The human eye is attracted to beauty although beauty is definitely in the eye of the beholder and not everyone’s tastes are the same! However in a world of increasing plastic and machine-made items that all look the same, it is a wonderful thing to be able to decorate our homes with unique, handmade and local items.

The Caribbean has a wealth of both traditional crafts and new innovative artistry. From paintings to sculptures, cloth to baskets there is a beautiful item ready to capture our imagination and decorate our homes (or body) in a unique way.

Many artists are skilled in using natural resources in a unique, innovative and sustainable way. For example the basket weaving of the Kalinago people in Dominica which uses a type of grass that grows in the region, is a time-honored tradition that is passed on to each generation. The array and design of the crafts and the skill taken to create the work is phenomenal. Continue reading "Home Decor - The Art of the Caribbean"

Buying or developing an ecolodge can be an inspiring and savvy decision as the Caribbean region puts more promotion on ecotourism and travelers become more conscious of where they put their vacation dollars.
Continue reading "The Essentials of Ecolodges"

The United Nations recently issued a report on the need for property investors to invest in eco-properties. This is a timely piece of advice for the real estate industry which has managed to create a huge carbon footprint and can be very destructive of natural land and environments.

The report entitled “Building Responsible Property Portfolios,” was authored by University of Arizona professor, Gary Pivo and submitted to a United Nations environmental conference last week. The report urged investors to adopt the six Principles of Responsible Investment and emphasized the power of investors to influence property fund managers to make their portfolios ‘greener’.

The report also advises that being an eco-investor means good economics as well as good ecology. Most eco-properties which utilize renewable energy end up being more cost effective in the long run than traditional properties. In addition as demand increases for sustainable properties, the price for these investments will be higher for traditional developments. Continue reading "Going for Green - Being an Eco-Property Investor."