apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Architect Matt Baran is building a new house in West Oakland. It's his first project, and we'll be following along as construction progresses. So far, he moved the house that was on the lot closer to the street, making room for another house in what used to be the backyard. Check out the green tour, and stay tuned for updates.


In other things green: we've had a creepy moment recalling our Girl Scouts/CFL/Scientology experience. You've got us wondering if we're being too harsh on Home Depot and their new CFL recycling program. And we just can't get enough of Knoend's Bean rocker.

  

We've never been fans of vinyl, although we did grudgingly use vinyl windows in our house. But vinyl shower curtains? Turns out they pollute the air in your bathroom.On the other hand, maybe we were hoodwinked.

This week, we're on a hunt for the best free or low-cost e-waste recycling resources across the country. Stephanie suggests biodegradable plates for your Fourth of July picnic, and we find a great video how-to guide for novice gardeners like us.

Below the jump, we're pondering whether crockpots actually save energy... and amidst all this serious green stuff, we think it's high time for a laugh.

  

We've been busy moving in to a new place, and, as always, been looking for ways to re-use what we already have. For example: wood window blinds -- they're always a bit too wide. Here's how to shorten them for a custom fit.

We've also got a how to with five easy ways to save your local bees (the good kind), and a round up of the best Re-nest reader comments from June.

We're looking for good, green solutions for carpenter bees (the bad kind). And one of our favorite bloggers finds out that you can end up with a yard full of edibles without watering at all.

  

Stephanie found an investigation into dish soap at Grist. Meet the newest chemical villian: 1,4 dioxane. Unfortunately, this suspected carcinogen is lurking in some of our favorite dish soaps, including Method and Ecover.

We also take a look at urban homesteaders in Pasadena, check out simplehuman's $15 gadget to keep plastic bags sorted for re-use, and admire SMEG's new energy efficient, retro refridge. And after all that, you'll definitely have an opinion on the New York Times' recent article on green fatigue, which wonders if all this eco stuff just a passing trend.

We're moving into a new house with a yard. Gardening is new and exciting. There´s a drought. What´s the green thing to do?

And after the jump: Stephanie finds new, good glass food storage containers; we find ways to stay cool without switching on the AC; and we wonder about a new British washing machine that promises to use only one cup of water.

      

This week, we've covered a number of ways to green your life at home at Re-nest, including as Emily Kroll's beautiful new line of sofas made with FSC-certified wood frames and without flame retardants. We've got more, too, including great reader ideas for lower-impact moving. A few of our favorite posts from this week below...

   

Hot or Not? "Fish and greens cohabit for a short time in a home storage unit before being eaten by their keepers." Read on to vote...

 

More from Re-nest: Thoughts on Leaf Blowers, and the week's best comments, including "Wouldn't These Grow Algae Pretty Quickly?"

Did you know that most old toilets (made before 1994) use 5 gallons of water per flush? Many of us live in rentals, so replacing an old water-chugging toilet isn't an option.

So what can you do to save water? Find out here...

 

...and read on to take to take a survey on nature and culture and help us turn our bedroom office wardrobe into something like Danny Seo's chalkboard fridge.

Find out if your toilet is wasting water using nothing but your own two hands and a bottle of food coloring...
(NSFW note: link leads to a video that starts automatically with sound.)

 

...and read on to join the discussion around green and greed and post-consumer recycled, PVC-free Audrey cabinets from Izzy Design.

Danny Seo replaces dingy plastic switch plates with "infinitely recyclable" steel ones.

 
read on for Green Tip: Don't Felt that Rug! and the 2-Bin Recycle Center from The Container Store, reviewed

Who's afraid of a few EMFs? Is your bedroom wired... or do you pull the plug and sleep au naturel?

 
read on for IKEA: Rechargeable Rip-Off? and How To Green Your Fridge