Go to the local – or chain – hardware store and take a stroll to the paint section, where rows upon rows and literally thousands of color choices may await customers. What’s in that paint?  In many cases, that information can be more than difficult to unearth.

In the vast majority of cases the base material is latex, supplemented by a witch’s brew of chemicals to achieve consistency, color, and so forth, produced with petro-chemical or synthetic ingredients.  The result, whatever the formula, is often toxic.  Who wants that?

Florian Speier and Jessica Pfohl are among those looking for something more.  Out of frustration at the “greenwashing and lack of ingredient transparency in the paint industry,” the husband and wife team founded Unearthed Paints with the determination to help change the industry.

“We believe that consumers have a right to know what ingredients are in their paints,” proclaims the company website.  “We proudly list all the ingredients in our paint on the front of every label.  We hope that other paint manufacturers will follow our lead so that consumers can make informed decisions about the paints they bring into their homes.”

So, what’s in their paint?  Unearthed carries natural paint, meaning paint made with ingredients such as earth & mineral pigments, marble, clay, and chalk.  The medium  comes to the consumer accompanied by a full ingredient disclosure.  It is truly 100% VOC-free and biodegradable.

While clay and mineral paints have never gone out of popularity in Europe and Japan, here in America such natural finishes have been largely forgotten.  Florian and Jessica hope to change that.

After months of relationship-building with the German company Kreidezeit, arrangements were made earlier this year to begin importing the latter’s natural finishes to the U.S., where the product was rebranded for American consumers.  Unearthed Paints was born.  Now its creators are in the building process, attracting vendors and the attention of the press, with the aim of winning some market share away from an industry dominated by latex paint.

There are six types of paint offered by the company.  Four are sold as dry powder, to be mixed on site: clay paint and its thicker variation, clay roll-on plaster, Vega Paint (a vegan update on traditional milk paint recipes), and plant glue paint.  Pit lime paint and Gecko Paint are sold as liquid bases.

Similar care is taken for remainder of the product line.  On offer are three types of plaster in various textures, two natural wood finishes, along with primers, thinners, and a selection of pigment used to infuse color.

The goal of sustainability is carried into every aspect of the business, even unto consideration for energy use.  While many of the ingredients in conventional latex paints – such as petroleum products and titanium dioxide – require an energy-intensive process to produce, natural paints, in contrast, are minimally processed and made with ingredients which are abundantly available (clay, chalk) or recycled (reclaimed Italian marble).  To complement to this sourcing, Unearthed’s paint is manufactured in a carbon-neutral facility and shipped via carbon-offset transport.

The founders of Unearthed also translate their philosophy into action through their Rainforest Pledge: a program currently dedicated to helping preserve the rainforest in Paraguay.  For every square foot of Unearthed paints, plasters, or wood finishes purchased by a customer, the company will purchase one square foot of rain forest and donate it back to the Enxet and Ayoreo tribes, which are indigenous to the region.

Details of the pledge can be found at the Unearthed Paints’ website.  Once there, wander around a bit and learn about this inspiring company, which is definitely (pardon the chestnut) walking its talk.

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.

not one,…

not two,…

but THREE T-rex skeletons on exhibit now!

Cool!!!

So in honor of the tyrannically good time we are going to have, I present you with some prehistoric fun from Etsy…

Reclaimed wood TRex skull by Recycled State

Organic lambswool Dinos Roar pillow by Niko & Nonnie

Dino illustration on vintage book page by New Day Prints

Master of Disaster recycled t-shirt pillow by AedanSeppe

“Hey There Dino” limited edition screenprinted poster on recycled card stock by Katie Blair Designs

Dino skeleton from recycled materials by JD Salvaged Creations

Wishing all my dear readers a marvelous weekend!

Thanks for visiting!

Rachel

Harmony Art Chili Pepper Flannel

The lovely folks at Near Sea Naturals, the already notable internet source for organic fabric, have taken things to a whole new level with their new venture, American Grown-Spun-Milled.  With an inventory consisting of nothing that isn’t organically grown and then spun and manufactured in the United States, they are fulfilling a growing need for more locally based materials.  They are also continuing a long tradition of cotton and wool production in North America, as well as providing work for mills whose workload might otherwise be shipped off to China or India for cheaper manufacture.

Says Tara Bloyd, president of NearSea Naturals -

“At a time when many textile jobs and businesses are going overseas, our customers are demanding domestic, sustainable fabrics. They understand the importance of supporting the US textile industry and want to keep their business supply chains local.”

So far, their inventory is small, but enticing.   I imagine as demand increases so will the number of choices.  For now, here are some of the lovelies they have:

Thanks to my friend Harmony, of Harmony Art organic fabrics for letting me know about this great new online source!

And as always…
Thanks for visiting!

Rachel

Well now you can – at least in pillow form – thanks to Etsy seller My Bearded Pigeon.   Who wouldn’t want to dream of great explorations while snuggled up on this pillow?

Since the adorable child is not included, here’s what the pillow looks like on its own…

This bright and cheerfully colored map, circa 1865, is printed onto a 100% organic cotton pillow cover, with a black organic cotton back and zipper closure (insert not included).

My Bearded Pigeon also has an amazing selection of decorative map pillows for grown-ups who dream of travel.

Maybe you’re dreaming of a tropical island paradise…

Or the summer heat means all you want to do is cool off on some Antarctic adventure.

Perhaps you’re having wistful thoughts of Spring in Paris.

Me? I still dream of the wedding and honeymoon I had in Italy.

But this summer, it’s all about our home state, as my son has to go to five historic California sites before school starts again. Do you think he could get extra credit if I marked where he had visited on this pillow and gave it to his teacher?  Yeah, I didn’t think so.

