German recycling bins at the train station
By Celine De Perlinghi-Johanson
As I packed for my sophomore semester abroad in Fall 2011, I wondered what life would be like in Munich, Germany. Stereotypically, I pictured Germans enjoying themselves, eating schnitzel and drinking beer in local pubs. I did not imagine them recycling and composting. Yet this was the surprising reality that struck me almost immediately when I arrived. Continue reading ›
"Mood Rocking Bed" from Shiner International
By Trish Holder
Does this bed come with the beach? If so, tuck me in!
Okay – maybe I just need a vacation… or a nap… or both, but this picture just about brought me to my knees with a mysterious longing. It comes courtesy of Shiner International’s founder and Vice President, Joe Manus. The “Mood Rocking Bed”, our American Made Pick-of-the-Week is one of Shiner’s most popular and iconic designs. Its elliptical shape was inspired by the distorted wheel rim of a wrecked motorcycle – Manus’ motorcycle. He was sitting on the side of the road, waiting for a friend to come and pick him up after an unfortunate encounter with a large rock. Continue reading ›
By Trish Holder
I don’t leave the house when my laundry dryer is running. At least not anymore, I don’t. And I clean out the lint trap religiously – something I’m ashamed to admit I didn’t always do.
Why my sudden hyper-vigilance with my clothes dryer? I learned recently that the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) issued a report in 2012 that concluded an estimated 16,800 home fires involving clothes dryers or washing machines occurred in 2010. Clothes dryers accounted for 92% of those fires. Continue reading ›
Ridley Stallings wall hangings made from architectural elements
By Trish Holder
I won’t lie. I did a pretty poor job of covering the High Point Furniture Market this past week. With only a few hours on three separate days to spare, I stuck to my favorite two buildings – Market Square and the International Home Furnishings Center IHFC. I didn’t come close to seeing everything in either of these buildings, especially not the three-and-a-half million square feet IHFC building. But I did manage to pick out some furnishings that might intrigue my sustainability conscious readers. Here are some of my favorites:
Savannah Georgia artist Ridley Stallings had several items in her booth that made me smile, especially these guitar wall hangings. Stallings uses architectural elements salvaged from old southern homes to create one-of-a-kind art pieces. The colors are bright and vibrant, and incorporate a lot of patina and texture. These are the sort of pieces that look fabulous in any style home – from contemporary to country cottage. Continue reading ›
Perennial garden needed to hide our compost bin!
By Trish Holder
I don’t have to look at seed catalogs anymore for signs of spring. At last the familiar colors, smells and sounds of the season have arrived in North Carolina. And collectively my organs are breathing a sigh of relief.
I know I have little right to complain, considering the winter people have endured this year in other parts of the country. (Wasn’t there just a blizzard in Colorado this past week?) But I have a theory that we adjust biologically, emotionally, and psychologically to the seasons of the home we know best. The 3 or 4-week delay our spring had me physically longing for something that I couldn’t quite put my finger on — until the red buds started to bloom. Continue reading ›
