The DIY Channel’s new show, “This New House” premieres tonight, July 29th, at 8PM/7C.  If the trailer for the series is any indication, it should be chock full of innovative, high tech products, many of them geared towards energy savings and other aspects of green living.

One of the projects highlighted in the first three episodes is the Cleantech Teaching Center, a state of the art showcase home located in Beverly, MA.  This house features an entirely LED lighting system, rainwater recovery system, geothermal energy, and solar photovoltaic panels.  Sustainable materials were used throughout the interior, including Trend USA’s lovely Trend Q recycled glass tile.  Cleantech Homes, LLC has applied for LEED PLatinum status for the home.

Here is a synopsis of the first episode of the show, titled “Folding Houses” -

This episode is set at the Cleantech House in Beverly, Mass., a showcase of the latest in energy-saving design. Host Kevin O’Connor visits Blu-Homes, a Waltham, Mass., company that’s trying to deliver on the promise of prefab housing by making buildings that fold up for shipping. Licensed contractor and host Amy Matthews goes to Las Vegas, Nev., to see a Department of Energy project that brings a 1960s home up to net-zero modern standards. Kevin explains energy-recovery ventilators and Amy discovers Accoya, a treated wood that lasts for 50 years without needing paint or stain. Kevin goes to the NuCedar factory in Chicopee, Mass., to sees how PVC siding is made. At the International Builders’ Show in Las Vegas, Amy is off to see a P-trap sink drain that never clogs.

Sounds pretty cool.  I’m familiar with the treated Accoya wood, which is a pretty nifty product, and I’m really curious to find out more about the folding pre-fab houses.  Unfortunately, the DIY Channel is a premium channel on our system, and we’ve never bothered to upgrade since we don’t watch a ton of TV (Yeah, I know that’s kinda green living of us, but in truth, it’s as much about being too busy with work as it is anything more noble).  In any case, if you have a chance to watch it, please let us know what you think in the comments below.  Meanwhile, I’ll see if I can catch up with it some other way.

Fez carpet tiles are made of 85% post consumer recycled PET (polyester) fiber, and are designed for medium traffic residential use.  The 19.7″ square tiles come in seven different colors, as well as pre-designed rug kits ranging in size from 3′ x 5′ to 8′ x 10′.  Individual tiles are on sale for $7.99 (reg. $9.99), and a 3′ x 5′ rug can be had for only $47.94.

Best of all, when you are done with the tiles, FLOR will send you a pre-paid pouch to send them back so they can be recycled into new rug material!

At only $2.97 per square foot, how can you go wrong?

100 years ago, before “sustainability” became a concept, before the word “recycling” even existed, a traditional American craft embodied both: rag rugs, the art of creating rugs from worn clothing & cast-off textiles.   Across the country housewives melded thrift and creativity, beauty and usefulness into functional works of art.

At Lark Textile Design owner/designer Janet Thomas builds on this legacy.  In her hands, the unintended sustainably of yesteryear has become a directed goal in the production of custom hand-woven and constructed rugs.

“Although I use new materials now for my rugs,” she says, “they are industry 2nds and cast offs.  Perfectly good for walking on but not good enough for your window coverings or upholstery.  I am a scavenger at heart and that mindset makes it really easy to fit into the context of today’s sustainability concerns.”

Textiles were an integral part of Janet’s life growing up, to the point of obtaining a degree in textile design from the University of Washington – afterward, she began making rugs for galleries and shops, then began working with designers and the wholesale market of custom home furnishings.  Of central importance to her are projects that highlight the hand-woven quality of the rugs and develop a mood and atmosphere in a room specific to each individual client.

There is little waste in the studio, for use is found even for the “leftovers” from larger projects, which are turned into smaller area rugs and sold.  The carbon impact of the business is reduced by the simple elimination of excess shipping: the rugs are made here in the United States and sent directly to the customers.  For Janet, sustainability is a natural offspring of long-term thinking that goes far beyond business practice:

“Working in a sustainable fashion just makes sense to me,” she says.  “It is not an effort, more a design challenge. Anyone who has ventured into the world of trying to make a living weaving will tell you that innovation is a must.  It is my hope that by looking at all aspects of my business in a sustainable way is not only good brain exercise for me today but helps generations to come by reducing my baggage that is getting dumped on them.  Everyone has to figure out their own way to make a difference.  What I consider to be the most important aspect of sustainability is education. There are millions of great people out there that just need to be informed.”

Lark rugs are available in high-relief or flatwoven style, of which many choices are available for viewing and order at the “Portfolio” section of the business’ website.  Along with the traditional wool, cotton, and synthetic yarns, her work may also include fabric ribbons and even suede and leather, which is particularly interesting worked into a high-relief rug.  (The latter are works of art in their own right and would make striking wall hangings.)  With custom projects Janet works closely with each client, working up a Colors For Approval card from the fabric & paint samples provided by the customer and then – if the client wishes to do a more in-depth evaluation – for a charge creating an optional 16” x 16” square sample which be used to determine how well the finished rug suits its intended environment.

The practical beauty of Janet’s work can provide the opportunity to engage a larger audience in the ideals of sustainable interior design, and perhaps further along into the ideals of mindful living.  How better to begin such a conversation than the furnishings of one’s daily life?

