EARTH WEEK WEDNESDAY: Green Home of the Week

From now on, I am going to feature each week a Green home.  I am obsessed with Dwell Magazine and read every issue cover to cover and can't get over how breath taking some of these off the grid homes are.  So this week is a small family beach home in the beautiful Montauk, New York.

Green features such as a prefabricated foundation and a geothermal heating and cooling system are buried below ground.  Nontoxic finishes and passive systems inside the home add to its sustainable credit and helped keep the project on budget.  The result is an elegant beach house that is perfect in tune with its environment.

Side view of the house which is landscaped with native plants and trees.

Bedroom with retracting doors to create outdoor space into a larger living space 

A kitchen I drool over

Beautiful hallway made from sustainable and certified wood

All I can say is...a prefab home will be in my future.  

LIVE WELL.  LIVE PURE.

sami

Earth Week Continued...Solar Powered...what?!?!

Earth Week continued!!

Solar Power is becoming more popular and somewhat mainstreamed in today's world.  I cam across some interesting solar powered gadgets that are out on the market today.  Check 'em out!

cell phone charger

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solar powered backpacks to charge accessories

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solar powered tree 

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solar powered toys like this "spider"

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LIVE WELL.  LIVE PURE.

sami

HAPPY EARTH WEEK!

Monday April 16th marks the beginning of Earth Week!  This week each blog post will be dedicated to Green Design and ways to live a more sustainable life.

An easy way to be Green is to REUSE anything and everything as much as possible!  If you think about what it is that you are throwing away, you may find that some of your trash may be someone else's treasure.  Here are some simple ways to reuse:

*Since plastic grocery bags can't be recycled, take them back to the store and use them to bag new groceries.  I reuse these plastic bags for poop bags when I walk my pup!

*Don't throw away old books!!! Donate them to libraries or school programs!

*Instead of using disposable paper towels, use rags, sponges or towels to clean up messes or for your everyday cleaning.  I ONLY use towels/rags and it makes such a difference!

*Save plastic containers that you get when you order take-out or delivery.  They can be repurposed to store leftovers!

*When Spring cleaning-out your closet, don't throw away old clothes, donate them!

There are such simple ways to reuse "trash" that easily accumulates throughout your home.  If you follow these simple steps you will see a very noticeable difference in the amount of trash you collect.  So, REUSE, REUSE, REUSE!!!

Happy Earth Week!!!

 LIVE WELL.  LIVE PURE.

sami

Get Down on the Flo'

A trend in upholstered couches that I've seen in the last year is ultra-low couches.  I am not the biggest fan for the sole fact that the function isn't so functional.  Yes, the low couches look ultra chic and unique but let's be honest, you are basically sitting on the floor.  Sitting down and getting up from these couches could start becoming a challenge as well as an inconvenience.  I do, however, admire the risk and originality of these sofas...

Linge Roset

Linge Roset

Roche Bobois

Roche Bobois

Restoration Hardware

CB2

Can you imagine your grandmother/grandfather getting in and out of these couches??? I sure can't! LOL.  As a designer who designs with function, I wouldn't recommend anyone in purchasing these couches.  

LIVE WELL.  LIVE PURE.

sami

Headboards

I am in the process of purchasing a new headboard for my room.  I have no idea what look I am going for...perhaps some of your comments may help.

The simple but clean modern look...

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The tufted look...

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The scroll look in an unexpected color (not this hot pink)...

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The geometric nail-head look...

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The tall tufted headboard look...

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The natural look....

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As a designer (and on somewhat of a budget), it is always the hardest to commit to just ONE piece when you know there is a world full of headboards out there.  It is always easy to pick one for your clients but when it comes to yourself, that the hard part.  So what look do you like??

LIVE WELL.  LIVE PURE.

sami

Abaco UpCycles!

As I am sure you have learned in my past blogs (here, and here) my family has a second home on the small island of Abaco in a town called Treasure Cay in the Bahamas.  This so-called heaven on Earth is such a special place to me.  Treasure Cay and all the towns/islands in the Abacos creates a lasting impression on all that come to visit.

I recently joined a group on Facebook that is dedicated to creatively recycling and repurposing things (or trash) found on the island.  The group shares photos and ideas that I thought they were so creative, unique and fabulous, that I had to share with you all!

There really is no beach as beautiful as Treasure Cay.

Used bath tub turned into a pond.

Old coffee canisters as lanterns 

Pallet (which are EVERYWHERE) converted into a coffee table

Old buckets as upside-down planters

More pallets used as shelving. So beautiful and natural

Driftwood used as a canvas.  Created and painted by our friend Clint Greene

 Abaco UpCycles! makes me even more proud to belong to such an amazing and special community.  I am very excited to get back to Treasure Cay and do some up-cycling of my own!

