image via Shelterrific

Here are some really CUTE pillows from recycled materials, by Alexandra Ferguson. (Shelteriffic)

West Elm’s new line of FSC certified office furniture, designed by students at Pratt. (Inhabitat)

A lovely new kitchen, made of reclaimed materials, that looks absolutely classic. (re-nest)

GE has unveiled their latest technology in super efficient OLED lighting. (Inhabitat)

It takes 5,000 cocoons to provide enough silk for one kimono!  And this guy is raising the caterpillars, spinning the silk, and weaving it all by himself. (BoingBoing)

The first U.S. Certified Passive House, in Louisiana of all places. (Treehugger)

And finally, the most adorable ad, made on a whim by an 11 year old girl, for Harmony Art organic cotton fabrics.  Seriously, somebody hire this girl! (The Journey is the Prize)

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

Mosaic “wallpaper” by Trend USA

1.  Recycled glass takes only 50% of the energy to produce that virgin glass does.

Oceanside Glasstile

2.  Recycled glass  can be made into any form, color, or shape you can imagine.

Bedrock Industries

3.  Glass is truly recyclable, meaning it can be recycled over and over and over again without losing quality.  Paper and many metals can only be recycled a certain number of times before they become unusable (in their original form) due to contaminants or loss of structural integrity.  Plastic is even worse, as it can only be downcycled, meaning it must be converted into a lesser form from the very beginning.

Stone & Pewter

4. Recycled glass is versatile.  It can be used anywhere that ceramic tile can be used, such as walls, countertops, showers, fountains and pools.  It can even be used for flooring.

Hakatai

5.  Every ton of 50% recycled glass saves 250 tons of mining waste.  Imagine the savings when it’s 100% recycled!

Sandhill

6.  Recycled glass is inert, meaning it won’t affect indoor air quality, or add contaminants or chemicals to the interior environment.

So have I got you interested?  Good!  Now, here are a few more things you should know before you run out and replace that grubby old bathroom countertop:

• The post consumer recycled content of glass tiles can vary anywhere from 100% down to about 30%.  Most companies make the information available to you on their website or in information sheets and catalogs, but if you don’t see it anywhere, don’t hesitate to ask.
• Even though recycled glass takes a lot less energy to produce than virgin glass, there is still a significant amount of heat and energy needed to reform it.  Check with the company you’re considering to see if they have any programs in place to either reduce or offset the energy they use in production.
• Recycled glass is BEAUTIFUL.  That being said, it’s typically made using processes that allow for some flaws, bubbles and other quirks of production, so you should enjoy a little “character” in your tile.
• All of the recycled glass tile companies I have highlighted above are located in the United States, although a few of them actually manufacture in other countries.  If you are in another country and know of a good local source for recycled glass tile that you would like to share, please let us know in the comments below.  I love hearing about new sources for good things.

The nicest thing for me was that I could put a little widget on our site where people could submit questions, and then my answers would stay available on Formspring for the foreseeable future.  Beats getting emails, because with those I can only reply to one person at a time.

So I thought you might like to see a few of the questions (in bold) I’ve received in the short time it’s been up, and with luck, the answers I gave will make sense.   And please don’t hesitate to submit your own questions anytime.  I’m always happy to help someone with sustainable design!

Question 1

i’m looking for a premixed, precolored japanese style plaster (seen before but don’t know source)

You may be thinking of Eco De Vita, by Shikoku International. I first ran across it a few years ago, but it was only available from a few distributors in the U.S.. Now they are focusing more attention on the U.S. market, and have a division based out here.

I particularly love their Eco De Vita WRK, which has bits of straw in the formula, but they have many other types as well. You can get a pretty good idea from their website – http://www.shikokuinternational.com/index.html

Question 2

Do you have trouble finding green design stuff to write about?

lol! Hardly. My biggest problem is trying to keep up with everything that is out there! That’s why I do the Friday Wrap-up. I want to make sure that people who read the blog are finding out about things as quickly as I am, but I don’t always have time to post about them myself. I already have a backlog of file folders, and bookmarked pages, and samples aplenty – all just waiting for me to find the time to write about them.

I think one of the best things about blogging on design is that it is a constantly changing landscape, full of new ideas and products. There is never a lack of material.

Question 3

Can you help me find porcelian top cabinets or enamel top cabinets?

