Whether your decorating style could be described as classic, cottage, eclectic, modern, or what have you, decorating with stripes fits all tastes.

Many think of decorating with stripes as only appropriate for homes that could be called classic, or preppy, but that’s much too limiting for all the possibilities with this pattern. Decorating with stripes is more than just classic navy and white nautical stripes; although, there is nothing wrong with that if that fits with your style. Stripes are a bold pattern that lends itself nicely to a variety of treatments. Stripes are a perfect pattern for making a statement and work nicely mixed with other patterns like floral, chevron, dots, and more. Stripes can be a great way to add color (like rainbow stripes), or use a monochromatic palette (like black and white) for a more neutral approach.

Decorating with Stripes

Furniture

One easy way to add stripes to a room is with furniture. Fabric-covered chairs or sofas can turn a room from drab to fab. You can even redo an older chair or sofa in striped fabric yourself for a less expensive and more eco-friendly approach. Speaking of DIY, you can add stripes to a much-loved coffee or side table with painters’ tape and paint. Here is a tutorial, if you need a little inspiration to get you started.

Walls

For a more permanent treatment, adding stripes with paint or wallpaper is another way to go. One thing to watch out for is the scale of your stripes to your room. The general rule of thumb is the larger your room, the wider your stripes should be. The other tip to consider is making sure that the stripes don’t take over the room. To that end, try adding stripes to one wall for an accent. If you need a little know-how, the DIY Network is a good place to look for tutorials on how to paint stripes.

Rugs, Curtains, and Textiles

If you don’t own your own space, chances are you aren’t going to be redecorating with paint or wallpaper. Don’t get discouraged, though. It is super easy to add your favorite pattern just by switching up your rug or with new curtains or blinds. You can get quite a bit of drama from a boldly-striped rug or curtains. And if you want to try a bit of DIY, take a look at this tutorial for adding pattern to plain curtains with sharpie markers!

Smaller Touches

Don’t worry if your budget is on the smaller size. Decorating with stripes can be as simple as adding those smaller touches that make a room a home. Accessories like throw pillows, afghans and throws, knickknacks and vases, wall art, lampshades, floor pillows and poufs, and more are all a great way to add whatever the latest color or pattern that you are crazy about. Check out this tutorial for adding stripes to a plain lampshade.

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The post How to Decorate With Stripes for Any Style appeared first on EcoSalon.

For the past 25 years, the Spiritual Science Research Foundation (SSRF) has stood by the notion that “eighty percent of problems in life have their root cause in the spiritual dimension,” explaining that “the overwhelming importance of spiritual healing in solving problems in one’s life.” The SSRF also suggests that in order to have fewer life problems, you can’t overlook the need for guidance and a proper understanding of the spiritual realm.  This is where expertly-trained advisor, intuitive healer, and founder of Matter & Home, purveyor of sacred objects meant to enhance one’s spiritual practice, Holly Star, comes in.

Star recalls the pivotal moment while living in Indonesia that she fell seriously ill and met a female healer who delivered an ominous, yet life-changing, message. “She explained if I did not go into healing, I would die on that island, as this was my calling,” said Star. “I knew she was right, so from there I began to work on my own way of seeing and expressing.”

“I studied and meditated for many years in Japan, Bali, India, and California. Mostly secluded in the mountains,” explains Star. “I studied what I saw, deciphering patterns and how they relate to the body. I also studied herbal medicine, energetic medicine, activations, and the basics, like Reiki and Kung Fu.” Star made it her focus to to acquaint herself with “energy and life force.”

Although studying is an important aspect of being an advisor and intuitive healer, it quite often takes a quality from within, perhaps partly innate, to truly understand what the soul is craving. The desire to want to know and help others on such a deep level requires care and dedication, something that not everyone is cut out for.

Star, however, took to this transformative life-path and never veered, “Upon coming back to the states, I started my own healing practice and it grew fast.” Although she credits the swift exchange that only a hub like New York City can bring, Star’s reliance on her word of mouth business model naturally thrived.

Star’s intuitive healing practice often centers around clients on a long-term or ongoing basis. She describes the process as going through a “very intensive and deep exploration to re-evaluate one’s life and get it to flow more freely.”

