eco-chic design

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.