Kids grow like weeds. Save money and reduce waste by choosing furniture that can accommodate every growth spurt.

One of my best friends recently had a baby. Scratch that–actually her daughter just turned one, and is already yelping out words and scooting around the house. “How can you be 1?”, I wrote in her birthday card, “You were just a bump!”

Kids grow fast, in the blink of an eye really. The comparison to weeds is well-earned. The tiny overalls that were so cute a month ago now expose chubby ankles as the wearer expands toward the sky. Same thing goes for furniture. Buying a tiny bed or desk might seem adorable right now, but the brilliance quickly fades when you realize they’ll outgrow it before first grade even starts.

Modular furniture is designed to be flexible. Much like a new parent’s sleep schedule, it’s adaptable, changing at a moment’s notice depending on the child, activity, and available space. Yes, the average piece of flex furniture costs a bit more than conventional pieces, but you have to factor in future savings: shell out a little more up front, and the next bed or desk you buy might be fitted to their college dorm room.

1. Smart Kid Conversion Set by Adensen

Made of high-quality birch wood and non-toxic lacquer, Smart Kid is a multi-functional set of furniture that morphs along with your child. It can be assembled into a crib with a changing table and storage drawers, or a desk with a chalkboard, a bigger bed and all the drawers your child will need as it grows older. Suitable for children up to 10 years old. $1,170

2. Ergonomic Desks & Chairs by Posture in Style

Today’s children spend more time sitting than any previous generation. Designed specifically to promote good posture in young people, Posture in Style’s innovative line of German-made, ergonomic desks and chairs are safe, stylish, and feature rich. With tilt-able desktops, adjustable height surfaces and chairs, and customizable colors and designs, they’re an investment that cannot be outgrown. Chairs start at $475, desks around $800.

3. AZ Desk by Guillaume Bouvet

Who say’s children’s furniture has to look like it fell out of a circus truck? The AZ Desk possesses a modern sleekness worthy of an adult office, never mind the fact that it will certainly be covered in finger paint at some point. It includes a chair and writing surface that get taller as your child moves from toddler to adult. “Even the writing surface “grows up,” converting from a kiddie-friendly chalkboard into an ergonomic table,” reports Fast Co. Design.

4. Growth Table by Tim Durfee and Iris Anna Regn

In today’s busy world, work and school can often stand in the way of quality family time. The Growth Table is meant to encourage the entire family to gather together at the same surface, whether coloring, doing homework or paying bills. Especially perfect for homeschooling families with multi-aged children!

5. Grow Bike by Orbea

Admittedly, this isn’t a piece of furniture. But bikes are so integral to childhood (and staying active) that we just had to include it. Spanish bike maker Orbea designed a line of bicycles that grow along with your child and (supposedly) last youngsters twice as long as regular bikes. Along with the seat and handlebars, the bike’s lightweight aluminum frame can be adjusted according to height, which eliminates the risk of putting your child on a bike that’s too big before they’re ready.

top image: stevendepolo

The post 5 Fabulous Furnishings That Grow With Your Kids appeared first on EcoSalon.

I have to admit, I love cork – and not just because the source (the Cork Oak tree) bears an uncanny resemblance to my last name. I love the texture, color, and possibilities this humble material offers. I love that a porous material with contrasting rich earthy substance and negative space molds into sheets of two-dimensional strength. Here are just a few reasons for you to love cork, too.

Benjamin Hubert designs a heap of gorgeous products to suspend from your ceiling. The Float pendant (a hand turned Portuguese agglomerate cork lamp) is just one of Mr. Hubert’s creations to covet.

The Phillip Jeffries Java Cork Collection is an inspired wallpaper gathering; Ebony Cork with Gold is a dream of natural cork with a gold metallic underlay. This unexpected partnership of earthy and gleam is absolutely stunning. These Balloon Shakers designed by Japanese architect Masayuki Kurokawa (available at Merchant 4) are a translucent and enlightening way to display salt, pepper, and vivid spices.

The Puf Fup by Corque (designed by Ana Mestre) is envisioned to “challenge the creativity of its user” through a cohesive, continuous string of perfect cork spheres that invites sculpting your perfect (wildly comfortable) seat.

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Typography is an alluring graphic pleasure – and typography with numerical embellishments is even better. This post combines the aesthetics of mathematics with the charm of décor. The Ordinal Dresser can help prioritize your wardrobe with a combination of wood grain and numerical delight. Or add a dash of digits and a pop of color to your current dresser with this whimsical Lucky Number Knob.