In addition to one-on-one spiritual healing, Star also offers space cleanings described as, “an assessment of a home and/or piece of land,” where Star will do clearings to “reset the tone or rhythm of the energy to be compatible with the client’s own energy and level of movement. The goal is to create harmony between the physical space [or] environment and the people inhabiting it.”

Because of Star’s demanding schedule, and her desire to set her clients up for success by teaching them to develop their own inner growth and intuition practices, she came up with the idea to create custom candles and meditation boxes that provided portable and beautiful spiritual healing vessels. That way, even when Star couldn’t be there, her clients still had something tangible to remind them of their personal growth, journey, and goals.

From the very passion Star began sharing with her clients, Matter & Home was born. Proudly, “creating sacred objects with purpose,” her business focuses on creating transformative ritual and functional objects that can be used, per the website, in “meditation, personal growth, and to uplift and support the body, heart, mind and spirit.”

“This is a home accessory line that is aligned with medicines, gemstones, prayer and nature,” Star remarks, “I am hoping to start a conversation to bridge nature and spirit back into home and bridge people to their own self-care and practice to find one’s self.” From foragers who collect medicines in regional forests, to a family in charge of engraving the candles, all of the materials and production for items sold on Matter & Home are done locally.

Customized medicinal boxes, restorative candles, meditation and crystal boxes, and a stunning lunar altar table are some of the items from Matter & Home that have been thoughtfully designed to promote spiritual healing. With easy to follow, and often detailed descriptions, you can very easily navigate the site to find what best fits your needs.

“I think what we see around us, is what we adapt to and mimic in ways,” Star says. “To have beautiful elements that support us to be flexible, soft, and strong, we get a sense that we have all the support in the world with us.”

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The post Matter & Home: How Sacred Objects Spur Spiritual Healing appeared first on EcoSalon.

The need for storage is about as important as the need for life-sustaining essentials, like a glass of wine and dark chocolate, because without them, things start to get chaotic pretty damn quick. And we all know that a messy house plus a messy emotional state don’t pair well. With that in mind, I set out to find you some awesome storage solutions, and the results are flexible, modern, innovative pieces that you’ll be using for years to come.

Plus, thanks to the flexibility these storage solutions offer, you’ll not only get the added benefit of configuring the modular pieces to fit your needs, but you’ll be less likely to trash them because of the adaptability they offer. You might start with these in your bathroom, but then find they’re more suited for your closet. And that’s the beauty of it all–you get to decide, when, where, and how they’re used.

1. Sky Shelves

After moving into their apartment and quickly running out of space for their kitchen essentials, like cups, plates, and spices, Joseph Mroue and ​Audrey Brackley ventured out to find an organizing and storage solution to meet their needs. Unfortunately, that didn’t exist for them at the time, so they put their heads together and created the Sky Shelves concept and product.

“Most products like this are very inflexible,” said Mroue and Brackley, “They serve one purpose only, and come in one size and one shape.” Pointing out that, “Once the customer’s needs slightly change, such as their items or space, they soon realize they have outgrown the usefulness of the product and are forced to throw them out.”  

Sky Shelves feature a “no tools, no screws” approach that makes assembly a breeze for the customer, come in both magnetized and non-magnetized forms, and feature endless combination possibilities. Furthermore, Mroue and Brackley stand by the product’s flexibility. “Sky Shelves are so versatile, you are bound to find another use for them,” they told EcoSalon, “and if by miracle you cannot, you can always dismount them and store them efficiently.” Attractive and functional, you can use them in your bathroom, office, kitchen, closet, and more!

2. Record Roots

A specialized storage system, this particular type is especially for vinyls (although, you may be able to display square art prints in these, too), and allows the user access to the albums themselves, contrary to typical displays or crates that leave your vinyls inaccessible or cover art not visible.

Created by Felix Kenchington, Record Roots believes records are “fundamentally for listening to,” he says. “They offer a unique listening experience, with unparalleled analogue sound but that’s not all. Each vinyl comes with a protective sleeve with often meticulously designed album art to compliment the sound. We can’t really appreciate the artwork when the record is stored in a traditional record crate so we’ve designed a product which enables you to display your vinyl collection on your wall.”

