The stunningly unique Lotus Flower chandelier is a sparkling wonder that is a work of art all in its own. Artisans craft the petals of its glistening floral exterior from naturally collected capiz shells that are hand-cut.

Lit from within, this special chandelier is wonderfully crafted without being "crafty" - it's dazzling, isn't it? Choose from two sizes and between a smoke and pearl hue to complement your personal décor scheme. (My favorite is pearl.) We love sponsor VivaTerra today - you can snap these gorgeous chandeliers up there for $329- $649.

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Is there such a thing as copying nature a little too closely?

You're looking at the remarkable work of Julie Roberts, a designer from the UK. She's hand-fashioned these lampshades from recycled paper and natural textiles, in varying colours and to order. And her inspiration?

Yes, well, there's the rub. Good decor is all about stimulating the imagination, and...this lampshade certainly does that. It screams "recently vacated cocoon", and brings to mind a host of creatures from spiders to Aliens. (Perhaps that's just a guy's perspective). There's no denying its unique beauty, but neither its slightly creepy air - Ecofriend were similarly bemused.

If you want to go for a cocoon-style eco lampshade that won't have you checking under the furniture with your shoe in your hand, try this square lamp from Kwytza Kraft. It's made from recycled chopsticks, in a range that seems inspired by moth cocoons.

Textile & Paper lampshades via ProductDose; image from Pure Design.

How important is good lighting in your life? I can’t live without it for working, reading, creating and illuminating the world, so I love finding well-designed, interesting lamps. Here There Designs makes gorgeous lamps and lighting fixtures that are, in their words, “100% non-toxic, 100% recyclable, and 100% archival . . . which is to say built to last.”

I say they’re also completely beautiful, with organic, tactile shapes that look almost soft and squishy, but are made of thin shells of molded abaca fiber, a plant fiber also known as Manila hemp. The lamp bases are steel set in concrete. These lamps have an artisan feel and an elegant but unusual style that would enhance almost any décor. View products online and call to order, or visit the New York showroom of this San Francisco-based company.

- via Kristen Andersen’s Exquisite: Conscious Style and Living

As I prepare for summer entertaining in our garden, I cannot forget the first time we unveiled our yard after major landscaping: my 40th birthday luau thrown by my husband, complete with tented tables, hula dancers, fire throwers and that mysterious dish called poi.

What struck me most arriving home that day from the salon was how our garden was illuminated with torches and lanterns. It was such a dramatic statement. I've added various lighting accents outdoors each summer to try to capture that ambience I adored on my birthday. Here are some great torches and lanterns you can install, as well, to set your garden aglow.

Solar-powered tiki torches can be found in a variety of catalogs and on web sites, including the Solar Tahiti Torch at Lamps Plus ($24) which adds a tropical accent while repelling bugs. I think it's cool to line up torches along an entry path to light the way to the garden.

For a more modern aesthetic in the urban garden, the Stainless Steel Oil Torches for the New York Botanical Garden Shop features a stunning metal design atop a stainless steel pole ($300). Since these German torches are pricey, you may want to invest in just a couple to make a statement. The flames burn up to 6 hours which is more than enough time to picnic and linger.

In addition to the torches, I love to hang battery powered paper lanterns along the rim of my covered porch, importing the exotic romance found in the Blue Bayou restaurant in the Pirates of the Caribbean ride at Disneyland. I've always been smitten with the Asian lights slung over the tables and fire flies flickering. I've found a delightful selection of paper lanterns at Luna Bazaar in a variety of shapes and colors, which are fun to mix and match for around $8 apiece. Their lanterns use battery operated LED candles which resemble tea lights and have a flicker to mimic real candles.

Lanterns won't keep the bugs away, so be sure to fire up your Buzz Away citronella candles from Dirt Works and enjoy an evening in your very own enchanted garden.

Image: photojenni

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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 find most interior design showrooms are drier than the desert when it comes to locating cool Moroccan accessories. I'm always on the hunt for those quirky and exotic iron trimmed mercury glass lanterns, carved mirrors and headboards with rounded Gothic edges and peaks, and embroidered poufs for tossing into a conversation area by the hooka.

