With our global emphasis on green and sustainable living, many people are actively doing their part to engage in “green acts”. Whether it’s recycling, toting reusable grocery bags, there are a number of ways to engage yourself in balanced living.
Seeing Differently
Step 1 to realigning your lifestyle using eco-principles is to begin seeing differently.See your entire existence as emerged within eco-living, rather than you as an individual acting out green acts.
Designer Stuart Haygarth would have taken this advice literally, inventing a sustainable eye glass chandelier that uses 620 pairs of discarded lenses to form a globe-like chandelier.Perhaps his living art is not only an example of using creativity to craft lifestyle choices, but also symbolic of what visionary work we can accomplish if we begin to see a little differently.
Mind and Body
Turning over a green leaf begins with ourselves, in how we think and then in how we carry out those thoughts.Once we have internal balance, our focus can shift smoothly to an external balance.And while you may not be able to go save the rain forest, you can begin by changing how you view your home.
View your home as an eco-habitat in itself, and once you perceive your home this way, you’ll treat it with more green care.The simplest way to begin thinking this way is to look at what toxic elements could be in your home – perhaps in your vacuum cleaner, carpet, paint, whether you have energy-efficient appliances, or even checking to see if the plastics you use to cook and eat with are made with toxic chemicals. It’s really very simple and just takes a small effort in reprogramming how you think.Once you shift how you think, your new thought patterns become healthy lifestyle habits.
Thanksgiving is just a few weeks away and this year we have a few green additions to our family. With my newly turned eco leaf and with one of our family members going vegetarian, this year Thanksgiving presents a whole new set of challenges.
But the idea of a green or even a vegetarian Thanksgiving seems like blasphemy to die hard turkey stuffers. To ease them into what will inevitably be a culture shock, I already started dropping the idea of a green feast that goes beyond just an organic turkey. When asked how they’d “green” their Thanksgiving, I got all sorts of responses from “add more plants to the dinner table” to “use green dye on the turkey”.
If we’re to be literalists, then I’d rather go cold turkey than sit across the table from a green turkey. There two options for ‘greening’ your thanksgiving: 1) by local turkeys 2) homestead/raise your own turkeys 3) go vegetarian.
Rethinking the Main Course
A growing number of Americans are trying homesteading. In addition to healthier, steroid free livestock, you have done your part to substantially reduce your carbon footprint. Furthermore, you’ve reaffirmed a commitment to sustainable living and are likely to reap government benefits. A number of states allow homestead exemption to owners of principal, full-time residences. (see Office of Tax and Revenue)
The other option is to try going vegetarian. The veggie kick brought with it the “Tofukey”, a tofu turkey that received grimaces from most non-vegetarians, including myself if only because of the horrid name for it. Another option is to try a soy-seitan turkey – (for a great recipe, check out Chef Bryanna Clark Grogan). Soy is an alternative to tofu, and for many it has a much more appealing taste.
Most people are immediately turned off when thinking of vegetarian alternatives to traditional meat dishes. But this isn’t because of experience, (since mostly like they’ve never even tried it), but rather because of conditioning. We’re brought up being programmed to think fowl when imagining a Thanksgiving meal. It’ll take a lot of deprogramming and a little willingness on people’s part to taste a soy turkey – but once they try it, they’ll be one step closer to rethinking their attitude.
Your part in all this is to make sure you don’t botch it up. Find a great recipe, and do quick pre turkey day test run. This way you can rest assured on the big day and know your feast will be a big hit, with some turkey somewhere thanking you for being spared the gauntlet.
DID YOU KNOW: Approximately 45 million turkeys are (killed) cooked and eaten in the U.S. on Thanksgiving? That’s about a sixth of all turkeys sold in the U.S. each year.
With facts like these, it’s all the more important that we do our part to bring this number down.
Why You Should Green Your “Meat”
Not to long ago, there was a bigger to-do about our carbon foot print. More recently, people started looking at the carbon foot print of cattle, or what they called a “cow emission”. According a 400 page report by the U.N.’s Food and Agriculture Organization’s report entitled “Livestock’s Long Shadow”, the world’s 1.5 billion cattle are responsible for 18 percent of the greenhouse gases that cause global warming, more than all other forms of transportation combined.
