First Steps to Eco Design for Your Interiors

We are doing the green thing are you?

We commonly have homeowners and interior designers seeking our services for their eco design projects. We delight in taking an old piece of furniture and giving it a new life, particularly with eco friendly materials. It’s really like finding buried treasure! When we remove the old fabric to discover a well-built, hand-crafted piece of furniture, so well made that it that rarely needs structural alignment, it brings it all home. Since the piece of furniture is being reused instead of thrown in a landfill or waiting at the curbside, it is truly an environmentally friendly piece. It is amazing how a piece of old furniture with a makeover can add so much character to your space.

If you are an interior designer, or homeowner, who wants to go green or if you are simply interested in planning to convert an existing office space or home into an eco friendly environment, head over to your local Salvation Army, Goodwill, Habitat Restore or antique shop to see what you can find. Look for furniture with a well-built, solid frame and 8-way hand tied springs, preferably built in the 80's or earlier. Try lifting 1 end of the sofa or chair, if it is heavy it most likely was well-built. Look for design potential; not focusing the way it currently looks. The best may not necessarily look the best. Ask the store owner if they know anything about the history. Turn the piece over, try to find a tag or date of creation. Take a picture of the piece of furniture you find, email it to us, get a free quote to refurbish and / or modify. Bring it by (1315 Central Avenue, Charlotte) or call us (704-376-7754) for a pickup.

After you find your gem the next step is to find eco friendly fabric to lift the character, bringing it into the modern world, and fitting a specific space within your home. We found an online eco friendly fabric store with modern and classical prints, Mod Green Pod. Their prints are printed on an ultra soft but sturdy and strong 100% certified organic cotton cloth grown in the United States. We also carry organic fabrics in our shop. Stop in to touch and feel the swatches before you purchase anything. Another good resource for organic fabric would be Pickering International.

Here is a little snip-it from the Mod Green Pod, just so you know what to look for when searching for your eco friendly fabric:

"We are proud to be helping revitalize (and make more green) the domestic textile industry by also weaving and printing our product line completely in the United States. Doing so also helps minimize our company’s carbon footprint by reducing energy expenditures on shipping. Our non-toxic, low-impact printing pigments and dyes give our fabrics rich, saturated color while remaining in compliance with strict GOTS standards. In accordance with GOTS, we do not use fabric protectors, color fast agents, stain resistants, wrinkle-free agents or fire retardants on our products. This way we know there are no dangerous chemicals such as formaldehyde (wrinkle-free agents), PBDEs (flame retardents), or PFOA (i.e. Teflon/Scotchgard) off-gassing into your home."

The next step would be to accessorize your space! Over at www.interiordesign.net you can find a whole section donated to helping you find green products for your home design product. From window shades, furniture and tile to vases, rugs and flooring.

And don’t forget, reupholstering is the original green industry. By using top quality, UV protected thread, we never have to concern ourselves with weak and rotting thread.

So, go find your treasure ... Go hunting!

Click here to see a Salvation Army sofa turned modern reupholstery masterpiece.