CasaSugar

Home Library: Edible Estates: Attack on the Front Lawn

CasaSugar — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 04:30:28 -0700

Remember when I told you, many moons ago, about the very cool project Edible Estates? Dreamed up and spearheaded by Los Angeles-based architect Fritz Haeg, the project pushes the idea that lawns, which are, in many parts of the world, unnatural groundcover, should be replaced with native plants and edible crops. Now, Haeg, along with contributors, has given urban, suburban, and rural gardeners the world over some serious inspiration with his book Edible Estates: Attack on the Front Lawn.

To see a gallery of photos, and to learn more about this book, read more.

The book, which includes an essay from one of my culinary heroes, Michael Pollan, offers food for thought on everything from the history of turf grass in the US to the challenges of replacing said lawn with an incredible, edible front yard. Haeg's first garden was built in Salina, KS, with other gardens quickly sprouting in Lakewood, CA; Maplewood, NJ; Austin, TX; and London, England, among other spots on the globe. Eventually, Haeg plans to establish regional gardens in nine cities across the US.

The book serves as one part manifesto, one part how-to, and one part inspiration, with owners of the first four gardens weighing in on the challenges and joys of turning their grassy lawns into edible estates. The book includes beautiful photos, extensive garden plans, and thoughtful essays from additional writers. I read this book earlier in the Spring, and it's no small coincidence that a few days after reading it, I built my first garden box at my new house. If you need a kick in the pants to get your garden going, I dare say there's no better inspiration than Haeg's book. I highly recommend it!

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Eco Chic: ReVision Furniture

CasaSugar — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 05:30:35 -0700

Artists For Humanity (AFH) is a Boston-based group whose mission is to "bridge economic, racial, and social divisions by providing urban youth with the keys to self-sufficiency through paid employment in the arts," essentially offering youth apprenticeships. A group of teen artists working with AFH were inspired by the AFH's EpiCenter, Boston's only LEED Platinum building (the highest designation of the US Green Building Council) and in response, decided to create a green furniture line, as they'd noticed a need in the market for innovative sustainable design. After months of research and development, the teens and their mentors launched ReVision Tables, a collection of small tables constructed from reclaimed junk mail and magazines, finished with a water-resistant , no-VOC, eco-friendly resin, which is also easy to clean with other eco-friendly products. The tables range from $300 to $650, and are available for purchase online here. Although they may not quite be my style, I certainly find the collection innovative and a great example of sustainable, eco-chic design. I can see them in a coffee shop or lobby-type setting, or perhaps a modern, urban loft. What do you think?

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Designer Spotlight: Emily Kroll

CasaSugar — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 15:00:14 -0700

Emily Kroll has designed, manufactured, and distributed custom and contract furniture for notable interior designers, celebrities, and large corporations since 1992. The granddaughter of a furniture designer and an architectural and scrap metal recycler, and a lifelong Southern California resident, her approach to life
and business has always been rooted in environmentalism. So, she sought out to change the way the U.S. furniture business works, "where production is notoriously wasteful, and many toxic chemicals are used," and launched EKLA HOME in 2007. The collection of upholstered sofas and woodwork is well-crafted and high-quality as well as stylish and lush, but still yields to an eco-conscious mandate — in other words, eco chic.To see more of her designs, read more.
EKLA Home holds itself to some of the highest environmental standards, insisting on materials like FSC certified alder, natural rubber, 100 percent organic wools and cottons grown and milled in the U.S., low-VOC wood stains made in the U.S., non-toxic water-based glues, as well as recycled steel springs and staples. It's this kind of unrelenting devotion to good design and environmental awareness that has inspired our theme this month. I can't wait to see what else Kroll has in store for us.

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