If we were driving past this house, we wouldn't think twice about its functionality, but it's actually a Passivhaus! Passive houses, more commonly smaller and boxy in design, are constructed to be essentially air-tight with special windows and ventilation systems to heat the interior and minimize energy loss. According to the Passive House Institute US, a Passive House can save up to 90% of space heating costs compared to a conventional house. This one in particular reportedly uses 70% less energy than a conventional Northern California home! So it's a little out of our price range... but we can dream, right?

Read more on this inconspicuously green home from Treehugger.

Wouldn't it be pretty cool to Reuse everything! Check out these Remarkable items.

Images Via: Remarkable
Its incredible to see life function so peacefully within a single Ecosphere system.
Images Via: EcoSphere
















When people ask 'why organic cotton?' we share this video still by Nicole Mackinlay Hahn . . such fertility! The Izmir region of Turkey where this picture was taken is ideal for growing organic cotton. Dextrous hands of the cotton pickers are indeed gentler than a 12-ton combine chewing through a field. Its hard not to be inspired by these women!

Its always great to come across Designers like Haik Avanian who are finding innovative ways to re-use. All he needs is a few more moms to keep up with his orders!


Check out his wesite Via: Reknit

The land behind these guardians, 'Where the Green Ants Dream' . . refreshing to know there are insects dreaming in the world, if only we could travel to the mini-minds of ants and learn how to be as efficient as they are. Gratitude to Werner Herzog for all his incredible films.



"The 2010 Run/Walk to benefit Haiti will take place on Saturday, April 10 at 9:30 am. Get your running/walking shoes on and get ready for what promises to be the most exciting Run/Walk to date."


Join the Cause via: Concern usa

Nothing's a better wake-up than a hot cup of morning joe on our way to work. If you get your coffee at the local cafe, you're familiar with all the plastic and paper involved. While using your own mug would be the best way to reduce waste, for those late, hurried mornings when you forget your keys, re-useable cozies like the one pictured above come in handy (no pun intended). It fits nearly all types of coffee cups, is washable, and can easily be put into your work bag so it's there when you need it. Hand-knit by one of our ¡Act Natural! fans, available at Etsy.


Images via The Green Depot

It's midway through March, so it's time to stop procrastinating and do some serious Spring cleaning. Cleaning has always been associated with heavy duty gloves and the harsh chemicals that are the reason for heavy duty gloves. Thankfully, stores, like the Green Depot, carry eco-friendly cleaning supplies that are good for the earth and your hands. The scrubbing cloths, pictured above, are made of corn cobs and peach pits perfect for cleaning plates, pans, sinks, and grills with just a dab of soap or none at all. The orange one can even peel vegetables!

Thanks to NY Mag's Spring 100, I came across IKEA's SOLIG line of solar-powdered lights and lamps. Approved for outdoor lighting and equipped with solar panels, the lamps use sunlight to powder LED lights and don't need to be plugged in. Though not totally eco-friendly, they will at least help decrease electricity costs and can be used anywhere on your plug-less roof (or any well-sunlit areas). There are pendant lamps and desk lights, but these little light globes would be perfect for lighting a summer evening on the patio.

Image via IKEA.

Trenches are a Spring staple with all those April showers and the still slightly chilly evenings. Belted or unbuttoned, try the Loomstate Newport Trench for a lightweight, casual take on the classic silhouette. White signature Loomstate buttons, sleeve clasps, and belt buckle add to fit details like the overlaid yoke and a structured collar. Available in Ocean Blue or Pure White - all, including the lining, in 100% organic cotton!


Someone once said, "Every time you make a purchase, you're casting a vote for that company." We've kept that in mind ever since, but now you can really vote for organizations you support! Treehugger.com is holding the annual Best of Green 2010 Reader's Choice Awards just in time for Earth Month. Cast your vote for green companies and organizations under categories like Design, Culture, Travel, and, of course, Fashion! Loomstate is proud to be one of the nominees for Best Casual US-based brand. Show your support by voting on Treehugger.com.

Image via The Green Depot

Though we recommend drying your Loomstate gear in the sun, sometimes we just want to put them in the dryer, especially on rainy days (like today in NYC) where the sun is nowhere to be found. These 100% natural, undyed wool dryer balls will not only save time and money, they can also replace fabric softeners by beating wrinkles out of drying clothes. Using 4 of them can reduce normal drying time for a medium load by 25%, so you can save a few quarters each time and spend that extra 15 minutes doing something you actually enjoy.



