Blogging Time Out Chicago: The Apartments Issue

Home Green Home. TOC's Apartment Issue has a decidedly eco slant to it this year, with multiple articles on how to live greener in our city. Renew and Improved is a before and after of a living room the TOC team gave an eco-friendly makeover to...total cost of the redo: $710.

The before is above and the after is below the jump, along with lots of other links to the current issue.

To complete the makeover, they used FLOR tiles, some IKEA products, bamboo shades from Target, pillows covered with recycled content fabric, a cotton/bamboo blanket from Pottery Barn, an organic cotton slipcover from Bed, Bath & Beyond and second hand furniture from the Brown Elephant. For all the details, prices and links, click here.

Lots more green living features:

Green House Effect- Eco-minded Landlords and Architects

Emerald City- Eco-friendly Buildings

Do Try This At Home- Penny pinching, tree hugging pointers and tips

Eco Maniac- Goods to Give Your Entire Apartment a Green Sweep

Talking Trash- Recycled Moving Supplies

Let's Stay Together - Communal Living

Co-opted - Living at the Co-op

Corrode to Joy - Composting

Clean Up Your Apt. -Traditional vs. Green Cleaners

The Time Out Chicago Apartments Issue is out now.

Comments (9)

It was crying out for a rug, sure, but I kinda like the first one best.

posted by melanie on August 16th 2007 at 12:37pm
view melanie's profile

For some reason, the before appeals to me more.

It's just a little bit more cohesive. The "after" shot has a lot going on in it.

posted by Jenny in SF on August 16th 2007 at 1:24pm
view Jenny in SF's profile

"After" looks so busy...

posted by KBinBC on August 16th 2007 at 1:58pm
view KBinBC's profile

Agreed. Other than the addition of the blinds, I definitely prefer the "before" shot.

posted by Smimmy on August 16th 2007 at 2:02pm
view Smimmy's profile

Oh my gosh enough about the being green stuff! It has become so "trendy" to be green and many people (and corporations) are simply doing it because it is trendy and for good PR.

Time Out replaced a perfectly good coffee table with one out of wood. As green as a wood table is, disposing a perfect condition MDF table simply means that piece will end up in land fills and add to the environmental waste. Plus the energy it took them to find this wood table and transport it cancels out any benefit they gain from having a natural table. What they should have done is kept the coffee table and ensured that it gets passed on for generation and generation then they would never be a need for new natural wood coffee tables :) Look at being "green" from the bigger picture ....

posted by crewtag.com on August 17th 2007 at 4:56am
view crewtag.com's profile

The first picture looks like a generic bachelor's apartment (except for the CRT TV). The second picture looks like said bachelor got a gift certificate to Pier 1 for his birthday.

posted by Anne in Chicago on August 17th 2007 at 6:53am
view Anne in Chicago's profile

I like the room, but nothing they've put in it does anything for me...eww.

posted by JohnnySlimane on August 17th 2007 at 8:25am
view JohnnySlimane's profile

The slipcover and the blinds alone would have been enough for me.

posted by JenCoMo on August 17th 2007 at 8:55am
view JenCoMo's profile

a green redo like this is not really very "green"...i agree with the above posters...and even aesthetically i like the 'before' better.

they could have made drapes (or roller shades!) out of old sheets and left it at that.

also, they missed an opportunity by not specifying that the new plants be the 'air cleaning' type.

posted by edgertor on August 18th 2007 at 8:19am
view edgertor's profile