Who: Wabisabi Green – Encinitas, CA

What: Eco-Art Throw Pillows

Where: Wabisabi Green – $45 for cover only, $65 with ecofiber insert & $70 with kapok insert

Why We Love It: Looking for a way to brighten up your home now that the Christmas lights are down? These bold graphic nature-inspired pillows are a great way to bring a little color and a touch of the natural to your home. There over 32 designs divided into three collections, Zen, Leaf and Shore. The Shore Collection, featuring sea urchins, turtles, and starfish in colors in a sea of reds, greys, blues and white, is definitely our favorite.

The pillows are made of a nice medium weight organic cotton canvas that is quite durable so great for a highly trafficked area. The graphics are hand printed using non-toxic water based inks and you can choose from one of two 100% hypoallergenic fill options, ecofiber made from recycled plastic bottles or silky organic kapok fiber sustainably harvested from the rain forest. The pillows are designed and made in the USA.

***BONUS!! Courtesy of Wabisabi Green, you can enter to win one of their Sand Dollar Reusable Bags!! Made of certified organic cotton canvas, this roomy tote is perfect for trips to the grocery store, the library and everyday errands. Enter by January 13, 2011 at 11:59PM EST. Open to US residents only.

To Enter: This giveaway is now closed. Thanks to all who entered and congratulations to our winner Leah B.!

Note: Wabisabi Green generously donated this bag for our giveaway. We received no payment to feature this product.

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Who: Littlefly – London, U.K.

What: Vanity Fair Ring

Where: Littlefly – $42

Why We Love It: This is the perfect gift for literature lovers. Lifted from the pages of the classic novel, Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackeray, comes this handcrafted ring by British designer Jeremy May. To create each piece, he carefully carves out of block of pages from a book and laminates the sheets together and carved into the shape of a heart. Through the layers, you can catch glimpses of the words of the story captured within.A high gloss finish is applied to achieve the polished look of tumbled stones.

Each piece is then packaged in the book it was carved from. Although a book is sacrificed to create each piece, it is an inventive way to memorialize a favorite book. And the final product is packaged in the pages of the book it was carved from.

Who: Regenesi – Bologna, Italy

What: o-Re-gami Lampshade

Where: Regenesi Concept Store – 98EU

Why We Love It: Looking for an innovative design for your lighting? This unique lampshade, designed by Matali Crasset for Regenesi, is handcrafted by Italian artisans who fold sheets of regenerated leather into this origami-esque shapes, hence the name. Organic cut-outs along the edges create a peek-a-boo affect for the bright orange hidden inside. Almost has the feel of a welted wool, but in fact it is made from leather scraps as suits Regenesi’s eco-sensibilities. Click to continue »

Who: Plaid Doctrine – Seattle Washington

What: Laptop Tote

Where: Plaid Doctrine – $479 in Red Houndstooth, Blue Houndstooth or Grey Stripe. (Bonus, for those in the greater Seattle area, you’ll get free ground shipping on all orders.

Why We Love It: With a handful of trips coming up, a functional and fashionable laptop bag is certainly on our list of must-haves, and this houndstooth tote from Suzanne Park of new label Plaid Doctrine has definitely moved to the top of that list. Designed for serious travel in mind the bag comes complete with plenty of storage space, wheelie cart sleeve, thick leather straps and patterns that make it a stand out in a sea of generic black laptop bags. We love love the blue and brown houndstooth – and it seems so does everyone else, this style is constantly on backorder! 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: Rocky Mountain Hardware – Hailey, ID

What: Tube Cabinet Pulls & Rail Cabinet Pulls

Where: Boston Decorative Hardware – Tube $80 for 6″ handle, sizes range up to 18″; Rail $41-$250 depending on size. Or call for a local retailer near you.

Why We Love It: Recently, we were on a mission to find eco-friendly hardware for a kitchen renovation and had a hard time finding a ‘green’ option. Luckily we stumbled upon Rocky Mountain Hardware at GreenBuild. They’ve got an immense collection of bronze hardware from faucets to house numbers (love these!) to latches to cabinet hardware to door hardware. Their designs have an old world charm with a modern sophistication. Great for a kitchen or bath or home that skirts the old and new. Click to continue »

Who: Conran – London, UK

What: Jonc De Mer Carafe

Where: Conran USA – $42

Why We Love It: We’ve been spending some time up on the coast and can feel our design aesthetic pulling towards the carefree rustic stylings of a seaside escape. Imagining light filled rooms in creams and whites with sun-bleached floors and where garlands of seashells and driftwood don’t look out of place. And this recycled glass Jonc De Mer carafe would be right at home. Click to continue »

Who: Matt and Nat  – Montreal, Quebec

What: Matt and Nat Yacht Studded Envelope Bag

Where: Eco-Tobi – $205 $153, in black or bone

Why We Love It: We’ve held out long enough on the heavy metal/zipper trend, but after seeing this Matt and Nat bag we are ready to throw in the towel. The studded bag has all the features we’ve be looking for. It’s got the slim profile of a clutch with the volume of a satchel and plenty of pockets for stowing those must-haves. It’s incredibly versatile -  it comes with a long detachable chain link shoulder strap for hands-free ease,  a shorter strap for a more tucked tote and you could go without a strap and you’ve got an oversized clutch. And of course, this bag comes complete with the vegan and style factor we’ve come to expect from Matt and Nat.

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Who: Ink + Wit – New York

What: Everything Counts Poster

Where: Fawn & Forest – $50, 16×20 (mat & frame not included)

Why We Love It: This is just the latest fodder for our obsession with number and alphabets poster. Tara Hogan’s “Everything Counts Poster” blends delightful graphics and a fabulous color palette (love love love the blue and red!) with an important message that all things, big and small matter, reminding us to find joy and peace and reverence for the world around us. It reads: “One Earth, 2 pears ready to eat, 3 trees to plant, 4 peace symbols, 5 high fives, 6 bowls to fill with food, 7 happy days, 8 cupcakes made with love, 9 wind turbines conserving energy, 10 cans to recycle…”

Artist Tara Hogan practices what she preaches, designing with the environment in mind. The “Everything Counts” Poster is offset printed on 100% post consumer recycled paper with soy inks and packaged in a recycled kraft tube mailer.

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Who: Objeti - Cleveland, OH

What: Drop 20 & Drop 25 Stools

Where: Objeti -  Drop 20 (20″ h)  – $600, Drop 25 (25″ h) – $750. Hurry, now through July 1st, get free shipping on all orders. Available in white, red, black or blue.

Why We Love It: One brother hails from manufacturing and the other from architecture and when the two joined forces to launch Objeti the result was a highly polished, highly innovative collection of pendants, stools and coffee tables. After seeing the collection first hand, it’s no surprise that the Ribic brothers were awarded the Editors Award for Best New Designer at ICFF this year – they were definitely a highlight of the show. Click to continue »