Now, as much as I’m an advocate for having an edible garden, yields are sometimes lacking and the weekly produce run to Trader Joes or the farmer’s market is still a reality.  It was fortituous when a stranger with a daisy in her hair showed up, knocking at my door last night.  She was from CSA.  Although there have been a few robberies in my upscale neighborhood lately and my very good, but very paranoid friend was over for dinner and was vehemently opposed to talking to the unannounced stranger, I opened the door, invited her in, signed up immediately and sent her on her way with a jar of my now famous, homemade fig jam.

I am all for the CSA warriors in their crusade against corporate greed and the systematic poisoning of our population via chemical laden, unseasonable, non-nutritious ”fruits and vegetables” shipped from thousands of miles away and picked at the height of not ripeness. 

Anyone who knows me, knows I grew up without much.  When we did buy fresh produce, it was always what was in season, only because it was abundant and therefore, cheap.  But there’s something to eating what is in season and nature has a funny way of giving us exactly what we need, when we need it.  The CSA works the same way.  You get a weekly or bi-weekly package with seasonal, local and fresh surprises.  Because they send what is abundant in their field, it’s affordable.  I thrown down $60 plus a week for organic fruits and veggies at Trader Joes or farmer’s markets. CSA is half that.   

My first shippment comes next week.  I can’t wait to see what I’ll get. Bring on the turnips and kale (good thing they come with suggested receipes). I’ve got a sense of adventure and one hot husband who can cook in the kitchen too!

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Having written an entire chapter on plumbing fixtures for my book Green Interior Design, I know quite a bit about composting toilets.  But reading about them and seeing them in pristine showrooms was altogether different than actually using one.  Walking into the small, public bathroom at Limahuli, I immediately noticed the toilet and a friendly sign posted above it (instructions for use). I confess, visions , and worse, smells, of outhouses danced in my head.  Getting ready to lift the lid, I braced myself for “the stank”.  The stank never happened. On an 87 degree, humid, sunny day in a public bathroom that had no  air conditioning,  IT DIDN’T SMELL…  AT ALL. 

I live in Southern California, literally a desert , where we  import billions of gallons of expensive, fresh water from thousands of miles away.  Composting toilets do the job without a drop of water. I’m thinking if the wettest spot on Earth finds the composting method useful, shouldn’t we start installing these in every public space in our arid state?

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My “best in show” ribbon went to the geometric cocktail table made of reclaimed wood pieces by Terry Hansen. I’m hoping to use this in our funky, meditation room at Maison Luxe Greystone Mansion Showcase Event. 

Came Sculpture playful metal pieces put a smile on every one’s face, captivating young and old.

A sucker for anything high glossed and nautical, I loved the combo by Neil Zeye.

Malen Pierson delighted with his life sized animals made of recycled iron.

The glazed pears by Ojima Ceramics were sublime.

Other worth mentioning were: Gabe Leonard’s spin on movie art, Iris Work’s large landscape photographs, Steve Keating’s photography and Veronica Schmitt  paintings. 

 Later that night we headed over to Robert Reynold’s studio for a birthday bash.  The beginnings of his latest body of work were on display - a Zen inspired boat.  Perhaps he’s feeling a bit free these days due to the move he and studio director Gemma are making to LA’s Old Building District.  They’ve scored an amazing studio on the roof with a birds eye view of the city from the mountains to the Pacific Ocean.   The bonus here for all you  art buyers is that the entire 5,000 square foot studio (in the LA  Arts District) is on SALE.  The studio at 821 Traction Ave. is open 9-8 throughout Memorial Day Weekend.

This one’s favorite and I’m trying to score it for a client, so hands off!

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I immediately turned to the smartest guru I know for healthy green interiors, Mary Cordaro.  In addition to being a certified Bau Biologist, she deeply cares about the effects of built environment toxins on infants and children. Mary, of course, had plenty of answers for me and generously shared her time and research.

