Eco-Style - WC

Monday brings another Eco-Style post, and I'm loving this bathroom from Domino. I've never seen a concrete backsplash, but how very eco-chic, not to mention easy and cheap. Wooden sinks are quite popular these days - they're most often made of teak (because it is naturally water-resistant), but I've seen them made of walnut, oak and bamboo as well (they just need to be epoxied). Scroll down for more great eco-style sources.

Teak bathroom vessel sink from William Garvey. Also, see Canadian manufacturer Aura for more designs, or make your own: you need a little know-how to create the tight seams needed, then finish the sink by applying an epoxy-resin to make it water-tight.

These recycled porcelain tiles are from Crossville, Inc., and are produced in sleek, modern sizes and colours. See AFM Safecoat for a toxin-free, eco-friendly grout sealer.




The fabulous cork stools pictured above are the Vitra cork stool, available at Design Public.


These Shoo-foo low-impact bamboo towels are luxurious and soft - organic, eco-friendly, biodegradable, fair traded and naturally anti-bacterial.



Deck your bathroom out in eco-style with this bathroom set from Ecocentric, made with 100% recycled glass.

NOTE: I've never seen a recycled content or otherwise eco-friendly bathroom fixture. The most important thing here is to make sure you install an aerator, the single most effective and easy water conservation method for your home (no water pressure losses either)!

Vintage Friday - Alarm Clocks

I have always liked desks or nightstands styled with vintage clocks, which inspired this week's vintage Friday, which to date have been pretty mid-century mod (which I love), but I thought it was time to throw in a little kitsch! About the clocks - I have always wanted to add one to my nightstand, but I'm afraid they'll tick too loudly! Any thoughts from vintage clock owners? In the meantime, enjoy the photos.

Flikr

Flikr

This one is a vintage punch-clock! From Treehugger.

From Apartment Therapy

p.s. - if you're looking for one, they are everywhere at fleamarkets and on eBay.

Designing Green - Cisco Pinedo

If you like the couch featured in my earlier eco-style post this week, you'll enjoy learning that Cisco Pinedo (the man behind the sofa) is a made made from modest roots. Born in a rural village in Jalisco, Mexico, raised in urban South Los Angeles and now leader of a multimillion-dollar ecological home furnishings company, one of the few major furniture manufacturers that hasn’t fled Southern California in search of less expensive factories and labor overseas. He makes furniture with reclaimed or responsibly harvested wood, organic fabrics, water-based glues and natural finishes. I was inspired to read more about him, and found these photos of his home (eco-style, of course) in Sunset magazine.

Simplicity is key - the room is sparsely furnished and decorated with items found while travelling or trolling flea markets.

This end table made of petrified wood is one of his most treasured objects.

The light fixture above the table is made from an old wine flask.

The kitchen features cabinets made of raw, reclaimed wood.

The shower tiles are also made of petrified wood.

Care Package

Re-usable bags have become one of the most accepted socially conscious green themes, which is wonderful. But do you ever stop to think about where your bag is coming from? Enter its-laS-tik stretchy bags of hope, made in the U.S. Not only are these bags chic enough for the most discerning fashionista (check out the metallic range), they are made in a factory in New Orleans that was rebuilt and is staffed by hurricane Katrina survivors. If that's not enough, 5% of profits goes towards helping NOLA's homeless. (psst - they're design for looks as much as comfort: they move with you when you walk, making them more comfortable to carry, and will go back to its original shape after being stretched out.)

Get these at whatsurbag-usa.com for $15-25, or find them at my store, Sustain, when we open in April.

Cartolina Recycled Notebooks

What lovely notebooks from Cartolina Cards! Designed by Fiona Richards, the notebooks feature vegetable based inks and are printed on recycled, FSC (Forestry Stewardship Council) certified paper. I always keep a notebook in my purse as I'm always writing down little tidbits to check out later. I think these would do nicely!

Also, congratulations to Fiona- I read on her blog that these notebooks were picked up by Anthropologie! If you're lucky enough to have one near you, go pick one up!

Eco-Style - Green and White Glamour

I love the regency glamour of this room - its not usually my taste, but this room is so well put together I can't help but love it. I also couldn't help writing an eco-style post on it, even though it was just featured in my greenery style post. The drapes add drama and inject luminous colour; the furniture is very formal, but there are just enough natural elements (such as the seagrass and hide rug, the plant and the deer) to keep it casual. I'm sure I've said it before, but I may as well say it again - I adore green and white. Read on to see which elements of this room could be had in similar eco-fashion.

Cisco Brothers is a company I really admire. They are a furniture design and manufacturing business located in L.A., and have building sustainable furniture since 1996. They have a massive selection available in every style, and are completely customizable. For a chair similar to the one pictured above, try either the Serena or Marcus chair. To up the eco ante, you can order COM (Custom Order Material) with an eco fabric; try one of my favourites, O EcoTextiles.

Okay, those drapes are a bit of a challenge - they are obviously custom, and probably cost a fortune. So, here's what I suggest: make your own. For the bulk of the fabric, get a heavy, upholstery weight solid colour (white or green, in this case). Most fabric stores carry some sustainable options now. Then, for punch, dress it up with a band of the fabric featured above, which is eco-friendly (but a little $pendy at $69/yd.) from Etsy seller Cicada Studio. Need I say I'm in love with this print?

Here's an option for a seagrass rug from Design Materials Inc., although these are usually widely available.

Look at this table I found! I want it!!! Listed at Antiquaire Online, this 1950's French mid-century modern table would fit perfectly. I wonder how much it is.........

