">HomeOwnerNut

In the 1980s I moved to a beach house in Santa Cruz, CA. The carpets seemed really ugly, but I loved the location and was pretty sure I could tolerate the black speckled design. That was until after I completed the move and lay down on the rug for a nap, only to discover that the tiny dots in the white shag were fleas!  The previous owners had moved out, along with Perky the dog, and the fleas were ravenous!

A visit from pest control soon had the rug tamed, but it was still a disturbing sight. There are worse things than an ugly carpet, I suppose. You decide:

Redrum Revisited

The San Jose, CA, Crowne Plaza Hotel has carpet straight out of a popular Stephen King story. Heeeeeeeeeeeere’s Johnny!

We’ll Always Have Paris

The carpeting inside Paris’ “Fnac at La Defense” looks like the dormitory floor at Timothy Leary University. Drop a contact lens and you may never come back.

Barfoleum

This is the one carpet in today’s review that would prosper from a flea infestation.

Conference Hotel for Seasick Anonymous

Imagine hosting a wedding or business meeting in this place? (Precise location withheld to protect the anonymity of the Boston Renaissance Hotel.)

Attending the Hair Ball

Christopher Cat, according to the Dainty Digs blog, was having such a dismal time navigating the carpeting that the Kelly household performed a makeover to save his remaining lives.

Stairway to Heaving

Public Service Announcement: You can safely remove carpeting from stairways without endangering the woodwork. For help, visit Southern Hospitality.

Long before the Romans used rows of chained slaves to power their mighty Mediterranean fleet, humans were put to the yoke dragging mills that ground flour or ran through the streets of Peking toting rickshaws.  Now, you can work as your own personal powerplant, using your sinews and bones to drive reading lights, electronic devices, and even pedal for your supper in Copenhagen.

Off Your Rocker

The Murkami Light Chair, designboom’s Green Life competition, stores the energy you create by rocking through the day and fires up its reading lamp by night. The chair has to be a boon for new mothers, the elderly, and anyone else who wants to rock out while generating green energy.

Go for It!

For those who while away their working hours in a sedentary position (think: bloggers!), the Go Chair by Indonesian designer Rizki Tarisa can prove slimming while you listen to tunes and surf the net. Functional? Sustainable? That’s what I’m peddling!

Be a Grid Star

Talk about greening up airports and waiting rooms!  The Empower rocker converts your swing-glider power to green energy that drives electronic devices plugged into the external power box or USB slots on the frame. Even better, it can be constructed of recycled materials and fold flat for shipping. All we need now is a camping chair to power your cook-stove or tent light!

Move It!

The Move Your Energy chair converts your rockin’ power through a flywheel that powers the reading light. It’s kinetic and frenetic!

Pre-burn Your Dinner Calories

Now the Danish Crowne Plaza Copenhagen Towers will throw in a meal voucher if you grind out at least 10 watt-hours of electricity on one of its stationary bike power generators. The Human Powered Home offers lots of ideas on foot- and hand-powered gadgets that can fire up your imagination and your home at the same time.

Okay, not everyone has a spectacular idea…