Mary Cordaro

The brain of Larry Gust , another green building expert, was also picked.  Between Mary and Larry I had enough info to go back to the preschool and discuss options.  Unfortunately there weren’t many because the product used was within the legal limits (unbelievably) for VOC levels in a preschool.  The owners felt badly that they didn’t know more before they finished the floors and said they would research more for future renovations.

Moral of the story: GO OUTSIDE OFTEN and get fresh air for as much time as you can EVERYDAY.   The design and maintenance of places where we work, pray, shop and study are mostly out of our control and these interiors are loaded with carcinogens (cancer causing chemicals).  Most Americans are forced to work in very unhealthy environments for 40 plus hours each week, year in, year out.   And many live in homes that contain materials that are toxic.  It’s just not good for our bodies or souls.  Human beings are meant to be outdoors.

Christopher Kennedy

During the week of research it took to determine how long my daughter would need to stay away from school while the VOCs dissipated, I was invited to Niche’s party for Kettal thrown by LUXE Magazine.  Ironically Christopher Kennedy, the designer on LUXE’s current cover, was speaking about his concept of bringing the Inside …Outside due to the toxicity of most interiors.  Unlike architects like Phillip Johnson (Glass House) and Frank Lloyd Wright (Falling Water), who strived to bring nature into our interiors, brilliant designer Christopher Kennedy proposed we do the exact opposite and pay special attention to our exterior rooms.

Kettal’s chic outdoor furniture

He echoed my sentiments about human beings not really being meant to live in boxes with manufactured air and toxic paint.  He talked about the interior air being much worse than outside air and the positive effects that sunshine and fresh air has on us.  He even reminded the designers in the crowd to include outdoor spaces in their interior budgets so clients wouldn’t be tapped out at the end of their projects and miss designing quite possibly the most important spaces- the outdoor spaces.

(Falling Water and Phillip Johnson’s Glass House, beautiful, yes,  but not necessarily designed for outdoor living.)

Thankfully my daughter’s preschool has a great playground that the children use for many hours during each day.  And… those floors  have almost finished off-gassing.

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1. GREEN DESIGN GONE HEALTHY 

The emphasis on green continues to gain momentum.  While most people are well aware of the built environment’s impact on our planet,  less is known about how it relates to human health.  It’s hard to believe that the indoors are more polluted than the outdoors. But they are and we spend 90% of our time inside.  In fact, the EPA currently lists indoor air pollution among the top five environmental health concerns. 

Expect to see more prominence put on home design features that can help improve indoor air quality. For instance, windows, when positioned positioned and operating properly, allow for naturally occurring cross currents of air that result in proper ventilation of indoor spaces.  I highly suggest opening your windows and vacuuming at least once a day. For those of you who do not employ a full time cleaning crew, check out I Robot’s Roomba.

2. THE GENTLEMAN’S LOUNGE

Leathers, tweeds, flannels and other menswear inspired fabrics are popping up all over furniture.  Icons of high style like Ralph Lauren, Giorgio Armani  and Andrew Morgan have turned their attention to interiors.  Everything from master bedrooms, media room and living rooms, both indoors and out will be dominated by fabrics traditionally seen on Saville Row. The look evokes a sense of luxury embodied by a life well traveled, a meal savored, a professional respected and a bed never empty.  It’s a style that wears well on both male and female, allowing the occupant to invite elegance and permanence into their interior spaces.

 In residential and hospitality expect to see tweeds in camel and cigar browns; hound’s tooth checks in black, green, red and blue; richly hued plum and tangerine silk paisleys and sultry shades of grey pinstriped, flannel wools. And peacock- that male struttin’ bird will be seen everywhere for some time to come.

3. AMERICANA SUPPORTING MADE IN AMERICA

Thirty years of sending our manufacturing overseas has culminated in jobs lost forever and a nation left wondering where it all went wrong.  Consequently the “Made In America” label has a brand new cache.  People are finding strength in returning to American values and traditions, whether its comfort food , an old pair of Levi’s or the design of their homes.  At  Sotheby’s and Christie’s for example, American antique furniture and objects of art recently sold for record high prices.  Manufactures who produce locally like Milgard Windows have been high on the must have  lists of my clients.  American handmade accessory items are also in demand like  Cheryl Sheehan’s gorgeous table toppers. 

