Pretty Little Green Things

Archive for June, 2010

I just had to share this amazing light fixture with you from Design*Sponge today.  It’s a wonderful example of reuse from Stave Luminary.  These fixtures are made out of reclaimed wine barrel staves and lined with burlap.   I think what makes it so beautiful is the burgundy wine color you get from wine soaking into the wood over a long period of time.  Thank you Design*Sponge and Stave Luminary!





Photos via Design*Sponge & Stave Luminary

This next pillow collection comes from Alexandra Ferguson.  She was recently featured in Real Simple (June’s issue!) and as a featured seller on Etsy.  Her pillows are made from “100 percent post consumer recycled felt applique pillows. Each pillow is approximately the equivalent of 4 bottles that would have otherwise ended up in a landfill.”  But you would never think that these pillows were anything but chic. The super soft felt is cut by hand and applied by machine.

It was hard for me to pick just a few favorites.  I’m always partial to anything with flowers on it, but her saying are so stylish too.  Enjoy!

I may have to adopt this as a slogan!

Gorgeous!

I may have to get this for my husband (or better yet, he should get this for me!)

Photos from Alexandra Ferguson

Writing all of these posts on organic fabrics got me thinking about what you could do with all of these gorgeous fabrics.  Naturally I thought, pillows!  I’m going to be showing you a few great retailers of organic and recycled pillows in upcoming posts, but before I get to that, I did a quick search on Etsy to see what well crafted offerings were out there.  I’m a huge fan of supporting small businesses and handmade goods, especially when they’re green.  Plus these pillows are chic!

It must be summer, because I was drawn to these nautical themed pillows first.

These pillows from Reiter8 are made from upcycled sailboat sails.  And because they’re made out of sailcloth, they’re perfect for outdoor use.  While using sails to make bags isn’t a new idea, this is the first time I’ve seen pillows.  She sells numbers 1 to 9 in a variety of colors so make sure to check out her Etsy shop.

This seahorse pillow comes from Humble Collection and would look great on a porch in the Hamptons or Martha’s Vineyard (not that I have one of those).  It comes in a few different colors although I’m definitely partial to the navy blue.  Pillows are hand printed using non-toxic inks on 100% organic cotton twill.  Humble Collection has many different pillow designs so make sure to check out her Etsy shop.

I am in love with this super cute pillow from Pretty Stinkin Green.  She has a few other colors online too, but I think the purple is just so much fun.  And it’s made from recycled wool!

I love these pillows so much I couldn’t choose just one, so I’m showing you two different colorways (and there are more colors online too).  These super stylish pillows are from PLYtextiles.  She has washed old sweaters so they’re super soft and recycled them into pillows.  I might just need one of these!

Most of these pillows are sold as covers only, so make sure you’re buying eco-friendly inserts to make these pillows truly green.  You can buy organic stuffing from Near Sea Naturals.

Inhabitat posted this table from Godoylab on their website a couple of days ago and I wanted to share with you.  It’s made from sustainably harvested teak wood. I think it’s absolutely gorgeous and very unique.  You can read Inhabitat’s full post here.  

Have a great weekend!

The last company that I’ll be showing you is Harmony Art Organic Design, which I think is a great way to end this series of beautiful organic fabric.  I love their slogan, “committed to keeping oatmeal and granola where it belongs…”  Their heavier twills and denims are great for upholstery and their sateens would make damn cute pillows, tablecloths, curtains, you name it.



Their patterns are feminine but young, fresh and fun.  All are organic cotton sourced and printed either in India or the US, because as I’ve been learning India is one of the best places for organic cotton.  Harmony Art is also dedicated to fair trade practices and “promoting social and environmental progress in the textile industry.”  What a great way to run an organic fabric company!

Unless you’re a wholesaler or are planning to buy 50 yards of fabric, you can’t buy directly through them.  However, there are plenty of online retailers that carry their fabrics.  Happy shopping!







