Eco Wallcoverings

By Holly Peterson

Wallpaper has come a long way since grandma’s house. Oranges and browns have given way to hipper hues and florals have graduated from daisies to more sophisticated peonies, mums, and fleurs de lis. Most importantly, gone are the VOC-, solvent-laden vinyls and in are the greener options like Graham & Brown’s Eco Wallcoverings. Their whimsical designs are printed on paper from managed timber sources using water-

New Televisions are SKINNIER & SMARTER

By Holly Peterson

There's no such thing as too thing. Really. Today's flat panels just keep getting thinner, with many new models of LCD TV's measuring just a half-inch thick. (Sharp Aquos is shown here.) Lighter weight and easier to mount on a wall, these beauties have the added benefit of being better for the environment. Using fewer raw materials and packaging products helps streamline production and shipping, reducing the overall carbon footprint of the product. Even the bulkier plasma TVs are getting trimmer, with Panasonic introducing a model that's just 1 inch thick.
These newest TVs offer even sharper pictures, too. Companies have increased what they call the "refresh rate" on LCD TVs, meaning the images are clearer, brighter, and truer than ever.


For a while now, we've been able to watch on a computer content that was originally intended for TV viewing. Now, companies have reversed that path as downloadable content comes to the TV. The coming year will bring widgets to the TV screen. (Panasonic with Viera Cast interface, above.) Widgets are those icons on the bottom of a computer screen you click to launch a program or application. Remote controls offer easy navigation of onscreen menus, but this is not a workspace desktop. The icons and content are specifically geared toward entertainment and customized content. TVs and computers are far from interchangeable, and none of these new screens are true open platforms. All depend on partnerships with companies like Yahoo! for customized weather reports and news feeds. Even better, Netflix, Cinema Now, and Blockbuster are pairing up with TV manufacturers to deliver movies directly to your TV.


Just about every electronics company has some kind of eco message. Most are touting TVs that consume less power, based largely on smarter technology. Others have features that let the TV sense the lighting in a room and adjust accordingly so colors are truer, contrast better, and the TV doesn't have to work as hard, using less power. Sony's Bravia Eco TV (shown here) goes one step further: A motion detector senses if there's been no movement in a room for more than 30 minutes and turns off the TV. According to the company, it's so sensitive that there's little chance that even a true couch potato will ever be inert enough to risk shutting off the television.
Companies are pledging to reduce emissions, make better use of sustainable resources, and expand recycling programs. New battery technology holds promise for greener power sources, too, with solar cells popping up on portable devices.

Back to Black: How to Make Black Walls Work

By Holly Peterson

HUNTER DOUGLAS Promotion...Ends 4/30/09!

By Holly Peterson

Barking Up The Right Tree

By Holly Peterson

If you've ever wanted a puppy, but haven't had the time or space for one, this is perfect! You can satisfy your dog-owning dreams with Proteak’s Pack of Dogs teak furniture. The canine-shaped wood pieces come in different sizes and poses and can be used as shelves, benches, bookends, stools, or whatever else you command. While they’re not exactly the cuddliest things, they are really good at “sit” and “stay” and help absorb CO2 emissions from nearly 15,000 cars a day. See, Proteak is also a 7,000-acre organic forest built on Mexican reclaimed ranch land. Besides planting a tree for every one it cuts down, Proteak also makes it a priority to protect the 1,000 acres of virgin tropical forest that surround their plantation. Not a bad day's work for people who make wooden puppies named after Mexican wrestlers, eh?

Meet Aguayo (left) and friends at proteak.com

Join The Club

By Holly Peterson

It’s nice to be proud of your home. That’s why you clean the bathroom and fluff the cushions. But if you go through such lengths to keep your house looking clean, why wouldn't you put in the extra effort to make sure it’s running clean as well? Chances are, you just don’t know where to start. Well, whether you are still learning about CFLs or shopping for solar panels, the Sierra Club is here to help. Their robust new site, sierraclubgreenhome.com, boasts everything you’d need to green your home – a carbon counter, educational literature, a video library, a database of nearly 1,000 service providers in 47 states, and more. Whether they succeed as the WebMd of the green-home world remains to be seen. But they definitely know more than the high-school kid working at Home Depot.

Spruce up your home @ sierraclubgreenhome.com

The Big Bam...Bamboo!

By Holly Peterson

Get bamboo, not bamboozled, the next time you're in the market for new furniture. There are many eco-friendly options out there but the best type of furniture for you remains the kind made from the quick-growing, air-purifying mighty bamboo plant. Unlike other comparable hardwoods, bamboo emits 35 percent more oxygen. That means less carbon dioxide in your home, more room for you to breathe. For those seeing flashes of ugly wicker-looking furniture in your future, don’t panic until you've checked out the fine bamboo pieces by Washington-based Greenington. From clean and simple dining sets to Zen-inspired end tables, each piece is made using maturated Moso bamboo that is 20 to 100 percent more durable than oak. Furniture that will not only make you feel better but actually last longer is definitely something to breathe easy about.

Learn more at bambooathomes.com

FURNITURE SAMPLE SALE IN L.A.

By Holly Peterson

Don't miss this fabulous opportunity to browse the exclusive trade showrooms of the L.A. Mart Design Center during their special sales event and purchase designer furnishings for the home at up to 70% off!!!


Designer Preview (Contact me if you'd like to go before the general public)
Friday, April 17, 2009
9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.

Open to the public
Saturday, April 18, 2009
10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.

&

Sunday, April 19, 2009
11:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.

Admission $10
Parking $5

Finally...A SMART Wiring Solution...NO WIRES!

By Holly Peterson

How to GO GREEN!

By Holly Peterson