Read Anything Good Lately? Green Accessories

Italy-based Gartenkulter pays tribute to the plant and tree with these beautiful planters made from old and disused books. By removing the heart of the book’s cover and pages and then creating a seal, the book becomes a home for a living and growing tree.

 “As each seed becomes a plant or tree, the book becomes a pot or cradle.”

Eco approved wood sealant

The search for a wood sealant is over.

Vermont Natural Coating is getting it right. The company was founded by a Vermont native who attended UVM and collaborated with UVM chemist to create a superior product. The company is located in Vermont, utilizes excess whey from Vermont's agriculture and employs locally.

Here's what they say about their products. "By using recycled whey protein we eliminate the need for heavy metal driers and displace both the toxic co-binders and carcinogenic solvents typically found in wood finish. Whey is a natural byproduct of cheese-making, a traditional strength of Vermont agriculture. Excess whey can end up on fields and in streams. To help keep our farms and waterways clear of excess whey, our goal is to reuse as much of this byproduct as possible in durable, safe coatings for your home."

The woman who answered their phone when I called told me she used the product on the wood floor in her bathroom and after 3 years she still does not have any water damage.  

Vermont Natural Coating can be found locally in San Diego at Rockler.

Children's Designer Height Chart

All you need for these designer DIY beauties is below...

A few quick steps:-

Paint or stain according to your color scheme.

We measured 2 1/2 " from the bottom of the wood for our 2' start mark. 

We taped the tape measure to the centre of the plank to line up the brass number stencils.

We were careful to tape the stencils and paint carefully. You could also spray paint and mask accordingly.... 

New California Fire Retardant Standard

Good News! Previously California manufacturers had to adhere to California Technical Bulletin 117, in order to comply with this manufacturers had to use a series of horrible highly toxic chemicals in the foams to ensure they were flameproof. Now, there is a new standard out which is centred around a new smolder test and uses far less chemicals than the previous standard necessitated.

These toxic chemicals contaminate our bodies - and the bodies of our children. Flame retardants have been linked to lower IQ in children, impaired fertility and increased cancer risk. And they don't even prevent fires effectively. In furniture, they can actually make fires more deadly by releasing even more smoke and toxic gases.

The new fire retardant standard is effective 2014 so make sure you check when you purchase your sofa. 

DesignerEco only works with eco friendly manufacturers. If you are looking for a healthy custom built sofa, send us a picture of one you like, specify the fabric or let us know if you want some inspiration, the dimensions and we will get a quote to you within 24 hours.

For more info & technical details click here 

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.