A loving ode to the art of learning from your mistakes.

In the enjoyable, well paced “Made by Hand”, author Mark Frauenfelder, of Make Magazine fame, tells lively DIY tales of chickens, honey, math and espresso.

Oh, and there is a bit in there about cigar box banjos too.

I’ve followed Mark via Make and BoingBoing for several years, and have always found his take on the DIY way of life to be funny and candid.  Much of what he writes about, even the part about the trials and tribulations of building a better hen house, is relevant to what is happening within the larger green design community.  After all, making things ourselves, out of materials close at hand, is surely more sustainable than purchasing a mass produced item from overseas.

With his honest confessions of failure, and spiritual descriptions of success, Frauenfelder gives us inspiration to live a simpler, more connected life.  But reader beware – you just might find yourself googling for instructions to make that cigar box banjo by the time you put down the book.

I recently got a hold of a copy of  The Green Blue Book: The Simple Water-Savings Guide to Everything in Your Life, by Thomas M. Kostigen.  What a fascinating read!  Far from the usual “take shorter showers” guide to saving water (although that advice is, of course, included), this book takes a broader look at the problem by including information about the shocking amount of water it takes to, say, grow the cotton for a pair of jeans.  Or how about the water cost of a simple pint of beer?…

“Excuse me, bartender. The beer you just served me had 20 gallons of water in it.” You might be thought drunk if you said that, but it’s true.

The water we are talking about here is virtual, or imbedded water. It’s calculated by totaling all the water it takes to grow, raise, or manufacture something; it’s the water we don’t see in all the things we drink, eat, wear, and use in our lives. Turns out that this unseen water drains our supplies more than the water that’s right before our eyes. - Excerpt from “The Green Blue Book” Read the rest of this entry »

Giveaway details follow are at the end of the post, but we suggest you read the review first!

When I first started to focus strictly on sustainable design five years ago, the pickings were thin when it came to green interior design books..  As in, there were exactly two books, only one of which was really any use.

Even as I watched the list of available books grow, I still considered writing one of my own, because I didn’t find anyone addressing the subject of green residential interior design the way I thought it should be.  Luckily, I never got around to it because Sunset Design Guides has just released the book I probably would have written (if I had the talent!).

Taking full advantage of Sunset Magazine’s wealth of images, author Bridget Biscotti Bradley has created an inspiring collection of sustainable design ideas and arranged them in her easy to understand book, The Green Home.  Assisted by a “design panel” made up of such green design luminaries as Eric Corey Freed, Kelly LaPlante, and Michelle Kaufman, Bradley makes a compelling case for the ease with which green design principles can be woven into any remodeling project. Read the rest of this entry »

Today is a busy, busy day, but I wanted to quickly let you know about a great book I recently ran across – ‘Design Revolution: 100 Products That Empower People’.

The author, Emily Pilloton, is a force to be reckoned with.  Starting her non-profit, Project H Design, in 2008 with nothing more than $1,000 and a lap-top, she has taken her convictions and knowledge around the world to inspire and educate students and designers alike on the need for humanitarian product design.  Full of examples of creative, thoughtful solutions to everyday problems from water filtration to eating healthier portions, there is something to interest everyone.  As if that wasn’t enough, see what she’s up to now… Read the rest of this entry »

“It is better to fail in originality than to succeed in imitation.” – Ben Franklin

Peppered throughout with quotes like that above, “Downtown Chic”, from Sixx Design, is equal parts inspiration, design philosophy treatise, and how-to book.

Robert and Cortney Novogratz began their path into the design world as passionate amateurs, seeking to convert a dilapidated brownstone in Chelsea into a warm and eclectic home in time to welcome their first child into the world.  Now, many projects (and six kids) later they have developed a thriving design business in New York City and environs.

Read the rest of this entry »

I have always had a love for Terence Conran.  Perhaps it’s the simple, natural look of his company’s interiors and furnishings, or maybe it’s just the dreamy, spare quality of the photographs that populate the pages of his “House” book series.  Whatever the reason, I was delighted to find his latest design tome, “Eco House Book”, is focused on what I love best – sustainable homes.

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I am often asked what books I would recommend for a designer trying to “go green”.  For a long time that was a tough question.  It seemed everything out there with “Green” in the title was long on pretty pictures, but short on substance.  It’s understandable that the first books to market were a bit rushed, considering how eager people were for information.  However, once you got past the parts about using no-VOC paints, and reclaimed wood floors, there really wasn’t much to go on.  Most particularly for the commercial interior designer.

Happily, ASID, in conjunction with Wiley, decided to publish two books on the subject.

“Sustainable Commercial Interiors”, by Penny Bonda and Katie Sosnowchik, was the first to hit shelves, followed closely by

“Sustainable Residential Interiors”, by Associates III.  Both books are a treasure trove of useful information, including comprehensive coverage of subjects such as: certification systems, life cycle assessment, materials use and re-use, daylighting, and ventilation.

As each book is aimed squarely at the needs of the respective branch of interior design it’s written for,  a residential designer is not likely to get much out of the commercial book, and vice versa. One other thing to keep in mind is that a few things have changed since these books were first published in 2007, most especially the USGBC’s LEED system, which figures prominently in the commercial volume.  As of now I know of no plans to revise “Sustainable Commercial Interiors”, but I will let you know if that changes.

All things aside, whether you are just starting out in green design, or just want to expand your knowledge base, these books are must haves for your library.  You will find yourself referring to them again and again!