Biophiliacs & aesthetes both will appreciate this beautifully implemented living wall at NRDC’s Washington office, via a Living Principles article by Kaid Benfield. 

Plants in living spaces boast a healthy (no pun intended) list of health & wellness benefits. Indoor air pollution, for example: plants have been proven to reduce volatile organic compounds like benzene, toluene, and xylene. NASA even uses plants for this purpose.

A University of Agriculture in Norway study indicates that indoor plants “reduce fatigue, coughs, sore throats and other cold-related illnesses by more than 30 percent, partially by increasing humidity levels and decreasing dust.” (Sixwise) In a corporate setting, Rehabilitation Literature, reports “a manufacturing company integrated plants into its office so that no employee would be more than 45 feet from greenery. The result? Company administrators said they noticed enhanced creativity and increased productivity in employees.”

Pretty awesome. The best part is that companies (like the outstandingly curated A+R) offer accessible and affordable ways to construct a personal living wall. The best part is that these systems are modular and can conform to virtually any wall size, indoor and out. Beautiful & healthy — what more could you ask for? 

Shop here.

I would be hard pressed to show you something cooler than what I am about to show you … I don’t remember how I discovered New York-based design firm The Way We See the World, but they were an instant favorite of mine. 

Firstly, their new website design is super-fresh. I haven’t seen one like it in recent memory. I’m still poking around. But that’s not why I’m sharing their website … they’re a group of women who drive thought-provoking projects and products. For example, their project “The Chicle Initiative” addresses economic and agricultural problems faced by communities in the Yucatan Peninsula … (chicle latex, farmed in the Yucatan Peninsula, had been popularly used as a gum base before being replaced with petroleum, leaving “devastated harvesting communities.”) So the women at WWSW invented a new use for chicle: beauty products. So neat!

The project above is particularly tasty:

“Our EDIBLE CUPS add life to parties and events and serve as a more sustainable alternative to disposable cups. The cups are flavored to complement the drink being served, can be nibbled on while drinking, and any leftover remnants can be composted. This project explored new and unexpected uses for Jell-O and other gelatin-like products. 

ABSOLUT EDIBLE is a concept for Absolut Vodka where each cup is made to enhance one of Absolut’s signature cocktail recipes. There are endless flavor possibilities! Available for sale soon.”

Smitten. Seriously, visit, and let yourself be blown away.