TOTO just introduced a new toilet called 1G and announced that it’s the first manufacturer to break the one-gallon per flush barrier for a gravity-fed toilet, according to a recent statement. 1G is like a tornado in the toilet — less the noise of pressure-assist version — with a Double Cyclone flushing system.
Just in time for outdoor entertaining and BBQ, Loll Designs introduced a new line called the Fresh Air Collection derived from a flat-pack design for furniture originally intended to be shipped in a prefab, disaster-relief home. The home never materialized but that didn’t stop Loll from finishing their designs. The collection is made with paper-composite Richlite for structural bracing and recycled and recyclable HDPE (from milk jugs). Fresh Air includes a table at $760 and benches from $210.
Oregon-based Viridian Wood Products, a company we’ve mentioned in relation to reclaimed veneer panels and shipping pallet floors, just announced the debut of “American Classics.” These are a new line of reclaimed red oak, white oak, and rustic oak floors derived from industrial shipping crates.
The main driver for the performance and affordability of the recently-mentioned Rainbow Duplex is a panelized prefab system of construction that was designed to help projects meet the Passive House standard. BC Passive House in Canada has a manufacturing plant that’s making these panels, and I thought it would be interesting to share what’s inside the company’s next-gen, high-performance panels.
Fireclay Tile recently announced “the most sustainable glazed brick ever produced” with a new Glazed Thin Brick for interior and exterior applications. The brick is available in nine colors and made in the USA with a skinny brick sourced from McNear Brick and Block near San Jose, California. Glazed Thin Brick has anywhere from 30-90% post-consumer recycled content and a lead- and VOC-free glaze.
Here’s an interesting product that got its start with a successful funding from Kickstarter. SmartDeco is affordable, engineered, blank furniture made with 100% recyclable Enviroboard — a light-weight corrugated fiberboard, like cardboard, but with a middle layer of oscillating arcs for strength. The flat-pack furniture is made in California and folds in places without the need of tools. Available pieces include a stand, dresser, and desk, and all of these items are available for about $65 or less each (white costs a little more).
