eco-chic design

gorgeously green glass design

Always on the lookout for cool recycled glass I was excited to find Esque Studio’s hand-blown glass pieces at the sustainable display at NYIGF last week. The Portland based studio founded by Justin Parker and Andi Kovel makes recycled glass look innovative and may I say even futuristic-esque. The display featured the Wax Collector Candleholder but once at the booth I really loved Esque Studio’s Flatlanders that look like futuristic water towers yet happen to make sleek vases. I love the concept that they fill up with water like a water tower but function as a glass vessel. They come in grey, white, army green and eco-black.

All Esque glass is made with recycled glass stock and processed in an electric furnace that runs up to 10 times more efficiently than the traditional gas furnace. It’s powered by wind energy and produces zero Co2 emissions. Since I’m a big fan of water inspired design as you might have noticed by now the Esque Water Drop Jug Vase is another favorite of mine. Each piece will slightly vary in design and is a unique yet functional piece of fluid looking art. It’s available in amber, fuchsia and cream. Esque Studio’s designs are sometimes slightly bizarre or edgy ranging from a glass revolver as a paperweight to a glass terrarium in the shape of a head. And that’s why they are so incredibly cool.

spark your eco-imagination

Originally I was attracted to Lichen’s Squib felt lamp as part of the sustainable display at NYIGF last week with its modern take on eco-friendly felt design. It utilizes LED bulbs that use one-tenth of the energy of the equivalent halogen and last for twelve years until the next replacement. But ultimately it led me to the discovery of Lichen’s Adaptation that's a playful and eco-modern interpretation of the traditional glass vase.  I love how the designer Brandon Perhacs makes the user part of the creative process with his eco-smart design. Several glass vessels are held in place through an invisible force at the base that’s made of the eco-friendly material PaperStone, so that you can move them around based on your mood or desired flower arrangement. It’s a great way to green your home décor and makes for fun interactive design.

PaperStone is an FSC-certified composite made from 100% post-consumer recycled paper that’s saturated with a resin based on cashew nut shells. The design and manufacturing studio Lichen strives to use materials that are either recycled, sustainable, or are recyclable themselves. Make sure to check out the designer’s videos where he shows how his imaginative eco-designs work like his bracelet eweCUFF made from 100% Merino wool felt.

a rebel approach to green design

You have to be a little rebellious to be a part of the new green revolution and Rebel Green certainly gets that with their edgy eco-friendly designs of their reusable bag system. Their retro-inspired graphics created by hip design company Wink are a big departure from traditional green granola designs.

Green Rebel makes packing your own eco-lunch or bringing your own produce bag to the grocery store look cool. Their designs are sophisticated yet edgy and I love that you can get the lunch bags in black as well as pink. But most importantly all their products are made in the US to cut back on unnecessary carbon emissions and are specifically designed to minimize waste. The eco-friendly bags are made from 100 percent certified organic cotton and printed using low impact inks. Green Rebel’s mission is to create a shift in awareness to buy locally but think globally. The company donates a percentage of their sales to clean water initiatives and the fight against hunger to such organizations like Charity Water, Great Lakes Water Institute and Growing Power. Their apparel line appeals to small and big green rebels alike as with their eco-friendly bibs. It makes it so much easier to get your eco-kids to eat their green veggies if they can feel rebellious while eating something that’s actually good for them.

modern eco-friendly felt design

Another highlight for me at NYIGF this week were Undercollar’s pillows made from reclaimed felt originally intended for the under-collar lining of tailor suit jackets sourced from a local factory. Undercollar is a collaboration between Kelly of Boston-based design studio Etcetera Media and Jennifer of JHill Design. I always love when two different companies team up to create something truly unique and these eco-modern pillows are no exception. The lasercut patterns are based on Jennifer Hill’s ‘Places I Have Never Been’ series and are a playful contrast to the structural look of felt. The designs are sophisticated and modern like the pattern Andalucia inspired by orange blossoms in Spain or the pattern Champagne based on sparkling bubbles. The pillows are available in three designs, four colorways and two different sizes.

