Market Watch

Green Products

For design professionals, there’s a plethora of green products on the market today. Whether you’re looking to gain LEED points for a large commercial project or simply want a thoughtful, sustainable accessory for a residential installation, there’s a green product that will work. Here are just a few of the new products we’ve recently discovered.

Laufen’s Ilbagnoalessi One collection was created by Italian designer Stefano Giovannoni of Alessi and includes a freestanding toilet and bidet whose curves were inspired by a smooth pebble. The ceramic toilet features a dual-flush function with a GPF criteria of 1.6 GPF or 0.8 GPF, which meets water-saving standards. www.laufenusa.com.

Juhl’s Biltmore collection of frames, inspired by the famous Vanderbilt estate in North Carolina, is made from from FSC-certified North American hardwoods in the company’s Wisconsin factory, where wood waste is recycled and donated to help generate steam energy. Available through Horizon Art, 7350 N. Dobson Road, Scottsdale, AZ 85256; (480) 949-1990, www.horizonart.com or www.larsonjuhl.com.

Viking dishwashers are Energy Star qualified and use as little as 2.1 gallons of water, a plus for installation in the West. The appliances, which use as little as one tablespoon of detergent, have also been rated by National Geographic’s Green Guide as being 100 percent more efficient that federal-rating standards. Available through SunWest Appliance Distributing, 8370 S. Kyrene Road, Tempe, AZ 85284; (602) 689-7890, www.sunwestdist.net or www.vikingrange.com.

Bloedel, an upholstery textile by O EcoTextiles, is made of linen grown in northern Italy without the use of chemicals and from certified organic cotton grown in Peru. The yarns are woven in an Italian mill that uses no chemicals in the production process, resulting in a fabric that is well below limits set by the USGBC to allow fabrics to accrue LEED points for low-emitting materials. Available through Northrup House, 601 S. Broadway, Denver, CO 80209; (303) 777-1017, www.northruphouseinc.com or www.oecotextiles.com.

Permapave natural stone pavers provide hard surfaces required for urban living, but the non-slip pavers contain an underlying stone reservoir that stores surface pollution and allows rainwater to percolate into the ground below. The pavers can also be used in light traffic specifications, such as parking lots and driveways. Permapave Group of Arizona, LLC, 22014 N. 20th Ave., Phoenix, AZ 85027; (623) 434-8044 or www.permapave.com.

Source One Wallcovering has introduced Castlemere, Concord and Storehouse, three environmentally friendly fabric patterns with Crypton Green finish that are made with 100 percent recycled polyester in a combination of post-consumer and pre-consumer content. The wallcoverings contain no chlorine, heavy metals, ozone-depleting substances, plasticizers, formaldehyde or VOCs. Offering LEED credit opportunities for low-emitting materials, recycled content and construction waste management, these fabrics are appropriate for use as wallcoverings, panel systems and partitions. www.sourceonewallcovering.com.

Icestix by Interstyle Glass is a new line of recycled-content glass mosaic tiles. Available in colors that range from pale gray to vivid reds and in sizes 1/2”x2” or 1/2”x4”, the product is frost proof and suitable for use in wet areas. Available through Decorative Materials, 150 Basalt Center Circle, Basalt, CO 81621; (303) 722-1333, www.decorativematerials.com or
www.interstyle.ca.

Teak Warehouse has introduced its new Outdoor Collections, made with durable, man-made wicker, crafted from 100 percent recyclable polyethylene fibers from Europe and woven by Indonesian craftsmen. The man-made materials replace the need for deforestation that occurs with the use of natural rattan products. Locations throughout Southern California; (310) 536-8325 or www.outdoorcollections.com.

Sublimehome creates limited-production, luxury green furniture designed by Paul Jeffrey of Scottsdale, Arizona. The signed and numbered pieces are made from bamboo, Plyboo, Kirei board, palm wood and other sustainable materials and FSC-certified hardwoods. Pieces such as the Green Tree No. 1 coffee tables, shown here, also use water-based finishes. Available through The MN Collection, 2708 N. 68th St., Scottsdale, AZ 85257; (480) 946-2664 or www.sublimehome.biz.

Drainscape Pervious Concrete is a paving system that allows three to eight gallons of water per square foot, per minute, to pass through it, making it a solution for storm-water management. The product also helps eliminate water pollution, reduce the urban heat-island effect and can qualify for LEED points. Available through Progressive Concrete Works, Inc., 2136 W. Melinda Lane, Phoenix, AZ 85027; (623) 582-2274, www.progressiveconcrete.com or www.drainscape.com.

Bernhardt, an Enhancing Furniture’s Environmental Culture (EFEC)-certified company, offers a square end table from its Cascade collection, marked by the use of natural materials and made with environmentally friendly methods. The end table features a top made of crushed sea urchin shells, a product usually discarded by the food industry. The base is a series of connected metal rings. Available through Columbine Showroom, 595 S. Broadway, Denver, CO 80209; (303) 722-4400, www.columbineshowroom.com or www.bernhardt.com.

The Metro media cabinet by Maria Yee is built of solid bamboo Timbre, a rapidly renewable resource that Yee developed for the production of her solid bamboo furniture. Bamboo Timbre is harder than red oak and is FSC-certified. The media cabinet, available in four colors and two sizes, features sliding lattice-work doors that allow for remote-control usage, childproof drawers, a zero-energy ventilation system to cool electronic equipment and removable back panels with wire cutouts for easy installation. Available through C.A.I. Designs, 595 S. Broadway, Denver, CO 80209, (303) 282-8100 or www.caidesigns.net; and Fannin Interiors, 4025 N. 44th St., Phoenix, AZ 85018, (602) 840-8088 or www.mariayee.com.