As every grade school child knows, a broken mirror brings 7 years bad luck,… unless you’re Eco by Cosentino.

Developed by the Spanish multi-national company Cosentino, Eco brand countertops are made of 75% recycled materials.  Those materials include anything from porcelain to stone to glass.  But it’s the three colors, Polar Cap, Crystal Ash and Starlight, which really stand out with their subtle use of broken mirror.  In fact, although not normally a fan of shiny black countertops, I am transfixed by how much the color Starlight lives up to its name.  There is no way to experience what it really looks like except by seeing it in person, but trust me, it’s absolutely lovely.  And shiny.  And sparkly.  And,… I must have been a magpie in another life. Read the rest of this entry »

This weeks guest blogger is David Johnson of Sidecar Furniture.   An accomplished craftsman, David is also a member of LA Box Collective, a select group of professional Los Angeles based furniture makers, committed to environmentally conscious design and production.

The increasing popularity of sustainable and locally made goods has permeated into the design world especially among furniture designers/makers. While the idea of creating furniture locally in a sustainable manner has been around for decades within the furniture community, it is more often than not, a new idea to the everyday person. As more large scale and local furniture manufacturers label their products as being made from sustainably harvest wood, this label has different levels of meaning and can be confusing.

To help you navigate through the terms and make informed decisions about your design purchases, I am including a brief description of terms used to describe sustainably harvested wood commonly associated with furniture making. While all descriptions listed are sustainable, I’ve put them in the order of what I consider to be the most sustainable especially within my personal design processes. Note: as always, the more local the source of sustainably harvested wood, the better. Read the rest of this entry »

This weeks guest blogger is David Johnson of Sidecar Furniture.   An accomplished craftsman, David is also a member of LA Box Collective, a select group of professional Los Angeles based furniture makers, committed to environmentally conscious design and production.

To look at my furniture it’s obvious that I like Danish Modern.  When we create we can’t help but let our influences show.  Our work is a compilation of what we see and our imaginations.  Certainly as a furniture maker I’m going to be influenced by the aesthetics of the styles of the past but I’m also going to draw upon why these furniture styles can to be.

I went to The College of the Redwoods Fine Woodworking Program, in Mendocino, CA.  The school is known for teaching a high attention to detail and balance and symmetry in design based on the work of James Krenov, Jim, as he’s known to the students.  The program is set up like a European apprentice system where students start with the basics and then make pieces under the watchful eye of the instructors.  Students must have their designs approved by Jim.  Any deviation from his design sense may be dealt with by his sharp criticism.  Rebellion is mild but highly noticed.  It’s funny to look at the pieces I made during school to know that they were controversial at the time. Read the rest of this entry »

Giveaway details follow are at the end of the post, but we suggest you read the review first!

When I first started to focus strictly on sustainable design five years ago, the pickings were thin when it came to green interior design books..  As in, there were exactly two books, only one of which was really any use.

Even as I watched the list of available books grow, I still considered writing one of my own, because I didn’t find anyone addressing the subject of green residential interior design the way I thought it should be.  Luckily, I never got around to it because Sunset Design Guides has just released the book I probably would have written (if I had the talent!).

Taking full advantage of Sunset Magazine’s wealth of images, author Bridget Biscotti Bradley has created an inspiring collection of sustainable design ideas and arranged them in her easy to understand book, The Green Home.  Assisted by a “design panel” made up of such green design luminaries as Eric Corey Freed, Kelly LaPlante, and Michelle Kaufman, Bradley makes a compelling case for the ease with which green design principles can be woven into any remodeling project. Read the rest of this entry »

So I’m sitting there checking the emails this morning, without even having consumed my morning cuppa joe, and what pops up in our inbox?  A “congratulations” from Treehugger.com.  We’ve been nominated for a Best of Green Award!  Wow!  Who needs caffeine now?

So, I know it’s shades of every Academy Award nominee interview you’ve read over the last month or so, but honestly, we’re just happy to be nominated!  However, if you feel so inclined, and you love this blog, and you hope to see us do even more and cooler things with the blog – VOTE!  And tell all your friends!  Everyone who finds out about this blog and starts to read it is another person we can bring into the dialog about sustainable design.

Thanks!!!

I have a soft spot for wisteria.  I know it is one of those things, like tea-cups and lace curtains, that evokes the early 1990s and old issues of Victoria Magazine.  I can’t help it.  It’s still just so darn pretty and it reminds me of Spring.

But I really think Farrow & Ball has done a beautiful job with their new Wisteria wallpaper.  Block printing and their own eco-friendly paints are what give the paper it’s sense of depth and quality.

If pastels don’t suit your taste, no worries.  Farrow & Ball offers this paper in 20 different colorways, including this stunner… Read the rest of this entry »

I’m so excited to introduce this  weeks guest blogger, David Johnson of Sidecar Furniture!  An accomplished craftsman, David is also a member of LA Box Collective, a select group of professional Los Angeles based furniture makers, committed to environmentally conscious design and production.

David: Being an independent furniture designer/maker is no easy job. Comparing artisan or locally made furniture to IKEA or the Pottery Barn is like comparing apples and oranges. I often encounter people who question and often frown upon my time consuming methods and prices. We are so used to seeing and buying furniture made by big manufacturers that it becomes hard for one to appreciate quality, hand crafted, heirloom furniture. Rather than reading a blog entry about me defending myself and my craft, I decided to have my wife write a blog about her love of artisan furniture from the perspective of an outsider who is now a big fan of artisan made furniture. Read the rest of this entry »

Wow! Here we are, our first real milestone – post #100!  I can’t believe it’s here already.  Of course, we’ve had help the last two weeks from our first two guest bloggers, Christina from My Sparrow, and Wes from Harding Construction and Sustainable Solutions.  Let’s give them a hand!

Now on to business…

image via Green Your Decor

First up, GreenYourDecor found some pretty pillows from Gianna that are not only organic, but Fair Trade too!

Next, some new mod wallpaper from Mod Green Pod, an old-fashioned folding bathtub, and a bed made of plumbing parts… Read the rest of this entry »

Our guest blogger this week is Wes Harding, President of Harding Construction & Sustainable Solutions. He is a college instructor, general contractor, certified green home rater, and energy auditor. He can be reached at www.hardingconstruction.biz

Some homes just blow and other just suck.

After reading your Home Performance Energy Audit Report you found your home was built too tight. Meaning, there are not enough holes in the home and there is not enough fresh air entering.

The goal of any general contractor should be to build the tightest house possible to stop air infiltration and provide the most durable and sustainable product for his or her client. On existing or traditional homes, built before energy code, it is difficult and costly to tighten a home to the point that it is too tight. (I didn’t say it can’t be done.) Read the rest of this entry »

The latest thing in countertops is also the oldest thing…  Wood.

Whether it’s due to a backlash against the cold, shiny surface of the ubiquitous granite countertop, or a desire for something with an old-fashioned, great-grandma’s kitchen feel, wood is really seeing a comeback as a countertop surface.

One beautiful option to achieve this look is teak.  Because of it’s density, durability and natural oil content, teak has long been the wood of choice for boats, buildings and outdoor furniture, all of which get a great deal of exposure to the elements.  It’s those same characteristics that are giving it a foothold in the modern kitchen. Read the rest of this entry »