Decorating our personal spaces with the earth in mind is a green city attitude that Portland dwellers are famous for. Almost every neighborhood in the urban zone boasts some kind of used furniture and home accessories vintage store (including the well-known Rebuilding Center, coupon here) that is in no way boring or dull. Quite the contrary. These boutiques are hip, fashionable, stylish, affordable, and most importantly are considered green, keeping unnecessary items out of the landfill.

For example, the mid-century modern, retro, used furniture, and home accessories boutique Lounge Lizard (1310 SE Hawthorne Blvd.) is a funky place for people who don't want their home decor to come from the same catalog as their neighbor's. The store is packed from top to bottom with velvet couches, ceramic lamps, retro coffee tables, psychedelic wall art... and that's just the entrance! As owner Christopher Twombley says, "Each piece tells a story. More...

If you have the DIY bug, then you're familiar with the appeal of those dilapidated, lost looking chairs found in garages, thrift stores, and curbs everywhere. Instead of purchasing a new chair, find one with good bones that needs a little TLC, and give it a new life. With a little elbow grease and our listings of local fabric and paint stores, you'll be able to turn a $5 (or free!) find into a beloved home project. All kinds of wood furniture--tables, dressers, desks--can be painted and revitalized with these tips and resources.

We've got your local coupons, too, to help inspire a project. Anyone can use our free online coupon for Rodda Paint for 2 for 1 gallons. More...

Each Thursday we'll bring you our favorite gems picked out from scouring local craft markets, Etsy, Lov.li, and local craft sites. We'll also give highlights from our other EcoMetro cities. Materials must meet our environmental criteria, which include recycled/reclaimed materials and eco fabrics such as organic cotton, hemp, and soy fabrics and yarns.

Catch the maker of this lamp and other local artists at the Summer Artisans Fair August 19th and 20th, 8am-3pm at 2701 NW Vaughn.

Chandelier Lamp by Phoebe1, $180
Celebrate life before Flickr with this lamp made from slides taken by a traveler in 1960s Europe.

More of this week's crafters after the jump... More...