The Bedol Eco Water Clock

Just saw this and thought I would share as the colors are fun and the concept is very cool. 
The Bedol Water Clock is powered entirely by water and does not require batteries or electricity. 

This is a great way to reduce your carbon footprint. Have it by your bed or in the shower.  Just fill with tap water and your clock will work for 6 months or more before you have to change the water. 

• Features a daily or hourly alarm. 
• 12 hour or 24 hour time setting.
• Measures over 6 inches in height.
• Large LCD for easy viewing.

We love the fact it comes in such a range of fun vibrant colors:

What are you doing May 25th? Slow Food Urban San Diego has partnered with Le Dîner á San Diego  to support SFUSD's upcoming school farm tour program with the San Diego Unified School District.  Purchase tickets for $25 to attend a pop-up picnic catered by Campine  with drinks shaken and stirred by Snake Oil Cocktail Co.  Guests are asked to dress in white and bring their own chair and table wears.  If the event sells out, Le Diner will make an additional donation to Slow Food International to fund the 1,000 Gardens in Africa Program.  This promises to be a fun and elegant event.  Show your support for local farms and a stylishly organic life by attending this event with your family and friends.  

       

CHINA'S NEW ECO CITY

We are always thrilled to stumble across green building projects, Tianjin, originally a toxic dumping ground, is to be transformed into an entire eco city. What's great is that they have approached it very realistically with successful adoption in mind.  See below for more info:

Tianjin,  93 miles southeast from Beijing is a coastal port city undergoing an amazing transformation.
The site chosen for the project was an industrial dumping ground for toxic waste, barren salt flats abutting one of the world's most polluted seas. This was deliberate, says Ho Tong Yen, head of Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-city Development and Investment, the firm charged with building the city. "In the past, so-called ecocities have been built in ecologically important areas or on useful arable land. We wanted to show that it's possible to clean up a polluted area and make it useful and liveable."

A green spine, called the “eco valley” runs through the heart of the city with cycle routes and a tram. Residents will be encouraged to use regular low-carbon transport or walk, rather than driving. Cars won't be banned, Ho says. "We don't want to create obstacles for people, but rather make it conducive to use alternatives." Niche designs that have focused blindly on eco-technologies have not worked, he thoughtfully says. "This eco-city will be practical – it will work."

Water provision is one of the bigger challenges in this naturally arid area. Tap water will be drinkable and piped in, although the city is planning a possible desalination plant too. A lot of effort is being put into conserving water and recycling it for irrigation and toilet flushing. "The lakes and water pipes have been lined in clay or concrete to prevent salt water incursion, and all waste water is being sent to plant for anaerobic biodigestion," says Ary de Koning of the EU-China River Basin Management Programme, who is advising the city on water issues. "The methane emitted in the digestion process is then used to produce energy," he says.
Read the full article here.

The designers involved here probably won't be sourcing from our boutique - in this instance - it's definitely more eco friendly for them to buy 'Made in China' :)

NEW IS NOT ALWAYS BETTER

I just took a step back from the hurly burly of a busy interior designer's life and pondered.

New is definitely not always better. So WHY is it so ingrained in our culture that when we decorate and build we source new items.  I am probably doing a disservice to our website www.designereco.com which actively encourages purchase of items to support local artisans and eco friendly manufacturers. However our ethos is transparency and balanced decisions and honest evaluation is what we do.

It is just occurring to me - for those beautiful heirloom antique pieces that age well- why is there not a better market for buying them? Sure there is ebay, and sure designer items might make it one day to 1st Dibs but why is there not a better market for reselling furniture that no longer fits your home but is still beautifully designed and has more life to give.

I can raid Mum and Grannie's homes, trawl estate sales and I can source new products online.. but where do we go for a wide selection of solid beautiful, transgenerational furniture??