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EVERYONE KNOWS WE HAVE TO TAKE BETTER CARE OF THE EARTH, BUT ECO-FRIENDLY LIVING REQUIRES SOME PERSONAL COMMITMENT. OR DOES IT? HC&G HAS UNEARTHED SEVEN COMPANIES—FROM PRODUCERS OF ALTERNATIVE ENERGY SYSTEMS TO MAKERS OF GREEN DÉCOR—THAT PROVE GOING GREEN MAY BE CHEAPER, EASIER AND SEXIER THAN YOU MIGHT HAVE THOUGHT

Clodagh—Clodagh
Raised in the Irish countryside, interior designer Clodagh never heard the word "environmentalism" as a child. Instead, her family simply lived it by composting and powering their house with water- and wind-generated energy. Hers was an upbringing with matter-of-fact lessons about native plants or the ways a home can be oriented to maximize cross-ventilation and light. Finally, when she began her design business in Spain in the 1970s, Clodagh found herself living in Almeria, which has one of the world's largest solar power fields.

"I knew a lot from my own experience, but I still had to have my consciousness raised," she says. "Today, there is no facet of my work where I don't think about its impact on the environment."

Her recent projects include the Elizabeth Arden Red Door Salons and Spas across the U.S. and Europe and a penthouse for Robert Redford. For Clodagh, good design involves the four Cs: contemplation, cleansing unnecessary items, clarifying goals and creating a timeless space.