FEEL MORE HUMAN

Another one I have been meaning to talk about is Feel More Human. I really like this site. It's not making itself out to be 'greener than thou' but does say that it hopes to make a little bit of a difference. I also love the fact that the products are so stylish and modern or 'meaningful modern' as they like to call it. They also have a modern flea market where you can post furniture for sale. Only problem is this site is US based and I live in Ireland. Here are some great products from the eco friendly section, branches rug, ailanthus, knu lateral file, rekindle coffee table, zebra critter, lions, tigers & kittens..oh my

GREAT IRISH ECO BLOG

I have been meaning to blog about Nicola Elizabeth Jones now for a while. She runs her own holistic interiors and feng shui business in Dublin. Her blog is a great resource for anyone wanting a more sustainable home. Nicola also has a fab greener home blog on greenme.ie. This lady is a one woman blog machine. Go check them out!

NEW WEBSITE LAUNCH SOON

There has been a severe lack of posts now since May. I have been mad busy and also took a wee holiday for a friends wedding in Greece. I am currently working on a whole new site so things may be a bit random for a while. Apologies x

MARKS & SPENCERS

M&S are one of the high street retailers leading the way in their effort to become green. You can read all about their Plan A on their website here. Below are a few of my top picks from their organic and fair trade ranges. My favourites are the Erin and Twiggy organic cotton eco shoppers (Erin and Twiggy’s faces look great as graphic prints) and the Fern sofa and chair. Finally a high street retailer has come up trumps and produced an environmentally friendly sofa and chair. They also stock products such as the Bamboo duvet, organic cotton towels and some great organic cookbooks. Check out their Greener Living Shop here.

PEDLARS ROCKS

I love Pedlars website especially the vintage section so I have done a round up of my current interior favourites. As a former graphic designer I still hold a torch for anything with type so these original London Underground signs and printers blocks make my heart skip a tiny beat. The vintage Station Clock is an eternal classic and the retired Hovis tin planters are ingenious and sentimental all at the same time. Speaking of ingenious, check out the recycled bike chain bottle opener and the set of lids to fit used jars. Recycling heaven.

FASHION EVOLUTION

Rosie from re-dress has emailed to pass on the details of the Fashion Evolution Party. Looks like an excellent night....see you there!

FASHION EVOLUTION PARTY in association with M&S
"Ethical Fashion-You Are What You Wear"
Thurs April 24th
Doors 8pm sharp
The Button Factory, Temple Bar
Tickets €12 from http://www.tickets.ie/
SPEAKERS:
International Fashion Designer & 2007's No. 1 Ethical Hero Katherine Hamnet
Mike Barry Head of Corporate Social Responsibility for M&S

STAR LITTLE THING,TIGER EMPIRE, DIRTY EPICS, JB THE DEEJAY, STEVE REDDY

HEAVEN IS......

…Misterrob's latest Bird Lady II print.

I have a slight obsession with Rob Ryan's work and am such a frequent browser of his Etsy store that it could be construed as stalking. Ryan works his magic with paper and words to create amazing pieces of art. His latest Bird Lady II is one of the most exquisite pieces of illustration I have ever seen. The man also gets top marks for being environmentally friendly by printing this most recent piece with water based inks on wood free paper. Check out his work on his website and blog.

HOUSE AND HOME

A big thank you to Eimear, the Editor of House and Home for the mention in the 'Green List'. The focus of this month’s fantastic House and Home is environmentally friendly design. There are great articles on people such as Brian O' Brien of Solearth, Johanna Harmala of Valoearth and Laura Farrell of Scudding Clouds. If you are interested in eco friendly design and where to source it then this is the issue for you my friends. Also a massive thank you to Paul the photographer and Rosie at Cultivate for letting us take the photos there and disrupting the whole place in the process. Cheers.

DARCY GOES ECO

The actor Colin Firth and his wife Livia have opened an eco store in Chiswick, London. Firth, his wife and two partners have renovated the shop building to high eco standards and hope to be up and running with solar panels and a roof garden in the very near future. The store stocks eco products, furniture, accessories and books over three floors. There is a consultancy in the basement where you can get advice on interiors, energy efficient appliances, solar energy etc. Their website should be up and running soon and I for one am looking forward to browsing. Fingers crossed for a Dublin branch soon then.

