West Elm - Organic and Not Too Shabby

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!

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."

Read More Here

Bamboo Bowls - Promote Humane Working Conditions

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

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

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

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

(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

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."