Animal therapy is nothing new in the medical community–it’s been proven to aid in mental and social stimulation among sick and elderly patients–but can a robotic animal actually improve anyone’s quality of life? Paro, the folks behind these adorable baby seal robots (also named Paro), say yes! They believe their pacifier-toting seals-bots can be just as effective in patient healing as any live animal–without requiring any cleanup, feeding, or upkeep. It’s pretty brilliant, if you ask us.

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Made from stacked rings of corrugated cardboard, Graypants‘ pendant Scrap Lights (which we’ve long admired) are a prime example of the transformative power of good design. The ceiling lamps‘ elegant construction utilizes leftover scraps of cardboard to create a semi-translucent shade that gives off a muted, soft glow. The overall effect is elegant, understated and as far from trash as you could possibly get.

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We love being on hand for the Spring design shows because they offer rare up close and personal access to the designers we mostly admire from afar the rest of the year. This year, we were fortunate enough to score some face time with FUNature creator Hugh Hayden at BKLYN Designs. In between bounces in his whimsical chairs, we listened as Hayden discussed everything from the short lifespan of a tennis ball to how he sources the unconventional materials that inspired his latest collection to his plans for future designs. 

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Extraordinary green designers Object Interiors unveiled their new Live Earth collection at this year’s BKLYN Designs, and we were particularly struck by their Coup d’Grace Media Console (such a fitting name!). Made from a formaldehyde and VOC-free MDF shell, the console reflects the mission of the collection “to connect all the raw, natural elements that make up the construction of a finished piece” and provide “a sensory connection with live things reflected in the furniture around you.” Dried grasses are embedded into the console’s front sliding doors, which are translucent panels comprised of 3Form eco-resin. The patented material is constructed using 40 percent post-consumer recycled waste and is an increasingly popular, PVC-free alternative to plastic. Even better, eco-resin can be returned to 3Form for recycling at the end of its lifespan.

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If you’re looking for some tongue-in-cheek, slightly ironic wall decoration, look no farther than Cardboard Safari. The Charlottesville–based e-tailer draws inspiration from nature and relies on sustainable and recycled materials to bring their designs to life. Each cardboard animal is laser-cut for precision and flat-packed to make shipping easier and less wasteful. In addition to their signature ‘trophy’ heads (bison, deer, moose, and rhino), Cardboard Safari offers full-bodied animals and specialty pieces like hearts (for Mother’s Day), trees (for the holidays), and skulls (for Halloween, we hope). Each item is made from recycled cardboard and arrives with assembly instructions (part of the fun is putting together the puzzle).

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Most people view bunk beds with fondness and a sense of nostalgia. But when we spied Argington’s awesome new collection of kids’ furniture, which included a one-of-a-kind bamboo version of their Uffizi bunk bed set, our feelings were more adult — and decidedly less becoming: first we felt envy, then longing, until finally, we were just plain impressed and decided to honor Argington’s superior designs with our Editors’ Choice Award for Best Kids Design. Each and every offering–from the mod bunk beds and Sahara crib to the Fuji toy chest and Babylon high chairs–is sleek, sustainable, and utterly classic. Oh, to be young again.

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More than just beautiful works of art, EcoSpheres offer a glimpse into life on earth and reveal the interdependence of plant and animal life with the most precious of all resources, water. Roughly the size of a large paperweight, EcoSpheres are, in fact, more like really beautiful science projects. These miniature, enclosed aquariums, which contain microorganisms in filtered sea water, employ space age technology initiated by NASA research into self-sustaining communities. They require no maintenance or upkeep, relying on nothing more than a source of artificial or natural light.

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We viewed dozens of innovative, noteworthy designs at BKLYN Designs last week. In fact, we were so blown away by the caliber of work we encountered that we wondered how we’d EVER single out 5 selections for our Editors’ Choice Awards. When it came time to choose our Best in Show honoree, however, we reached a consensus pretty quickly: EcoSystems. The green-to-the-core design firm’s two newly unveiled offerings — an innovative collection of ready-made furniture and one awesome transforming table — just blew us away.