That’s a tough one. If you are talking about enamel top cabinets like the old Hoosier Cabinets, the only manufacturer I knew of is no longer making them. Of course, antique Hoosiers are not TOO hard to find, so keeping an eye on Ebay or Craigslist might yield something. – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hoosier_cabinet

If you are looking for something more like the enamel coated steel cabinets from the 40’s to 50’s, then I highly recommend starting with the blog Retro Renovation. I did a quick search for “enamel countertop” and came up with a bunch of information. – http://retrorenovation.com/?s=enamel+counter

Question 4

What do you think is the best flooring for a bedroom?

Cork, cork and more cork! Cork is so perfect because it has all the advantages of carpet (sound dampening, warmer to the touch that hard flooring) without the disadvantages (dust mites, dirt accumulation, quick wear).

Best of all is that cork is such a sustainable material. It’s just the bark of the cork oak, which is harvested every 7-10 years, without harm to the tree. The forest provide terrific shelter for wildlife, and are mostly undisturbed except when the cork is harvested.

Like an extension of the natural world, the irregular topography of Gore Design’s Signature Erosion Sink has a beauty all it’s own.

Created in a studio which uses no chemical finishes, heavy metal pigments or plastics, this sink is only one of the many designs they offer with a nod to nature.  Gore Design also strives to maintain their commitment to green design practices by using additives such as fly ash both to strengthen their mix, and reduce the amount of Portland cement necessary.

If you have a minute, you really should see their tongue in cheek “obituary” for traditional concrete.  You just know someone had a lot of fun setting up those shots.

I am honored to be a guest blogger for The Interior Revolution, and the area of design that I specialize in is kitchen design. I am especially excited to talk about greening one’s kitchen because there are just so many interesting and innovative ways to create a green kitchen. Today, I’d like to focus on the philosophy of reuse.

I have personal experience designing an entirely new kitchen with a (mostly) reuse philosophy. Reuse, to me, by definition, means thinking creatively, first and foremost. You tap into a part of your brain that may be programmed by default to “buy new”. That IS how most of us are programmed! You change that preprogrammed channel to “reuse”, you open yourself bit by bit to finding useful AND creative solutions for your kitchen design, and miraculously, the solutions appear!

Here is one of several interesting stories about reuse for my kitchen renovation. I purchased tiles for a room in our home, and unfortunately purchased too little square footage. The tiles sat in our garage for eight years! Suddenly, I realized that these tiles would become our countertop and part of our hood design! The tiles were heavily (but not rigidly) textured, and being an adventurous sort, I felt confident that a countertop does not ALWAYS need to be a smooth surface. I can report that (now having moved from that home last year) I LOVED the look of that countertop, and cleaning it, truly, was a non issue. Textured flooring tiles on the kitchen countertop? Why not? We also reused our cabinets and reconfigured most of the cabinetry into a new plan. We reused a sofa which was stored in an attic space over the garage and used it for seating in the breakfast area. THAT was the prized seating area for the family!

Reuse can be defined in so many ways. It can mean taking a fresh look at an object and redefining its use. This kitchen was a laboratory for me to experiment with new ideas and to give new life to older items. It was one of the most fun experiences that I have had designing a kitchen, as I took stock of my existing possessions and materials and visualized new, creative, purposes for them. Reuse does also not mean all or nothing! The cabinets that could not be designed into our new plan were used as storage elsewhere in the home or were donated. Too much or too little of something, whether fabric, salvaged tile or wood, lighting, etc. is not a negative…it’s the path to your own distinctive look, to new design opportunities. And, the kitchen was published!

So here’s what caught our eye this week…

Image via design*sponge

Spied on design*sponge, this set of nesting tables, made of recycled wood and old rebar.  They are really kinda cute, which is not something I usually say about things made of rebar.

Next up, a cozy blanket giveaway and some great sale items seen on Green Your Decor, as well as musings on printed countertops and why existing buildings are greener…

Image via Green Your Decor

I couldn’t resist showing this adorable photo Jennae, of Green Your Decor, took of her daughter snuggled up in a Yumi & Laurie BlanQuette.  Green Your Decor is having a giveaway for three of these cozy 50% organic cotton, 50% bamboo blankets, in the winner’s choice of colors.  Giveaway contest ends March 22nd.

