We’re very excited to announce that we are opening our very first giveaway contest! If you’re interested in winning a FREE 2′ by 3′ Dark Brown bamboo rug, you have until next Friday, August 20th to post your favorite green tip or trick on our Facebook page’s Wall. To enter the contest, you must “like” our Facebook page in addition to posting your green tip/trick–we’re trying to reach 500 Likes, and will host a giveaway every week until we do! Also, we’re going to need at least 25 comments before we can pick a winner, so be sure to tell your friends.

We’ll pick our winner based on our favorite green tip or trick. What kinds of “tips or tricks” are we looking for? Anything that you’ve discovered makes living a green lifestyle easier day-to-day. This could include recycling tips, tips for saving electricity, water, or food, tricks for reusing or repurposing old junk laying around the house, etc.

Go here to learn more about our 2′ by 3′ bamboo rugs.

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Looking for a little inspiration for spicing up your home? Take a look at Recyclart.org, which is a treasure trove of ideas and inspiration for creating your own recycled home decor items. It’s truly amazing how many forgotten items or things that our first impulse is to throw out can be made into unique, quirky, cute and beautiful decorations for the home.

DIY projects with recycled materials save money and energy, and, best of all, can be tailored exactly to the needs of your home and your vision.

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If you missed the opportunity to use our previous coupon, don’t fret–we have a new one! Use the coupon code verdedecor at checkout to get 15% off of an order of $150 or more! Here are a few great products to inspire you:

Sustainable Wood Stools. This 23″ Double Twist stool is beautiful, elegant, compact–and eco-friendly! Our stools come in many shapes, sizes, and colors, so there are plenty of opportunities to incorporate one into your home.

Natural Wood Benches. Great for indoor or outdoor use, this natural teak wood bench is the perfect size for kids and adds an elegant touch to a patio, porch, hallway, or bathroom. It is finished with natural teak oils and needs very little maintenance.

End Tables are extremely versatile and come in many varieties. Ours are natural and made from extremely sustainable, fast-growing woods.

This coupon is only available for a limited time, so don’t hesitate! Feel free to contact us if you have any questions or issues with using the coupon.

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Verde Lifestyles is now offering Bamboo Rugs in more sizes and colors! You’re sure to find your ideal bamboo rug from among five different colors: Dark Chocolate, Dark Brown, Raw Green Burnt, Tortoise, and our Natural Anji Mountain Bamboo. Customize your choice further by selecting rugs in sizes from 6’ by 8’ to 2’ by 3’.

Natural bamboo rugs are a great substitute for bamboo flooring or rugs made with synthetic materials. To top it all off, bamboo floor rugs are so easy to clean that they can be used both indoors and outdoors. You’re bound to find something that works in your home!

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Are you an interior designer looking to incorporate green products into your design schemes? Do you have a client who’s interested in urban green decor? Verde Lifestyles is your one-stop shop for sustainable products and green interior design. Our new Design Partners Program offers a unique opportunity for interior design firms and individuals who want to go green and save some money. All of our interior design partners receive a 10% + discount with a purchase of $1000 or more. Additional discounts and free shipping are available, depending on the volume and frequency of your orders.

Keep an eye out for these green trends in interior design:

-Eco-friendly paint. Not only is this great for the environment as a whole, it’s great for those who live in your home environment: toxins in many paints can cause a variety of health concerns, including asthma, headaches, breathing problems, and even cancer.

-Sustainable wood furniture. According to Natural Home Magazine: “Seeking comfort, people will move away from dark, cold woods and stone in favor of warmer colors such as honey and caramel.”

Image from re-nest.com

-Natural light. Big in 2009, people still love the fact that skylights and windows help reduce electricity usage by flooding the home with gentle, calming sunlight.

-Flat, minimal rugs. Also from Natural Home: “Messy, shaggy rugs that trap and hold dirt and dust mites are out. Flat, woven rugs are in.” Bamboo rugs, anyone?

-Patterned and brightly colored fabrics. Stock up on colorful, sustainable accents like organic cotton pillows to add some liveliness to your spaces.

-Unique textures. Add some intrigue to your home with pieces that present interesting textures and shapes or are made from unusual or unexpected materials. Check out artwork and accents made from recycled materials (like recycled steel).

Feeling inspired to become a Verde Lifestyles design partner? Please contact Danielle (danielle@verdelifestyles.com) or Ryan (ryan@verdelifestyles.com).

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If you haven’t already noticed the brown banner on top of our pages, here’s what’s going on: Verde Lifestyles is offering a 15% discount off of all orders over $100! Just type in the coupon code, summer2k10, into the appropriate field at checkout and click “apply”. Not sure what you could purchase to qualify for the discount? We have plenty of beautiful, eco-friendly products for your home to choose from! You can start looking here:

Our sustainable wood products come in a variety of shapes, sizes, styles and colors—there’s truly something for every taste and every room!

Our Teak wood spa shelves will add a subtle, natural presence your bathroom. They are manufactured from wood from the plentiful Teak tree species in Southeast Asia, some of the fastest growing, most abundant hardwood trees in the world.

Our sustainable wood twist stools are perfect for sitting or setting objects on. Each stool is finished with all natural, non-toxic oils, making them safe for any area of the home and for the environment. They were hand-carved and finished by local Chiang Mai, Thailand artisans.

