Bamboo Flooring

I am working on replacing the carpet in the my Great Room and decided to go with wood flooring. I have always liked the look of Bamboo because of the fine grain, but the light tones usually associated with Bamboo does not fit my personal Design Style. I prefer medium to dark tones to ground an interior. Also I prefer a wider plank. I was happily surprised at some of the options I found and decided to go with this:

FYI- Bamboo is an attractive alternative for flooring because of its physical similarities to hardwoods. Bamboo floor manufacturers and sellers promote its strength, durability as well as resistance to moisture while having the added benefit of being eco friendly.


Compared to wood it grows much faster because bamboo is a grass not a wood. Moso Bamboo is the primary species used for the manufacturing of flooring and plywood. Moso bamboo can grow up to 47 inches in 24 hours and 78½ feet high in 40 to 50 days. It takes about 3–5 years for bamboo to reach full maturity. Traditional hard woods can take 20 – 120 years to mature.



Bamboo can be harvested without the need to replant because the root system is left intact when it is harvested. Bamboo reaches maturity in five years which is the optimal age to harvest. In a sustainably harvested forest only 20% of the forest is harvested annually allowing for 100% harvest in a five year period. In its natural environment it will need no irrigation, no pesticides, and no fertilizer. Bamboo can sequester up to 70% more carbon per year than a hardwood forest. All these factors keep the carbon footprint low.

I will be posting about the project as it unfolds.

Nolen Before/After Bathroom

Before

After

Before

After

Recycled glass wall vase and sculptural flowers create an artistic focal point.

Arhaus

Recycled Treasures-This distinctive collection of “green” goods combines high style with earth-friendly practices to deliver fresh, fabulous fashion for your home. Artisan-designed and completely crafted by hand, each piece is inspired by rescued scrap materials destined for landfills, such as newspaper, old glass bottles and copper pieces. Recycled, repurposed and revitalized, these cast-offs are granted new life, transformed into distinctively different pieces that infuse your home with the spirit and energy of an “old soul”.

Chair-ished again

Picked up my new credenza from a funky new store called Chair-ished again. The store creates one of a kind furniture and accessories from old materials, truly recycling new life into found objects. This cabinet started life in a doctor's office. With the addition of a steel top and toe kick and decorative punch work on the doors, this piece is eclectic. More info on this store as it become available.
UPDATE

Unfortunately this store is now closed.

Happy Earth Day

Every year, April 22 is celebrated as Earth Day. Still, it is best to be kind to the earth every day.
This is where we live, and unless our habitat is in good shape, we cannot live as well or as long as we would like. Here are some great ideas to keep the earth clean.
*Never throw things away unless you use a trash container or a recycle container.
*If you see trash on the street, pick it up and throw it away.
*When you no longer need an item like a toy or clothing, give it away to someone who can use it.
*Have a yard sale with your family or friends.
*Use cloth napkins instead of paper napkins.
*Buy recycled paper and plastic products whenever possible.
*Use paper instead of plastic bags, or better yet, used cloth bags when shopping.

TerraCycle Sells Trash

TerraCycle manufactures affordable, potent, organic products that are not only made from waste, but are also packaged entirely in waste! TerraCycle Plant Food™ is made by feeding premium organic waste to millions of worms. The worm poop is then liquified into a powerful organic plant food and bottled directly in used soda bottles.

Green Floor Coverings

Anso Nylon Carpet in Fresh N Fabulous. Subtle yet striking, Fresh N Fabulous from Shaw offers dimension and fashion with a raised geometric square pattern and natural striations of soft two-toned color. Made of luxurious, durable Anso ® nylon, Fresh N Fabulous contains recycled content and is recyclable into new carpet again and again –CARPET TO CARPET ™. Shown in Java.

Green toilets

Wellworth Pressure Lite Elongated Toilet FEATURED IN THE HGTV GREEN HOME, the Wellworth elongated toilet brings graceful design and superior functionality to the bathroom with the Pressure Assist technology, precision-engineered to deliver complete 1.1-gpf performance. 30-1/4"L x 21-1/4"W x 29-1/4"H

Pressure Assist flushing system

Two-piece toilet with elongated bowl

Meets strict flushing performance guidelines established by the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) WaterSense program - uses at least 20% less water than standard 1.6-gallon toilets.

No Wire Hangers,EVER!

Soon, that phrase made famous by Faye Dunaway as Joan Crawford, may come true. If you've ever done dry cleaning, you've probably noticed the wire hangers that come with every piece of clothing returned to you. About 3.5 billion of them escape from closets around the country and end up in landfills. The EcoHanger was created as alternative — it's made of 100% recycled paper and pays for itself with advertising. Basically, dry cleaning companies get the hangers for free because of the direct marketing ads on the hangers. So far, EcoHangers have appeared in New York, San Francisco and other large cities. The distributor, HangerNetwork, is trying to get more dry cleaners to use the new hangers.

Reusable bags

Avoid the debate at the checkout when the cashier asks"Paper or plastic". Instead choose to reuse durable canvas or string bags every time and everywhere you shop.

Save oil and/or trees. In the US, about 12 million barrels of oil and 14 million trees go to producing plastic and paper bags each year.Remember, next time you shop, BYOB (bring your own bag).