Etsy, the popular new site used by artists and crafters, is also a gem for vintage finds such as furniture and accessories. The prices on Etsy are usually quite reasonable — especially compared to shops specializing in vintage and antique furniture — and the treasures are endless and unique.
Remember earlier this week when we talked about the Margarido House, you know that posh, modern home that’s about to be the first LEED-H Platinum home in Northern California? Well, the always entertaining Sally Kuchar of SallyTV has just posted these videos and we thought it’d be fun to share. You might know Sally from her recent work designing the Silicon Valley Dwell Nexthouse, but she’s also a regular contributor to Apartment Therapy SF and MoCo Loco. I can’t help but watch these videos and think about the endless possibilities presented by thoughtful design and modern green materials.
Denmark50, located in Los Angeles, is comprised of a showroom and warehouse full of vintage Danish Modern furniture and accessories. And of course, buying vintage is such a green way to go. The showroom (below) is a nice display of what the company has to offer, but the warehouse (also below) is the really amazing part. Mid-Century Danish furniture is stuffed into the large space as far as the eye can see: couch after couch, chairs, tables, and any other piece one could imagine.
I find the stories behind green homes to be quite interesting. I was at the gym and happened upon this article in Home Magazine about Adam Coulter, a 27 year-old screenwriter and actor living in LA. He successfully battled cancer in his teens and has been in remission since that time. But since his bout with cancer, he’s always attempted to live in the healthiest environment possible. This third-floor condo is an example of Couter’s quest for healthy living — it’s been renovated with bamboo flooring, organic linen draperies, recycled glass tiles, zero-VOC paints, and locally produced, sustainable materials, etc.
VivaTerra is a catalog and online eco-friendly home accessories and furnishings company. You will need to peruse their offerings with a bit of a critical eye and decide for yourself what is truly eco-friendly, but there are a lot of great choices. Less sustainable offerings to watch out for include river rock bath mats. The rocks are taken from a natural environment where they belong and do not replenish like trees or bamboo. I would also stay away from tropical hardwoods since most of them are not truly eco-friendly and travel quite a distance to the USA. One great VivaTerra choice would be their beautiful "Gustavian Vintage Bed" which is made by a master woodworker in the USA using salvaged Douglass Fir wood from a torn down building, non-toxic glue, and a food safe finish for about $2000.
I received an email from Modern Dwelling in relation to this contemporary, green pad and pretty much had to share some details. First things first, if you’re in the Seattle area, there’s going to be an art showing at the home this Thursday, July 31, 2008 at 7 pm, so make sure to check that out.* Otherwise, the Mount Baker Residence, as it’s known, is perched on a slope with views of Rainier Valley to downtown Seattle. With tons of natural lighting, four bedrooms, two and a half baths, and 2470 sf of living space, it’s tough to go wrong in a home that looks like this. Here are some of its green features:
