The first person we heard speak was Robert Brunner, who was the founder of Apples Industrial Design group, and has since gone one to achieve many awards and accolades for his product designs.  He is now lead designer and partner in Ammunition, LLC, as well as author of the wonderful, “Do You Matter?: How Great Design Will Make People Love Your Company.”  He has designed an entire line of unique range hoods for Zephyr, which you can see here.

Design really is a passion for him, and he is very direct about his belief that you need to create a good customer experience, not just a pretty, shiny product.  The emotional bond the customer experiences with their purchase is absolutely key, a lesson he no doubt learned at Apple.

Although he was speaking to us about product design, everything he said could be translated to interior design too, and how we as designers need to create that emotional experience with our clients.

I was furiously scribbling down as much as I could of what he said, until I realized that each and every one of us was getting a signed copy of his book!   If you get a chance to read a copy – do!  It will change the way you look at the design process, and may inspire you as it has me.

Our next speaker was Fu-Tung Cheng.  I didn’t recognize him at first, but as soon as he started showing slides of his projects, I recognized his work!

If you’ve ever admired a really beautifully shaped concrete countertop in a shelter magazine, then you may very well have been looking at his craftsmanship.  You can see examples of his work in his book, “Concrete at Home”, and his beautiful range hood line for Zephyr here.

A self taught craftsman, Cheng was as relaxed and self-deprecating as Brunner was intense and passionate.  Such a contrast of personality, but such a common ground of great design work.  Cheng took us through is evolution from martial arts student and teacher, to his current work in architecture, interior design, and product design.  Such a winding path, just like so many of us.  He emphasized the idea of learning through trial and error, and how sometimes those errors become the greatest designs.

I’m hoping to nab him for a more extensive interview in the next week or so, so keep you eyes open for that.  It’s sure to be a fun one!

So, sometimes my job is not about the doing, but rather about the listening and learning.  And I like it that way.

Thanks for visiting!

Rachel

Guided by changes in her own life, Debra Duneier has created a business – and now a book – around her idea of EcoChi, a marriage of sustainable design and Feng Shui principles.  Starting with how she found herself in business as a Feng Shui consultant, and began integrating aspects of an eco-friendly lifestyle in her design, Duneier then takes us through a series of illustrative examples of clients and how she arrived at beneficial solutions to their design problems, using her trademarked EcoChi system.  Chock full of information on things as varied as tips to make your hotel room feel more like home, and how to use EcoChi to improve your family and romantic relationships, this book attempts to illustrate the correlation between Feng Shui, sustainable living, and environmental psychology.

This slim, but information packed volume is the perfect fit for those looking to combine an interest in sustainable living with Feng Shui.  Although this book does not contain images of the design work described, I’ve heard there will be a follow-up book, and I’m hoping that they will be included there.  It would definitely be an added benefit to see a spacial representation of the solutions described in the text.

Since I am not a practitioner of Feng Shui, I can’t attest to the authenticity of the advice she gives, but she does make many good points about sustainable design that could prove useful.  I’ve had several clients over the years that have been concerned with finding a balance between their desire for a “good flow of energy” in their homes, and the wish for environmentally friendly design.  I wish I had had this book to loan them at the time.

Visit the EcoChi website to find out more about the book, including how to purchase either the hardcover version, or the eBook.

I’ve been meaning to write a review ever since, but I couldn’t seem to tear my eyes off the pages long enough to write something. This book is chock full of amazing and inspiring photographs. The locations run the gamut from a wonderfully cluttered farmhouse in New York State, to a sleekly modern “country house” in Northern California, but all share the unifying factor of being unfussy. These are homes that are truly lived in, in the most wonderfully human sense of the phrase. The people who have invited us into their homes on these pages, have “decorated” for their own enjoyment, not ours, and that’s what makes the spaces so appealing. Whether you call the style “undecorated”, wabi sabi, or simply eclectic, it speaks volumes about the lives of the people who dwell there.

When I asked Christiane Lemieux what her inspiration was for writing the book, she told me she really felt that designing a home was no longer about redoing everything at once and winding up with something that looked “perfect” and finished. Instead, it had become a process where a space was constantly changing and developing over years and years, instead of weeks. In the introduction for her book, she takes the idea further and says:

“From the moment I first heard it, undecorate as a word has stuck with me, a small word carrying a big answer to the establishment way of thinking. It’s not about heirlooms, so it’s easy on the wallet. It’s not about store-bought perfection, so it’s easy on the planet. It’s about being unafraid to do things yourself [...]. It’s about prioritizing ease over elegance, good vibes over grandiosity. It’s not about letting the little imperfections of the daily grind get in the way of your having a chic lifestyle.”

I agree with Christiane. These sort of beautiful, human, and imperfect spaces is where interior design is headed, and I couldn’t be happier. Chasing after the latest trend, and having to constantly replace the old with the new is the ticket to an unsustainable lifestyle. By showcasing how beautiful interiors can be when left to develop organically, “Undecorate” quietly, but forcefully, celebrates and encourages sustainable design. I highly recommend it

Now please excuse me while I go back and drool over some more of the amazing spaces in this book.

