Pretty Little Green Things

Posts Tagged ‘Chic projects’

Yesterday I showed tabletop displays from the DIFFA Dining by Design event at the Architectural Digest Home Show.  If you didn’t see this post, take a peek because they’re just as amazing as today’s round.  I always love tabletop displays because they’re just raw creativity.  Since no one is actually eating at the table, there’s no need for practicality.  These designers have truly let their imagination run wild, which is why I always find them so inspiring.

Diane Von Furstenberg (yup, she’s got a home collection now)

I’m not sure who designed this one but I love the cityscape in the background.  If anyone know’s who this is, leave a comment below.

Echo Design

I’ve been trying not to comment on these tabletops and let them speak for themselves, but I have to tell you this was one of my favorites.  It was just so creative with the umbrella chandelier and rain pouring down on all four sides of the wood trellis.  Designed by Evette Rios for Hayneedle.

I’m also not sure who designed this one, but it’s gorgeous, no?

Anki Spets of Area for the New York Times

I also thought this display, designed by the students of Pratt with Alfredo Paredes (VP of Design at Ralph Lauren), was one of the most creative and unique.

Rockwell Group

Tracy Reese for Effen Vodka

Goil Amornvivat and Thomas Morbitzer of Tug Studio

Every year DIFFA hosts a Dining by Design event at the Architectural Digest Home Show with tons of tabletops by well known designers and tastemakers.  The acronym stands for Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS and is one of the country’s largest supporters of HIV/AIDS care & education.  Merging great design with a worthy cause seems like absolute genius to me.  Plus the tabletops are fun and absolutely inspiring, so I just had to share the whole event with you.  There were so many tables and so many I loved that I couldn’t possibly narrow it down, so I’m going to show more tables tomorrow too.  Enjoy!

David Stark (swoon!) for Benjamin Moore

I’m not sure who designed this table, so if you know leave a comment below.

The students of the Fashion Institute of Technology with mentor Preston Bailey (swoon again!)

2Michaels Design for Flor

Jeffrey Brooks Design

Brad Ford for Moore & Giles

And last but certainly not least…

Coffinier KU for the NYDC

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

Raise your hand if you’ve had enough of winter.  You can’t see me right now, but my hand is stretched as far up as it can get.  Unfortunately I’m not heading off on a tropical vacation anytime soon, so I figured a little warm weather inspiration was just the thing for the almost end of winter blues.  Let me introduce you to a gorgeous little resort in southern Vietnam called the Six Senses Ninh Van Bay, so named for the little bay it sits on.

As with all Six Senses properties, this resort is equal parts stunning and sustainable.  Traditional Vietnamese architecture blends into the natural rocky landscape with 58 villas of varying sizes, from the Hill Top Villas all the way up to the massive Presidential Villa.  Using local and renewable resources is standard for this hotel group so you’ll see a lot of natural wood, stone and other materials throughout.  Their eco-consciousness touches on all aspects of energy efficiency, water conservation, waste reduction, fair-trade and local community building.  Oh yeah, and did I mention this resort is stunning?

Yeah, so I wouldn’t mind eating my breakfast here.  Just saying.

The Water Villas are nestled into the rocky shoreline.

This is the interior of the Water Villas as seen above.

The Beach Pool Villas.  I’m not sure if that means they’re near both the beach and the pool, but does it really matter when they’re this gorgeous?

This is the bedroom of the Beach Pool Villas.  Here you get a good look at the local wood and other materials used.

I’m not really a bath person, but if I had a bathroom like this, I could totally be convinced!

The Presidential Villa

Presidential Villa Bedroom

Of course no Six Senses resort is complete without an amazing spa.  I’m loving the stepping stones and lanterns leading up to the entry.  Very zen.