The lightweight canvas straps and protective covers are adhered to your walls using damage-free self-adhesive velcro, or screws, depending on your needs. One unit will display eight records, but you can expand the frames by adding additional zippered units. You can configure these any way you wish and listen to your vinyls whenever you want!

3. SINCE 1984

Inspired by a vintage video game (hint: I’m 99.9 percent sure it’s tetris), these modular and oh-so-flexible storage pieces serve multiple purposes throughout the home. Lightweight, portable, attractive, and easy to assemble (a phillips head screwdriver is all you need), these pieces are the key to completing your storage puzzle.  

Created by Serena Zanello, these quirky and modern units can be configured in multiple ways, and seriously put the fun in functional. “Since 1984 brings people together because everyone can be their own personal designer,” Zanello says. “Imagine your friends come over and you need a dining table. With two hands and two minutes, you can have one. You’ll never have to buy furniture you don’t need again.”

Whether you prefer natural wood, or one of the color options–white, black, red, or green–there’s a look to fit your taste. Not only that, but Since 1984 can be further customized by you with some paint, a cushion, or one of the vinyl stickers offered to create truly unique pieces for your home or office. One trip to the website will demonstrate just how adaptable these storage pieces really are.

4. Gather

Whether you work from an office, from your home, or both, the need for desktop organization is always apparent. Clutter from a day’s work has a way of sneaking up on you, and there aren’t many attractive, all-in-one designs to keep things where they belong. Fortunately, Jeff Sheldon has felt your pain and set out to create a solution called Gather.

“Gather adapts to your workspace and workflow to make sure the tools you need are always within reach.” Aesthetically attractive, and flexible in design, it’s described as a “modular home for your essentials, thoughtfully designed to help you cut through the clutter.” Able to be configured in hundreds of ways, this is a tool that was designed to be highly adaptable to the user’s needs.

The gridded track systems allows items to be placed and rotated along the base, and other expansion pieces may be added to the back or sides through magnetization. And, if that’s not cool enough, you can also combine two full sets and completely expand the organizer.

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The post 4 Flexible and Innovative Storage Solutions to Fit Your Life appeared first on EcoSalon.

Bring color into your home with easy DIY color projects.

Color is more than just a way to add visual interest. Adding color can make your home cozier, help you start your day feeling invigorated, and provide that warm feeling of a safe haven when you return from work in the evening.

Bringing color into your home is also a way to show off your personality and your personal style. Get creative and inspired to take on some easy DIY color projects to brighten your home.

DIY Color Projects

1. Colorful Table Linens

Turn plain cotton napkins, runners, and/or table cloths into colorful coverings. Use fabric paints to create color-filled color sprays, repeat patterns, polka dots, or other colorful designs.

2. Painted/Decoupaged Bookshelves

Add color to plain bookshelves by painting the backs and/or the fronts of shelving units. You can also mix and match decoupaging with colorful papers to add color and pattern.

3. Tie-Dye Pillows

One super easy way to get colorful pillows is to buy plain white pillows and tie-dye them. Instead of adding multiple colors on each pillow, tie-dye individual pillows different colors for a modern  look.

4. Dipped Dyed Lampshades

Bring faded lampshades back to life by dip dying them. Dip dying is both simple to do and completely on trend. Choose one color and dye all the lampshades in a room, or go for it and use a different color for each shade.

5. All the Trimmings Curtains

Add fun fabric trims to plain curtains for instant color. Make a visit to the fabric store to get inspired by everything from pom pom trims, tassels and fringe, embroidered jacquard ribbon, and more. Don’t worry if you can’t sew–a little fabric glue will do the trick.

6. Splash Art

Turn a plain piece of canvas into a colorful work of art–and painting skills are not required! Anyone can drizzle, splash, or spray using colorful acrylic paints to create an abstract work of art.

7. Ombre T-shirt Rug

Score some overachiever DIY points by repurposing t-shirts to make an ombre t-shirt rug. Dye old t-shirts using shades of your favorite color from light to dark. Once the t-shirts are dry, cut them into strips and follow this tutorial for making a rag t-shirt rug.

