What would the first ladies of yesteryear say if they knew Michelle Obama has decorated the White House with trash? Considering the "trash" is actually two repurposed whimsical and vibrant chandeliers, beautiful and quirky enough to be selected and sold by Anthropologie, we’re thinking the former queens of the White House, whether design hounds or conservationists, would approve. Placed in the first daughters’ rooms, these colorful and carefully edited amalgamations of found objects, pieces of recycled plastic and everyday junk had their humble beginnings across the Atlantic. Magpie, a small socially conscious art collective in bucolic Barrydale, South Africa, created the Obama chandelier, and many others like it, out of recycled materials, much of which is brought in by Barrydale locals. On our side of the globe, Magpie has made quite a rumble with their inspirational handcrafted home goods and art. We recently caught up with Shane A. Petzer, founder of Magpie and social entrepreneur, to talk about the inspiration behind the art collective and their work. read more

We ladies have been sartorially stealing from our guys quite a bit lately. What with the boyfriend blazers and jeans, masculine plaid shirts, and those oversized watches, you might even start to think that the gents are getting angry at us for ripping off their style. The truth of the matter is, the whole rugged yet tailored look just works—for both sexes. read more

Most accessories fall out of fashion faster than you can say "It bag," but jewelry has a sizable shelf life. It's therefore a natural fit for the eco-friendly art of repurposing. In this final installment of our look at green accessory makers, The Inside Source talks with three jewelry designers who are taking old gold and silver pieces and recycling them to create baubles that are easy on the eyes—and the conscience. read more

The mission behind The Brooklyn Kitchen is to support the local home cooking community in Brooklyn. Co-Owner Harry Rosenblum, who believes “anyone can be a good chef,” and wife Taylor Erkkinen stock their original store and new 7,000 Brooklyn Kitchen Labs space “with all the tools, information and products necessary to make something yummy…whether it be dinner for two or twenty.” Their green business and cooking practices, along with curiosity-peaking cooking classes like Pig Butchering and Tempeh, have kept the customers coming. read more

Molly Worth, founder of furniture reupholstering company Chairloom, signs off on every email with a cheerful "reuse and reinvent!" Fueled by her love of design and the challenge of giving old and tired things a “second chance,” Worth founded Chairloom in 2007. Her concept is this: Take an antique or vintage piece of furniture, do a little dusting off, and then recover the piece charming, graphic textiles to give it new life. read more