A great measure of how much awareness is spreading about this issue is to look outside of the green community. When my non eco friends started discussing it, I knew were starting to gain ground on the importance of the impact cattle has on our environment.
It’s a more commonly known fact that cows produce a tremendous amount of methane a year, adding to an already increased global warming problem. As a natural part of a collective species, it’s a small and likely insignificant “contribution” – but when considering cattle is farmed to sustain a billion dollar beef industry, we can start seeing the compounded impact to our ecology.
Cows aren’t the only one. Any livestock that is farmed bears a similar burden on the environment. And if you recall the number of turkeys harvested and killed to cater to a Thanksgiving feast, you can start using your abacus to tally up the figures.
The Problem with Turkey
Turkey dinners have their own carbon foot print, or in this case a “wing print”, according to NPR, which did a piece on tracking the amount of resource it takes to raise a turkey and then transport it to its final destination. The added global impact of transporting livestock also strengthens the case for homesteading your poultry. Each step along the way burns natural resources from farming turkey to the fuel it takes to transport them.
DID YOU KNOW: A landmark study at Cornell University revealed that turkey meat “production consumed energy in a 13:1 ratio to protein output.” The study goes on to add that:
• Animal agriculture is a leading consumer of water resources in the United States.
• Livestock are directly or indirectly responsible for much of the soil erosion in the United States
• According to David Pimentel, Professor of Ecology at Cornell University, “More than half the U.S. grain and nearly 40 percent of the world grain is being fed to livestock rather than being consumed directly by humans.”
With these clear cut facts, we find ourselves hard pressed not to switch out turkey for soy even if just for one day. My recommendation is to email this article to your friends and family, particularly your guest list to get them thinking about the importance of an eco-friendly Thanksgiving feast.
At the end of the day, Thanksgiving is not about the food as much as it is about community – a gathering of loved ones over a feast regardless of what type of feast it is. And it’s hardly a celebration of gratitude if you’ve forced a turkey sacrifice for it, who I’m sure isn’t very grateful to have been included as an unwilling participant.
If when you serve your “green meat”, and there’s a chill in the room with you on the receiving end of cold stares, warm up the place with a portable space heater. Ignore the stares and dig in. Sooner or later everyone else will likely try it too – especially considering it’ll be too late to go anywhere else for a last minute meal.
If you’ve got to get people to consider alternative lifestyle choices by hook and by crook, then so be it. We’re on about 45 million turkeys here that will be very grateful to you for your efforts.
Long before the mod designs of today’s sustainable homes, there the “Glass House”. Built in New Canaan, Connecticut in 1949 by Philip Johnson for his personal use. It was a ground breaking project in its time and still continues to astonish those of use today who cannot fathom living in a see-through house.
Regardless of whether or not you’d choose to live in a glass house, you loves of aesthetic and design are instantly drawn to the minimalism and proportion of Johnson’s creation.
A balanced sense of proportion and a design that connects with the environment around it is what ultimately has paved the way for days modular and prefab. Even though most of us don’t have floor to ceiling glass homes, many cleverly designed modern homes (prefab or not) have a larger percentage of windows. Though increased window space is always a scenic plus, it’s usually not conducive a warm toasty home – a much needed transition during the approaching winter months.
The fact is, depending on the structure and reinforcements, glass can be counter-conducive to green culture, doing very little to insulate your home. Switching on the heater to high is not the best idea of you want to go earth-friendly and not be out of house and home after paying your heating bill. Rather than shoveling buckets of change into the bottomless pit known as ‘utility bills’, try investing in a space heater and keep that heater in the area you use most – like your bedroom, office or living room.
While most people love the concept of a glass house, they have one major problem with it - privacy. But there’s a simple solution – curtains. Lightweight curtains would provide both shade during summer months as well as privacy, without compromising the structure’s aesthetic appeal. But what a lot of people also don’t realize is that eco home aren’t cookie cutter houses. On the contrary, they can be built with a lot more forethought and personalized design than traditional real estate. Just ask Michelle Kaufman of MK Designs.
