Have you seen their latest catalogue?  It looks like they robbed Nathan Turner’s shop to be able to offer their latest items at such affordable prices.   Add that West Elm is at the forefront of pushing retail one step further to help sustainable products go mainstream as a growing number of their items are 100% green and there’s little reason go elsewhere.

For years I’ve been teaching designers and the public about eco-friendly and healthy resources.  Lately my push has been for awareness of the people who make the goods we buy.  West Elm’s latest partnership is with Aid to Artisans.  I’m terribly impressed that a huge retailer has realized a way to profit and create economic opportunities for artisan groups around the world.

This season they are focusing on All India Artisans and Craftworkers Welfare Association. The  Indian women’s yarn co-op creates one of a kind, hand loomed and hand woven pillow and throws without the use of any electricity.  Pieces from Stray Dog Designs can also be found at West Elm.  Stray Dog Designs has been an enormous part of pre and post Haitian Earthquake artisan commerce among a lengthy, charitable, corporate agenda .

With Certified 100% Organic Cotton textiles for bedding and bath, FSC certified furniture and accessories that are rapidly renewable, reclaimed or recycled, chic and totally within your budget, West Elm has NAILED IT.

Add the new collaboration with A-List Design partners like Allegra Hicks, Benjamin Moore and David Stark and it’s clear that West Elm has made the taste for champagne on a beer entirely possible.

I’m not saying you’ll be able to pass their furniture on to future generations, but clearly West Elm understands  a green, triple bottom line.  They’ve got great style and you can feel good (physically, socially, mentally) about what you buy from them.

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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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Alcie Cooper Lyrics

Platinum records for the Platinum loft

 Thursday night, across the street from Genghis Cohen and behind a secretive, black curtain Rethink Development unveiled the rock n’ roll lofts at the Cherokee Recording Studios LEED Platinum Lofts Showcase benefitting Habitat for Humanity.  We (Lori Dennis and Brook Casey of the Dennis Design Group)  were in charge of the Alice Cooper pad and took our assignment very seriously, literally dressing the part.

Dennis Design Group gettin' down in bed?

Our shock rock loft never could have been possible without the generous donations of our many vendors and time from our interns, Sara, Rob and Natasha. Plus it’s not really a party if Tony of Francois and Roy from the SoCal Contractor aren’t in tow.  In the bedroom Heritage Draperies fabricated and installed our padded, chained window treatment and Mike Ragan of Rags put together this amazing patchwork, padded wall with fabric from Jason Asch of  Diamond Foam.  The stars were out in LA on Thursday night and two showed up at our event: Jodie Sweetin , who we all know and love as the old Stephanie Tanner from Full House and Calico Cooper, Alice’s daughter and former co-star of his stage show.

Calico Cooper representin' for Papa

Lori and Brook Nailing

Still nailing...

and finally it was done.

 I was afraid Brook was going to hang himself. But he stuck it out and we even finished the lyrics on the bathroom wall so Tony from Francois could learn them and sing along. 

Don't do it Brook!!

 

When the doors opened at 7PM we all took a shot of Skull Vodka and welcomed our guests to Alice’s Lair.   Francois provided the Gothic mantel in the living room, serving as the perfect backdrop to the snake skin bench from Bausman and Co. and upholstered chairs from Cisco Brothers.  All the kitchy 60s, 70s and 80s accessories from Retropia and the original props from Alice Cooper’s show gave our loft an authenticity rarely seen in staged showcase homes.  Big Red Sun even landscaped our balcony in a true, desert decor representative of the golf courses in Phoenix that Alice so dearly loves.

Alice's Lair

You'll never guess what these balls are for!

Cooper Gang in the Loft

Green bondage-stay in and save gas!

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A gracious thank you to Palecek, one of my favorite green retailers,  for the following reception.

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Christian Liaigre at Holly Hunt

Richard Frinier at Century

Corbin Bronze at Sutherland

Janus Et Cie

Chinoserie at Robert Allen

Janus  Et Cie

Richard Schultz at Summit

In a town where we are literally running out of water, it was great to see Synlawnand Astro Chic make a green statement.  I’ve noticed about five of these synthetic lawns on my nightly strolls, along with a lot of gravel and succulents. I’d like to say it’s concern for the environment, but it looks like the water bills finally converted a few folks to the sustainable side.

Synlawn at Fall Market

Astro Chic Pillows, Ottoman and Lawn

The first floor gave us a sneak peak of what was to come on the second floor open house.  I especially loved these three sculptures made of everything green including cleaners of the kitchen sink.

Cleaning Up at Fall Market

Worm Hole by Lynn Aldrich

A More Combustible Smoke by Greg MacLaughlin

Broken Sofa by Jeremy Everett

DJs were spinning and one piece was more interesting than the next throughout the second floor galleries.

Green Wall at Pucci

Love this Chandelier

How much is that Horsey in the window?-Twentieth

So sad……. mine is even better.

