Here were some of the highlights of the show for me:

environment:

environment - Laurel DresserThe first "e" in environment is backwards in their logo, but of course I don't have that option on my keyboard.  I recognized the name and furniture at the environment booth from the ads of a local Portland store called EWF Modern that carries their products, so I was excited to talk to them.  Most of their furniture is bold & heavy in appearance, often made with a variety of natural woods pieced together and paired with black or glass. 

Most of the wood is sourced from reclaimed resources in Brazil.  A few other furniture companies I had spoken to were also importing wood from Brazil, so I asked why they weren't using locally sourced wood.  environment has environment - Gavia Buffetactually done detailed studies on the emissions from shipping their goods to the U.S. vs. having them made here and found that they have a smaller carbon footprint shipping many items on a container ship close to their intended destinations than they would if they made everything in one place in the U.S. and then trucked a handful of pieces at a time all over the country.

I also have to give environment the prize for the best handout of the show - a nice little 8GB USB drive.

....more to come!

Cathy has incredible taste and make the kitchen look great while also making it more open, easy to use, and of course eco-friendly.  She had custom cabinetry made that "floats" off the floor for an ultra-cool look, used color & resin injected OSB board for the countertops, installed cork on the floors, and put in a fun backsplash with round, handmade glass tiles. 

Read more about the process, the materials (including where to get them) and the sustainable practices used to create this kitchen on the Olio United blog.

Here's another great way to use old deck boards: turn them into one-of-a-kind stools.  Deckstool saves old and broken skateboard decks from Philadelphia area landfills and creates unique, quality crafted stools you can use anywhere.  Got some old decks lying around your house but just can't seem to let them go?  Send them to Deckstool and they'll make a custom skateboard stool just for you.

Deckstool will also be featured in the Mantrack section of September 2009 issue of Playboy Magazine

Deckstool Recycled Skateboard Furniture

The coolest thing about the store, located at the corner of NW Couch & 4th streets, is that it has been set up to look like a house with products available in each room - including a living room, kitchen, bathroom, closet, and even a garage.  It will also feature educational information, and of course the option to order from their online store.

If you need more incentive to come to the party - they will be serving complimentary local wine and microbrews. You can also find out more about the number 7 and how everything they do revolves around it (7 owners, 7 product areas, 7 mile delivery area, opening at 3:57).

Featured products at the grand opening are LunchSkins from 3greenmoms, and Messenger Bags from Alchemy Goods.

http://www.sevenplanet.com

The EcoSmart Fire offers a great looking, open fireplaces that use denatured ethanol which burns clean and is virtually maitenance free.  Tight on space?  Try the Designer Range, freestanding fireplaces that are perfect for apartments or other small areas - and the best part is - you can take them with you when you move!

http://ecomodernhome.com

ecoModern Designer Series Fireplace

We'll have a lot of new content and features in the month ahead, so check back often.

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