Maybe it’s the way they can make or break a room, like the way the perfect accessory can pull together an outfit. Or maybe the whys don’t matter as much as the facts.

Eco-lighting is front-page news and everyone who’s anyone is making the switch to green. For your viewing pleasure, I’ve gathered a cutting edge list of green lighting fixtures. It’s amazing what designers dream up and build out of life’s scraps, like recycled paper, metal and glass, reclaimed wood and sustainable bamboo. There’s literally an eco-light for every style and occasion.

EcoSalon Guide to Eco Lighting (from top; left to right):

Red, yellow, Go. For the minimalist, there’s the Stoplights line of fixtures from Greenlight Concepts. Details here.

I love the clever Honeycomb Lamp designed by Kouichi Okamoto. Made of Japanese denguri paper, it measures 18” x 12”. This eco-lamp arrives flat-packed. Buy it for $52 at a number of online stores.

The Zooey mini chandelier by Amy Adams is perfect in a kitchen or kid's room. Its four hanging 4” ceramic balls cluster together to create this pendant, available in 7 gorgeous colors for $480. Amy’s ceramic is eco-friendly and manufactured at Perch. Details here.

Blue Marmalade, a Scottish company committed to sustainable design, has created Bloom, a pendant shade made from a single sheet of recyclable material. The simplicity of this design is evident in its graceful shape and light weight. It was made specifically for energy saving bulbs. $70 at TheGreenHaus.

Can cardboard be pretty? Graypants thought so when they designed their Scrap Lights out of recycled cardboard boxes. Each one is unique and hand-made. Details here.

Recycled white paper is used to create the Cloud Lamp Shade, designed by Yu Jordy Fu. Sustainable, simple and feminine, these are a definite favorite of mine. Shipped flat-pack, with an energy saving light bulb, available in five designs. $175-$500 (via productdose).

Benjamin Hubert uses reclaimed Styrofoam for his playful Candy Lamps and Twisted Floor Lamp. Details here. Take my word, Hubert is a hot British designer to watch!

Another minimalist design that offers versatility and allows for a longer product life span (two eco-ideas that we love!) is the LXL Lamp designed by Jaime Salm. The pendant is offered as a set of components that can be inter-changed to make it larger and/or change colors. Made in the U.S. from locally sourced materials. $195 at Mio.

If modern and understated is more your style, try the Nautilus designed by Rebecca Asquith of New Zealand. Details here.

Check out this 2006 Spectacle Chandelier from Stuart Haygarth. It’s made with several layers of plastic-framed spectacles linked together. Call me crazy, but I adore it. The price tag? You guessed it - available upon request.

The Chandelirium by ARTae (Aaron R. Thomas and Anne Ewen). Each pendant is hand-made of reclaimed clear and white acrylic strips and measures approximate 30” H x 20” W (or commission a specific size). It is available for a hefty $2,950 at artc, but what an impact it would make in a high-ceilinged living room!

What to do with Grandma’s out-of-date teacups? Domestic Construction made a chandelier (Ted Lights) out of theirs - I adore the cluster version. At fist it seemed too kitschy but it definitely has grown on me (via poppytalk).

Jerry Kott creates “hybrid bottles” out of empty wine bottles that he cuts, frosts and pieces back together again. He then turns them into his re-lights of various sizes, shapes and colors - mystical and organic in nature. Available in three designs, one of which holds an eco-efficient tubular compact fluorescent bulb. $126-$490.

And, because I can't pass up the opportunity to showcase something extraordinary and extravagant, here are my over-the-top picks: 

I’m in deep like with Hudson Furniture’s dining tables and benches, and I must spread the love to their lighting. Any of these Hudson fixtures could light my room and I’d be one eco-happy chica. Breathtaking in beauty as well as in price. Details here.

If all else fails, eco-light your room with illuminated wallpaper. Well, I hope we can, because this concept truly amazes me! Learn more about Jonas Samson’s innovative design.

And finally, what do you think about these cocoon mesh lights by UK artist Julie Roberts? They look awfully difficult to dust, but they are eco - and definitely over the top!

That sums it up - my cutting edge collection of eco-lights. What lights your fire?

I have a light fetish - an all consuming, but eco-conscious obsession with lighting a room just so. The search for a quality and eco-friendly light has taken me far and wide, including New Zealand, which I wrote about in Modern Balance. Now I’ve landed closer to home and as eco-friendly as one can get.

These recycled glass votives from VivaTerra are a perfect way to illuminate without over-exposing. Organic in shape like a blooming flower, as well as organic in use requiring zero energy.  (At 7" D x 5" H, a set of two is available in white or copper for $42.)

The busy gossip of birds, the surprising fragrance of new flowers and the sensation of a friendly breeze are all signs that spring is in full swing, and, if you are tempted to pluck a stem from its blossoming splendor every time you're outside, then these Crackled Glass balls will help you to create fresh tableau throughout your home.

Fill them with water and use them as vases to enhance any room in your home with the vivid colors of this picturesque season. This distinctive, well-priced set is versatile: when not holding flowers, the vases can easily dress up an empty tabletop, decorative tray or coffee table all on their own. (Set of 3 available at sponsor VivaTerra for just $39.)

Discarded wine bottles are piling up in the recycling basket out back, tell-tale signs of that much-needed Chardonnay break during the bewitching evening hour when my precious girls begin their delightful extracurricular rituals of banging on the drum set and battling over the computer. Sip, sip...gulp. Yes, that is better. Much better. Mommy's aging nerves get shattered super easy. Mommy thinks wine is yummy in her tummy.

