ECO CHIC

West Elm - Organic and Not Too Shabby

2008-02-21T09:20:00.001-08:00

Not only is West Elm going green with their organic bedding and bath but I must say, they have some pretty simple furniture that is stylish and semi-affordable.

If you're looking for a great bed frame, for example, one that's not cheesy, but modern and simple, West Elm is the place to shop. It's counterpart, Pottery Barn, is a bit over the top. Design within Reach has some nice pieces but way out of my reach when it comes to price.

I recently purchased this $275 wood bed frame and it's perfect for what I wanted it for - a platform bed with no heaadboard or frills: Click Here

It's competition, for example, from Room and Board looks like THISand it's priced at $799.00 for a full.

CB2 has something comparableand it sells for $379.00.

The above image is West Elm's the Elliot Sofa, which sells for $999.00. I love it and think it's perfect because it's comfortable but simple with straight edges and hidden legs.

Everything seems to go on sale eventually at West Elm, so keep your eye out for great deals.

For example, the newest decor item at West Elm that I am waiting to go on sale is the wire-base table lamp (see image right);It's absolutely perfect but I know it will eventually be old news.

KNIFE BLOCK- NICE!

2006-12-19T21:30:00.000-08:00

Everybody knows that knives, good knives that is, are expensive and not all that good looking. I recently came across this good looking knife block and thought I'd post a little blurb about it considering it's affordable as well as pretty cool.

According to their web site:

"To solve the problem of cleaning a knife block, the Boa Clam is made from two pieces, which can be easily opened. Produced from sustainable wood, the Boa Clam is manufactured from a single block, which is cut into two pieces and then reversed in direction to create the product. The two pieces are held together by real earth magnets, simply pop apart for easy cleaning and then join together again to create a simple, strong and dynamic form, holding the knives in place."

Bamboo Bowls - Promote Humane Working Conditions

2006-12-13T17:36:00.000-08:00

This has got to be my favorite product (gift) of the month. These bowls are so sleek and stylish yet affordable and sustainable.

Not only are these bowls made from bamboo but they are made BY low-income artisans and farmers and promote humane working conditions and sustainable community practices.

You can purcahse them for as little as $10 - $12 max at Pachamamaworld.com

There are other items on the web site including adult and baby clothes made from organic cotton, Olive Wood salad tossers made in Kenya, beautiful handpainted merino wool scarf made in the mountains of Peru and so much more. The colorful bamboo bowls are my particular favorites.

GIFT IDEAS - Artecnica's Sustainable Products

2006-12-06T19:17:00.000-08:00

Featured in Dwell, design web blogs and other mags are Artencnica's sustainable products.

Based in Los Angeles, they are conveniently close by me. In case you are no where near Los Angeles you can always visit artecnica for a full list of their environmentally responsible products such as stationary, lighting, vases, collectibles, and interior and exterior element.

I personally love their mssion statement:
"to seamlessly tie design and social responsibility. Design as a tool to create unequivocally superb objects of utility and beauty must operate in complete harmony with environmental and socially responsible principles. The very survival of humanity relies on the use of design as the intelligent tool that must create its new environment without altering it and without denying humanity itself."

Read this green company's full interview here.

Eco Pod - recycling the CLEAN way

2006-11-27T20:17:00.000-08:00

Let’s face it, most of us try to be green but if doing so involves evening trips to the crub, some recyclables might secretly make their way into the trash. Enter the Ecopod, a sleek receptacle with a compactor that can easily crunch any plastic or metal containers you could imagine.
There’s room for 50 or more crushed products inside.

Ecopod’s website explain that their “goal was clear: make it cool to recycle and build world-class products that make it simple and rewarding to do so … a lofty goal indeed requiring great partners.”

Ecopod also explains, “The most important pop culture trend today is our increasing focus on the environment. The need to adapt our lives and live a greener, more sustainable life is humanity’s critical success factor. That is why the founders of ecopod left their corporate jobs … to make a difference.”
That being said and with BMW Designworks as their first major customer it’s no debate that ecopod takes recycling to the next level.

visual instructions

Tequila for The Modern Drinker

2006-11-27T18:16:00.000-08:00

An exceptionally elegant and flavorful tequila with notes of citrus and vanilla, oaks and honey, or honey and caramel. CORZO is best enjoyed as a sipping tequila or when prepared with the highest quality of mixers. Not to mention the bottle itself is on the modern side of Mexican design. The look is more innovative and unexpected of traditional craftmanship of the CORZO tequila.

