Back in the day, being eco-friendly often meant automatically having a flagrant disregard for good design in favor of a more hippie aesthetic. Today all that has changed. Indeed, to earn the title of eco-design today, a product has to not only be good for the environment, but also look great in the home, in your wardrobe, in the school or office. A new trilingual handbook, Ecodesign: Ecofriendly Objects for Everyday Use, written in English, French and German by Silvia Barbero, Brunella Cozzo, Paola Tamborrini serves as a guide for designing with an eco-conscious today.

The book provides ten practical approaches to sustainable design production, ranging from green technology to eco advertising to zero emission design. True ecodesign must take into account the entire lifecycle of a product from design to disposal (or reuse). The best products are multifunctional, flexible and recyclable. The book is full of rich images showing everyday products such as household objects, furniture, clothing and toys. There are many products that will be familiar to you, but also a wealth of surprises. It’s a must for anyone serious about ecodesign to learn the history of the movement and start designing for the future.

The Swing Table from Duffy London epitomizes the latest trend of putting the fun back into design. Plus it’ a gorgeous setup. We love the four-poster design and central GEO lampshade. Eight chairs hang from the all-in-one setup, making mealtime or work time just a little bit more interesting. Plus, with all the latest news about how unhealthy it is to sit in a chair all day, this is one creative way to kick your feet up. If we could, we’d make our work station a swing set. You’re never to old to keep playing.

The materials come from managed forests and other controlled sources, done in tasteful walnut veneer and powder coated steel. Designer Chris Duffy says he makes his products as environmentally friendly as possible, taking the practical approach to sustainability. It’s the smart thing to do, not just for the earth, but for his company. Making products locally means better communication between the design and production teams. And low transport costs saves on both costs and carbon emissions. Saving money is a refreshing way to look at the benefits of green design, and an easy argument for anyone who needs convincing.

If you find it hard for your kids to sit still all day, perhaps they could use a bench that turns into a seesaw. Gizmodo turned us on to this awesome new product from Dutch designer DvanDirk. We’d have to agree that we’re a little jealous this one only comes in child-sized options. Nothing like turning your furniture into a playground set with just a few simple maneuvers.

DvanDirk seems to be a master of transformer furniture, making also a crib that connects to a chair that can be turned into a simple storage unit, and an expanding outdoor bench. All designs are made from sustainable materials into transparent pieces. We’re loving the design scene coming out of Amsterdam. How about you?

This past weekend, the International Contemporary Furniture Fair came to New York City, showcasing the latest in great product design, with a lot of emphasis on eco-friendly home furnishings. Whether furniture made from recycled materials or furniture that is completely bio-degradable, there were several examples of innovative design. We love seeing each year more and more designers creating products with a green mindset.

This year, one of our favorite exhibitions was a new concept from Urbio, a startup company founded by Beau Oyler and Jared Aller, that grew from humble beginnings on Kickstarter. The concept, “eco-plastic” pots allows anyone to build a simple garden anywhere in their house, all vertically on a wall. While it’s a great concept for small-area urban apartments, the resulting display is both modern and pleasing to the eye and could brighten up any indoor space with a touch of green. While we know the benefits of indoor plants for improving air quality, we have far from a green thumb. Urbio allows anyone who can hang a pot to start their own beautifull-made garden, starting small and growing as space allows.

The pots emulate a ceramic material, and are mounted with neodymium magents to attach to any receptive surface. The entire design process is focused on sustainable design. In addition to creating a lovely garden to fill your walls, Urbio is also creating a line focused on storage. So that magazine holder above your desk can double as a plant holder. The products can be purchased individually for ultimate customization. We think it’s a simple and fun system that would be a great project to make with your kids.

There’s no secret to the enormous benefits of filling your home with live plants. They clean the air, uplift your mood, and increase energy flow into your space. But what if you went a step further and put a plant in literally every free space available? What if you grew kale in your couch or parsley in your desk? One artist imagined just that scenario at a new show at the aptly named New York gallery Mixed Greens.

Jenna Spevack’s latest show, “Eight Extraordinary Greens,” re-imagines furniture as farmland. Spevack’s work aims to show how easy urban farming can be, and how readily accessible greens should be, regardless of your income. The artist began her own experiment into apartment farming by converting her bookshelf into a mini greenhouse, complete with a sub-irrigation system for growing energy-packed plants, or microgreens. The gallery features a desk, chair, cabinet, couch and suitcase blooming with luscious plants. Rather than set an established price for the greens, visitors to the gallery can purchase microgreens for any donation. Proceeds go toward local urban farming initiatives.

We at Paper Culture are all about raising our children green from Day 1. Whether by choosing eco diapers or finding innovative cribs that grow with our children, we love finding products that make it easy. But what about once your child finally outgrows that crib? Our friends over at Lil Sugar have put together a collection of repurposed cribs from creative mothers and scavengers.

Check these photos that show how a repurposed crib can turn into a stylish new desk, a classic bench, a craft station, or a bookshelf. All you need is a little bit of imagination and maybe the DIY help of a friend who knows their way around a toolbox. Let your kids take part and have fun with the painting and decorating and show them that no perfectly good piece of furniture has to end up on the street. And don’t just stop with the crib. Any baby item coud easily be turned into something new. Think a quilt out of old baby clothes, a collage made from old books, or a ladder from a wooden highchair. Have you ever recycled a baby item into something more functional?

From maternity clothes to baby toys, unless you have a repeat pregnancy, it’s often difficult to reuse the many things necessary to purchase when having a child. One company, Gro Furniture, is trying to reverse that, at least when it comes to baby furniture. They’ve developed two special cribs designed to be used for generations, which many uses in-between.

Their design incorporates simple lines and gorgeous construction work that never goes out of style. In our consumption-driven economy, it’s hard to imagine buying a product you’ll have forever. But when you can find it and make the investment, the result is less waste that goes a long way in helping the planet.

Gro Furniture has two products out now. The p. pod 5-in-1 companion crib features a non-toxic birch ply and the bam b. incorporates solid amber bamboo for a unique modern look. Both assemble in under two minutes for busy parents, with interlocking parts that means no lost screws. And both, when purchased as complete kits, convert over their lifespans into a toddler bed, a low and a high desk/playtable, and a daybed.

Each component can be added on as your child grows, or swapped back to an adjustable crib if you have another one on the way. While the cribs aren’t cheap ($990-$1890), when you think about how many products you’re getting, it turns out being a steal. Now more than ever green design means multifunctional design, as innovative product designers are finding more and more uses out of one single product.