apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

wow. very cute!

i'm not a fan of the mirror (although it's not horrible) but wow, i love that bathroom

Does anyone know who makes that Vanity? It is exactly what I have been looking for.

This bathroom was done by SF designer Steven Miller for the 2005 Decorator Showcase:

http://www.stevenmillerdesignstudio.com/projects/showcase/index.html

It's own of his own designs.

You can find a similar cabinet without the sink at Tonic Home http://www.tonichome.com/catalog.php?item=167&catid=13&ret=catalog.php%3Fcategory%3D13. The cabinet comes in black or white. I have it in white and I love it!

I *love* that console. Fantastic!

The bathwater recycling idea is usually called "Grey water recovery" and you can add in a heat recovery system to reclaim the heat from the water to make it even greener.
The heat recovery system is described here:
http://www.eere.energy.gov/consumer/your_home/water_heating/index.cfm/mytopic=13040
and an example of a grey water recovery is described here:
http://www.triplepundit.com/pages/inhouse-gray-water-systems-sim-002909.php

One caveat: I wouldn't recommend recycling/sharing bathwater for health reasons (unless you're bathing together) and if you re-used your bathwater for your lawn/plants etc. try to move to completely organic soaps and household cleaners. I hope to install these systems once we buy a home- they save a LOT of water!!

#3 made me sad:

"Avoid products that are heavily packaged or remove the packaging and leave it at the cash register to send a clear message to the retailer. Be aware that sometimes the contents often cost less than the actual packaging of a product!"

Some underpaid cashier will have to clean up after that righteousness. Wouldn't it be more effective to save your trash and send it to the store owner/operator?

Also, do the Japanese recycle their bathwater (water they scrub in), or their soaking water (post-scrubbing, which occurs outside of the tub)?

Thanks for the detailed info S2S! I think I've seen the gray water recovery system before, but it's a good reminder.

Squidlette made me sad with this comment: "Some underpaid cashier will have to clean up after that righteousness."

Shouldn't the economy work that out? If the cashier feels undercompensated for the extra work of discarding bulky packaging, then the cashier will quit or ask for a raise. If the cashier quits, the company must find a replacement, and so the packaging has directly increased costs for the company.

It's right to protest bulky packaging. Handing all of that junk back right at the store is a great way to let management know that their wastefulness is not appreciated. Hand it over with a "please let your manager know that I'd prefer that products be packaged in a more environmentally friendly way" could work well too.

Better yet, don't buy anything from the store in the first place.

If I remember correctly, the Japanese traditionally are scrubbed before bathing because they don't empty and refill their bathtubs between uses.

It saves water and the energy needed to heat the water.

About hot water: Dont heat your water with an electric heater. They waste energy: First, some kind of primary energy must be converted into electric an then electric must be converted into heat. Two conversions, double inefficient. Use a central heater that uses protan or butan or whatever is available for you.
Best: Use solar panels if possible.

i find it interesting that the person who gave the tips recommends to use "bar shampoo" and "bar massage oil" happens to be the founder of LUSH (um yep, thats what they sell)

not that i dont like their products or think that he is probably right since there would be less packaging. but, couldnt we get someone with an un bias opinion?

Perhaps one should write directly to companies that make the products with excess packaging? I do hate that. And now that "going green" is the hip thing to do, it is could be a market incentive to let them know there is more demand for more eco-friendly products. Maybe I will test this idea.

Here is an easy way to recycle and save water in the bathrooom. I keep a bucket in the shower and fill it as the water is warming up. I get at least 3 gallons every time. Then, throughout the day we use that water to flush our toilet. Very easy!

A store clerk or manager has NO say in how much or what type of packaging a product comes in. It is rude and uncalled for to take that type of stand at the cash register. I can also guarantee that the packaging (if left at the store) will not be recycled, just thrown into the garbage, so you've gained nothing. Write a letter, call or email the company in question, or better yet, find a product that does live up to your green standards.

on the cabinet/console/vanity: absolutely lovely and exactly what I've been searching for. But it's a little pricey at $1,685. Any suggestions for something similar, but cheaper?

