RECYCLING UNDERFOOT
Leather leftovers from the manufacture of jackets, upholstery, belts, handbags and shoes are being turned into flooring, like the tiles shown in this elegant living room.

Torlys Leather™ Floors is making its tiles and also flooring planks from 100-percent recycled leather fibers; these adhere to high-density fiberboard in a process that requires no added formaldehyde. The products are then given a backing of cork, which, in addition to dampening sound and adding comfort underfoot, is a renewable resource.

Another green aspect: The company reports that it is using leather that might otherwise be going to landfills.

See the flooring at Natural Territory, (480) 998-2700, and at Modern Flooring Concepts, (480) 294-6100, both in Scottsdale. To learn more about this product, and to find other retailers, log on to torlys.com.

Didja Know?
Mold is a biological pollutant that can affect air quality and one’s health. Even dead mold can cause an allergic reaction in some people; so it is not enough to simply kill mold—it also must be removed. For more information, check epa.gov/mold. —The U.S. Evironmental Protection Agency





X-TRA SMART
With its dramatic shape and mix of woods, the Campinas X Bench from Environment Furniture promises to offer impact in almost any setting.

Available in two sizes—48" wide by 20" deep, and 60" wide by 23 5/8" deep—the compact 15 3/4"-high piece is made of sustainably harvested Indonesian mahogany and Peroba Rosa wood. The latter wood is reclaimed from Brazilian homes, buildings and barns that either are abandoned or set to be torn down.

The bench is available through Brix Home in Scottsdale, (480) 355-6050. For more shopping information, go to environmentfurniture.com, or call (877) 600-5938.





FINE FIT
This wooden pedestal and granite sink combo from Stone Forest seems a perfect fit for a powder room. The 27 ¾" high pedestal, made from a sustainable hardwood, is 12" wide at its top and base.

A piece of “functional sculpture,” according to company literature, the pedestal is handcrafted using mortise-and-tenon joinery and finished with a three-coat sealing process that contains zero volatile organic compounds, or VOCs.

The company’s granite sinks, available in natural gray-green or black, are mostly hand-carved. Because they are not “machined,” and since they come from a variety of natural stone sources, the 6"- high sinks will not be symmetrical or the same width; the latter varies from 18" to 22" wide.

The pedestals must be topped with a counter—such as the polished-black granite one shown here—in order to protect the wood’s end grain.

Stone Forest products are available through Flair Supply Co. in Scottsdale, (480) 596-8595. To learn of more retailers, call Stone Forest at (888) 682-2987, or visit stoneforest.com.





WORDS OF WISDOM
That old canoe, worn pair of jeans, torn leather chair, or unsightly tree stump should not be destined for the dump, say Linda and John Meyers. Instead, the authors provide tips for refurbishing such items into new, unique pieces in Wary Meyers’ Tossed & Found: Unconventional Design From Cast-Offs (Stewart, Tabori & Chang).

The book is full of ways to recycle old or discarded items, such as fashioning light fixtures from sewer pipes, footballs, and pastry bags. Astroturf pillows, basketball-hoop tables and blue-jean quilts are other projects featured. All have easy-to-follow instructions.

These designs should be used as inspiration, write the authors. But the idea of refurbishing furniture to prevent waste is the lesson to take away.

Through text and pictures, the writers demonstrate that there are creative, environmentally friendly and cost-effective alternatives to buying new furniture.
 —Taylor Rose