When Michelle Kaufman and her husband moved to California, they decided to fill the market for clean green homes after their own difficulty in finding one. Clients can design their own custom home and choose the features that work for them. According to Michelle, “the real challenge, and the critical area for a successful project is the implementation and the production.” Fortunately, through many years of being in the business, Michelle and her team have been able to iron out this wrinkle.
Whether you go with glass, prefab or other sustainable elements, your eco-friendly home will need to be tweaked to adjust your lifestyle just like any other home. And whether it’s energy-efficient heating or adaptable design, your home can still be your castle.
Eco-heating is brought to you by Shireen Qudosi.
Images: Philip Johnson’s ‘Glass House’
Creative and Clever Ways to Throw a Smashing Eco-Chic Party
Entertaining is a theatrical experience that should dazzle the senses. The experience should be clever and well thought out, no matter what your budget. Here are a few sustainable tips to get your next shin dig off the ground. Go one step further and send out a digital invite instead - eliminating paper all together.
Get off on the right foot - First thing’s first: the invites. Make sure you use invites made from recycled paper. Contrary to ecologically-challenged perceptions, recycled paper can look and feel just like high grade paper, but minus the guilty conscience. If ordering them from a professional, ask whether they use recycled paper.
Centerpieces - Gone are the days of deplorable fake flowers you could spot a mile away – usually collecting dust in some over-crowded knick-knack filled nook and cranny in your grandmother’s house. These days, if you know where to look, fake flowers can pass for the real thing.
Aside from standard silk flowers (which are still using silk worms), there’s the option of clay flowers. Deco Clay flowers are absolutely gorgeous and look just like the real thing – except that they cost a fraction of the price, are environmentally safe, and last forever.
The even better upside is they’re reusable so you’ll save money in the long run, plus you’re not contributing to flower butchery nor the very unsustainable flower industry, which has to shower flowers with pesticides – a factor that’s damaging to both you and the environment.
However, if faux is not your thing, then get flowers from the local farmers market. You can even get great arrangements and settings out of potted plants and flowers. A personal favorite is the clever use of moss as decorative center pieces. Moss is not only cheap, sustainable, and uber chic, but it can also be planted afterwards with next to no effort.
Lighting and Décor - One big aspect of party planning is how the party will look. You want your guests to be dazzled, “oohs and ahhs” should be pouring out, compliments gushing.
When done right, the atmosphere that lighting and decorations can create will provoke that response. But rather than choosing blazing electric lights to illuminate the event, try choose more environmentally friendly lighting. Candles are the perfect choice, as they are both lovely and economical – not to mention they don’t require any energy to run.
As for the décor, you don’t have to spend hundreds of dollars when home made paper goods will be far cheaper and far more interesting. Consider making paper mobiles, such as the popular origami crane mobiles. You can hang them lined up on a string, as a collective, or individually from just about anywhere. You can even use left over ones as decoration pieces on the dinner table – plus making them out of scrap paper makes good use out of something that was just going in the bin anyway.
Eco-Friendly Wine - Because it’s not just about what you’re using, but what you’re consuming, try switching out your wine for one that is more Earth friendly. There are three categories of eco-friendly wines: sustainable, organic, and biodynamic.
“Sustainable” means that grapes were grown with few to no chemical, fertilizers, pesticides, or herbicides. This method nurtures the soil naturally, whereas “organic” wines are grown in organically certified vineyards and are made without added sulfites.
On the other hand, “biodynamic” winemaking goes way beyond organics. With biodynamics, the farm is viewed as a living system. The soil is treated with complex compost preparations (of course without chemicals or pesticides), including quartz, yarrow flowers, stinging nettle, and more.
Biodynamic winemakers claim to have noted stronger, clearer, more vibrant tastes in their wines, as taste test conducted by Fortune confirmed. Now all you have to do switch out bulky refrigerators for portable wine coolers, an energy efficient way to chill your wine. And instead of a chilled wine paired cheesy, try hosting an organic chocolate platter instead.