Felt is a renewable material to begin with since it’s made of sheep’s wool but Undercollar takes their eco-friendly approach one step further by actually reclaiming existing felt. All pillow cases are made out of 65% wool and 35% rayon and the pillow inserts contain 10% down and 90% natural feather fill. As if this wasn’t enough Kelly also founded FilzFelt in 2008 with fellow designer Traci Roloff to sell 100% wool felt imported from Germany. I’ve to admit being German myself I’ve a soft spot for their contemporary and sustainable designs.

the ultimate eco-modern dollhouse

One of my favorite designs at NYIGF this week is the Bamboo Sunshine House by HaPe that’s also part of the sustainable display at the show. Not only is it made out of the rapidly renewable resource bamboo but it actually features a working solar rooftop panel to teach kids about alternative energy in a fun and entertaining way. The eco-modern dollhouse comes with fully operational solar panels that absorb light energy and transfer it to four rechargeable batteries through wiring in the walls. It has a red button on the orange wall of the second floor that can be pushed by eco-chic kids to light three LED lights in the media room and two on the first floor. How genius is that. It’s a really fun and interactive way to teach your kids about renewable sources of energy at an early age.

The design of the Bamboo Sunshine House is sleek and modern with its bamboo flooring, contemporary furniture and freestanding staircase. I love how the natural look of the bamboo is accentuated with the brightly colored walls and furnishings. And in case you want to educate your kids about sustainable farming it even comes with a Bamboo Greenhouse that includes four hydroponic water trays for growing real herbs. It makes for a fantastic toy to teach your eco-modern kids about a healthy green life-style.

pack your own eco-lunch

Not sure why it took me so long to discover To-Go Ware’s reusable RePEaT utensils especially since I’ve already featured so many green alternatives to plastic bottles and bags. Berkley based To-Go Ware was founded by Stephanie Bernstein in 2004 to combat today's throwaway culture of plastic. Her company acknowledges that a modern life-style is a life on-the-go, but she’s committed to offering eco-friendly and modern alternatives like her RePEaT utensils. Their name originated from the fact that the holders for the bamboo utensils are made from recycled PET plastic. Not only do they give plastic bottles a second life, but they also help to keep more plastic out of landfills. I love that each set includes a fork, knife, spoon and even chopsticks since I never know what I’m in the mood for in regards to a quick lunch. They are great for the office, schools and picnics at the park or beach with their fun, colorful designs. Other To-Go Ware products include food carriers made out of stainless steel that come in recycled cotton bags that are woven from cotton scraps collected from recycling sites and dyed with natural colors. Now all you have to do is to remember to put them into your bag in the morning and you’re all ready to reduce, reuse and repeat.

for a green mobile life-style

As a big fan of well-designed small spaces with a low environmental impact I’ve always liked Sustain Design Studio’s miniHome series designed by Andy Thomson. Especially since I always thought that they make the perfect green get-away if you live in the city. His intention was to create a sustainable home or retreat to promote a simpler life through sustainable living yet there’s nothing basic about them.

At first glance the miniHome series is a contemporary approach to an RV since the award-winning miniHome SOLO for example comes on wheels. But once on location it’ll look just like site-built architecture. The latest addition to the miniHome models is the 12X36 TRIO that features climate-specific design for optimized passive cooling and ventilation. It has 10-foot ceilings and a larger master bedroom than other 12WIDE models but comes with the same sustainable features like other miniHome models to allow for off-grid living through their connection to renewable power sources like solar (photovoltaic) and wind. Super-efficient light fixtures and appliances support the low-energy consumption. You would still need to be connected to a water supply and a wastewater treatment system but overall it sounds pretty self reliant to me. Other eco-friendly building materials include FSC certified and formaldehyde-free wood with no toxic adhesives or finishes. I’ve to say that sustainable small space living never looked smarter.

mix and match your own eco-design

In preparation for the upcoming NYIGF next weekend I’m in the process of researching any sustainable companies I want to visit and Paper Cloud is one of them. I love the whimsical designs on their earth-friendly pillows and lampshades that almost feel like doodles. Some of them are inspired by wood planks, wheat, poppies, or even dewdrops and are a great way to integrate nature into eco-modern homes.

Paper Cloud was founded in 2005 by husband and wife team Matthew & Ariana Broerman and originally started out as a card-making business. All their products use only 100% linen, a strong yet soft natural renewable fiber that’s naturally grown without the use of harmful pesticides. The designers only use water-based inks for their screen prints on fabric and everything is handmade right at their home studio in Cincinnati, Ohio. The handmade quality shines through in their quirky designs that bring an effortless chic to any home. You can choose or mix and match the colors and designs you love which makes their products even more unique. Their new designs and rich color schemes of their harvest collection make me actually look forward to fall in the midst of summer.