Asparagus Interiors Inc.

Love the look of Penny Round tiles, but looking for something more sustainable.

You’ve met your match, Cork Mosaics from Jelinek Cork Mosaic Floors.  Made from recycled wine corks, the corks are cut to 1/4′h and glued to a special backing paper to create mosaic patterns.  The tile patterns are then grouted to your floor typical of a mosaic ceramic tile installation.

Cork Mosaics are recommend for bathrooms, entry, kitchens and other rooms where tile would be installed.

Kinda cool, kinda 1920’s meets 2010! I like it.

Ever thought? What becomes of those granite and marble leftovers after a counter top is cut and fabricated?

Enter > Earth Stone Products of Illinois, makers of 100% recycled marble and granite pavers for your driveway, flooring tiles or custom back splashes.  The intricate patterns and unique mixes of granite and tile make for an interesting take on color and texture.

Locally fabricated in IL, Earth Stone Products my just be on to something new and very green in the granite industry.

This week I stopped into Apex Wood Floors in Downer’s Grove, IL.  Apex specializes in wood flooring and offers a variety of species from sources around the country and beyond.

Their unique style featuring the natural “characters” of each board makes each floor unique.  Honing in the natural rustic qualities, the characters such as knots and vertical grain add to the inherent beauty of the floor.

Going green is only natural for a Apex.  They’ve been doing it for years offering locally sourced wood, recycled barn boards, bamboo and engineered wood.

Weitzner Limited is offering Newsworthy, wallpaper made of recycled newspapers.

Newsworthy is described as, “Using an age-old technology of upcycling old newspapers, 100% real newsprint strips are handwoven on a loom and then paperbacked to make Newsworthy suitable for the wall. A wonderful, tactile alternative to an expected grasscloth.”

The blend of soft printed black, greys and subtle colors create a field of printed harmony and texture to the wall. It’s a funky vintage vibe and a perfect background piece.

Check out the featured article in the LA Times.

Modern style made of recycled content, what’s not to dig about these pieces?  I’ve put out my Adirondacks for the season, but stumbled upon these recycled solutions with a modern appeal.  Loll Designs offers furniture pieces, bird houses, and planters made with 100% recycled plastic and recyclable.  Not that you would ever what to recycle these puppies, they’re cool.

Thinking about installing bamboo, but confused about durability and available sources?

I turned to Green Operations Magazine, article “8 Questions to ask when purchasing bamboo flooring,” by Ann Knight of Teragren.

Important notes to consider:

• When was the bamboo harvested?  After 6 years bamboo reaches maturity and offers it’s hardest fibers.  Harvest any younger and your getting a softer less durable product.
• Is bamboo coming from a reputable manufacturer?  Quality control is more consistent with a manufacturer with tighter standards of growth, harvest and production.
• How eco-friendly is bamboo?  Was it manufactured with Low VOC adhesives and sustainably harvested?
• Harder than Red Oak, what does that mean? Janka Hardness Test, is the means in which wood species are tested for hardness.  Harder than Red Oak, is softer than Maple and almost as hard as White Oak and other like species.

My recommendation, use a reputable manufacturer.  Going for cheap doesn’t mean you will get a good product or a company that will back defects in product.  Younger bamboo can dent, scratch and gray as it may not have had time to mature and harden.

Do your research and consider this sustainable product as an investment in your home.

Note: Image sourced from Teragren.com

A few reputable firms offering bamboo flooring: Teragren and Eco Timber

Ever wanted grasscloth wallpaper in a bathroom or hallway, but worried about it’s durability?

Color & Design have come up with an “Alternative Substrate.”  According to their site, “This eco-friendly wallcovering is lightweight, breathable, recyclable, Greenguard certified and can be effectively used with the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system.”  It looks like grasscloth and comes in a variety of colors.  Giving you the look and feel without breaking down… hello foyer!

New Year, New Projects, New Fabric.

I just recently ordered samples from Carnegie’s new line, Bright Side.

Bright Side is fun, bright and made of recycled material.  Noted on their site as, “Bright Side is woven from 100% post consumer polyester and finished with the MBDC Cradle to Cradle Certified “Nanotex Resist Stains” and antimony free 100% polyester barrier “Durablock”.

Consider reupholstering your pieces to something more durable and bright.

Renovating your kitchen.  Looking for a pop of color and considering new countertop options. Check out Vertrazzo Recycled Glass countertops made with 85% recycled glass.

They recently won the “first annual Green Log Home & Lifestyle Awards^TM in the countertop division. Judged most eco-friendly from a crowded field of surfacing options.”

Looking for and “eco-friendly” counter top solution that’s more affordable than recycled glass, requires no maintenance like quartz and is made of recycled material.  Try Eco by Consentino.  New on the market in 2009, check out the article in Interiors Design magazine.