Sustainable Serving - If you consider the glasses, dishes, knives, forks, bowls, and all the other little items used to create a smash hit setting, you quickly start to realize how much goes into entertaining.
In order to host not only your guests, but a more eco-friendly lifestyle, consider purchasing tableware made out of recycled materials. You don’t even have to trade in your luxe taste. In a green-conscious corporate world, companies across the board are offering unique yet refined dining options, including dishes made out of recycled glass.
Target, for example, has recycled glass goblets great for a Sunday brunch; whereas Macy’s cobalt blue stemless wineglasses offer an element of sophistication. These stunning little gems, made with 30% recycled glass, are a striking visual for an evening dinner.
However, if you’re opting for something even more sustainable, try compostable cornware tableware, biodegradable sugarcane plates, or even biodegradable bambooware. These serving alternatives are not only green but far cheaper than buying 50 sets of “real” dishes to accommodate larger gatherings. On the other hand, if you insist on using “real dishes”, then I suggest using what you have rather than buying more. If done right, mixing and matching dishes (and even seating) can offer an eccentric look that’s sure to catch your guests’ eyes.
The image below is a pretty good example of how a table with natural (moss + flowers) centerpieces and natural lighting can look. However, they took upon the exhausting effort of matching the dining-ware (probably because it was a wedding). If you took that same setting and swapped out the the pretentious-ware with mix and match finds from your gran’s cupboard or vintage finds from second-hand stores, you’d be guaranteed a sustainable eye-catching table.
Set the Stage – The real drama at any party is at the dinner table. The visual centerpiece of the evening should reflect the mood you want to create. Whatever your choice, make sure that you set your table using eco-friendly items. In addition to naturally available plants and flowers, as well as sustainable dishes, you can get organic table cloths, runners, and napkins; you can even make sure the lamp shades and curtains are eco-wary items as well. Some of my absolute favorites are eccentric chandeliers made out of (otherwise thrown away) oyster shells, recycled glass, or even used light bulbs cascading down, which do a brilliant job of catching any light in the room. The possibilities are simply endless. Setting the stage doesn’t have to be limited to just the table – your whole environment can reflect your eco-chic taste.
Ice Goes Eco - There’s no point in wasting time, gas, paper and plastic by going to the store to purchase ice for your party. Rather, a sleek compact portable ice maker will quickly plunk down cube upon cube to keep drinks nice and cool. Plus, nothing kills a party like someone announcing “We’re out of ice.”
Leave Them Wide-Eyed and Wondered – One of the most important elements of any party, large or small, is how your guests feel when they leave. Out of the many ways to send your guests off, the most beautiful and memorable has to be a sky lantern send off.
Lanterns (lights) are very popular in South Asian and Asian cultures, where lights represent both spirituality and hope. It’s a spirited feeling to stand there gathered with friends, lighting and releasing lanterns that ascend as golden orbs set against a dark night’s sky.
Made out of recycled paper and bamboo, sky lanterns are also eco-friendly. For added measure, have your guests write messages on each lantern before sending them off.
Hostess Gifts - And any chic eco-hostess knows to lead by example even when attending other parties. When attending another bash, swap out your normal hostess gift for one that is earth-friendly. The same goes for others who obey the rule of “do not go empty handed” - simply swap out the routine bouquet of flowers or dessert with something eco-chic that shows of your cleverness and commitment to the environment.
There are a ton of options for sustainable gifts. There’s even a growing trend of green toys if it’s a child’s birthday you happen to be attending. But more importantly, there’s no reason to give green gifts just as a hostess gift; swap out Christmas and birthday presents for the same.
But above all, here’s the simplest rule for eco-entertaining: “Use what you have, and borrow what you don’t”, and remember that at the end of the day, a great party is about who you’re with and not what you have.
While most people go into hibernation mode during winter, wanting nothing more than to curl up around a fire with hot coco, there are those of us who start going slightly delirious at the thought of being caged in for the next few months. However, unless you’re in the Arctic, there’s no reason why you have to induce self imprisonment during the season. With a mix of both creative and practical thinking, you can have just as much of a ball during winter as you have during summers by bringing the outdoors in.
