line of low-flow showerheads and handshowers save water and energy without compromising performance. Their secret is an innovative low-flow regulator, as opposed to restrictors, which keeps the pressure and flow of the water strong. This technology lowers the average rate of gallons-per-minute from 2.5 down to an impressive 1.75 – nothing to sneeze at when you consider the average household uses over 22,000 gallons of water per year in showers.

Now you don’t even have to sacrifice aesthetics for ecology, JACLO’s low-flow technology is available in over 30 showerhead and handshower models in styles ranging from traditional to contemporary. The regulator also works with all available shower sprays and strengths – full rain, massage, full rain massage, Nebulizing mist®, and Nebulizing mist full rain. Turns out less really is more. (Click on either picture to see a larger version.) Visit JACLO’s website: JACLO.com

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JACLO Cylindrico 5 Shower Head

A kitchen cabinet collection that lowers the carbon footprint, while delivering high style and cutting-edge technology.

ALNO® has introduced a new kitchen cabinet collection that brings new meaning to the word class. The revolutionary ALNOCLASS boasts modern technology, minimalist details and eco-friendly materials. The door fronts are constructed of 100 percent sustainable oak from FSC-certified forests. The collection is available in light wild oak and dark brown carbon oak, and its matte lacquer finish is free of VOCs. Those looking to spice it up a bit can add a mobile niche unit. ALNO’s mobile, multifunctional niche units keep all of the most important kitchen utensils within arm’s reach. The best part is that the glass cover, which is used to conceal the components when not in use, can be outfitted with one’s choice of colored LED light fittings.

ALNO’s GREEN MISSION: For over 20 years, ALNO has been using non-toxic paints and lacquers, free from heavy metals and low in emissions. ALNO products are manufactured using recycled and regenerated wood from certified resources as well as the continued use of non-toxic laminates, aluminum, glass and technical veneers. ALNO only uses lumber, veneers and wood panels from sustainable forests. The factory also adheres to a “Zero Waste” resource management system, whereby all waste is either reconstituted into new materials or used as fuel to heat the factory.  www.alnousa.com

Click any image for a larger version:

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