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.

Forced to slow way, WAY down by my recent illness, I have rediscovered the joy of curling up with a good book.  Although I can see the benefits of downloading electronic files to tablet style readers, for me the soft, crinkly whooshing noise as a page is turned is too romantic to give up yet.  Even more than the sound though, I cannot imagine enjoying reading without that wonderful musty scent of age, bookbinder’s glue, and ink.  Yes, I am one of those crazy people who like to sniff books.  If they invented a cologne for men that smelled like antiquarian books, and my husband put it on, he would have to take out a restraining order on me.  I lust.

I was also raised to RESPECT books.  Unless it was a cookbook, there was no writing within allowed, other than a quick “this book belongs to…”.  Likewise, you never dogeared, stood on, tossed, or otherwise maimed a book.  They were SACRED.   So imagine my horror when I discovered that books donated to libraries are often simply tossed in the recycling bin!  Turns out, there are so many books that no one really wants (think “The Joy of Algebra”, ed. 1975), that there is nothing else to be done with them.  Imagine all that delicious scent going to waste.  Unless…

image via Inhabitat

we used all those unwanted books to make things with!  Like this enterprising library, which used books recovered from a fire to build their new checkout desk.

How about a bookshelf made of a book?

Or maybe a bookshelf made from a whole BUNCH of books?

You could stack all your extra books on your book table…

and then kick back in your book chair to read them by the…

gentle light of your book sconce.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go and stick my nose back in a book.

Dr. Steingraber’s story is one of crisis, survival, realization and action.  A story that revolves around cancer.  Her cancer.  A story that involves her taking her knowledge of science and using it to enlighten us as to why so many – so very many – of us are getting it.

She told us of growing right next to the Illinois River, and never fishing because the fish were too toxic to eat.  She told a tale of going to Sudan to study the environmental and human crisis along their rivers, only to be asked by a Sudanese man why she was worried about their river and not her own back home.

She talked about research into the causes of cancer, and explained that, although genetics play a role, our genes can’t really be changed.  However, the environment plays an equal or even greater role in the likelihood of our getting cancer, and that we CAN change.

As though to punctuate her speech, and remind us that the earth can still be healed, nature provided a stunning rainbow.  Happily, the rain that followed was considerate, and waited for her to finish before chasing us to our cars.

I left the lecture feeling an intense mixture of anger, frustration, hope and inspiration.  As I sit here next to my 8 year old son, typing away on this post, I wonder what his future will be, and if I can save him from the consequences of previous generations destructive, if often unwitting, mistakes.

To learn more about Dr. Steingraber’s amazing story, as well as everything you probably didn’t want to know about how badly we are soiling our own nest, you should read her book, “Living Downstream“, and see the beautiful, haunting documentary of the same name.

To celebrate the publication of their brand new book, “Just Green It!”, healthy living advocates Ron and Lisa Beres have offered me two autographed copies to giveaway to you, dear readers.

Filled with tips on how to save the environment and your wallet at the same time, this book is designed to make it easier to navigate through the sea of conflicting information and green-washing we all run up against on our journey to sustainability.

Ordinarily, I try to stick to books directly related to interior design, but I’m making an exception here, because Lisa Beres’ previous experience as an interior designer means she spends a good bit of the book delving into just that topic.  Besides, it gives me an excuse to meet up with her at Kean Coffee soon, so I can get those signed books for you! Mmmm… Turkish latte…

So, how do you win a copy?  Entering the giveaway is simple:

1.  Leave a comment after this post, saying what item in your home you’ve had the most difficulty finding an affordable green alternative for (dishwashing liquid, light bulbs, bed linens, etc.).

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!

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, Friday, April 9th.  The winners will be chosen via random selection, and announced Monday, April 12th.  Good luck!

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!

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.

Happily, ASID, in conjunction with Wiley, decided to publish two books on the subject.

“Sustainable Commercial Interiors”, by Penny Bonda and Katie Sosnowchik, was the first to hit shelves, followed closely by

“Sustainable Residential Interiors”, by Associates III.  Both books are a treasure trove of useful information, including comprehensive coverage of subjects such as: certification systems, life cycle assessment, materials use and re-use, daylighting, and ventilation.

As each book is aimed squarely at the needs of the respective branch of interior design it’s written for,  a residential designer is not likely to get much out of the commercial book, and vice versa. One other thing to keep in mind is that a few things have changed since these books were first published in 2007, most especially the USGBC’s LEED system, which figures prominently in the commercial volume.  As of now I know of no plans to revise “Sustainable Commercial Interiors”, but I will let you know if that changes.

All things aside, whether you are just starting out in green design, or just want to expand your knowledge base, these books are must haves for your library.  You will find yourself referring to them again and again!

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