Mother Earth Approves Decor

It's spring and mother earth is turning green. I love this time of year and the rebirth it brings. Birds are singing, neighbors are out of hibernation working in their yards and everyone just seems a little bit happier. There is something about the color green that is representative of good things; the cool touch of damp grass on your skin, the secure feeling of knowing you have greenbacks in your wallet, and the wonderfulness of doing your part to help keep the world green. But with all the talk about being green, short of the obvious things like recycling, it’s hard to really know what being green really means. This blog, helps you understand what people are talking about when they talk about going green, gives insight into local green news as well as information on green decorating.

Green is the new black in decorating. Perhaps you won’t put green on every wall, window and sofa, but chances are you may want to consider green in many aspects of your decorating choices. Here are some points that differentiate green decorating choices from ordinary ones:

• Consumes Less Energy and Water


• Creates Healthier Spaces


• Conserves and Preserves Natural Resources


• Improves Indoor Air Quality


• Reduces Greenhouse Gas Emissions


• Promotes Social Responsibility

So, if you find yourself moving towards green purchases, you may wonder what questions are good to ask of a company that provides a product or service. You may want to try some of these recommended by the Trade Only Design Library, a resource for designers:

• What is the product made of?


• Where do the materials come from?


• Does the product have a low VOC rating?


• Are there finishes on the product and what type? (low VOC or water-based)


• Do the products contain recycled materials?


• Where are the products manufactured?


• What effort has the company made to go green (changes in process)?


• Is there an inherent benefit to the environment to use this product?


• Has the company been third party tested or certified?


• Is the company part of any environmental organizations?


• What has the company done to reduce the environmental footprint of the organization?

Decorating responsibly means considering new choices. We use fabric in furniture, window treatments, bedding, and accessories. Many forward thinking companies are changing their processes to create more earth friendly fabrics. This week, I met with one of my fabric vendors who shared exciting new earth friendly fabric samples with me. I’m proud to say that this is a trend I am seeing with many of my fabric vendors along with information about what qualifies them as such.

Some decorating products contain recycled products. Others are considered a renewable product. How wonderful when we find a two-for-one. FLOR, is a supplier that produces a tiled carpet product with your choice of nylon, hemp or wool on the face, and which has a composite backing of recycled products. It has the lowest VOC (volatile organic compound) or new carpet smell in the industry. And, FLOR loves to work with customers to recycle used FLOR products (making it renewable) in the manufacture of new FLOR products.

When buying paints for your home, consider buying ones with low VOCs, or no VOCs. This means fewer fumes for you and your family. Two of my favorite suppliers are on the list for both categories and can be found in several locations locally. Sherwin Williams http://www.sherwin-williams.com/ offers a line of zero VOCs in their new Harmony line. Benjamin Moore http://www.benjaminmoore.com/ also has a zero VOC line called Pristine ECOSpec and a low VOC line called Benjamin Moore Aura. You can check out http://www.earthyeasy.com/ for more information on VOCs, clean-up and the like. Of course, you can contact me if you need assistance in selecting the right color! Good luck going green, and enjoy the outcome no matter what product you choose.