When a client said she wanted to do Swedish fabrics in the bedrooms of her remodeled vacation house in Tahoe, I went searching for sources other than IKEA for textiles that could translate into gorgeous bedding. While I think some of IKEA's ready-made bedding is cheerful in that whimsical Scandinavian fashion, the texture is too rough for my taste. Bedding needs to be not only visually inviting but soft to the touch.

The Northern lights led me to Textile Arts and its line of appealing eco-friendly fabrics,  including Traditions, a folk art brocade, and the ultra-modern Louisa's Squares. The fabrics in this collection are all comprised of organic cotton, linen, hemp and bamboo, grown without pesticides and bleached with hydrogen peroxide instead of the usual toxins. This wonderful source for fabrics (as well as other modern decor) gives discounts to trade members who register. In addition to the eco line, the company offers a large assortment of  printed cottons and oil cloths in traditional and retro patterns.


For anyone seeking vintage Scandinavian textiles, such as the Josef Frank designs of the 1940's, check out Just Scandinavian and the stunning botanical motifs of the designer who died in the mid-1960's but whose designs are still printed (show here and above).


And at Scandinavia Design Center you will also find a range of lovely Nordic upholstery fabrics to suit your Viking hunger for all things Swedish.

Now, here's a tip for customizing bedding: I seek out local upholstery sewers, like Dreams in San Francisco, and ask them how much yardage I will need for a queen or king duvet. Usually, I take the down comforter into the work room with me to get the exact fit. I also love to customize bedskirts since generous ready-made ones are hard to find. This requires measuring the drop from the top of your box spring to the floor. If you have a carpet, the drop will be shorter than on hardwood. I like the skirt to extend to the floor without about a half-inch extra to puddle. Look for a work room in your city and customize your own Scandinavian ensemble.

Matching sheeting is easy with all that's on the market. My favorite retail source: Cuddledown. I really love the eco-friendly, 400-thread-count Sateen Hotel bedding with simple embroidered stitching which coordinates beautifully with busy prints.

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In the current economic climate of massive corporate lay-offs and gas prices nearing $5 a gallon, it would seem risky to open a posh green home design store peddling eco fireplaces ranging as high as $12,000. But Fred Segal is banking on its reputation as the hippest L.A. store around since 1976. If the brand could invent the first fashion jeans it can certainly market ultra cool fireplaces fueled by renewable green energy.

So two months ago, it boldly opened the doors of Fred Segal Green at the tony address of 500 Broadway in Santa Monica, where Segal opened its second fashion store years ago. The 1,200 square-foot green decor showroom featuring a stunning array of furnishings, accents and books, has already drawn in the celebrity crowd, including Robin Williams and Meryl Streep.

"David Caruso bought some recycled can top bags by Dalaleo for a friend," shares salesman Phillipe Dubois in a lovely French accent that must work quite well in the pristine, upscale setting. Dubois tells me the response has been excellent from not only the loyal Hollywood clientele that has been buying designer jeans and trendy frocks from Segal since 1976, but from all over the world since the Santa Monica retail mecca is already packed with summer tourists.

What will you find at the new, sustainable Segal's? Those stylishly surreal felt rocks by Ronel Jordaan; The efficient and low carbon Ecosmart Fireplaces from Australia which run on denatured ethanol; Laptop bags by Monacca and throws and cushions by a variety of pure wool and cotton textile brands. Dubois adds there's a great selection of architecture and design books, as well as fun toys for rich kids, I mean, for cute little green kids of all ages.

The store is currently designing its new web site but has one page up at fredsegalgreen.com. If you are visiting L.A. soon, you won't want to miss this new eco haunt. (310) 395-5699.

And don't feel bad if you don't buy anything. According to Dubois, even Meryl was "just looking."

Image: Hello Dollface

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If the walls in your home are in desperate need of a makeover, you’ll be thrilled to discover that your eco-options for this transformation go way beyond low or zero-VOC paint. If you’re ready to break through the standard bounds of your average wall, then OrangePiel has the edge on innovation when it comes to decorative wall space.

Their creative design team specializes in elaborate wall murals that are printed on PVC-free textiles using an environmentally-friendly UV-cured process. In addition, these technical fabrics don’t require adhesives to be applied; they are simply stretched taut and tucked. With their acoustic options, you can reduce the ambient noise level while embellishing your walls. Search the extensive selection of artist images or opt for customization with your own visual ideas to completely reinvent your living space. (Call OrangePiel for pricing.)

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I like to think that if Donna Reed married Al Gore they undoubtedly would have settled on a Big Chill refrigerator for their suburban kitchen.

