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.

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.

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'.

FABULOUS FINLAND

Since I have been speaking about Alvar Aalto I thought I would do a round up of my favourite pieces by him. Aalto is my favourite architect/designer of all time. I have always been in awe of Finnish designers and the inspiration they draw from nature and their landscape. Aalto was one of the first truly holistic architects and designers. Here are three iconic designs by him, the stunning curving Savoy vase, the fabulous Tea Trolley 900 and the fab organic Beehive light. Beautiful, beautiful and beautiful.

VALOEARTH

Eleanor Flegg has produced a good article in the Sunday Times 'Home' section this week on ethical and fair trade furniture. One of the companies she discussed was Valoearth, whose owner, Johanna Harmala is a niece of the late, great Alvar Aalto. The company whose showroom is based near South Circular Road, Dublin sources contemporary furniture and lighting from producers who respect the environment. Their products can be viewed online at here or by appointment at their showroom.

LOST WEEKEND

The people of the 'sunny south east', especially me, are very grateful to Emily and Declan of Lost Weekend for opening their fantastic shop in Wexford. Their shop is a haven for design lovers everywhere. For me it is the lure of the vintage furniture that brings me back each time. Buying vintage furniture is considered better for the environment for a number of reasons such as cutting down on landfill and not requiring additional manufacturing. Buying furniture owned by someone else also means there is always character and history attached to it and if it is a quality item it will have a good resale value as well. Here are some of my favourite items on their website at the moment.

Treehugger has a great article on How to green your furniture if you would like further info.

FLIPPIN' FANTASTIC

I have just across this excellent design at Treehugger. Made by Flip Furniture in the UK this piece is a good solution for people who like to mix it up a little. It changes from coffee table to dining table in two easy moves and it is made from FSC certified wood. Multi tasking heaven.

WILD CHILD

I am a huge fan of homebug and whilst perusing the site have been reminded that it's sale time over at Wildchild. This shop is great for design classics and quirky pieces. Although I am quite obsessive about furniture I think my favourite pieces in the shop have to be the old electronics stuff. They have some great retro stereo systems and radios in store. Here are some of my current favourites from the website.

UNTO THIS LAST

Ooh, so many things I could purchase from Unto This Last. I love the simple shapes and designs of their products. They are a London based company and use birch plywood from cultivated forests in Latvia and Finland for its sustainability and structural integrity. At the moment they don't seem to deliver outside London and for this my credit card thanks them.

TWISTED CITIES

Sixixis are a bespoke furniture company based in Cornwall. I first spotted their chaise lounge No 4 in an interiors magazine last year. Since last year their range and popularity has understandably expanded. They are a company who quote high environmental standards and use local unseasoned timber such as oak or ash in their impossibly bendy designs. My favourite pieces are the cityscape coathangers. I just need to choose which city I would like hanging on my wall now. Wonder if there is any chance they will create a Dublin one soon?

RYAN FRANK

Ryan Frank is a product designer originally from South Africa but now works in London. I am a massive fan of his work as he cleverly uses salvaged wood, shopping bags and eco emulsion to create beautifully designed furniture. I love, love, love the shapes of his Strata range which is built from waste wood from old battered office furniture and FSC birch ply. His Inkuku chair (Zulu for chicken) is made entirely from plastic shopping bags. Who would have thought it could look so good? Personally, I would very much like to be putting my cup of coffee down on the Traffic table (above)

http://www.ryanfrank.net/