Yolo - Fabulous Eco Paint

We love the color palettes of the YOLO. From Earth to Sprout to the Color of Hope. Designed and created by the awesome duo Virginia Young and Jamie Lowe (YO LO) when they moved from NYC to Portland, they adopted a healthy lifestyle. They set up a painting business doing murals and paint efffects and realised two things - firstly that clients were struggling with paint selections and secondly that the paints they were using, even the water based ones, were not in fact very healthy. They would come home with headaches and sore throats!

 So they created their own paint using clay and rice paste and collaborating with paint and green chemists to create the YOLO product we have today; YOLO Colorhouse premium, zero VOC interior paint.

How fantastic! Listed below are the things which are not in the paint:

• No reproductive toxins
• No mutagens
• No hazardous air pollutants
• No ozone depleting compounds
• No formaldehyde
• No phthalates
• No VOCs

The website has a very cool color choosing palette guide.

Get healthy painting! If you need any help selecting colors get in touch.

Using Factory Waste - Notwaste - Recycled Designer Furniture & Accessories

Notwaste famous in Mexico for their use of OSB panel wood furniture. Drawing on some of Mexico's finest designers they bring new life back into factory waste transforming it into stylish designer pieces.

Our favourites are featured below. Visit their website to see the full collection!

Name: Clara

Description: Poltrona

Material: OSB panel wood

Dimension: h750 x 1200 x 700 mm 

Designer: Ricardo Casas

Name: Mimí & Cocó

Description: Mirrors

Material: OSB panel wood

Dimension: h1700 x 550 x 19mm - h1100 x 1150 x 19mm

Designer: Gaia Bottari

Herb Pallett Garden - How to make!

So after our building project on Sapphire St we had a lot of palletts left over so we decided to do a herb garden.

First things first we stained the pallett a darker color using some left over wood stain. I think if you are growing fruit and veggies you might want to check the vocs/toxins in the stain/paint if you go down this route.

Then we experimented a bit with lengths of burlap to get the right drop in the middle and to keep the edges relatively tidy. So we doubled the burlap over to avoid any soil falling through. To get a tidy edge fold over the open edges before stapling.

Beatifully Crafted Eco Bathrooms - so hard to find!

Native Trails combines sustainability, artistry and modern design to create beautiful kitchen and bath products. Their sinks, basins, tubs and vanities are handcrafted from natural resources of reclaimed wood and copper, which actually contains capabilities that kill harmful bacteria. What could be better than a household product that does your cleaning for you?

To create the beautifully crafted designs, talented artists use a traditional method that requires 30,000 thoughtful hammer strikes to transform a reclaimed piece of copper into a practical and stunning work of art. The patience and precision of the artists is beautifully illustrated in its final state.

We love that Native Trails values creating unique kitchen and bath products from sustainable materials. No doubt, their designs are absolutely breathtaking. We admire their passion for the environment and believe their products are truly inspiring, transforming living spaces through eco innovations and contemporary design

Eco Wallpaper Feature: Eco Se

WOW!

 This Swedish Eco Wallpaper company launches collection after collection of vibrant, young and trendy designs that emphasise the creative and individual space.

The paper they use in production is taken from one of the world’s most environmentally friendly forestry operations, with no clear-felling and with meticulous replanting of extracted forest.  No harmful solvents or PVC are used, and all the printing inks and surface layers in our wallpapers are water-based.

At DesignerEco we always take a look at the company HQ for their own business efforts at sustainability and environmental impact and we are pleased to report that Eco Se has their own water treatment facility and conduct all production in combination with energy recovery. Good job!

Eco Friendly Pendant Lamp: CorruLights by InhabitLiving

Fabulously chic and made of 70% recycled content, Corrulights by Inhabit are a trendy addition to any interior. The airy design casts beautiful shadows of light and dark against the circular array of silhouettes, which surround a central industrial-style sprocket.

Corrulights are Class A fire retardant and contain zero VOC’s, making them absolutely non-toxic. So exhale because these eco-conscious, savvy lights, are Corrulights are Class A fire retardant and contain zero VOC’s, making them absolutely non-toxic. So exhale because these eco-conscious, savvy lights, are safe for any space and support our environment. With ten stylish options and four sizes to choose from, design for any space and support our environment. The Corrulights are fantastic in a kitchen, hanging atop a dining table, or above a bed.

These pendants might be just the spark to light up your imagination. :) Emily

New I80West Eco- Friendly Wallpapers & Latest Picks of Eco Wallcoverings

So DesignerEco has a hot new lead in on the latest eco wallpaper developments in the USA. Finding eco wallcoverings made from FSC certified wood sources (and for every one tree chopped down in the making three are planted) and printed with no VOC inks is thankfully not too tricky these days. We love the  traditional wallpaper patterns but now as the selection/technology and demand for eco products increases, we are on the scout for more choice. See below a few of our latest picks.

Eco-Se

 Eco Centric Wallpapers

 Graham & Brown Eco Wallcoverings

 Mod Green Pod

For a more sculptural feel,  we also love the low-relief, chemical free Inhabit Living wall panels that are made from 100% bamboo pulp and are fully 100% biodegradable. These are fantastic for creating dimension, texture and atmosphere particularly as you can customise and paint them. See our other blog post for more info on them!

However we  want MORE as eco interior designers. 

These hot new mural-esque wallpapers from I80west.com, made in San Francisco, are a very cool new eco friendly collection made from 31% post consumer waste.  The wallpaper collective, the company behind this brand new eco friendly line, also offers to recycle the papers again when (if you ever feel the need) it comes to changing them. Better still, for those working towards LEED certification these snazzy new green wallpapers are worth 6 LEED credits.

There are actually a lot of eco wallpaper options out there - and even customizable ones. It is always worth asking the question if you are after a particular color to go with a certain palette. 

Contact us with your eco design questions.

Wall Flats: The Next Big Thing

Wall flats may have been an unfamiliar concept, but let us guide you into the incredible world of eco friendly wall flats by Inhabit. We’re sure you’ll be glad you came along.

  

Inhabit’s wall flats are no doubt the next big product to create cool, chic, and stylish rooms. The environmentally friendly wall panels are durable, biodegradable, and made from bagasse, one of our world’s best renewable resources. Lightweight and versatile, the wall tiles can be trimmed or painted to create a large-scale design that transforms rooms from simple to striking. Any scraps not used can be composted or recycled. Wall flats contain no VOC’s, no urea-formaldehyde, no plastics and no chemical fillers, keeping you healthy and safe.

We are certainly infatuated with Inhabit’s wall flats, what with the many dimensional varieties and creative design opportunities. And now that you’ve seen them, hopefully you’ll be excited to take a look at the website or even incorporate them in your next design project. Whatever it is, you are no longer in the dark, but have been awakened to the fantastic universe of innovative wall flats. Emily