I LOVE LOVE LOVE that bath! The mirror looks like the top of a gem. And the cabinet has a BIG smile. The "Kermit green" walls I would not have chosen on my own, until I see it done here, and now I think I love that color. Everything is PERFECT in that bathroom. The grid of little tiles. The flower that looks like fireworks. And the black and white shower curtain reflected in the mirror.

The only thing I wouldn't like would be seeing my reflection with a green cast on it. Nor would I want to try to apply cosmetics and realize after leaving the room that I was wearing WAY too much, as I'd try to remove the green pallor from my face. LOL!

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Now, the bath water recycling. Not quite as bad as Kramer in a Seinfeld show, where he washed his vegetables in the shower, when he showered, and had a garbage disposal put in the shower drain...

I like to do the laundry in the bath, while I'm showering. That first part in the washing machine is soap and water. Right? So too is the shower, a lot of water, a little body and hair soap. I add some laundry detergent to the tub. And close the drain.

While I'm showering, the laundry is soaking in soap and I swirl it around with my feet. I get out, the laundry stays in.

It might soak if it's like grimy gardening-type clothing. Other times, it's briefly swirled while I shower (most clothing doesn't get that dirty). Then I open the drain, and while I'm rinsing, I rinse and wring out the few items.

If it's for small handwash items, I have a plastic laundry tub. All that water that would just go right down the drain while waiting for HOT water goes into the tub, with the delicate items, a bit of soap and cold water.

If I don't have any of that to do, I have a plastic bucket to save the water for using for the toilet (just pour some water into the toilet and it "flushes" itself).

Or I have an empty water jug that I can use that "waiting for the hot water" water to fill it up, and use it later.

Or I have a larger plastic watering can, and can use that cold water later for the plants.

That water that comes out of the faucet while waiting for hot water (which can be awhile in an apartment, LOL) is the same water that is used for cooking. For drinking. The same water that is poured in goblets at restaurants and business meetings.

The water coming out of the bathroom faucet is the SAME stuff that comes out of any water line in your home.

You don't need to install special plumbing or gadgets to put a bowl, bucket, tub, jug, or plant watering can under the faucet.

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As far as the comments about whose job it is to discard packaging...

I swear, I bet you all are the same people who leave all the throw rugs on the floor at the stores and don't put them away, leaving a big MESS for the store clerks. ;) Kidding...a bit.

Use the same principles at the store as you would at home. You don't just shuck packages and leave piles behind you expecting someone else to clean it up.

If you don't like the excessive packaging, but are buying the product, YOU are where it ends, and that store will continue to supply YOUR needs with products that YOU buy as long as YOU buy them.

Don't buy the excessive packaging. The store is on auto-reorder most of the time. You buy it, it shows being sold in the computer, and it will/can be reordered.

The place to address is the maker/manufacturer. The people who are putting the products in too much packaging, or using less than environmentally stellar options.

Timberland, for example, they make shoes and outerwear.
http://www.timberland.com/home/index.jsp

They have a whole section on what they are trying to do for the environment:
http://www.timberland.com/corp/index.jsp?page=env_steward

When you leave a big mess in your wake, you make it difficult for the NEXT person in line to successfully check out quickly. Something has to be done with that pile before I can get through.

You make a delay, the garbage goes into the SAME landfill, and they probably aren't sorting out the recyclable parts, like YOU could do at home. So you're making MORE landfill than necessary.

The extra time it takes to dispose of that waste costs the company money. Who do you think pays for that? YOU do. And so do I. I don't want an increase in costs for groceries, products, and services, because YOU want to leave a pile of garbage wherever you go. LOL!

It's up to YOU as the end consumer to recycle. And you can make your wishes known to the manufacturers by sending them an email, asking them to consider alternative packaging (and be darn well sure that you will BUY that packaging).

Or that you are already buying that packaging in another brand.

I think a lot of people shop at Trader Joe's. And yet they have a lot of packaging. Like the fruits and veggies in the plastic see-through containers. The four-packs.

Why?

Because it gets the produce to you with less damage. Right?

