Designer Kieran Ball from Adelaide, Australia created the languid form of his Tannin Lounger by attaching recycled wine barrel staves to a steel frame.

Chic Moderne launched in 2006 and initially featured eco-luxurious leather goods handcrafted by European artisans whose raw materials were leather scraps discarded by designer leather workshops in Italy. Today’s range includes traditional items like business card holders and coin purses, as well as nifty iPad and iPhone cases ($25) — all made from new, unused, recycled genuine leather. And I especially like their curvy candles. Aside from their shape, Chic Modern’s unscented candles have a lot of neat qualities.

They’re made of natural Palm oil called Stearin, a renewable plant material with biodegradable by-products. Hand-poured, each curvy candle has its own unique grooves and characteristics. (more…)

Here’s a green gadget that can help homeowners conserve water and cut down on their electric bill.

RainPerfect is a solar-powered pump for use with rain barrels. The RainPerfect pump system enables homeowners to more fully utilize off-grid water harvested in rain barrels by providing enough pressure to power a garden hose spray nozzle, or run low-pressure sprinklers.

RainPerfect’s features include:

• a rechargeable NiMH battery solar panel
• 3.5 solar panel
• adaptable top-mount installation
• standardized garden fixturing, ensuring compatibility with all major hose brands
• 100 gallon pumping capacity on a single charge, emptying most standard barrels

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates that a rain barrel can potentially save most homeowners about 1,300 gallons of water during the peak summer months.

The system, which retails for for around $139, is made by Massachusetts-based ITT Flow Control, a leading producer of industrial pumps, valves, membranes.