Organic sheets may be the key to a more restful sleep.

There are many people who suffer from allergies that range from a slight sniffle to life-interrupting symptoms.  We spend approximately 90% of our time indoors (at work or at home) and about a third of our life sleeping.  This means we really need to assess everything we bring into our homes and furnishings (especially those in the bedroom) are a substantial player. 

Allergists know that the bedroom environment is a key factor, so for years allergists have touted the benefits of keeping areas dust and mite-free by washing sheets in hot water, using mattress and pillow barriers and minimizing the use of fabrics and carpets in the home.  Many find great relief from these tactics but now we have come to find out that many people (mostly children) who are suffering with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD’s) experience improvement in symptoms when they reduce their exposure to certain chemicals that are already in the bedding, even when it’s new. 

When I read an article today about a 12-year old child with autism who experienced substantial relief when his parents replaced all his bedding with new organic alternatives, I wanted to share some tips and product suggestions with you.  By choosing organic items for your home you are reducing your exposure to certain chemicals, heavy metals and pesticides that can have serious implications on you and your family’s health. 

Bedroom Tips

1. Choose Zero VOC Paint l Mythic Paint
2. Remove carpeting and replace with hardwood flooring l Eco Timber
3. Get an Organic Mattress l A Happy Planet
4. Purchase Organic Bedding l Kush Tush
5. Consider eco-friendly furniture l Vivavi

Start the babes off right with a safe crib made of non-toxic materials.

There are many long-term advantages of creating green habits, but these are wonderful short-term choices that may benefit someone you love.  So please share the information and consider starting your own green movement in your bedroom.

To learn more about green home furnishings options be sure to visit my friend, Jennae at www.greenyourdecor.com.

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The rustic bronze finish has a simple country look.

Price Pfister has been designing innovative faucets with great finishes for quite some time.  I started recommending their faucets a few years ago.  Their oil-rubbed bronze finish was the perfect touch on a project when few companies were offering unusual finishes at affordable prices.  Recently I realized that a faucet I had chosen for my own home had benefits well beyond my knowledge.  I chose the Ashfield faucet because I loved the country inspired pump handle and the fact that it was single control.  (I always recommend a single control for the bathroom.  Who wants to fool around with hot & cold when you have a face full  of soap?)  Anyway, the Ashfield Collection also happens to be eco-friendly, hurrah!  It’s always nice to be green, even when it’s not intentional.

The polished chrome finish, paired with the wood top, has a nautical feel.

The Ashfield Collection offers a selection of lavatory faucets (in six finishes) certified by the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) WaterSense® program to help consumers save water and reduce costs on their utility bills.  Designed to reduce water consumption by 30 percent without compromising your water experience, the Ashfield faucet flows at a rate of 1.5 gallons per minute (gpm) - a notable improvement over the industry standard 2.2 gpm.  I can understand people complaining about low-flow shower heads but in the sink, who cares?  It’s not like you need maximum water flow for your toothbrush.  But in all honesty, I didn’t notice any difference when I installed this new faucet so you have nothing to lose but a costly water bill!

Price Pfister faucets are available at Home Depot, Lowe’s and a number of online retailers.

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We like to be Eco-Friendly here at My Design Secrets so I would like to introduce you to a great website.

Green Your Decor 

Your guide to stylish, eco-friendly decor.

Jennae Petersen started her website because she wanted to find sustainable and eco-friendly products for her own home that look great and help the planet too!  And now we reap all the benefits of her hard work:-) You will find all sorts of goodies on her site that look great and fulfill the aim to be green.  Green Your Decor features great Giveways and one of my favorite features is her Rooms in a Box Series.  Jennae is very creative and has a great eye for interior design.

So pop over to Green Your Decor and have a look.  Turning Green has never been so much fun!

~Lorrie

I stumbled onto Bedrock Glass looking at this year’s Better Homes & Gardens Idea Kitchen.  It featured a green circular mosaic backsplash that brought the room to life.  Visiting their website is a visual treat and I learned a few things that made me like them a whole lot more.  They use 100% handmade recycled glass for all their products which include:  tile for kitchen, bath and outdoor applications; wind chimes and garden decor; as well as tumbled glass to use any way you please.  It’s a playground for your imagination and a feast for your eyes.

