Ah, those nostalgic memories of stanky jock straps, muddy tube socks and the frightening prospect of tussling with the parallel bars…I digress. Designer Wes Bennett has an eye for upcycling. He built the ‘Repurposed 36″ Rolling Vintage Storage’ unit from a re-finished athletic locker.

Bennett has created a bunch of furniture from reclaimed and salvaged lockers. Each hand-crafted piece is cleaned, stripped of old paint, and modified for its new purpose. In the case of the storage bureau pictured above, heavy duty casters and stylish hardware were added to the piece. Wes can customize the units into different configurations for featuring electronics, TV’s and vertical storage.

A great way to add a little industrial flair to your loft, or sports-addicted offspring’s bedroom.

@ wesbenn on Etsy

related: more eco home decor

(above) Framed, literally: both eyes and Warby Parker models look spectacular in a stint at the New York Public Library during Fashion Week. Perhaps the perfect setting since Warby Parker pays homage to two of Jack Kerouac’s earliest characters: Zagg Parker and Warby Pepper – borrowing the best of each name and morphing them into an eyewear brand.

Fact or fiction? Four literary hipsters meet at Wharton and decide to launch Warby Parker, an eyewear company with a penchant for affordable style and altruism. Along the lines of Tom’s Shoes, for each pair purchased, WB will donate a pair to someone in need. Also similar in business model, a pair won’t cost you an arm and a leg. Just $95. (more…)

When contemplating solar energy one’s mind usually wanders to the sunny climes of California, Nevada or the deserts of Northern Africa and Dubai. Not foggy old London. But yes, the UK has its own booming residential and commercial solar industry. One company taking advantage of friendly government tariffs and consumer demand for solar energy is London solar panel suppliers, Ploughcroft Solar.

Ploughcroft maintains the only NVQ accredited training center in the UK, handles both large corporate and residential installations, and even has an Eco Roof division.

To support the transition to renewable energy sources the UK now has a target of producing 15% of its total energy use to renewables by 2020 and has instituted the Generation and Feed In Tariffs program, providing those installing an alternative energy systems an estimated return of 8-10%, which compared with the interest paid by a savings account, is an attractive investment opportunity whilst lowering the home owner’s or business’s carbon footprint (global warming is an accepted fact in Europe and most of the civilized world). The Tariffs are available to home owners, businesses, schools and other commercial enterprises.

Those taking advantage in 2011 will have their Tariffs set at a higher level — which, in the UK is a good thing — than those who wait until 2012 and subsequent years. Tariffs are index linked and tax free.