By the Book

eco

You’ve decided to up your game and green your urban nest. Before phoning that $150-an-hour architect who erected your sister’s efficient rectangular hillside dwelling, pick up this third revised source book, ecoDesign, from Chronicle Books. Inside, you’ll find more than 700 everyday consumer products, resourced by environmental educator and consultant, Alastair Fuad-Luke, a lecturer at Cranfield University in the UK.

The emphasis, naturally, is on recycled, recyclable, reusable and energy efficient. Don’t even worry about the taste factor, since everybody is getting into the game when it comes to upscale greenery. The Objects for Living section of this book showcases lighting fixtures, furniture, appliances, textiles and fashion, as well as transport, leisure and recreation. They are cool by virtue of being clever in material, sparing in application, ingenious in artistic composition. And some are affordable, which is for many of us is key.

The author backs up his selected inventory with words to live by: “As the products in this section illustrate, it is possible to tread more lightly on the planet, to consume and waste less, yet to maintain or even improve the quality of life.”

This is a user friendly source book – think detailed product information, a revised list of manufacturers, design studios and organizations committed to sustainability. (There’s also an extensive reference section defining new and hybrid materials that are outsourcing our petroleum-based past.)

Image: Chronicle Books

Luanne Bradley

Luanne Sanders Bradley is the West coast Editor at EcoSalon and currently resides in San Francisco, California.