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Brooklyn Designs is one of our favorite design shows, and one reason why is that it boasts an amazing array of eco-friendly kids’ furniture. Today, we’ve been fortunate enough to sneak a peek at one of those pieces, the Fuji Toy Box from Argington. Long a classic arbiter of good, green design, Argington is also a master at producing heirloom-quality pieces that are simple and perfectly elegant–and their new toy box is no exception. It’s made from FSC-certified wood with low-VOC glues and non-toxic finishes.

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Lots of up-and-coming and established designers will present new collections at BKLYN Designs this weekend, and we don’t want to miss a single, solitary piece of work—which is why we love getting an advanced look at what’s to come! Bill Higendorf, co-founder of Brooklyn–based furniture company Uhuru Design, sent us a sneak peak of the three new locally and sustainably produced designs he and partner Jason Horvath are debuting at BKLYN Designs this week. While they’re every bit as functional as Uhuru’s previous products, the limited edition Stitched Table, Standard Chair and Metal Stoolen have a little added oomph that sets them apart.

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Made from recycled materials, Maruja Fuentes’ green pockets give new meaning to the term “houseplant.” Spotted at the 2009 Milan Furniture Fair, the super-cool ceramic tiles attach to any wall to create the illusion that whatever’s inside—herbs, plants, a flower or two—is growing directly out of a room’s surface. It’s the ultimate marriage of form and function: The pockets bring a soul-soothing dose of greenery and nature to an interior space, improving a room’s aesthetic and air quality.

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At Inhabitat, we often look to other media and news outlets for information, inspiration and, of course, entertainment. Bloggers and journalists are a community we love being a part of, which is why we get especially giddy when a fellow member of the media shines the spotlight on US! In the May issue of TIME Style & Design, the venerable magazine features Inhabitat in their Green Design 100, a list of the “best and brightest in environmentally conscious design.” The sustainable luxury roundup, which calls us the go-to blog for innovations in sustainable architecture and design, puts us in the esteemed company of pioneering individuals, companies, products and projects—innovators like Fisker, Loomstate, John Hardy and the Shanghai Tower, just to name a few. It’s a trailblazing crowd and we’re honored to be included. Thank you, TIME Style & Design!

+ Time’s Green Design 100

You only have to look as far as our editors’ own musings to know that Earth Day is a polarizing concept. But whether you think it’s a celebration-worthy environmental milestone or a trumped up holiday devoid of value, the fact is, Earth Day gets people talking about sustainability and we’re all for that. Here are some of the best stories we’ve seen on the subject, from Obama-invoking hope cries to sod-it-all tirades to feel-good guides to activism—and everything in between. Regardless of which approach you take, we’re pretty sure that keeping the debate alive is one (and maybe the only) virtue of Earth Day we can all agree on.

While Grist’s Rick Bass argues for coming together a la Election Day to make Earth Day a similar kind of cultural tradition we can all embrace . . . his colleague Daniel Kast remains skeptical.

The Daily Beast hates on some prominent eco warriors and accuses other celebs of environmental war crimes.

Ecofabulous rounds up events and resources for planning the ultimate Earth Day celebration.

Inhabitots has a list of 10 fun Earth Day activities for kids.

The Mother Nature Network offers ideas for small changes and suggests ways to mark the occasion (to the tunes in MNN founder and former Rolling Stones keyboardist Chuck Leavell’s eco playlist, of course).

So we know MIO’s Bendant chandelier has been around for a while, but like all good things, it’s worth revisiting—especially now, when embracing well designed, American-made products is more important than ever. The idea behind this pendant lamp, which comes flat-packed and ready to customize, is simple: leaf-like petals surround a central fixture and can be moved and arranged to suit individual tastes and lighting strategies—fan the petals out completely for maximum illumination, or stagger for more shade.

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Though New York City’s real estate climate is anything but sunny, this year, the Lower East Side Girls Club (in partnership with the Dermot Company, a high-profile local developer) will break ground on a new 30,000–square foot, mixed-use arts and community center on the corner of 7th Street and Avenue D. It will be the first and only Girls Club facility in NYC (when boys and girls clubs nationwide joined in 1986, the Boys Club of New York, operating on the LES, opted out of the merger, leaving the neighborhood’s girls to develop their own organization). Now, says the Girls Club’s web site, “this sustainably built, ‘green,’ state-of-the-art capital project will enable us to triple our program capacity.”

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