Pretty Little Green Things

Archive for July, 2010

The third annual Kitchen of the Year from House Beautiful will be unveiled on Monday, July 19 on the Today Show.  This year’s kitchen was designed by Flipping Out’s star, Jeff Lewis and will be on view in Rockefeller Center from July 19-23.  Here’s a link to the scheduled events.  While I don’t know all of the details, I do know that it will contain at least one eco-friendly piece.  The dining table was built by Jeff Soderbergh, a furniture maker and creator of some of the most gorgeous pieces.  Jeff uses reclaimed antique architectural materials and transforms them into works of art.  Here’s what he had to say about his table.

“This past April, House Beautiful Magazine and Jeff Lewis commissioned me to create the 11ft x 4” thick dining table out of old growth southern yellow pine circa late 1700’s re-claimed from the Vanderbilt family stable located at Sandy Point Farm in Portsmouth, RI. The table prominently shows the original saw marks left by the water driven saw mill which first milled the great timbers.”

Unfortunately I don’t have pictures of the 2010 Kitchen of the Year or this amazing table yet, so I’m showing you last year’s kitchen first.  I can’t tell you how much of it is green, but many of the items in it are from companies with a great environmental platform or who offer eco-friendly options including: KraftMaid cabinets, Caesarstone countertops, Crate & Barrel, Restoration Hardware, Lee Industries and some antique pieces as well.

Oh and for those of you who were eagerly anticipating Monday’s (or Sunday’s for those of you who don’t subscribe by email) room scheme and wondering where it is, I’ll post that tomorrow.  In the meantime, enjoy this beautiful kitchen!

I love the color scheme of this kitchen.  The white cabinetry and neutral tones are soothing and really help that food pop!

The tablecloth is beautiful.  I wonder where it’s from…  If anyone knows, send me a message.

Photos from House Beautiful

I’m going to leave you for the weekend with this gorgeous table setting from Traditional Home.  While I don’t know how many elements of this table are actually green, you could easily do something like this on your own with leftover scraps of wood and china collected from flea markets and antique shops.  Have a wonderful weekend!

Photo from Traditional Home

As you know, one of the best ways to be green is to simply reuse something.  And one of the best ways to create a design statement is to use an object for a purpose it wasn’t originally meant for.  Maybe that’s why using suitcases and trunks as occasional tables always looks so chic and interesting.  Here are a few pictures to get the creative juices flowing.  Enjoy!

Why not try a stack of Louis Vuitton suitcases as a side table?

At $30,000, if you encase your antique Louis Vuitton steamer trunk in a lucite box, you’ll never have to worry about it getting dirty or damaged.

This one is gorgeous all on its own.

I love the glossy black and brass hardware.  Very chic!

The copper nailheads and dark iron straps look amazing against the tooled leather.

It’s been pretty gray and drab in New York today so maybe that’s why I have lighting in my head.  The Builtby lamp series from Inhabit would do just the trick.  The base is made from recovered wood fiber with no added formaldehyde and no-VOC paints.  And the best part is that the 15 different colors can be stacked and configured an infinite number of ways.  Just the bright colors alone would help chase away the rainy blues.  You can buy them online at Feel More Human.  Here are a few of my favorites.

Photos from Feel More Human

I have quite a few friends who are about to have children or already have babies and toddlers at home.  So lately I’ve been getting lots of questions about what type of furniture is best to keep your kids healthy and safe from toxins.  This is a really important question for parents to be asking because furniture is normally treated with a lot of scary chemicals (formaldehyde, arsenic and PBDEs to name a few) and children are especially susceptible to these toxins because they have not yet built up an immunity.

But fear not, you don’t have to live your first few weeks in a vintage dresser drawer like I did (you’ll have to ask my mom for that story…)  There are a ton of wonderful companies selling the chicest eco-friendly furniture for kids.  You’ll be able to deck out the new baby room in style while also ensuring that your baby is healthy.  The only thing I can’t do anything about is the crying at night.  Sorry.

Over the next few weeks, I’ll be interspersing baby products with adult friendly products so stay tuned.  Today’s topic is my top 10 favorite eco-friendly and baby friendly cribs.  It’s extra important to choose a non-toxic option for this furniture piece since babies spend most of their time here.  So without further ado, here they are.

One side note: these cribs are either made from rapidly renewable resources or wood from certified forests.  All of the finishes are no-VOC, water-based and non-toxic.  If you want more specifics about a certain piece, please visit the manufacturer’s website.

1.  Cabana Canopy Crib from ducduc.  How fun is this?  I mean, come on, even I still want a canopy.

2.  Alex crib also from ducduc.  So cute and so true.

3.  Echo crib from Kalon Studios.  I like the slightly curved lines that soften the overall modern feel.

4.  IoLine crib also from Kalon Studios.  I love the modern take on the Craftsman style.  And that little girl is adorable!

5.  Classic Crib from Oeuf.  A sleek design for a modern baby.

6.  Loft from Netto Collection.  Okay, so this is really a bed for toddlers, but it’s such a great piece I just had to include it.

7.  Studio crib from Nurseryworks.  I love that this crib has built-in storage – perfect for small rooms.  And when your kid gets bigger, the crib turns into a toddler bed and the changing station turns into a desk.  Brilliant!

8.  Regency crib from The New Traditionalists.  For a fancier baby (or a fancier nursery), this crib is super chic.  And I’m a huge fan of The New Traditionalists.

9.  Solaire crib from Q Collection.  I love the slightly mid-century modern look of this crib.  Plus the half circles leave room for mobiles.  So chic.

10.  Sleepi crib from Stokke.  Last but certainly not least.  I love the soft oval shape and that it grows with your baby.