Heather Lins Home has a handful of delights adorned with vintage typography. The Numbered Edition Coasters are an amusing place to rest your drinks(s). Don’t miss the rest of the modern yet classic Numbered Edition Collection.

Christopher Jagmin designs with the intent to “surprise the dinner table and inspire a conversation.” Porcelain wears bold and graphic digits beautifully on the Odd Number Small Plates and Even Number Dinner Plates. The etched Number Bar Glasses are an inspired way to hydrate.

The post Take a Number appeared first on EcoSalon.

The new season of Mad Men has us jonesing for graphic prints, mid-century furniture, and other Sixties-inspired styles. Numerous designers are riffing on that theme, creating pieces that exude a Mad-Men-meets-modern-day vibe. Here’s how we’d style a Mad Men-inspired living room.

1. Rennie Sofa from Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams (price not listed, pictured above)
So sleek, so sexy, so versatile. We love the grid-tufted back and the hardwood frame. We can totally picture one of Don Draper’s secretaries perched demurely on this couch, but it also feels modern enough for today’s urban loft.

2. Fresca Area Rug from inmod.com (starts at $89)
As Mad Men enters the mid-Sixties, we’re seeing more bold graphic prints and fewer staid, conservative pieces. This hand-tufted wool rug is the perfect expression of that more aesthetic. Plus, its colors complement the couch.

3. Ace Trading-midea Fans FT30-U2B Table Retro Fan in Chrome from Amazon ($39.69)
Although residential AC units became increasingly common in the 1950s, offices and homes still used table fans for a more direct breeze. This fan lends a certain retro chic to your space and  lets you stay cool sans AC.

4. Brave Space – Stagger Server from Bravespace ($2,540-2,640)
Modular, asymmetrical cabinets exude modernity. We love how you can customize this piece with closed storage where you need it. The organic herbal oil finish adds an intriguing texture.

5. Inhabit Estrella Plinko Pillow in Cornflower from AllModern.com ($60-68)
A delightful graphic print on recycled polyester gives this pillow its groovy style. The colors feel modern, but not too feminine.

What do you think? Which piece(s) jumps out at you?

The post Friday 5: It’s a Mod, Mod World appeared first on EcoSalon.

Each week here at EcoSalon, I beg my favorite bloggers and designers to hand select a beloved green product, whether it’s a finish, furnishing, or accessory. The end result? An endless anthology of aesthetically perfect products for your perusal.

This week we are graced with the presence of Rachel Winokur, founder of eTTa designs; this gracious and talented designer is a qualified wealth of sustainable knowledge (just follow her Facebook for ample and consistently lovely product finds and inspirational industry updates). Ms. Winokur has selected the Acacia Chair from Cisco Brothers‘ Basal Living Collection. This chair is as environmentally friendly “from seed to shelf” as it is gorgeous – with, -¦a beautiful silhouette which adapts to different room styles and is extremely comfortable.” 

If you need a little extra validation, just look how stunning the chair is resting in the Sea Wellness Spa at Hotel Casa del Mar. By the way, this feast of texture and light is the design work of none other than eTTa designs. Don’t miss the great story or blog behind this innovative design firm.

(Photograph courtesy of Schnyggt.)

(Photographs courtesy of Herve Grison and Schnyggt).

If Cisco Brothers still has you swooning, you will drool for these tufted beauties, too.

The post Handpicked: eTTa designs appeared first on EcoSalon.

With their luxurious ambiance and versatile allure, tufts are back! James Merrell has dotted his photographic portfolio with inspired spaces adorned with elegant upholstery tufts. I am completely involved in a reverie about a charismatic blue tufted sofa; this image has captured its likeness perfectly. By the way, Mr. Merrell’s portfolio is a horizontal slide show of pure pleasure.

There is a tuft for every space – from Bohemian to Urban and feminine art nouveau curves, to masculine perpendicular edges and from silken aqua velvet to raw grey linen, there is absolutely a sofa, chair, bench, ottoman, or pillow with lovely tufts calling your name (I hear a chorus of tufts beckoning me). Here is an amiable gathering of tufted places to rest your derriere.

Clockwise from top center: Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams Chester Collection Sofa, Serena & Lily Lucille Ottoman, Cisco Brothers Reina Chair, Cisco Brothers Nell Sofa, Cisco Brothers Goodman Chair, Serena & Lily Piccadilly Chair, and Crate & Barrel Azure Sofa (Looking for a few accessories to pair with the Azure Sofa? These suggestions will charm you).

The post The Versatile Tuft appeared first on EcoSalon.

