Crate and Barrel goes green?

While shopping at Crate and Barrel for furniture for a client the other day, I made a wonderful discovery; main stream furniture companies are finally jumping on board and "going green." I found several sofas that were labeled "eco-friendly".  I asked one of the sales associates what this was all about and he told me that they are moving towards working more and more with furniture builders that practice green design. Fabrics that are certified green, foam interiors that are free of the harsh chemicals that we have come to accept and wood frames made of sustainable wood. The best part was-the price! Many of the eco-friendly sofas I liked were actually less expensive than the more conventional ones. Great job Crate and Barrel.

buying organic produce without leaving your home?

There is a great web based company that sells local, organic produce for very reasonable prices. www.spud.com They deliver for free when you order a minimum amount and they have lots of meat, dairy, grain and produce to choose from. It is great when you just don't have the time to get to the farmers' market-I have never been unhappy with the quality of produce and the company is local so any issues are easy to resolve with a quick phone call. Check them out!

spring is in the air

All this warm weather has got me ready for summer...seems like I always forget that we get this little streak of warmth every January and then the rains come back. But for now, I am thinking about my garden and what I want to plant, try out, EAT come the REAL summer months. I have been reading a lot about heirloom seeds and how important they are to our planet. Did you know that most commercial seeds in the US are patented and have been bred down to about two or three "types" per plant? Why does that matter? If a disease hits and we only have a few varieties of one tomato, for example, than the entire population of tomatoes can be wiped out in one year! That means...no more tomatoes...EVER!! I know that sounds like some sci-fi story, but it is really becoming a major issue, enough of one that organizations like the World Health Organization are starting to study it's affects on food supply and health around the globe. So, many small farmers, organic seed companies and magazines like Sunset and Mother Earth Journal are encouraging us to grow heirloom seeds in our backyard gardens to encourage variety and thus security of the survival of specific plants. So, check back in as I explore some interesting and new to me vegetables this spring and summer. I look forward to hearing what you plant to grow as well.

Featured green vendor of the week....

A few weeks ago a friend in the design industry introduced me to a company by the name of CompoClay, a new green business in Alameda. I visited their retail store on Santa Clara and was delighted by their beautiful home accessories. Curious about what made them green and what CompoClay was all about, I found myself back at their store a week later with an appointment to meet with two of the owners,Andy Choi and Young Lee. This place is so much more than meets the eye. It is not only a retail shop for home accents, it is essentially a MOVEMENT of change and education in the green design industry!  Take their mission statement:

"CompoClay will introduce to the market the excellence and distinction of its ecological raw material, CompoClay, perpetuating the value of environmental responsibility, starting from our way of life, to the choices we make as consumers. By offering superior products, viable green alternatives, and the educational support, CompoClay will enrich the quality of life and our planet for a sustainable future."

Did you get all of that? A lot to take on for one small home accents company.....turns out, they are really a lot more than that! CompoClay has done years of research and testing on an entirely new process for creating chemical free product that can duplicate the look of almost ANY natural substance; stone, cement, tile, wood, engineered wood, the list is endless and growing as they work tirelessly to improve, expand and explore. All of this is coupled with a passionate desire to educate both the designer and consumer about the impact chemicals can have on both the environment and our health.
Because CompoClay owns both the process of making and the actual product, they are able to have total control over maintaining a truly green product from conception to point of sale. How the workers are treated and what they are exposed to is also considered part of the greenness of their product.
I can only say, a visit to their store in Alameda and their soon to open 4,000 square foot showroom in SF will convert you to this amazing new product. I look forward to being educated by their knowledgeable staff and using their product on future jobs.
CompoClay
2536 Santa Clara Ave
Alameda, CA 94501
877.237.8916
www.compoclay.com
A few photos for you to enjoy;

The public Library

This one may seem obvious to many of you, but it is also something many of us forget about; the public library! It is more than just a place to get books, there are movies, CDs free wi-fi.....so much free stuff. And using the library is so green-the ultimate in recyceling, check out a book, read it, return it for someone else to do the same. Think how much paper is saved by not printing a copy of each book for every person who reads them. So, head on down to your local library and check out what they have for you. And don't forget to check out all the great community events they have too. Libraries are the BEST!

a green way to buy electronics

After many years of deferring what I knew had to happen someday, I broke down and bought my first Mac computer today! While I have been excited about making the conversion from a PC and having all of the advantages a Mac offers to those in my industry, I was struggeling with the whole concept of buying a new electronic and all of the negative environmental impacts that can have. My PC works just fine, is paid for and is suitable for most of my needs. How could I justify getting a new computer when what I had basically worked? I did a little research, looked into the capabilities of Macs some more and finally decided on a plan. I bought a USED computer! Ok, they like to say REFURBISHED, same thing though. I saved about $300 off the price of a new one, did not add to the massive junk pile in the land fills of the world and got a one year warranty for free! So, the next time you are thinking of a new cel phone, computer, printer or pretty much ANY electronic device, consider the alternative choice to new and go refurbished-I sure am glad I did. Now I just have to wait two more days for my cool Mac laptop to arrive! So excited!

