eco-chic design

flower power from down-under

The other day I went to bluemercury to try out different lotions, since it was so humid outside that I needed to smell something nice. My sniff & test escape led me to Jurlique because their organic products smell amazing. I was surprised when the sales person told me that they were an Australian company. The name always sounded French to me.

Jurlique was founded in 1985 by Jurgen Klein, a chemist, and his wife Ulrike, a horticulturist. Both are Germans like myself that moved to Australia to start their own farm. They grow their own herbs and flowers — including lavender, rose, marshmallow, elder, and calendula — on their certified organic and biodynamic farms inspired by the philosophy of Rudolph Steiner. Their body care lotions in lavender, rose and lemon smell incredible. I especially love the lemon scent for the summer like their citrus shower gel or citrus hand cream. The packaging looks as pure as its content with the botanical imagery and is made from post-consumer waste.

organic gets supersized

These organic seating sculptures are designed by Eva Sobesky from EIS Studio where landscaping is an integral part of the design process. I love how these giant pebbles play with the scale of a space yet perfectly fit into any outdoor or indoor environment.

Eva founded her company in 2002 after 12 years of working at Frank Gehry & Associates. Her pebbles seem to draw inspiration from his sculptural take on architecture and her love for nature. More specifically these pebbles are inspired by washed pebbles in a riverbed. They are sculptural yet practical and most importantly green thanks to their production process. The architect Michele Kaufmann describes how the waste of plywood is reduced by the fact that the pebble comes in 3 different sizes (S,M,L) and each smaller size is made from the leftover uncut inner plywood of the bigger size. This maximizes the use of plywood and reduces its waste. The result is smart, green design and incredibly cool.

eco-fabulous fabrics

The owner and designer behind the brand-new company Rubie Green named after a fictitious muse is Michelle Adams. At the age of 25 she struck out on her own with an eco-friendly line of upholstery fabrics after a short tenure at Domino Magazine. That’s quite impressive. 

Her product line on the website features 9 fabrics that are classic by design, but I love her more modern patterns like Tillinghast in yellow and her Zebra prints Mary in black or natural. All fabrics are made of peroxide-whitened organic cotton and printed with water-based inks. They are finished with heat and pressure instead of chemicals. The process uses minimal water consumption and the fabrics are only printed when ordered to reduce waste. I can’t wait for her bedding designs to come out in late summer!

a flexible take on bamboo

Who would have thought that designing skateboard decks could result into very comfortable stools and chairs that are eco-friendly at the same time? I’ve always been familiar with Modern Bamboo’s spring chair, but just recently I discovered their other furniture made out of bamboo and reclaimed wood.

Bamboo is not only a quickly renewable resource, but it also has an inherent strength while staying flexible. This makes it a logical choice for a comfortable seating experience. It also explains how it could inspire some interesting skateboard deck designs that led Modern Bamboo’s founder Anthony Marschak to his amazing furniture designs.

I’m a big fan of the multi-functionality of his becca stool, which comes in amber, cherry or ebony. It can be used as a stool with or without a cushion, as a side table or you can simply stack it and turn it into a shelf. That’s pretty smart if you ask me.

note to self: buy green

Thanks to New York Magazine’s Best Bets Daily I discovered SusieJack*’s contemporary paper goods a week ago. What I love about these ringlet jotters is that they fit perfectly into my life-style and purse at the same time. I always carry mini-post-its in case I want to scribble something down and I’m glad to have found a stylish alternative that’s eco-friendly at the same time. They come in bright colors and patterns with fun sounding names like wheelie, dunes or twist and are printed on post consumer 100% recycled cover stock. I really love that they double as a key-chain. 

Equally functional and cute are the designer’s boxed note sets that are also available as single notes. I love that these note cards pretty much prep you for any type of social emergency, since they are blank on the inside. They are perfect for last minute wishes.

a natural fit: Stella McCarthy and LeSportsac

Once in a while I’m allowed to fantasize like about these new designs that are a team effort between Stella McCarthy and LeSportsac. I’ve been looking for a great beach bag for a while and stopped right here.

This is LeSportsac’s truly eco-friendly collection even that their bags were always a great leather free alternative. The line of handbags, travel bags, totes and backpacks is sporty yet incredibly cute and sophisticated.  Plus it’s entirely made of recycled polyester. My favorites are the hobo bag in purple grey solid made of 100% recycled eco polyester body fabric and the carry all tote in pop print. But not only do these bags look great but they also feature LeSportsac’s signature functionality with multiple interior zip and snap pockets. A girl is allowed to dream, right? Stella McCarthy really seems to have a neck for great stylish design, that’s eco-friendly since I already featured her organic skincare line.

how to say treehugger in Japanese

Besides that I love how these stools look I’m amazed by the technique that’s being used to make them. Bunaco originated in Japan in 1956 and uses a technique that’s widely used in Japan to make bowls and baskets made out of beech wood.

The process involves paper thin sheets of virgin beech (‘buna’) wood, that are cut into thin strips and then tightly coiled around a base. These flat pieces are then formed and bend into shapes that are otherwise hard to achieve with wood. This whole process needs to be performed by a specifically trained craftsperson. But most of all it’s environmentally friendly since it reduces the amount of waste. I love the modern shapes with the soft finish that adds warmth to it. Other products include tableware, lamps and interior goods.

honest and sustainable living

In case you didn’t notice by now I love any type of design that brings the outdoors inside. But I like it even better if it works the other way around as well. That’s what I like the most about Acronym Designs, founded by Andrew Dickson in 2004.

The furniture is constructed in a no nonsense way and stresses honest design with a focus on sustainability. You won’t find any superfluous details instead only sleek, beautiful design.  The company uses solid wood where expected or veneers when they are most effective and sustainable. I’ve always been smitten by their swilken indoor/outdoor bench with a reclaimed hardwood top and concrete or polished aluminum base. The ReCubed line made of reclaimed or recovered woods with a minimalistic stainless steel frame is more diverse and offers tables and seating which are perfect for this time of the year. I love the multi-purpose functionality of these cubes. Now I only need a backyard or a balcony at least.

stress-free design

I’ve been eyeing the Skyn Iceland product line for a while and I finally took the plunge with their Icelandic Relief Eye Cream while feeling jet-lagged from a trip to Italy.

The brand positions itself as the antidote to a stressful, modern life-style due to a lack of sleep, not drinking enough water, drinking too much red wine or coffee or simply feeling freaked out. Basically pretty much anything I relate to which unfortunately results into stressed skin or in my case under-eye circles. All Skyn Iceland products are based on a replenishing Biospheric Complex, which is sourced in Iceland. Its key ingredients are mineral-rich glacial waters, potent antioxidant-rich botanicals, and skin-soothing medicinal herbs. The whole product line contains no parabens, sulfates, mineral oil, petroleum, formaldehyde or paraffin.

The packaging looks clean, light and fresh with entertaining bits of copy like “Danced all night. Have the bags to prove it…someone wake me up when I recover.” I love how the pearlized metallic color bands wrap around the products. And best of all it’s designed to be 90% recyclable.