I’m bringing you today’s post in honor of Spain’s World Cup win.  Okay, maybe that’s a bit of a stretch, but this doormat does sort of look like the Spanish flag and I was looking for a good transition into talking about The Maine Float-Rope Co. I love the colorful striped and solid designs of their Down East Doormats, but what I love even more is their green platform.  These mats are made of re-purposed float rope, discarded by lobstermen who had to quit using it in 2009 and switch to sink rope.  The problem was the Northern Right Whales were getting tangled and hurt in a rope that floats, not sinks.  In addition to recycling this unusable rope, these doormats are super durable (the rope is made to withstand salt water) and hand-woven by local Maine crafters.  I’d say these mats are an all around win.  I’ve picked out a few of my favorite colors and patterns, but there’s plenty more on their website for you to pick from.

So many options!  These are just a few.

I love the colors of this mat.  Very fresh and unique.

Here are just a few of their fun colors.

Photos from The Maine Float-Rope Co.

Happy Monday!  I’ve realized that there are so many beautiful green home furnishings and materials that sometimes putting everything together can get a bit overwhelming.  That’s why, starting today, I’ve decided that every Monday I’m going to put my design skills to good use and assemble a complete room scheme so you can see how it all might fit.  If you’re in need of inspiration or just curious how I might put together a certain type of room, let me know what you’re looking for and I’ll do my very best to accommodate.

First up this week is a fun and casual living room scheme.  Enjoy!

1.  Sweet Cheeks Sofa from Q Collection

2.  Pendant light made from satin ribbons from Studio Mesila

3.  ‘East Village’ organic cotton fabric for drapery from Rubie Green

4.  Square One Clock made from scrap wood from Pernt

5.  Glass Series No. 4 table lamp from whyrHymer

6.  Rosewood credenza with ebony pulls from Palo Samko

7.  Prana Meditation Chair from Cisco Brothers

8.  Antique ottoman upholstered with antique Suzani fabric from Chairloom

9.  Little black tables that can be used as side and coffee tables from Tod Von Mertens

10. Purple felt loop pillow from cushlab

I wanted to share a wonderful article from the NY Times about hammocks and hanging chairs.  While the seats they’re featuring aren’t necessarily green, I just love how they described them as: “harnessing available free energy – in this case, wind or the power of one’s leg.”  If I had a hammock, I’d be harnessing my free energy all the time!

You can read the full article here.  I’ve included my favorite hanging chair from the article from Byer of Maine.  Have a wonderful weekend and stay cool!

Now that you have your eco-friendly desk and energy efficient table lamp, you’ll need a chic chair for your office!  Fortunately there are plenty of recycled and vintage options out there.

The first two desk chairs comes from Design Within Reach.  The first one was designed by Philippe Starck for Emeco and is made by hand, using 80% recycled aluminum.  I love what Starck had to say about it: “Working with Emeco has allowed me to use a recycled material and transform it into something that never needs to be discarded – a tireless and unbreakable chair to enjoy for a lifetime.  It is a chair you never own, you just use it for a while until it is the next person’s turn.”  DWR, if you’re reading this, I’ll “borrow” this chair for a while!

Hudson Task Chair from DWR

This second chair is a comfy option also from DWR.  It is both Greenguard and Cradle-to-Cradle certified, is made from 44% recycled content and is 93% recyclable.  (Don’t ask me how they figured out those exact percentages!)  And if you’re looking for a different aesthetic, DWR has tons of desk chair options with some sort of recycled percentage.  These were just my favorites.

Setu Multipurpose Chair from DWR

These next three chairs aren’t technically desk chairs, but I think they would really chic options.  First up is the Girado Chair from Vivavi.  It’s made from responsibly-sourced hardwoods and upholstered with natural tanned leathers.  The swoop of the back is gorgeous!

Girado Chair from Vivavi

Next up is a tub chair from Koskela.  They have such a commitment to the environment that I couldn’t even begin to cover their mission statement in one post, but you can read a bit about it here.  So not only are these chairs eco-friendly, they’re also super stylish.

Steren Series from Koskela

This third chair, is from Pure by Ami McKay which you may remember from an earlier post I wrote on her company.  It’s not technically a desk chair, but I know I would be super comfy working away on this chair.

Cyrilla Arm Chair from Pure

I couldn’t resist this last two vintage pieces from Get Back, Inc. in Connecticut.  The industrial chic look is in right now and these two definitely fit the bill!

Vintage Bent Plywood Toledo Chair from Get Back, Inc.

Vintage Industrial Remington Rand Adjustable Chair from Get Back, Inc.

Now that I’ve shown you a sleek and energy efficient desk lamp, you’ll need an eco-friendly desk to put it on.  I’ve compiled a few chic options for you.  Enjoy!

First up are two from Hickory Chair, a company that’s been making furniture since 1911.  The company is focused on sustainable business practices and well crafted, timeless pieces.

Darlington Oval Desk from Hickory Chair

Harrison Four Drawer Writing Table from Hickory Chair

For something a bit more modern, here are two options.  The first comes from Charlet Design, a company based in Brooklyn, NY.  They source their materials locally, avoid endangered wood species and use recycled products where possible.   The second desk is from Environment Furniture and is made with reclaimed Brazilian Peroba Rosa wood.

Desk 5.1 from Charlet Design

Salvador Desk from Environment Furniture

If vintage is more your style, here are two more options.  The first desk is from The New Traditionalists who you may remember from an earlier post I wrote about good quality furniture.  Their desk is made from sustainably harvested hardwoods and finished with water based finishes.  And last (but certainly not least!) the antique style desk from Cleveland Art was re-purposed from surplus wood and industrial machinery into a work table.

Desk No. Two Eleven from The New Traditionalists

Vintage Work Table with Wood Top from Cleveland Art

I hope you’ve enjoyed this collection of desks.  Drop me a line and let me know which one is your favorite!