Photos from Harmony Art Organic Design

For those of you who are more partial to solid colors, subtle patterns or just want a variety of fiber choices, one of the best retail organic fabric companies I’ve come across is Near Sea Naturals.  They have an amazing variety of organic cotton, wool, hemp, blended fibers and peace silks in lots of beautiful colors.

As an interior designer, I am particularly fond of silk, for its luster and hand.  However I’ve always been under the impression that as long as you’re using a natural fiber, you’ve made a more or less green choice.  But as with so many eco options, it’s never quite that simple.  Yes, it’s a natural fiber, biodegradable and made from renewable resources, but there’s so much more to it than that.  Treehugger has a great article describing whether silk is green or not in a very easy to understand way.  As you’ll learn, peace, Tussah or fair-trade silks are a much better choice than standard silk.  And fortunately Near Sea Naturals has a great selection so you can feel good about your chic choices.

Here’s a picture of Near Sea Naturals’ peace silk.  Gorgeous!

Near Sea Naturals’ website has a TON of fabric options so I don’t think it’s possible to choose wrong.  As you’re shopping, keep in mind that many of their fabrics are lightweight and woven for clothing or throw pillows.  There are, however, plenty of options for upholstery and light usage and it usually says in the description what you can use the fabric for.  Images on their website are fairly good, but if you’re trying to match something specific or working on a design scheme, you can always buy a swatch to see the fabric close up.  The only downside I’ve found is that you’re not guaranteed that a certain fabric will stay in stock or that they’ll be able to order more.  So make sure to order soon and order all of the yardage you need!  And don’t forget to order organic notions, batting and ribbon to go with your beautiful organic fabric.

Here are just a few of my favorites.

Here are just a few of Near Sea Naturals’ solids in cotton, silk wool and blends.  They have a beautiful color selection.

Photos from Near Sea Naturals

I’m going to interrupt my series of organic fabrics with a timely peek of a great project in downtown Manhattan.  If you’re able to get down there in the next week, you should definitely take a look.  Every year Country Living Magazine sponsors a show house, their House of the Year.  This year they’ve partnered with New World Home to bring a green model home to Lower Manhattan.  While it is a bit bizarre to see a full sized house plunked down in the middle of World Financial Center Plaza, I’m so glad they did it.  Here you can see the home being built.



Interiors of this 1,600 square foot, 2 bedroom, 2 1/2 bath house were designed by Katie Ridder, editor of Country Living.  The style and square footage is just one of the many options available from New World Home.  But what’s really significant about these homes is that they’re green, pre-fab and historically accurate.  Pre-fab has definitely gotten a bad reputation in the past, but the modular homes of today are pretty amazing.  Mostly fabricated in a factory off-site, New World Home is able to build a brand new house in about 60 days.  When you compare that to most one family homes take 2 years to build, this timeline is pretty incredible.  In addition, these homes have been built to the strictest sustainable standards and are LEED Certified for Homes.  And as my husband knows quite well, I have a soft spot in my heart for wrap around porches, so with these homes you get traditional style and detailing with modern conveniences.

Unfortunately I wasn’t allowed to take pictures of the interior for you, so you’ll have to hurry down to World Financial Center Plaza before they ship it off to New Jersey.  This home is on view until June 17 and tours are free.  If you miss it or don’t live in New York, Country Living Magazine will feature the interior in the November issue.

The stereotypical organic fabric is neutral in color and somewhat unrefined, however this next company is also showing that green does not have to equal boring.  Founded by Michelle Adams, who you may remember from an earlier post I wrote about her super chic apartment, Rubie Green is out to prove that their fabrics can be  just and colorful and graphic as the next.  And we’re glad they did.

Rubie Green uses only 100% certified organic cotton to print on.  Their inks are water-based, non-toxic and contain no VOCs. What I found especially impressive is their heat printing method uses only about a gallon of water a day.  Normal printing methods use a lot of water and create a lot of waste.  I don’t know how much fabric Rubie Green prints daily, but this seems like an impressive goal for textile companies.