I lucked out recently: strolling the back streets of the San Francisco Design Center, I stumbled upon a little Mecca stocked with a harem of lavender and blue lanterns, among other amazing delights. It's called T.C. Donabedian's Paris Flea Market (275 Rhode Island Street; 415.264.8433) and it's a fab new source for all things exotic: lanterns, mirrors and seating.

The owner, Todd, is happy to email images of his inventory when writing to him at jphomme@aol.com. I scooped up a lavender lantern (around $750) for a client's master bath, a fierce complement to the mosaic tiles and other Casablanca-inspired accents in the soothing space.

 

Tired of the mirage in your mind? If you're craving your own caravan of Moroccan treasures, here's a shortcut to the Marrakesh Express:

"Just Morocco" offers a sweet selection of lanterns and other decorative objects. There's a good range of price points, from the stained glass Amber Warda ($300) to the ornate and totally groovy Andalusia Dome ($1600).

And for headboards in those Moorish curves and turrets, travel to "Casbah Decor". The Abyad bed (shown; $3,500) and the Kahla bed ($2,500) are a bit pricey but cheaper than having wood pieces custom made. This source also sells an adorable orange leather embroidered Zonda pouf for just $90, which is much cheaper than white ones I've seen in upscale retail outlets.

Pass the hooka and shop till you drop.

Image:

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 UK never seems to lack in the fresh-young-talented designers department. Lately I’ve been checking out Benjamin Hubert’s online studio chock-full of unique and clever products.

The 23-year-old Hubert works with recycled or recyclable materials whenever he can. His lamp designs are modern, fun and unlike anything you’ve seen. My favorites are the Twisted Foam floor lamp and the Candy Lamp, both exquisite and eco-friendly.

The Twisted Floor Lamp is made with reused foam medical packaging and acrylic. It measures 24” H x 9.8” W and the foam sections are movable, allowing for slight adjustments in shape. The playful Candy Lamp is made from reused polystyrene beads (a.k.a. Styrofoam) cast in resin. It measures 12” in diameter and works as either a floor or wall light. Both lamps are available by commission; prices on request.


Hubert’s eco-creations also include the HUG Plant Pot and Polynest, both made of 100% recyclable expanded polypropylene (EPS). You won’t be able to resist the HUG pot, with its lovable “arms” forming a tight squeeze around the pot. The insulating quality of EPS provides a toasty home for the soil and plant to grow. Likewise, the Polynest is an insulated bird house with a twig perch. Both are available in a range of colors; the Polynest is $22 and a set of three HUG pots (s, m and l) is $39.


Email Benjamin for further details and to order any of his eco-stylish products.

- via Design Milk

Gorgeous. Any of these brilliant modern lighting pieces by Hudson Furniture Inc. will dazzle empty wall space with metallic glimmer, bold design and striking elegance. Ethereal threads are lightly captured within a sleek metal cage. Sparkling Swarovsky crystals mounted onto the ends of a sconce's twisted iron branches vividly catch and reflect the light emanating from its center. (Choose between clear or black crystals to complement your personal décor scheme.)


If you’re hypnotized by this eye-catching sconce’s radiant beauty, then make sure that you check out the matching chandelier as well. And we're hooked on these airy, modern pieces, too:

 
(All available at Hudson Furniture Inc. for, well, not cheap.)

MIT researcher and textile artist Elena Corchero is now exploring ways to weave tradition and technology together. In her forthcoming line, "We Will Become Silhouettes", Corchero explores fusions of delicate craftsmanship and organic solar sells.

Yes, solar cells, the kind that can power LCD lights. In her futuristic filligrees, Corchero masterfully interweaves conductive threads and solar cells to create an astonishing interplay of fabric and light.


Her solar wearable technologies are inspired by traditional hand craftsmanship and high couture, with an eye for balancing novelty, whimsy and timeless elegance. Corchero is a pioneer researcher in the emergent field of textile futures, and hopefully we will see more of her bright ideas. The designs go beyond mere experimentalism and establish a smart blend of advanced technological materials, classic beauty and energy-awareness.