8 STEPS TO AN ECO-FRIENDLY HOME OFFICE

If you are telecommuting, taking online classes, or maintaining household affairs from your home office you should be aware that your daily choices regarding office equipment and supplies have an impact on our environment. Here are a few small changes that yield great results in the preservation of our natural resources and waste reduction.


1.|Repurpose your existing furniture. For example use an old dresser for storage and add new hardware or drawer pulls for a whole new look.

via Little Green Notebook

2.|Refresh your color scheme by recovering pillows or reupholstering chair cushions.

via BluLabel Bungalow

3.|Replenish battery operated equipment with rechargeable batteries.
4.|Redesign your marketing materials (brochures, media kits, and business cards) so that they can be view electronically and printed only when truly necessary.

5.|Reuse misprints or old documents as scrap paper.
6.|Revive your air quality by maintaining a houseplant.

via Design Sponge

7.|Reduce your paper consumption by subscribing to an e-fax service that converts inbound faxes into PDF documents and forwards them to your email inbox.
8.|Reinvest in energy efficient equipment such as computers and multifunctional printers. Be sure to look for the ENERGY STAR logo!

Remember that green-living should not be a trend, but a lasting change. Breaking the bank by purchasing expensive eco-friendly products from retailers does not provide the needed change. The real change comes from our daily decisions and conscious efforts to save money and our planet.

KISS THE GROUND, HUG A TREE.

Happy 40th Earth Day! Today we celebrate the place where we all live and hopefully in the process become more aware of how we can do our part in preserving the Earth.  Even small steps such as choosing natural cleaning products can make a big difference!

If you're are interested in reducing the amount of chemical exposure in your home, here are a few of my top picks to get you started. These companies are also offering free shipping today in honor of Earth Day!

1. Caldrea

My aunt first introduced me to Caldrea via the linen spray and fabric softener. My first encounter with the fabric softener had me literally smelling my shirt all day long. I think people began to wonder if I was smelling to see if my deodorant had failed. It was the Lavender Pine scent that I could not get enough of! Now the linen spray had me wanting to iron every thread in sight. I also mist my linens with it before getting into bed, making the bed, and changing the sheets. I'm afraid it's becoming somewhat of an addiction.

 2. Seventh Generation 
I remember seeing this brand while shopping at Whole Foods, but had never given it a try.  It wasn't until I received a trough of these diapers and baby detergent while pregnant with the twins. I decided to read more about the company (I read EVERYTHING while on bedrest) and learned about the potentially harmful chemicals found in baby diapers and even had a (quickly) fleeting thought of using cloth diapers. Seventh Generation is passionate about their little ones and are currently rallying in Washington to reform toxic chemical policy with their Million Baby Crawl. Please check out their site for more info. The diapers are more pricey than the national brands, but they do offer coupons on their website...sweet!

3. method
I began using method on our wood floors when the kids started to crawl. I purchased their omop floor care kit in almond from Target and never looked back.  In fact, I also use their wood for good wood cleanser on our furniture.  The smell is amazingly fresh and clean and was a welcomed change from the pine-scented competitor! We also like method's grapefruit hand soap and the packaging is pretty cool, too!

4. Mrs. Meyers
If you are looking for a product that feels like it's been passed down for generations, you should try Mrs. Meyers Clean Day. Not only does she have the most delicious scented products, but she also gives good common sense advice about life, parenting, housekeeping, cooking, cleaning, etc.  Check out her series of videos here. She'll remind you of your sweet, little grandmother.

This is not an all encompassing list of products, just a few of my favorites. 

Have you considered integrating natural products into your cleaning routine? If so, what are some of your favorite eco-friendly products? Do you have any homemade cleaning solution recipes?

Have a Happy Earth Day!

Tastemaker Tuesday: Ryan Brown

Known as the better half of the real estate flipping duo in the Bravo series, Flipping Out, and owner of Brown Design + Development, Ryan Brown is high on my list of mentors (though he doesn't know it yet). His design aesthetic is the perfect marriage of Californian, Modern, Rustic, and Eco-Chic. He uses texture and pattern to capture interest in his earthy color palettes and accentuates his design with beautiful travel finds. His rooms always appear to have the mark of a well-traveled individual.