There are so many places to choose from, whether it’s a place that you dream of, or a thoughtful gift for someone a long way from home. Cath, of My Bearded Pigeon, will even take custom requests if you don’t see the place you’re thinking of.  Best of all, for each pillow sold, $1 is used in support of non-profit microlender Kiva.org, an organization I also support and recommend.

Cath does a few non-map pillows as well, including this wonderful, hand-embroidered poem by Bruce Williamson…

I can think of no better sentiment for the moment, as it is my son’s first day of summer vacation and we have a LOT of sandcastles to build before the summer is done!

Be sure to check out more of My Bearded Pigeons marvelous pillows here.

I’m absolutely giddy about it, which I’m sure leaves some of you wondering about my sanity.  For those of you who share in my enthusiasm for all things “woady” I promise will give you all a full report next week.

And don’t forget!  We are giving away a great Adesso Reach LED desk lamp this week!  You have until Saturday at midnight to enter.

Meanwhile, here are some of the things that caught my eye this week:

1. This tutorial for recycling porch light fixtures into terrariums is so brilliant. I’m definitely adding this to my list of things to incorporate into my new office space. (design*sponge)

2. Here’s another great giveaway, this one for some lovely Amy Butler organic bedding. (Green Bag Lady)

3. We are all so used to the idea of flatpack furniture, what with IKEA and all, but when designer Kem Weber pioneered the idea with his Airline Chair, people thought it was weird and he only managed to sell about 200 of them. Man, what I wouldn’t do to own one of those amazing chairs. (Boing Boing)

4. And speaking of IKEA, they recently made a pledge to transition to 100% “better cotton”. It looks to be a step in the right direction, but is it really enough? (Inhabitat)

5. I’ve always liked cheery yellow in a traditional kitchen, but never figured it would look right in a modern one. Here is a super sleek, modern kitchen with bright glossy yellow cabinets, and I have to admit, it looks great! (Trendir)

6. Wood is becoming an increasingly popular element in many interiors. This lovely home takes that idea to the nth degree. (2Modern blog)

7. And now I’ll leave you with two fascinating videos. The first is an interview with a woman who lives in a 90 sf “apartment” in New York. She’s managed to make it quite livable, although I could never sleep in a bed like that!

The second video I’ve included just because it’s so darn peaceful, even if it is a commercial.

Wishing all of you a wonderful weekend!

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

Harmony Art, 10 Flowers - 100% organic cotton

LIVE Textiles, Topiary – 100% organic linen

Ink & Spindle, Flowering Gum - organic cotton and hemp blend

Rubie Green, Marilyn – 100% organic cotton

Mod Green Pod, Bloom – 100% organic cotton

Do you have a favorite organic or sustainable floral fabric?  Let us know about it in the comments below.

So, the minute I saw this pillow on Etsy, I knew I had to have it.

Created by Canadian designer Sara Smile, this hemp and organic cotton blend pillow cover is just plain girly fun! And it’s also a very reasonable $39 USD.

Look at some of her other pretty offerings…

Here she has a striking, black linen pillow cover, with a lovely rose of recycled polyester felt, topped off with a sparkly rhinestone button in the center. Perfect for the sophisticated girly girl.

And for the girl who is both feminine AND athletic, she has this adorable bicycle motif pillow.

How sweet are these two little lovebirds? Or maybe I should say birds in love? Either way, it’s yet another example of her fun, stylish, and sustainable pillows.

To see check out Sarah Smiles Etsy shop, sarahsmiledesign, click here.

Campaign Desk in “Revolution Red” by Etsy seller abodewell, made of reclaimed wood.

Hand embroidered pillow by Lost City.

Oceanside Glasstile in Red.

Harmony Art’s organic cotton fabric in 40 Ginkgos.

Recycled glass vase from Spain.

Graham & Brown’s paint in Double Decker Red.

My best wishes for a very Happy Valentine’s Day for all my wonderful readers (who put up with so much).  Now, go out there and stuff your faces with chocolate!  It’s really what today is all about – right?

It’s Friday!!!  And we are in the middle of the nominating process for Apartment Therapy’s The Homies 2011!  Want to help us reach the final cut?  Click here, and then leave the following comment:

Name: theinteriorevolution
URL: http://www.theinteriorevolution.com

We’d love to be in the final 6 blogs for voting.  It’s a great way to reach new readers, so we can keep getting the word out that green interiors are the way to go!

OK, now that that little bit of business is taken care of, on to some of the fun stuff I’ve been clicking on this week:

1.  Non-toxic dyes from agricultural waste seem to be the next new thing.  Here is a program developing in Argentina.  (Treehugger)

2.  Inhabitat is launching a Green Home Expert series.  Sigh.  They didn’t ask me… (LOL)  However, they do seem to have a roster of amazing talented people!  Definitely something to watch.  (Inhabitat)

3.  I love the concept behind this uber modular shelving.  Constantly convertible, and a lovely organic form as well. (Yanko Design)

4.  This tiny house built of pallets is so charming!  And only costs about $500 to build. (Lloyd’s Blog)

5.  I die for this beautiful upcycled doily lamp.  Seriously, you have to look at this thing.  Makes me want to run out and invest in doilies (did I just type that???) (reMade USA)

6.  These gorgeous, modern glass and cork vases and lamps are reason #1,378,632 for why I wish I could attend Maison&Objet in Paris right now. (Dezeen)

7.  These adorable, organic cotton pillows are, well,… adorable.  They remind me of the Richard Scarry books I had as a child.  So sweet.  (Green Your Decor)

Well, that’s it for now.  Have a wonderful weekend everyone!!!