Modernests » Green Design

Phone Book Table

Katya Roberts — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 07:30:48 +0000

A few months ago, we received a large delivery of phone books at work. To my dismay no one wanted them and I feel sad to say I don’t know what happened to them, I think they were trashed. Gasp. More recently I came upon this wonderful creation in a friend’s Ready Made book. I wish had seen it or thought of this earlier. I would have loved to save all those books and feel like I brought a bunch of puppies home from the shelter.

Bookcase at Recyclart!

Katya Roberts — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 07:01:00 +0000

I stumbled on a cool new site. Well…it’s new for me and I love this bookcase made out of salvaged coffee tables and furniture pieces.

It reminds me of this other bookcase, but with a personality of its own. As I mentioned before I think this concept of cutting a piece in half can make for a lot of fun and inventive creations. In particular, the way these pieces are stacked and layered is innovative and fun.

I plan to keep an eye out for more great ideas at Recyclart.

Free, Green Wall Decor from Repurposed Materials

Katya Roberts — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 07:07:00 +0000

Picking right up from yesterday’s cardboard inspirations, here is a new idea in repurposing otherwise wasted materials.

You’ve probably seen a trend in expensive 3D wall panels and 3D wallpaper. This is free. All you need to do is ask your local grocer to take their fruit trays off their hands. I just got a box and tried it out in our living room. You can hang them with the rounded side out or the ribbed side out.

These trays generally come in beige and purple. I am thinking of spray painting them red and covering an entire wall in the bedroom for a striking effect. I’ll let you know how it goes. Best part is…if I’m over it one day, it only cost me the price of spray paint.

What’s your two cents? Would you do this? Don’t care? Hate it? Love it? For an alternative, cheap wallpaper look, there’s always newspaper. Also check out this DIY cardboard chair.

Related Blogs

Related Blogs on Free, Green Wall Decor from Repurposed Materials

Window Shopping Inspiration: Cardboard Sculpture

Katya Roberts — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 07:01:00 +0000

Did you move recently and don’t know what to do with all those cardboard boxes? Or are you looking for a way to add some punch to your space in a green way? I love this cardboard sculpture which I spotted at Anthropologie at the Grove in Los Angeles. Not only do they sell gorgeous clothes, some care is taken to create some fun and inventive installations inside their stores.

Salvaged Materials: Windows and Shutters

Katya Roberts — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 01:35:00 +0000

Salvaged windows and shutters can make for an awesome accent wall or room divider. These are located in the End2End’s office in the Rosebank Design District. They are an office-automation company. Their white and cream palette is earthy and soothing and the raw, aged shutters and windows bring in a great, three dimensional textural feel to the spaces. All the furniture they used was also salvaged and re-upholstered.

Newspaper Wallpaper?

Katya Roberts — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 19:20:00 +0000

Have you seen newspaper as wallpaper before? Was it done well? I had shoes with newspaper print when I was little and they were my favorite.
You can get this newspaper wallpaper look from an Italian design catalogue for uhm…$6000 or you can do it yourself. Here are some suggested steps for creating the look. You can get a vintage version here. By the way I also really like the beige plaid wallpaper on that page.

I think it has to be done in an otherwise minimalist setting to look good and should only be an accent wall or a part of a wall. The bathroom example is the perfect amount for my taste.

EcoTowl

Katya Roberts — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 10:32:00 +0000

I found an eco-friendly paper towel replacement at the grocery store today. It is getting great reviews online. The towels come in different colors and the bamboo design is their latest. It is 82% Bamboo Fiber and 18% Corn. It is reusable, super absorbent and biodegradable. I will let you know how it holds up as I use it in the kitchen and another one in the bathroom. Pacific Dry Goods also makes other great cleaning products for the house. Check them out.

Green Design: The Good Hotel

Katya Roberts — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 13:00:00 +0000

Ohio Design helped furnish The Good Hotel in San Francisco. It is a socially and environmentally conscious hotel. Eco-friendly furnishings and a twenty four hour donations and volunteer opportunities hotline in the lobby are some of the ammenities made available for the hotel guests.

I personally really love the bed design. It almost looks like something you could make yourself using some plywood. It has a great shape and I love the little storage nook at the foot of the bed. Ohio Design and Thomas Wold brought the Eco-friendly furnishings to this gem of a hotel.

Check out this amazing dresser and the simply beautiful bench pictured above. Browse Ohio Design’s other noteworthy creations here. They have so much great stuff. Browse…and be mesmerized…