Salvaged Materials Like You've Never Seen

If you've recently whined about not being able to afford a dreamy velvet sofa (as I did this morning), be sure to check out this article from yesterday's New York Times, "One Man's Trash...", about Dan Phillips, a resourceful builder in Huntsville, Texas who constructs enviable low-income housing from scraps that others throw out. Does it get any more inspirational than this incredible ceiling covered in thousands of discarded frame samples?

The Times also has a slideshow dedicated to Phillips' work as a self-taught carpenter, plumber and electrician. He's one of those people who seems to have an elastic mind; you know, he thinks in possibilities. That's made pretty clear when he says he's bucking the "tyranny of the two-by-four."

"You can't defy the laws of physics or building codes, but beyond that, the possibilities are endless," Phillips says. Cork flooring, license plate shingles, street numbers crafted from cattle bones...the mind races.

Read more:
--Eco-Paint: Fab or Fad?
--How to Reduce, Reuse and Recycle Carpet Tiles
--5 Uses for an Old T-Shirt