Biomimicry and Design

What is Biomimicry?  It's the observation of nature's structure and method and implementing it in man made designs and materials.  I was sent the link to this interesting video on Biomimicry from my Interface flooring rep.  I thought it was worth sharing:


What is Bomimicry? video link

Cork On The Floor

I saw this cork flooring by Globus Cork in an advertisement in Interior Design Magazine and thought it was the most stunning cork floor I'd ever seen.  I love the basket-weave pattern and have used it many times in tile and natural stone floors but never with cork.  In fact, I don't recall ever specifying a cork floor. 

Cork is a great product in that it uses recycled content and has great acoustic absorption.  I never have been inspired much by cork but this floor has changed my mind.  I will have to remember this for future projects.

Photos from www.corkfloor.com

Learning My ABCs

I have a new favorite website: ABC home.  I saw their add in Interior Design magazine and the anthropoligie-esque interior photo instantly drew me in.  I just started to skim the surface of their online store and am already in love!  I had to immediately share with you so you can drool along with me!

They have products not only for home but apparel too.  ABC home also offers carpet and is very eco-conscious. Please hop over to their fabulous site here.  You won't be dissapointed!

Images from ABC home

Mythic Paint: Painting Green

When I was visiting the interiors store Scout in Oakland a while back, I noticed they featured Mythic Paint.  I wasn't too familiar with it so I decided to look it up and pass my findings on to you.

Most paint manufacturers like Dunn-Edwards are going green to reduce emissions and create healthier interior environments.  Yolo Colorhouse Paints' tag line is "the environmentally responsible paint company".
Mythic Paint has the phrase "non-toxic paint" built into their logo and it seems they are built around this fact.  Mythic has no VOC's (volatile organic compounds) which are bad for the environment and people.  This paint is safe for people, pets and the earth.  It has very low odor, which is one of the number one complaints people have about paints.
You may be familiar with the spokesperson for Mythic Paint, David Bromstad of HGTV's show "Color Splash". 

Mythic is another great option for eco-friendly paint.  For more information on the product, visit their website.

Images from Mythic Paint

Some Good Advice

While I was at Borders recently, I picked up a book from the bargain section (I love getting a bargain!)  I think this one is worth the small sum and will be sure to fit into any budget.  The book is called The Healthy Home Workbook: easy Steps for Eco-Friendly Living.

 Inside, you will find the book full of great advice for making your house a healthier place to live from paint and carpet to buying local and organic foods and having an organic garden.  There's even instructions for making your own "Healthy Pillow."  The photographs are inspiring and perfectly emanating the essence of healthy living.

I am finding some very valuable tips in this book that I can incorporate into my life.  I've made the book available on my bookstore (it really costs only a few dollars or used for a few cents!) if you don't have a chance to run to your local Borders.

Here is a parting quote from the book on the subject of furniture and fabrics:
       Begin replacing synthetic soft goods (pillos, curtains, rugs) with natural materials and fabrics such as organically grown cotton, linen, and hemp.

Organic materials are becoming more available as the demand increases, as I mentioned in a past post about West Elm now having organic bedding available.

And for some random knowledge about natural fibers, did you know wool is the most flame resistant of natural fabrics? 
         

Incandescent No More?

At least, incandescent light bulbs will be no more for the Toshiba company who has been manufacturing these bulbs for 120 years.  They are now streamlining their production with more efficient, low energy bulbs as the demands for them increase.  The production of incandescent bulbs last year at Toshiba was half of what they produced in CFLs (compact fluorescent lights).  With many international governments restricting the use of incandescent bulbs, Toshiba is most likely the first of many manufacturers to start phasing out these less efficient lighting.  Here is an article which gives more details.

My only hope is that we go farther in our lighting technology to emulate the wonderful light an incandescent gives off in a more efficient way.  It's getting better, but there's nothing I'm excited to use as a great substitute.  LEDs (light emitting diode) and other low voltage lights usually give clean looking light but are weaker.  I love to use natural lighting as much as possible but obviously, you will have to turn on a light at some point in the evening or on a cloudy day. Lighting can affect greatly how color is cast in a space so this topic is very important to my line of work.

I thought this t-shirt design my husband found for me from threadless.com would shed some humor on the subject: It's a lightsaver!

Images from google images and threadless

Walnut Wallpaper

Walnut Wallpaper being the name of the company, that is, not wallpaper made from walnuts or walnut colored.  I was turned on to Walnut Wallpaper by the a mention by the editor of Dwell magazine, Michela O'Connor Abrams (yes this was at the Sustainable Furnishing synposium mentiored here.  I got so many gems of information there!)
This fun company is located in Hollywood, California.  Founded in 2005, It features many of the in-demand and hard to find wallpaper lines and designers while also providing eco-friendly wallpapers, as shown below.

