Drip Drip

When you think about the fact that about 3% of the water on earth is fresh water, and that much of that is in glaciers, it's no wonder that access to water is rapidly becoming one of the most important factors in environmental work today. The fact that so many people do not have access to safe drinking water, and even less access to water for irrigation and agriculture, it really makes you want to think twice about turning up the tap all the way, leaving water running as you brush your teeth or scrub dishes, or even flush the toilet more than necessary. That's why great plumbing isn't just about how something looks, but also what it's made of, and what it does for you. Some companies are ahead of the curve, giving us great looks, great water pressure, at much less of the cost (to our environment, that is).

KWC America is one company that puts technology together with their products every day to make high quality, long lasting and eco-friendly all part of their bottom line. Whether it's in the Kitchen with these lovely faucets, or in your bathroom, you can select fixtures that help you save, at minimum 40% of the water you would be using with a normal faucet.

Taking a bath is a luxury, and not just because not everyone has tubs...but really, who has the time?! So when you are treating yourself to a little R&R and filling up your tub, think about all that water flowing out of the faucet. These babies might be a good alternative - sleek and sustainable...

And when you go to turn on that shower, why not these valve trim sets that help reduce your overall water usage?

Paired with these awesome body sprays, you're ready for an amazing shower experience with 40% less of the water wasted! Not a bad way to conserve!

And at Fluid Faucets, sustainability is every bit a part of the conceptualization of their faucets and fittings as style is. I love their sort of whimsical but crisp fixtures - and the fact that it's not just a faucet here or a valve there, but that everything is designed in a 'suite' so you don't have to fish around and find mix & match items for your bathroom. Check out some of the images of their product lines, like the Jovian, the Penguin, the Emperor lines, and the Wisdom lines (how fun are the names?!).

Leaving...On a jet plane...

I had truly hoped to have more time prior to my travels to write a few more blog entries, but alas, the minutes & hours have flown by, and I'm literally about to head to the airport in an hour or so. I will try to write, but my postings will be probably be few & far between until I return in mid-February. I wish everyone well!! And in the meantime, check out some of these other fabulous blogs for fun & inspiration:

EcoFabulous

Inhabitat

Maira Kalman Blog

So Haute

Decor8

Tree Hugger

And just for laughs... The Onion

Floral Frenzy

You may not think of your interior flora when thinking of accessories, art and decor, but one of the best, simplest, and most amazing ways to convert your space from eh to ahhhhh is a floral arrangement (or two!). And who better to show you the wondrous world of floral arrangements than the Mass Horticultural Society and their annual Flower Show? Blooms in Boston/Boston Flower Show is an amazing event held every Spring to showcase not only what nature has to offer, but the ingenuity of the people working with it. The fact that flowers are beautiful is simply not enough for these flower shows - it's making things even more amazing than nature has already done - and in the case of the picture to the left, it's taking something that's not so pretty, and turning it into an artful and lovely creation! Radishes - so perfectly arranged, that they're just as beautiful, and just as amazing, as the Allium it's modeled after. Part of why I love incorporating flora into interiors & decor is that it adds life and a source inspiration to a space. By layering in arrangements and plants along with our art and accessories, we can turn our spaces into something far more extraordinary, intriguing, and visually stimulating. Part of the great thing about the flower show is that it introduces you to so many different possibilities - it's fun to walk around and see the room designs, the tablescapes, the landscapes and room settings, and just enjoy the view! So when Spring comes, be sure to check out the show. And given that it will probably still be cold & snowy outdoors, this is a great way to get your 'floral' fill while you're still warm & indoors!

Here are some arrangement examples from years past:

And I had to include this room setting because I think it so clearly illustrates how a gorgeous grouping of flowers - and not necessarily one that's complicated or even styled for that matter - can take a very ordinary (if not downright blah) space and beautify it.


And honestly - if you're looking at things like this every day, how can you not just be happy? I love orchids & water lilies! Where better than to learn about beautiful design, color combinations, proportions and intrigue than from the blooms below?

Knot Count

Is apparently bunk when it comes to determining the quality of a rug - at least according to Orley & Shabahang - a fabulously luxurious rug company that makes incredibly beautiful Persian carpets - and not just Persian 'style' carpets. I mean the real deal - made by hand in the small villages of Iran where the craft of carpet weaving has been passed on from generation to generation for hundreds of years. And what makes this company special, aside from their lovely collection of antique carpets, is their collection of new traditional and contemporary Persian carpets, all made from the wool of the sheep they raise and herd, dyed by hand, with only vegetable dyes, effectively making this operation a very 'green' endeavour.

I was recently introduced to this company during a trip to NYC and was lucky enough to peruse their inventory in their 58th St. showroom, and was highly impressed. What I loved was the natural and inherent quality apparent in each of their rugs. The sheen of an all wool carpet was astounding, and the fine lines of their silk patterns and binding along the edge of the rugs, the variety of styles and intricacies of design, and lastly, the irreverence for the typical buzz words like knot count all got my attention. According to Geoff Orley, determining the quality of a rug by the number of knots per square inch is like determining the quality of a painting by the number of brush strokes per square inch - it's irrelevant because it's the technique that matters.

And here are some of the designs from their contemporary collection, all designed and signed by Mr. Shabahang himself. And regardless of which style you choose, they're all customizable.

