Cool Stuff: Madison & Grow Eco Wallpaper

I'm smitten with this eco-friendly wallpaper from Los Angeles's Madison & Grow, launched last year by Connecticut transplants Teresa Grow and Erin Yasgar. Each design is hand-drawn and hand-printed with water-based inks, and the recyclable paper is harvested from sustainable forests. Above: Eleanor

Maggie

Eloise

Michelle

Margot

Erin

Elizabeth

Madison & Grow wallpaper is available through these retailers. See the entire collection right here.

Cool Stuff: Found Paper Journal

Oakland art gallery and art bookstore Rowan Morrison has just released a third edition of its Found Paper Journal.

The journal features 128 subtly patterned pages assembled from old accounting ledgers, graph paper, legal pads, letterhead stationery, sheet music, grammar-school writing paper, loose leaf, Braille, job application forms, certificates, and other vintage papers. No two journals are entirely alike.

They're $10 apiece right here.

Mark Your Calendar: Audiowood at FiveTen Studio

Here's one for the boys and any other audio enthusiasts who may be out there reading: This Saturday, Old Oakland's FiveTen Studio is hosting a showcase for Audiowood turntables and other cutting-edge, sustainably produced, high-efficiency, and low-power audio components.

Handmade by Oakland carpenter Joel Scilley (who also happens to have a bachelor's degree in art history, a masters in cultural studies, and a Ph.D. in media studies), Audiowood turntables are crafted from reclaimed or sustainably grown timber and fitted with Origin Live DC motor controllers, Teres platter bearings, and Origin Live/Rega arms. (Scilley can custom build or retrofit vintage tables to your specifications, too.)

In addition to Audiowood designs, you can also check out speakers and other components from Glow, King Rex, Red Dragon, and more.

The showcase, complete with refreshments and vintage record spinning courtesy of Oakland's Funky Soul Stop, runs from 4 to 8 p.m. Saturday, March 14, at FiveTen Studio, 831 Broadway at Ninth in Oakland.

Check out the entire Audiowood collection right here.

Cool Stuff: Soji Solar Lanterns

Spotted in the latest issue of Sunset magazine: Soji Modern Solar Lanterns.

Modeled after the classic Le Klint pendants from Danish designer Poul Christiansen, these 9-by-9-inch molded lanterns are equipped with two amber LED lights and a solar panel that collects light from the sun during the day, and then automatically illuminates the lanterns once dusk falls.

Hook them over a tree branch or suspend them from a garden structure, and you'll be set for those balmy summer evenings (you know they're coming!) outdoors.

Available in three patterns, the Soji Lanterns are $40 apiece from Allsop Garden.

Objects of Lust: Ladak Recycled Blankets

Another fave from our recent visit to Los Angeles's ReForm School: Ladak blankets. I literally could not keep my hands off of them.

Crafted in the Netherlands, each 78-by-55-inch throw is handmade from recycled moving blankets (which themselves consist of material from recycled sweaters, jeans, blankets, and mattresses). They are then embellished with scraps of colorful fabric, trim, ribbon, and lace.

The blankets cost 189 euros (about $247) apiece directly from Ladak, or you can buy one for $285 from the ReForm School e-shop. (That's not cheap, of course, but you can always rationalize the purchase by reminding yourself that 15 percent of the profits are donated to an Amsterdam homeless shelter.)

If you're crafty, you might also be inspired to create your own throw blanket on the cheap from salvaged materials. You can find simple wool blankets at most army surplus stores and on eBay, and then go to town with ric-rac, ribbon, fabric trim, lace, printed binding tape, and that collection of fabric remnants you've been meaning to do something with. (Consider writing a check to your local homeless shelter with the money you save.)

Etsy Find of the Day: Flock Home Textiles

I'm digging these nature-inspired textiles from Oakland's own Flock Home (aka designer Gina Pericini). How great would they be for a Thanksgiving table? Plus, Pericini uses natural linen and non-toxic dyes, so all of her products are eco-friendly. Above: Stag Beetle Cocktail Napkins, $32 for four

Flock of Swallows Pillow, $90

Cat Tail Dinner Napkins, $32 for two

Queen Anne's Lace Pillow, $90

Sea Botanical Dinner Napkins, $36 for two

Sea Botanical Placemats, $82 for two

See all of Flock Home's Etsy offerings right here.

Objects of Lust: Zoe Murphy Furniture and Textiles

Zoe Murphy only just got her degree in printed textiles this year and already she's making a splash in the British design world, exhibiting at design shows and being named a finalist for the BBC New Designer of the Year Award.

Murphy's custom creations combine exuberant color, imagery inspired by her seaside hometown of Margate, England, and "upcycled" materials -- resulting in reimagined products that are not only beautiful and fun, but eco-friendly.

Take a look:

Margate chest of drawers, £600 (about $962) and up

Printed cushions made from silk recycled from vintage wedding dresses, £88 and up

Menu numbers table, £150 ($241) and up

Margate textiles, screenprinted onto recycled silk

Patchwork footstool with recycled silk upholstery, £150 ($241) and up

Coffee table, £150 ($241) and up

Wall art printed onto reclaimed Formica, £55 ($88) and up

Find out more about Murphy's bespoke pieces right here.

(Via bettyjoy.)

Cool Stuff: Designer Water Bottles

We all know by now that a bottled-water habit isn't exactly environmentally friendly (plus, it's not necessarily any healthier than drinking plain old filtered tap water).

So when you need to tote fresh agua, why not trade in those landfill-choking plastic bottles for a reusable, BPA-free bottle -- and a pretty one, at that?

I especially like the designs above (left to right: William Morris's Anemone, Poppies, Parsley, and Tree), $20 to $26 each from Bright & Bold.

Cool Stuff: Jenny Hurth Recycled Vinyl Goods

Made right here in Oaktown: Jenny Hurth's bags, bins, folders, and other goods crafted from repurposed vinyl signs and banners that would otherwise be destined for the landfill.

Each is different, depending on the materials Hurth has available -- though you can choose from pieces made primarily with images or type, specify your color preferences, and even request Bay Area-centric imagery. I love not only these items' Earth-friendliness, but also their bright, graphic design.

Portfolios, $10 each

Notebook, $14

Grocery Tote, $24

Laundry Hampers, $65 each

Door Curtain, $55

If you're local, Hurth's vinyl goods can be found at Oakland's Pro Arts Gallery. She also sells many items via her webshop.