I am not myself a big tequila drinker but I LOVED sipping this CORZO. Smooth and easy to drink.

So now your wondering, "how much does a bottle cost?"
Put it this way, it's not as much eco as it is chic!

FLO(o)R

2006-11-14T08:20:00.000-08:00

(via greenhomesguide.com, ecochic.blogspot.com, buildinggreen.com)

I have ALWAYS disliked carpet.
Carpet is an eye-sore and one of the dirtiest aspects of the home.

Then I found out that carpet also represents the worst of our fossil-fuel based, disposable society. Not only are the materials and dyes toxic for our health and the environment but the adhesives and installation are a huge part of the problem. Carpet promotes mold growth and allergens in the air as well. Not to mention it's the most difficult to clean. There's always ScotchGuard, right?

NOW I HATE CARPET, DESPISE CARPET.

Bamboo and concrete are wonderful alternatives for the green minimalists -- aesthetically pleasing, safe for the environment and easy to clean. I love them.

But, part of me also misses the warmth and comfort of carpet. When done right carpet can artistically add color and material variety. But the pros do not out number the cons.

UNTIL NOW...

Thanks to companies like FLOR we can have our cake an eat it too. FLOR is a modular carpet flooring system that allows you to create your own rugs or wall-to-wall carpeting of any size. Modern and simple in design and construction, their modular carpets works well in any home (contemporary, modern, green, traditional) to give it that warm bright feeling while promoting earth-friendly materials like Kenaf (a fibrous African plant), Coir and Sisal, PLA (a derivative of corn), hemp, woold and recycled nylon materials.

FLORs commitment to sustainability extends to their installation methods and backing materials as well. These floorcoverings have been specifically designed to emit few air pollutants. The backing of all FLOR tiles are treated with a low-toxicity antimicrobial to inhibit stain and odor causing molds and bacteria. FLOR tiles are secured to the floor surface with low-tact, nontoxic adhesive dots in each corner, so there are no fumes from toxic adhesives.In addition, the modular pieces result in less waste from cutting to size, and worn spots can be pulled up and replaced without replacing the entire carpet. Worn carpet pieces are accepted by the manufacturer for recycling and recycled back into new carpet.

According to their web site, all FLOR products recycle like a champ and all have the lowest VOC (new carpet smell) in the industry. If you are interested in recycling old FLOR, call our customer service at 866.281.3567 to find out how.

I never thought I would say this but, I want some carpet!!

ULTIMATE MODERN FAN

2006-11-07T19:00:00.000-08:00

The ModernFan.com designs celebrate the modern idiom through mechanical simplification, geometric forms and contemporary finishes.

This particular "Pharos" fan is my personal favorite. The Ball is also a great fan. Priced around $350, they are not cheap but they are definitely worth a few extra dollars.

"This company and this web site represent a new direction for the Ron Rezek designed ceiling fans. The products have been re considered and developed with the needs of the contract client in mind. Many changes have been incorporated into the fans to make them easier to install, more flexible in specification and simpler to maintain. This is the only ceiling fan collection developed exclusively for the needs of the contemporary design professional. We hope it suits your needs."

Bart Bettencourt - Eco Designer

2006-10-15T14:26:00.000-07:00

(via Vivavi.com) Brooklyn-based designer Bart Bettencourt has a great line of sustainable, eco-friendly products (a few from his line are shown above).

About the Table
He has combined bamboo and steel into an innovative and striking dining table. Bettencourt focuses on fine-edged geometric proportions to meld contemporary design with environmental sustainability. Products in the Bettencourt collection are made with non-toxic adhesives and finished with non-VOC Danish Oil.

About the Ottoman
Bettencourt's cylindrical bamboo ottoman with updated hemp upholstery is the height of sophisticated sustainable design. Products in the Bettencourt collection are made with non-toxic adhesives and finished with non-VOC Danish Oil.