Image via Green Your Decor

Also from Green Your Decor are these great “Green Steal of the Week” items.  A stool woven from water hyacinth, for only $40, and a pair of organic cotton napkins for $5-6.

Image via K=BB Collective

Eric Corey Freed, green architecture advocate and all around nice guy, muses about the future of countertop materials, and if “desktop manufacturing” technologies will change the way we create them.  Imagine using a 3D printer to create your next kitchen!

Image via Treehugger

Treehugger looks at some pretty severe demolition plans the city of Brantford, Ontario is considering, and says perhaps “The Greenest Building is the One Already Standing”.

And speaking of Treehugger, please consider voting for us for Best of Green in the Architecture and Design Blog category.  Thank you!

Developed by the Spanish multi-national company Cosentino, Eco brand countertops are made of 75% recycled materials.  Those materials include anything from porcelain to stone to glass.  But it’s the three colors, Polar Cap, Crystal Ash and Starlight, which really stand out with their subtle use of broken mirror.  In fact, although not normally a fan of shiny black countertops, I am transfixed by how much the color Starlight lives up to its name.  There is no way to experience what it really looks like except by seeing it in person, but trust me, it’s absolutely lovely.  And shiny.  And sparkly.  And,… I must have been a magpie in another life.

By combining all these different materials, in different proportions, and then binding them together with a resin made primarily from corn, Eco by Cosentino has created a non-porous, high performance surface that is both Cradle to Cradle, and Greenguard certified.

Although they have a very usable range of colors, they are all in an earthy palette of black, white, gray and tan, which seems a bit limited.  If you were in charge of things, what color would you most like to see them add to the range of options?  Do you like the polished look, or do you think they should offer a couple of colors in a honed (matte) finish?  Please feel free to comment below.

Whether it’s due to a backlash against the cold, shiny surface of the ubiquitous granite countertop, or a desire for something with an old-fashioned, great-grandma’s kitchen feel, wood is really seeing a comeback as a countertop surface.

One beautiful option to achieve this look is teak.  Because of it’s density, durability and natural oil content, teak has long been the wood of choice for boats, buildings and outdoor furniture, all of which get a great deal of exposure to the elements.  It’s those same characteristics that are giving it a foothold in the modern kitchen.

Many, many years ago, teak was almost entirely harvested from old growth forests.  Nowadays, the majority of teak is grown on plantations, which is seen as a more commercially viable and environmentally preferable source.  However, not all plantation grown teak is truly eco-friendly, and it can, in some cases, cause damage to surrounding forest.

Down on Mexico’s Pacific Coast, one company has found a way to grow teak AND save the forest.  Over the last six years, Proteak has planted over 8,000 acres of reclaimed ranch land with fast growing teak, all while saving 2,000 acres of adjacent rainforest.  Overall, they estimate that every day the plantation captures the carbon emissions equivalent of 20,000 cars.  Best of all, their teak is FSC certified, which means they have met rigorous standards of forest management.

The end results are lovely to look at, like their end grain kitchen countertop above.

For those not looking to replace their entire countertop, Proteak also makes cutting boards and butcher block carts.

Do you have a wood countertop in your kitchen?  Is it teak, or some other wood?  What do you think are the pros and cons?  Please let us know in the comments below.

Vetrazzo "Bistro Green" table top

From something like this…

Recycled glass from post consumer sources

Well, since 85% of the finished material is made from glass shards, I would have to say they make it very, VERY carefully…  (sorry – couldn’t resist).

Actually, according to Vetrazzo, the process is not unlike making a chocolate chip cookie.  The glass is the chocolate chips, the Portland cement is the batter.  Since all the material used is inert, and there are no petroleum or resin ingredients included, Vetrazzo is a completely VOC free product.  Once the glass, cement and a few proprietary materials are mixed together, they are poured into a 9′ x 5′ mold, then steam cured overnight to strengthen the slab.

finished slab

The slab is then transported to the finishing area…

Slab in polishing process

where it is polished to a high gloss with a large scale granite polisher.  Although a significant amount of water is required to complete the process, Vetrazzo is able to reclaim almost all of it using a 2,000 gallon water recycling system.  In fact, they are quite proud of the fact that they use less water in the manufacturing process than they do for their kitchen and bathrooms.

