Here's another great tip from BobVila.com. It s a great idea to shop for green products. Fortunately, they re becoming easier to find. But don t forget to factor transport into the true cost of what you re buying. Every time a product has to be loaded onto a ship, truck, airplane or train to get to you, fuel is consumed and its carbon footprint gets bigger. If it has to go to Italy to be cut and polished, that stone countertop suddenly gets a lot more expensive for you and the environment even if it was quarried in the next county. Reclaimed wood siding is a great idea, especially if it was taken from a barn down the road. If it had to be shipped across the continent, though, you re better off using lumber that was harvested near you. Look for the stamp of the Forest Stewardship Council to be sure it was sustainably harvested. When it comes to cabinets, doors, hardware and decorative details, never underestimate the power of your local salvage yard. Invest a little paint stripper or brass polish, and you ve got an authentic piece of history that hasn t had to travel far to find a home. By the same token, before you junk that tattered old sofa, find out what your local upholsterer would charge to revive it. Most likely, it ll cost less than buying, packaging and transporting a new one. By employing services and retailers in your community, you re keeping money and jobs local and encouraging wise use of nearby natural resources. Find out more at BobVila.com: The ultimate home improvement web site! BobVila.com 2008

Moving to the baby's room, Bob continues to talk with Bernadette Upton of Eco-Decor about the materials used in an ideal room for baby. Although the room is designed for infants, Upton reviews safety procedures to put in place when the baby becomes a toddler, such as removing tablecloths, anchoring furniture, removing climbable furniture, and safeguarding electrical outlets. Upton reviews Treatment-free fabrics used in the window treatments, including washable cotton and solid wood to avoid the glues and formaldehyde found in pressed woods and particle board. The exposed edges and surfaces of particle board and pressboard should be completely sealed with a non-toxic sealer to stop off-gassing. The sofa is an eight-way hand-tie, which can only be constructed using solid, formaldehyde-free, wood. Upton recommends using wallpaper over vinyl, using a minimal amount of it, and airing it befor hanging. When selecting a crib, Upton recommends selecting one from after 1991 because the crib bars are a safe distance apart from one another and harmful chemicals were banned from the manufacture of children's furniture after that date. The baby's mattress is an organic, chemical-free mattress. The house has natural wood floors with throw rugs. The Baby's Breath brochure is available from the American Lung Association.

Bob and architect Michael Pierce review the elements of DD Allen's interior design for the Miami condo. While the dominant colors throughout are calm whites and blue grays, Pierce stresses that he and Allen choose to punctuate their designs with punches of furniture and color. The magenta Morrison three couch, which is a recumbant three draws the eye as does the purple velvet chair from the 1940s. These strong punches of color are offset by a series of black and white photos by Miami photographer Iran Itzakhan, the Kagan white kidney couch, and the white art deco-style table made by project supervisor David Southard through his furniture-making business, DS Woodworks.

Bob visits the home's airy, light-filled basement family room. The house, which is built on a sloping lot, allows the basement level to open directly to the backyard. Leslie Curtis brings in touches of color in all her rooms and the basement is no exception. On the walls a soft, sunny yellow, "Evening Primrose" from Bob Vila's Signature Series paints was chosen. The floor covering, a Dupont Stain Master carpet in a neutral color, features Miracle Fibre technology, a process that puts color into the chemical blend of the carpet's yarn so that it maintains its hue throughout the lifespan of the rug. The denim khaki-clad sofa and chairs are from the Eddie Bauer Home Collection. Bob shows off the family room's entertainment system that features a Panasonic 42-inch flat screen TV with a DVD player/recorder with Replay TV.

…stability and easy painting, Beyond the Screen Door storm and screen doors are constructed using strong, stable mortise and tenon joinery. All adhesives are two component and are water resistant to withstand weather conditions. Decorative…

…throughout your lifetime and into successive generations, ask how the joints are done. Beeken/Parsons specifies mortise and tenon joints that allow between .001 and .002 of an inch between the faces of the joint. This determines how the wood…