Style Meets Eco-conscious Manufacturing
Eco Friendly Counter Tops
There is a lingering misperception that earth friendly products are not as attractive as we may want them to be.
Take this paper composite counter tops from PaperStone, for instance. These are made from very eco friendly material is usually composed of 50 to 100 percent post-consumer recycled paper and other fibers.
A formaldehyde-free thermoset plastic resin is then used to hold these fibers together, while also creating a nice smooth finish.
The look is similar to that of finely sanded wood, and comes in an array of colors. What is more, these counter tops are also capable of handling heat and are durable.
Energy Efficient Window Treatments
Energy conservation plays an important role in an eco-friendly home. Window treatments are an often ignored source.
It is estimated that energy lost through windows may account for as much as 25 percent of utility bills. You need window treatments to reduce solar heat gain in warmer months and to provide heat loss prevention in cooler ones.
The Duette Architella honeycomb shades from Hunter Douglas come with a cell-within-a-cell honeycomb structure, with five insulating pockets.
These shades can reduce solar heat gain in summer by up to 80 percent and heat loss in winter by up to 40 percent.
From Hunter Douglas.
Sustainable Bamboo
Bamboo is now used to make a variety of products around the home including furniture, floors, and window treatments. It is one of the most sustainable materials out there because it grows back quickly, and low VOCs are used in making the laminate that holds bamboo plywood together.
It also makes a spectacular appearance in bathroom products because it can stand up to moisture without deteriorating, and you get an instant zen atmosphere.
Bamboo can be used on shower floors, in bathroom furniture and accessories, and even to deck out a bath tub such as this one form Cali Bamboo.
Looking for sustainably manufactured furniture is one of the best things you can do for your home. What is more, furniture made from sustainably harvested wood is available in a variety of styles, woods, and even price points.
Harden is one of the first companies that comes to mind as it harvests its wood from 10,000 acres of its own timber property in New York State. Its Cabinetmakers Cherry Collection offers not only sustainably harvested wood, but also wood-smith techniques of early cabinetmakers, such as exposed mortise and tenon joinery.
Featured here is the Iron Road Bed from Harden.
Reclaimed material is material that could have ended up in landfills, but was given a second life. It has been used to produce spectacular furniture, and there is no end to the variety of styles, materials, and the sheer creativity in finding new and sometimes unlikely uses for these materials.
Reclaimed material does not have to look dreary either. It can be brilliantly hued, and can have different textures due to the variety of materials that have been used.
Groovystuff is one of the manufacturers which keep coming up with original products made from reclaimed and recycled materials. The hard to miss side table, above, comes from their Moonshine Collection, which was created from steel barrels in use back in the 1800s.
There is a lingering misperception that earth friendly products are not as attractive as we may want them to be.
Take this paper composite counter tops from PaperStone, for instance. These are made from very eco friendly material is usually composed of 50 to 100 percent post-consumer recycled paper and other fibers.
A formaldehyde-free thermoset plastic resin is then used to hold these fibers together, while also creating a nice smooth finish.
The look is similar to that of finely sanded wood, and comes in an array of colors. What is more, these counter tops are also capable of handling heat and are durable.
Energy Efficient Window Treatments
Energy conservation plays an important role in an eco-friendly home. Window treatments are an often ignored source.
It is estimated that energy lost through windows may account for as much as 25 percent of utility bills. You need window treatments to reduce solar heat gain in warmer months and to provide heat loss prevention in cooler ones.
The Duette Architella honeycomb shades from Hunter Douglas come with a cell-within-a-cell honeycomb structure, with five insulating pockets.
These shades can reduce solar heat gain in summer by up to 80 percent and heat loss in winter by up to 40 percent.
From Hunter Douglas.
Sustainable Bamboo
Bamboo is now used to make a variety of products around the home including furniture, floors, and window treatments. It is one of the most sustainable materials out there because it grows back quickly, and low VOCs are used in making the laminate that holds bamboo plywood together.
It also makes a spectacular appearance in bathroom products because it can stand up to moisture without deteriorating, and you get an instant zen atmosphere.
Bamboo can be used on shower floors, in bathroom furniture and accessories, and even to deck out a bath tub such as this one form Cali Bamboo.
Looking for sustainably manufactured furniture is one of the best things you can do for your home. What is more, furniture made from sustainably harvested wood is available in a variety of styles, woods, and even price points.
Harden is one of the first companies that comes to mind as it harvests its wood from 10,000 acres of its own timber property in New York State. Its Cabinetmakers Cherry Collection offers not only sustainably harvested wood, but also wood-smith techniques of early cabinetmakers, such as exposed mortise and tenon joinery.
Featured here is the Iron Road Bed from Harden.
Reclaimed material is material that could have ended up in landfills, but was given a second life. It has been used to produce spectacular furniture, and there is no end to the variety of styles, materials, and the sheer creativity in finding new and sometimes unlikely uses for these materials.
Reclaimed material does not have to look dreary either. It can be brilliantly hued, and can have different textures due to the variety of materials that have been used.
Groovystuff is one of the manufacturers which keep coming up with original products made from reclaimed and recycled materials. The hard to miss side table, above, comes from their Moonshine Collection, which was created from steel barrels in use back in the 1800s.
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