(see entire Bettencourt line)

Iannone : Sanderson :: Eco Furniture

2006-10-15T08:52:00.000-07:00

Iannone : Sanderson has designed a sleek line of sustainable furniture that is made mostly from bamboo and Kirei board, an environmentally friendly material made from the reclaimed stalks of the sorghum plant, both bamboo and Kirei are sustainable crops (via: 2modern). Perfect for a modern home, showroom or office. See it close up.

I think the coffee table shown above is my favorite of her's right now but there is also this unique signature piece that is featured on various web sites that I like as well.

Iannone : Sanderson has a similar style theme (which I love) throughout her work--modern with a nature element--which is nice because you can always count on her for consistency. She has a very creative way of fusing clean lines and overall modern structure with her own artsy, funky twist.

See more of her work: Iannone : Sanderson

Paint Chip Wallet

2006-10-13T07:12:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I saw these wallets while shopping for a gift at MOCA (museum of contemporary art). I was really excited because I remembered first seeing them on Little Paper Planes (a great online store for artsy products) but they were all SOLD OUT.

Well, guess what--they are back--but a for a limited time only so grab one while you can!! Available in a variety of color schemes.

Read what designer Nara says about her wallets: "So each one is handmade with paintchips. Some have a little red elastic to close it, some buttons. Inside you have a large opening for dolla dolla billz and 6 smaller openings for your credit cards, coffee punch cards n such."

A PERFECT Eco-Chic find!
$30.00 at Little Paper Planes

The Ultimate Table

2006-10-11T19:50:00.000-07:00

So, I am obsessed with this table I came across called the K-Table made by Mebel Furniture (shown above).

More about this table (via 2modern): "Generous for a table full of guests, yet intimate for a dinner of two. Built of solid walnut with an offset strip of brilliant orange-red padauk that runs the length of its top. There is a discreet shelf underneath which can be used for storage...Mebel furniture is eco-friendly. The maple and oak is FSC Certified. The walnut comes from sustainable forestry practices. The 100% wool fabric is environmentally certified."

Another note about the table is that it's $3,395.00. At 2modern.com however you can get free shipping and it's also tax free! A pretty AWESOME deal actually.

My current table that I recently purchased from Room and Board, has a walnut top (unlike the linked image) with natural (ash) steel legs giving it an industrial-meets-woodsy feel. I love it and it was $1,00 plus a $100 shipping charge, making it less than half the cost of the Mebel table.

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WINNER - Havana Couch - DWR

2006-10-10T18:33:00.000-07:00

Ok, so, I finally found the Winner Sofa! And you'll never believe the story, but before I delve into it, let me first say that this couch is one of the FEW (very few) that I had been looking at WELL before the ultimate search began. The main problem was that it didn't fit into my established "couch" criteria (it's currrently selling on dwr.com for $3,000) so I chalked it off the list with disappointment and sadly moved on.

Now, the story begins: after 4 long months of shopping (patience is a virtue) I got a little down. I couldn't choose between the final 3 sofas I had narrowed it down to: The Apt Lounge seemed a little bit too spendy considering I was not all that familiar with the designer and risked it being poorly made; the Bo Concept Indiv 2 was awesome but had a 3 month waiting period (I had waited too long already); and the Case Study Day Bed, a classic, would end up costing me $1,595 + tax ($175) + shipping ($250) = $2,000, going just a little over my already-overextended budget.

After coming to the realization that this search was NOT over but having exhausted a lot of my resources I became curious as to what was out there for sale locally on--meaning, on Craigslist. Well it was not a pretty site let me tell you. Honestly, it was one of the most depressing experiences searching for used couches. Click here and see for yourself ...

Anyway, about ready to click out I did one last search for "modern couches" to narrow it down a bit. Still nothing too good. Although, I did come across this pretty cool little mid-century piece and contemplated calling on it until I noticed this random link: (((((Havana Couch - DWR - $1,400)))))) (or something that looked similar to that). I clicked on it and low 'n behond, there it was, THE HAVANA COUCH I had been wanting and a price that not only fit into my budget but was HALF the sticker price. I figured it probably had stains or broken parts? NOPE. The tags were still on the couch, it was in mint condition, I was the only one interested in the couch thus far, it was located literally 4 miles from my house, NO TAXES and NO SHIPPING -- it was easy and perfect -- and SOLD to the Happiest Lady in So California!!!!!