So too do many other packaging items. They get the product to you in better condition.

The store clerk did NOT package those items. The management of the store did not package the items. The maker did. And you reward the maker/manufacturer with profits every single time you buy the product with excessive packaging.

You need to let the manufacturer know what you like and don't like. And you need to NOT buy things that have packaging you don't like.

Because I am SO not going to be happy if you start opening regular-sized cans of tomato soup at the check out and leaving a humongous pile of empty, dripping cans because YOU think that tomato soup should be available at the store in a 55-gallon drum. :D

Lush also sells liquid shampoo in plastic bottles. Just sayin'.

don't know if True Blue is a woman or man...but...

You go, girl!

We also collect the bath water as we are waiting for it to get hot and use it to flush the toilet. We usually collect about a gallon.

Just to confirm- The Japanese usually have a separate area for scrubbing and bathing. The scrubbing takes place usually with a handheld shower head, while standing or sitting on a small stool. Then the rinsed off person (sometimes a whole family) gets into the bath. The water is reused- a cover is placed over the tub. Not sure how it's heated, but it's a far cry from what we have here.

Another thing I noticed a lot of in Japan is toilet/sinks. The toilet is a normal toilet, except that there is a sink built into the top of it. The water used for handwashing gets recycled into the tank for flushing. Sometimes there are even different flush settings for those who don't want to use a whole flush's worth of water, yet aren't comfortable "letting it mellow".

wow, True Blue, you're my hero!

So, to be clear, True Blue (and others) you just empty your shower water into the toilet and it flushes itself? No handle jiggling necessary? (This is BRILLIANT if it's true!)

A bucket of water will flush the toilet. The tank behind the toilet is essentially a bucket of water waiting to be dumped into the toilet when you push the handle.

Only problem with the bucket brigade is that you have to leave a bowl full of goodies there until you take a bath.

Good to know! Thank you, Art.

i think i'm in love!!! i just love green and that white sink is so ... perfect! its elegant and fun with out being pretentious and totally functional.


where can i find it??

Thank you goonie and *heather leaf*. darcidoodle, it's one of those weird things, the toilet water, that people don't think about. I remember when I was a kid, I thought there were jets and hurricanes in the toilet. Ha!

This is all good to know too. Sometimes our water is shut off, and it's off all day. Because of some repair in the apartment complex. So I save the water from the night before. Like I take my shower and not only fill up the bucket, but let water splash into other containers. I end up with PLENTY of water to flush the toilet or wash my hands.

That "waiting for cold water" can be used for coffee and tea and tooth brushing. And like in the olden days, I have a bowl of water that I can use all day long to wash my hands in. By the end of the day, it's a little soapy. But better that than sticky, icky, greasy, grimy hands (depending on what I did that day, ha).

Art, rather than leaving a "bowl full of goodies" wouldn't it be better to just have a bucket of water with a lid on it? If you have just a little extra room, store a 3-gallon bucket full of water.

The water can sit in the bucket in the tub with a lid overnight or all day. It's not going to go "bad". Ditto with having the plant watering can/container with water in it. As long as you don't knock it over.

And I am NOT having YOUR Chex Mix, Art, in case there are mystery items in THAT bowl full of goodies.

Yes, I am a woman. I must type like a man. ;)

You could have a bird bath, if you shower every day, and use the water from "waiting for the water to get hot" in the bird bath.

And there are oodles of indoor and outdoor water fountains. You could be enjoying the lovely sounds of water right now, using water that wasn't hot enough to bath or shower in that would have gone down the drain otherwise.

I have three. One especially for cats to drink from. And two others that aren't set up right now. One was a small tabletop one from Target.

The other was one I made out of clay pots and saucers and a submersible pump.

I also use a humidifier, even in San Francisco. Because of my sinuses, especially at this time of year. Allergies.

Haha, I'm surprised people didn't know about the pouring water in the toilet thing. I like many others on the comments love that sink. Gorgeous!

I've gotten out of the habit, but I used to keep a small pail round to collect the water that ran from the faucet while warming to a tolerable shower temperature. I'd use the water for my plants.