Pretty Little Green Things

Archive for the ‘Interiors’ Category

I’ve been writing about San Francisco quite a lot lately so forgive me if I sound like a walking advertisement.  No proceeds have been made off these blog posts and I’m not planning on moving there either.  San Francisco just seems to have some really awesome eco-friendly things going on around town.

Today’s San Francisco based project is Bar Agricole, a refurbished restaurant in a 1912 industrial corrugated zinc warehouse.  Designed by Aidlin Darling Design, this spot is just about as green as it gets.  With a LEED Platinum certification application underway, you can be sure that as much thought went into the design of the restaurant as it did the sustainability.  From wood reclaimed from whiskey barrels, concrete throughout and glass sculptures that double as both amazing works of art and skylights, not to mention delicious hand-grown food, Bar Agricole has really set a new standard of green dining.  I’m not actually going to write much about the design of the restaurant because I just don’t think my words could do this stunning property justice.  But if you want to know more, Interior Design wrote a fantastic article that you should check out.

Photos from Interior Design

I know I’ve already done an Eco Travel this week, but I was lucky enough to get a private tour of the brand new Element Hotel near Times Square and had to share it with you.  And let me tell you, it is so impressive to see a major hotel brand like Starwood not just embrace sustainability in their properties but design an entire chain of hotels around it.

Opened in November of 2010, the brand new Element New York Times Square West by Westin boasts an impressive eco score.  As with all Elements, this hotel will be pursuing LEED certification from the USGBC.  Energy efficiency is the norm with a smart lighting system at each guestroom, Energy Star rated appliances (yup, and a full kitchen too!) and CFLs throughout.  Of course all interior finishes and fabrics are green too – carpet and fabrics made from recycled products, low-VOC paints and one of a kind art made from recycled tires.  Perhaps one of my favorite parts is the simplest too.  Understanding that paper Do-Not-Disturb signs actually create a lot of waste, Element has a magnetic panel on the outside of the door with custom magnets so you can announce when you want to be left alone.  Sometimes it’s the little things in life.

But how is all this sustainability going to help you when you’re hungry at 2am?  Element gets that the environment you live in is just as important as the food you eat.  From the good for you “Rise” breakfast to the fully stocked “Restore” gourmet pantry in the lobby, and from the full kitchen complete with pots & pans, to the traditional room service option, there are tons of healthy food choices for the busy traveler.  No greasy New York pizza for you!

From outside in, this hotel has sleek lines and a modern feel.

Here’s on of the tons of spots to hang out, relax or meet friends in the lobby.

Another spot to hang out downstairs.  I’m loving the library feel of this area.

Every suburban Element hotel has a wonderful outdoor area, but what to do in the city?  Build an awesome greenhouse, that’s what!

Here’s a shot of one of the guestrooms.  What I love about Starwood is that they really understand their guests, from a well appointed desk, comfy seating ipod docks and big closet, it’s all there.

Here’s that full kitchen I was talking about.  Even the finishes on it are eco-friendly!

The Rise breakfast each morning in the lobby

And what New York property is complete without a roof deck.  I can tell you at night the view is stunning.

As consumers, we’ve been slowly greening our living spaces with energy efficient appliances, eco-friendly materials and vintage furniture for a while now.  But what about our work spaces?  Sure, there are LEED certified office buildings out there, but if you’re not lucky enough to work in one of them, what do you do?  You pick yourself up and do it yourself!

And that’s exactly what ISC International did.  When it was time to remodel their office space, they went the green.  From non-toxic carpets, low-VOC paint and Greenguard certified chairs, ISC’s owners thought of it all.  And the most impressive part?  ISC International’s business doesn’t even focus on the green industry!  They just care about their employees and their environment enough to make a difference.  Now that’s a forward thinking company.  I’m also loving that ISC didn’t use the traditional white and grey but added fun punches of color and lots of artwork throughout their new space.  Makes it a much happier place to spend your day.  Here are a few details of their remodel:

• No & low-VOC paints from Benjamin Moore & Sherwin Williams were used throughout their space
• Eco-friendly wool carpeting from Karastan
• Porcelain floor tiles at the kitchens and bathrooms.  Many of the options out there now include some level of recycled content too and of course porcelain doesn’t emit much in the way of toxins.
• Office chairs from Knoll are Greenguard certified
• Leather is tanned with some really nasty chemicals so they used faux leather rather than real.  Just make sure if you’re going the vinyl route make sure to find one that is PVC free as well.