And even though we’re penny pinching these days, we can still have a fabulous get together – and with the slightest bit of effort and inventive spirit, we can host a splendid evening boasts of eco-chic brilliance. When thinking of winter, my first thoughts escape straight to a “Winter Wonderland” theme and with a slight obsession for eco-friendly entertaining, I’ve been able to source some charming ideas.
One of the great things about winter is that you can get really creative and free-spirited with the décor. (During what other season would you get away with bringing trees indoors and the decking them with magpie-envying pieces?) When you think of “wonderland”, think odd, magical and strange. Think Alice in Wonderland meets the Snow Queen, where everything is just slightly off the wall, creative and wonderfully mad – with a rich frosty touch.
Setting the Scene
Ambiance is everything. This is especially true if you’re going to host an evening of kaleidoscopic proportion. Think white candles, silver accents, pops of color, reflective surfaces– just about anything that would catch the eye. The great thing about the holiday season is that just about anything goes and the best way to get this is to pay attention to details. Make sure you include lots of accents and clusters of décor pieces.
A quick inexpensive and recyclable option is to top your cake platters with old Christmas tree ornaments. This ensures that you’re using them not just around the holidays, but in a clever festive way that actually gives you the thrill of holiday decorating without sacrificing a tree for it. You can use either tiered cupcake platters or single level ones. Standard cake platters are also great to use as a base for nesting pillars of candles among pine cones and branches from your yard.
Not forgetting our Winter Wonderland theme which embraces creativity, start by breaking convention and bringing in a tree earlier in the year – then turn it upside down. The idea has been popular for a few years now, and it’s both gorgeous and eco-friendly since these trees are of the faux variety.
Another simple idea that heats up the evening was discovered in Sunset Magazine, which suggested that “vases of varying heights [can] contain conifer sprigs in an inch of water.” White votive candles behind each jar adds a mesmerizing glow. This is a much more sustainable décor idea than flowers, since branches can be found in most yards and can last up to a month in an inch of fresh water. The idea makes even more sense when the taken the scarcity of naturally available flowers during the winter, and the high cost of store-bought stems.
Bon Appetite
No matter how much time and energy you’ve invested in creating a lush atmosphere, there’s one key element that always wins out – and that’s taste! Your party doesn’t have to have a five course meal but it does have to have rich savory foods perfectly paired with a winter setting.
For a beer bottle budget, try either a cheese and bread fondue party and for dessert take the evening outdoors. Set your patio or deck with a couple patio heaters about a half hour before you expect guest to step outdoors – this way by the time you enjoy the next half of your evening, you’re in a nice toasty niche.
Next, have your guests collect twigs from around the yard and bring them back to serve as marshmallow skewers. Pair that with organic chocolate and your classic cup of hot chocolate, and you’re set for the evening.
As great as winter is, one of the definite pitfalls is the inevitable amount of time that gets spent indoors. But with a few clever eco-friendly ideas, you can thwart cabin fever by keeping your walls visually interesting.
Recycled Cardboard Deer Trophy
To appease the hunter in you, opt for an interesting 100% recycled cardboard deer trophy. While not normally into heads of animals adorning my walls, I couldn’t help but be drawn to the artistic element they offer. The anomalous form that offers a shape but no features is strangely futuristic, and definitely a conversation starter.
Eco-Clock
Fast forward your thinking of time with an bare bones no fuss eco-friendly time keeper. This rubberized clock is made from bicycle chain ring, a tire rubber face, and a bicycle cog pendulum. The clever clock is the brainchild of cyclist Graham Bergh, who in 1991 used a flat tire tube to hang speakers – sparking ideas that continue to heat up new recycled creations. A few other creations, specifically the “Hybrid Wall Clock”, pairs recycled bicycle parts with reused computer hard drives.
