Office organizers with style and a green streak should take a look at a new line of goods from design giant Herman Miller: The Teneo storage system was designed by Ayse Birsel and Bibi Seck (Birsel was just honored by the prestigious Rhode Island School of Design) and has earned the Silver “Cradle to Cradle” eco-certification, partly thanks to the recyclability of most of its components. Designed in modules that can be combined to fit the storage needs of workspaces both large and small, Teneo lets users decide how many shelves, drawers and mini-closets they want. It also offers a pleasing array of surface materials — from metal and wood veneer to felt and cork — and encourages customers to mix and match using an online Color Tool to visualize choices. Pricing varies, depending on finishes and options; a thorough price breakdown can be downloaded here. Teneo is availabe through Herman Milller dealers; to find a dealer in your area, enter your state or Zip code here.

I’m always a little wary when a handbag designer launches a “for Target” line, because no matter how adaptable-for-the-masses the styles might be, the necessity of using cheap materials to keep the costs on “Target” kind of spoils the package. Devi Kroll’s line was likable, but way too pleathery, and when “for Target” is emblazoned on Loeffler Randall’s handbags, the intent of finding something chic on the cheap is defeated. But the megastore has managed to pique my interest again with a promising line from Botkier. I’ve been stalking Botkier bags on eBay ever since my fashion-mag editor friend came home with a teal leather satchel two years ago. The strategically studded hardware and the delicately laced fringe are the perfect yin and yang, a winning combination of tough and chic. The flagship label’s fall 2008 collection showcases fluttery fringe, burnished metallics, and the signature Botkier hardware juxtaposed against buttery, rumpled leather, which I totally heart. Botkier’s incarnation of for-the-people couture (at a tenth of the couture price) actually manages to spark some style possibilities. The crackled patina of the gold hobo (pictured) blurs the line between real and PVC, and for $50, I don’t have to stalk it on eBay. A fuchsia bucket bag ($40) deftly approximates patent leather in a shape and style that’s a cookie-cutter version of some top-of-the-line models. The white python-patterned hobo ($40) may even prove to be a better alternative to leather - easier to clean or at least less painfully costly to replace than the real thing. That said, not all styles hit the mark: A too-plastic- looking black satchel falls short, and a shimmery-rose wristlet is nothing special. But with some careful editing (and removal of those Target-logo-shaped charms), Botkier’s new line could offer up some winners.

When it comes to the continuing creep of advertisements in public space — from movie theater ads and motorized billboards to the obnoxious gas-pump recordings that turn an already wallet-squeezing trip into something even less pleasant — I’m firmly in the anti-proliferation camp. I don’t want to live in the world of Minority Report, where sensors read my identity and beam personalized ads at me on the sidewalk. Still, it’s hard to be 100 percent annoyed at the developers of FogScreen, a new kind of projection system that uses tap water and ultrasonic waves to throw an image onto a curtain of “dry fog.” For one thing, it’s scientifically neat and pretty cool to look at. For another, it seems tailored for use in places — night clubs, convention halls, et cetera — where people are actually hoping to be bombarded with commercial messages. Then again, few technological innovations stay contained once advertisers decide they’re useful. If these walk-through fog messages start trying to sell me soda at the airport, I’ll start shopping for portable dehumidifiers right away. Until then, party-throwers with cash to burn can add some dazzle to events by renting the projectors here.

Forget men – I fantasize about flooring. My dream floor? Cork, of course. Cork flooring used to be hard to find and outrageously expensive. But now, it is not only more widely available but also competitive with tile or hardwood in pricing. Cork choices go beyond that bulletin-board tan; check out the stunning installation photo gallery from Duro Design, and you’ll see why I’m floored by the beauty of cork. Cork is durable (lasting 30 to 50 years), easy on the feet, and sound-absorbing. Best of all, it’s Earth-friendly, since cork is bark shaved from the cork oak tree, which re-grows the bark after harvesting. Frank Lloyd Wright was onto this in the 1920s; he used cork flooring in many of his houses. Cork comes in tiles or planks and can be either glueless or glue-down. For a basic no-glue cork tile, see APC Cork’s Apollo Blend at Fast Floors (sale priced at $1.99 per tile). Da Vinci’s collection of glue-down tiles at Black River Flooring shows cork’s versatility in color, pattern, and price ($1.99 to $3.60 per square foot); check out the striated Evora tile. You’ll be floating over the price of the glue-down Lisbon Cork planks from Lumber Liquidators ($1.19). For convenience, Black River offers an amazing array of glueless floating-floor options that don’t even look like cork, such as DaVinci’s zebra-striped Tigris ($5.05; pictured above), the confetti-like Arguim ($5.65), and the marbled Lunar ($5.95) or APC’s geographical Cronus Night ($5.19; pictured right) and Odysseus Rose ($5.19). The most unusual take on cork is the Jelinek mosaic made from recycled wine corks; it can be stained in whatever color matches your décor and can even be used in showers and saunas ($20 at CorkStore.com). Cork comes unfinished (which may require waxing) or sealed with various finishes; for a primer on cork, visit Globus Cork Floors. That does it; let’s rip out the carpet!