The sad truth is the carpets that hold up best to traffic are the ones coated with toxins. And we don’t want those in a place where humans dwell.

If you do have a healthy wool carpet in your home, you can still clean it without harsh chemicals like perchloroethylene – which the EPA has linked to kidney and liver damage. Naphthalene, made from coal tar, is also considered a carcinogen that can harm the central nervous system.

Ask cleaning services if they simply steam to lift dirt or …

Tags: baking soda , blotting , cancer , carpet , chemicals , cleaning , EPA , furniture , naphthalene , natural , natural cleaning methods , perchloroethylene , rugs , shoes , sisal , stains , steam cleaning , upholstery , vacuuming , vinegar , water , wool

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The color purple ruled last fall and it’s still raining plums, eggplants and violets in the interior world. From chairs to carpets, pillows and bedding, the deep wine country shade is being harvested in cool pads everywhere.

Here are some ripe picks from the groovy grape file:

Fruitful Folds: Designer Dror Benshetrit should take pride in his Peacock chair exhibited at the recent ICFF 2009 in New York. Designed for Cappellini, no weaving, sewing or upholstery glue was applied to the comfortable lounge seat with a price tag too high …

Tags: bedding , chairs , cotton , decor , duvets , Fall color , felt , furniture , grape , organic , pillows , Purple , rugs , upcycle , wallpaper , wool

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We have long sung the praises of Midwestern textile designer, Amy Butler, who introduced an exotic, Indian-inspired organic bedding collection of five designs this year. She even rolled out rugs to match!

The lovely and much needed bedding (still can’t find organic in many of my favorite haunts) includes 400-thread count sheeting, elegant embroidery and paisley flourishes woven without harmful dyes.

Among my faves is the Bucharest motif (above) with patterns found in Romanian embroidery and the flourishes of formal gardens. While modern and bold, the charcoal gray and ivory palette …

Tags: Amy Butler , bedskirts , Bucharest , carpet , decor , design , duvet , flowers , garden , gray , Indian inspired bedding , organic bedding , paint , paisley , rugs , sheeting

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She’s pushing petals again, that Amy Butler, introducing fabulously feminine and bold wool carpets that are blooming in late August. These are great handcrafted picks for perking up an existing space. You got the sofa, you got the pillows, you got the hot date. Now you need a flirty-perty rug, right?

The new line of 19 patterns in the Amy Butler for Chandra collection borders on the exotic with a modern scale and lively depth of field. If the motifs look familiar, it’s because we’ve shown you her similar bedding designs …

Tags: bedroom , carpets , decor , decorate , design , floral , natural dyes , organic , rugs , sustainable , wool

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