Consumers want quality products that support the stability of our communities, states and nation.  Expect to see red, white and blue in every room in the home.

4. SMALLER SPACES, QUALITY MATERIALS DOING MORE WITH LESS

Gone are the days of cheaply produced mega mansions. Today design is about smaller, well planned spaces made with quality materials that will last a lifetime.  Dollars are being focused on fewer, but higher end products and materials.  These new products have a common thread in the sensuality of their composition, an almost handcrafted feel. 

Expect to see a re-connection with nature, more wood and metal in design.  Because interior spaces are being made smaller, there will be an explosion in the design of well adorned outdoor rooms that visually create a large living space.

5.  TECHNOLOGY WITH GREATER PURPOSE- FOCUS ON ENERGY EFFICIENCY, DURABILITY AND UNIVERSAL DESIGN

Technology and beauty haven’t always gone hand in hand, but in today’s Apple infused world of style and function, it is now more expected than ever-even in home design.  Cutting edge technology is enabling design oriented manufacturers such as Creation Baumann to produce stylish products that are also durable and easy to use.  The company recently updated its technology in its century old mills to transform polyester into dreamy silk like fabrics that don’t compromise indoor air quality, produce little waste in manufacturing and are machine washable.  New technology such as the Smart Touch lock  is fusing style and performance.  The exclusive design from Milgard makes windows much easier to use as we age and was the first window manufacturer to receive the Arthritis Foundation’s Ease of Use Commendation.

Expect to see more attention put on products and home improvements that offer more style, performance and comfort.  The retirement of the Baby Boomers, in particular, has made Universal Design one of the most important areas in design.

That’s the top five as I see them.  And trust me, I’ve seen it all this year!

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But….since the rest of you are stuck in the muck- it’s a perfect time to start thinking about what you will be doing with your outdoor spaces come spring.  I’ve just discovered Geobella, a company that carries an eco-friendly outdoor line.   In addition to the stain resistance, moisture wicking and high durability qualities we’ve come to expect from outdoor fabrics,  Geobella is composed entirely of olefin yarn that is recycled from post industrial waste.   The product is recyclable and can be re-extruded up to 10 times. 

I’m a sucker for stripes and the line has two that I love.

 Sagmore Seagrass (above) and Swizzle Bright (below) remind me of something Victoria Hagan would do, East Coast and fine .

For the”gentlemen’s lounge” inspired by menswear look that is so0000 hot right now, I love  Houndstooth and Bally Castle Tobacco (below).

If you’re dreaming of the tropics, hot with jungle fever, you’ll find the cure with Jungle Beat Lagoon (below).

With French and Spanish inspired patterns like Dhurrie Tan (below) and Quickstep Spice (last photo), the Tradtionalists won’t be left in the cold.

The line also has a wide range of richly hued solids and can be purchased through Plumridge.com. Break out the rum and Coke, turn on the Bob Marley and start thinking about going outside!

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Barry Katz was kind enough to send me a copy of his new book.   Being a recently selected as a member of the ASID National Sustainable Council, one of our first assignments was to update the bibliography.  The book couldn’t have arrived at a better time.  Practical Green Remodeling extensively covers areas like insulation, ventilation and alternative energy systems.  Filled with plenty of eye candy and pictures of Americana style homes, it’s easy (and fun) to read in an afternoon.  If you’re just beginning your journey to the green side of home remodeling,  get up to speed quickly with this power trio: Green Interior Design by Lori Dennis, Practical Green Remodeling by Barry Katz and  REGREEN, a joint effort of ASID and the USGBC.  You’ll gain a vocabulary and grasp of the industry that would make Ed Begley Jr. proud.

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Take it away Jennifer:

We had the most fun last week when Los Angeles designer Lori Dennis, who has become nationally known for her expertise in green interior design, came for a visit. Her new book, Green Interior Design, will be out later this month:

I knew Lori back when I edited a publication for HGTV, so when she called to say she’d be in town, I invited her to lunch with a few green experts, gathered through builder Mark Turner of Greenspur, who built the CharityWorks GreenHouse in McLean last year.

