R3project round-up 3: the Living Room

After the general eco installations around the home, and, how to green your kitchen, this week we will concentrate on our living room, a place for resting, eating, and sharing with guests.

Walk on it
The first thing most people notice when stepping into our living room is the rather unusual cork floor. We have had it now for almost 3 years and are still very pleased with it. The first meter in front of the entrance door is a coconut fibre carpet to wipe shoes of when entering. It’s fully biodegradable and made from a renewable material. Shoes go into the TRONES shoe cupboard units by IKEA, made from Polypropylene, a 100% easily recyclable and very durable plastic. In winter, we then slip into some snugly felt slippers made from 100% wool, available at Matteria. Our feet also like the Nani Marquina rug in front of the sofa, made from 100% renewable and biodegradable materials. These beautiful rugs are ethically produced in Nepal, Pakistan or India.

Have a seat
For the R3project, we like to use reclaimed objects, as long as they look good, and we like it recycled as long as the quality is up for it. So in our living room you can have a seat in one of the second hand armchairs, or get really comfortable in the WASTE pouf, made from recycled textile from the car industry. The latter is also locally produced, giving work to women in social reintegration centres.

Second time around
Seats are not the only objects that had another life before entering the R3project. From our glass dinner table, to mirrors and ceiling lamps, we managed to hunt down quite a few cool second hand products. There is also an old car tire mould that had been transformed into a curious looking flowerpot, and not to forget the Bidon Lamp, made from a used jerry can (and easy to make yourself).

Better storage is more space
To make use of a space right in front of the kitchen, we built the ‘Never-Empty Shelf’ out of FSC-certified MDF (although later we got hold of some OSB which we prefer to MDF because it contains less resin).

All in all, we like objects made from few and easily identifiable materials, to ensure that they can either be industrially recycled or returned to the earth at the end of their lives. We also care about choosing products that last longer, both technically and emotionally, and it is important to us to know where they come from and who made them. Last but not least, we love stuff made from a recycled material, as long as the design, the quality or the cost have not been compromised.