Tuesday 26 June 2012

Choosing cleaning products...


When purchasing cleaning products, we apply the same criteria as we do furniture.  We check to see that the overall process is responsible to the earth and that the product lives up to its claims.   As you know, problems with conventional cleaners are that they consist of chemicals that can act as endocrine disruptors, cause damage to aquatic life and contain by-products that don’t biodegrade soon enough to name a few.  While they quickly degrease, shine and dust they slowly damage our bodies and the earth.

So…here are our picks. 

Method- This company is the most design friendly.  Products are designed by Joshua Handy so you don’t need to hide them in a cupboard.  Dr. Michael Braungart, renowned environmental chemist and co-author of Cradle to Cradle, guides product development process.  This company believes, as we do, that business is a powerful agent of change and that you can have good design while being a responsible citizen- environmentally and socially.  We personally love that they offer antibacterial options that are partnered with CleanWell- for those who insist on the antibacterial cleaners. We think they can do without the disposable cleaning cloths but try their Dryer Cloths which are meant to be used twice. 

Seventh Generation- We really appreciate the transparency of this company.  They acknowledge where they need to make improvements and set goals to achieve them.  Favorite products are the Lemongrass and Clementine Dish Soap and Natural 4x Laundry Detergent.  

Ecover- Their factories are in Belgium and France but we are hoping that demand in North America will lead them to build a plant here soon.   Their buildings are covered in succulents and are constructed with renewable materials.  The most easily accessible products here in the states are the dishwashing detergents.  Don’t be fooled by the lack of bubbles.  It gets the job done!

Ecos- This family owned company is another one that does a good job at disclosing its processes and aims to be a responsible company, not just turn out environmentally responsible products.  The Lemongrass Laundry Detergent is perfect for the unisex household. 

Bio-Kleen- Another family owned company,  BioKleen differs from the others in that it does not use Sodium Lauryl Sulfates but does not disclose its sourcing and manufacturing processes.  From experience we can tell you that the laundry detergent and dishwashing liquid work great, but we hope for more transparency in the future. 

Don’t want to have a giant plastic bottle of dish soap sitting on your counter?  Choose your favorite product from above and transfer it into one of these here, or here You can even bring it to your local co-op to be weighed and then refilled with your soap of choice.   

Happy chores! ~anneliese


Thursday 21 June 2012

DALA - NEW OUTDOOR SEATING FROM DEDON

Check out Dala, new outdoor seating and tables by Stephen Burks for Dedon. 


The beautiful vibrant colored collection list price for a chair is $2,400 and side table $600.

The best things about this furniture is it is portable and casual, with strap handles that allow them to be dragged to shady spots under tree canopies or sunny patches near the pool.  DesignerEco team just love the colors and the mosaic effect of the ribbons.

The very shape of this collection is easygoing. “Everything is round and circular,” Mr. Burks said, “so there’s no particular orientation to how you should sit.” 

The pieces have hollow aluminum frames interlaced with colorful plastic ribbons made of 60 percent recycled food and drink packaging material and 40 percent polypropylene. Artisans in Dedon’s factory in the Philippines weave the material directly into the furniture’s gridded structure. “It’s like weaving through a fence,” Mr. Burks said. 

Available soon! Contact us

Thursday 7 June 2012

ECO WOOD TILE - HEADBOARDS, ISLANDS, WALL DECOR

Featuring the Everitt & Shilling Wood Tile  - a great eco friendly option for kitchen islands, backsplashes, feature walls, furniture, headboards and artwork.  These tiles are made from unwanted scraps from cabinet and door makers in Colorado!

 Everitt & Schilling Tile is an environmentally friendly wood wall tile with a number of beautiful design applications. This incredible tile is made from Re-Claimed barnwood and Up-cycled hardwood.

The process: Upcycled hardwood tiles are made from hardwood scraps of different wood species from local (northern Colorado) cabinet and door makers.  The scraps would have otherwise been thrown in the dumpster and hauled off to the landfill.  They take the scraps and bring them to their milling facility where they are cut by hand into beautiful tiles of different lengths and thicknesses, apply a Low VOC water based finish, then mount them in square foot sections to a flexible, waterproof, Low VOC economically friendly backer, which creates small panels that are easy to install with thinset.

Reclaimed barnwood tiles are currently made from actual barns in the western US that are not in use anymore, and are either a structural hazard or an unwanted eyesore.  They deconstruct the barn and haul the wood to our milling facility.  Each piece is carefully inspected and selected before being cut by hand into tiles of various sizes.  Again a low VOC water based finish is applied and then they mount them in square foot sections to our propietary backer material. 

"When we say these tiles are "Made in the U.S.A... we really mean they are Made in the U.S.A twice!
"

This Wood Tile is a great eco friendly option for kitchen islands, backsplashes, feature walls, furniture, headboards and artwork.  Visit DesignerEco for more info and to see some samples we particularly love the whitewash one below.


Wednesday 6 June 2012

RE-USE & RE-CYCLE & RE-UPHOLSTER

We recently re-upholstered this chair! My brother wanted to get a new one and I explained that it would be much nicer to recover an old one. What do you think?
                            
                  

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