hUse what you have

hUse what you have

Stop decorating and start un-decorating. That’s the advice Mark and Sally Bailey give in “Recycled Home” (Ryland Peters & Small; $29.95; hardcover).

Based on the couple’s philosophy — work with what you’ve got, be true to the structure of your house and the materials it is made from — the book helps readers tap into the potential of items that would otherwise be considered garbage.

If you love simplicity, you’ll dig the repurposed furniture in this book — a mixture of rough unfinished items showing layers of chipped paint and clean modern ones. Old apple crates double as bookshelves, and an old baker’s table serves as a kitchen workbench in this book.

From “Tones & Textures” to “Furniture & Storage” and “Walls & Floors” to “Lighting,” “Display” and “Textiles,” the chapters in this book teach you to rock the recycled look in every room in the house.

Essential tools

Gardeners have no time for nonsense, so they need tools that work. MotherEarthNews.com/GardenResources offers two tools that help gardeners find the products they need — quickly.

The Seed and Plant Finder searches through more than 500 mail-order seed and plant companies using a custom search engine to locate sources for vegetable, flower and herb varieties, and organic gardening products. Browsing the crop or flower categories tells you more about available options.

Once you’ve planted your seeds, the Organic Pest Control and Garden Products Finder searches a select group of university Web sites to diagnose pest problems and find treatment advice.

You also can shop for items from more than 30 preselected mail-order companies selling organic insecticides, tools and related products.