Effecient lighting for kitchens and baths

For any of you considering a kitchen or bath remedel any time soon, it is good to know about Title 24. In California, there are dozens of laws about lighting and energy use and they all fall under the heading of Title 24. Each year this is updated (and new rules are added, it is Californis, after all!) One of the main concerns is how to make lighting in kitchens and baths the most energy effecient. So I thought I would tell you all about a lighting system called Vacancy Sensors. These are installed where your lightswitch is now and based on motion in that room, turn on or off. They can be set to different levels of light for different areas of a room; bright task lighting for a kitchen or soft, flattering light in a bathroom.  Some even include an LED night light! visit http://www.wattstopper.com/ to see more products before you embark on your next remodel.

Amazing eco-savvy furniture and fabric

Back before green was so "in" a company called Q Collection launched a line of high design eco-friendly furniture and fabrics. Business is booming and they are available on the West Coast now! Visit the SF Design Center to see just how fantastic their product is.
website: http://www.qcollection.com/
SF location http://www.sloan.com/
great stuff!

Top Eco-friendly kitchen countertops

Often times just adding a coat of paint to old cabinets and replacng the beat up countertop you have, is enough to make a dramatic change to a dull, dated kitchen. I have put together a list of countertops that are both attractive and eco-friendly to help you make you selections.
Vetrazzo is a recycled glass mixed with cement, concrete or resin. Any color you might see glass in, is available in this very cool, very modern countertop. The cement can also be stained to add more drama. http://www.vetrazzo.com/ starts at $55 per square foot
Bamboo wood made from fast growing bamboo and cut into small rectangles on the end grain for a dramitic update to standard wood tops http://www.plyboo.com/ from around $23 per square foot
Paperstone recycled paper in a resin base. Comes in a range of colors and thicknesses and is heat and stain resistant! http://www.paperstoneproducts.com/ starts at around $30 per square foot
Eleek a recycled aluminum http://www.eleek.com/ starts at around $39 per square foot

So, check out these great resources for your next kitchen project.

Featured green vendor of the week:

For those of you considering a kitchen or bath remodel, and have a little extra cash to spend, I can not say enough good things about Kvanum Kitchen Studios in San Francisco! This Swedish based company is finally available in the US and the showroom on Washington street is just Divine.
Everything about this company is eco-friendly, worker friendly and community conscious. From the harvesting of the wood and the manufacturing of the product, to how and why they give back to their local communities. They even use recycled packaging and share containers with other deliveries to reduce the emissions and waste that come from buying new product!
Natalia Nordstrom, the owner of the San Francisco showroom has extensive experience in both green and kitchen design. Having worked for IKEA, as an independent designer and for several green design showrooms in the Bay Area, she brings an understanding and passion to Kvanum that is unparalleled. I have had the pleasure of knowing her for years and am delighted to share her showroom with you all.
Kvanum Studios is located at:
526 Washington street
San Francisco CA 94111
415.399.9445
natalia.nordstrom@kvanum.com
http://www.kvanum.com/
I have included some photos to show you just how beautiful this product really is:

Eco-friendly flooring ideas

ok, so bamboo flooring is certainly the obvious choice when people think about eco-friendly floors, but what about aluminum? At Eco-Friendly Flooring http://www.ecofriendlyflooring.com/ you can find a broad range of amazing tiles for your flooring project, all of which will leave you feeling like a real environmentalist! Well, maybe that is a strech, but you get the idea. The ones I like are 6"x6" recycled aluminum tiles that are installed just like ceramic ones. Hey, you could even go crazy and tile a WALL for a really dramatic impact to a room. Who says you have limit yourself to the floor?

Happy New Year!

Hello again dear eco-enthusiasts.....I hope your holiday was as fun filled and joyful as mine was! Being surrounded by friends and family is always such a great way to remember what is truely important in life-RELATIONSHIPS, not things.
Now for the confession: we really overdid it with our three year old son. His birthday is two weeks before Christmas so we are already starting with a challange of the influx of gifts in such a short period of time. But this year I decided to be "clever" and shop early so as to spread out the expense over a period of several months. Great idea for the most part, except I had forgotten what gifts I had already bought for my little guy. So, when it came time to wrap birthday gifts....I simply saved a few of those extra  for Christmas. Problem was, I had already gotten him gifts for Christmas! And so did everyone else! I had sort of not thought about that. Well, Christmas morning was quite an affair, but the next morning, my son expected MORE! My heart sank. The result: trying to explain to a three year old that just because he has been showered with gifts for two weeks strainght, does not mean this is the new NORMAL in our house! Right then and there my husband and I resolved to be more aware next year. ONE gift from each family and hopefully not even that-I will be giving him an experience instead of a gift. Seems like that has so much more of the meaning and spirit of Christmas! It seems he is young enough still to instill this ideal as something special, not as a deprevation.
We'll see, I am hopeful!