Blogs & Ecology

Here is one-stop shopping in London that will satisfy the hearts and pockets of the most particular and design-minded. Almost forty UK designers-makers and small green companies have joined together to open a pop-up shop, for seven weeks only, with a very esoteric selection of fair trade, ethical, organic, and eco-friendly products. This well-chosen assortment of holiday delights will solve many shopping dilemmas this season ( except for what to buy my mother) without compromising on style or our conscience.

:: Rather do the green thing and fix--not ditch--your (insert electronic device or appliance here)? Unless you are super organized, it's likely you've lost the user's manual. Luckily, a large medley of manuals can be found online.

:: Skip the stale supermarket cake and throw a green office party. Balloons and streamers not welcome.

Image source: Selina Rose

The idea of putting felt rugs, table runners and wallcoverings around your home might bring back images of arts and crafts projects from elementary school. But the designs coming out of Selina Rose are anything but elementary.

More Selina Rose pieces after the Jump...

It seems almost silly, but British researchers at the University of Hertfordshire have announced they have designed a room that they say gives its stressed out occupants a feeling of relief - if only for 15 minutes. Billed as the most relaxing room in the world, the main elements in the environment are: the smell of lavender, deep green lighting to simulate deep green nature, and a "sky-like" screen to "turn thought inward." Why not just go outside and get some nature...the real thing?

photo/A+R
With retail sales down and expected to continue plummeting, will buyers eschew green products in favor of less-expensive fare? Not if retailers expand their definition of “eco-friendly,” said Andy Griffith, one-half of the team behind the wildly popular A + R stores in Los Angeles, CA.

From an MP3 player from sustainable hardwood to vintage fabric stuffed animals: Find out more about the green gifts Griffith is betting on this season.
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photo: Smith & Hawken

West Coast Green 2008 showed off innovative green ways to build homes and structures. But it didn't stop there. Also featured at the convention were eco-friendly ways to decorate. NaturesCast is one such way, utilizing dry leaves and twigs harvested from forests around Compostela, Province of Cebu, The Philippines.

More photos of the beautiful creations after the jump....

Thonet chairs are the classic and quintessential french cafe chair. We have been looking at them in french films, paintings and restaurants forever. Particularly the No.14--it was created in 1862, and by 1930 almost 50 million had been sold. Le Corbusier said "Never has anything been created more elegant and better in its conception, more precise in its execution, and more excellently functional."

Photo credit: Getty Images / James Woodson

A handmade pony tale holder and rag doll made of recycled fabric, available on Etsy.

There's a new trend that, quite frankly, has me excited. A growing number of people (women in particular, but by no means is this a femme-exclusive category) are making a return to cottage crafts. A fantastic resource serving these crafters is Etsy, a website designed for "all things handmade."

:: Make baby happy with homemade organic baby food.

:: Spruce up your work pad with potted plants and herbs.

:: Live in NYC? Reap the benefits of renewable energy.
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Image credit: Coffeeshopdays.com

Image courtesy of Getty Images.

Jeanie Pyun, editor of Sprig and Kelly LaPlante, an eco interior-designer with over 10 years experience hosted a Discussion on Washington Post.com last Thursday to offer tips to help you green your style.