Lark Texile Design may be visited here.

Queries may be directed to:

Janet Thomas

Lark Textile Design
720 Sunset Pond Lane #2
Bellingham WA 98226

PH 360-527-0305
FX 360-527-0306

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.

100% recycled leather floors?  Totally sexy!

If you’ve ever wanted to impress your snooty acquaintances, surprise your treehugging friends, and talk your spouse (or client) into something they won’t think of as being too crunchy granola, TORLYS Leather flooring may be for you.

Made from the unused leather trimmings leftover from the manufacture of boots, jackets and belts, Torlys Leather flooring shows how elegant reclaimed materials can be.

Installed as a floating floor, the planks requires no adhesive to assemble.  That, coupled with their no added formaldehyde construction, makes them a good choice for better IAQ.  They have also met E1 Formaldehyde emissions standards, as well as California Public School Section 01350.

The individual planks of Torlys Leather are backed with a layer of cork, which assists in noise dampening and negates the need for an underlayment.   Don’t like the sound of the herd of elephants people walking around upstairs?  This might be the flooring for you.

Now you may be thinking that a leather floor sounds pretty delicate and easily damaged.  Well, while I haven’t reviewed the actual wording, Torlys does state that they give a 25 year warranty on their product.  Best of all, they have designed their floor to be reinstalled up to 3 times.  So if your love for leather ever wains, you can always pull the flooring out and give it a new home with someone else.

So what do you think?

People (from places other than Wyoming), let me introduce you to this amazing thing called a “snowfence”.  Apparently in Wyoming, the snow runs free across the prairie, and they have to put up fencing to keep it from roaming onto the highways, or some such thing.  I don’t know – I’m from Southern California.  I am officially clueless about snow.

In any case, this fencing is subjected to wind, rain, sun, snow and ice, so it surely qualifies as weathered!  Not surprisingly, it can only last so long before it needs to be replaced.   Thankfully, Centennial Woods has found new uses for all the old, discarded planks, turning them into beautiful boards and flooring.

Because these planks have never been painted or chemically treated, they are a more reliable source for lead and arsenic free reclaimed wood than barns or other structures.  And look at the lovely, natural variations in color…

This is an image I took of the samples sent to me last week.  The reddish plank with the knot, and the tan plank at the bottom have both been planed for use in flooring. Standard width is 5″, with lengths of anywhere from 4′ to 12′.  The other two samples are raw boards, straight from the Wyoming wildlands.  How raw?  Check this out…

This sample still has lichen all over it!  What amazing color and texture this piece has.

Best of all for the people of Wyoming, because Centennial Wood has built up such a good market for the reclaimed fencing, they are able to repair and maintain fencing along 270 miles of Wyoming roads at no cost to the state or local government.  They can also provide new, low-cost fencing, sourced from sustainably managed Rocky Mountain Ponderosa and Lodge Pole Pine.  From their website:

Before Centennial Woods began harvesting Wyoming snowfence, older boards were often left on the frame too long and burned or thrown in a landfill when replaced. In 1999, Centennial Woods discovered the strength and beauty of Wyoming snowfence and vowed to rescue and reuse it. By developing an international market for this untapped Wyoming resource, Centennial Woods has repurposed more than 5 million feet of snowfence, saving snowfence owners more than $9 million and avoiding emission of more than 9,000 tons of CO2 emissions.

I think this is a perfect example of a product that is truly well thought out, beneficial and most of all, sustainable.

via flor.com

This is such a fun idea, it’s a wonder FLOR didn’t think of it sooner.

Now’s your chance to create the FLOR you’ve always dreamed of.

Let your imagination run wild – with FLOR’s design system of 19.7-inch squares the options are limitless. All you have to do is choose your FLOR and let the designing begin. Mix and match colors, patterns and textures to create a rug, runner or wall-to-wall design that fits your décor and your personality. Who knows, you may just get your FLOR design for free or see it on FLOR.com.

The designing on takes place using their online design tools.  Entries must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. CT Monday, December 7, 2009, so you don’t have a lot of time!  Click here for contest details.

And hey – if your design gets picked PLEASE let us know!  We’ll be sure to post all about it here!

According to Tandus, the company hasn’t sent manufacturing waste to a landfill since 1994.  Add all the carpet they take back through their Infinity Initiative to that, and as of now they have diverted over 155,000,000 pounds of carpet from landfills.  So where does all that carpet go?

Tandus collects used and reclaimed carpet from any manufacturer and then takes it to a sorting facility.  Then they take the raw carpet and chop it up into smaller and smaller pieces, eventually pelletizing it.  From there it is heated, extruded and processed into their 100% recycled content ER3 backing material.  Add a lovely carpet face material to the top and Tandus has something to brag about!

The use of recycled materials as backing material doesn’t stop there.  At Greenbuild 2009 they were showing their Ethos modular carpet backing, which is made from the film used on shatterproof glass.  Composed of polyvinyl butyral (PVB), the film had no commercially viable use after the end of it’s useful life, until Tandus found its calling during research into carpet backing alternatives.

To find out more about the sustainability initiatives at Tandus, click here.