If you’re looking to add a few eco-friendly, artistic touches to your home, check out these green home accents:

Our recycled steel bowls are both stylish and strong, and can be used indoors or outdoors. Made completely from recovered steel, they can function both as a centerpiece and as a conversation starter.

Give your walls some shine with unique art pieces made from recycled steel. This piece’s smooth pebbles are arranged in a flowing shape that can complete a room from wherever you want to place it.

Provide any room with the calming presence of this polished, elegant Buddha wall panel. Available in three different finishes [honey, walnut and white wash] and four different sizes, this piece will be at home in any setting.

Happy shopping!

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For most of us, we start and end our day in the bathroom.  So why not have it be as relaxing and sustainable as possible?  You can either make simple changes to your bathroom or go all out and remodel, but I’ll focus on simple changes today.  There are a handful of items in the bathroom that could be changed to create a healthier home. Here’s a start, but feel free to add your own in the comments!

Creating an Eco-Friendly Bathroom:

-Switch to non-toxic cleaning supplies. Can easily be found online or in local stores.  I’ve been using Green Works and 7th Generation lately, but the are numerous brands.

-Use organic cotton towels. Organic products are made without harmful chemicals, keeping your home free of toxins.

-Use an organic cotton or hemp shower curtain.  Or use a shower curtain that will last for years to come. The important part is keeping products out of landfills, so look for products are are recyclable or natural.

-Use natural body products.  This is especially important since the products we use on our skin have more of a direct impact on our health.  There are a ton of different body products available, just look for products with few ingredients that you recognize.  Products with long names you can’t pronounce are normally chemical based.

-If updating cabinets or shelving, use sustainable wood products or bamboo.

-Use a low-flow shower head to conserve water.

This is just a list to get you started, so feel free to go above and beyond!  If your looking for more information or ideas, check out Verde’s eco-friendly bath products.

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Samantha and Ron's Tranquil Oasis

Rama & Celeste's Former Mattress Factory Loft

Paul and Lisa's Green Dream Home

Chicago's Smart Home, Redesigned

Camela & Chris's Reclaimed Family Farm

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In February I wrote a blog post about our new wood furniture products such as our end tables and stools.  But since then we’ve added so many new products, I thought it deserved another post.  We now have benches, chairs, mirrors and wall panels, bath accessories and vases!

All of the wood products are made with sustainably farmed woods and natural finishes such as Teak, Livos, and Tung Oil.  Check out our favorites below!

Teak Wood Block Bench With Natural Honey Tone Finish

Honey Tone Mango Twist Vases

Buddha Wall Panel Ushnisha

Teak Towel Ladder with Adjustable Shelf - Natural Teak Oil Finish

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We all wonder what we can do to improve our home without damaging the environment, but sometimes it’s hard to find viable answers. So we’ve composed a list with the three best green home trends of 2010, as well as ways to make them affordable and fun!

Energy Efficiency: Not only is saving energy incredibly beneficial to Planet Earth, but also lifts a load off the wallet. One of the simplest ways to decrease our carbon footprint is by purchasing LED or CFL light bulbs. LED light bulbs are extremely efficient. Though they can be pretty expensive, LED’s last up to 10 times as long as standard light bulbs by using only 2-10 of electricity. That can be up to 1/30^th of traditional fluorescents. Another option is CFL light bulbs, which are very popular right now. Although they contain mercury, they are still much more energy efficient than standard light bulbs.

Other great options may require a bit more work, but certainly retain some incredible benefits. These other options include R 38 insulation, high efficiency AC systems, passive solar orientation, solar panels, energy rated appliances, and tankless water heaters. Make sure to do your research and compare prices, and you’ll be pleased to see how much money [and energy] you’ll save in the long run.

Bamboo in the Home: There are countless benefits to using bamboo in your home. Whether used for hardwood floors or countertops, it’s easy to install and maintain. Bamboo is an incredibly durable material, so it also works well for dishware, especially if you have kids! Bamboo is also very pretty, so it looks fabulous as an indoor and outdoor plant. It can be fairly cheap to purchase, especially compared to traditional flooring and countertops. Perhaps the greatest benefit of bamboo, though, is the fact that it’s the world’s fastest growing plant. This makes it the perfect renewable source. Also because of its abundance, it’s super easy to come across a quality and inexpensive lot of bamboo. There’s no reason not to try, especially since you’ll love how the bamboo looks in any situation!

Sustainable Home Products: We’ve given you tips for more efficient energy and green building, so to complete the triangle, we now address green decorating. In the bedroom, use organic cotton bedding. Living areas can be spiced up with decorative throw pillows. You’ll love the limitless options of designs, textures, and colors! When decorating your kitchen, use products made from organic clay or recycled glass. Your kitchen will be beautiful and eco-friendly! In the bathroom, don’t forget organic towels and natural soaps to keep the place bright! Finally, when decorating the dining room, think organic table toppers and accents. No matter what part of your home you plan to decorate, there is always a sustainable product fit to make it look great!

These are only three suggestions for ways to make your home more environmentally friendly. For more ideas, make sure to check out Verde Lifestyles! And don’t be afraid to step outside of your comfort zone when decorating and researching new green home ideas.

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