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By now, everyone and his nutritionist has heard of the 100-mile diet, the phenomenon started in 2005 by an eco-conscious Vancouver couple who decided to eat and drink only what could be grown and produced within a 100-mile radius of their home.

But what about the like-minded movement in the world of home decor?

These days, a great bulk of our home furnishings are manufactured abroad, travel great distances to get to us and eat up a lot of resources in the process. So just as we shop at farmers markets and wear locally made T-shirts, a growing number of us are looking in our own neighbourhoods for sustainable yet chic alternatives.

And contrary to popular belief, it's not all recycled-record vases and too-clever-by-half craft kitsch.

Get set for 100-mile decorating.

"Consumers are becoming increasingly aware of the cost to the planet of transporting heavy things from a factory in the Far East or Europe to their North American homes," says Graeme Spicer, director of retail strategy at DW + Partners Inc., a retail branding and design consultancy in Toronto.

"They also have more confidence that their purchases are being created in an environmentally friendly or at least environmentally neutral manner if they're made locally instead of in, say, China, which has a shaky environmental record at best."

As it happens, many of this country's design firms were sourcing their materials and producing their products close to home long before Canadians started measuring their carbon footprints.

British Columbia's Brent Comber, for instance, has been crafting his rugged wood furniture out of fallen or reclaimed Vancouver-area timber since 1994, while Toronto-based Centrifuge Design's policy of working with suppliers and fabricators in the city and its environs is as old as the firm itself.

"Even when we started back in 2000, we were thinking about sourcing locally and keeping to a made-in-Canada strategy," says Centrifuge designer Stephen Hugo-Seinader, whose products range from pepper mills to mailboxes.

A clear indication that the public has finally caught up with Canadian designers on this issue is the emergence of retailers - such as Made in Toronto and M in Vancouver - devoted to homegrown products.

Both shops founded their business models on the belief that enough customers would be interested in locally produced wares created by emerging Canadian designers or, in M's case, the store itself. (It produces a line of "sustainably forested" furniture called Wood by M.)

So far, the green idea is bringing in the real green.

Shortly after opening less than two years ago, "we quickly saw that a lot of people were looking for this kind of stuff and responding to it," says Julie Nicholson, who co-owns Made with Shaun Moore.

More than mass-produced goods brought in from abroad, "it speaks to their experiences and means something to them," she adds.

Spicer, who likens regional decor to bespoke tailoring and artisanal wares, says these often one-of-a-kind works are the new must-haves for design types.

"As boomers are getting older, they are questioning the cult of consumerism and what is truly of value," he says. In this context, "a carefully curated collection of unusual pieces by lesser-known designers has as much appeal as a room full of Eames and Jacobsen."

In addition to their emotional value, their new cachet and their eco-friendliness, 100-mile products offer another, more practical advantage: shorter wait times for deliveries. After all, a sofa made in Montreal is likely to reach you sooner than one shipped from Milan, as the companies that still manufacture furniture here in Canada are eager to point out.

Quebec-based Perez Furniture, for instance, pitches the clean-lined items it produces in its own Montreal facility as "a true alternative to imports."

Toronto's Barrymore, which has been handcrafting sofas and chairs in the city since 1919, also trumpets its local cred.

Of course, products made in places such as China will always be cheaper than those made in Canada, where labour costs, Spicer says, can be up to 40 times higher.

Canadian-made furnishings do, however, tend to be better bargains than imported European designs, a more relevant comparison.

With Canadian products, "you're not dealing with export charges, freight costs, customs duties," Moore says.

But saving money isn't what this trend is about. As we're all learning, there are some things you can't put a price on. Helping the environment is one, but there's something else, too.

"The trend toward purchasing locally designed and manufactured goods isn't likely to go away any time soon," Spicer says. "As Canadians, we're more confident now. It's a source of pride to have Canadian designs in our homes these days."

GOING LOCAL IN VANCOUVER

Opened last year in West Vancouver, M (http://www.m-smartdesign.com) produces its own eco-friendly furniture made from FSC-certified wood.

Molo Design's products - including room dividers, seating and glassware - can be purchased through http://www.molodesign.com, while Propellor Design's contemporary lighting and furniture is available through http://www.propellor.ca.

Renowned designer Brent Comber (http://www.brentcomber.com) has been creating his distinctive alder, cedar and maple furniture since the mid-1990s. He welcomes customers to his North Vancouver studio by appointment.

Gailan Ngan's ceramics can be purchased at stores such as Small/Medium/Large (http://www.sml-online.com) and Bombast (http://www.bombastfurniture.com). Visits to her East Georgia Street studio (http://www.gailanngan.com) can also be arranged by appointment.

VANCOUVER

After training under her father, acclaimed ceramacist Wayne Ngan, Guilan Ngan opened her own studio in Vancouver's Strathcona neighbourhood in 1997. To create her distinctive tones and textures, she experiments with glazes created from local rocks, clays and ashes. One of her favourite colours is - appropriately - green. Wobble plates and bowl, $24 to $60 through http://www.gailanngan.com.

