summer readin' happenned so fast

sometimes books come along that are so great you must pass them along to friends....so i hope you'll enjoy some of these suggestions along with me this summer!

first up, my dear friend scott brizel's book is almost out on the shelves: audrey hepburn, international cover girl. he has an amazing collection of vintage audrey memorabilia and he is a live-encycolpedia of audrey info, so i'm thrilled to announce his accomplishment is ready to buy. go here to pre-order! mine is already on the way. yes!

next up, are 3 incredible design lover's must-haves:
villa by the extraordinary john saladino, interior design hall of fame member. saladino came across the ruins of a 1920's italianate stone villa overlooking the pacific in santa barbara, california. divided into four sections {architecture, interiors, landscape, and entertaining ~ this last part including dinner menus and recipes} the book is beautifully illustrated. i so want to visit here!a dream of mine is to buy rundown property and turn it into fabulous living space that uplifts the new owners and the neighborhood. robert & cortney novogratz have not only done this with amazing style but they've written a book about it to share their best ideas. downtown chic is one of my newest faves ~ from wreck to ravishing? hell yeah! it doesn't get much more inspiring than that.
and then there's green design which brings a new perspective on showing how the design world is coping with the environmental challenges of the 21st-century. written by london-based marcus fairs, a lecturer, entrepreneur, curator and award-winning journalist, formerly founding editor of icon magazine, is now editor of online design magazine dezeen.
last but not least, my former employer's book is out on the shelves as of last month and although i haven't purchased it yet, i plan to with my next gov't bonus check. ;o) orlando diaz-azcuy as seen through the words of that knower of all things design, diane dorrans saeks. i think it's a MUST!

the green home center

i finally got a chance to visit the green home center on polk street and am so glad i did! this is a very inspiring place for me because ever since i did a school project on designing a green design center i've been dreaming about being able to own one. it was fabulous to see one up and running and doing really well. the green home center is a co-op of many different green-oriented businesses from contractors & interior designers to home-related products & other services. there are cabinet makers, upholstery & rug makers, solar engineers, tile & countertop farbicators, flooring manufacturers, led lighting, and so much more. really if you're at all interested in anything sustainable for your home or office you must stop in and check them out. what's more, the people working there are extremely knowledgeable and helpful ~ not pretentious in the least, which is a relief after spending so much time at the sf design center where i'm perpetually unimpressed with the sales people's attitudes. but that is a tangent not worth digging in to.... anyway, i'm just on the cusp of starting my own green design business {admitting it here is kind of intimidating, but i'll just take the leap and say it anyway!} and spending time at the green home center was thoroughly uplifting and encouraging. i hope you'll stop in and visit them soon too. if you do please tell them studio wellspring sent you and then let me know what you think!

bamboozled ~ in a good way

besides the ever popular & beautiful use of bamboo for flooring, many designers have found other lovely ways to utilize the versatility of this material. whether you're looking for exotic one-of-a-kind furnishings, an asian-island motif, or chic contemporary style, bamboo can shine in any setting. just take a look at some of the fantastic finds i've gathered. . . . .

{ok, a bit wild, but definitely will be an eye-catching and noteworthy piece on the patio or sun porch ~ the yoda sectional sofa from janus et cie}

{seascape woven bamboo pendant found at velocity is simple, soft & entirely lovely ~ it almost has a mid-century modern feel to it}

{this elegant venetian bamboo leg table from wisteria is both chic and refined}

{yum! bamboo bowls & spoons from viva terra}

{sleek and modern, the jimbaran coffee table oval by sueno studio}

{hearty and beautiful bamboo vessel sink at stone forest}

{bamboo stick screen from bamboo54 is perfect for that tommy bahama look}

{bamboo fiber textiles by donghia ~ just one of many examples using bamboo fibers to create functional fabrics for upholstery, drapes and decor}

{contemporary style with island whimsy ~ eric brand's bamboo credenza through thomas lavin}

{solid bamboo chest at ecodesignz is a great beauty for form and function}

{the ornate black throne chair by dan marty design would bring regal and sleek styling to any room}

{the bamboo-inspired meurice chandelier by jonathan adler, actually made of nickel. mr.adler has several more pieces in this line ~ all of them equally as fabulous}

etta designs & sustainable interiors

the term 'sustainable interiors' can be misleading because it describes only part of the picture. claiming that a project or renovation is green, sustainable or eco-friendly, may seem like a wonderful thing to boast but it alone doesn't define a space. an interior space also needs to have functionality, beauty, comfort, and good space planning ~ as all good design requires. the vast majority of projects claiming to be green aren't 100% eco-friendly, especialy since they're often found within existing non-green architecture. but integrating green design techniques and knowing where to go to help boost the eco-friendly factor in interiors projects is the key stone to making a shift from wasteful to wonderful in interior design. that's why i just adore finding people like rachel winokur & her firm eTTa designs.

rachel winokur runs eTTa deisgns, an l.a. based interior design firm with a focus on interior design for residential & commercial applications including stunning eco-friendly solutions. rachel is the founder and lead designer of eTTa designs which handles the entire design process including concept, budget, space planning, selecting and purchasing finishes, furnishings & equipment, project management, and installation.

