TEXx Great Pacific Garbage Patch

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Organic Bedroom, Part I

Today I was researching organic bedding. I had high hopes to find a lot of interesting modern, organic fabric patterns... What I found was a lot of plain and boring bedding. I also found a lot at West Elm and Pottery Barn (remember these are both owned by William Sonoma), but I wanted quality, plus I wanted to bring you something new that you may not of already seen. Well, I found it a little frustrating, but now I know of a new niche I can tackle ;) I would love to see more "Made in the USA" Organic Bedding!

I did come across a few companies that offer organic bedding which I found promising.

Amy Butler

Garnet Hill

Inhabit Living

Amenity Home

Eco-Friendly beauty can be transparent...

Yesterday I talked about bamboo and mentioned a product called Varia Ecoresin from 3-Form. I really love the product, especially the organic collection. The resin has 40% pre-consumer recycled content, it is GREENGUARD certified, and contains no PVC. It is so beautiful and acts as art in any applications. It look a lot like frosted glass so light filters through, highlighting the organic content. When ordering you can pick colors for the resin as well as the density of the material - so it is very customizable. Here are a few of my favorite images!

Color Scheme of the Week...

I'm really into color, that is one reason I started creating custom printed fabrics and rugs. I've been attracted lately to the blue, gold, and graphite combination, so I made a color concept board for it! I love how the blue and gold play off each other. I'm a big fan of natural organic cotton so in reality, I would also add the natural cream to the pallet to lighten and freshen it up. Color is endless with infinite possibilities... and isn't that exciting!!

Beautiful, Eco-Friendly Bamboo

There is a lot of talk about bamboo... But why is it GREEN? Here are some reasons:

• Grows Fast - up to 3-4 feet per day
• Does not need fertilizers, pesticides, or a lot of water
• Releases 35% more oxygen than an average tree
• Improves soil conditions and erosion
• Matures within 7 years and can yield 20 time more timber than an average tree

We have all seen beautiful bamboo floors and window shades, I was look for other interesting uses for bamboo.

This is a beautiful vessel sink that really caught my eye. It is made by Totally Bamboo - they sell all kinds of wonderful things made of bamboo, but I love this Vessel sink!

Pendant light are very popular so I was excited to find this one made by Schmitt Design. It is constructed with thin strips of bamboo veneer and lined with shoji paper. The shape is different and a warm light is casted. I think they are just lovely!

I'm always on the search for eco-friendly furniture and this unique bamboo chair is so sleek and cool. It is called the Spring Chair and it is made by Modern Bamboo. The strength and flexibility of the bamboo creates a gentle rocking action - I bet it works great to rock a baby to sleep :)

Most eco-friendly counter tops are very expensive, but bamboo offers an economical option. Teragren has created a beautiful line of bamboo counter tops. They are available in natural and caramelize both unfinished or prefinished with mineral oil/beeswax. They are warm and interesting - fabrication and installation is much easier than a stone or concrete. I like the parquet butcher block best!

One of my favorite eco product is Varia Eco Resin by 3-Form. Their Organics Collection takes natural material and places it into an eco-friendly resin to form thin sheets. These sheets can be used in cabinet doors, furniture, walls... Their bamboo Varia shows the stock sliced into rings - it creates a fun modern circular pattern. When it placed in a cabinet door and backlit it is stunning and artistic!

Eco-Friendly Wallpaper (more like ART)!

As an interior designer I've seen my share of bad 80s wallpaper! Once a client takes the time and expense to remove all the ugly wallpaper and repair their walls, they never want to see wallpaper again. I don't really blame them, but as I look at the wallpaper available today, I really love it! My goal is to start using beautiful, eco-friendly wallpaper, either for myself or my clients (I really can't wait). When looking for wallpaper stay away from vinyl because it is not eco-friendly. Things to look for include: real paper, eco-friendly dyes, and small print runs.

Below are some patterns that really stuck a cord with me, but there are 1000s of choices in the market today. Maybe I will add custom wallpaper to my collection (that's a thought?)... But today lets make a goal to add some beautiful wallpaper ART to our plan, solid walls!

Eco-Friendly, STYLISH Storage

As I run around this morning picking up my house after the Halloween mayhem of last night, I think about storage and how everything in my home has a place. This makes picking up easier and much less frustrating. I can run around quickly plopping things back into their places then tackle the dirt and dust left behind. So storage is the topic this morning, and of course eco-friendly, stylish storage!

Amenity Home is one of my favorite companies. They are so fashion forward and environmentally friendly. I really love their textile designs. Recently they introduced a storage bench, which I think is genius. It is so simple, but at the same time beautiful. I find myself wondering how many soccer shoes I can fit in there?

Of course toys always need a place - we would not have much clutter if it wasn't for our wonderful kids. This toy chest from Spunky Sprout is rather elegant and could even be used in a family room because it does not scream toy box. Love the wallpaper and monkeys in the photo!

I could not pass up these cute customizable recycled toy drums by Pom Pom. Aren't they so cute and and fun? These toy containers are so different, they really thought outside of the box - who needs a toy box when you can have a toy drum!

I love the cutout designs on the storage consoles from Muu Kids. The designs are modern, sleek, and organic. I don't think they have to stay in the nursery - I could see this one in a master bath or even a small dining area!