Here are my favorite online magazines with an eye for sustainable design:

Standard

Standard is the brand new magazine from long time green design maven, Kelly LaPlante.  Promising to “change the conversation and to raise the bar again”, Standard seeks to showcase great sustainable design without resorting to the use of words such as “eco-friendly” or “green”.  In fact, the only place you will see words like that are in the advertisements scattered throughout the issue.   Although I generally applaud that approach, I think the first issue may have gone a bit overboard by not describing ANY attributes for the products it showcases.  For instance, I would have loved to at least know the type of fiber any of the lovely fabrics were made of, or if a piece of furniture was from reclaimed wood, or new.  However, that is a small quibble in a large sea of awesomeness.  This magazine is a definite must read!

Favorite article

“That Old Thang?”

Favorite quote

“The L.A. Box Collective is like a high school wood-working club… but the members are older, sexier, more talented, and fiercely committed to their values.”

Pure Green Living Magazine

From our neighbors to the north comes Pure Green Living Magazine. Although encompassing many areas of sustainable living, including food and travel, the majority of this Canadian magazines articles focus on design.  Now in its second issue, the pages are full of lovely photography and great interior design sources.   Comprehensive in scope, but warm and cozy in feel, this is another must read.

Favorite article

“Recycled with Personality”

Favorite quote

“Quilts, like friends, are warm and comforting, and you can never collect enough of either.”

Rising up from the ashes of the much missed Domino, comes Lonny Magazine.  Now on the threshold of their one year anniversary, Lonny was founded by designer (and ex-Domino market assistant) Michelle Adams and photographer Patrick Cline.  Although not a green design magazine in a strict sense, Lonny definitely picks up where Domino left off, by promoting sustainable design products as part of their editorial coverage, and making it look fun in the process.

Favorite article

“A Tradition of Excellence”

Favorite Quote

“You don’t run a company for twenty years and raise a couple of kids in this world without getting some strength” – Rachel Ashwell

So pop open you laptop, or curl up with your iPad, and check out some of the beautiful, amazing, and sustainable design magazines just waiting for you to visit.

In the enjoyable, well paced “Made by Hand”, author Mark Frauenfelder, of Make Magazine fame, tells lively DIY tales of chickens, honey, math and espresso.

Oh, and there is a bit in there about cigar box banjos too.

I’ve followed Mark via Make and BoingBoing for several years, and have always found his take on the DIY way of life to be funny and candid.  Much of what he writes about, even the part about the trials and tribulations of building a better hen house, is relevant to what is happening within the larger green design community.  After all, making things ourselves, out of materials close at hand, is surely more sustainable than purchasing a mass produced item from overseas.

With his honest confessions of failure, and spiritual descriptions of success, Frauenfelder gives us inspiration to live a simpler, more connected life.  But reader beware – you just might find yourself googling for instructions to make that cigar box banjo by the time you put down the book.

“Excuse me, bartender. The beer you just served me had 20 gallons of water in it.” You might be thought drunk if you said that, but it’s true.

The water we are talking about here is virtual, or imbedded water. It’s calculated by totaling all the water it takes to grow, raise, or manufacture something; it’s the water we don’t see in all the things we drink, eat, wear, and use in our lives. Turns out that this unseen water drains our supplies more than the water that’s right before our eyes. - Excerpt from “The Green Blue Book”

However, this book isn’t designed to make you feel guilty every time you crack open a cold one.  Instead it offers you information that will enable you to make better, more conscious choices in every way that you use water, both seen and unseen.  One of the best aspects of the book in fact, is its extensive list of resources for more information on water use and ways to save.  As a reference work alone, this book is invaluable.

Whether you are a designer looking for information on how the manufacturing of textiles and furniture affect the water supply, or simply a consumer trying to lessen their personal impact on the planet, this book is sure to provide you with new found knowledge.

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.

Photography by Frank Gaglione

“Living green may seem difficult, expensive, and out of reach.  But when you break it down into simple solutions for each room of the house, you’ll see that it’s really not”  – Bridget Biscotti Bradley

One aspect of the book that I find particularly refreshing is the amazing array of styles and materials shown in the images.  Everything from chic and modern…

to rough and rustic.

Using the knowledge she has gained as the owner of Reclaim, an eco-home store in Menlo Park, CA, Bradley guides us through the various pros and cons of different materials and green design solutions.  The book is well organized into sections such as “Getting Started”, “Bedrooms and Nurseries”, and “Light and Comfort”.  Instead of presenting a long to-do list of changes that homeowners need to make right away, Bradley encourages the reader not to rip everything out and start over, but rather to make more conscientious choices going forward.  Almost invariably, the book hits the nail on the head when it comes to why we can, and should, design green.

