More Stylish Earth-Friendly Fabric

I mentioned in a previous post that I would post cool green design fabrics as I came across them, so here's another smattering of great looks from the folks at Duralee who have teamed up with Clodagh as recently as last year to bring designers and their clients the Global Passage collection. Both modern and earth-inspired patterns can work with transitional and contemporary styles.

New Candlestick Park Flea Market: Two Thumbs Up

My 12-year-old daughter and I went to check out the new antique flea market at Candlestick Park and I'm happy to report it lived up to the hype as reported in the SF Chronicle. Definitely much more enticing furniture, accessories, and architectural elements than are available at the Alemany Flea Market, but certainly pricier, too. While my daughter hunted among the myriad costume jewelry booths, I was on the lookout for wooden pieces with some visual interest suitable for either placing on a coffee table or using as wall decor. I was not disappointed, and walked away with two wooden printers' type sorting trays. (See above.) Have to clean them up a bit and perhaps give them a light wash of paint, but I couldn't be more pleased for $20.

Here are some of the other great things I saw (but did not buy) today:

Decor and Accessories for Under $100

Who doesn't love a bargain? If you're not the hunter-gatherer/flea market type, I've found some terrific room-enhancing accessories on the cheap. Check 'em out:

I don't know about you, but there's something I find so soothing about seaglass. Makes me want to book a trip to Martha's Vineyard and soak up the ocean air and eat a lobster or two. These recycled glass vases from Viva Terra are on sale and priced anywhere from $39 to $85. Would look great in an all white bathroom or grouped on a fireplace mantel.

These rustic spheres in sustainable bamboo from West Elm are only $7 to $20, depending on the size. I love stuff that adds texture, particularly if it's an unexpected jolt in an otherwise sleek, contemporary room.
A former colleague of mine introduced me to Lulan Artisans, a visionary company with a socially responsible agenda, that makes the most exquisite woven goods for the home. (They make clothing, too.) This is their Fractured Tile Pillow for $63. It comes in this yummy chocolate and a lovely neutral putty/sage.
How cool are these old soda crates from Pottery Barn's Earth Friendly store? I think they'd be great to store magazines, or even to use under a work table or desk to sort paper clips, rubber bands, postage, and whatnot. Even better, they're only $24 each.

Cover Me

If you hadn't noticed, wallpaper's making a big comeback. Big, bold prints and earthy grasscloths are everywhere, so it follows that the demand for goods that make less of an impact on our environment is increasing. Entrepreneurs and the big manufacturers alike are heeding the call.

Here are some I've found that I just love:

Mod Green Pod is run by women with an eye for color and a passion for green design. They use water-based inks and no vinyl on paper that's been certified by the Forest Stewardship Council. They've also got some wonderful organic cotton fabrics at very reasonable retail and trade pricing. Check out their website to drag and drop their patterns into a "room" to see how they look. Very fun!

The Europeans are way ahead of us in the eco-friendly design game, and the Dominic Crinson design studio out of London is churning out some bold and beautiful examples of wallpapers made of sustainable materials and water-based inks. In addition to their fabulous prints, they also make some funky and exciting photo wall murals with a 60's pop art feel. Sadly, it would appear the only showroom is in London. Road trip, anyone?

For the more traditional among us, Thibaut has an extensive collection of grass cloth wallcoverings, all made from sustainable materials, in an array of colors and patterns. Though this picture doesn't do it justice, trust me that the metallic glints in this Hakka Grass line juice up what could be a very staid choice. The Sloan Miyasato showroom at the SFDC carries the full line.

What have you seen lately in the wallcovering department that you just have to have?

This is Polyester?

100% recycled polyester from Brentano is a far cry from the space-age, leisure suit knits of the 70's. Love these contemporary wovens from their eco-fabric line, along with their vast array of sustainable bamboo fiber and eco-friendly wool choices. The Donghia showroom at the San Francisco Design Center carries Brentano, which just goes to show that today's green textiles can be pretty swanky. (And speaking of swanky, I happened to pop into Donghia last week only to be knocked out by the new Armani/Casa silk fabrics they're previewing. Oh. My. God. Not exactly on the eco-friendly menu--or is it? Silk, depending on your POV, is either a highly renewable and sustainable material, or it's got some animal ethics issues--but for sheer aesthetics, you can't beat Giorgio and his team of merry designers.)

But I digress. Where were we? Oh yes, polyester. Recycled polyester, in fact. Amazing what they can make out of recycled PET bottles. The demand has been primarily in the contract/commercial interior markets, what with stricter building codes for lower VOC's and such, but as production techniques begin to create fabric that mimics the look and feel of naturally occurring fibers, the adoption of these newer materials in the residential market is already on the rise. As I stumble across more worthy examples, I'll post them here.

Five Awesome Reclaimed Wood Coffee Tables

Love the design sensibilities of the folks at Anthropologie. The rough-hewn texture of this table top is a great contrast to the sleek metal legs and wheels, making this table a perfect addition to either a traditional or a contemporary room.

Salvage Interiors has a store on Etsy.com where you can purchase this table. First thing I'd do with it is center a large, colorful glass globe vase on it with an overflowing bouquet of blue hydrangea.

You can't beat Restoration Hardware for bringing great design to retail home furnishings. I love the washed look of the elm wood, and the parquet treatment of the table top is super. Their pieces all have substance to them, with a clean, timeless feel.
Who knew that in the heart of Brooklyn, NY you'd find a furniture design studio with such beautiful, nature-inspired pieces? Uhuru has been turning out these incredible works of art since 2004. Above is their Slab Coffee Table and below is their Beam Coffee Table, either of which I'd love to build a room around.

Have you seen any great examples of reclaimed wood furniture? Please share!

One Man's Trash is Another's Treasure

You gotta love flea markets. True, it takes a keen eye and some imagination to sort the wheat from the chaff, but there's something ultimately satisfying about discovering stuff other people are discarding. "Upcycling" is the current terminology, but I prefer "re-purposing". :-)

Not too long ago, I went to the Alemany Flea Market in San Francisco to do a little browsing. The trick, in my opinion, is to be open to the possibilities instead of going in with a fixed agenda, since you never really know what you might find on any given day. I lusted after what looked to be a Balinese carved teak wood panel something like this only bigger, which would have made an awesome headboard, but alas the $900+ price tag was a bit more than I was willing to spend that day. (I think I'd rather poke myself in the eye than haggle--just tell me the price, dang it, and let's get on with it!)

Instead, I ended up adding to my cobalt blue glass collection (do we detect a theme, here? See previous post) with some nice hand-blown pieces. I also found this very cool wooden crate (see photo at top), the slats of which are lashed together with rawhide. I have no idea what the original purpose of this thing was--it's not terribly sturdy, and the slats are pretty far apart-- but I've turned it into a nifty little display rack in my entryway to showcase said cobalt glass and a few other tchotchkes. Total outlay for the day was roughly $40. Can't even do that well at IKEA, and this is far more fun!