VINO VARIETALLooking to add character to your powder room or wine cellar? Then you might want to investigate Native Trails’ new Vintner’s Collection of vanities, sinks and mirrors.
The Bordeaux Wall Mount Vanity (pictured) is handcrafted of staves salvaged from old oak wine barrels; its top is made of crema marble; and the sink is hand-hammered brushed-nickel, created with post-consumer recycled copper dipped in nickel.
The beveled-glass mirror is framed with wood from the lid of an oak wine barrel and bears the original barrel maker’s stamp.
The collection is available through The Studio at Central Arizona Supply, Scottsdale, (480) 922-9191. Visit nativetrails.net to learn of other showrooms. | |
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| ALUMINUM REINVENTEDThose scads of aluminum soda cans and old car parts don’t have to end up in a dump, according to current green thinking. Du Verre, The Hardware Co., has taken that premise seriously with several collections of die-cast knobs and pulls manufactured from post-consumer recycled aluminum.
Engaged by Du Verre, designer William Harvey created The Lotus Collection (pictured), which comes in four finishes: Oil-rubbed Bronze, Satin Nickel, Polished Nickel and Black Matte. Du Verre products are available through Fannin Interiors in Phoenix, (602) 840-8088. To view more hardware offerings and learn of other sales outlets, visit duverre.com. |
BOOKSHELFThere is no doubt about the benefits of “greening” a house, but author Tara Rae Miner admits that homeowners often are deterred by the cost of renovations. In her book Your Green Abode: A Practical Guide to a Sustainable Home (Skipstone), she presents plentiful ways to obtain an eco-friendly update on a budget.
Miner suggests saving for bigger endeavors, such as converting to solar power, while accomplishing less costly projects along the way. One such project is repainting a home with eco-colors—nontoxic paints that are low-VOC, have low or zero carcinogens, and often are naturally pigmented. Another easy fix is to bring houseplants into the home, as they improve air quality by producing oxygen. —LeeAnn DiSanti | |
DID-JA-KNOW?The U.S. recycling rate for aluminum beverage cans reached its highest level in a decade with 58.1 percent of all discarded cans—or 56 billion aluminum cans—recycled in 2010.
—The Aluminum Association