SUSTAINABLE SIDEBAR: SURFACES “WHAT CAN’T YOU RECYCLE OR REUSE?”
By Kristy Krone, Written for Green Architecture Notes
In this Sustainable Sidebar product post, we’ve decided to highlight a few sustainable surface materials durable enough to handle the daily wear-and-tear on your dwelling, but won’t harm your conscience. Made with recycled content, rapidly-renewable resources, natural composite materials, or all of the above, these products are healthy for you, your home, and the environment… Did I mention some of them are also playful and fun?!
ShektaStone – Counterfeit Line: Recycled Paper – Currency removed from Circulation
ShetkaStone is made from 100% recycled paper, plant, or cloth fibers. For the counterfeit line they use shredded currency, removed from circulation. Plaster, plastic polyester, and paper glue are used as supplemental binding agents, and then sealed with a zero VOC finish. When you’re finished with your ShektaStone, it can be recycled and used in the manufacturing of new products.
Teragren – Moso Bamboo: Strand Face in Wheat
Bamboo is an amazing material. Used for everything from serving utensils to structural building materials, this resource covers the gamut and it’s rapidly renewable. Teragren uses a specific species of bamboo for their surfaces. Optimum 5.5 Moso Bamboo from the Zhejiang province in China, is among the hardest species, with extremely dense fibers. Bamboo reaches maturity every 5-1/2 to 6 years, when it is then harvested for use.
ConcreteWorks – Color Husk: Concrete surface with Rice Hull Fillers
ConcreteWorks has developed a sustainable concrete without compromising its wonderful character. They have replaced raw aggregates with post-consumer recycled material and industrial by-products, diverting upwards of 80% of the total product weight in material from landfill. In the Husk color, one of those recycled fillers is rice hulls. This protective covering for a grain of rice, is a natural substitute for raw aggregates and creates beautiful visual texture.
Trinity Glass – Absolutely: Recycled Glass and Low-Carbon Cement
Trinity Glass is a composite surface made from a patent-pending formulation of recycled glass and low-carbon cement. The surfaces are used for countertops, tabletops, wall cladding, and exterior surfaces. The beautiful color palette is suitable for any design, commercial or residential.
OKITE – Prisma Giallo: Quartz
OKITE is composed of natural quartz crystals. This surfacing material is highly stain and scratch resistant, making it a great option for kitchen and bath applications. The manufacturing process creates a product that is harder, non-porous and easier to maintain than natural stone.
Squak Mountain Stone – Recycled Paper and Glass / Low-Carbon Cement / Fly Ash – Natural
Squak Mountain Stone is a fibrous-cement material comprised of recycled paper, recycled glass, coal fly-ash and cement. The material is hand-cast into “slabs” as an alternative to natural or quarried stone. This product is finished beautifully with a similar resemblance to soapstone or limestones.
SUSTAINABLE SIDEBAR: ADD A LITTLE ‘GREEN’ TO YOUR HOME, INSIDE AND OUT
By Kristy Krone; Written for Green Architecture Notes
By Kristy Krone; Written for Green Architecture Notes
Advances in green technology and a fondness for reused or reclaimed materials have led to more innovative and creative sustainable products for the home. As a new addition to Green Architecture Notes, we will be posting a new section on products that we find to be perfect examples of how green IS beautiful, practical, and inspiring. In this post, the adaptive reuse of reclaimed materials yield stunning furnishings and fixtures which divert materials from landfill and reduce energy used in the production of new materials.
Products in Top Row:
left – The Scrap Light collection from Graypants demonstrates how simple pieces of salvaged corrugated cardboard become mesmerizing. These lanterns create stunning patterns with light and shadow in any space.
center – The Studio Sectional from Environment Furniture has a relaxed, informal quality. Upholstered with recycled army tent canvas fabric, the distressed and weathered characteristics will continue to develop and patina over time.
right – Urban Hardwood is best known for breathing new life back into trees that would typically be heading straight to the landfill. The Sycamore Slab coffee table positions a pair of slabs side-by-side and fastens them together with steel infill. This simple design lets the wood’s beauty speak for itself.
left – The Scrap Light collection from Graypants demonstrates how simple pieces of salvaged corrugated cardboard become mesmerizing. These lanterns create stunning patterns with light and shadow in any space.
center – The Studio Sectional from Environment Furniture has a relaxed, informal quality. Upholstered with recycled army tent canvas fabric, the distressed and weathered characteristics will continue to develop and patina over time.
right – Urban Hardwood is best known for breathing new life back into trees that would typically be heading straight to the landfill. The Sycamore Slab coffee table positions a pair of slabs side-by-side and fastens them together with steel infill. This simple design lets the wood’s beauty speak for itself.
Products in Bottom Row:
left -The Asturia Armchair from Espasso, designed by Carlos Motta, is strong, durable, and elegant. Built from reclaimed and demolition woods collected in urban centers like Sao Paulo, this chair is suitable for both indoor and outdoor use.
center – Graypants is redefining the “recliner” with their latest design, the slice chair. Constructed from scraps of flat sheets of plywood, the slices allow the ottoman to slide out, creating a lounge chair.
right – Ending with a PUNCH! of color.… We introduce an area rug from the Color Reform Collection by ABC Carpet. This rug is hand-woven from recycled Indian Sari silk, then over-dyed to create a powerful statement packed with mono-chromatic vibrancy.
left -The Asturia Armchair from Espasso, designed by Carlos Motta, is strong, durable, and elegant. Built from reclaimed and demolition woods collected in urban centers like Sao Paulo, this chair is suitable for both indoor and outdoor use.
center – Graypants is redefining the “recliner” with their latest design, the slice chair. Constructed from scraps of flat sheets of plywood, the slices allow the ottoman to slide out, creating a lounge chair.
right – Ending with a PUNCH! of color.… We introduce an area rug from the Color Reform Collection by ABC Carpet. This rug is hand-woven from recycled Indian Sari silk, then over-dyed to create a powerful statement packed with mono-chromatic vibrancy.
Light it Up!!
While researching examples of lighting for a residential project, I came across so many interesting new light fixtures. These pieces pulled on my heartstrings. They all serve a sculptural and artistic purpose while providing their obvious function, lighting a space (Some more dramatically accomplished than others).
Lindsey Adelman Branching Bubbles (9 & 11 globe configurations shown)
I've Got Wood Beetle Kill Lights
Ilot Ilov Matt Light
Estudi Arola Peled
Overnight Room Makeover Inspired by Elle Decor Trend Alert!!!
According to the latest issue of Elle Decor, there’s a trend alert for everything emerald green. When I saw this layout I immediate had visions of bright popping orange, rich golds, and neutral shades of cream to buff to compliment all the green.
Here is a quick room I pulled together with emerald green accents as an example of how to pull it into your everyday home.
When fearful of adding color to your space, try to be cognizant of the fact that you have many different tones and shades of any particular color to work with. Look for the colors that compliment your space, and remember it’s fun!
Here is a quick room I pulled together with emerald green accents as an example of how to pull it into your everyday home.
When fearful of adding color to your space, try to be cognizant of the fact that you have many different tones and shades of any particular color to work with. Look for the colors that compliment your space, and remember it’s fun!