Led by Stephanie Forsyth and Todd MacAllen, Molo Design has won numerous international awards for its work, which encompasses everything from glassware to felt rocks. Part of the company's Soft series, this fanning circular stool made of kraft paper with 50 per cent recycled content compresses like an accordian for easy storage on shelves. Black 24-inch-diameter Softseat, $355 through http://www.molodesign.com.

In their quest for unique and unusual patterns, the founders of Vancouver's Rollout Custom Wallpaper, Anita Modha and Jonathan Nodrick, recruit community artists for ideas and inspiration. The result is original, often kooky designs, which they print in low or custom single runs. Prices vary according to order; contact info@rollout.ca for details.

In addition to selling recycled-glass bar ware and organic-cotton bedding, year-old M produces its own line of eco-friendly furniture made of sustainably harvested hardwoods. FSC-certified maple Matthew bookcase with adjustable shelves, $2,150 at M (http://www.m-smartdesign.com).

Designer and sculptor Brent Comber partners with small sawmills and manufacturers to secure his materials, but he also sources wood from roadsides, construction sites, anywhere "development is about to clear it out." His creations, however, are uniformly sublime. Alder Saddle bench, $3,795 through http://www.brentcomber.com.

GOING LOCAL IN TORONTO

Run by Shaun Moore and Julie Nicholson, Made (http://www.madedesign.ca) focuses exclusively on Canadian products and carries the work of numerous local designers, including Tamara Rushlow, Calli Balles, the Brothers Dressler, Thout, Covello Reesor and Centrifuge Design.

EyeSpy in the city's east end (http://www.eyespygifts.com) also sells the work of Centrifuge, while Bergo Designs in the Distillery District (http://www.bergo.ca) stocks the Brothers Dressler.

More traditional chairs, sofas and ottomans are constructed locally by Barrymore (http://www.barrymorefurniture.com).

Cabinet (http://www.cabinetfurniture.ca) offers locally made modern furniture.

TORONTO

Not only are Centrifuge Design's recycled-aluminum Transit mailboxes manufactured in Toronto; they are also inspired by its landmarks. These three are named after far-flung subway stations. From top: Donlands Yellow, Glencairn Orange and Bathurst Blue mailboxes, $125 each at EyeSpy (http://www.eyespygifts.com).

Toronto design duo Cristina Covello and Andrew Reesor strive to use formaldehyde-free sheet goods and sustainably culled domestic hardwoods in their work. A touch of whimsy - such is this rocking stool's electric-green interior - is also a trademark. Lacquered-plywood rocking stool, $490 at Made (http://www.madedesign.com).

Glassmaker Calli Balles was born in Toronto and trained at Sheridan College. It should come as no surprise, then, that her sensuous, sinuous work is inspired by urban life. Blown-glass Lily vases, $190 each at Made.

Industrial designer Tamara Rushlow's experience in TV and video production is evident in her work, which combines technical precision with drama and pizzazz. Case in point: her shapely cut-plywood table lamp with high-gloss lacquered shade. Ply table lamp, $250 at Made.

Architect and furniture maker Lubo Brezina tries to convey "a sense of structure" through his designs, as this angular elm side table with painted edges shows. It was made from off-cuts of larger planks. Side table, $900 at Made.

GOING LOCAL IN MONTREAL

Annie Michaud's glass-blowing studio is open to visitors by appointment. Visit http://www.anniemichaud.com for details.

Both Perez Furniture (http://www.perezfurniture.com) and Kastella (http://www.kastella.ca) operate elegant showrooms.

Periphere's work can be purchased directly through the designers, Thien and My Ta Trung, at http://www.periphere.com.

Pascale Girardin's designs are available through http://www.pascalegirardin.com, while Morin Tardif's can be bought through a number of retail sources (see http://www.morintardif.com for a full list).

MONTREAL

Billing itself as "a true alternative to imports," Perez Furniture established its own Montreal production facilities in 2003 to "better control the quality of its designs." One of at least two dozen models, the sectional sofa shown here can be configured in numerous ways. Bequia sofa, $TK through http://www.perezfurniture.com.

Who says homegrown can't be sleek? This handsome three-drawer dresser was produced in the city by Kastella. Three-drawer walnut dresser, $TK at Kastella (http://www.kastella.ca).

Designers of chic wooden objects since 1990, Nathalie Morin and Serge Tardif are inspired by the rich, seductive qualities of their favourite medium. Have you ever seen sexier salad tongs? $46 through http://www.morintardif.com.

One of Montreal's most original designers, Pascale Girardin is well-known for her outsized installations. This sculptural black vase proves that she can do small-scale beautifully, too. Black porcelain vase, $300 at Made.

The brother-sister team of Thien and My Ta Trung are among Montreal's most promising young design stars - and their showstopping Snowflake table shows why. Laser-cut steel Snowflake table, $TK through http://www.periphere.com.