Henna is a natural paste that has been used to etch temporary exotic flourishes on hands and other body parts for 5,000 years. The tattoos are said to date back to ancient Egypt, when they stained the fingers of the pharaohs prior to mummification. Adopted by Indian and Middle Eastern cultures, it is traditional to decorate women for Mehndi wedding ceremonies and to paint the bellies of pregnant women in their 8th month for good luck and calming effects.

I’m a huge fan of …

Tags: craft , design , henna , mosaic , origin , rug , textiles , trend , women

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This fall, Suzani rugs, pillows, blankets and more are sure to take center stage, so, before this craze is unleashed, I consider it my duty as a décor dilettante to explore its origin and history. Suzani is much more than just a trend; it represents centuries of Central Asian culture.
In generations past, the art of Suzani was a family tradition, similar to the patchwork quilt, and each female contributed a creative hand to produce their treasured heirlooms. These Suzanis were commonly designed to depict motifs representative of the Ottoman Empire, such as …

Tags: cotton , decor , home , organic , origin , trend

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Some say print books are passé, but I still like curling up on the couch with a mind-expanding read. Here are my top picks for ecological and sustainable reading.

Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things by William McDonough & Michael Braungart. Why settle for a throwaway culture? This book inspires elegant design solutions, stating that every single product must either go back to the earth or back into industry to be made into something else. A revolutionary way of upgrading the Industrial Revolution.

Introduction to …

Tags: Community , design , environment , guide , lifestyle , nature , origin , review , sustainable , technology

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Peruvian designer Giuliana Testino’s stunningly structured, hand-crocheted designs are inspired by her university studies in  architecture. Testino’s Summer 2008 line features an entirely handcrafted inventory of magnificent yet light pieces, originally inspired by the traditional clothing of the Peruvian Highlanders.
The designer is passionate about preserving the artisan sensibility – each garment takes 2-3 weeks to complete. Techniques used by the artisans include crochet, hand knitting, macramé, and embroidery.
The results are intricate and fresh, and Testino has a strong sense of social responsibility within the communities …

Tags: artisan , Community , designer , dress , fashion , origin

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Our love affair with recycled glass continues.Origin Crafts (Fair Trade certified) are the official distributors of this gorgeous bedside water bottle (with drinking glass doubling as lid). They’re handblown in Columbia from, would you believe, recycled windshield glass, tinted the green of glacial springwater.
In the same range and also from Columbia, there are these amber-trimmed handblown goblets, tumbers, flutes and jugs.History lesson: it’s not hard to see where designers get their inspiration from. Here’s a 6th Century CE Byzantine green glass beaker. …

Tags: artisan , decor , drink , glass , origin , recycled , tabletop

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There’ll be no crying over spilt milk paint. Enough with the cans of decorative yet toxic paint stacking up in the crawl space of my basement. If only I had known about milk paint before I customized all my desks and armoires! This is a paint so safe and eco-friendly, you can throw the excess into the yard without harming your bushes or your brains.

Milk paint (casein paint) has been used by decorative painters for centuries because of its vibrant color and durability. I’ve come across antiques with the original color still

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Tags: decor , health , home , origin , safety , wall

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