Who: Nest – Palo Alto, CA

What: Nest Learning Thermostat

Where: Nest – $249

Why We Love It: The Nest Learning Thermostat is the iPod of the thermostat world; revolutionizing an oft overlooked object and making it smarter, sleeker, and well pleasing to the eye. And it’s no wonder, the Nest was designed by former Apple engineer, Tony Fadell, who was instrumental in the design of the iPod and iPhone.

But the real beauty of this programmable thermostat–other than it’s sexy design–is that it reacts to your behavior to create an energy efficient plan for your home. Over time, the Nest automatically adjusts the temperature settings based on your daily routine to create a schedule that conserves energy without compromising comfort, and, without you having to lift a finger. Unexpected cold front? Access the Nest on the road with your iPhone or through the Nest website, so you can be sure your house is warm and toasty by the time you reach the front door. When the Nest Leaf icon appears on the dial, it indicates that your current settings are saving energy and consequently money. Quite clever.

Who: Woolly Pockets – Phoenix, AZ

What: Wally One – Woolly Pocket

Where: Burke Decor – $39, 10% off with coupon code SPRINGY through April 15.

Why We Love It: So yes, we may have a bit of an obsession with the vertical garden, but they are just so cool. For the most part you would find these attention grabbing gardens in commercial applications, but the Woolly Pocket makes it easy to achieve (and maintain) the wonder of a vertical garden in your own home, inside or out.

Made in the USA from 100% recycled plastic water bottles, the flexible, breathable pockets have the look of a felt bag and can be hung directly on any surface. They have built-in moisture barriers so you don’t have to worry about leakage. Click to continue »

Who: Rocky Mountain Hardware – Hailey, ID

What: Luna Knob (pictured with Metro Privacy Set)

Where: Boston Decorative Hardware – prices vary from $98 – $984 depending on style and finish.

Why We Love It: Ever since we discovered Rocky Mountain Hardware, we have been obsessed with the Luna knob. Such a simple design and about time our old doorknobs got an upgrade. Paired with the Metro Collection Privacy setting this is perfect for the modern home. They come in all sorts of styles so you can customize the knob with the hardware that fits your style. And the variety of finishes range from a dark patina to a rust orange patina. Click to continue »

Who: EnergyHub – New York, NY

What: The Smart Thermostat

Where: EnergyHub – coming soon!

Why We Love ‘Em: Not sure if any of you have ridden in a Prius, but we got to take a tour of Oregon in a Prius through wine country to the coastal sand dunes and along the Columbia River.  Along the way, it was hard not to get caught up in the game of how high the miles per/gallon was particularly the amount of energy we were gaining on the downhill from Mount Hood. Felt like we were able to get better mileage because we were more aware of the amount of energy we were using at any point in time. So imagine if you could monitor your household energy consumption in the same way… Click to continue »

Who: ECO-heater; Alexandria, VA

What: ECO-heater Electric Panel

Where: Amazon – $120 w/free shipping in the US – Eco-heater 602 High-Efficiency Electric Panel Whole-Room Heater

Why We Love It: So, yes, when January rolls around in New England, we become completely obsessed with island escapes and trying to remember just what it feels like to be warm…

So we were excited to learn about ECO-heater’s slim wall-mounted heater. It is super energy efficient employing a natural convection technology and using 73% less electricity than standard space heaters, about 400 watts, 3.5 cents/hour.

Click to continue »

Who: 3form; Seattle, WA

What: Varia Ecoresin Organics Collection

Where: 3form; contact for pricing (our 4×8 panel was in the ballpark of $900, but if you have a small project or want a more economical option consider purchasing a piece from their reclaimed collection where you can find some great deals.)

Why We Love ‘Em: We have long been fans of this incredibly cool, dynamic and eco-friendly material (still dreaming of a kitchen back splash with the Seaweed panel…). We have seen 3form panels used for doors, hotel reception desks, light fixtures, light walls and all sorts of architectural installations.  This versatile material is completely customizable, you can add color and layers of texture and finishes to come up with a final result that suits your project. Click to continue »

Who: Home Depot/Arnell Group

What: Home Hero Fire Extinguisher

Where: Home Depot, in stores only, $29.97 (call ahead to make sure it is in stock)

Why: Out of an unexpected partnership with the Home Depot and the ever dynamic Arnell Group, comes a revolutionary new (okay, new as of 2007) fire extinguisher, the HomeHero. No longer is the life saving device an eyesore to be hidden in the dark recesses of a closet, now it is truly display worthy! Click to continue »

Who: Arteo Design/Oliver Kessler; Munich, Germany

What: The Modern Punkah

Where: Contact Oliver Kessler for purchasing information

Why: Ahhhh, I can just feel the gentle breeze of the punkah lulling me to sleep as the blades sway silently back and forth transporting me to distant lands…………and if money were no object, I would certainly invest in the new and improved line of Punkahs from Arteo Design. They range in price from 2.000 – 5.200 Euros, which, with a diminishing US dollar, is a tad bit steep. Nonetheless, this reinvention of the ancient cooling system is really quite ingenius.

Punkahs were first introduced in Arabia in the 8th century. They consisted of a series of vertically hanging ‘blades’ manually operated with a cord to generate a slow fanning motion. Later, motorized versions were developed, but the punkah fell out of fashion with the introduction of the mechanized rotating ceiling fan. Click to continue »

For your next DIY painting project try out low-VOC or zero-VOC (volatile organic compounds) paints. Not only will you avoid that initial heavy chemical fresh paint smell, but you will also avoid the harmful emissions release from the paint for years to come. These low level toxic emissions are one of the leader factors of poor indoor air quality, but they also contribute to outdoor air pollution and ozone depletion. The low-VOC and zero-VOC paints and finishes are comparable or superior to standard paints in terms of durability, scrubability and coverage. They are slightly more expensive, but consider that a small price to pay for the quality of your indoor air and, in the long run, for keeping contaminants out of our soil and water. And you don’t have to wait for the hazardous waste day to get rid of your old paint cans! Click to continue »

I saw the most amazing rennovation–a bar had taken the lanes from an old bowling alley and repurposed them into this amazing wood floor, complete with those little arrow markers to keep you from going into the gutters. Really was a stunning piece of work. And got me thinking–could I do the same? Could not think of a better way to honor my grandparents both avid bowlers and owner’s of a great little bowling alley.

Fortunately, more and more salvage yards have found the value in offering reclaimed wood flooring, salvaging perfectly good wood from a landfill. There are a multitude of unique and exotic hard woods available. There are a ton of offerings out there–so the next time you install a wood floor check out reclaimed alternatives.

Check out Restore in Springfield, Ma and Longleaf Lumber in Cambridge, MA or search in your own area for salvage yards.