Eco-Friendly Furniture Options for Every Room in Your Home
Walking through my friend Sarah's apartment last month, I couldn't help but notice the beautiful reclaimed oak dining table dominating her living space. "Found it at an estate sale," she…
I Tracked How Natural Elements Can Actually Boost Local Economies – The Millfield Data
I wasn’t expecting to spend last autumn analyzing the economics of struggling communities, but that’s exactly what happened when I read about a small manufacturing town called Millfield. As someone…
Biophilic green: Adding Natural Touches Indoors
Last Tuesday, I found myself standing in my neighbour's living room, staring at a corner that was somehow sucking all the life out of an otherwise beautiful space. You know…
When Your Phone Is Watering Your Plants Better Than You Are: Tech + Nature in Tiny Spaces
So I’m sitting in my 400-square-foot cave of an apartment last week, watching my phone send me notifications that my plants need water while simultaneously adjusting my grow lights based…
What I’ve Learned About Creating Healing Spaces for Women’s Health – From My Wife’s Recovery to Helping New Families
When my wife was recovering from her stroke eight years ago, I started noticing things I’d never paid attention to before. How the quality of light in a room affected…
How I Learned Plants Actually Help You Breathe Better (And Why It Matters More As We Age)
I never paid much attention to indoor air quality until my wife’s health problems started getting worse. After her stroke, she developed respiratory issues that seemed to flare up more…
Making Nature Accessible for Everyone: What I’ve Learned About Inclusive Garden Design
After my wife’s stroke eight years ago, I learned firsthand how design choices that seem minor can create major barriers for people with mobility or sensory challenges. We had to…
Why Plants and Natural Light Actually Matter for Kids’ Mental Health (From Someone Who Learned This the Hard Way)
Okay, so I’m not a therapist or anything, but I’ve been going down this rabbit hole about how plants and natural light actually affect mental health, especially for kids and…
Does Having Plants Actually Make You Smarter? I Tested My Brain Function in Different Spaces
Okay, so this is going to sound kind of nerdy, but I’ve become obsessed with whether my plant collection actually makes me think better. Like, beyond just feeling less depressed…
What I Learned About Making My Tiny Apartment Work for Whatever Climate Change Throws at Us
Okay so this is going to sound dramatic but bear with me – last February when that polar vortex hit Chicago and knocked out power for three days, I had…