One of the most positive things I have see in my years of researching green materials for interiors, is that increasingly mainstream manufacturers feel that they must have a green story to compete. It used to be that green counter top materials were made by small producers such as Vetrazzo or Paperstone, who just wanted [...]
One of the most difficult things to manage in the design business is delivering unpleasant news to a client. I think everyone who does this work wants to solve problems and create great results, but sometimes bad news….. happens. Recently one of my sources of organic towels discontinued a color, while I had an order [...]
I have a confession to make, I am not a natural modernist. I love modern design, and the constant striving for something that is purely original, clean and new. But I also realize that what I am more natrurally drawn to warm, referential modernism. I love the textile designs of the fifties, the modern furniture [...]
I am extremely excited to be reading the various posts from NEO Con, the commercial interior design convention. So many well designed, and exciting products! Green products seem to have a strong presence, I am thrilled to see that sustainable design has penetrated deeply into mainstream product design priorities. I have always loved the textile and carpet [...]
I am teaching a class in early March that answers that question, on the SF peninsula, through Palo Alto Adult School. I really enjoy making folks laugh and and at the same time become more conscious about their interior design choices. Of course, it might be partly because I like people paying attention to me as if I have [...]
A couple of Blogs ago, I started to talk about everything that Walls do for us. In most of the country it has been cold, cold, cold and I am sure you have been thinking about whether or not your walls are doing the important job of keeping you warm! Well the walls might not [...]
I posted not too long ago about new products coming out of West Coast Green. Since then, I got my library set of samples from O Eco Textiles, and they are gorgeous! I mean luscious and splendid. I was a fabric designer in a past life, and love working with fabrics in my new incarnation as an interior designer. [...]
Just had a long phone and email exchange with the smartest Crate and Barrel employee. (Her name is Meredith Anway, hope she does not mind being outed) I had called to follow up on a question about fireproofing agents used in upholstered furniture sold at Crate and Barrel Furniture. (Now you know what I do [...]
I love discovering new products, and especially ones that can help me in my interior design business. One of my ongoing struggles in doing folk’s interiors centered around reupholstering older frames for sofa’s and chairs. The frames are great, with strong interesting shapes. I had worked out an upholstery system with steel springs, natural latex [...]
I am teaching again in October through the Palo Alto Adult School. The class is two evenings, two hours an evening. Here is a class description,
GREEN INTERIOR DESIGN-THE NUTS AND BOLTS
You love to create a beautiful home, but you worry whether the paints, furniture, and flooring you choose are healthy for you and the environment. It’s time [...]
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