Customized, Cushionized Couch

The Cushionized Couch by Christiane Hoegner caught my attention for these 4 reasons:

1. It’s pliable and adjustable, pills making it uber-comfortable looking.

2. The color options are playful. Reminds me of something straight out of a fairytale. Princess and The Pea, vcialis 40mg anyone?

3. While my couch aesthetic is generally simple and leans towards the more neutral lines of natural linen, troche I’ve lusted after the wildly hip and colorful Mah-Jong Sofa from Roche-Bobois for years. The Cushionized Couch is reminiscent of this multi-cushioned iconic sofa.

4. So many DIY possibilities for creating mix and match handmade cushions from eco-friendly fabrics, beautiful sheets or vintage curtains, abound in this inspirational Cushionized Couch.

But...and there’s a big BUT...Could you live with this?

Photos: Cushionized Couch, Home Rejuvenation, Mah-Jong Sofa, Roche-Bobois

Furniture: Forest-Friendly

Last month, Chronogram asked me to cover a story about the Wickham Solid Wood Studio in Beacon, NY. I just love sinking my teeth into this kind of assignment. Not only is Jessica Wickham's handcrafted furniture local and heirloom quality, it is sustainable in ways that give back without harming our at-risk forests. Jessica’s furniture has the ability to teach us how to tread carefully with our natural resources, and still create stunning products. Jessica possesses a rare combination of skills. She can look at a downed tree in the forest and see its inherent potential. From an ecological perspective, a responsibly-sourced tree becomes the perfect green building material. When I met Jessica, I was inspired by the respect she has for the rich wood grain and the natural shape of trees. With minimal processing (low or no-VOC stains), traditional joinery, and natural finishing techniques reminiscent of both Japanese traditions and Shaker sensibilities. Jessica has found just the right mix of  "process, poetry, and patience". Her functional pieces could be considered the exact opposite of the glut of mass-produced furniture we see in stores.

The woods around my property (left) may seem like a tree mecca, but a quick understanding of how forests have suffered, can illuminate the importance of sustainable forestry.

Since I’ve been brushing up on my earth science (haven’t used that term since my kids were in middle school) for my posts for the EDF's Moms Clean Air Force, I’ve learned that deforestation caused by air pollution, acid rain and other environmental hazards aids in the erosion of our forests. This has become a leading contributor towards the loss of biodiversity. Intact eco-systems provide an intricate web that controls floods, conserves oxygen, soil, insects and creates diverse habitats. While forests do regrow, when older forests decline they eventually lose more carbon to the atmosphere than they absorb, thus fueling climate change.

Whew, science lesson over. My husband Ted is an environmental planner, so I generally leave these types of granular discussions to him. But, I’m digging in and exercising my brain, as I discover the depth of environmental issues our children will inherit.

Once again, I’m noticing that if there is one thing that will get us beyond the planet's sustainability woes, it will be an eco-enlightenment that includes a lifecycle analysis of everything. With style and sustainability, artisans like Jessica Wickham are leading the way.

Credit: black walnut bench and headboard, Wickham Solid Wood Studio

Small Homes: How Low Can You Go?

“Wow, this house is small.” That is what a cute little six-year friend of my son’s once innocently blurted out during play date. Let me set the record straight – by no measurable means is my home small. According to Mother Earth News, the average American home is 2,343 square feet - more than double what the average was in 1950. All things considered, that girl was correct because my average house and detached studio was a lot smaller than her family’s whopper-sized McMansion.

Erecting an average home results in roughly 8,000 pounds of construction waste, and yearly 136,000,000 tons of construction and demolition waste that ends up in…you guessed it – the landfill. Bigger is not better.

I’ve been following the tiny house movement, and while these homes are energy-efficient and economical, what they lack in size, they often lack in style too. We all have our unique requirements for home sweet home. Could I be happy in a smaller home? Sure, a smallish, stylish and slowish home like one of the houses in Small ECO Houses, Living Green in Style, by Cristina Paredes Benitz and Alex Sanchez Vidiella would be dreamy.

I just reviewed this fresh new book. The houses profiled are the perfect mix of eco and style. Small ECO Homes challenges the reader to recognize how good design can transform a small space into a comfortable, modern home. And even more importantly, the inspirational planet-loving solutions create incredibly beautiful results. Read the full review HERE.

How small could you go?

Wabi-Sabi Home

Earlier this week, I wrote a green interior design post for Care2 about bringing into our homes the Japanese elements of wabi-sabi - the beauty of imperfection.

3 Elements of wabi-sabi: Nothing lasts. Nothing is finished. Nothing is perfect.

3 Questions wabi-sabi asks: Is it useful? Is it beautiful? Is it meaningful?

It seems we could ascribe the beauty of imperfection to so many of life’s essential moments. Couldn’t we?

To find 3 ways to bring wabi-sabi into your nest, CLICK HERE.

Photos: Michael Paul for Marie Claire

Heirloom Design At Home

When I was a kid, I thought we were Danish. I am going to tell you about it, but before I explain that far-fetched childhood fantasy, I’d like to talk about heirloom design. I promise to circle back to being Danish.

Bringing Heirloom Design Home

I wrote an article that supported the stance that we are replacing items too often. Our culture has made it easy to create too much stuff with short life cycles. The article explored the concept of "heirloom design." I had heard Saul Griffith at a design conference outline how he was planning to give his soon-to-be-born son a Rolex and a Mont Blanc pen. When his kid was old enough, he would tell him that these would be the only watch and pen he could use for the next 100 years. Griffith's rationale was that, if something is thoughtfully designed and beautiful, it could be passed down through the generations.

I decided to bring the concept home. I explained heirloom design to my kids and asked them to take a look around the house and tell me what they would consider heirloom and hand-me-down worthy. Here's one:

"The artwork collection handed down from Grandma - Particularly, the Bjorn Wiinblad posters. They make Grandma, you, and us smile."

You can read about the other items they chose here.

What Do You Mean We Are Not Danish?

My dad was a mid-century designer. His hand printed, silkscreen wallpaper designs were hung on all of our walls. Interspersed among the flocks and metallics were portraits of happy relatives…or so I thought. These whimsical portraits were the artwork of Bjorn Wiinblad (left). I truly believed Wiinblad was one of my kin. Gazing up at an oversized Wiinblad poster was like getting a huge, smiling hug from an adoring relative - Not the pinch-your-cheek kind, but the kind of family member you admire for her sense of colorful quirkiness.

The Wiinblad posters and pottery that decorated my home also greeted visitors at my Aunt and Uncle's house. The posters were winking at me there too - we must all be related.

Eventually, I figured out that we had no Danish relatives (not a blond among us), and the inspired Wiinblad collection was actually a mutual admiration that my mom and aunt shared. They also collected Wiinblad cards, wrapping paper, china and ash trays.

My children have come to love this “designer's designer” too. The twinkling eyes of Wiinblad's portraits exude the themes of music, art, humor, and the joy of life. We have many Wiinblads in my home. The main image (above) is from a rare detailed ceramic plate that I got (won) on eBay a few years ago. When my best friend Cathy got married, we gave her the "Blue Lady."

As my little home-research discovered, heirloom designed objects don't have to be a Rolex or Mont Blanc, or even a Wiinblad to qualify as heirloom. But, they do have to be thoughtfully designed, beautiful and well taken care of.

If heirloom design goes hand and hand with slower consumption, do you think this is another one of those "green" concepts we should teach our kids? In your home, what would you consider to be heirloom designed? What would your kids choose?

Main image: Ted Fink