eco-chic design

natural soap of the month

One consolation for spending more time indoors again with the change of season is my discovery of Beekman 1802 Month of September Soap. All skincare products from the Beekman Estate  located north of New York City are handmade, chemical-free and made from the milk of the Beekman goats.

The farm was founded by Dr. Brent Ridge and Josh Kilmer-Purcell as an experiment in seasonal living. You won’t find a single chemical in any of their skincare products or soaps. Their scented soaps use only naturally harvested essential oils, which brings me back to their concept of selling soaps inspired by the scents of the month. It’s a great way to stay connected to nature as a city person and finally makes me welcome fall. Now I can’t wait for October.

for tiny treehuggers

Baby in a Blanket's selection of cute t-shirts made out of 100% certified cotton proves that raising an eco-conscious baby or toddler doesn’t have to be boring. The adorable graphic art on these eco-tees is printed with all natural vegetable based-ink and comes in 4 fun designs. My personal favorites are “hippo love” and “don’t pick on me.” I wish I had the latter one when I was little.

The designer Desiree Maldonado Garcia founded her company in 2003 with the goal to design blankets, accessories and clothing that are stylish yet eco-friendly. Most of her designs are colorful, but I especially love the simplicity of her organic blanket and pillow collection that comes with simple outlines in the shape of a penguin, elephant or bunny. The lining of the baby blanket is made out of natural bamboo and organic cotton. It doesn't get much cuter than that.

bodycare with a green thumb

It doesn’t get much smarter than the plantable packaging from Pangea Organics. The Colorado-based organic bodycare company had teamed up with design company IDEO to reflect its eco-centric philosophy.

The packaging for their hand-crafted soaps is created out of 100% compostable, biodegradable and plantable materials and resembles egg cartons. You can remove the label, soak the product box in water for a minute and plant it in the earth. Pretty soon you might see some sweet basil and amaranth sprouts.

The soaps are made entirely without synthetic preservatives, petrochemicals or parabens. Instead they contain pure organic oils and come in sophisticated fragrances like Indian green tea with mint and rose petals.

the fabric of ocean life

Another way to extend my summer is the ocean collection designed by Oliveira Textiles. The two sisters Dawn Oliveira and Deborah Olson are the founders of this new sustainable textiles company based in Rhode Island.

Their debut line ocean collection comes in 3 different patterns influenced by their upbringing close to the seaside. My favorites are shellgame in moss offered on 100% hemp twill and 55/45 hemp/organic cotton twill or anemone in mystic blue or red coral made of hemp/organic cotton. The entire collection is hand silk-screened by artisans in New England with water-based pigment dyes and free of heavy metals. You won’t find any chemical finishes or flame-retardants here. Instead only great inspired design.

eco-friendly pocket art

What I love most about these eco-chic wallets designed by db clay is that they took something highly functional like a wallet and turned it into a piece of art. Next time you’re about to pull out your greens you could make a design and green statement at the same time. 

These artful wallets are made out of Tope that is custom engineered by the company providing the same durability as vinyl and leather without the toxins and heavy metals. It decomposes when buried, is chlorine chemicals free and uses environmentally friendly inks which leads me to their vivid designs. Their latest version 3.1 wallets includes Adult Chores designed by Garett Croft Stenson, which looks like a to-do-list crossed out by black markers. Or Thrower designed by Courtney Smith, which was inspired by a bold red flower given to her on her third wedding anniversary.

green for all seasons

Sad about the summer being gone I was glad to discover this garden hut by Eightyseven at Sant Miquel de Cruilles in Spain. The London based architecture studio received an award for emerging architecture in 2004 for the design.

I love how the walls slide and fold back to reveal a gazebo during the summer, that can be used as a storage room during the winter. The outside walls are made of rusted steel to blend in with the surroundings. Its interior walls come from Brazilian timber sourced from a certified sustainable forest. Local craftsmanship was used to prefabricate the metal and install the woodwork to reduce the impact of transportation. It’s great to see how environmental responsibility can unfold on so many different levels.

eat your cupcake and have it too

Kee-Ka’s wearable greeting cards are the perfect gift or greeting for new or expecting families. Their children’s apparel line comes in a signature eco-friendly packaging that’s ready-to-mail and made from recycled paper.

The company is based in Brooklyn, New York and offers clothes and accessories for babies and toddlers with cute designs that range from peanut to sweat pea illustrations. I especially love their cupcake organic bodysuits that are fun to look at plus made out of 100% certified organic cotton and low-impact dyes, which means they are great for the environment as well. Who says you can’t eat your cake and have it too? Another favorite of mine is the organic twin bodysuit gift set perfect pair featuring a pear design.