Left to right: Architect Ernesto Santalla of Studio Santalla, who designed the meditation/spa room in the Green House; Theresa Norton; Mary Anne Duffus, founder of the ultra-green Brooksfield preschool in McLean; Marcia Twomey, president of the McLean Chamber of Commerce; Lori Dennis; Designer Barbara Hawthorn, who designed the outdoor space at the Green House; (me) Jennifer Sergent, Director of Marketing for the WDC; Designer Skip Sroka, one of the design chairmen of the Green House; and Annie O’Connell, manager of the Edward Ferrell + Lewis Mittman showroom, where the photo was taken

We toured through showrooms with products that Lori writes about in her book, which will be out on Nov. 16. We started at Donghia, where showroom manager Liz Allner welcomed us with coffee and pastries.

Liz had laid out many different fabric lines that are totally green, including Brentano and Pollack. But the coolest show-and-tell examples were the dazzling samples of Maya Romanoff wallpaper:

During the tour, Lori and the showroom managers talked about products that were not only green in and of themselves (Maya Romanoff uses recycled glass for its beads), but also the companies who make them, which practice green standards. Overseas, child labor, too, is a big problem — and these companies try to stay away from factories that are caught using school-age children on their lines.

Next, we went to Farrow & Ball, which is now totally green in all its varieties of paint. They have stopped offering oil-based paint, as well.

Showroom manager Eve Fay describes the green characteristics of Farrow & Ball.

The greatest thing about green products for the home these days (if we haven’t already learned from the stunning CharityWorks GreenHouse), is that going green does not mean sacrificing quality. In Farrow & Ball’s case, it means that their pigmentation is still the best around.

Here’s an example of Rectory Red, on the right, which Eve had “matched” at two other paint companies. Not possible, as you can clearly see.

Moving right along, we went to see the ever-charming and charismatic Brian Benavides at Robert Allen | Beacon Hill, which has an impressive line of green fabrics, from sturdy contract quality to top-of-the-line residential.

Here’s Brian and Lori. Even in a still photo, Brian’s infectious personality comes across.

Jaunty pillows with Robert Allen’s eco-friendly fabric

Robert Allen has an entire green section in the showroom, which Brian pointed out that designers can use to demonstrate to their clients — once again — that the quality of the fabric is never sacrificed just because harmful chemicals aren’t used in the production or milling.

The texture of this fabric is so yummy! The green leaf on the label is a symbol that the fabric is green.

Next, we went to Edelman Leather, where showroom manager Emily Payne not only welcomed us with open arms, but sat us down in the sumptuous (all-leather) sitting area in the front of the showroom.

Emily Payne of Edelman Leather

How is leather green, you ask? Well, for one thing, Edelman uses only leathers produced in Europe, which actually has more stringent green standards than the United States when it comes to using non-toxic chemicals, clean factories, etc.

In addition, no animal is ever killed just for its hide. Emily pointed out that all leather comes from animals in the food industry, where hides are a by-product. So talk about reuse and recycle…

Can you believe this wood-grain pattern on Edelman’s newest leather product? Like, on a wing chair? Amazing. The surface of the cocktail table beneath it, by the way, is also an intricately textured leather.

Emily sent us away with the cutest gifts: small holders for change, credit cards, or business cards. I have already put mine to use!

But probably no one was as thrilled as Mary Anne Duffus, who runs the green Brooksfield School in McLean — Emily gave her a big bag of discontinued leather samples for the toddlers in her preschool to use in their art class. Mary Anne pointed out that no material in their art classes is ever bought new — it’s always reused from something else.

The final stop before our luncheon was Edward Ferrell + Lewis Mittman, where manager Annie O’Connell told us about her company’s “Pure” line of furniture.

Annie O’Connell

Because this was the last stop on our tour, everyone wanted to take some time to sit down and really “try out” the furniture. Not only are the fabrics, but the frames and even springs in the furniture is green: the wood frames are cut from sustainable forests, and the metal in the springs is recycled.

