Design/Decorating - GreenVitals

Wednesday

17Mar2010

Self-Expression Made Easy - Creating Your Own Unique Clock

March 17, 2010

Photo courtesy of Craftstylish.com

The clocks have leaped forward and spring is almost officially here. This time of year always brings out the desire to clean up the clutter and maybe do a little redecorating too!

One of the best and least expensive ways to change the feel of a room - and definitely make it a little more unique - is to create an accent clock.

Besides that, a refurbishing project can be a great weekend family activity where you can get everyone involved, including the kids! A clock making project offers a lot of versatility in both the designs and materials that can be used.

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Saving America Through Sustainable Shopping

November 11, 2009

Kyriaki (Sandy) Venetis

Thom Filicia Home Collection at Vanguard Furniture. Photo courtesy of Vanguard Furniture.

America is founded on the idea that people are capable of making responsible choices for the betterment of themselves, their communities, and the world-at-large. One of the best ways to promote social and economic improvements is through the power of shopping.

What we buy shows not only our sense of personal style, but also social our consciousness. A frontrunner in this movement, the Sustainable Furnishings Council has just marked the third anniversary of its founding with the launch of a new consumer education campaign to promote awareness about sustainable designs in the home furnishings industry.

The campaign kicked off with a roundtable featuring three of the most notable icons in the interior design industry, discussing some of their most recent collections.

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Tuesday

13Oct2009

Creating an Eco-Nursery: Find Lots of Treasures in Little Time

October 13, 2009

Kyriaki (Sandy) Venetis

Frame construction. Courtesy of erikorganic.

Babies are the most beautiful and precious gift that any home can receive. We want both what is most beautiful and healthy for them.

This posting is for everyone that is either expecting a baby or would like to be at some point in the future. I’m in the latter group. Exploring the online world of organic and natural baby nursery furniture and bedding was definitely a challenge.

Most online outlets had just one or two cribs, as well as a few mattress and bedding selections. After some scouring, I did find three sites that are worth looking at for either their large selections of solid wood furniture or their organic bedding items.

It’s becoming my experience as a New Yorkers trying to live a more sustainable and healthier lifestyle that I have to look online if I want a large selection of natural or organic furnishings.

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Sunday

16Aug2009

Healthy Low-Budget Strategies for Giving Your Home a Cool Vacation Feel

August 16, 2009

Kyriaki (Sandy) Venetis

Window mirror photo courtesy of Recycled Crafts.

With few exceptions, no matter where you are in the world, summer heat is still raging on, the air conditioner is still humming along, and the windows are closed making indoor air stale.

It’s worse if you have chemical sensitivities and live in a small apartment. There are though some simple and often low budget things that can be done to give any home a naturally more airy and healthier feel.

One of the first and easiest things that can be done is to just strategically place some mirrors to give a more open feel. “Very often, when you are reflecting the outdoors, the space can appear larger and you get that beautiful greenery, ” said Bernadette Upton, founder and president of EcoDécor, a universal design and decorating company using sustainable principles, products, and practices.

Besides reflecting some green from the outside, another strategy for bringing the outdoors in and naturally purifying that stale air, is to have house plants.

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Monday

04May2009

Sustainable Wood Furniture Cooperative Donating 15% of its Profits to Conservation Groups Until the Summer Solstice

May 4, 2009

Kyriaki (Sandy) Venetis

VERNON, Vt.- In continuing honor of Earth Day and the forests that supply them with the wood for their craft, Vermont Woods Studios has launched its ‘15% For The Forest Initiative,’ which will run until the Summer Solstice on June 21.

Cherry moon bed. Photo courtesy of Vermont Woods Studios.

This is the first year that Vermont Woods is holding this particular initiative, though the company has been both volunteering for and donating to local conservation groups for many years, said Peggy Farabaugh, the company’s co-owner.

Among the organizations that will be donated to are the Vermont Reptile and Amphibian Atlas Project and the Vermont Center for Ecostudies.As part of this initiative, Vermont Woods will also donate 15 percent of a purchase price to any environmental charity of a customer’s choice.

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