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The post 7 Inexpensive DIY Color Projects to Brighten Your Space appeared first on EcoSalon.

The things you can convert when you are a carpenter are impressive! Just check out this bus home. 

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If you’re ready to depart from the customary offerings, then you’ll love these homemade hostess gifts. We’re confident you’ll like them so much that you’d better make a few extra for yourself.

Yes, wine is great, and no one is saying you can’t still include a bottle with each of these presents, but let’s mix it up a bit this year. Some hostess gifts are cringeworthy. I mean, would you really want that decoupaged vase made from old holiday wrapping paper in your house? While others require forking out a lot of dough just to impress. Lavish gifts need not apply.

This season, I encourage you to roll up your sleeves, dear crafters, and let’s get some beautiful gifts lined up for your hostess with the mostess.

1. Infused Sugars

Perfect for coffee, tea, desserts, cocktails, and more, scented and flavor-infused sugars are sure to impress your hostess. A truly unique gift, these can be whipped up in a matter of minutes and will add an aromatic smell and special flavor to whatever you decide to use them in.

It’s as simple as putting your favorite ingredients – vanilla bean, orange peel and bourbon, edible flowers, etc. – in with a coarse sugar like turbinado (usually vegan), and storing in an airtight jar. Feel free to add a decorative label, ribbon, or other personal touches. The tutorial from Food on Fifth is a great place to start.

2. Personalized Tea Bags

In this tutorial from Nellie Bellie, loose leaf tea is transformed into the sweetest set of personalized tea bags. This particular method does not require sewing, although there are some how-tos out there that call for a sewing machine if you’d prefer that route.

These are great because you have control over the color of the twine, the tag’s shape and size, and whether or not you want to include a message on said tag. The DIY uses coffee filters – unbleached is a great choice – and the loose leaf tea and additional spices of your choice. Holiday themed flavors, like pumpkin, cinnamon, or peppermint, would be fitting. Arrange the finished product in a pretty mug or box.

3. Natural Room Scents

Probably my favorite on the list, this tutorial from The Yummy Life is such a pretty, inexpensive, and healthy way to infuse your home with a natural scent. Prepping the ingredients for all of your recipients can be done at one time and refrigerated for a few days ahead of giving.

If you really want to round out the present, then pair the scented jars with a mini crock pot. They have a two-cup capacity, which is perfect for holding the contents of a pint size jar. Have fun with the scents – you can use things like vanilla beans, citrus, cinnamon sticks, extracts, and so much more.

4. Fresh Breakfast Bread

Julie Blanner shared a delicious and economical gift idea. By using one a favorite breakfast bread recipe and a few embellishments, you can bake your way into the heart of your hostess. Since this is so cost effective, we recommend splurging on some really high quality, organic ingredients to make the flavor pop.

The original tutorial used reusable loaf pans that were purchased on sale for a dollar, but you can also use recycled content paper baking pans that can be composted when they’re empty. Tie these up with twine, and add embellishments like cinnamon sticks, herbs, parchment paper, edible flowers, ornaments, craft paper, ribbon, washi tape, and more.

5. Embellished Bouquet

Maybe you’re not the crafty type, or you simply don’t have time for any sort of DIY project this year. Well, we’ve got some ideas on how to jazz up a hand-picked (or store bought, if none are in season locally) bouquet of flowers in a matter of minutes.

Design Sponge has a tutorial on how to turn branches and blooms into something really spectacular. Plus, they had the genius idea of wrapping it all up in a tea towel (linen is nice), and including a wooden spoon attached with a ribbon. There are so many variations you could do here – metal cookie cutters, measuring spoons, a packet of seeds, or an ornament would all work well as a stand-in for the spoon.

Let us know what you think about our homemade hostess gifts on the  EcoSalon Facebook page!

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The post 5 Impressively Simple and Chic Homemade Hostess Gifts appeared first on EcoSalon.

If this time of year drives you crazy, then you’re going to love these helpful ways to reduce stress and put you on the path to a happier holiday.

