eco-chic design

chic and compostable dinnerware made from fallen palm leaves

It was great to see VerTerra’s products mixed in with reusable dinnerware at the St. Julien Hotel in Boulder during the LOHAS Forum last month. I've always loved the elegant design of the disposable plates, bowls and trays but never had a chance to use them. They are made with fallen palm leaves, steam, heat, and pressure only. You can’t get more pure than that. The idea originated during a trip to India where VerTerra’s founder Michael Dwork witnessed a local woman pressing leaves fallen from trees into plate like objects that were used to serve food. Now fallen leaves that otherwise would get burned are collected from plantations, then cleaned and pressed into contemporary looking dinnerware at local factories in India. Over 80% of the water used during the steam process is recaptured and reused. Even the waste products are powdered down into fertilizer that’s returned to the farmers who supply the leaves. I love eco-friendly products that close the loop like that. 

The results are organic looking plates and bowls that are non-toxic, biodegradable and even compostable. The great thing about being compostable is that these sustainable products will not only break down within 2 months after use in home or industrial composting but also release valuable nutrients into the soil. VerTerra’s dinnerware is intended for single-use and a green alternative to plastic and paper plates. Something that certainly comes in handy these days for eco-friendly BBQs, beach parties or rooftop gatherings.

the perfect blend of sustainable cuisine with green decor

One of the advantages of spending summer weekends in the city is that hard-to-get reservations at restaurants are available. That’s how I got a table at ABC Kitchen without reservations. And not just any table but a table made from salvaged wood since ABC Kitchen is committed to sustainable décor as much as sustainable food. All food is prepared with organic and local ingredients whenever possible. None of their produce uses pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, insecticides or GMOs and most meat, fish and dairy is locally sourced. The same commitment to sustainable cuisine can be found in their selection of beverages such as tea, coffee or wine that are organic or fair trade. The restaurant’s location close to the farmers market at Union Square doesn’t hurt either. 

The restaurant was co-created between ABC Carpet & Home with chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten and Phil Suarez. It perfectly fuses a pre-dominantly white and sustainable décor with seasonal produce to create a pleasantly airy atmosphere. I’ve always loved the sustainable products at ABC Home & Planet and it’s great to see them utilized in a restaurant. The food is served on handmade porcelain dinnerware by local artisan Jan Burtz. Each piece is hand-built and hand glazed. The bread baskets are handcrafted by the indigenous mapuche people of Patagonia and are part of the ABC Goodwood Collection that also includes Jim Denney’s dining table made from salvaged wood. If you happen to be in town I can highly recommend the peekytoe crab toast appetizer.

recycled paper transformed into eco-modern home accessories

Last week at ICFF the colorful cushions made out of recycled paper by Japanese company Qurz Inc. caught my attention since they were surprisingly soft. I couldn’t believe that they were made of recycled paper. It turned out that the structured looking paper cushions are made by weaving together recycled twisted paper after a softening process. The smooth surface looks very unique and almost feels like paper with a satin sheen. 

Qurz Inc. was founded by the Japanese designer Takumi Shimamura in 2005 after he spent some time as a car designer at Subaru. The recycled cushions are part of his product line cuiora. All cuiora products are made from woven bands of 100% recycled paper that traditionally were used for carrying heavy rice bags in Japan. Now these sturdy bands are skillfully used to create contemporary home accessories such as paper cushions, striped fruit bowls and striped lampshades. The eco-friendly fruit bowls and lampshades are made by firmly rolling the paper bands into a spiral shape. In both cases I was amazed that post-consumer recycled paper can look this beautiful. Especially since I’m quite guilty myself of creating paper waste on a daily basis. It’s great to see a company value recycled paper by artfully turning it into useful everyday objects.

green your home with eco-friendly felt

Felt is one of the oldest fabrics in the world and I mentioned its modern comeback in Undercollar’s pillows made from reclaimed felt or Megan Auman’s cozy/cuffs. This weekend I’ll make sure to check out the latest home accessories made of wool felt by Graf & Lantz at NYIGF. I love how the designers combine the sturdy and eco-friendly material with contemporary shapes. Graf & Lantz is a design studio based in LA that creates eco-modern designs such as bags, pillows, wallets or bowls made primarily from 100% merino wool felt imported from Germany. Wool felt is a sustainable and biodegradable material since it comes from sheep and is therefore completely natural. The beauty of the high density felt used by Graf & Lantz is that it’s not only stain- and water-resistant thanks to its natural oil content but it also gives their designs a sculptural quality. My favorite home accessories are the elegant felt bowls in heathered white, grey, pistachio and charcoal with a different colored center. They are fun to look at plus handmade in the USA. Most recently Graf & Lantz added a new line of Swiss wool felt that’s coarser and not dyed or bleached to their collections. It’s used in some of the ottoman designs and comes in the two colors white and brown. I’m curious to see what else the designers came up with.

