A melhor decoração Home

Once I own a home I hope to make it as green as I possible can. Luckily, "greenifying" your home no longer means uglifying it, and technology is coming down in price everyday. I've noticed many progressive cities are getting more and more green restorations in historic homes, like this one in Toronto. Enjoy!

The owner didn't want to rip out the authentic stained glass windows, so she added extra glazing on the exterior to improve energy efficiency... so beautiful.

Furnishings are mostly vintage and/or antique and refurbished/reupholstered when necessary.



oh I do love that rug



Here are 5 green things the owners did to improve the space:

1. Complete Geothermal Retrofit
2. Replaced windows and doors for high efficiency versions
3. Added Insulation
4. Used Zero VOC paints
5. Furnished with antique and vintage furniture

Not too shabby huh?
via Pure Green Magazine

drooling - those white curtains make this shot super dreamy...


love the archway which leads from the dining area to the living room


love this cozy home office

stunning windows, airy lush bedding

via Pure Green Living

Sounds like a fairy tale right? Nope...it's the Jungfrau region in Switzerland, which I was lucky enough to visit this summer during my 9 week backpacking trip around Europe. The weather wasn't ideal for the few days we were in Jungfrau, but it was still gorgeous. See below...

A view of the town we stayed in - Lauterbrunnen

We started off the morning by taking a cable car up to this hiking path towards Gimmewald, where we hit some early morning traffic...

Gimmelwald is a charming little town. They sell lots of fresh cheeses - and you'll see lots of cute little cheese huts along the way.  The other main occupation is farming.  Farmers raise hay on tiny plots to feed to cows.  It saved itself from development as a ski resort by having it falsely declared an avalanche zone - wikipedia.  Thank goodness for that!

The population is about 130 - and most people have one of three family names: von Allmen, Feuz, or Brunner.



The cable car and a walking path are the only way to get to the town directly.



After Gimmewald we went to Wengen, and from there we took another cable car up to a beautiful hike.



We returned to Lauterbrunnen for dinner, where we witnessed a parade of men ringing huge bells down the street, unfortunately for them it was pouring rain.  Does anyone know anything about this tradition?


Unfortunately pictures just can't do this gorgeous country and these AMAZING mountains any justice, I hope everyone gets a chance to see it...

Here's that list again of all my posts from our travels that I've posted -

Spain
•Introduction to my European backpacking trip and a list of places we visited
• Galicia - Baiona and Isle de Cies
• Galicia - the coast, some charming vineyards, and Pontevedra
• Santiago de Compostela and gorgeous hidden beaches
• Gorgeous mountain lakes of Picos de Europa
• Stunning mountains - Picos de Europa
• Bilbao and San Sebastian
• Beautiful Barcelona
• The amazing Sagrada Familia Cathedral in Barcelona
• Art Nouveau dream house by Gaudi in Barcelona

Italy
• Not to miss - the gorgeous rocky coast of Italy's Cinque Terre
• More from my summer traveling Europe - amazing Rome
• From my summer in Europe - amazing Pompeii
• Turquoise ocean and vineyards on cliffs - the amazingly stunning Amalfi coast
• My Summer in Europe: Pictures from lovely Florence, Italy
• Enchanting Siena
•Venice
•Lake Como, Italy

Switzerland
•Jungfrau region, Switzerland, Part 1

Thanks as always to my boyfriend Chris, who acted as the trip photographer

*tip - click on each image if you want a closer view

check out the gorgeous rough backsplash

A clever way to create a laundry room if you don't have one


amazing coffee table, amazing cabinet, amazing floors!

I've been loving navy lately

Not crazy about the laser cut mirrors - but otherwise this foyer is gorgeous...

What do you think about this home?

via Pure Green Living

Today we have more and more options for going green - and as the planet becomes more and more taxed with population growth and need for resources, sustainable living practices will become vital.

Below are some bathrooms that show that going green does not mean going unattractive - green styles are now just as gorgeous as traditional ones.

LOVE this shower!

There are many foundries that offer eco-friendly bath tile.  Just a few include Bedrock Industries, Aurora Glass, and Daltile.

2 images above via Apartment Therapy


Eco bathrooms can have a very "zen" feel by using a lot of natural materials and textures.
image via Home Furniture Mag


You can fine eco-friendly furnishings, such as a traditional or modern bathroom vanity, in FSC-Certified Wood, Ceasarstone, or Vetrazzo.




There are also a lot of options for eco-friendly bath fixtures, such as low flow faucets, shower heads, and toilets.

 If your budget doesn't allow you to invest in bigger ticket items, such as new floors or tiles, you can take many small steps.  Use earth-friendly  toilet paper and bathroom cleaners.  Also, look into all natural body products.  Everything that you put down the drain makes it's way back into the environment, so use care.

I like Seventh Generation cleaning products, as well as Trader Joe's line of green cleaning products.

Here are some helpful resources for "greening" your bathroom:

Use LEED as a guide to green your bathroom

Top 10 Environmentally Friendly Cleaning Products for the Green Home

Information about Eco-Friendly Bathroom Furniture and Fixtures

What do you do to make your bathroom and bathroom habits more sustainable and eco-friendly?

I also use a vinegar glass cleaning solution:
1/4 cup vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon liquid soap or detergent (I use 7th Generation Natural Dishcleaning Liquid in Free & Clear), and 2 cups of water in a spray bottle. It works great!

I also fill up a soda or seltzer bottle with water, and put it in the tank of my toilet. It tricks the toilet into thinking the tank is full faster, therefore using less water to refill the tank.


*disclosure: this post is sponsored by Modern Bathroom