Theresa Norton sits on one of the “Pure” chairs, which was designed so a lady could sit on it, cross her legs, and look sexy. Mission accomplished, right?

Ernesto Santalla’s purple jacket blends wonderfully with the green silk of this sofa — green in color and concept, that is.

Theresa Norton, Mary Anne Duffus (with her art-class samples from Edelman), and Marcia Twomey also try out the sofa.

Two of my favorite designers came along on the tour with us — and they could have helped Lori quote chapter and verse on green interior design: Skip Sroka, whose new house is a poster child for green building, down to the recycled rubber tiles on his roof (see a story and photos of it here), and Barbara Hawthorn, who’s been doing green probably longer than Lori.

Skip Sroka and Barbara Hawthorn

Skip and Barbara have known each other a long time, and their mutual affection is adorable — I love this candid shot:

There are so many green products in our showrooms that we did not have enough time to see them all, but I’ve been talking to Lori about coming back and expanding our little tour to a larger event during our Capital Design Days in the spring. I was so impressed not only with Lori’s command of the subject, but also of our showroom managers’ knowledge, and our guests’ own experience with the green movement. It was an inspiring day, and I can’t wait to read Lori’s book.

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Everyone was there to congratulate Martyn and PARRRRTEH, including Taylor Dayne (who still has PIPES) and Downtown Julie Brown.  I got so excited during Tell It To My Heart, that I jumped on stage with hunky Martyn and boogied my bootie.   Bravo’s new show Million Dollar Decorator was filming, so let’s “Watch What Happens” and see if I make it to the episode.  Big night, big party, big award and great, big, talented, sweet man.  Congrats.

A few days later I spoke at the Solargy showroom opening party in Tarzana.  The first of its kind in Los Angeles, it’s a good looking showroom room filled with energy effiicient solutions for residential and commercial buildings. My favorite was the HVAC system that has an automated humidifier for those dry winter nights.  And designers, co-owner Gabrielle  is quite the charmer. Make sure to book your tour with him.

Immediately after I popped into the Jean De Merrry Party to talk about my book, say hi to everyone and see Mike Ragan’samazing fabric display.  The Melrose Place showroom is breathtaking and I love the way they transformed the parking lot into a green paradise complete with fountain, sculpture and exquisite outdoor lanterns. I’d expect nothing less from Jean De Merry.

Rounding out the weekend, the SoCalContractor and I headed over toFabrik Magazine’s Arts District Art Walk and visited the studios of some of LA’s finest. Sculpture by David Hollen, Canvas by Robert Reynolds and Photography by Cyril Helnwein were all fantastic. The experience was entirely surreal going behind the concrete walls into studio spaces that were buzzing with energy and unbridled, urban beauty.   

DAVID HOLLEN

DAVID HOLLEN

ROBERT REYNOLDS

CYRIL HELNWEIN

 Beautiful blonde Italian, Gemma Sonego (architect, floral artist, collector of vintage furnishings) and little Elle Bell took a liking to each other and stayed side by side for the better part of our visit.  I fell in love with both her and her husband, Robert Renoylds and will be having them soon for a soiree on the West Side. 

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 Having had our fill of noisy playgrounds for the weekend, the  SoCal Contractor and I , opted for a much quieter play day for Elle Bell and headed to the Bel Air entrance.

Like New York City, UCLA seems empty on the weekends, which was exactly what we wanted.  Established in the 1880s, the campus is home to  captivating, brick buildings designed in the same grandeur as the Ivy League schools you so often see in movies.  Additionally there are world class examples of International style buildings from the north to the south.  My favorite part of the campus still remains the Murphy Sculpture Garden, something so serene and unexpected at a college campus.   We stayed there for a good, long time admiring the beautiful man made structures and landscape.  With a reflecting pond and plenty of space to kick a soccer ball, the trip was a hit with the entire family.

Nothing to do next weekend? Pack a lunch- maybe even sneak in a bottle of wine-and head to UCLA.  For a whopping $10 parking fee you’ll enjoy a few hours of intellectual solitude and some fresh air. Go Bruins!

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