Recycled Traffic Signs
Speed limits, stop signs and other warnings are easy to overlook in your daily drive, but when twisted around and recycled, make very eye-catching track stopping pieces. Ideas around reused signs include light switch plates, house numbers, holiday wreathes, hanging plates, coasters, trays, and more. Most of these pieces are created by metalsmith Boris Bally, whose work is featured at the New York’s Museum of Art and Design among other notable venues.
Creative Comforts for Kids
Inhabitots features sustainable bamboo mobiles that steer clear of non-recyclable plastics known for giving of toxic fumes. Their adorable mobiles take a step away from traditional wall ware and offer a more engaging 3-d approach to traditional style. There are about a dozen different things to do if your winter home includes kids. Keep their niche warm and cozy by playing with a few different ideas, including fabric re-stickable wall prints and sustainable screen prints, a hanging birdhouse night light made from salvaged French oak, or even vintage wall paper silhouettes of woodsy settings.
Moss Art
Hot Eco-Art doesn’t get any more literal than this. Eco artist Edina Tokodi creates moss graffiti portraits made with white panels and moss – creating a perfect picture. Tokyo, known for its rigid lack of green space has also inspired the Hokkaidu Sanyu Corpo to create the “River Re Wall”, a framed moss wall garden complete with its own irrigation system offering a faint but relaxing water sound.
And while cooped up in your now highly eclectic home, top off your new hot walls with a wall heater, a much more eco-friendly approach to heating than conventional gas furnaces. Another type of wall heater is the baseboard heater, which is not only discreetly placed but also allows for more wall space to display your eco-art.
Deer Trophy, Eco-Clock and Recycled Traffic Signs can be found at Eco-Artware.com
As our consciousness expands, modern man is more open to exploring ancient ways of living.Through increased awareness, we’re realizing that new is not necessarily better and that if something has persisted through thousands of years, then perhaps there’s some benefit in it.This is the natural shift of man, an endless pendulum that swings between light and darkness, between both progress and regressions in enlightenment.
Adorno and Horkheimer hit the nail on the head when they noted society fluctuating between two extremes.Here we begin to see the point.The point is a swelling “manipulative nature of culture” that creates and fosters a pseudo sense of self.
In no area is this manipulation greater than with what lies within us. The modern man is a master manipulator of himself.Through the ego, rarely ostracized but rather accepted as one’s own conscious self, we have tricked ourselves into believing that we are always in control
Corporations have also found a profitable niche here by catering to desperate dieting fads and overpriced cookie-cutter health clubs. And thus we have a culture that packages an identity that feeds into the modern ego.
The ego, desperately in need of structure and control, has sacrificed us to mass assembly line thinking.With little exception we all more or less think the same way, a theory evidenced in our shared attitudes.Perhaps in no other time in history have we been more disconnected from our authentic selves.
Enter Yoga.
Yoga, an ancient art form rooted in spirituality, has channeled to the forefront of culture through a resurging interest in esoteric new-age thinking.While most “new-age” trends are vacuous of any genuine philosophy, yoga is an exception.
Wrongly stereotyped as a woman’s fitness routine, yoga is comparable in mind and body benefits to martial art forms such as Tai Chi.Both require an immense amount of focus and discipline and are much harder than they seem.However, I noticed a new trend on the rise, something referred to as “Hot Yoga”.
Lance practicing Tai Chi
Though I recently traded in a useless gym membership for a few effective hours of boxing at a local dive gym, I’m always on the look out for new challenges. Having tried yoga at an Indian spirituality retreat years ago, I was interested to give it another go.I was more curious about what this “hot” factor was.
Guzzling bucket loads of water as suggested, I showed up for a “hot yoga” class only to find about a 900-1000 square foot room packed with both men and women and set to a scorching 105°F with 40% humidity.Ninety minutes and 26 poses later, I pooled together what was left of me and stumbled out of the room.It was total torture the first time around but it was fantastic.
The only downside to “hot yoga” is the ripe smell of sweat and the lack of ventilation in the facility.To avoid the yoga studio smells and encourage yoga studio sanitation, studios would do well to leave a gap between sessions and switch on a fan or air purifier between classes. Considering the level of extended deep breathing within moments of starting the session, it only makes sense to ensure filtered air through an air cleaner.