You have food to cook, shopping to do, a family that needs you, a career that demands you, presents to wrap, events to attend, and the list could go on and on. However, what’s often not at the top of the roster is how to deal with all of these obligations and reduce your overall stress levels. While we aren’t promising miracles, we do think that these proven methods will bring you some relief.

You probably know by now that exercise and meditation are proven ways to release endorphins and minimize stress, but sometimes when you’re in the thick of things working out and attempting to find your inner yogi can seem more like a curse than a blessing. Rather than having to psych yourself up to partake in sweating it out, we’ve rounded up a few ideas that won’t feel like an extra chore to add to your lengthy holiday to-do list.

Whether you have a few seconds, minutes, or hours, these ways to reduce stress are simple, enjoyable, and can be done before the holidays arrive.

1. Social Media Break

Don’t worry, it’s not forever, but a little break might do you some good. If you’re feeling defeated because Sally has already decorated her tree, prepped for Thanksgiving dinner, and is showing off her umpteenth handmade DIY project (that doesn’t look like it was slapped together by a 5-year-old), then you’re not alone.

According to anxiety.org, social media sites, and the addiction that often accompanies, has a real propensity to cause anxiety, depression, and stress. The “compare-and-despair factor,” as it’s so accurately called, conjures up feelings of self-consciousness and the need for perfectionism. You might be surprised at how much more productive you become, or that you have a few extra minutes to indulge in good book once you ditch the apps.

2. Hug Somebody

When I get stressed the last thing on my mind is taking the time to slow down and appreciate those closest to me. Bad, I know. But, according to Carnegie Mellon researchers, a hug a day can have tremendous health benefits.

Sharing a hug with someone delivers feelings of having greater social support, and thus reduces the risk of infections as a result of stress. The subsequent oxytocin release also promotes feelings of calmness, closeness, and intimacy. All things we could use a little more of during the holidays.

3. Avoid Alcohol

A glass of wine may seem like a good coping mechanism to deal with the curveballs life throws at you, especially during the holidays, but Psych Central discourages this sort of behavior, especially if you have a family history of alcoholism. High levels of stress may affect the quantity and frequency of your drinking, making it likely that you’ll consume much more than intended.

De-stress with teas like chamomile, peppermint, and kava, the last of which has a highly-researched and proven track record of combating anxiety. For additional drink options that will help put the brakes on feelings of stress, check out Natural Living Ideas for more suggestions.

4. Think Happy Thoughts

Don’t know about you, but I’m definitely guilty of stressing myself out. Not only do I live in the future or the past when I should be in the present, but I can get bogged down by negative self-talk in a jiffy. Although thinking happy thoughts may be an older, more widely-known technique for reducing stress, it’s importance never goes out of style.

Sometimes it’s easy to think up a happy thought on the fly, while other times our minds are so entrenched in the muddied patterns of negativity, that we couldn’t conjure up a cheerful sentiment if we tried. Luckily, Tiny Buddha has 20 thoughts that will help relieve depression and anxiety for when you just can’t even.

5. Nix the Politics

According to The Washington Post, “Americans cited ‘hearing about what the government or politicians are doing’ as the most frequent daily stressor on their lives.” Now that the election is over, magnify that by a thousand. Talking politics is treading on shaky ground, so we suggest avoiding it all together this holiday season.

While it’s important to exercise our First Amendment right, sometimes it’s okay to skip the political banter in favor of something more lighthearted. The last thing we need around the holidays is contention, and while you can’t guarantee that all of your relatives will follow suit, you can set the tone for your gathering by asking guests to refrain from discussing politics. And if they just can’t help themselves, then have a few ideas on hand to interject with and change the subject.

6. Get Lost

Whether it’s in a book, in the woods, while watching a funny movie, or conquering that craft project, the bottom line is: focus on something that brings you joy and less on the things that are causing your stress. Next to doing nothing and letting your mind recharge, getting lost in the process and letting your cares melt away is a great de-stressor. Even if it is only a temporary escape, it’s certainly a healthy one.

What do you think about our ways to reduce stress? Share your thoughts with us on the EcoSalon Facebook page!