Each week here at EcoSalon, I beg my favorite bloggers and designers to hand select a beloved green product, whether it’s a finish, furnishing, or accessory. The end result? An endless anthology of aesthetically perfect products for your perusal.

This week, Celine Rogers of Pure Green is here to share her flawless taste. Her pick? The one and only Tolix A Chair. Celine is drawn to this lovely form of steel, finding its composition (entirely recyclable materials) and versatility endearing. Check out the Tolix website to find a distributor near you.

In addition to her flawless taste, Celine is a source of infinite wisdom and creativity neatly packaged into an online delight, Pure Green Living Magazine. Ninety pages of visual amusement that is inherently green. Does it get any better?! Oh, and (of course) you can find the Tolix A Chair gracing page fourteen.

After you devour the premier issue, mark your calendar for the next edition in early September – or subscribe and watch your inbox for a gorgeous delivery.

The post Handpicked: Pure Green appeared first on EcoSalon.

Lately, mail order catalogs have been delivering a pleasant surprise; the pages that were once filled with disregard are making room for a dose of green. Consumer demand and retail desire steer the content of these glossy muses, so pat yourself on the back. Companies like CB2, West Elm, and Crate & Barrel are getting earth conscious.

The Chop Chop Side Table ($199) by CB2 is a geometric dream. These ash wood beauties are created from urban forest “˜casualties’ in the Chicago area. Ash trees that succumb to wind, damage, and age are gathered and carved into rectangular logs and enveloped with a wax finish.

The Organic Plisse Blanket (starting at $54.99) is a weave of luxurious silky soft organic cotton.  The Solid Silk Handloomed Pillow Cover ($29) is handspun tasar silk made in rural India as part of the Aid to Artisans organization.

Crate & Barrel offers the Azure Sofa ($1799) wrapped in steel linen and speckled with tufts. The gentle curves are filled with soy-based polyfoam and rest on a certified sustainable wood frame.

The recent notice of the environment is a step (or push?) in the right direction, but I look forward to the day my mailbox is empty and my inbox is full of paper-free catalogs and every page is innately sustainable.

Speaking of catalogs, don’t forget to check out our sister company – Vivaterra!

The post Mail Order Reform appeared first on EcoSalon.

Lately I think I’m going through an earlier-than-mid-life slight case of feeling “lost”. Not lost as in lacking hope, but rather the lost that sits low in your stomach and nags until you can’t help but hear it whispering “Yes, do that thing you’ve been pondering. Do it now.”

This is how it happened that I found myself on the path toward green.

Maybe the guys at &made studio were listening to the same whisper in 2005 when they opened shop. Now “one of the UK’s freshest consultancies for ethically conscious contemporary design”, &made has an eco-attitude and steadfast commitment to change the world’s wasteful ways.

Their collection of Lost & Found Stools is clever and modern and speaks loudly to finding something new from what’s been long lost. The stools are made with discarded furniture and scraps of wood without a purpose. The end result is an eclectic group of artistic and functional seats. Go figure – there’s also a collection of Lost & Found Tables.

I’m smitten with these gems and impressed with the design savvy and focus of &made. Lost & Found Stools are available in a range of colors on commission only. Contact &made for details.

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Fashion this season has taken on a bright and colorful slant – it’s no wonder the world of furniture design is following suit. If a beautiful blouse or a sumptuous sofa is dressed in a dazzling color, it can create all kinds of crazy – the good kind of crazy, of course. The properly placed pop of color will catch your attention, whether you want it caught or not. It is that powerful.

Steel, on the other hand, doesn’t bring much to mind other than cool, modern, slick and smooth. But when said steel is slathered in non-toxic powder coated color, an entirely different style of steel emerges.

Take the Origami Side Table (above) made from two sheets of laser-cut, recycled steel. It’s the perfect little piece for next to the bed or reading chair. Made in the USA from locally sourced material, the table ships flat-packed and is simple to assemble without tools or hardware. Bend each piece and the folds lock the parts together. I bet there’s a color that suits your situation – bright red, brilliant white or sensuous black. Find it for $185 at Mio Culture.

I also found myself attracted to the Hive Bench/Table (above) the moment I laid my eyes on its intricate and sexy pattern. Made of powder-coated recycled steel, I think the reddish-orange is especially spectacular, although any of the color options are cool.

The Coral Bench/Table (above) is another winner, and would be just as stunning in white as bursting berry. Both pieces are manufactured in the U.S. by Arktura using solar and wind power. Purchase them at Vivavi for $1790 and $1495, respectively.

Image at top via stylebakery

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