Photos from Six Senses

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

Since the weather in New York has been snowing then raining and, well, back to snowing and raining again, I wouldn’t mind getting away from the grayness.  I mean, if it’s going to snow, why not take advantage of the weather and go skiing?  The Alta Terra hotel and ski lodge in the volcanic Auvergne region of central France would be the perfect place to get away to.  The B&B was recently renovated using local woods, lots of beautiful antique furniture and other eco-friendly materials.  With only four guestrooms and small spa (including a hammam, sauna & hot tub), this intimate hotel is totally set up for relaxing after a long day of hiking in the summer or skiing in the winter.  And at night you can hang out at the hotel restaurant for delicious locally grown organic food.  I can’t imagine a more perfect ski vacation.  Enjoy!

One of the four bedrooms

I LOVE that bed, especially set against the textured wood wall.  Gorgeous!

Here’s a close-up of the decoration on the footboard.  I’ve definitely never seen a bed quite like this one.

How romantic is this beautiful bed?

I love the texture of the plaster wall.  So natural & fitting for the location.  The two twin bed frames don’t match which I think gives the room a bit of a collected vibe.  Very unique and elegant.

The local wood is everywhere.  I really gives this hotel a very warm and welcoming feeling.  And I can just imagine it smells so nice in there!

Here’s a shot of the hammam.

I wouldn’t mind enjoying a hot cup of cider in this restaurant after a day on the slopes.  I love the combination of textures and colors of all the different kinds of wood.

Another shot of the restaurant

Photos from Alta Terra

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

I just got back from the most amazing girls weekend in the country with my equally amazing girlfriends.  The cottage we stayed in was cozy, cute and as one of them put it, quilt-y (tons of quilts, quilted pillows and blankets piled everywhere).  Getting out of New York City, even for just the weekend, always inspires me to want to keep driving on and be a perpetual traveller.  So of course as soon as I got home, I popped open the computer and selected the most gorgeous green hotel I could find to appease my travel bug.  I don’t think the Saffire Freycinet, a stunning boutique hotel in Tasmania, Australia could be any more perfect.  I’m sorely tempted to hop on a plane tonight so I can check it out in person.

The Saffire Freycinet and the 20 guestrooms it comprises was built to be ecologically & environmentally sensitive.  The undulating and organic shape of the buildings are made from local Tasmanian wood and are reminiscent of the nearby Hazard Mountains.  Other ecological considerations include the use of local materials throughout, double glazing, appropriate insulation for the climate, energy efficient lighting, water conservation and limited night lighting.  In addition, the Saffire tries to not only lessen their effect on the local landscape, they strive to heal damaged sites.   I’m loving the elegant and modern design – it’s absolutely luxurious but not at all showy or overdesigned.  The interiors were designed by Chhada Siembieda from Hong Kong who was inspired by the colors and textures of the surrounding environment to create a seamless experience between the indoors and out.  Enjoy!  And as always, let me know your thoughts below.

See what I mean about the buildings being reminiscent of the nearby mountains?  Beautiful setting.

I love the color and texture of the Tasmanian wood ceilings found throughout the hotel.

The Lobby Lounge

How beautiful is this dining room?  I’m loving those chandeliers.  I wonder where they’re from.

Another view of the Dining Room

Exterior of one of the 20 suites

Luxury suite

Another suite

Premium room

The Spa

And of course, I couldn’t possibly finish without at least one stunning picture of the landscape.  If I don’t update the blog tomorrow, you’ll know where to find me.

Photos courtesy of the Saffire Freycinet

Martin Luther King Jr. Day is a day to feel inspired.  Not just by the amazing man who defied his opponents with such courage, dignity and humility, but by other amazing people too.  It’s a day to remind ourselves that inspiration comes from all around us.  So I’m taking the the day to share with you some of my absolute favorite interiors that inspire me and elevate what design should be.  Happy MLK Day.

Miles Redd

Ashley Hicks

Elie Saab (this is one of my all time favorite houses)

Also Elie Saab.  How amazing is that bed?!

Herve van der Straeten is one of the most talented furniture designers out there.  And his apartment is no less than stunning.

Jean Yves Lanvin (yes, that Lanvin)

I’m not sure whose dining room this is, but look at that amazing ceiling!

Jonathan Berger

Tory Burch

I don’t know whose entry this is, but I’m loving it.

Design doesn’t always have to be immaculately arranged.  A mix of old and new, perfect and imperfect makes this room so special.