Art by a USC Graduate?

By this time the world’s most stylish builder, Mr. So Cal Contractor, and Junior Designer Elle started getting a little sleepy……

but woke up for a bit more fun in the best installation of the night. Little Miss Elle obviously shares her Designer Mommy’s love for graffiti art!

Bravo to the PDC for another Fall Market success. Take that recession!

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More about the cabinets- not only do they exude the sexy, sleek styling, which could only be Italian, but the contents are totally lacking in emissions.  The Invitrum by Valcucine features recycled aluminum, sustainable wood, water based finishes, mechanical joints (so no glue is needed) and practically scratch proof, tempered glass.  The cabinet fronts are half the thickness of normal systems which reduces the weight by 50% and extends the life of hinges, joints and the overall kitchen. When the time comes to recycle the components, they are labeled for an easy dismantle.

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According to treehugger.com , a green product is one “that is both environmentally and socially responsible.” Here are some criteria they give to determine an items’ “green-ness”:

1. Demonstrate care for the people who make, supply and use the product
2. Demonstrate care for the ecological community in manufacturing
3. Use materials which are reused, recycled, renewable or organic
4. Products that address the use of energy in their production.Could the energy saved by their use be greater than the energy it took to create the item?
5. Serve a useful purpose
6. Use materials that can be recycled or are biodegradable.

I’m seeing more and more businesses implement or continue the green practices that make products more appealing to those that care about the environment.

Our firm loves Ikea. The fact that Ikea flat-packs their furniture means that costs are reduced because more of that item can be shipped to the store at one time. Also, consumers are able to order most items online. This means than rather than making a trip to the physical store, the items can be shipped directly to the home from the place of manufacture.If you do have to make a trip, the flat-pack concept allows a few rooms of furniture to fit inside your back seat! One trip!

In other news, Wal-Mart is attempting some of its own packaging improvements. They have reshaped their milk cartons to be taller and rectangular-shaped for greater efficiency in shipping, which keeps consumer costs down about 20 cents a gallon. The new shape allows cartons to be stacked on top of one another, rather than packaged with lots of material separating rows of cartons. While some consumers love the new body shape, some are not so amused. Jo from Ohio said, “It is an utterly stupid design. You can’t use a paper towel, water and wipe it up every time you pour milk. They would need to give away a mini roll of paper towels or wet wipes to wipe up the old stinking milk on counters, coffer cups, bowls…. How green is the new design if we are wasting paper towels and running water after every use?” Hmmm, something to think about. A nice attempt though, I think.

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The other alternative is the infamous Nalgene-eque water bottles which are often made out of Polycarbonate. This material contains Bisphenol-A (BPA’s), which research links to reproductive and developmental damage and several types of cancers. Even worse, ¼ of all bottled water is shipped internationally before it is sold, NOT GREEN! So where can a girl get a drink on the run? All these years I thought I was being good running around with my dishwasher-safe Nalgene……

Last weekend my husband and I were taking a yoga class at our neighborhood studio, Yoga Works. As we were waiting for our class to start, we noticed these statement-making water bottles by Sigg being sold right there in the studio store. Made out of aluminum, these water bottles let you sip in style while living light on the earth. They come with a $25 price tag, but think of it this way: the same price tag gets you 4 packs of plastic bottled water, which might last for about 3-4 months. American’s are still horrified of “tap water.” Though yearly studies show that the water in LA is more than drinkable and being responsibly treated for our health (this process is strenuously monitored), people still have tap-anxiety. Grab a filter, they don’t cost much but can do a lot to alleviate anxiety at the tap.

The design is fun (other styles are available), they last forever, and I can refill it almost anywhere. I took mine with me to a client meeting today, and needless to say it wasn’t the Gucci sunglasses they were asking about.

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There are 30 varieties of LA climate-friendly plants and trees to choose from, take your pick. This includes the beautiful Pink Trumpet tree, seen above. The trees, planted thoughtfully, will shade a home and result in lower energy and cooling bills and less use of water. Don’t forget the joy of watching the beauties leaves change colors this fall. Not sure yet? Here are some cool facts about just how much you can benefit by planting:

-AC use and associated costs reduced up to 20%

-Shade outside AC units, helping them to operate 10-15% more efficiently

-Create barriers to the wind to keep winter heating costs down

-Act as a sponge by removing the carbon from CO2 (a greenhouse gas)

-Providing shade to the lawn, whichin turn will require less watering

-Increase property values by 5-20% (compared to non-landscaped homes)

-Add color and character to our community (not to mention the free fruit if you choose a species of fruit tree!)

Though our city is already very abundant with foliage, it never hurts to plant more, especially if it will selfishly lower a personal bill and make the façade more attractive. This sounds like a fun Sunday afternoon project to me! Shovel not included.

http://www.milliontreesla.org
http://www.ladwp.com/ladwp/cms/ladwp009614.pdf

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