I found this authentic Murano Glass lamp from Swank Lighting - it's nearly identical to the one pictured above, but the price tag is, shall we say, out of reach (!). You're better off either a) painting a vintage wood one, which pop up frequently, or b) keeping your eyes peeled at yard sales.

Okay - that's it for this week's eco-style post. I could go on, and on, but these posts are a lot of work, so, I've got to cut myself off. Hope you enjoyed it.

NOTE - I've always liked the look of natural hide rugs - they add an element of the organic to any interior. However, I've always had a unease about them, which was confirmed today. While doing research for this post, I learned some pretty awful things about the hide industry (they have to protect the skin, so it gets pretty grotesque). I'll spare you the details, but I must say, I don't like them anymore. If its the look you're after, there are tons of reproductions out there. Consider it. Please.

Vintage Friday (on Saturday) - Arco Lamp

The Arco floor lamp was designed in 1962 by the Castiglioni Brothers of Italy. The Arco, described as the perfect blend of form and function, is only one of their many triumps, as the brothers were renowned for their ingenuity and reformation of modern industrial design, even founding the ADI (Association for Industrial Design). While Achille Castiglioni was perhaps the most well known, brothers Pier and Livio were part of the dynamic design group, although Livio left them in 1952. 'This group have become one of the most witty, elegant and innovative partnerships in modern design. The brothers worked from the viewpoint that design must restructure an object's function, form and production process, and applied this maxim to every work that they produced. Castiglioni described this process with these words: "Start from scratch. Stick to common sense. Know your goals and means"'. Other Castiglioni treasures include the 'Mezzadro' (tractor stool) and the very industrial 'Toio' floor lamp.

Top: via Desire to Inspire



Top: Free Spirit Interiors; Bottom: Living Etc.



Top: Domino; Bottom: AOP, via Desire to Inspire



Top: Living Etc.; Bottom: Oak Management, via Desire to Inspire

Domino

Where to Buy: New ones are available here and there as this lamp is still really popular - I know DWR has them. Its a better conversation piece though (and not to mention more eco), if its vintage; they pop up fairly frequently on eBay and Craigslist. I know AT found one for $250 once, but usually they are fairly pricey.

Pure Green Living - Real People, Real Ideas

Ok - I have this idea - its big, so big I can't contain it within myself, I had to reach out right away! I'm sure many of you have come across a book, t.v. show or magazine article telling you how to live green. 'Experts' are lined up with their best 'tips' on being green, but am I alone in feeling that sometimes, it just doesn't hit home? So, here we are: I was reading my latest favourite book, Apartment Therapy presents Real homes, Real People... and I was really struck by how inspiring it is to read about everyday people. It feels so accessible, and well, real. This, I thought, is the solution to environmental apathy, and I have the means to do it. Here's what I propose: I'm going to start a series on Pure Green called Pure Green Living - Real People, Real Solutions. In this series, I am asking, no wait, depending on readers to help. I'm looking for readers to email me the ways each lives green. What do you do in your life to help the environment? It doesn't have to be massive - just make it yours. If someone else is inspired by your idea, and they do it too, then one person has indeed made a difference. Get creative, folks. Do you make your own shopping bags? Do you have a creative recycling station in your home? Have you decorated your home in eco-style? Any DIY's using recycled material? I will post the answers I get on Pure Green. If there is any overlap, it'll be first come, first serve.

Here's my dream: I want this to get big. REALLY BIG. I have a friend in the book biz. Maybe, when I get enough reader input, we can make it a book, and reach even more people. I'm a firm believer that every person can make a difference in their own way. If so many people have been inspired by Apartment Therapy, why can't we do the same here, with green living?

Sorry for the lengthy post, but this is a great idea, and I need help to make it grow. Send me photos (of you and your green idea), if you can - this makes it more fun and interesting. Include in your email your name, where you're from, your profession, what being green means to you, and your eco idea. I look forward to hearing from many, many of you soon, I hope (just click the 'contact me' link in the sidebar.) Oh, and don't forget to tell absolutely everyone you know about this idea. Bloggers, write about this on your blog - send me a note to tell me you did so and I'll include a link and thank-you on Pure Green.

Thank you,
Celine
xoxo

Green Homes: Stylish Plant Life

I wanted to write a post about indoor plants - they are so important to incorporate into your eco-home, as they do wonders for air quality. However, too often they just look so-so, taking up a corner of the house pathetically dropping leaves every so often just to remind you they're alive. So, I decided to take it upon myself to find interiors that incorporate plant life stylishly. The key is to keep it simple: don't overclutter with too many plant species, and rooms with busy patterns must be dealt with carefully. My favourite: greenery in an all-white room. Lovin' it!

Part One: Stylish Planters. Your plants will never do it for you if you don't start with a good planter. Here are just a few of the many I found:

Introduce a little levity with the 'Weeds' planter by Arwin Calouj

Herb planter by Sagaform


Smith and Hawken Mangowood Planter
(Might be a good DIY project)

By Metaphys

The Eggling (so adorable!).

Part two: Incorporating plant life into your decor. Here are a few examples of stylish rooms that incorporate plants. Make a feature of it!

Elle Decor
I love the dramatic statement these ferns make!

Domino
Green and white! I told you!

Elle Decor

I'm in love with this photo by photographer Tim Young. This is a really good example of using plants as a feature. Image via Desire to Inspire

This one is from my own home. I thought I'd include it as a) I love Gerbers (they'll keep going forever, just trim them back), and b) according to Treehugger, Gerbers are among the top five plants for improving indoor air quality!

p.s. - keep posted for my Vintage Friday post tomorrow, a day late, but better late than never. Featuring the Arco Lamp for Flos!