I've chosen to focus on the use of trees/greenery in Brown's bedroom designs. Interestingly, I've read that house plants act as natural air purifiers, they make you feel calmer and more optimistic, and they reduce fatigue and cold-related illnesses by 30 percent. Recently, I've been considering greenery for my bedroom and was inspired by what I saw on the Brown Design + Development website.


This image is actually one of my favorites. The artwork over the bed creates a beautiful focal point and offers an array of options if one decided to add more color at a later date. The oversized chair near the window is great for reading and simply enjoying the view. The duo toned curtains are clean and classic!


I love all of the textures and tones in this room; from the silk drapery to the bamboo roman shades and linen side chairs. I would guess the throw at the foot of the bed is cashmere.

Talk about bring the outdoors in! In a room this beautiful would be convinced I was breathing fresh air and not city smog.

Am I in heaven? Waking up in this room would make everyday a great day. I'm loving the window sheers hung high and wide.

This image has me hankering for a trip to the west coast. This bedroom gives literal meaning to the phrase "California Dreamin'."

Check out the enormous Shoji screen and once again the view of the outdoors. This is probably the closest I would get to camping. I could watch the sunset, gaze at the stars, and behold a glorious sunrise in the comforts of my pajamas.

What aspects of his design would you integrate into your home decor?

Fall 2009 BLB Color & Trend Forecast #4 - Stylish Sustainablilty

Reconstruction, regeneration, sustainability, and (eco) responsibility are buzzwords that inspired BluLabel's Color and Trend Forecast #4 - Stylish Sustainability. Though BLB has named Stylish Sustainability as trend, the hope is that practices are not temporal, but become incorporated into your decorating process. The rising popularity of consumer eco-sensitivity has given rise to a wider and more beautiful range of home decor products from low VOC paints to fabrics made from organic cotton.

The chosen palette for Stylish Sustainabilty is organic in nature and celebrates resourcefulness and inventive integrity. Bark, speaks of the earth and fertile soil, while Strawberry Ice and Wasabi symbolizes a fruitful and flavorful harvest. Combining this palette with exisiting neutrals found in your space attests that style and sustainablity can and do coexist.
Inhabit, an eco-fabulous decor brand, develops products that are inspired by nature and a genuine love for our planet. Their 3-D wall flats {#1} & {#5} were named the Eco-Friendly Product of the Year by Interior Design Magazine. This three dimentional wall covering is made of 100% bamboo pulp, 100% biodegradable, and can be painted to suit your decor. {#3} Rhythm in Sky pillow with its sky blue and chocolate modern, graphic pattern is also by Inhabit. The pillow is hand-printed in the USA using environmentally-friendly inks and the fabric is made from recycled materials! {#2} Artichoke Lamp is handmade of papier mache by artisans in Haiti and can be found at Stray Dog Designs. It comes with a hefty price tag, but can be color-customized with low VOC paint as shown above in Douglas Fir. {#4} Builtby Lamp in Mack Daddy/Green and Walnut by Inhabit does not disappoint with it's sleek modern design that is also customizable. In fact, their website estimates 1,607,045 possible color combos can be achieved. Because this many choices can overwhelm even the savviest comsumer, they offer fantastic in-house design options as well. In regard to fabrics, there is no shortage of fashionable, earth-friendly options as seen here in {#6} Glacier Fret by Schumacher. Made from 100% organic cotton, this crisp, contemporary fabric would look fantastic on an upholstered bench or made into accent pillows. Glacier Fret carries Schumacher's Environmentally Sustainable mention.

In addition to new available products, don't forget to browse thrift stores, yard sales, and antique malls for fabulous finds that could otherwise end up in landfills. Look out for upcoming posts on how to REFURBISH, REPAINT, and REUPHOLSTER! Be back tomorrow, ciao!