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The post 6 Ways to Reduce Stress Before the Holidays (that Don’t Involve Exercise or Meditation) appeared first on EcoSalon.

Every kitchen could use a pick-me-up now and then, which is why we’ve rounded up a handful of kitchen DIY ideas just in time for the holidays.

Whether you have five days, five hours, or five minutes, take some time and freshen up the heart of your home. Even if you’re not a savvy DIY-er, many of these projects take very little creativity or technical skills to accomplish.

1. Chic Shelf Paper

Shelf liner, wallpaper, and even leftover wrapping paper are great ways to freshen up your cabinets. First, it’s perfect for covering up less than savory looking shelf bottoms on older cabinets and inside drawers. It will add a pop of color, or a fun geometric pattern. And finally, it can bring life to open shelving areas, spots where you may have removed your upper cabinet doors altogether, and glass front cabinets, including the china hutch that desperately needs a makeover, like this “after” beauty over at HGTV.

Choose a patterned option for something fun and unexpected, especially if you plan on having your in-laws over for the holidays. You never know when they might be trying to snoop, I mean, find the plates so they can set the table, silly! Another option for a more eco-friendly touch is choosing cork liner. This earthy tone and texture would look great with cabinets that are white, gray, black, or dark brown for a nice color contrast.

2. Savvy Storage

Don’t settle for looking at a boring sack of flour or bag of sugar, if you’re doing any cooking in your kitchen this season, make it easier on the eyes and more efficient by swapping out bulky baggies for cool canisters. Whether you opt for Momtastic blog’s mason jar hack, complete with chalkboard lids for easy labeling, or prefer a modern geometric look to your containers, make it happen before the guests start pouring in.

Branch out from only organizing the ingredients – your tools are just as important. Pick up a few natural baskets or revamped thrift store trays that you can display on your kitchen counters, and fill or stack these with your important tools, like the rolling pin, your cookbook, small cutting board, your favorite seasonings, a paring knife, and other go-to items that you can tote around the space as you cook.

3. Peg Board

If your oven also doubles as the storage space for your pots and pans, then it’s time to find a solution before you end up playing musical chairs with your cooking vessels. Peg board is a great way to make room for these items without the need for extra cabinet or counter space. Simply hang a sheet, paint it, grab your hooks, and start organizing. And don’t limit this kitchen DIY to only pots and pans – cooking utensils, cheese graters, colanders, and pretty much anything with a handle or a hole that doesn’t weigh a ton can be hung here, too. Check out the simple how-to from Inspired by Charm.

4. Seating Solutions

Don’t be tempted to turn your shindig into a B.Y.O.C. event. Instead, create more seating from thrift store finds, or add a little personality to the barstools and chairs you already own. One great solution is to pick up some secondhand seating, even if they don’t match, and create continuity by painting them all the same color, or variations of the same, like they did over at A Beautiful Mess. And still going strong is the popular look of adding just a splash of color by dip dying the legs of chairs and barstools. Either way, these are top notch for a stylish eat-in kitchen.

5. Open Shelving

Open shelving is a great way to display your favorite kitchen possessions, allowing for more storage space in other areas. You can accomplish this by going the traditional thick wood shelf and bracket route, which is always a winner, or by trying something less conventional. Hanging metal baskets are perfect for storing produce, and wall-mounted crates are great rustic ways to display and store kitchen goods. The DIY from 11 Magnolia Lane turned out great!

6. Bar Cart

A cool bar cart, whether revamped from a small dresser, large nightstand, or just a really outdated original, is a great little piece to include in your kitchen. Putting it on casters, if it isn’t already, makes it mobile so you can trek it all around the house. When the holidays roll around, one handy way to make use of your bar cart is to set up a self-serve area with a signature cocktail or hot chocolate station that guests can interact with. This bar cart re-do from Design Sponge is the perfect inspiration piece.