Their prices, at $90 per yard, are more than Mod Green Pod but with patterns this bold and colorful, you really only need a little bit to brighten up a room.

Here are just a few of my favorites.  Make sure you check out their website for more.  Enjoy!

This pattern is called East Village.  I may have to get a yard or two not only because it’s a great pattern, but that’s my neighborhood!

This pattern is so fun in lime green, or…

Beautiful and elegant in gray

Photos by Patrick Cline for Rubie Green

So now that I’ve shown you that beautiful and sustainable furniture is possible and available, the next question to answer is: where can I find beautiful and sustainable fabrics to upholster my gorgeous furniture with? For manufacturers who don’t provide their own organic fabrics, I’ll be profiling a few textile companies over the next few posts.  First up is Mod Green Pod.

Founded by sisters Nancy and Lisa Mims, Mod Green Pod makes graphic and colorful fabrics and wallpaper that are anything but boring.  Their patterns are all printed on 100% certified organic cotton that has been grown and woven in the United States.  According to Mod Green Pod:

Conventional cotton represents only three percent of the world’s cropland, yet it’s doused with 25% of all insecticides and over 10% of all pesticides. In California, five of the top nine pesticides used on cotton are given the most toxic classification for cancer-causing chemicals.

That’s scary stuff and just one of the many reasons that natural fibers are not always the same as organic fibers!

In addition to using organic cotton, Mod Green Pod also uses non-toxic printing pigments and dyes.  What they don’t use are fabric protectors, color fast agents, stain resistants, wrinkle-free agents or fire retardants that may contain toxins.

Here are a few of their fun, colorful and graphic patterns.  And for about $40/yard, you can use these fabrics for larger item or drapery.  Mod Green Pod also has a range of bright solids and can do custom colors with large orders.  Tell me what you think!

Hey Mod Green Pod!  If you’re out there, I love this print and think you should make it in a bright color such as purple or royal blue.  I have dining chairs that need reupholstering and this fabric would look perfect on them!

Love the retro look of this one

I love that this pattern comes in a large and small scales.  I’m a bit partial to the magenta color way though.

Photos from Mod Green Pod

The last company I’ll be showing you in this series of beautiful, sustainable and long lasting furniture is Cisco Brothers.  Based in LA, Cisco Brothers was founded by Cisco Pinedo, a furniture designer with an impressive commitment to quality and to the environment.  In fact, he has been making furniture for 20 years now and was the first to create 100% sustainable furniture furniture.  Here’s how: wood furniture and frames are FSC certified (Forest Stewardship Council), adhesives are water based, and there are a variety of green cushion options including natural latex, down, feather or soy-based foams.  Upholstered items are made with natural and organic fabrics (which as I’ll describe in later posts, are not the same).  In addition, in an industry where many factories have been moved to China, Cisco Brothers furniture is proudly made in California.   For those of you who live in New York like me, fortunately you can find his beautiful furniture at ABC Home.

What I love about this furniture is its casual elegance.  Each piece is totally understated but the clean lines and unique design touches mean that they’ll be pieces you’ll love forever.

Since it would take pages for me to post every single piece of beautiful piece of furniture they make, you’ll have to jump to their website to take a look.  But I will leave you with a few shots of the interior of their showroom and some of their newer introductions.  Enjoy!

I love the combination of the crisp white sofa and modern lines of the chairs together with the rustic root sculpture

This is a perfect sectional to curl up on and watch a movie

This is a wonderful glamorous take on a traditional English sofa.  And as you’ll soon learn, I’m a huge fan of anything with nailheads on it!

These beds are beautiful.  I may have found the perfect bed for my bedroom!

Here’s a great view of their High Point Showroom.  You can see how big it is and how many different pieces of furniture they have.  I’ll be following up with a post on Cisco Pinedo’s house in later posts.  Suffice it to say, that his home is just as beautiful as his furniture.

Photos from Cisco Brothers