5 EASY WAYS TO BE ECO-CONSCIOUS IN DESIGN
Beyond thrilled to see articles and posts from Lonny and Forbes for 2020 design trends to Los Angeles Times’ article about second-hand gifts for the holidays. Many other popular sites, including Apartment Therapy, believe eco-friendly and conscious design are here to stay. I’m thrilled to see the industry making changes and moving in the right direction. Even a little bit of change, can make a huge impact. Here are five easy ways to incorporate sustainable design ideas into your renovations, new builds and design decisions.
Happy New Year to You All! xoxo Joanne
Examples of Sustainable Design in this Inn’s renovation include a light fixture made from old parts, a custom pillow made from a vintage wool blanket, a new bed throw made from recycled materials, a wood wall made from reclaimed wood and a side table made locally with reclaimed lumber and a scrap piece of stone from a local stone yard. Mad River Barn Inn, Restaurant and Pub. Design by Joanne Palmisano, Photo by Susan Teare.
REPURPOSE WHAT YOU HAVE
Rather than buying something new, is there a way you can reuse what you already have — or at least some of it? Dark wood cabinets can be sanded and painted, or moved to the laundry room or craft areas. Can you paint that shiny brass fixture black… can you reuse that chair but have it reupholstered? Think about ways you can reuse what you have or repurpose it into something else.
Repurposed cabinet doors from the bathroom were painted and turned into a headboard. Short Term Vacation Rental Design by Joanne Palmisano. Photo by Lindsay Selin.
During the renovations at Bear Mountain Inn in Maine, much of the furniture was reused. We placed items in different rooms and many times painted or repurposed some of the pieces. Design by Joanne Palmisano. Photo by Molly and Victoria Photography.
REUSE STUFF
This has been my mantra for as long as I can remember. (Heck, I was picking up old bottles near my families home as a kid.) But more recently… I’ve written a few books on Salvage Design and how to get great design looks with reusing, salvaging and recycling. There are so many salvage stores, rebuild centers and second-hand shops (not to mention online sites (and many local ones that share stuff folks are selling). Flooring, fixtures, doors , applications, tile, furniture and much more can be reused. This Old House Online has a list of Architectural Salvage Shops across the nation. They are really fun to check out! Chairish and other second-hand furniture shops are great to look at — as well as local online sites such as Craigslist. Reclaimed wood is a big part of this reuse section — one our largest recycling opportunities. Companies such as Salvage Works ,are all around the country and can help you pick out the best reclaimed materials for your project. The great thing about reclaimed wood is it can look anyway you want — for any style.
From reclaimed porch posts, doors, vintage bar-ware and more… this new bar at Main and Mountain Bar & Motel shows off easy ways to incorporate used stuff. Design by Joanne Palmisano. Photo by Lindsay Selin.
SOMETHING NEW OUT OF RECYCLED MATERIALS
There are hundreds, if not thousands, of products out there made with recycled content. Interface, FLOR and other carpeting companies does a fabulous job of making carpeting, area rugs, carpet tile out of recycled content. Then there are recycled content tiles, glass or porcelain, such as companies Fireclay and Bedrock Industries. Insulation, countertops, light fixtures, glassware, hardware and more can be found with recycled materials — it is not just about the recycled contect but also, most of the time, these recycled “new” products use less energy to create.
The headboards were reused, just reupholstered with faux leather. The carpeting is a green product from Interface, a leader in sustainable business practices. Mountain Modern Motel, renovation design by TruexCullins Architecture and Interiors. ( Joanne was hired as part of the design team.)
These brand new, gorgeous subway Fireclay tiles are made from recycled porcelain toilets and the counter top is a left-over piece of granite from a local stone company. Something new made from recycled material. Vacation Rental Renovation. Design by Joanne Palmisano. Photo by Susan Teare.
GREEN PRODUCTS
From H & M Home to West Elm, Pottery Barn, and other furniture lines, (see the Good Trade website for a list of them), companies we know and love that have sustainable lines, you just need look for them on their sites and at their stores. The more you demand eco-friendly FSC furniture and sustainable practices in businesses, the more they will supply! :) It is basic economics.
Green products and materials are easily found. Local wood products, eco carpeting, paints, lighting and more. A little research into the companies practices, materials, manufacturing will give you a good idea of how they choose to do business. Vacation rental renovation. Design by Joanne Palmisano. Photo by Lindsay Selin.
LOCAL PRODUCERS AND ARTISANS
When you can work with local folks for materials, products and fixtures. This keeps travel and shipping to a minimum and you are supporting artisans and businesses in your own community. It doesn’t get any better than that! Cheers!
Here in Lawson’s Finest Liquids new taproom ,many local artisans and companies were used. The custom light fixture was made with Simon Pearce Glass and place on a locally made Conant Metal & Light fixture. The tables were all locally made by Warren Pieces. Taproom and Retail Store Interior Design by Joanne Palmisano. Photo by Lawson’s Finest Liquids.