Greendesign

Because the store only opened in August, some of its products are still coming in and being arranged. Greendesign, however, is remarkably uncluttered and neatly organized. The atmosphere is a good match for the store's philosophy, with lots of open space, light and natural aromas. The owners are friendly and happy to share information about the products without being overwhelmingly attentive.

Admittedly, Greendesign is not a place for everyday college shopping. Though many of its offerings are impressively green (like a mattress named "Greenest" in the National Geographic Green Guide), they are not very practical for use at Princeton. That's not to say there's nothing for students, though. There are some student-friendly items that can be used often, including microwave-safe and plastic-free Kleen Kanteen water bottles and Eco and Baggu grocery bags perfect for runs to the U-Store and WaWa. There's also a good selection of nicely decorated notebooks. Though these notebooks cost up to twice as much as their green counterparts at the U-Store, they're a lot more attractive and actually cheaper than a lot of similar products found in bookstores. They could work well as planners or gifts.

The store offers many other possible gifts as well. On the pricier side, there is handmade glass-bottle jewelry and found beach-glass jewelry. Greendesign also stocks an old gift-giving staple: bath and body products. Though there isn't a large selection, there are a variety of soaps and lotions from Trillium Organics and Peacock Republic. Customers can sample the products and a range of scents in the store.

While the jewelry and beauty products cover mom and female friends or roommates, there are also a lot of gifts available for children and students' other relatives. There are some cute but fairly nondescript baby clothes that are nice for people looking to start an eco-friendly wardrobe early but otherwise aren't very exciting. The handcrafted toys and games are more interesting options for kids. Some of them are extravagant for children's gifts, including $120 handcrafted dolls, but a lot of Greendesign's cute items fall well within a typical student's price range.

For smaller gifts, Greendesign offers sets of beautifully designed cards that come in $5 packs. They even have items available for only a quarter: recycled paper gift tags. They may not be necessary, but for the price, they're kind of fun.

Overall, the store succeeds in what it sets out to do. It sells eco-friendly products in a comfortable environment at a range of prices.

Greendesign is located at 42 Witherspoon St.