They have recycled hundreds of tons of material that may have otherwise ended up in landfills.  They don’t even add pigment to the glass.  It’s used in its original form.  The company organizes recycling drives to help kids and schools raise money.  They also give tours to the kids so that their “eco-friendly” message will reverberate loud and clear.  Reduce, Recycle, Reuse! 

So visit Bedrock Glass when it’s time to choose some tile.  There’s a lovely selection; and you are doing something good for the environment!  Wilma Flintstone would be proud!

Visit Bedrock Glass! 

I hope you have found all sorts of tasty little morsels on My Design Secrets in the form of my professional advice, decorating tips and tricks.  But never, ever forget My Secret Database!  This is where you gain special access to my professional database of vendors that have been carefully collected and selected for over 10 years.  Today I would like to introduce you to Viva Terra, a company that offers lovely items that help you celebrate life and home in a kinder and gentler way. 

Viva Terra has a sumptuous selection of home furnishings with the most lovely earthy qualities.  Graceful root wood tables that are rustic yet refined.  A wide variety of vases that are sculptural and a fitting home for your freshly picked flowers.  Luminous lighting in the form of candles and sconces that integrate themselves flawlessly with natural hues.  And many unusual items that will be right at home in your garden, kitchen or bath.  I love the depth of their product line. 

Viva Terra is selective about what they put into their products and they choose their business partners with careful consideration.  They care deeply about the earth, the people they work with and their valued customers.  Their newsletter is fun and informative and it provides Eco-friendly ideas that are actually doable for the average person.  Their ”Sale” area is definitely worth a look, with most items at least 50% off.  Give Viva Terra a try.  I think you will like what you see!

Visit Viva Terra, one of our Eco-Friendly Vendors!

Bamboo is making itself at home everywhere, from your bedroom to your kitchen to your dining room.  We may compare it to wood, but technically bamboo is a grass.  It is the fastest growing woody plant in the world; making it nature’s most sustainable resource.  It can reach maturity in 4 years.  One species has been clocked at growing 47 inches in 24 hours!

The more obvious uses of bamboo are seen in the form of furniture, flooring, drapery rods, blinds and cutting boards.  There are also new items making the scene that incorporate fabric that is made from bamboo.  Examples include supple sheets and towels, fashionable clothing, and light and airy drapery sheers. There are oodles of options.

Let’s not forget that the bamboo motif is ultra attractive and adds an exotic flair to any room.  Chandeliers, mirrors, pillows, wallpaper and chairs look fantastic in a multitude of colors and patterns. 

Bamboo is a double duty design item that can add a terrific twist to your home!

You will find many items with Bamboo motifs in My Secret Database. The Eco-Friendly companies are indicated with this symbol!

Room Screens can serve a variety of purposes; from breaking up large open spaces to providing a small private nook for meditation.  They can stealthily cover up an unwanted view or hide a storage area.  In honor of the versatile screen, let’s take a look at some creative options depending on what your budget (or lack there of) will allow.

A Steal

Necessity is the mother of invention.  This is an idea that I have used in my own home.  My husband, Tim, and I had picked up some rolled bamboo fencing at Home Depot to install in our Asian-inspired garden.  We bought more than we needed and had one piece leftover.  We are lucky enough to have a panoramic view of the canal in our backyard from our living and dining rooms, but on one side we have seasonal neighbors who have dogs that like to bark every time they see our dog Emma in the window.  Solution?  The screen.  I just leaned it up against the window.  Problem solved! 

Split Bamboo Fencing 58″ x 13′ by Gardener’s Supply Company $49.95

A Deal

This beautiful bamboo screen from Gaiam is eco-friendly and made from pesticide free bamboo.  It is pliable, so you can form it into whatever shape works for your space.  It has the soothing feeling of a gentle wave.  I buy lots of yoga products and home products from Gaiam.  They are in My Secret Database.

Bamboo Screen 8′W x 6′H by Gaiam $269.00

Completely Surreal

Now, interior design would not be much fun if we did not indulge, or in this case overindulge, in some beautiful but pricey items.  I found this gorgeous 1959 Italian screen on 1st Dibs.  It is being sold through an antique dealer in London and is made from pallisander wood.  This is a very hard reddish brown to dark violet wood species with dark or black stripes.  It is more common in Europe than the states.  Lovely as it is, a new car sounds nice too.

