mydeco magazine editor

Attended the press opening of the latest in retail venture to make green lifestyle stylish on Tuesday. The ECO store opened by Colin Firth, his wife and her brother in Chiswick was long-awaited, although the actor declined to make an appearance (no doubt he didn't want to steal his wife's limelight).

The idea behind the 'eco hub' is to simplify and educate any average bod as to how they can make their lives and homes more environmentally friendly. To this effect, the store stocks all nature of gadgets and accessories - from the cutesy to the completely useless. The solar chargers splayed on the big glass windows looked like summer flowers absorbing the bright daylight; quite gorgeous. I was rather less convinced that a small tin can lined with fabric qualified as a 'recycled' handbag worth its £40 price tag. But apparently these are quite popular Stateside. Each to their own.

The shop is set up on three levels with the basement acting as an interior decorating 'parlour' where customers can arrange consulations to meet their needs. A touchy-feely wall called 'Eco Age Materials' has been set up to one side with a selection of alternative, environmentally materials you can use to decorate your home. You can't help but want to have a feel.

Product is displayed attractively and ranges from brightly coloured plastic bins with lion faces on them (to encourage children to recycle) to eco-friendly home cleaning products and a lmashade made of coconut shell. They store also boast a library where, Livia insists, the shop keepers and customers can research issues together as part of a learning experience. Great in theory, but the book titles on display felt largely predictable for this field - from 'Save Cash and Save the Planet' to 'Hemp for Victory'. It may still be some time before this sort of literature works its way into the trustworthy mainstream.

Ultimately, the message that eco home products no longer mean we have to compromise on design aesthetics or quality is clear, and ECO has gone to great lengths to make sure this message is loud and clear. They have certainly made eco seem attractive, but to play devil's advocate, the products still seem quite expensive and I look forward to the day when the average high-street chain store stocks similar things for half the price. It is only then that it seems we will have reached a true 'eco age'.