Eco and Chic Used to be Mutually Exclusive

Don't dismiss Green Design as a fleeting fad or the trend du jour. It is quickly becoming part of the mainstream practice both in the workplace and residential interiors. According to Jill Salisbury, founder of EL: Environmental Language, a green furniture company, and at the forefront of the movement, "The movement is not a trend; it's an awakening. It wouldn't surprise me if, in five years, green design becomes the defination of good design. " We have to agree with her.
In July's WF Trendspotting column, we covered the subject. Here are some more green products coming on the scene-



Sprout: Mod Green Pod’s founders Nancy Mims and Lisa Mims loved swank design and sustainable goods, but they couldn’t find anything that combined the two. Refusing to choose one over the other, they started their own company. Veterans of the fashion industry, they create products that won’t harm the planet, its manufacturers, or users, all without sacrificing style.
Their 100% organic cotton fabrics are produced without using any harmful finishing agents and our water-based printing process also respects this simplicity and purity. Mod Green Pod’s wallpapers are also printed with water-based inks and unlike most wallpapers, ours are finished without a coating of toxic vinyl.
Their debut collection Jubilee merges clean modern lines with classic damasks for whimsical but sophisticated mixing and matching. Look for their new Sprout collection to be unveiled this month. http://www.modgreenpod.com/


Fresh Air Textiles: This collection by Louise Russell for Carneige Textiles has an intriguing place in residential interiors. The collection is based on the precepts of intregrative medicine, emphasizing wellness and healing of the whole person. The power of positive imagery is transferred into textiles to impart healing on both a mental and spiritual level. Russell, believing in the energetic importance of objects in our environemts, worked with nature photographs; broke them down into pixels and then reassembled them into patterns. A proponent of vibrational medicine, she trademarked the collection as Vibrational Wellness –a textile that has healing powers. http://www.carneigefabrics.com/

Eco-to-Go: Non-profit organization Ecoagents recently coined the phrase “eco-to-go” as a way to encourage consumers to request less packaging when ordering take-out meals. Ideally, once the phrase catches on, employees and managers at dining establishments will know to go light on napkins and utensils when an order is requested “eco-to-go”, cutting down on the roughly 30% of waste that comes from discarded packaging in America.

Flow Kitchen:John Arndt's Flow Kitchen is its own mini eco-system. This compact modular sysytem features dish drying racks that drip water onto herbs and edible plants in terra cotta jars. The inset bowl flips to empty into the worm compost bin complete with Red Wigglers and removable tray. http://www.johnarndt.com/