Pallisander Screen by Ico Parisi 8′x6′ offered by 1st Dibs $36,000

Today is Earth Day, but our planet needs a lot more attention than one day, so here are some tips you can use all year long.  It is simple to help our environment by choosing products for your home wisely.  Here are some top eco-friendly picks that qualify for different reasons, but they do not sacrifice style in the least.

Sumptuous Eileen Fisher Organic Cotton Towels from Garnet Hill.  Their pastel colors are soothing, but what is more comforting is the fact that you are not drying your body with towels that are full of pesticides.  Less pesticides are good for the environment and the people who work in the cotton fields and factories.

 The Classic Schoolhouse Pendant fixture from Rejuvenation Lighting can be ordered with a socket for a compact fluorescent bulb.  This is the same style of fixture I have in my kitchen and I love it.  Compact Fluorescent bulbs are going to be the standard in the future, so get on board now!  They use 75% less electricity and produce 75% less heat than an incandescent bulb.  They last about 10,000 hours, so there will be less burned out bulbs in landfills.

Mythic Paint - 0% Toxic. 100% Smart!  Mythic paint has a fun and easy to use 50’s style website that shows all of their lovely colors and gives you the VOC lowdown.  The traditional formula that paint companies have used for years were very toxic and emitted gases in our home environment for years.  I am sure you have heard the term “no VOC” or “low VOC”.  VOC’s are volatile organic compounds and they are dangerous for people, pets and the planet.  They are bad for our lungs and can produce greenhouse gases.  Mythic Paint.  There is an alternative!

It is much simpler to live in a more eco-friendly manner if you develop an awareness of items you use everyday.  Here are some quick fixes:

• Do not use disposable serving items - no paper or plastic cups, napkins or utensils. Start using cloth napkins and reusable lunch sacks. 

• Unplug small appliances when they are not being used because they are always drawing electricity- Toaster, blender, etc.

• Turn down your heat down 1 degree or the A/C up 1 degree.

• Wash most clothes in cold water (unless you need to use hot water for allergies).

• Buy loose veggies instead of those in Styrofoam trays.

• Return all plastic bags to your grocery store for recycling.

Every little thing helps!

Don’t forget that when you are using My Secret Database that vendors who have this symbol feature Eco-friendly products!

I love the Boatwood Mirror from VivaTerra with it’s beautiful washed out beachy hues. This mirror is decorated with wood panels from Thai fishing boats and the re-use of materials makes it eco-friendly. There is a history to that weathered patina and it gives it a lot of character. This would look great in your powder room or a mostly white bedroom that has accents of sea and sand.

I am a big fan of incorporating eco-friendly elements into interior design. I understand that Green and Eco-friendly is coming at you from all directions but I want to share some information with you that you might not be aware of. You know that antique table you inherited from your grandmother? And that cool watercolor painting you grabbed for $3 at the garage sale? What about the TV a friend gave you when they were moving?

I have great news for you, you are being eco-friendly and you did not even know it! Any time we can re-use, pass on, or trade items, we are doing the earth a favor. The name of the game is to avoid putting non-biodegradable items in landfills! If you cannot find a new home for an old item, donate it to Goodwill , The Salvation Army or Freecycle and don’t forget you can find great things there yourself. And it all goes to a good cause.

Holiday entertaining can be a challenge as we try to store all the food and spirits we share with family and friends. Wine coolers are great but often it’s hard to find a convenient location for them if you did not have one built into your kitchen. The Wine Enthusiast is a company that is the Ultimate Source for Everything Wine. They have all sorts of wine coolers including furniture that does double-duty as a wine cooler. The TriBeCa Wine Credenza above holds 60 bottles of wine. It can serve as a nice sideboard in your dining room or foyer table in your front hallway. They also have simple table-top coolers that carry as few as 6 bottles to fit into the tightest spaces.

And what’s better with wine than chocolate! VivaTerra is a company that carries some very cool Eco-friendly furnishings. They also carry great gifts such as these Organic Chocolate Bonbons. Beautiful on a party platter and I am sure taste as good as they look. Yum!