Restore. Recycle. Repurpose.: Create a Beautiful Home (Country Living)
The problem with the green movement? All philosophy, few practicalities. Country Living editor Florke (with help from writer Nancy Becker) reverses that by going, room by room, through his homes (and those in his magazine) to point out specific ways to keep true to sustainability. Handwritten notes on color photographs, sidebars like “Grandmother's Tips” and “Did You Know?,” and text in each chapter underscore, subtly, that little steps add up. In fact, the advice resonates. Why not buy a top-quality stove at a restaurant close-out sale? Use vintage bed frames in guest rooms (since king and queen mattresses weren't invented until the 1950s)? Reupholster instead of buying a new sofa or chairs? Reuse tiles as plant drainage (to name just a few ideas)? The almost endless ideas spark even more inspiration, exactly the author's intent. A vocabulary up front sets the stage for green thoughts, while resources at the end provide general where-to-get-more information. --Barbara Jacobs