That's because the retro appeal of these babies would please any fan of 50s chrome and Formica. But on the inside you won't find frozen TV dinners or a power source that sucks up too much energy. These stamped metal throwbacks are designed with modern function and efficiency, including moisture control and temperature management systems that appeal to our energy-saving sensibilities. You could call it a hybrid appliance.

Of course, we designers are all about color, and I'm a sucker for anything this cool and cubic that comes in a shade called lemonade pink, the color selected for a spread in Martha Stewart's magazine. Can't you just imagine the fun of decorating around that? Other options include orange, jade green, beach blue, buttercup yellow, cherry red, black and white.


These appliances fit seamlessly into the cottage, beach and urban retro kitchens and are available in two sizes, the larger retailing for $2695 and the smaller studio series for $2495. You can buy direct from the company or find a dealer in your hood. The line also includes stoves and dishwashers with the same retro packaging.

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One of my favorite parts of creating my personal décor scheme is choosing the accents to embellish each room. But, no matter how much creative objet or wall art I stumble upon, nothing beats the brilliant hues of Mother Nature herself.

With the Bamboo Wrapped vases, you can display the classic beauty of vibrant flowers in contemporary style. These hip pieces boast a unique feature: they can be hung on empty wall space as well as placed upon tabletops and mantles. Handmade from rapidly-renewable bamboo, which grows faster than any other existing plants, these gorgeous vases are of the highest quality craftsmanship and are eco-friendly as well.  (Love bamboo? For a unique piece of bamboo furniture with a modern flair, check out our recent post about the Spring chair.) Available at the Rainforest Site for $14.95- $44.95.

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If you ask me, when it comes to embellishing my living space, the only thing better than stylish objet is stylish objet with a story behind it. These stunning, hand-painted Bamboo boxes are much more than just home décor: They are the fruits of unrelenting artistic ambition and a brilliantly creative mind.

An only child raised by farmers on the island of Bali, Wayan Genep always aspired to become an artist. With the help of his fellow villagers, Genep learned to skillfully carve and paint. When he made the decision to partner with Novica, his eye-catching crafts became available to décor aficionados like us around the world. (Set of 3 available at Novica for $104.95.)

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Since early last century, modern architecture has struggled for a distinctive middle ground, somewhere between the staunch angular rationalism of Le Corbusier and the nature-directed style made famous by Frank Lloyd Wright. The latest arena is the eco-house. So what architectural style would you feel comfortable living in?

The 12Wide miniHome?
Simon Dale's homemade house-in-a-hill?

The prefab delights of the DWR Kithaus?


Earthship Brighton? (What's an Earthship? It's one of these).


Michael Jantzen's work (this is his "Wind Shaped Pavilion")?


Illy's Quick House? (Let's presume they'd throw in four walls and a proper roof as well).


The Orchid House?

Nature and her many uses! Crafted from salvaged tree limbs that had been discarded as waste, the Timber Block stool was made with the lush environment it reflects in mind. A natural look with smoothed surfaces makes this piece the perfect accent to achieve a rugged yet refined appeal - and I can think of a million ways to use it (end table, door stop for the door you never close, seating, magazine display...). If you’re looking for items with a similar style, take a look at the Tree Slice Table we recently blogged about. (Available at sponsor VivaTerra for $369.)

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Color's a powerful thing. Our moods are tied in with the colors of the seasons - and that's why I'm a fan of seasonal redecorating (as Tina is, here). Does the hue of your room suddenly feel out of place? A lick of paint is the quickest of makeovers.

Except there's an even quicker method - spray-painting. Now, you may remember a few issues around the word "aerosol" - namely, the volatile organic compounds that are equally good at coating walls and the inside of lungs. Happily, the industry has innovated itself out of a corner, and much lower-toxicity paint (not zero, not yet) is available in the form of the Krylon 21-colour range of latex sprays. Get some on the carpet by accident? Soap and water is all you need.

If your trigger finger is itching to begin, here are a few suggestions:

Start looking at second-hand furniture not for what it looks like - but what it could look like. It's a whole new spectrum of recycling.

Remember: the color wheel is your friend. You can download a variety of them in different shades from TigerColor here.

Get some nice wide Sellotape (it's compostable - which is why the WWF happily sells it). Use the tape to create those arresting borders between colours, and protect the furniture. And don't forget to put papers down - spray paint drifts in the air!

Keep that mask on! Eco-friendly sprays are more eco-friendly, not totally so. Ventilate the room as best you can, creating through-draughts between back and front door. Play it super safe.

Read twice, spray once. Look at the work of others, such as this resprayed lantern over at Dose of Design. Hunt down a book or two (say, this one). Don't spray a drop of paint until you know exactly what you're making. Imagining is half the fun, like a kind of window-shopping - so have fun.

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Image: sarae