ISC International generously shared pictures of their office remodel with me, so I thought I would share them with you for a bit of office inspiration.  What does your office look like?  Has your company taken any steps to green your office environment?

Photos from ISC International

Being conscious about how you live just naturally bleeds into being conscious about how you eat.  At home, I try to cook organic food, limit our meat intake and cook as many veggies as I can fit in our tiny kitchen.  So it’s no wonder I fell in love with The Plant Café Organic in San Francisco as soon as I laid eyes on it.  Not only to the owners, Mark Lewis and Matthew Guelke, serve up delicious organic cuisine, their restaurant is just about as green as the food.  This could-be LEED certified café is located at Pier 3 on the waterfront in an old adapted warehouse and was designed by Cass Calder Smith of CCS Architecture.  Natural and recycled materials abound, including leaving the existing ceiling beams & girders intact, dining tables made from reclaimed hickory, flooring made from coconut shells and even your check arriving in used books.  In addition, the owners are true innovators and, I’m going to just make a wild guess here, technology lovers.  Solar panels provide about 20% of the restaurant’s electrical needs.  To wash dishes and hands, they’ve instituted an electrolyzed water system that increases the acidity of water to the level of bleach.  That means, no soap is needed at handwashing stations and in dishwasher.  Pretty cool, huh?  As for the decor, I’ll let that speak for itself.  Enjoy!

The back wall is displaying the Living wall of plants.

The outdoor patio towards the waterfront.  I could definitely hang out here on a nice summer day!

I love the ceiling treatment and hanging bulbs.  Why hide an old industrial ceiling when you can enhance it?

Photos via Inhabitat

I never thought I’d say this, but Martha Stewart is going green!  She teamed up with KB Homes and Builder Magazine to create the 2011 Builder Concept Home, an eco-friendly and energy efficient concept home that debuted at the International Builders Show.  I know Martha can be a bit controversial to some people, but I’m a fan.  I wish my life could be as organized, well decorated and beautiful as hers.  But alas I don’t have any minions to help me out, so I’ll just have to do my best till I do (kidding!).  You may think I’m a big nerd, but I’ve been honestly waiting for Martha to start tackling sustainable issues and I’m so glad it’s with an entire house.

The KB Homes Greenhouse is a net zero concept home, meaning that it produces more energy than it uses.  Pretty cool, huh?  And it has just about every green certification you can possibly get.  To start off with, this house has earned the highest possible USGBC LEED for Homes rating of platinum and has been labelled a “Maximized Energy Efficient Home” by the US Department of Energy.  Not to mention the Energy Star and Water Sense qualifications, this house is truly one to watch.  I certainly hope it does get rolled out all over the country.  The model home is a bit bland for my taste, especially knowing what Martha can do, but add a few vintage pieces, some nice florals and a few accessories and we’re in business.  What do you think?

Great Room

Another view of the Great Room

Kitchen

Another view of the Kitchen looking towards the garden

Outdoor Patio

Master Bedroom

Master Bathroom

Backyard and Garden

Solar Panels (by the way, do you see how the solar panels are integrated into the shingles?  Very innovative.)

Photos from Builder Concept Home & KB Homes

I try to stay up on trends and activity in the design world, but sometimes I’m totally oblivious to my surroundings.  This could not have been more apparent when I happened upon the stunning Linhardt Design Gallery that’s less than two blocks from my apartment.  See what I mean about oblivious?  I was wandering around my neighborhood with a friend when we popped in and literally tried on every ring and bracelet there.  It wasn’t until we started chatting with Lisa Linhart, the lovely owner & creator of these beautiful baubles that I figured out that both her jewelry and store were totally eco-friendly.

