UrbanEco

Kara Cox -- Home Accents Today, 8/1/2006 12:00:00 AM

ILLUSTRATIONS BY JOAN BALDWIN

Contemporary design takes a turn toward the environment with eco-friendly design and a strong dose of nature-inspired pieces. Renewable resources from bamboo to recycled teak and even bedding woven from flax fuse modern concepts with natural materials. A neutral color palette is enhanced with touches of earthy green and blue inspired by grass and sky. Handmade pottery and rough-hewn wood keep the look organic and native with little added embellishment for a raw, modern mix.

The Sarangetti buffet by Peter Casablanca fuses mod with eco using clean geometric shapes created in natural polished bamboo and wood ($1,580). eLink 508

Company C's Carnaby Swirl rug in cilantro creates a spirited pattern in a modern take on pointillism with 100% tufted wool construction ($895, 6×9). eLink 505

Roberta Schilling Collection highlights environmentally friendly accessories including wooden cachepots made from polished recycled solid wood. eLink 504

Emily Pearlman Pottery's mix and match handmade stoneware has an organic feel with hand-shaped pieces and earthy colors of sea green, toast and black ($169 per place setting). eLink 502

Elms I and II from Art Evolution use graphic imagery of silhouetted trees to relate nature in a modern format with a double mat and dark wood frame ($370 each). eLink 506

The Brighton Bedding Collection from SDH is woven in crisp, clean stripes revived by the texture of woven flax fibers in a current camel color palette ($715 to $770, queen duvet cover). eLink 500

The Eco Home Collection by Artisans showcases a sleek table lamp offering eco benefits from post-consumer recycled steel to a natural hemp fiber lampshade ($450). eLink 501

Zodax creates eclectic patterning in cut-out metal candleholders with a contemporary presence. eLink 503

The Mendocino dining chair by Four Hands is made from recycled teak and showcases a hand-rubbed finish for a refined yet rustic feel ($325). eLink 507

All prices are suggested retail