Flowers of Inspriration

It is perhaps easy in the middle of Winter to start feeling like everything is miserable - it's cold, it's dark, and everything looks dead, and unless there is a beautiful covering of that shiny, glowing snow, it's all very dirty too... One of the ways I find to combat my winter woes is something that is entirely reminiscent of Spring - flowers. Of course, living in New England, it's not really the season for gorgeous blossoms, but a girl can dream can't she? I am definitely a fan of buying seasonal and buying local, but if you can't do that, there's always 'window shopping' - or in my case, screen shopping. Dandelion Ranch is one such destination.

An LA based floral design shop, Dandelion Ranch is known for its amazing mix of materials - and by that I don't just mean a whole bunch of flowers piled into a vase. Instead, their arrangements are a careful consideration of all aspects - the blooms, the greens, and the container. Using anything from vintage wine crates, to clean and modern containers, to tea cups as the base for their creations, they carefully layer gorgeous blooms with wonderful accents found at the local farmers markets. Don't be surprised to find some beautiful grapes, eucalyptus leaves, or even apples layered in with the myriad other carefully selected ingredients that make their designs so spectacular. And although I'm not sure of the pedigree of their flowers (i.e. organic vs. traditionally grown), I do know that unlike many florists, they use non-toxic and biodegradable floral foam alternative - so that when the arrangement's time has come, it's not left behind by an unsightly and unsound block of toxic and everlasting green.

Here are some of their stunning arrangements below:

For those of you who are in LA, lucky you - you not only have access to this amazing floral resource, but you're also definitely not experiencing any of the Winter doldrums I was referring to before. And for those of us who just have to have some fresh, in-home floral inspiration, try California Organic Flowers or OrganicBouquet.Com - they may not be local, but they are organic.

ID's Best of 2009

Before I move on to the New Year, I thought I'd do a little recapping of the fabulous world of design and the companies that broke new ground with their products. In honor of their work, they were rewarded with the Interior Design 2009 Best of Year award. Here are just a few of the amazing products that came to be in the last year - and many of them are not just innovative in their designs, but also in their corporate practices, creating beautiful AND eco-conscious products.



Ranging in categories, the ID Product Design awards are basically in recognition of exemplary design and innovation. I've displayed a bunch of images below of the wonderful products that were honored with this award, in no particular order. For the complete list of items that were awarded during the December ceremony at the Guggenheim, visit Interior Design's website.

Check out this totally incredible lounge from Royal Botania made from steel and perforated fabric. Looks damn good right about now...

Maya Romanoff is probably one of my favorite wall covering companies, and for good reason. Not only is their product award winning (i.e. their Meditations collection won for 2009's ID awards), but they're truly beautiful, interesting, and imaginative - not your boring old florals. What's more, many of their products are environmentally friendly, using recycled and/or non-toxic content, reducing waste and wastewater. The Meditations wallcovering is made from Lotka fiber, a rapidly renewable resource, and is made with low VOC adhesives.

Sina Pearson Textiles is another company that is not only recognized for its outstanding designs, but their effort to be sustainable in everything they do. Forward-thinking and bold is reflected in their actions AND their designs - I love the colors and strong lines of the collections below.

And what about this totally funky Kelp fabric by Bart Halpern? Definitely a new way of looking at fabrics!

The Kitchen is probably one of those places that to me embody the concept of design innovation - from the look and shape of the faucet and sink, to how the water actually comes out of them. Dornbracht, recognized for its Tara Faucet below, is a favorite of mine for its clean and classic look. And in the image next to it is an uber sleek sink from Blanco - to me the epitome of modern with its angled sink and micro-edge.

And for those of you who like filtered water but can't put in an integrated system, how about this adorable table top option from Aquaovo, the OvoPur eco-friendly water filter? Super cute!

So I happen to greatly dislike most contract carpeting - for some reason, nothing ruins the design of a hotel or corporate space for me more than bad carpeting. Luckily, companies, both residential and commercial, are finding a whole new way to make a statement underfoot. The first image is of a very cool and very versatile carpet-tile system, allowing you to pick and choose the pieces and in turn, the design of your flooring. And who but the company that's been doing this for decades should be awarded in 2009? Tandus' Landscape collection of modular carpeting is stylish and sustainable, made with their specialized eco-friendly backing and recycled content.

And for the residential uses, Designtex, in collaboration with Arzu rugs, have developed these beautiful, unique, and natural and hand made rugs - and with names like Humanity, Unity and Prosperity, who wouldn't want one?

And what about non-carpet? Well, Bolon took the award for that one with their very funky Twilight (and no, it's not named that because of the vampire series) vinyl flooring. I'm not sure if this product line is green itself, but the company is ISO 14001 certified and they have worked to develop 'Green Vinyl.' And for those who want a bit more of the soft and subtle, Shaw Carpets were awarded for their Couture collection carpeting.

So probably my favorite group of items awarded were the furniture category, featuring the sleek and beautifully crafted rocker from Thos. Moser, the low-profile and chic Visualizm AV Unit by IZM, the uber fabulous Bernhardt Design Atlantic Chair (Greenguard certified so you don't have to worry that it's emitting toxins into the air), and the Altura Duette table with solid Oregon Walnut plank tops, creating the organic edge and high style. What can I say, they're all fantastic!

This last one that I'm going to write about really peaked my interest mainly because of the company name - Big Ass Fans. And they ain't kidding. This baby is huge. And energy efficient. And, it's not ugly - who knew that was possible?!

And a few more images just for fun!