If you’re selling everything in the home — why not sell the home itself?  Swedish furniture giant Ikea will be introducing its “BoKlok” line of prefabricated houses in the German state of Hesse, with the promise that unlike most of its home furnishings, there will be no assembly required.

Ikea has partnered with building firm Skanska and will develop several different models which will be constructed by German firm Bien-Zenker. The first set of nine row houses will be sold in the Wiesbaden suburb of Auringen on April 17th.

“No customer will have to put their home together themselves with an Allen key,” Bien-Zinker head Philipp Mühlbauer joked.

Later in April, another 30 Ikea row houses and apartments will go on the market in Offenbach, with owners able to move in before year’s end, according to Mühlbauer.  The energy-efficient prefab houses, which sell for between €180,000 and €250,000 (approx. $246K – $340k US), are expected to be allotted by drawing, due to high demand.

“We want to make the process as relaxed as possible for our customers,” Ikea spokesperson Sabine Nold said, adding that further locations include Nuremberg and Hofheim-Langenhain in the Taunus region near Frankfurt.

The BoKlok, or “build clever,” group operates independently, but uses IKEA stores for sales presentations. The company plans to buy plots of land and erect the homes with standard floor plans in Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland and Great Britain.

Models include 84 or 102-square-metre living spaces, in addition to family homes with two, three, or four bedrooms.

source: thelocal.de

One dilemma European automakers face, is this: unlike the Japanese who are building vehicles for Americans on American soil, the Germans are ticking right along assembling their performance-driven cars across the pond.  And as the type of person who loves nothing more than slipping behind the wheel of a fast car, it’s a decision that weighs on me.  After all, I only buy local apples.  It only makes sense that I only buy local autos too, right?

Despite my internal conflict, I just can’t kick my admiration of German machinery when it comes to personal transport.  And this week, Mercedes-Benz has me drooling over a concept that’s part plug-in and part fuel cell.

Said to hint at styling of the upcoming CLS, the F800 Style concept is a five-passenger sedan that’s lines swoop smoothly from front to rear.  But like a book, you can’t judge by a quick glance at the cover.  This luxe ride boosts its environmental credibility with an all-new multi drive platform–just the kind we like to see in development–that offers a range of nearly 375 miles, as well as plug-in hybrid capabilities that allow for up to 18 miles of sole electrical power.  (more…)

Tired of mundane rectangular living?  Think outside the box and live in the round via a portable, prefab shelter dome from Pacific Domes.  They’ve been making these designer geodesic domes for years; the sturdy structures have proven to be impervious to high winds, heavy snows and even the occasional earthquake. Offered in a variety of sizes and customizations.

Culture vultures may take a bite out of MoMA tonight, and every first Thursday of each month through June.  For only twenty bucks — relax and bathe your mind in free Gallery Talks.

Cost:  $20
Hours:  5:30 – 8:45pm
view details @ moma.org

via:  newyork.going.com -
Stop by after hours to enjoy full access to the galleries and theaters, free Gallery Talks, a cash bar, a DJ, and a special prix fixe dinner in Cafe 2.

Cash Bar
5:30–8:00 p.m.
Visit the cash bar for a variety of beverages, including specialty cocktails.

Tonight – Music by:  DJ Vatican City
Born in Peru and raised in New York, Julio (DJ Vatican City) has become a fixture of New York City’s underground house-music scene. Renowned for the diverse range of artists and styles in his sets, Julio is continuously exploring a dialogue between his two strongest musical influences: world and electronic music.

Hate CFLs?  Sylvania has just intro’d a new hologen energy-saving competitor to compact fluorescents.  With incandescent bulbs soon to be phased out, consumers will be compelled to find energy-saving alternatives to light their homes.

Sylvania is marketing this new halogen bulb as a fully dimmable, instant-on bulb that provides better light than compact fluorescent bulbs without the mercury issues.

The SuperSaver bulbs are 33% more energy efficient than traditional incandescent bulbs, while CFLs are roughly 75% more efficient.  The new bulbs also come in traditional shapes – no squiggly pigtails – and in a wide variety of traditional sizes.

So if light quality trumps – energy and cost savings in your home – these new halogen bulbs provide a ready solution.  Available at Menard’s, selected BJ’s and online at Sylvania’s website.

source: prnewswire

Many thanks to eco chic boutique, Natural Luxe, for providing samples of The Bubble Roome bath and body line for the purposes of this review.

I’ve been enjoying their Bath & Body Wash, Walnut Sugar Scrub and Triple Butter Creme for the past week and I’m almost bursting to tell you all about this wonderful little secret of a brand.  (Although bubbles are a lot of fun and flow freely, this Bubble Roome should not be confused with The Bubble Lounge, whereby corks are popped and bubbley abounds.)

With homegrown roots, founder and chief mixologist, David Johnston launched The Bubble Roome back in 2004 from his cozy kitchen in Brooklyn.  As David explains, “for me, goodness means mostly natural and less synthetic.” (at right)

The Bubble Roome’s homemade concoctions are vegan, sulfate-free and paraben-free.  The packaging is made of recyclable HDPE plastic, (soon, David hopes to utilize glass or a biodegradable material); the paper utilized to wrap the soaps is 100% post-consumer paper from Neenah; and labels are corn-based.

About those products…(I have to preface this by saying that my skin has felt quite dry lately – thanks to mother nature’s old man winter).  But a little dose of lavender and geranium (more…)

Fallen trees become beautiful frames.  Matt and Heather King of Turning Green handcraft these organic wood frames from the remains of trees felled by storms, age, disease or construction.

Though they currently source much of their reclaimed timber from their native Chicago area, they have recently begun looking for a source closer to their home studio in Louisville, KY.

Frames come carved or natural, and in variety of woods, including: cherry, black walnut, silver maple, alder and apple — matte finished in natural linseed oil.

Any of you outdoor types looking to upgrade your sleeping bag may want to consider one of these eco-friendly bags from innovative outdoor clothing and equipment maker, GoLite.

Backpacker magazine bestowed an Editor’s Choice Green Award on GoLite for replacing virgin, petro-chemical based materials with Tier 1 recycled fabrics in all of the main pack fabrics in its luggage and sleeping bag lines – the sleeping bags now feature 100% Tier 1 recycled polyester.

The use of recycled nylon and polyester is estimated to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and energy consumption by up to 70%, (for nylon) to 80%, (for polyester) – while performing on-par with their conventional alternatives.

There’s not much about this trike that’s NOT eye-catching… a concept vehicle by Honda Motor Co., the purely electric three-wheeler blends the racy appeal of a motorcycle with the contained appeal of a small car.  In essence, it could be the commuter of tomorrow’s dream–assuming they have an option at home to haul their family in.

The vehicle, which was crafted by Honda’s R&D facility in Milan, is named the 3R-C and offers a single seat for drivers, as well as a flip windshield that serves as a roof when the vehicle is in park.  With handle-bar style steering and motorcycle tires, it’s a sporty take on eco transportation.  One of many one-seated wonders to be unveiled by automakers recently, the 3R-C isn’t in Honda’s official plans for a roll-out any time soon, but the company has said that it will likely incorporate parts of the sleek ride into future urban transport models.

What do you think? If a production version — loaded with safety features and a convenient plug-in option — became available, I just might consider losing one wheel in favor of three.