But going through the poses, you’re forced to let go of your need for control.It’s a much more personal experience putting you in touch with your self as you recognize your own limits and work to push beyond them.Void of meat-market attitudes, cacophonous music, and idle chatter usually found in large chain health clubs, hot yoga is without a doubt a complete meditation.With sweat dripping from brow to ankle, it takes the will of a saint to remain in pose and to resist the urge to leave.The ultimate result is a challenge of not just the body but also of the mind as you struggle to quiet it and master your own ego.
As the saying has it “one man’s trash is another’s treasure”. Yet with a little bit of creative thought, you can turn your trash into your treasure. That’s exactly what has inspired a new wave of sustainability that goes beyond practicality and into decadence. The idea of artistic living is a growing trend in eco-friendly culture, which has already witnessed a significant growth in consumer interest when it comes to modular living and organic decor. Even non-greenies are getting interested now that being green has brought with it a new level of stylish eccentricity.
And what comes more easily in this economy than an assortment of empty wine bottles after you’ve just thrown a smashing get-together? With the preference being on sourcing cheap entertaining ideas, most people now see staying at home with a good meal and great wine as a viable alternative to spending money on restaurants and clubs. If your home is the newest place to be seen, then ice maker machines are indispensable for cocktails while compact wine refrigerators are an inexpensive alternative to costly built-in wine cellars.
Javier's in Crystal Cove, CA
Wine Bottle Ideas:
There are a number of ways to reuse wine bottles. Among the more common ideas are reusing them as water pitchers, votive vases, torches, and flower bed liners. However, there are dozens of other smart options that are rarely explored.
Rewined Recycled Glassware – Get uniquely hued wine bottle glassware made from orphaned bottles left behind at local restaurants and bars.
Water Feeders – On a very hot day or when you’re away, fill the bottles of water and stick them into the pot or soil near your plant. The water will slowly percolate from the bottle and into the soil.
Wine Bottle Chandeliers – In addition to the popular row lighting and pendant lighting, Pottery Barn put together an interesting chandelier with wine bottles strung around it. Even though four dozen other people will likely have the same statement piece, at least you know it’s a unique sustainable element in your home. Plus it catches the light beautifully during the day and especially at sunset.
Wine Bottle Cheese Boards – What could be quainter than using a cheese board made out of wine at you next cocktail. Apparently that’s exactly what Vineyard Designs thought when they started offering their custom recycled wine glass boards.
Boa Steakhouse, Hollywood CA
Wine Bottle Building Blocks
Rather than just one element, your entire home can serve as a creatively designed showcase - a testimony of your creativity and commitment to sustainability.
Wine bottles can be used to create an interesting mosaic-styled wall piece. The most gorgeous of these displays is just outside of Montreal at a place called Bottle Houses, Prince Edward Island. PEI is known for its lush landscapes and pastoral living, which makes the wine bottle homes stand out that much more, offering a mixture of ingenious modern design paired with an idyllic setting; and the combination works brilliantly.
This theme of bottle wall art has been running strong from coast to coast. Javier’s, an upscale restaurant in Crystal Cove, showcases bottle-inspired wall art as a key feature in their eclectic setting.
Using wine bottles as building blocks shows creativity and ingenuity that can be carried to stylishly eccentric levels when used in restaurants. Morimoto’s Japanese Restaurant has an entire wall created out of bottles. The result is a dazzling creation that has the potential to launch a restaurant.
An alternative design is found at the Boa Steakhouse in Hollywood, where rows of bottles are lined along a clear wall.
Wine bottles go beyond just building blocks and have become integral parts of a building’s thermal dynamics, providing a unit that’s not only appealing to the eye, but also meets our duty to our environment.
But if you’re not a wine drinker, you can ask local pubs and restaurants for their bottles, who will be more than happy to give you their rubbish to turn into your own treasures. The same ideas can also be achieved with beer, liquor, Pellegrino or other glass water bottles.