modern design for sustainable table settings

Soon I’ll be at NYIGF 2010 here in NYC to check out the latest sustainable designs in home furnishings. I can’t wait to see the PaperStone tablemats and coasters by Dinah Coops as well as her hemp/organic cotton tea towels that are part of the sustainable display. Her eco-modern tablemats and coasters use PaperStone that’s made from 100% recycled paper, non-petroleum resins and organic pigments. It’s a stone-like material and contrasts beautifully with her free-flowing and modern designs. I especially like Dina Coops’ designs for the triple seed pod coaster, the sea fan with trunk coaster and the little cone plant with squiggle coaster. The squiggles of her elegant compositions remind me of drawing with pebbles on slate as kids in Germany. No wonder Dinah Coops describes her PaperStone tablemats and coasters as a modern take on traditional European slate tableware. Each coaster or placemat is silkscreened by hand and treated with a protective coating of water-based polyurethane and silicone. They are backed with a thin layer of cork so that you won’t have to worry about scratching your favorite eco-chic tabletop. Her sustainable napkins and tea towels are made of un-dyed 100% linen or hemp/cotton blend with similar abstract compositions of nature silkscreened by hand with water based inks. Thanks to their neutral color palette the minimalist designs fit easily into any eco-modern home.

from waste to modern eco-bowls

Prompted by my discovery of Husque’s Frag bowls at the Museum of Art and Design store in Manhattan and the arrival of nut season I want to applaud Husque for turning industry waste into sleek eco-design. The stunning Husque bowls by designer Marc Harrison are locally produced sustainable design based on Australia’s iconic macadamia nut that’s native to the East Coast of Australia.

All Husque designs are made from discarded macadamia nut shells that are milled into fine particles, melted with a polymer and then formed into organic shapes that recall their origin. The dark brown outside of the designs has a satin sheen and is hand rubbed with macadamia oil while the colorful inside is polished to a mirror gloss finish. I love the contrast of the vibrant almost neon colors of the lining with the dark brown color of the macadamia nut shell. It looks classy yet contemporary at the same time. Most of all I love how Husque turns waste from the macadamia nuts industry into useful yet beautiful objects such as bowls, trays or vases. My personal favorite is still the Frag bowl that makes a great centerpiece and conversation starter on eco-design for any table. Not only do the highly nutritious macadamia nuts have health benefits for humans but they also benefit the health of our eco-system since the macadamia nut trees help prevent soil erosion and are highly sustainable. Did I mention yet that the Husque designs look simply stunning?

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.

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.

go green with your daily coffee fix

It’s much easier for me to cut my paper and plastic consumption than coffee. That’s why I love that these chic insulated mugs from Earth Lust are a stylish green alternative to take out coffee that typically comes in a paper or styrofoam cup. They are cool enough to bring to the office or the park during the summer. Just think about all the paper cups, plastic lids and cardboard cup jackets that you’ll be saving every single day if your coffee consumption is similar to mine.

The 20 oz insulated mugs or thermos come in two sleek designs that are both inspired by nature and reflect the company’s commitment to promote a green life-style. One is a simple feather design and the other one has a botanical design with the word change. It’s a great reminder to change your coffee consumption habits to reuse, refill and recharge. The double walled #304 food grade stainless thermos keep your cold drinks cool for up to 16 hours and your warm drinks hot up to 8 hours. They are consciously produced in China with fair trade and labor conditions but designed and tested in California. Both designs feature non-toxic paints and BPA-free safe polypropylene #5 caps. Now go ahead and enjoy your cup of organic, shade-grown and fair trade coffee.

celebrate summer in green style

It’s time to pop the cork and toast to summer in an eco-modern way with these recycled cork coasters by Australian company Lightly. They are part of Lightly’s dEco range of environmentally-friendly products that include recycled cork and rubber placemats as well. Earlier this year the company introduced three new botanical designs inspired by patterns in nature and  blossoming flowers: Daphne Daffodil, Dahlia Daisy and Eco-sphere. All designs come in red, white, black and green. As a big fan of turning waste into something useful I was glad to discover that they are made from 100% recycled cork and rubber gathered from Australian wineries. They are heat resistant and perfect for indoor or outdoor entertaining.

What I love about the Eco-sphere Placemat/Coaster design is the playful approach to dining. The coasters pop out of the center of the placemats allowing you to mix and match colors. It’s a fun way to entertain guests and makes setting a table more creative. In addition to the brighter colors they also come in the three natural colorways tan, Van Dyke brown and slate black. The designer behind these modern eco-designs is Melbourne based Cindy-Lee Davies who launched her company in 2005. I was introduced to her work through Design Abroad, which represents other great eco-conscious designs here in the US like the Electric Firefly lightshades.