FRUITFUL

Through Design for Democracy 08 I came across designer Adam Moody who has come up trumps with his Objectify fruit bowl. I adore the shape, laser cut pattern and the fact that it is made from sustainably managed hoop pine. At first glance I actually thought it was a magazine rack so it could be multi purpose (another big plus). It comes in four easy to assemble pieces and can hold up to six pieces of fruit. You can buy it here from Vanilla Design Store. No room for mouldy looking fruit in this beautiful bowl though.

PIECES OF YOU

The excellent Inhabitat has once more brought some great eco housewares to our attention. Bridget West from Pieces Of You creates furniture, cushions, artwork and bags from recycled and ethically sourced textiles. My love of many things graphic means that Bridget's clever and eco friendly accessories have won a place in my heart. I'm such a sucker for type and textiles.

I AM NOT A PAPER CUP

So long disposable cups, I love this I am not a paper cup from DCI. Its a double walled porcelain cup with a silicone lid and can be washed safely in the dishwasher. They will be released in April at the bargain price of $20. Perfect for caffeine lovers everywhere.

HOUSE OF VINTAGE DREAMS

Who would live in a house like this? The answer is me given half a chance. Our Showhome based in South East London is both a home and a store. Elle Decoration has named it one of the hottest home shops in the UK. The owners set out to source mid century Scandinavian and British design for themselves but ended up taking it to a whole different level. Now you can visit their house and buy designs by the likes of Arne Jacobsen, Hans Wegner and Tapio Wirrkala. You can view all the items for sale on their great website here. Below are my top picks 60's dressing table by Interlubke, 70's spice jars, 60's Danish teak chair, Arne Jacobsen chairs, Aluminium table lamps, Teak caddies.

MODERN MARVELS

Another fantastic place for vintage goodies is the Dublin based, kirkmodern. This website is stocked full of midcentury marvels, specialising in Scandinavian and post war British design. If you're looking for fabulous interior accessories this website is a one stop shop. Below is a collection of my current favourites which includes ceramics, glassware, a 1950's sweet tin and a school poster on 'soap making'.

TOTALLY ACE

I am madly in love with the design of the Ace in Portland. It's aimed at creative types on a low budget (tick) and even has rooms with bunks for bands on tour. A lot of the former hotel built in 1912 was retained as it was under preservation and much of the materials were salvaged and restored such as bathtubs, doorknobs and signs. Other items used in the design were sourced locally in order to keep the ecological footprint down like the ingenious use of tables made of stacked books from bargain bins in local shops. Artists from around the city painted murals in the rooms so each room has an individual quality to it. There is a photo booth in the lobby and the front desk is made from a factory unit. My favourite thing about his hotel is that it has record players in the rooms and you can borrow vinyl from the front desk. Alex Calderwood of the Ace Group is quoted as saying “things that are slightly imperfect have soul” and I couldn’t agree more. Check out the equally excellent website here.

TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX

I was taking a short cut through Habitat to Dame St the other day and I spotted the most fantastic armchair in 20th Century Furniture. Unfortunately I couldn't stop because I was on my way to meet a friend so I didn't get the details or price (which is probably a blessing in disguise). Anyway, I looked up the website when I got home but boo hoo, it wasn't online. I did however find another few beauties to drool over.

I am loving this teak G plan nest of tables, the Charlottenburg lamp by Paul Henningson and this fantastic Danish teak dining table.

POWER TO THE PRINT

Check out these organic duvet covers and throws from design public. Love the bold print. Sometimes we all neeed a bit of pattern in our lives.

LIMERICK STYLE

Thank you so much to Maz from Style Treaty for adding me in her links. Style Treaty is a blog about fashion, interiors, food, books...basically everything that's good. Check it out here.

PRINT PASSION

These cushion covers by Fokus Fabrics are another great find on Matteriashop. I love the graphic monochrome crane print. Made from organic cotton and hemp it goes to show that you don't have to compromise on style when it comes to soft furnishings. I do so love my graphic print textiles.

LOVIN' THE LIGHT

Matteriashop set up by two friends Anu and Monica has lots of well designed and eco smart products on it's website. I absolutely love this Bloom light below. During the day it acts like a funky pot plant taking in energy from the sun. Then lo and behold, at night you turn it over and it's a table lamp. I'm such a sucker for multi-tasking design.