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.

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!

So,… can you tell I’m getting a little tired of my sweater collection?

Maybe I would feel better if I just built myself a great sofa cushion fort like this girl did.  Then I could have my work of architectural wonderment critiqued for its Richard Meier overtones in this hysterical (if you like architectural critiques) post.  (Build Blog)

Here’s something I missed in all the Milan Design Week hoopla – a really interesting new eco-kitchen from Whirlpool. (inhabitat)

Ever heard the term “piezoelectric”?  Me neither, but if this cool looking shower is any indicator, we’re going to hear a lot more about it soon. (inhabitat)

I love this collection of Spring themed organic cotton bedding! (Green Your Decor)

I WANT these beautiful, scrapwood, fair trade baskets designed by Piet Hein Eek! (renest)

And these amazing green dollhouses are, well, amazing!  Some of them come with their own solar arrays on the roof, and LED lighting throughout. (renest)

So, do you ever run across a cool bit of sustainable furniture, or eco-friendly design you think our readers should know about?  Feel free to send us a link, or just mention it in the comments section below.  We love hearing about new and exciting design sources!

Have a great weekend everyone!

This whimsical LED lamp, designed by Pablo Pardo, seems the perfect fit for a child’s room.

Flexible yet sturdy, the aluminum Link Table Lamp has splayed “feet” for added stability, which only adds to it’s slightly comical look.  The 15 LED bulbs remain cool to the touch, making it the perfect lamp for little ones who may still be learning the age old “hot – don’t touch” mantra.  And with an expected bulb lifespan of up to 100,000 hours, the lamp they learn to read “Green Eggs and Ham” under may well light their way through their first college chemistry course.

Available in 5 colors, both online and in Room & Board stores.

Judging from the colors for their EMU Re-Trouve line, I’d say so does Coalesse!  Aren’t these seats adorable?  There’s no other word for them.  With their tongue in cheek retro style, these would look at home in just about any setting.

Coalesse also has a handsome, if ghostly, take on classic living room furniture, in the EMU Ivy collection.  Created out of powder coated steel mesh, these pieces are certified SCS Indoor Advantage Gold, and use a minimum of materials in their construction.  The steel is also a minimum 31% recycled content, and is 100% recyclable.

The, ahem, “brightest” idea has to be these great EMU Ivy footstools.  They are designed with a photovoltaic panel in the top that powers 5 LEDs underneath.  With a convenient carrying strap at the side, they can be moved around anywhere you need a little light.  Brilliant!

So are you ready for Spring yet?

Image by Rinne Allen via Interior Design "Cindy's Salon"

Seen on the Interior Design Magazine “Cindy’s Salon” blog, this lovely little cafe looks so cheery with its blue and white color scheme, and open spaces.  But what really stands out are the marvelously refurbished chairs…

Found at local thrift stores, the chairs at the Little Building Cafe were all in need of some serious TLC.  Each one received a whimsical refurbishment, and now they wear their individuality with pride.  I LOVE that pink shoe form as a leg!

Image by Lincoln Barbour via Design Sponge

Design Sponge showed the fantastic office space of Parliament, a design firm in Portland, OR.  Urban rustic to the core, this space is truly inspiring.

Image via Design Sponge

Also seen on Design Sponge was this very simple, straightforward, and ultimately stylish LED task light, the Clamp Lamp.

Image via Treehugger

And today we wrap up with a chair that uses the concept of wrapping to provide an easily updated style.  Extremely light weight at only 15 kg (33 lbs), the LYTA chair has an exterior upholstery that can be changed in only 5 minutes!  Click here to see how it’s done.

Image via Pharox

The Holy Grail of LED technology is the replacement for the standard 60 watt incandescent bulb.  It must be affordable, efficient, screw into a standard socket, and have that warm pleasing light we all grew up with.  Oh, and dimmable would be nice too!

Well, Pharox, a LED lighting company, has managed to get closer than anyone has before. Their new warm white Pharox60 6 watt bulb is dimmable and fits in a standard socket.  Easily purchased online, the bulb is projected to last 25 years, and save an average of $280 over its lifetime.  Thank goodness, because the price for a single bulb – $49.95 -  is still higher than most people feel comfortable with.

Image of the Golden Valley Brewery via Pharox

Cost aside, Pharox has brought the possibility of an easy LED replacement for the incandescent bulb that much closer to reality, and for that we applaud them (and hope they sell lots of bulbs!).

For more information, or to order, contact Pharox.

Image via Inhabitat

First up is Inhabitat’s post on the New California Craftsmen, and their intriguing designs, including this free form pendant made of scrap bird’s eye maple and aluminum rods.

Think that’s unusual?  Then how about this…?

Image via shelterrific

A pink flamingo chandelier!  Shelterrific called this kitschy light fixture, “strangely appealing”, and I would have to agree with that, emphasis on the “strange”.  Although made by Bindle Art & Design out of new lawn flamingos, it definitely gives a sense of the unusual things to be made from everyday objects.

Image via Inhabitat

And speaking of everyday items, Inhabitat noted that famous purveyor of the everyday, IKEA, is unveiling a new line of solar powered LED outdoor lighting.

Image via BoingBoing

And if lighting doesn’t do enough to brighten up your day, why not check out this great how-to from BoingBoing.  Using the instructions from the January 1959 copy of Popular Science you can whip together one of these terrific mid-century coffee tables, and give your living room a whole new look.  I’m envisioning those tiles in a nice, cheerful yellow to chase the winter blues away.  How about you?

Image via Neidhardt

Bridging the years between the space race and the race to save our planet is the fantastic Flex Chandelier from Neidhardt.

What looks to be a lightbulb is instead a hand blown glass shade.  The LED 285 Lumens @ 3100K lamp source is actually set in the base of the shade, with the LED driver located in the cylinder below.

Although the chandelier is only a concept at this time, corresponding fixtures are already available in the Flex line, including a sconce and a pendant.

A stylish chandelier that’s cool in more ways than one (sorry, a little LED humor there).

Image via Interior Design

This gorgeous green “rug” is made of living moss.  According to Interior Design Magazine’s Design Green blog…

Japanese company Unika Ltd’s Terramac® is an environmentally friendly, biodegradable spun fabric which works as a planter box of sorts, allowing you to lay it down and grow mosses and small plants indoors as a living carpet.

Image via re-nest

Over at re-nest, they took a walk through Etsy for some nice ways of organizing with vintage.

Image via re-nest

Also at re-nest is a long, but well worth reading, post on why upholstering is not for wimps.

Image via shelterrific

With it’s retro futuristic look, this LED coffee table on Shelteriffic is pretty eye catching.  But what really sets it apart from anything you’ve seen before is the motion sensitive LED lights that twinkle as you move something across the surface.  Almost makes you want to spill a drink, just to see what happens!