This isn’t to say I didn’t have my occasional disagreement with her advice, including her recommendation to use “pure cotton” bedding because it’s sustainable, when in fact, unless cotton is organic, the amount of pesticides used to grow it are fundamentally unsustainable.  (Note: It’s been brought to my attention that the reference to “pure cotton” appears in a sidebar, and may not have been written by the author.  Bradley does go on to describe the benefits of organic cotton bedding on page 113). However, these small quibbles rarely came up, and overall the book is by far the best I’ve seen on the market.  In fact, I was GOING to give up my copy to some lucky reader, but I’ve decided to be selfish and keep it for myself.  It’s that good!

Giveaway

So here’s what I’m going to do,… I think this book is such a worthy addition to any designer or homeowner’s library, I’ve procured two additional copies to giveaway to you, dear readers.  The ways to enter are simple:

1.  Leave a comment after this post, saying what your dream green remodeling project would be.

2.  Post a link to this giveaway on your Facebook account, and then come back and leave a comment telling us you’ve done so.

3.  Find @TIRevolution on Twitter, follow us, and say hi!  Then come back and leave a comment telling us you’ve done so.

Each one is a separate entry, so don’t forget to enter them as separate comments!  That way everyone has three different ways to win!

Entries will be taken until midnight PST, Thursday, March 11th, with the winners via random selection, to be announced the following Friday.  Good luck!

The author, Emily Pilloton, is a force to be reckoned with.  Starting her non-profit, Project H Design, in 2008 with nothing more than $1,000 and a lap-top, she has taken her convictions and knowledge around the world to inspire and educate students and designers alike on the need for humanitarian product design.  Full of examples of creative, thoughtful solutions to everyday problems from water filtration to eating healthier portions, there is something to interest everyone.  As if that wasn’t enough, see what she’s up to now…

Image by Project H Design

Following the successful launch of her book in October, Emily Pilloton has hit the road for the Design Revolution Roadshow.  With plans to visit 25 schools in 75 days, the Roadshow features 40 of the products highlighted in the book.

I have personally downloaded the wonderful (and free) ‘Design Revolution – The Toolkit’ pdf, which I plan to explore in detail just as soon as I have a chance.  Geared towards students and teachers, the toolkit is valuable to designers as well.  It outlines 13 values and corresponding strategies for producing great design for the greater good, something I think we can all embrace.

Peppered throughout with quotes like that above, “Downtown Chic”, from Sixx Design, is equal parts inspiration, design philosophy treatise, and how-to book.

Robert and Cortney Novogratz began their path into the design world as passionate amateurs, seeking to convert a dilapidated brownstone in Chelsea into a warm and eclectic home in time to welcome their first child into the world.  Now, many projects (and six kids) later they have developed a thriving design business in New York City and environs.

The book follows their journey of discovery, first with the brownstone, then onto warehouse spaces, country homes, and their first design commission.  Throughout there are tips and how-tos for both the design community and homeowners.  But the writing goes beyond just the basics of how to accomplish a remodel, by spending considerable time explaining not just the how, but the why of their design – and life – decisions.  While this may make the book sound like a vanity project, it is anything but.  Instead it reads more like a plea to not take life and design quite so seriously.  Playful and eclectic, yet ultimately practical, their designs are spaces to live in.

The Novogratz’s seem to have an instinctual understanding of eclecticism.   Their interiors are filled with color and light.  They favor bold statements, balanced with simple backdrops.  Finding a crazy amazing design element at a thrift store or antique market, and making it the focal point of a room is one of their signature moves. Whether it’s a cathedral window from Paris, or  an old exterior light emblazoned with the word “Police”, given to them by the precinct across the street from their SoHo home, each element becomes striking against its simple backdrop.

As a designer, I see and review books all the time that are filled with beautiful, inspiring images, but the text is often barely more than filler.  “Downtown Chic” had me curled up on the sofa, often chuckling out loud, as I followed the trials and tribulations of each new project.  With creative and interesting sidebars such as “How to Flea” and “Vintage Artifacts – The Agony and the Ecstasy”, the Novogratz’s have taken this book as an opportunity to freely share all the lessons they have learned along the way.

Although not strictly a book on sustainable design, the liberal use of reclaimed design elements, along with a “less is more” design approach makes this a terrific book for any designer or homeowner looking for inspiration for their own low-impact project.

Recommended.

Disclosure of material connection

I have always had a love for Terence Conran.  Perhaps it’s the simple, natural look of his company’s interiors and furnishings, or maybe it’s just the dreamy, spare quality of the photographs that populate the pages of his “House” book series.  Whatever the reason, I was delighted to find his latest design tome, “Eco House Book”, is focused on what I love best – sustainable homes.

Although it uses decidedly British terminology and sources, it is still a valuable addition to any green designer’s library, no matter where they hail from.  Subjects range from energy efficient lighting to choosing upholstery fabrics, and case study homes from around the world are profiled at the end of the book.