Wine Ideas brought to you by Air & Water, Inc. and written by Shireen Qudosi
In a super-sized obsessed age, we’ve now fallen into the gap where we believe our home should also reflect a shift toward the grandiose. Yet this obsession with gigantism has completely dwarfed our sense of self. Whereas even meals used to be an art form, the rising trend on bigger (and ultimately considerably ridiculous creations) is aimed at promoting a consumer culture that ironically strips us of culture.
Some would even argue that in addition to relinquishing culture, we rescinded our identity as we grow increasingly lost amidst a rising expanse of materialism. With consumer culture, it’s no longer about what we have, but about how much we can stuff into ourselves, pile on ourselves, and collect around ourselves. An inflationary ideology that compromises quality for quantity, the idea that more is better and less is miserly can be traced back to Hollywood and celebrity, two groups that promote a culture of excess that majority of star gazers flock to emulate.
Yet an undercurrent movement referred to as “small living” is creating waves as a chic counter culture against wasteful consumption. An increasing number of global citizens are realizing that bigger is not better, that more is not necessarily feasible, and that a continued practice of parasitism is not in our mutual interest.
This all began with a green movement, ironically enough kindled by the very same group that initially made it popular to be wasteful. It was Hollywood and celebrity that made it trendy to be environmentally aware, and while they were not the first group to practice earth-friendly habits, they are the group that got it mainstream attention. Still, the green movement has taken off considerably since its infant days where recycling was the height of eco-culture. The newest trend is in sustainable living, a striving effort to live a lifestyle with a minimal or reduced carbon foot print.
Thinking green has spread a new leaf. While in the early stages of sustainable living, eco-friendly decisions centered on what could be different in the home, the trend now is to change your home itself. Quickly gaining momentum, the small living movement is leading a greater number of people to realize the personal and communal benefits of conscientious consumption.
From small houses to yachts-turned-homes, people across the country are completely rethinking their approach to living. And with the rise of do-it-yourself shows and home makeovers, we’re all realizing that we can have the comforts of a larger home, even the aesthetic appeal, without having to scrape out our wallets for that last little penny to fund it all. Whether it’s a boat, mobile, or studio living, the fact is a majority of Americans are downsizing their dwelling space. This in light of the recent recession mixed with a rising awareness to cultivate positive eco-friendly living solutions, has left the market saturated with a number of alternatives to conventional living.
The emphasis here is not just on saving the environment, but also on saving a green resource of another variety. Conscientious about carbon foot prints and wasteful spending, many global citizens are down scaling from a humble abode to perhaps an even more humble abode in an attempt to salvage hard-earned dollars. With that, the trend these days is perhaps not even just to get a smaller apartment, but to get the most compact home possible for your lifestyle. The idea of compact living has not only gotten many people to downgrade the number of services they use (i.e. cable, internet, dry cleaning, gourmet coffee), but it’s also raised a new crop of spatial economists that have traded in expansive lofts for more resource-friendly spaces.
Small living is simply much cheaper. It’s cheaper to furnish your place, utility costs are lower, and smaller spaces are generally much more affordable to rent or purchase. It was Leonardo da Vinci who first said, “small rooms discipline the mind and large ones distract it,” – and perhaps he was right. Surprisingly, there are a number of other benefits that go with smaller spaces, which anyone who’s walked the walk will quickly recognize.
Small living also undoes the idea that your home is your castle. While it remains true that your home is your sanctuary, those living in larger estates are less likely to explore their outside environment. As such, what was once meant to be a castle becomes a cage that keep dwellers locked in, even if that condition is self-imposed.
On the other hand, a smaller home encourages you to get out, be more social, and explore your outside environment. Smaller spaces allow for more creative design ideas, in which your home becomes an authentic reflection of you, as opposed to larger homes where the home somehow becomes a fixed museum that dwellers and visitors have difficulty engaging with.
Ultimately, the key is sustainability. If small living isn’t your cup of tea then the next step is to look into how you create a sustainable environment in your home, no matter what its size.
Images: by Alchemy Architect in Honesdale, Pennsylvania.
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