The store was designed by Linda & John Meyers of the amazing design firm Wary Meyers.  Their Tossed & Found book is an inspiration for cool reuse projects and ideas (more on them later).  For the store, all materials were reused in some fashion or another.  The floor boards & display case wood was reclaimed from various Maine locations including an old schoolhouse, church and barn.  Up in the front of the store is a vintage anvil used for display, around which they planted morning glories that bloom and grow all year long and adding a nice touch of greenery.  The counter at the back of the store was made entirely from salvaged materials found in the East Village.  And one of my favorite touches is the giant pendant lamps, made by bolting together two plastic garden planters and adding energy efficient lighting.  The whole store is the perfect combination of smart and beautiful.

If you know the area, the store used to be a used furniture store called A Repeat Performance.  I definitely remember the store, although I can’t say I actually ever stepped foot in it – too cluttered for my taste.  Linhardt is such a welcome change.

Beautiful, no?  Even though the wood is distressed the white walls and fun pendants really give the store a fresh look.

Here’s the view looking towards the entrance.

And the desk that I told you was made out of salvaged materials found in the East Village – from the drywall down to the 2×4′s.  And that painting?  John Meyers painted it.  He’s not only a talented designer but an amazing artist.

Close up of those pendants.  Next chance I get, I’m totally going to try this idea out!

You can see the morning glories just peeking up out of the space surrounding the vintage anvil.  I love the creative display here.  I can just imagine that it stops a lot of window shoppers.

Another great idea – Linda made a jewelers apron out of old denim pieces.  Not only practical but totally fashionable!

Not to be outdone by her store, Lisa’s chic jewelry is eco-friendly too: from recycled metals, conflict free diamonds, organic and salvaged materials, to fair-trade practices and a commitment to social programs, she’s covered all the sustainable bases.  And if you can’t find what you’re looking for in the store, she also has a custom program, which is great for engagement and wedding rings.

I think the Mokume process of mixing two or more metals together into this gorgeous pattern might just be my favorite.  I’m going to have to start saving up now!

This hand-cut malachite ring is a very close second.

There are plenty more styles online and in the store, so pop on over to Linhardt and take a look for yourself!

Photos from Wary Meyers and Linhardt

I was flipping through the new issue of Interiors magazine yesterday and came upon this gorgeous ski house in Sugar Bowl, CA.  There wasn’t information on whether or not it had any green features, so I’m not sure how eco-friendly the construction actually was.  But it is such a beautiful home with lots of natural wood and organic textures that this type of project could easily be done in a sustainable way.  And with a view like that, how could you not be inspired to live nature inspired life?  Oh and did I mention you can just ski on out of this house onto the slopes?  Happy snow day everyone and enjoy!

Can you imagine arriving here after a long day on the slopes?  Heaven.

Photos from Interiors and taken by Matthew Millman

Last week, I showed you Serenbe, an amazing eco-community in Georgia that’s redefining what a housing development looks and functions like.  If you missed any of the gorgeous pictures of the community, restaurants, inn or new homes, make sure to take a look back.  I wanted to wrap up this series on Serenbe with a peek into the founders’ own home.  Recently featured in House Beautiful, this townhouse is not only stunningly beautiful, it’s also eco-friendly (of course).  Each house at Serenbe has been built according to EarthCraft guidelines, and the Nygren’s home is no exception.  It’s energy efficient, situated to take advantage of natural sun, conserves water and improves air quality.  More than anything, I’m loving the inclusion of antique pieces handed down in their family, natural materials & textures and elegant detailing.  Enjoy!

Yup, that’s right.  The founders of Serenbe don’t live in a huge estate.  They live in a compact and super efficient townhouse in the middle of town.  Smart.