LIVE WELL.  LIVE PURE.

sami

Funkin it Up

I LOVE me some funky designs!  Here are just a few that I found that I can't wait to use in my future projects and even in my own home.  It takes a unique, bold, and daring individual to own these pieces.  They are so f*cking cool!  My new favorite design store.

Furniture pieces via.  Aren't they sick?!?!?!?!?

Conscious Comfort

For a few of my projects I have been on the hunt for the perfect bedding.  I found this great company called  Unison that manufactures cozy, modern and eco-friendly bedding.  Conscious of their environmental impact and quality of product, Unison commits to manufacturing all of their bedding and blankets under Oeko-tex certified standards and uses certified organic fibers for their organic lines.  Their signature hand-printed pillows and table linens are cut and sewn at small factories right here in Chicago.  Now thats local!

Happy Sleeping!

LIVE WELL.  LIVE PURE.

sami

I Need This...So Do You!

I was on Facebook the other night and saw that one of my friends posted a pic of this new "thingie" called the Nest.  I never heard of it and was curious as to what it was and to my surprise, its something that I NEED.  Something everyone NEEDS.

It turns out that about 50% of our energy bill stems from our heating/cooling.  With a properly programmed thermostat, you can save up to 20% on your monthly energy bill.  Do you have your thermostat properly programmed??  I for sure DON'T!

The Nest is a thermostat that is made with advance technology to "learn" about your temperature settings and patterns throughout the day.

As soon as I learned about this amazing energy AND money saving technology, I immediately put my name on the list to order one for my apartment.  You can too by going to the Nest's website.

LIVE WELL.  LIVE PURE.

sami

Magazine Shopping....

As a designer, I get dozens of design catalogues where you can call and order pieces over the phone or shop online.  Usually these catalogues are cheesy and not my style so I instinctively toss them in the recycling but after coming home from my vacation in the Bahamas, I was very surprised to see some great pieces and accessories in these usually dreadful catalogues.

The style and inventory of Serena & Lilly has done a complete 180 and I am kinda excited about it.  Here are some of my favorite pieces.

Kyoto Block Print Pillows

Darjeeling Console

Heenie Chair

Raja Stool

Coco Play Table and Stools

Marmont Pendant

Birds Nest Hanging Lamp

Pretty great stuff, right?  

LIVE WELL.  LIVE PURE.

sami

Inspired by...Living Green-An Earthy Space

Greetings everyone!  Each week I will share some green living inspirations.  All furniture/accessories/elements of a space will be "green."  Going green doesn't mean going bland.

This week I am inspired by a earthy/natural feeling in a space.  There is nothing more natural then using materials in their raw form.  When I think of an earthy space, I think of wood, neutral tones, green tones, bringing the outdoors to an indoor space, and a sense of calmness.  Check out some elements I would use in creating an eco-friendly earthy area.

The Eco Sectional Sleeper.  I love the look and the dual colors of this sofa.  The loose back pillows, bolsters, and high arm rests makes you feel like you want to melt away in that couch.

Wood framed made of certified sustainable wood and water-based wood finishes.  Cushions/pillows filling is made of recycled fiber and soy-based filling.  Upholstered in organic cotton and linen blend.

Wood Cube Tables.  This is an obvious one.  Anything that is made of wood just exudes the feeling of nature.

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Butaca Chair.  

Cushions upholstered in organic grown cotton fabric or reclaimed jute coffee sacks.

 With all the natural tones in my imaginary space, it is always good to add a pop of color.  

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Chain link rug.  I am OBSESSED with this rug.  Not only do I love the tone-on-tone but I love the modernness of the rug.  Mixing styles such as natural and modern is a great way to create an 2012 look without being too dominated by one style.

Rug is made in Massachusetts.  Made of wool fibers and colored by water-based all natural dyes. 

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Funky accessory.  I love throwing in accessories or items that are unexpected in a space.  

Vintage jar rack.

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Terrariums.  My absolute favorite

How cool would this coffee table be?

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...for another pop of color that is complimentary to the greys, neutrals, and blue.  Plus a lil bit of storage

Locally made from Madison, Wisconsin (go Badgers) with all natural materials.  These guys are pretty cool.

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I could go on and on with this natural green living inspiration.  It's a good one.  Stay tuned for next weeks Green Living Inspiration with a completely different style!

LIVE WELL.  LIVE PURE.

sami