eco-chic design

eco-fabulous make-up bags from Australia

It’s always a nice surprise when the design of a product catches my eye first and then it turns out to be eco-friendly. That was the case with the sleek and sustainable make-up bags by Australian based company apple & bee at NYIGF last week. What I loved about the bags was their envelope shape so that they easily double as a purse. And multi-functionality is a big part of sustainable design. The make-up bags are made from 100% organic cotton, non-toxic plant dye, and lined with hemp. I love that they close with a zipper and a flap with a magnetic clasp. They are incredibly well made and come in 5 charming patterns. 

Apple & bee is a Sydney-based company founded by Brett Pattinson, the founder of the natural skincare line bod and designer Claire Morris, the former art director of Marie Claire. Their products combine everyday functionality with contemporary design that’s considerate of the environment. The entire line includes cosmetic, travel and baby bags made from materials like certified organic cotton, bamboo silk, hemp, and burlap/calico. The company is carbon neutral through the organization Climate Friendly. Apple & bee also created the Bee Foundation to support the study of Colony Collapse Disorder affecting honeybees that are needed to support crops and eco-systems. All this sounds pretty amazing to me. Now I just need to decide which eco-friendly make-up bag to get. After all a green life-style is all about being kind to the environment while being good to yourself, right?

sustainable pillows designed around communities at NYIGF

One of my favorite products at NYIGF this week were the Geo Spiral Embroidery Alpaca Blend Pillows by Carpenter + Company. I discovered them through the sustainability display since I loved the modern design combined with high-quality and natural materials. Once I met the designer and founder Patti Carpenter I was really impressed by the company’s mission. She mentioned that the nesting circles on the pillows are inspired by their reoccurring theme within indigenous embroidery but also represent a sense of community. And that’s what her work is all about.   

Carpenter + Company helps to conserve, sustain, and support traditional craftsmanship in Bolivia and Guatemala by encouraging younger generations to continue the skills through fair trade wages that are set by the artisans themselves. It enables indigenous men to stay with their families instead of seeking migrant work. In the case of the Geo Spiral Embroidery Alpaca Blend Collection the designer works with artisans from the Alto Plano regions of Bolivia. They use centuries-old indigenous techniques like pedal loom weaving and hand embroidery to create the beautiful pillows. Alpaca is a natural and sustainable fiber and gives those eco-modern pillows a very luxurious, almost silky look and feel. It has no lanolin which makes it hypoallergenic. There’s also a matching throw in the same color combination. My favorite pillow though was the same design in heather grey with light green stitching. It looks very chic and is something to look forward to for fall.

modern decor for eco-friendly nurseries and homes at NYIGF

You don’t need to have children to fall for Petit Collage’s modern designs with a vintage twist. They make great home accessories for eco-minded kids and grown-ups alike. I’ve always admired the folksy yet modern look of their bamboo mobiles through Branch and was thrilled to see them in person this week. The sustainable mobile designs range from farm animals to owl families and are laser-cut from sustainably harvested bamboo plywood. The latest addition is the forest friends mobile that includes a squirrel, a fox, a deer and a bear with her cub. And of course, bamboo is a rapidly renewable resource. Petit Collage produces additional eco-friendly product lines with  the same playful sensibility. It’s no surprise since the company was founded by San Francisco based artist and designer Lorena Siminovich who has illustrated numerous children’s books. Other products that caught my eye were the collages made from found, vintage, and painted papers applied onto FSC certified maple plywood that’s formaldehyde-free. All designs are limited editions and hand made in her studio. The colorful collages are incredibly charming with simplistic animal characters or nature themes. Then there’s the eco-friendly animal alphabet poster collection printed with soy-based ink on 100% post-consumer recycled paper. The posters are a fun way to learn the alphabet and come in multiple color schemes to complement any eco-modern home. And since the designer knows that moms are busy there’s even a key on the bottom that displays the animal names.

green your life with eco-smart accessories

Just recently I rediscovered Econscious Market, a fantastic e-commerce site based in Boulder with a great selection of eco-modern designers. The company sells a mix of eco-friendly or socially responsible products and donates up to 10% of every purchase to non-profit organizations of your choice from their website. And there are many great causes to choose from. 

One of their eco-modern designers that I love is Josh Jakus at FUZ. The sustainable felt designs for his handbags and home accessories are super-smart and playful. I’m sure you have seen his clever napkin hugs made out of 100% recycled black rubber or 100% wool felt in various bright colors before. His handbags made from factory excess felt are created from a flat surface with the help of a zipper. The contrast of the grey industrial felt with the accent colors of the zippers in orange, green, or blue looks modern. There’s a really fun animation on his website that you have to check out. With the click of a mouse all five UM bags transform at the same time from two-dimensional shapes into structured bags. The efficiency of FUZ’s designs results in the reduction of energy-consuming machine time. Plus everything is manufactured locally in California. Somehow I like the simple elegance of FUZ’s protective wine pocket or media pocket pouch even more. Both make great green gifts for house warming parties or work related events through their sleek designs. Giving never looked better.

reclaimed urban trees turned into sustainable furniture

Over the weekend there was a great article in the NYT about sustainable furniture design company Meyer Wells. As a big fan of modern design and the environment I was thrilled to discover the Seattle based company founded by Seth Meyer and John Wells in 2006. Their eco-modern furniture is made from salvaged trees found around Seattle’s neighborhoods. In partnership with their sister company City Tree Salvage they have reclaimed hundreds of urban logs that would otherwise become part of the city’s waste stream. One of the many ecological advantages of using local reclaimed materials is that less energy is spent on transportation. And that reduces the embodied energy of the sophisticated furniture design.   

Meyer Wells offers residential and commercial furniture and I especially love their Clerestory coffee and end table as well as their feature wall for the lobby of F5 Networks. You would’ve never thought that these elegant pieces come from trees that were damaged through storms or grew in your own backyard. The sustainable coffee and end table are part of the modern roots collection that combines organic design with modern shapes. Both eco-modern pieces come in various finishes such as maple or walnut and the top coat options are low-VOC and HAP-free. Other variations are 100% botanical and VOC-free since indoor air quality is often worse than outdoor air. It’s great to see how Meyer Wells turns trees that served neighborhoods for so long into useful everyday objects. Plus I love sustainable stories with a happy ending.

go preservative-free with your skincare this summer

During the summer less is more when it comes to clothes and the same I true for skincare. While browsing Sephora’s natural and organic skincare section in search of a new eye cream I discovered Boscia’s enlivening Amino-AG eye treatment. I quickly realized over the next couple of weeks the benefits of using a lighter gel instead of my usual eye cream during the summer heat. Plus I love that it’s preservative-free and the sleek dispenser looks great. 

Boscia is a preservative-free and botanically-based skincare line founded by Kenji Ikemori. He noticed that the use of preservatives caused irritations in his wife’s skin. This led to the creation of Boscia in 1979 as one of the world’s first preservative-free skincare lines. The purpose of preservatives is mostly to extend the life of a product - sometimes up to 10 years. But nobody really uses their skincare products for so long if you use them daily. Every Boscia product has two main ingredients: organically-grown jojoba leaf that helps fight free radical damage caused by environmental factors and willow herb that calms skin irritated by harsh chemicals or stress. The latter I can certainly identify with on a daily basis. I love that Boscia’s manufacturing facilities are vertically integrated which cuts down on energy-consumption. Their factory contains 6 floors and the manufacturing process starts on the top and then moves down using gravity to assembly and distribution levels. It’s something to feel good about - inside and out.