Tryon Farm is an architecturally diverse conservation community located about an hour outside of Chicago. Three quarters of the community's 170 acres remain undeveloped. The landscape is comprised of woods, restored meadows, and wetlands. The homes range in style from contemporary to modern to traditional and somehow the varied designs blend seamlessly in this beautiful, natural setting.
Etsy, the popular new site used by artists and crafters, is also a gem for vintage finds such as furniture and accessories. The prices on Etsy are usually quite reasonable -- especially compared to shops specializing in vintage and antique furniture -- and the treasures are endless and unique.
Denmark50, located in Los Angeles, is comprised of a showroom and warehouse full of vintage Danish Modern furniture and accessories. And of course, buying vintage is such a green way to go. The showroom (below) is a nice display of what the company has to offer, but the warehouse (also below) is the really amazing part. Mid-Century Danish furniture is stuffed into the large space as far as the eye can see: couch after couch, chairs, tables, and any other piece one could imagine.
Serenbe is located in Palmetto, Georgia, about 30-45 minutes southwest of Atlanta. The 900 acre community will preserve 70% of it's land and eventual plans include about 600 homes. All Serenbe homes will be EarthCraft certified and the community offers a variety of options including work/live townhomes, cottages, and estates. The architecture is diverse and charming and is often inspired by historical buildings. There's a Dwell Home being built (see below), and the above home by Redbone Construction was featured in various green building articles in local Atlanta publications.
Prairie Crossing is located in Grayslake, Illinois about 40 miles north of Chicago. This beautiful, nature-focused community has preserved more than 60% of its 677 acres. An impressive measure which clearly points to the good intentions of the "developers", a group of neighbors who bought the land in the 1980's with the goal of truly responsible development. The community has 359 homes and 36 condos versus the 2400 homes that another developer had plans for. The condos have received the highest energy star rating possible.
VivaTerra is a catalog and online eco-friendly home accessories and furnishings company. You will need to peruse their offerings with a bit of a critical eye and decide for yourself what is truly eco-friendly, but there are a lot of great choices. Less sustainable offerings to watch out for include river rock bath mats. The rocks are taken from a natural environment where they belong and do not replenish like trees or bamboo. I would also stay away from tropical hardwoods since most of them are not truly eco-friendly and travel quite a distance to the USA. One great VivaTerra choice would be their beautiful "Gustavian Vintage Bed" which is made by a master woodworker in the USA using salvaged Douglass Fir wood from a torn down building, non-toxic glue, and a food safe finish for about $2000.
Geos is a community located in Arvada, Colorado. With homes starting in the low $200,000, it is an affordable green community seeking status as the first fossil fuel free community in the United States. The homes combine the benefits of both geothermal and solar energy. Homes range from 850 to 3500+ square feet and include a variety of living options from live/work townhomes to single level flats.
Pringle Creek Community is comprised of 32 acres of re-developed land, including protected wetlands, in Salem, Oregon. The community boasts a wealth of sustainable features. More than 80% of the existing trees have been preserved and the homes will be constructed using 100% FSC certified wood. The streets in the community are narrow, allowing for more green space and their well-designed "green street" system means that 90% of the rainwater will filtrate through the soil, recharging the aquifer.
Recycling The Past is a vintage/antique building supply store located in New Jersey. The store offers a wonderful variety of products ranging from mantles to hardware to doors, all of which may be viewed online. Two of my favorite products are the sinks and the tiles. There are nine pages of stunning tiles in a range of shapes, colors, and styles. The collection of decorative tiles is incredible; some of them are amazingly detailed.
Buying vintage furniture is super green, but it's not always easy to find pieces in great shape, especially upholstered items. Lotus Bleu has fixed that problem for us. They offer vintage pieces redone in new, modern fabrics. Lotus Bleu is located in San Fransisco, but if you're not in the area, you can order right online. Current items for sale are displayed in addition to items that have already been sold, to give you an idea of what might be available at any given time.
