Crawling out of the standard-materials rut when remodeling -- you know, the conventional idea that counters must be stone or tile, floors wood, yada yada -- opens up a brave new world of possibilities. New alternatives can also save a lot of money and win environmental Brownie points.

For full details, just ask Janet Hall, the San Francisco-based co-founder, editor-at-large and "materials maven" at the popular renovation and home-design website Remodelista.

Hall and her colleagues curate a wealth of mind-bending ideas, many of them from cutting-edge decorators and architects who are constantly seeking never-seen-before concepts for the home.

"Some motivating factors (for switching to new materials) include budget considerations," Hall says, "plus an effort to reduce consumption and repurpose items people already have in the home or that have been used by someone else. Also to add personality, creativity and originality into the design."

Just imagine a multihued herringbone floor made from dirt-cheap steel; old leather belts deployed as curtain rods; rustic barn siding on countertops; inexpensive plumbers piping repurposed for hanging contemporary pendant lights.

Hall's mantra is "Recycling, repurposing and reusing," and that applies to every conceivable safe, practical material out there.

New uses

Burlap -- that inexpensive, rough-textured, neutral-toned fabric of feed-sack fame -- is having its moment. Remodelista shows it transformed into window coverings, table runners, room dividers and more. Particularly unexpected was an elegant atelier at the 2013 San Francisco Decorator Showcase from designer Antonio Martins that had not only burlap "walls" but an eye-popping floor of mottled, bluish, cold-rolled steel in a herringbone pattern. Though supremely durable, it didn't look like metal at all.

The Richlite countertop and backsplash in the Bay Area home of Remodelista co-founder Julie Carlson are heat resistant, nonporous, durable, warm-to-the-touch and inherently antibacterial. (Matthew Williams/Remodelista)

For DIY curtain rods, Hall says, "We like plumbers pipe, especially if you want a vintage, farmhouse kind of look." If you prefer something sleek and modern, she points to a small, avant-garde light pendant that can be built, again using plumbers pipe, for $60.

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Published on May 28, 2014

From recycled glass to concrete, countertops get colorful and creative

The concrete countertops in Eleanor Zuckerman's San Francisco kitchen are hand-crafted works of art.

Custom-designed by Fu-Tun Cheng of the Berkeley, California-based Cheng Concrete, they feature colours like brick, flowing lines and pictures of nautilus shells.

"With concrete there is a lot of room for creativity, to say nothing of colour," says Zuckerman, a retired psychologist. "It gives you flexibility."

Homeowners looking to spice up their kitchens can install a variety of countertops that go beyond the traditional laminate and tile. Today's options include concrete and butcher-block-style wood, and a range of custom-designed colours and shapes. IceStone countertops use recycled glass from broken bottles.

"So many different materials are used in countertops these days," says Tony Izzo, Curtis Lumber's corporate kitchen and bath manager in Albany, New York. Until about 25 years ago, he says, roughly 90 per cent of countertops in U.S. homes were laminate, and the rest tile.

Then DuPont's Corian hit the market, followed by granite and quartz, which are current favourites, he says. Today, just half of countertops are laminate, Izzo says.

The burgeoning interest in alternative countertops is the natural extension of that trend. And they are becoming more affordable.

"Slowly, over the years, the market has really grown," says Mike Heidebrink, president of Cheng Concrete. When the company opened in 2002, it catered mostly to well-heeled dot-commers willing to spend more to bring an artisan's touch to their kitchens.

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This is fueling confidence in Chinese consumers

Robert Rennie, Global Head of FX and Commodities Strategy at Westpac Bank, discusses the findings of the bank's latest consumer sentiment survey.

While steadily declining across New York state and the U.S., apparel manufacturing has been able to make inroads in New York City and other smaller cities. Fueled by rising production costs overseas, more small merchants and independent designers are opting to make clothing in communities such as Raleigh, N.C., which boasts a long textile history; and Fort Wayne, Ind., deep in the Rust Belt.

The "Made in USA" apparel movement is part of a larger re-shoring push, as more small to mid-sized U.S. businesses make and export goods as part of their business strategy.

Triggered by changes in wages and energy costs, the difference between China and U.S. in manufacturing costsbefore transportationhas narrowed to less than five points, as recently measured by The Boston Consulting Group in an April report. A decade ago, that gap between the U.S. and China was wider at 14 points.

Exports continue to rise and reached record levels in March this year, according to the U.S. Census.

The U.S. and Mexico are experiencing dramatic shifts in manufacturing, according the consultancy's report. Those countries are gaining in manufacturing, aided by multiple factors including moderate wage growth, energy advantages and stable foreign-exchange rates.

Top exporting economies experiencing manufacturing pressures, according to the report, include China, Brazil and Russia.

Go here for the Crain's report.

By CNBC's Heesun Wee. Follow her on Twitter @heesunwee, and Facebook.

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Where US manufacturing jobs are growing

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