So, you just KNOW that they have to drop a slab now and then, despite all the cool looking equipment used to move it around!  In order to minimize waste, Vetrazzo has come up with a good way to keep this material out of the landfill.  They actually pay a company to come pick up their broken and off-spec panels.  The company in-turn crushes the broken panels up and uses the material to make the base for road beds.

Most interesting to me was how committed they are to acquiring their glass from local sources.  Here’s what they have to say about where the glass comes from:

“Our primary source of glass is post-consumer California Redemption Value glass, more commonly known as the glass recycled by homeowners, bars and restaurants throughout Northern California.  Last night’s beer and wine bottles are today’s beautiful recycled glass countertops.  Another more unusual form of post consumer glass is salvaged glass we acquire from demolished buildings.

We also use a post-industrial glass that would otherwise be sent to the landfill or melted down at a high energy cost and repurposed as glass bottles, jars, etc.  At a relatively low energy cost Vetrazzo takes this crushed, un-processed glass and creates artful surfaces that will last for many decades to come.  Our post industrial glass sources are numerous, but some of the most common yet interesting are sources such as:

Cobalt Skyy Blue glass from the Skyy Vodka bottling plant
Safety glass from windshields, shower doors, etc
Architectural glass from sky scrapers
Flint and Georgia green glass from bottle manufacturers”

Vetrazzo has an excellent video that further explains their efforts to maintain a green business and the steps they take to make every step of the manufacturing process sustainable.

I hope you have enjoyed the first installment of our planned series – “How Do They Make…?”  If you have suggestions for other products you would like to know more about, please feel free to contact us at info [at] theinteriorevolution [dot] com

Editors note – theinterioRevolution does not accept nor publish any paid content.  The decision to profile the design and manufacturing process of specific companies is based solely on the proprietary nature of the particular product.

"Floating Blue" by Vetrazzo - Joel Puliatti, ©2008 Joel Puliatti for Vetrazzo, puliattiphoto@yahoo.com.

1. Recycled Glass Terrazo – Terrazo is an age old method of creating hard surfaces by combining aggregate, such as marble chips, with concrete.  The resulting material is poured into place and smoothed out using grinders and polishers. Companies such as Vetrazzo, Enviroglass, and Icestone have taken this method and replaced the stone aggregate with pre and post consumer glass chips, creating eye catching surfaces.

Caesarstone Ruby Reflections (recycled content)

2. Composite (Engineered) Stone – A suitable, and less destructive, substitute for granite countertops.  Composite countertops consist of some sort of stone aggregate, ranging in size from powder to pea size granules, combined with polymers and epoxy.  Pigment may also be added.  Manufacturers such as Caesarstone and Okite offer GreenGuard certified product.

Paperstone - Grass Kitchen: Paneltech International.

3. Paper – Composed of hundreds of sheets of compressed paper, and saturated with non-toxic resin, paper countertops, such as Richlite and Paperstone,  provide a clean, elegant look with surprising durability.

Plyboo Squared - USGBC Headquarters Washington, D.C.

4. Wood & Bamboo – In many late 19th century kitchens, wood countertops were the norm.  By the early 20th century though, tile and other easy to sanitize hard surfaces had all but replaced them in most kitchens.  However, wood is seeing a resurgence in popularity, due in part to an understanding of its natural anti-bacterial properties, as well as the warmer look.  Bamboo has similar properties to wood and, when purchased from a reputable manufacturer such as Plyboo or Teragren, is made with non-toxic adhesives and responsibly harvested material.

Durum by Torzo Surfaces

5. Resin Infused Composite – Something of a hybrid, this surface takes composite board, such as Kirei and OSB, and saturates it with resin, much like that used for paper countertops.  Because the resin and pigment permeate the material, it can be fabricated without need for staining or touch-ups. It also makes it resistant to water, allowing it to be used for bathroom and kitchen counters.

Conrete integral sink by Sonoma Stone

6. Concrete – Whether poured in place, or slab, lightweight concrete makes a lovely, versatile countertop surface.  With the addition of pigment, surface detailing and various types of aggregate, this material can be endlessly customized.  Perhaps one of the biggest advantages is the ability to create integral sinks, which provide a seamless surface transition.  There are many artisans who specialize in creating and installing concrete countertops, as well as some larger companies such as Sonoma Stone.