7. Freshen Up

Fresh fruits and veggies are instant kitchen brighteners. Help them stand out by grouping in a large bowl on your counter, or in a trio of glass jars. The vibrant color from a big vessel filled with lemons or green apples is always a nice touch. Another option is stand alone produce, like a gathering of pumpkins, whether decorated or as-is, displayed on your counter. Fresh cut flowers also provide an instant kitchen pick-me-up. A vase, jar, or pitcher filled with a bunch of budding botanicals adds the perfect for a splash of color. Grab some on the morning of your gathering from the local farmer’s market. Yummy Mummy Kitchen has great flower arranging tips.

We hope you’ve enjoyed our simple, yet effective, kitchen DIY ideas! Let us know your favorites on the EcoSalon Facebook page!

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The post 7 Simple Kitchen DIY Ideas You Can Actually Accomplish Before the Holidays appeared first on EcoSalon.

Fall is upon us, which means the holidays will soon be here, but don’t worry – we have seven beautiful and eco-friendly home decor pieces that are perfect for warming up your home and welcoming guests just in time for the festivities.

Combine getting your home in tip-top shape with the impending holidays, and you’ve got the recipe for a panic attack. Sometimes, getting your hands on good looking eco-friendly home decor can be hard to do, especially when all your time is being spent breathing heavily into a paper bag. (Just sayin’.)

Luckily, though, I’ve gone ahead and rounded up seven gorgeous pieces that just about anyone would want to have in their home. Take a peek at my choices, and either snag one for yourself, pick one up for a lucky recipient–or glean a little holiday inspiration for the season.

1. Marbled Handwoven Throw

Hello, Gorgeous! I have officially found my new favorite home decor accent. I mean, who doesn’t want a little marble in every room of the house, right? And the best part about this all-cotton throw, aside from the awesome marbled look, is that it’s artisan made and handwoven. Toss this over your favorite chair, and use it to stay toasty on cool fall evenings.

2. Reclaimed Cookbook Holder

Perfect for the chef of the house, and especially for those easily distracted, burn-the-Tofurky kinda cooks, this beautiful stand with warm, reclaimed wood and steel accents is perfect for nailing all of your holiday recipes. The best part, aside from its sustainability and good looks, is that it doesn’t matter if you prefer old fashioned paper, or a tech-based recipe reader, the stand can easily accommodate either.

3. Geometric Eco-Cotton Rug

Treat your guests and yourself with a soft new rug underfoot. Not only is this modern geometric carpet beautiful, but it’s also ethically made by employees who are of legal working age and treated well. This particular rug is from the eco-cotton collection, which uses clean donated textiles to spin new yarn, so you can give thanks for innovative techniques this season, as well.

4. Teak Salt and Pepper Set

We believe good things come in small packages, just like this salt and pepper serving set. A great little story to share around the dinner table is that each one of these is crafted from excess materials from the logging industry, so no new trees are cut down for its making. Recommended for artisanal finishing salts and freshly ground pepper, it’s sure to be a hit.

5. Mid Century Tallboy

This vintage tallboy is the perfect accent piece for an entry way, dining space, or living room. Fall decor would look fabulous against its high gloss black finish, and the clean lines work well in a variety of settings. Whether eclectic, modern, vintage, or transitional, a piece like this will really add a lot of style and warmth to any room.

6. Natural Fuzzy Ikat Pillow

Next time you’re indulging in your hot cocoa and sappy holiday movie ritual, make sure you have this extra fuzzy Ikat pillow to cry into snuggle up with. Made from natural and sustainable materials, the unique design and conscientious craftsmanship is perfect for the boho-chic decor lover in us all. Trust me, your cat, Mr. Fluffy Pants, will thank you for it.

7. Organic Eclectic Leopard Chair

Be still, my heart! This leopard chair is on the tippy top of my wish list, but if you’re lucky enough to splurge now, then I’d definitely recommend working this into your living room, like now. With organic cotton, natural linen, recycled filling, and certified wood materials, this plush chair is sustainable and stylish. I can totally imagine this chair and that vintage tallboy being BFFs in some special person’s living room.

Don’t hate me ‘cause you want them all! But do relish in their gorgeousness and let the furnishings serve as inspiration for the holiday season. Not only can eco-friendly home decor be warm and inviting, it also proves that being stylish is better for the environment. And, even if your budget doesn’t have the room for new pieces right now, I can definitely see the DIY potential in a lot of these.

