Designing Green - Scandinavian Loft

When I first came across photos of this apartment, I was absolutely enthralled by them. Hopelessly minimal and modern... but a healthy dose of reclaimed wood and vintage pieces keeps it cozy, not austere. The rustic floorboards against concrete, new and old, white and brick...it feels carefully curated, but happily lived in. I especially like the industrial lighting and mix and match dining. Effortlessly chic.

photos: Marie Claire Maison

Eco-Style - Salvage Savy Kitchen

I like this kitchen, not necessarily because of its design sense, but because its cheery and lived-in, with a can't-hurt-it appeal. This kitchen gets major green points for all the reclaimed details. To get this sink at home you've got to scour salvage yards like mad... but isn't the sink is fabulous! To me its worth the patience and time to find one like it. Its unexpected in a home, but it looks rustic and industrial, especially when paired with the faucet and other retro details, such as the scale, milk-shake blender and tins. Here are a few other ways to vamp up the eco-factor in a kitchen such as this:



You should choose paint wisely, especially in a kitchen, where food is stored and prepped. Safecoat* is known as the 'healthiest' paint, emitting zero VOC's or toxins, and available in a wide range of colours.

For a dramatic backsplash, try recycled glass tiles. Stardust tile from Portland, Ore. fit the bill, and they have a wide variety of sizes and colours.

For a eco butcher block look-alike, try this bamboo product from Plyboo*. Made from sustainably harvested bamboo and containing no formaldehyde, this is a good choice for sustainably chic, healthy kitchens!


Get these farmhouse chic eco-friendly kitchen towels from Spring Home.



Don't forget the dishes. Widely available, Method Home cleaning products are a good bet - they make an effort across the board to be as low-impact as possible.

NOTE: All products marked with a * will be available soon at my eco store Sustain, in house and on-line soon! For info. email me at info@sustainmuskoka.ca

Pure Green Living Series - Mali from Naturally Sweet

The next contributor to Pure Green Living is Mali, a baker from my hometown. Her green philosophy is to do what you can, when you can. She applies this to her work by baking with natural, organic ingredients. "Shopping organic is one of the best, most effective ways to be heard as a consumer. It lets the stores and companies you shop from know that you support and demand a change in manufacturing methods. Our food industry is dominated by big corporations with harmful growing and harvesting techniques - buying organic supports the sector of the industry demanding change. It also allows me to provide the highest quality and purest taste to my clients." Her good-enough-to-eat cupcakes below show just how talented she is. Thanks Mali!

Eco-DIY - Sachets

I've been on the look-out for ways to scent my laundry without using any chemicals. After some research, I came up with my own DIY method that works just as well. Using scraps of left-over fabric, I sewed small squares which I then filled with a 50/50 mix of lavender and mint. You can then a) insert into a drawer to scent laundered items, or b) moisten the sachet slightly and stick it in the dryer along with your clothes. Works wonderfully!

Vintage Friday - Flower Frog

While I was away in Florida, Jonathan (my fiancé) and I did poke around a few vintage shops. My take-away treasure was an adorable, jade-green vintage flower frog, circa 1940's. Flower frogs are the perfect answer to upright flower arrangements - you can get metal ones for solid vases, or lovely decorative ones for clear vases, such as this one! (They can stand alone, as well, but you have to keep adding water.)

People use them for other things too, such as Martha Stewart, who shows them here as desk accessories.

Kate and Birdie Paper Co.

I recently came across Gloria Wall, creator of Kate and Birdie Paper Co. and was instantly smitten. Based in Winnipeg and located in a repurposed sewing factory, Gloria creates beautiful things with good conscience. Perhaps she says it best: "Here, original illustrations are designed in-house and brought to life with fresh color combinations, luxurious paper and stunning envelopes. Recycled papers made with wind-generated electricity and plant-based biodegradable wrap enveloping each note card reflect our commitment to creating a smaller footprint, and offering our customers the ability to do the same. "

Her studio is adorable too!

Her Handiwork -

From my Portfolio - Sylvie's Bedroom

It's been some time since I showed some of my work, so I thought I'd include some today for this week's green design feature. Admittedly, however, this room is still a work in progress, which is why I'm only showing you half the room!

The pillows were made using Amy Butler fabric and other scraps by myself - Living Space Interiors - the inserts are eco-friendly too.

I Love the turquoise lamp against the soft grey walls - its brings the scheme to life.

The bed was existing - I just added a new pure white quilt. The nightstands were also the existing - a new coat of paint and new hardware instantly updated the piece. Now they have distinct European appeal. (We're missing artwork above the bed...) The walls are Oyster Bay low-VOC paint by CIL.

The room is still missing: a chaise and reading nook below the window, a beautiful striped soft gray and white rug, artwork, and a dresser/mirror, which matches the nightstands but is still unfinished. Keep posted!

Eco-Style - Home Office

I'm Back! After a lovely little rest, I'm ready to go again. My fiancé and I are working hard as ever on opening our new store, called Sustain, which I'm sure you've read about on PGD by now. I can't wait. In the meantime, here is my latest edition of Eco-Style: a home office nook. Not everyone has the luxury of devoting an entire room to an office, and I LOVE the idea here: converting an old dresser into a secretary desk for a brilliant space-saving, clutter-hiding office nook! (Keep in mind you'll need a dresser with deep drawers to do this.) Read on for more tips on greening your home office:

For the latest in green laptops, check out the Asus Eco-book. This energy efficient model is clad entirely in bamboo!

This Gilbert chair ($69) from Ikea is similar to the one pictured above. Ikea is a good eco choice as the company plants enough trees every year to offset their number of customers. They even take into account the distance each customer travelled (this is why they ask for your postal code)!

If you choose to paper you secretary like the one above, Madison and Grow offer some lovely eco-options.

Check out The Green Office for eco-options on everything office-related. These pencils are made of recycled newspaper. You can also find recycled green stationary like the ones in the photo.

De-Clutter your desk by opting out of junk mail. You can place a sticker on your mail-box (like this one issued by the city of Calgary to say no) or you can stop the flow sooner by contacting Green Dimes: for a dime a day, this non-profit will reduce the amount of marketing material you receive, and plant trees on your behalf.

Little Break

I'm off for a little break in the sunny south, St. Augustine, Florida, to be exact. I'll maybe put up a thing or to, but... I'm really in need of a break before Sustain gets going full swing. See you when I get back! (photo: M-a Belle)

xoxo

Vintage Friday - 26 Olive Olive Street

I'm so excited about today's vintage Friday! I was all set to post on Eileen Gray's glass table, but well, she'll just have to wait because I've fallen in love with 26 Olive Street! They are a new shop on Etsy that I found just this morning (!), but their carefully curated vintage collection is wonderfully whimsical yet practical. Plenty of little objets to suit any taste, and they're shop/site is very well put together. Here are a few of my favourites:

love/hate light box


student's lap chalkboard



moth ashtray (I don't smoke but I still think its cute!)