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.
A green finish that meets today’s standards set by petroleum-based finishes can be a bit of a conundrum. Mainstream furniture and cabinets are normally sprayed with nitrocellulose lacquers, varnishes, and the like. Icky and stinky as they are they really protect the wood by basically coating it with a layer of plastic.
A few years back, water based polyurethane finished came out as a green alternative but, like anything new, they were slow to be accepted. There were complaints that they were hard to work with and the color was off but the manufacturers listened and solved these problems while at the same time making these water based finishes even more safe for the environment. A finish that I’ve wanted to try is Vermont Coatings Poly Whey, available locally in Southern California at Livingreen. Polyurethane finishes do require some work to apply nicely so they add some cost to a project
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 was excited to see that Idea Paint has introduced the new “Lil’ Bit” kit, which contains just enough of their terrific dry erase paint (in White), to cover 3 square feet. The next size up kit covers 25 sf, and costs $99, while the Lil’ Bit kit is a mere pittance at $25! Durable, water based, easy to apply, and environmentally friendly, Idea Paint can be applied to any flat surface. Walls, furniture, refrigerators, chalkboards – you name it! Read the rest of this entry »
Check out Transformations Furniture interesting take on sustainability. Kudos to them for thinking about what happens to their chairs after the original upholstery wears out! As seen on treehugger.com
1. Recycled Glass Terrazo – Terrazo is an age old method of creating hard surfaces by combining aggregate, such as marble chips, with concrete. The resulting material is poured into place and smoothed out using grinders and polishers. Companies such as Vetrazzo, Enviroglass, and Icestone have taken this method and replaced the stone aggregate with pre and post consumer glass chips, creating eye catching surfaces. Read the rest of this entry »
The interioRevolution is a design blog devoted exclusively to sustainable interior design. Through product reviews, guest blogs by experts in their fields, special features and spirited discussion, the interioRevolution provides new knowledge and expands the dialogue on sustainable interior design.