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The post 7 Warm and Inviting Eco-Friendly Home Decor Pieces You Won’t Want to Miss appeared first on EcoSalon.

India’s handmade carpet industry has been exploiting people for decades, with no repercussions for the brazen use of child labor to produce the country’s number one export. So what’s being done to put a stop to these cruel and inhumane practices? 

Sugarcane, tobacco, cocoa, and clothing are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to industries in which children are being exploited for their labor. And although many of these sectors have been on the radar for quite some time, there may be one that surprises you. Those beautiful, handmade rugs from India that you’ve been pinning like crazy to your living room decor board have also been an unfortunate part of that list of tainted goods. With knowledge of such abuse dating as far back as the early 1990s, it has been difficult to reform largely in part because India is the world’s largest exporter of hand crafted rugs.

In case you’re not fully familiar with what child labor means or entails, the International Labor Organization defines it as “work that deprives children of their childhood, their potential and their dignity, and that is harmful to physical and mental development.” Furthermore, “in its most extreme forms, child labor involves children being enslaved, separated from their families, exposed to serious hazards and illnesses and/or left to fend for themselves on the streets of large cities – often at a very early age.” Sadly, this has become the picture of the handmade carpet industry in India.

According to The Harvard Crimson, in 2014, a report deemed “the largest ever first-hand investigation into slavery and child labor in India’s handmade carpet sector” was released by Harvard University’s François-Xavier Bagnoud Center for Health and Human Rights. Its author, Siddarth Kara, who is an adjunct lecturer on public policy at the Harvard Kennedy School as well as a fellow with the FXB Center, sent out a team of anonymous researchers into suspected regions in order to uncover the abuse directly, thereby refuting various claims that child labor, including slavery and child abuse, had been resolved in this particular industry.  

In the report, the allegations were at once appalling and eye-opening. Over 3,200 cases of various forms of child abuse, child labor, and slavery were documented beyond the customary “Carpet Belt” and into nine other states across northern India. The researchers were also able to trace the tainted carpets from the point of manufacture to the point of sale in the United States.

Although this doesn’t begin to scratch the surface so much as it does to summarize it, the team uncovered the following conditions along the way:

• Workers started as young as 8-years-old.

• The average work day was found to be 10 to 12 hours, six to seven days a week.

• There were 1,406 cases of child labor found, with an estimated 20 percent industry prevalence.

• There were 2,010 cases of bonded labor (a pledge of labor in exchange for security of repayment of debt or other obligation), with an estimated 28 percent industry prevalence.

• Some 286 cases of human trafficking were uncovered, with an estimated 4 percent industry prevalence.

• As many as 2,675 cases were discovered in hand-knotted carpet production, and 540 cases in the hand-tufted sector.

• Not surprisingly, 80 percent of loans in bonded labor cases were taken for basic consumption.

• In addition to the above findings, a “New Carpet Belt” of child labor, human trafficking, and “numerous cases of children being bought and sold into outright slavery” were also uncovered.

Many times, the conditions in which these children are forced to work are so destitute, that they have been described as subhuman. Per The Harvard Crimson: “Factories and shacks were cramped, filthy, unbearably hot…filled with stagnant and dust-filled air, and contaminated with grime and mold. Some sites were so filthy, pungent, and dangerous that the researchers were afraid to enter due to the risk to their safety.” Desperate, alone, and afraid, these children are exposed time and time again to the deep, dark, depths of inhumanity with no hope in sight.

Aside from awareness, which Kara and his team have so excellently raised, what else can be done to remedy the atrocities from India’s the handmade rug industry?

Conscientiousness is of the utmost importance, and education on the issues from other resources is essential before potentially spending your money on an item that directly contributes to the abuse and exploitation of minors. GoodWeave, a nonprofit organization that aims to “stop child labor in the carpet industry and to replicate its market-based approach in other sectors” is a great place to start. It offers current statistics, ways to campaign, updates on progress, and resources on where to purchase GoodWeave certified rugs that are guaranteed to be child labor-free.

It will take more than just a village to really abolish such abuses. Every purchase counts, so remember make yours meaningful.

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