Walking down Park Ave South, I came across a row of faces that spanned about 3 NYC blocks and I recently discovered this was done by Union square artist Felix Morelo. Pretty cool idea.

Faces by Felix Morelo.

Images courtesy of my iPhone.
OK Go's music videos need no introduction. Watch this one for their new single "This Too Shall Pass" featuring a super fun Rube Goldberg system with stunts that required a State Farm sponsorship. Planning of a similar system for the Loomstate office begins now. Video via YouTube.



These original Polaroid transfers were created by Matt schwartz of She hit Pause studios, inc.
I came across his work last year at an art fair in Union square and have since been mesmerized.


Check out these amazing tree houses. I sometimes wish I lived in the middle of a forest where all I could see were Evergreens for miles....

Images via: egardens
 
Robert Kenner, third from left, pictured here with Elise Pearlstein (second from left), Marguerite Kenner (third from right), and Eric Schlosser (second from right).

Robert Kenner, the director of Food Inc. and Academy Award nominee, made history yesterday in a custom made Loomstate tuxedo at the 2010 Oscars! The tuxedo, custom designed using 100% organic fabric, was the first American crafted organic tux ever made for the Oscars. We are so excited to have dressed Robert Kenner for this great occasion. Congratulations to everyone who made Food Inc. possible!

 
Cheers!

If you haven't seen this critically acclaimed documentary, take an hour and a half this week to see it and join the discussion. Watch the trailer here.


 
The classic polo with a Loomstate twist. With signature Loomstate angled seams in bright blue, white, or minty green, the Palisades polo is anything but boring.

This 100% recycled-reuse lamp designed by Bom Design is made of reclaimed old atlas books! Image via ecohandmade.it




Designed by Ryan Frank-UK, this Rocking stool called "Harvey" is made entirely from collected wood waste, making it 100% recycled. Image via Design-milk.com


NRDC's quick pull-down menu lets you select the state and month to show a list of produce that is currently in season in your area - that means local farmers are likely growing lots of them and they'll be super fresh and ripe at the market. So stop by a farmer's market near you to support local farmers and shop for the freshest ingredients for your next meal. We know what we'll be doing this weekend. Image via GrowNYC.
 
Help us raise funds for the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund! 

These limited edition Fashion for Haiti tees have been given the Loomstate flying birds treatment. They were hand painted so no two are alike. All proceeds of this $25 tee go to the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund, so get a tee for your donation today.
 

Pack it for the beach or throw on before heading to dinner, the Nicolette Braided Dress does casual sexy perfectly. Available in Concrete or Pitch Black tie-dye at loomstate.org.

 
 After a year of trying to get up close and personal with wild lions to no avail, South African photographer Greg du Toit decided to submerge himself in their watering hole three hours a day for three months just to get the perfect pictures. Even though this incredible feat got him two cases of malaria, Bilharzia, and several parasites, du Toit "would do it all again, worms and all." Du Toi also captured images of Africa's many other species, many of which are featured in the March issue of BBC Wildlife Magazine. See more images like the above at Daily Mail UK.


Military bases have long been known as one of the heaviest polluters in the country. In recent years, as the New York Times noted in the video, bases such as the nation's largest located in Florida are slowly becoming safe havens for endangered species, such as the red cockaded woodpecker. Watch the video here to see the measures the military has taken to help restore the species' population and, in turn, parts of the great ecosystem.
In an attempt to preserve the coastline, architecture firm U:phoria designed a series of waterfront resorts that are extended into the ocean instead of the typical horizontal layout of detached spread out villas. This stacked configuration aims to maintain the natural coastline and its "sea pile foundation system will cause little interference to oceanic life". It's still in design development and is slated to be finished in 2013 on the coast of Da Nang, Vietnam.

Read more on the hotel at World Architecture News.
Image via WorldArchitectureNews.com
Mark Warren Jacques








I recently came across the works of Mark Warren Jacques and have immediately become slightly obsessed! I find his work to be of a dream like state. His work makes me feel alive and energetic. I love his use of color and the elements taken from nature. Absolutely LOVE!

Images via markwarrenjacques.com



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