in this excerpt from apartment therapy rachel has some great tips for staying green during a renovation and shares some of her favorite resources.
in her own home she's stayed green largely due to using vintage pieces instead of buying new. for larger projects here's how she stays green:

renovations ~ one of the first things to do when starting a renovation project is to plan for the proper disposal of whatever will be removed. this means: recycling demolition debris through a service like looney bins or in some cases a better solution is to hire someone like the reuse people to deconstruct your project and take away all materials intact to be sold at their warehouse. your tax deductions for the donation of those materials may offset the cost of deconstruction which takes a little longer than demolition, but shouldn't be a problem with proper planning.
the reuse people's warehouse is a terrific place to buy building materials at a fraction of the cost of new. for commercial projects, check with the city to find out who they require you to use. {for the eco-friendly nail salon we completed recently, we were instructed to use consolidated disposal services.}
planning the design ~ use what's already there. it's important to embrace the existing conditions and make as few structural changes as possible {as long as it makes sense to the project}. this creates less waste and can also decrease the cost and energy usage. for the nail salon, we kept the existing window and door openings and added new metal frames to give it a fresh and clean look, added clerestory windows for cross-ventilation with clerestory windows in the back, and added fluted glass for privacy. we re-used an existing exterior light fixture which was cleaned up and re-installed with a flourescent bulb. to remove existing paint and stains from a fixture you wish to re-use, try soyclean's paint stripper.
we also discovered a wonderful concrete floor hiding underneath the wall-to-wall carpet. to remove remaining carpet adhesive, use something like franmar's bean-e-doo and enhance the concrete finish with a product from eco-procote.
new materials ~ when selecting new materials and finishes, consider not only the manufacturer's 'green' claim, but also the product's life cycle and who manufactures it and where. for example, recyclable glass tile from sandhill industries is not only made of 100% recycled glass, the energy used to make it is less than 1/2 that required to make ceramic tile and 1/4 that of cast glass tile.
choosing the right green product usually requires weighing the pros and cons just like with any product. for example, at $29/SF, the sandhill glass tile may sound expensive, but consider covering a smaller area with this special tile or use it more generously and hold back on something else. also consider the associated savings with benefits of 'green' products, like health, durability, sustainability and curb appeal.

for more delights along the same lines, rachel has a nice blog based on her green design philosophy & savvy, called eTTa bits.

voice of color

another grey cold foggy monday in july in san francisco. so this calls for some more color therapy. . . .

the useful website voice of color has a quick little color sense game you can play to find out what color schemes most suit you. mine are:

although in decor i like warmer & more neutral color shemes, i wasn't surprised by these two coming out on top because of my mood and what i predominantly wear. also since i had just made these collages this morning before taking the test, i thought "well isn't that a fun coincidence"!

{top row: briscoe, jessica gonacha; middle row: javame, jennration, koreana, sakura*aya, jim heid; bottom row: asiunka, jessica gonacha, jeff andrews}

some earth day revelry

happy earth day everybody!
i've got a few fun suggestions to help celebrate the day.....

{check out the grist's many thought provoking articles on the earth day theme today}

{check out awesome posters by douglas jones ~ found on sfgirlbybay}

{check out a book with 500 simple ways to help you reduce your carbon footprint}

{check out eco chick's fabulous list of what not to do on earth day}

and as an added bonus, because i like you and want to help distract you from the drama of this earth day & pennsylvania voting day, here is part one & two from jon stewart's interview with barack obama last night on the daily show. enjoy!

eco fabric chic

green products, and especially green textiles have a reputation in some design circles as being too earthy and plain-jane, not chic enough. but there are plenty of companies emerging to break that stereotype for good. here are several of my favorites:

{silver state fabrics ~ drink in the beauty of body and soul, a vibrant new fabric collection for the hospitality market made from 100 percent recycled, recyclable polyester derived from plastic water bottles. the high-performance fabric contributes toward leed credit, is 54 inches wide, and is available in 14 patterns, shown in fiery red}

{indika organics ~ simple and elegant designs are created to capture earth's essence and energy using sustainable fabrics that recognize the benefits of natural and organically grown materials. crafted using the highest standard of quality, their custom designs are created especially for those people who desire to live in a chemically free environment and further promote healthy living}

{lulan ~ uses materials such as silk, organic cotton and other natural fibers, natural and/or low-impact dyes, age-old weaving techniques and processes that have been used for centuries that create hand spun, hand dyed, hand woven and hand-finished textiles. the use of these materials and process ensures their fabrics are healthier for their weavers, their customers and the environment}

luscious greens

i have an inexplicable newly developed major attraction to the scent, look and feel of freshly cut grass. i can't explain it, but i'm obsessed with it. so here are some of my latest finds to also wish you a late happy st.patrick's day and an early happy easter!
print of an original photograph digitally mixed with painting titled lessay, by labokoff

spring in a can found at dandee designs

spring grass hand cast resin bracelet by resinated

hide-&-seek pillow cover made with original vintage fabric by absoluut


this soap scent sounds divinve ~ sweet grass and orange essential oil mixed into one lovely looking soap bar found at karen's soaps

this 8"x5.5" notebook has 14 pages sewn together as one signature ~ by jambox

this necklace is created from a photo transferred to plastic, the front is then coated with a glossy resin-like material. by ellep

each off-white cardstock tag features fresh spring grass stamped in green ink. sheer spring green with white polka dot ribbon added. found at petite pear

one pack gives you 20 grass fruit forks (approx. 8" long) handmade from bamboo cocktail forks and faux grass in a hip professional package. so awesome! found at eat-your-veggies