August 9th, 2011
The Kerchum Residence in Vancouver, British Columbia
In recent years, Vancouver has become increasingly known for hitting numerous environmental benchmarks, especially in regards to green commercial and residential building. Not long ago, the city’s Vancouver Convention Centre was awarded the highly prestigious LEED Platinum Certification. Now the Kerchum Residence – a single family home within the city limits – has become the first home to earn LEED Platinum Certification in Western Canada. Its modern design is not only environmentally conscious, it is also highly functional and extremely pleasing to the eye. Read the rest of this entry »
June 22nd, 2011
PURE Inspired Design
We are never surprised that people have strong feelings about design. What does surprise us is when someone takes their love of design and changes careers completely to follow that passion. We recently spoke with Samantha Cobos of PURE Inspired; a line of eco-conscious fabrics and furnishings that she began in 2001.
We love that you just seemed to jump into eco-friendly fabrics and furnishings. How long were you designing before you decided to really take that plunge?
SC: Well, first of all I gave up my eight year career as a computer programmer to become an interior designer. I opened my own business in 2001 right after completing my design degree. I was successful, but the economy went south starting around 2008 and I had a lot of time on my hands. I started studying eco-friendly design as well as sketching patterns. What I discovered was a true passion for patterns and colors, as well as the need for eco-friendly design options! You might be surprised to know that I’m self-taught – I don’t take classes, I just try to figure things out on my own and I never give up 
Samantha Cobos of PURE Inspired Design
How did you become interested in eco-friendly design?
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January 31st, 2011
Carpet versus Tile – The debate continues…
It’s 2011 – and there are still far too many people who say they want to use sustainable and healthy products in their home but who don’t fully understand what constitutes a sustainable home environment.
Unknowingly, we sometimes buy home design products without much thought to the product’s provenance or even more importantly – the product’s life-cycle. Carpets, granite, paint, even the light bulbs you use are all known to be somewhat less than ‘green,’ depending on the types you use. As for carpet: currently, the US discards approximately 4.7 billion pounds of carpet annually. That is an awful lot of landfill refuse. And we’re not even talking about the VOCs (volatile organic compounds) released in the air from carpets as well as their propensity to provide ample breeding ground for various and sundry allergens. There are many carpets that are made from all natural wools, vegetable-dyed – and if you or your family are not allergic to wool, then these can be a good (and beautiful choice).
If there are allergies to contend with – right under our very sensitive noses is a tried and true product that is inherently ‘sustainable.’ A product that lasts for years and years and is easily cleaned with plain tap water. We are of course, speaking of tile; porcelain, ceramic and even recycled glass tiles.
Heck, tiles are so versatile (pun intended) that there are some tiles that even look like wood – without the maintenance issues (polishing, splintering), and there are some that even look like wainscoting – now that is creative!
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January 12th, 2011
Sustainable Solutions (SSi) designs eco-friendly products to conserve water and encourage eco-responsible living. Their Penguin faucet – which bears a distinct resemblance to the body of a penguin – is low flow and dispenses water at a rate of 1.5 GPM (gallons per minute). The Penguin faucet does its part to preserve our planet’s most essential resource, while not sacrificing design or quality.
According to SSi, if a faucet maker doesn’t understand the importance of water conservation, who will?
Penguin Faucet by Sustainable Solutions (SSi)
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November 10th, 2010
Greenbuild 2010
The Greenbuild International Conference and Expo– taking place November 16-19, 2010–is the world’s largest expo dedicated to green building. Each year thousands of building professionals from all over the world come together for a few days to take part in networking events, green building tours, educational sessions, listen to renowned speakers and to see all the latest innovations in eco-friendly building products. This year’s event will be returning to Chicago, IL at the McCormick Place Convention Center, the site of Greenbuild 2007. Chicago is a fitting location for such an event as the city is home to more LEED-certified buildings than any other and has shown a true commitment to a greener future.
If you plan on attending the event this year we’d like to give you a heads up on a few products you’ll want to keep an eye out for and a couple events worth checking out.
Caroma USA – Booth #1601
Caroma is among the world leaders in quality and innovative eco-friendly bathroom products. In 1982, Caroma revolutionized water conservation by introducing the first dual flush toilet system. This year they will be displaying a collection of products that are sure to continue their tradition of innovative water conserving bath products. In addition to the products that will be on display, Caroma will be conducting a fun promotion involving the giving away of iPads, iPods and a variety of other prizes. For details visit www.caromausa.com/greenbuild. Among the products on display will be the Sydney Smart 305 One-Piece Toilet and the Caroma Flow Showerhead.
Caroma Sydney Smart 305 One-Piece Toilet
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August 3rd, 2010
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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May 27th, 2010
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
