For the past three years, Harmony Design Furniture & Interiors, in Mount Vernon, has been one of Westchester County's best-kept secrets. The store's owner, interior designer Robin Harmon-Meyers, has created a total shopping experience in her charmingly renovated 100-year-old building on 4th Avenue. Community-minded and ecofriendly, the shop offers furniture, bedding, natural-fiber fabrics, as well as gifts and accessories for adults and children, and hosts workshops with special guest speakers where members of the community can learn more about design projects as well as what's on the market. Harmon-Meyers provides professional interior design services, and her focus on eco-conscious design and green building is a major emphasis: "There is so much to look forward to in my industry in the direction of green building. I look forward to participating in and pioneering new ideas." 115 South 4th Avenue. Store hours: 10am–5pm. (914) 699-0809. www.harmonydesigns.net

As consumers embrace the environmental and economic benefits of renewable energy, solar power is quickly gaining steam as a viable alternative to traditional energy sources.  The Sustainable Media Network, a Denver-based communication and marketing service that promotes green building and rewable energy, has created Buying A Solar Electric System, a 14-minute video for Austin, Texas–based Verde Energy that is designed to educate buyers about the steps required to bring solar power into the home. Site specifications, up-front costs versus long-term savings, government incentives, and financing are all factors to be considered before installing a photovoltaic system. Narrator Erik Tieze walks the average consumer through everything from consulting a contractor to selling electricity back to your utility company. View the video at www.verdeenergy.com.

Photos, from top: Robin Harmon-Myers; courtesy kaboost.com; courtesy verdeenergy.com