DETROIT—Lighting Enterprises (LEI), a leading maker of decorative lighting and energy saving LEDs for hotel and resort guestrooms and public spaces, has introduced a new line of exclusive hand stitched faux-leather wrap arms for their series of headboard-mount LED flexible reading lights for hotel guestrooms. LEI has been testing this leather feature for a year with a select group of key luxury hotel brands including Grand Hyatt, prior to presenting to the entire hospitality market. The launch at HD Boutique earlier this month showcased Taupe Faux-Leather fixture samples and include black or white options. New literature accompanying the fixture introduction...

GRAND RAPIDS, MICH.—Charter House Innovations (CHi) has opened its second green CityFlats Hotel—this time in the heart of Grand Rapids, Mich. The Holland, Mich.-based company, which also manufactures sustainable furniture, is pursuing LEED for New Construction certification at the Gold level for the 28-room property. CHi also has a CityFlats Hotel in Holland, Mich., that opened almost four years ago and, according to Chuck Reid, owner of the CityFlats Hotel brand, investors have expressed interest in developing additional CityFlats properties in Michigan and on the East Coast. CityFlats Hotel Grand Rapids, which includes the CitySen Lounge on the main floor,...

LOUISVILLE, CO.—Unearthed Paints, a new natural paint company, brings a new vision and sustainable reinterpretations to the paint industry with its exclusive selection of eco-friendly paints. Crafted with minimally processed natural ingredients such as clay, chalk, lime, and Italian marble, the paints are biodegradable, vegan, and 100 percent VOC-free. All Unearthed paints are tinted with earth and mineral pigments: Ochers, Sienna, Umbers, Ultramarines and Spinels. These pigments give the paint a depth and radiance that cannot be achieved by the chemical colorants used in conventional paints. Pigments are shipped in a powder form, extending the life period of the paint,...

SPICELAND, IND.—Draper, Inc. is continuing the company’s commitment to sustainable building products with the introduction of a new eco-friendly window shade fabric. Draper’s all-new GreenScreen Revive provides excellent solar control, reducing heat and glare while offering a clean view through to the outdoors owing to its finely knitted weave. This fire retardant, PVC-free fabric is constructed of 100 percent polyester yarn, with a minimum of 89 percent REPREVE polyester. REPREVE is made from 100 percent recycled materials, is recyclable, contains low VOCs, and is made in the United States. GreenScreen Revive featuring REPREVE is RoHS compliant (free of heavy metals)...

ATLANTA—IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) announces the launch of its Innovation Hotel version 2.0, which is an improved version of the original website launched in 2008. The Innovation Hotel is IHG’s online showcase and creative hub for sustainable hotel design, giving examples of what future hotels might look like if they use sustainable technologies. Version 2.0 retains all the features of the original site but is now even more engaging and interactive. The new site has a refreshed design and includes a number of additional features; including real-life hotel case studies demonstrating how IHG hotels are already implementing sustainable ideas, such...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The lineup of renowned speakers for the U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) Greenbuild International Conference & Expo is now live. New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman, medical anthropologist and physician Paul Farmer, and ABC News political commentator Cokie Roberts will address the more than 25,000 attendees at Greenbuild 2011, taking place October 4 to 7 in Toronto. “Each year, we strive to build a program enriched with thoughtful pairings of expert speakers with topical, relevant and inspiring content,” said Kimberly Lewis, vice president, Conferences & Events, USGBC. “This year, as Greenbuild celebrates its...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Since its introduction, the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED Pilot Credit Library has been strongly embraced by LEED users as a flexible, interactive mechanism for testing proposed credits in the marketplace and gaining real-time feedback on their usability as well as their ability to meet a credit’s intent.    “Innovation doesn’t follow a schedule,” said Brendan Owens, vice president LEED technical development. “The LEED pilot credit library provides the thousands of volunteers around the globe who are engaged in LEED development with the ability to introduce credit ideas for testing as they emerge. This unique flexibility allows LEED to...

OAKLAND, CALIF.—Móz Designs expands its line of eco-friendly metal wall coverings with Blendz, a series of color-rich aluminum panels that introduce a new aesthetic to dull walls and surfaces. The Blendz panels are composed of 80 percent post-industrial recycled aluminum and contribute to LEED 2.0 MR Credit 4—Recycled Content. Once the product’s design life has ended, Blendz panels can again be recycled for other applications. Blendz decorative surfaces can be installed as laminates or specified as heavier-gauge pre-fabricated metal panels for walls, railings, ceilings, columns, elevators and many other architectural applications. The full range of Blendz color sequences are available in...

CROSSVILLE, TENN.—Inspired by the natural stone from which it derives its name, the new Bluestone by Crossville features a field of soft earthen tones, enhanced by fossil-like impressions and the subtle pearlescence of embedded shells. Bluestone Porcelain Stone tile is available in both natural and honed finishes. Designed for both commercial and residential installations, Bluestone contains a minimum of 20 percent recycled content and is manufactured in Crossville using processes that have been certified by Scientific Certification Systems. It’s available in four colorways—Colorado Buff, Arizona Brown, Pennsylvania Blue and Vermont Black—and a variety of sizes: 24" x 24", 12" x...

WESTBURY, N.Y.—When Westbury, New York’s Viana Hotel & Spa was in its design stage, it was shortly after Hurricane Katrina pummeled the Gulf Coast. Oil prices shot up and the United States’ dependence on foreign oil was in the spotlight. It was within this climate of energy uncertainty that Alan Mindel and his team at Samar Hospitality decided to build the most energy-efficient hotel possible. Designed to achieve LEED-NC Silver certification, the 116-room Viana Hotel & Spa on Long Island features a closed-loop water-source heat pump system for heating and cooling as well as an 11-kilowatt photovoltaic system on...