I’ve always been more of a glossy red front door kind of girl, but the Nygren’s gorgeous reclaimed wood one may make me change my mind.

Hello beautiful!  The reclaimed wood beams contrasting against the elegant drapes and furniture is just stunning.

This is the lovely dining room.  The chandelier looks like it might be made from staves of a wine barrel.

Library sconces are so underrated.  I love how they look installed on shelves.

I love the dark color color scheme in the breakfast room.  Such a refreshing change from the all-white rooms that seem to be the de-facto style.

I think this might be my dream kitchen.  Look at that island!  Gorgeous.

Their beautiful bedroom.  Plus look at that gorgeous door.  I love the look of the knob in the center of the door, but I’m not sure how that would work functionally.

All the townhouses’ front doors open into town while their back patios face the surrounding woods.  It’s the best of both worlds.

Photos from House Beautiful

So have I convinced you yet to give it all up and move to Serenbe?  If not, I have one more plug for this eco-friendly and beautiful housing community in Georgia – a peek into what could be your home.  Recently opened is a model home of the latest part of the development, called the Nest Cottages.  I’ve always loved wandering through model homes, mostly because I think it’s interesting what these designers think a fictional family would live like, complete with pictures of said family.  But I digress.

Designed by architect Lew Oliver and built by Martin-Dodson Homes, the Nest Cottages are not only EarthCraft homes, they are the most energy efficient home in the green building program to date.  Geothermal heating and cooling, solar panels, efficient site location, Energy Star rated appliances and materials selected for clean indoor air quality are all aspects that make this house very eco-friendly.  At just over 1,000 square feet, 2 bedroom and 2.5 baths, they’ve packed a lot of features into a little space.  Now that’s what I call smaller living! There are 15 cottages including the model home (so get yours fast!).  I have to admit that the decor of the cottage isn’t totally my style, but it’s well done, super cute and I figured you would enjoy taking a peek.

How refreshing to be surrounded by that much green!

Okay, I’ll admit it.  I have a huge soft spot in my heart for front porches.  Maybe there’s something of a Southern Lady in me because what I really want to do is sit in a rocker, sip my coffee and talk to the neighbors.

The aforementioned solar panels

Here’s a view of the living room from the kitchen.  Beautiful and simple color scheme.

A fireplace AND a front porch.  I’m sold!

The kitchen (I know, I know, duh)

Master bedroom

Photos from Serenbe and EcoHome Magazine

Yesterday, I told you about Serenbe, an amazing eco-village in Georgia.  (If you missed it, take a peek here.)  The community was founded on principles of land preservation and local resources, so it’s not surprising that their restaurants have a similar ethos.  With an every changing menu based on what’s in-season and fresh, both The Hil and The Farmhouse get their organic produce from Serenbe Farms.  This means that not only are the fruits and veggies super fresh & healthy, they’ve also saved a ton of transportation energy to get to the kitchen.  Double win!

The interiors of both of these restaurants focus on natural materials, reclaimed wood and locally sourced products.  I think the design of each is really quite understated – choosing to be classy & elegant without pushing the design too much.  In addition to the decor, all food waste is composted and used as fertilizer for those same crops where their produce comes from.  Take a peek into The Hil & The Farmhouse below.  My mouth is already watering!

The Farmhouse at Serenbe:

The exterior of the restaurant.  Surrounded by green land of course.

The interior is understated and beautiful.

I love that even the subject of the artwork is about a farm.

Another view of the interior.  I love all the windows and the three walls drapery.  Makes for a nice airy space.

The Hil: On the Hill

The interior of the Hil is just as understated as the Farmhouse.  And of course I love the assemblage of artwork on the back wall.

I can just imagine brunch on the weekends here would be perfect.

How fun are the hands on the mantle?

Serenbe Farms: Sustainable Organics

Of course I couldn’t resist showing you a few pictures of Serenbe Farms where all the organic produce comes from.

Photos from various Serenbe websites