Did you know that spring is a popular time for renovations? Must be that we’ve all been cooped up in our homes all winter and are sick of the “same ole, same ole.” So, if you’re thinking about new paint, flooring, or furniture, we’d like to offer a few sustainable product suggestions for your home.

green flooring

There are quite a few choices on the market for sustainable wood floors, our favorites include cork, bamboo, or re-claimed hardwood floors from an old house. But what you may not know is that carpet can be sustainable too. Two companies who are working on environmentally friendly rugs and carpet are Shaw and FLOR.

Did you know that more than 5.6 billion pounds of carpet were discarded? The carpet industry is working on programs to encourage recycling. One of the many carpet companies who want to make sure all those tons of carpet are reused or recycled is Shaw. They have created carpets made from Nylon 6 that can be recycled repeatedly while keeping it’s aesthetic and performance properties.

We love FLOR’s modular carpet tiles–they’re creative, beautiful, and eco-friendly. FLOR’s founder is committed to sustainability and has designed the tiles from renewable and recycled content. Plus when you’re ready to update your room again in a few years, you can return your carpet tiles for recycling.

less-toxic paint

Household paint is full of harmful chemicals. It contains formaldehyde, pesticides, and other potential carcinogens. These are commonly known as volatile organic compounds or VOCs. In the past, low-VOC choices have left quite a bit to be desired as far as quality is concerned. But they manufacturers have been hard at work improving the paint in response to tougher regulations and consumer demand.

In the March Consumer’s Report article on household paint, they found some top-quality low-VOC choices fared quite well. And these paints are easy to find now too. Home Depot  carries a variety of low- and no-VOC paints. Don’t forget to choose eco-friendly paint brushes and rollers too.

sustainable furniture

It’s so tempting to rush out to Ikea and pick up a new living room complete with sofa, chairs, coffee table, lamps, and doodads, for $299.99. But we all know throw-away furnishings is just another one of our planet-killing habits.

Naturally, the best option is to reuse. Check out craigslist before you head to the retail stores. I picked up a great craftsman-style entertainment, complete with glass doors and lighting for $200. You can’t beat that! While I got lucky, my piece only needed to be dusted, you may have to use a bit of imagination, elbow grease, and a trip to the fabric or paint store. A little recovering can go a long way.

Of course, if you just have to have something new, buy a piece that’s going to last and is eco-friendly. Look for sustainably-harvested wood such as bamboo, oak, maple, and others. The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification is a great way to spot “green” furnishings. Or find a shop that makes new pieces from reclaimed wood, like the table here from Brooklyn Farm Table. If that’s not possible, avoid pieces made with toxic foam, fabrics, and finishings. Alternatives include natural latex for cushioning and hemp or recycled PET for fabric.

Now that you’re informed: get ready, get set, decorate! We’d love for you to share links to your favorite stores with us here. We’re always looking for more eco-friendly resources.

While the entire AirDye team works every day to make the textile industry more eco-friendly, we know this isn’t something we can change over night. Transprint’s Design Director, Philip Hess, paces himself outside of the office too, literally.

Philip just completed his second New York City Marathon. His goal was to break the four hour mark, and he missed it by only three minutes. This marathon was his personal best at 4:03:14. Needless to say, that’s much faster than anyone else around here. Not only was Philip pleased to keep a better pace…

This time I was much more relaxed and had a lot more fun running it. It is an amazing way to see all five boroughs of New York.

And while Philip was contemplating hanging up his marathon shoes, he’s seriously considering the Boston Marathon so his extended family can come out and cheer him on.

During the day, Philip oversees the design studio for Transprint, the global supplier of AirDye consumables. Philip’s team has created the world’s largest design library with over 15,000 designs adding about 500-800 new designs each year.

Well done and congratulations, Philip!

+ Proof that water conservation works—even in the desert.

+ Designer Jurgen Bey wants you to pull up a trunk and get comfy with his eco-friendly bench:

+ The Cash for Clunkers program gets a much needed infusion from the Senate.

+ The EPA explains why conservation is critical, even with a renewable resource like water.

We’re thrilled to see the AirDye® gospel spreading as more and more environmentally responsible companies adopt our technology.

Our latest addition is New York-based JulieApple, a purveyor of green handbags, totes, and travel bags. Owner and designer Julianne Applegate is hardly a fashion novice—she’s worked with an impressive roster of heavy hitters, from Diane Von Furstenberg to Stella McCartney. While she’s been in the game for a while, it’s her concept that’s novel—Julie Apple is committed to using organic fabrics, recycled nautical materials, and most recently AirDye technology for all of her printed purses.

The Yoga-a-GoGo (above) bag is a personal favorite. With a tote this cute, there’s half a shot we’d actually pull it out the closet every once and a while.

It’s a beautiful Friday morning and we have a weekend of summer bliss ahead, so we thought it appropriate to blog about eco-swimwear today. As more and more designers adopt AirDye®, we’re finally beginning to see products hit stores. We’re so excited—today you can actually shop for swimsuits dyed with our technology.

Miss Peaches swimwear is a completely eco-friendly line of ravishing retro bathing suits, dyed using AirDye technology. Capitalizing on AirDye technology’s ability to print different patterns on two sides of a single fabric, all of Miss Peaches’ swimsuits are completely reversible. (What recessionista can resist a two-for-one-deal?) And, because the dye is part of the fabric rather than a layer on top of it, chlorine will have no affect on the color. Ever. Designs include snakeskin / paisley combinations and stripes / plaid. Extra bonus of using two-sided printing? Zero chance of a wet swimsuit being see-through.

Check out Miss Peaches’ website to view their full collection of swimsuits and cover-ups, all dyed with AirDye technology.

Happy sunning!