Posted March 31st, 2011 by Rachel
I just found out that one of my favorite British wallpaper companies, PaperBoy, is now offering their wonderfully wacky prints in fabric too.
PaperBoy was started by a mother (Victoria) who couldn’t find fun, good quality wallpaper for her boys bedroom. At least, wallpaper that wasn’t totally twee. With her two six-year-old boys as critics, she set about coming up with hand-drawn images that combined classic ideas like dinosaurs and pets, with edgier imagery like graffiti and skeletons. And thus was born Paperboy Wallpaper. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted March 21st, 2011 by Rachel
Happy Spring everyone! Ours started out with a bang last night – literally. At 4:30 AM my family awoke with a start as a huge clap of thunder echoed overhead. For the next 15 min. we got to enjoy quite a light and sound show, which even included some hail (to the delight of my nine-year-old).
This morning it’s all sunshine and fluffy clouds, which is the perfect setting to think about springtime. In celebration of the change of seasons, I thought it would be fun to take a look at some of my favorite floral prints in organic and sustainable fabrics. Enjoy!
Plover Organic, Pink Roses – 100% organic cotton
WonderFluffShop (Etsy seller), Aqua Daisies – 100% organic cotton Read the rest of this entry »
Posted February 14th, 2011 by Rachel
In honor of that gorgeous hue of love, here are a few of my favorite sustainable products in red…
Campaign Desk in “Revolution Red” by Etsy seller abodewell, made of reclaimed wood.
Hand embroidered pillow by Lost City. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Accessories, Fabric, Furniture, Paint and finishes, Tile
Tags: cotton, Fabric, furniture, organic, paint, sustainable, wood
Posted October 15th, 2010 by Rachel
OK. I’d just like to get this out of the way first. This post has given me total “Barney Miller” flashbacks. “Wojciehowicz. It’s spelled just like it sounds.”
In my defense, I think I watched them all on reruns, but still,… I’m that old.
image by Starbucks
However, “Wojo“, the beautiful fabric on this chair, isn’t old at all. In fact, it is a brand new, sustainable fabric developed just for Starbucks by New Zealand textile design firm, The Formary.
image by Dixson McCarthy Photographers
Read the rest of this entry »
Posted October 7th, 2010 by Rachel
Trends often find their start in the fashion world, and then quickly find their way into the obsessive minds of interior designers. Take the current menswear look seen in all the fashion magazines and blogs for Fall 2010. Tweed, herringbone, houndstooth, wool…, already I have found myself contemplating how I can integrate the look into my home. So I did what so many of us do – I took a virtual stroll through Etsy. And look what I found!
The “Woolcoat” Chair, by London designer Sarah Louise Dix, is a fascinating – and quite literal – blend of fashion and furniture. By taking a vintage chair, reupholstering it in a lovely fabric, and then integrating a men’s wool coat, she has created a piece of sustainable, yet functional, art.
Of course, if that is a little too much for you, there are some simpler ways to get your trend fix… Read the rest of this entry »
Posted September 29th, 2010 by Rachel
The fourth in a series of artisan profiles by contributing writer Emerald Atkins.
“Life is in the details” proclaims a sign at the offices of Alabama Chanin
Day by day the work goes – in baby steps – business and lifestyle stitched together by patience, love, and labor into a sustaining, sustainable whole.
Natalie Chanin’s business model is organic in the sense that it grew into its present form, instead of being the product of intentional design. From her hometown of Florence, AL, to a degree in Environmental Design at North Carolina State University, to Vienna, to New York, and home again, Natalie has traveled far – and traveled full circle – blending the sewing lore of her grandmother into a business practice which well may be the legacy of her own grandchildren. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted July 30th, 2010 by Rachel
Image via design*sponge
There is something about vintage crates that always catches my eye. Here’s a nice look at a few that have been turned into rustic little side tables. (design*sponge)
Speaking of crates, this family took two large ones and made them into a coffee table of sorts. Doesn’t it just look like the comfiest place to curl up with a book and drink lemonade on a summer’s day? (maya*made)
Here are some great pieces of wall art made with letters cut from soda cans. I can’t figure out how you’d get a sewing machine to stitch through them like that, but it certainly looks cool. (Green Your Decor)
Could this be the future of fabric? 3-D printing technology used to create clothing. (Ecouterre)
And finally, an excuse to have a bunch of people over for a wine tasting. Just tell them to bring a bottle with them, and after they’ve left, you can rinse them all out and send them away to be made into your own custom drinking glasses. (Inhabitat)
Wishing you a weekend full of friends and fun! – Rachel
Posted July 30th, 2010 by Rachel
I had the pleasure last night of being part of a panel discussion on green home remodeling, presented by the Orange County chapter of the USGBC. My fellow panelists were award winning architect Brion Jeanette, landscape architect and TV personality Dean Hill, and energy efficiency expert Dan Thomson, president and founder of The Building Doctors.
Our moderator was the ever charming Cathy Baranger (with me above), one of the founding members of the USGBC chapter in Orange County.
Our setting was the beautiful Room & Board store at South Coast Plaza Village. Love those recycled aluminum Emeco chairs. So sharp!
They really pulled out all the stops to accommodate us, including setting up a terrific room for our panel discussion.
Read the rest of this entry »
Posted July 16th, 2010 by Rachel
This last Sunday, my husband and I took our son to the Annual Origami Festival at the CSULB Earl Burns Miller Japanese Garden. The normally tranquil space, its large pond filled with jewel colored koi, had been transformed into a bustling garden full of happy, paper folding families. Origami aficionados and amateurs alike were busily creating flowers, boxes, cranes,… hats, brooches, pterodactyls,… whatever their fingers could fold.
I was killing time, wandering around while my son tried to convince a very overstuffed koi fish to take one more piece of fish chow, when I ran across a lovely sight…
A loom! Now, I’m not a weaver, but I did once take a class, and I find the whole process fascinating. As I stood in front of this loom and stared at the work in progress, I wondered what on earth the yarn was made of. I couldn’t figure it out. Was it jute? No, not rough enough. Was it wool? No, no fibers sticking out. Well, what the heck was it?? Read the rest of this entry »
Posted June 7th, 2010 by Rachel
I often time spend a bit of time trying to come up with a good post title. You know, something quirky or alliterative. However, Q Collection left me no choice but to go with the obvious…
I mean, when you name your new chair line the “Kiss My Arse Recliner“, what is left for a poor blogger to do? Read the rest of this entry »
