Silk is one of those grey areas of green design.  Although a natural and sustainable fiber in many ways, most silk production still requires killing the larval stage of the moth, in order to preserve the cocoon.  This issue makes this otherwise exquisite fabric a great deal less appealing to many consumers.

However, there is an equally beautiful solution, and that is “Peace Silk”, which is used by Rajboori to make their amazing line of bed linens and throw pillows. Read the rest of this entry »

I thought it would be nice to do a little series of posts this week on some of the beautiful craft work that comes out of Japan.  Perhaps no other country is so obsessed with both the past and the future at once, so it’s the perfect place to explore when it comes to using historical materials and methods to create more sustainable products.

All images via Kurikan

First in our series is the cloth ware company Kurakin.

After receiving a research offer from the government to see if it could find a way to use food scraps as colorants, the Tsuyakin Kogyo Company, of Ichinomiya, Japan, developed the “nokori dye” method.  Read the rest of this entry »

For centuries, artisans in India have created the most beautiful hand embroidery.

In recent years however, the artisans who have learned this skill for generations no longer had enough demand to continue their craft.  The advent of cheap, machine embroidery has left many with little choice but to find another livelihood.

Thankfully, in 2005 Afshan Durani, founder of Lost City, set out to revive this vanishing art form. Read the rest of this entry »

Sometimes, when we shoot off an email asking for more information and images from someone, what we get back leaves me nearly breathless.

Rowland and Chinami Ricketts are truly artists in indigo.  Apprenticing under master dyers and weavers in Japan, they have learned how to make amazingly beautiful, natural fiber textiles. Read the rest of this entry »

My shoe hugger from Arcadia

I’m just back from a fun, but all too brief trip to the Bay Area, which included a trip to the recently (re)opened California Academy of Sciences, which you’ll hear more about tomorrow.  Until I get all those images and information ready to post however, I would like to take a moment to send some kudos to the Arcadia company for creating such a helpful bit of green.

You see, a couple of weeks ago I attended a mini-expo put on by IIDA in Orange County, and had a chance to talk with Niki Valdes of Arcadia about all their efforts to create sustainable contract furniture.

Read the rest of this entry »

Pindler & Pindler has introduced a new line of luxury fabrics under the name “Pindler Green”.  Focused on natural fibers such as organic cotton and linen, Pindler has created some lovely patterns that are sure to have wide appeal, and not just to the sustainably minded.

I am particularly drawn to their suzani influenced patterns, such as Tybalt, an upholstery damask design, which is woven of 100% organic cotton and  comes in 5 colorways.

Read the rest of this entry »

Sometimes finding coordinated organic cotton bedding and pillows can be frustrating.  The patterns are often fairly plain, and the colors lean more towards earth tones.  Not so with Plover Organic’s linens! Read the rest of this entry »