Photovoltaic Systems

Arhaus, a furnishings company, was founded in 1986 with commitments to design, craftsmanship, and responsibility.  Today, they are also committed to searching out eco-friendly materials and methods.  Arhaus has always focused on artisan crafted pieces, created by furniture makers from across the world whom Arhaus maintains "face-to-face" relationships with in order to assure quality and fair labor practices. 

Their eco-initiatives include plantation grown wood, reclaimed materials, end of life materials such
as mango wood from trees that are no longer producing, recycled
materials such as copper and glass, and a refusal to use
any rain forest woods. 

The company offers a wide variety
of furnishings including beds, tables, storage, and upholstered pieces in many styles ranging from traditional to contemporary.  I found that you have to search their website, reading about each piece, to
find the ones that are eco-friendly.  There are many
pieces made from mahogany, which is not known to be eco-friendly, as
well as other woods that I thought were questionable.  It would be beneficial
if the website had an eco-friendly product section. 

The company also
offers a selection of accessories, including many recycled glass vases.
The photos included in this article show a table from the Captiva
collection which is made of Mango wood (reddish colored console table),
a coffee table from the Pearson collection made of reclaimed Elm wood
and a circular dining table from the Trieste collection which has a
recycled copper top which has been hand hammered 3,500 times in order
to produce unique coloring and texture.  Pricing seems fairly reasonable.  The Captiva table is normally $800, but is on sale
for $500.  The Pearson table is on sale for $500 and the Trieste copper
table is on sale for $1700, normally $3600.  Each style is available in a variety of sizes and you may purchase their pieces on Arhaus’s website.

Photo credits: Arhaus.

Founder and artist Leilani Norman-Young manages Spectra Decor out of Seattle, Washington.  Spectra offers a beautiful, unique, and varied line of eco-friendly hardware, which consists mostly of cabinet pulls.  The hardware is made from a variety of green products including recycled glass, cork, recycled aluminum, and eco-resin from 3form. 

The cork, glass, and eco-resin are often used as inlay details, and the
hardware shapes and inspirations vary widely.  I love the beach pebble
collection because you get the wonderful shape and texture of a beach stone — it’s made out of 100% recycled glass versus stones taken from the
beach (where they should stay!).  And the great part is, the beach
stone collection looks like real stone — I would never have guessed they
were made out of recycled glass. 

Another great aspect of Spectra’s
products is that they are all made by American artisans, which means
they aren’t being shipped very far to get to you.  By purchasing Spectra’s products, you’re supporting the
American economy and talented American artisans who often struggle to
keep their trades alive. 

They have showrooms in 22 states and you can
also purchase Spectra’s products online at Knobs and Hardware, which is currently offering sale prices.  Visit Spectra Decor’s website to see their full line of beautiful hardware and feel good about what your purchase is supporting.

I am very excited to let you all know that Benjamin Moore’s newest line of eco-friendly paint, Natura, offers no volatile organic compounds (VOC’s).  Volatile organic compounds are the chemicals, usually found in paint, that toxify your indoor air quality.  I’ve been waiting for this day because while other no-VOC paints are available on the market, I don’t think that you can beat the quality of Benjamin Moore. 

Natura is so impressive, as far as the elimination of VOC’s, that a third
party tester rated Natura of having the least total VOC’s of any
similar product on the market — at least in this country!  If you’re
going to make a product, it might as well be the best right?  Now, I
have not had the opportunity to try this paint because it is currently
only available in WA, CA, OR and TX.  This spring, it will debut in the
rest of the country. 

Natura exceeds the LEED requirements for paint
and also qualifies for Green Guard certification.  It dries to the
touch in half an hour and can be re-coated in an hour, which saves you
time.  Further information, such as color palette, is not available on
their site yet, but usually Benjamin Moore’s eco-lines are available in
almost any color, including custom mixes.  This is one area where the
product will surge ahead of other products on the market.  Home Depot’s
line, for instance, has a limited color palette and custom mixes
are not available.  If Benjamin Moore’s Natura is anything like their
Aura in terms of quality, I will be hooked.  We’ll see come this
spring!

[Ed. note] A couple weeks ago, Natura was selected as a 2008 Top-10 Green Building Product by BuildingGreen.