What a fun resource to find!

You Can Take That to the Furniture Bank

I was sadly unaware of the existence of furniture banks until I went to the Why Green, Why Not? symposium in Las Vegas this month, as I mentioned in my blog here.  Kathy Ireland mentioned it as a way to be green.  I wasn't the only one not in the loop though, since someone piped up to ask her what exactly a furniture bank was.  On returning home I did a little research and found one local to me as well as useful websites for furniture banks nationwide and I thought I would pass on this knowledge for those unaware of their existence, like me

There is an organization called the National Furniture Bank Association (NFBA) whose mission is "to assure that no child in America has to sleep on the floor."  Furniture banks will take your donated unwanted furniture, often pick it up, and relocate it to a family in need.  What a wonderful way to clear the room for your new furniture or just get rid of some in an over cluttered space.

For my local readers, Furniture for Families in Folsom, California is the furniture bank for the area.  Other furniture banks can be located on the NFBA website simply by entering your zip code.


Of course, there are always charities like Goodwill and Salvation Army as well as internet sources like freecycle who will be happy to take your donations.


I think knowing about furniture banks will be a great value for me in finding ways to help my community and I will definitely recommend it to my clients, families and friends! 


Have you ever used one?

Why Green? Why Not?

While I was at Market, I attended a symposium on sustainable design, as I mentioned in my last post.  I wanted to find out more about this subject since, whether my clients are asking for it or not, it is good to be informed about the products I specify.  I firmly believe that we should be good stewards of the resources we have and maintain a eco-friendly balance so we can at least leave our future generations with as many natural resources as we have had available to us.

The panel of discussion was hosted by the Sustainable Furnishings Council.  Questions were directed to the glamourous Kath Ireland, HGTV star Angelo Surmelis and the President and Publisher of Dwell magazine, Michela O'Connor Abrams.

They all took turns giving valuable and heartfelt answers about what they are doing with their own company to produce a sustainable product, not only meaning the materials used, but how they are made and the conditions under which they are made. 

Kathy Ireland pointed out that she will frequently make surprise visits to her factories to ensure that her standards are being met for her product and the working conditions.  She has made efforts to see that her products are never made by children. 

Angelo explained the efficiency of his packaging for his furniture, there is little waste and all packing products are recyclable.  He also emphasized that even in his shows, partly due to limited time and budgets, he seeks to reuse as many pieces of furniture and fabrics as possible. 

Michela pointed out Dwell Magazine's continual effort to support and encourage green products.  The magazine holds valuable sources for designers and consumers to find products that are certifiably "green".  Dwell also showcases many projects that use green means in the design and building process.

The symposium was very informative and inspiring!  I realize that I need to be more responsible in finding more green products and asking my vendors for them.  The more companies are asked for green products, the more motivation they have for making them since they are driven by their buyer's needs and demands.  Thankfully, there are many more options for specifying green now than there ever has been and hopefully we will see this trend became the standard for the industry across the board.  Many sources can be found at the SFC website.

It was also a plus to be able to meet these inspiring and famous people!

 

Photos by Rebecca Ward

Light The Way

Rumors have been surfacing about the possibility of incandescent lights (i.e. your average light bulb) become illegal to use in the future due to their energy inefficiency. This is a major concern to anyone working with interiors since the type and source of lighting can greatly affect colors. Here is an article from Sherwin Williams' STIR magazine that helps diffuse some of the confusion on this topic.

image-google

Experienced Materials

I discovered a fun and green company called Experienced Materials. Portland, Oregon artist Gina Nash creates light fixtures and sculptures from recycled steel. These very beautiful peices are worth noticing!

Pure

Pure is a green furniture manufacturing company with some elegant pieces. They have 4 collections in their line: Air, Water, Fire and Water. Within each is an array of clean lined furniture pieces that are made from sustainable materials. Pure is local to Canada but of course, the product are available internationally.

Ami McKay of Canada's HGTV designs each piece for Pure.

Claim Some Reclaimed Wood

I came across this company, Live Edge Design, Inc. who feature furniture made from reclaimed wood from trees felled by storms or left behind by forest companies.

I think some of these pieces would be great as one of kind, organic(and not to mention green!) additions to a home. The natural woods can fit easily in most design styles.

I love this dining table. The grain of the wood is so naturally beautiful and a piece of art.

These tree stumps look great in this lounge setting and are ever so popular right now. (see West Elm)

This side table is fun!