Oh and did I mention it folds down into a sofa bed?

The Havana Couch It's been a great addition to the household! READ MORE ABOUT IT.

Coffee Break!

2006-10-09T18:32:00.001-07:00

Rowenta has brought to you the genius of coffee makers (a Jasper Morrison design). Not only does it look WAY better than anything else out there but it's affordable and functional. The inside top of the coffee maker contains a measuring scoop and a place for storing your coffee grounds and filters. It's organized and efficient.

What I personally like about the this verstile little machine is that it is a small 4 cupper. For little person like me that only drinks a cup a day (if that), it's absolutely perfect. I am a big fan of cone shaped filters myself so it really doesn't get much better than this machine.

Coffee Maker comes in white with the option of a glass or stainless steel cups.

Buy here.

::KERF::

2006-10-09T10:00:00.000-07:00

While surfing the web I came across this website and totally fell in love.

(Inconveniently) Based in Seattle Washington, KERF Design is a full service shop specializing in furniture and modern cabinets made out of plywood and plastic laminate.

KERF can also custom build an entire room, or several rooms if you wish (i.e. photo shown above).

"Their conception of furniture is based on a clean concept, with low but colourfull colors, so that even in a house with less color, they can in a way light all the space!" (via lifever).

See website for details.

My Perfect Sofa Search

2006-10-09T08:53:00.000-07:00

I have been on a couch hunt for the past 4 months now and it's been difficult. I wanted something affordable but had the following couch criteria:

+ high quality, not a couch that looked wobbly or poorly made
+ modern/classic and that looked
+ no leather
+ modern and classic
+ preferrably the bed also became a couch (futons not an option)
+ $1,800 max budget (including shipping and taxes)

I looked at many local and online stores and even travelled all the way to NY to look at a few in person. Let's just say I covered lots of ground: from IKEA San Diego (against my will but I wanted to be thorough) all the way to Apt-NY to B&B Italia Los Angeles.

Finally, 4 months later, I had narrowed it down to the following 3 couches:

Case Study Day Bed - $1,800 after taxes
Apt-NY Lounge Series - $1,700 after shipping
Bo Concept Indivi 2 Series - $1,800 after taxes and shipping

Stay Tuned...to find out who WON!!!

The Case Study vs. the Eames Eiffel Armchair

2006-10-09T08:21:00.000-07:00

My favorite purchase #1 (shown above) is the Eames® Eiffel Plastic Armchair—the first industrially manufactured plastic chairs—originally created back in 1950 by famous designers Ray and Charles. I was disappointed at first because the chairs I bought from Design Within Reach are plastic and I really wanted fiberglass (the plastic chairs are not replicas but the original Eames/Herman Miller chairs were all made with fiberglass) but these look just as good (plus the plastic they use is eco-friendly) minus the nice heavy-duty feel of the originals.

After doing some research online and during my travelling between NY and LA I found out some interesting information. Modernica--another furniture retailer/maker that I am in love with--sells these same chairs but in a variety of amazing colors and leg styles AND THEY ARE FIBERGLASS! Because of this, I figured they were extremely good knockoffs. That's not necessarily the truth...

You see, Modernica bought licensing the mold from Herman Miller some years ago. Here's what Modernica claims:
"For the first time since 1983, the classic 1950 Fiberglass Arm Chair, often referred to as the most significant furniture design of the 20th century, is being produced using much of the original equipment that produced the original chairs. Until now, creating true fiberglass chairs that display fiber prominence, and translucency was all but a lost art."

click here to view Modernica's version and all the combo possibilities.

My Top 5 Online Household Stores

2006-10-08T13:21:00.000-07:00

I will currently update this list, but as of right now these are the online stores I frequently browse for modern, functional, semi-affordable household items.

Please note a philosophy I stand by and will often refer back to: I am a firm believer in quality over quantity so I don't mind paying more money for fewer household items. Meaning, the more sustainable, durable and functional a product is the less of them you will have to buy in your lifetime and the more functions it performs, the less other items you will need.

Some more eco-friendly than others, all 100% modern and simple with designer products:
designpublic.com
2modern.com/eco/
dwr.com
modernica.com
fitzsu.com

Please feel free to browse these sites before the next few posts are up that touch on all my recent purchases or puchase hopefuls.