Oops. None of those messages are appropriate slogans to parade at parties, however, guests who reach for these timely tumblers will be greener for it. Made from the halves of bottles of Bordeaux, Semillon and other varietals, they share eco slogans in four languages (English, French, Spanish and Afrikaans/South African).

The bottle green set with a vine and leaf motif remind us to "protect our earth," while the frosted glasses share the words, "protect our air." There's also a set of cobalt ware with schools of fish circling the tumbler, reminding us to save the oceans (or perhaps, we drink like fish). The sets of four, made in Wisconsin, are all $45 at Uncommon Goods.

When it comes to decorating your home, it's all in the details. To indulge my obsession with reclaimed accessories, I'm always in search of a unique piece to dress up a bare tabletop.

This edgy vase by recycle-based artist Tammy Roy of One Eighty Design was created with the environment in mind. Salvaged rebar from construction sites is twisted to form a vine-like base that supports a glass vase made from recycled wine bottles. Roy strives for a "raw, eco-inspired look" when handcrafting reclaimed materials into accessories for your home, and it's clear that her clever fusion of creativity and resourcefulness yields absolute style. Available at Structured Green for $55.

Though they are beautiful, green, and durable, there are a few drawbacks to wooden tables. Namely, they encourage small children to whittle their names into them. (Unless it's just my family.) That's not to detract from the wonderful attributes of wood, but if you're in need of a high-style option that is both child-proof and eco-friendly, the answer - is clear.

Consider a mixed-media glass-topped table. The light passes through or glances off, banishing gloom, while you still get to enjoy the natural fiber (wood, bamboo, rope) beneath. To carve your initials into glass, you need specialist equipment beyond the most liberal of pocket-money budgets. And to keep clean? Baking soda, warm water and a little vinegar.

I'm nuts about Josh Urso's high design Knoop table - the glass rests on a base of 1200 feet of rope, treated to be five times stronger than steel. If you want a little more colour at the expense of transparency, look to these stained glass items from HandmadeTables in Los Angeles. Price upon request.

I'm always thrilled to discover products that are as functional as they are stylish. With the Nori platter by Hudson Beach Glass, you can display tasty homemade sushi in style, and, once the dishes are washed and put away, this splendid piece can take center stage on a credenza.

Recycled glass is blown and etched to resemble the edible species of seaweed this platter is named after, while its sapphire hue adds an exciting appeal. The Nori platter is so dazzling that your dinner guests may spend more time raving about your exquisite taste in service ware than the meals you serve on them. (Available at Ruby Living Design for $170.)

Image: Ruby Living Design

It seems the whole world is trading in industrial, factory-made conformity for artisan style. “Many of the pieces at this year’s International Contemporary Furniture Fair . . .felt more artisanal than manufactured,” wrote the New York Times on May 22. So, how do you get the look without breaking the bank? Just as you can build a wardrobe based on great neutral basics and unique accessories, you can build a home with strong, well-made neutral furniture enhanced by artisan pieces you love.

Natural materials and multicultural influences are a starting point for the artisan home, and while sophisticated artisan style can be eclectic and loaded with character and color, you'll want to avoid anything too crafty or homemade-ish. Here, easy ways to add the artisan look to your décor:

Rugs. Whether you opt for traditional Oriental-style rugs or contemporary designs, rugs add instant drama, color and pattern. Look for handmade natural fibers and make sure you're buying from a company with the highest ethical labor standards (look for the Rugmark designation on design companies like Odegard or support a socially responsible, fair trade-focused nonprofit like Arzu Rugs).

Glass. Glass can add color and light to your home in many forms: contemporary stained glass, mosaics, or blown glass accents. Art glass is collectable; focus on a color or style. Look for local glass artists or shop online from well-known studios like Orient & Flume of Chico, Calif.

Textiles. Pillows, throws, table linens, quilts and wall art - these are some of the ways you can use artisan textiles to add texture, color and tactile beauty to your home. Look for handwoven fabrics, traditional or contemporary quilts, or currently fashionable hand-knit home accents in chunky yarns of organic or hand-dyed wool or cotton.

Ceramics. Functional ceramics -  dinnerware, vases - or ceramic art pieces add earthiness and substance to your room. Handmade artisan tile can be incorporated into a kitchen splash, or individual tiles can be used as trivets or accent pieces.

Stone. Stone can be part of the “bones” of your home, with a flagstone floor or a stone fireplace. If that isn’t an option, stone accents such as these towel hooks and spa mats from EcoSalon sponsor VivaTerra can bring the cool, clean, timeless quality of

Image: *susie*

Have you ever looked into the face of a flower and been mesmerized by its freshness? It's clear that artist John Pirker is inspired by the radiant energy of nature's blooms. By applying blossom motifs to glass blowing, he creatively immortalizes such beauty that will not wither with the seasons.

The Violet bowl is a singular piece of art that will dazzle any bare tabletop. Its outer rim glows aubergine in the light, and its center is splashed in blue, gold and white. (Available at Zanisa for $295.)

There are so many ways that beauty comes from waste, in a natural cycle that we’ve often lost touch with. Compost, for instance, becomes intoxicating flowers and delicious vegetables. The glassblowers at Fire & Light have recaptured the essence of upcycling with stunning gifts and dinnerware made from recycled glass. The Splash Bowl (right) is a lyrical example that comes in a rainbow of base colors with a contrast crackle.

Fire & Light was born in 1995 in a unique partnership between the community recycling center in Arcata, Calif., and a group of green-minded investors who wanted to see locally crafted products made from its discards. Crushed, recycled glass, with pigment added for luminous color, now becomes handcrafted plates, glasses and bowls sold nationwide. Fire & Light seeks other ways to use the community’s recycled products in its manufacturing facilities, for a truly local and sustainable business model.

- via CleanTechBlog