Whether you’re looking to redecorate, trying to find that missing piece, or you just enjoy a really good-looking chair, then you’re going to love our eco-friendly furniture selections that will have you sitting your booty down and putting your feet up every chance you get.

1. Bath Chair

This artist prefers her seating to be as squeaky clean as the materials she recycles. Old bathtubs done “disco” style are this quirky designer’s signature chair. Not only does she make good use of discarded household items, but she really gives them a glamorous touch. Shiny mosaic tiles, a streamlined frame, and perhaps one of the coolest seat bases we’ve seen in a long while, this bathtub-turned-chair has really got it going on. If you want to commission one for yourself, contact the artist, Helen Stephenson.

2. Steel Chair

From the popular sustainable and eco-friendly furniture retailer, Bambeco, comes this industrial, stylish, sustainable, and multi-functional steel side chair. The recycled chair is powder-coated so as not to emit any VOCs and can even be recycled at the end of its (hopefully) very long life. Gather these around a sleek, modern table, or one crafted from a rustic slab of wood, for two totally different, but equally successful pairings. Choose a single chair, pop in an accent pillow, and place it next to a funky side table for a nice corner seating area, or pick them in pairs and position them opposite your sofa to complete your conversation zone.

3. Hanging Chair

There’s something so fun and childlike about a hanging chair, and the one pictured here from Uncommon Goods is actually sustainable. Handmade by the endangered Mlabri people in northern Thailand, who were once nearly wiped out in the mid-20^th century when the teak forests near their home were cut down for decorative wood, have found a self-sustaining niche through the use of their traditional weaving skills. This funky black and white hammock can be stretched out to seven feet or as a lounge seat, as shown above, with your feet dangling over the side. Hang this on your porch or incorporate it inside to compliment a casual coastal or bohemian inspired theme.

4. Corkigami Chair

The designer that completed this chair has manipulated cork in a striking and stylish way. From conception to fruition, you can actually see the evolution of the Corkigami seat. The designer has left nothing to the imagination, including his preliminary sketches, tiny prototypes, the assembly, and the final construction and product. If you’re interested in snagging one of these sustainable seats for yourself, it seems as though the artist is more than happy to accommodate customers by shipping this product directly to you. For more info, check out Carlos Ortega Design.

5. Grayson Chair

The Grayson chair is a much more traditional looking seat from retailer Crate and Barrel that also happens to be eco-friendly. Crafted in the USA, this cushy chair has a benchmade frame that uses certified sustainable, kiln-dried hardwood, and boasts a soy-based polyfoam and fiber cushioning. We’re really loving the crimson pink fabric and think that it would add the perfect punch to a bedroom, living room, or office.

6. Reclaimed Elm Chair

Rustic yet contemporary, this chair works well for even the modern home thanks to its clean lined design and crisp, white cushions. These chairs are completely handcrafted from salvaged elm and come from trusted sustainable retailer, Viva Terra. Place them side-by-side to create a cool bench effect, or use them singly. Adding fun, colorful cushions with geometric patterns, or something more whimsical and bohemian, would look stunning against the wood and white cushions of these chairs, really helping them pop.

7. Vespa Chair

Artists and designers, Bel and Bel, share more than just the same last name, they also have a passion for design that focuses on the repurposing of old objects into something that’s not just beautiful, but also highly functional. Take their Vespa scooter chair, for example. These vintage pieces have been totally transformed into office style chairs that will allow you to have a little piece of history to admire while you’re getting down to business.

8. Float Onearm Chair

We really like the idea of getting two pieces of furniture in one and with this sustainable seat, you get exactly that. The Float Onearm chair incorporates an integrated end table into its simple, sleek, modern, and functional design. Handmade in the USA for Viesso, the renewable bamboo frame is upholstered in Los Angeles with your choice of fabric and uses a high density natural latex foam that’s Certi-PUR certified. This seat would look great in a contemporary or minimalist studio or even in a commercial office setting. Fortunately, if you like what you see, there’s an entire collection to go along with it.

With all of these beautiful chairs, we hope you’re able to choose from our sustainable selection of eco-friendly furniture and decorating ideas. Although it’s difficult to decide where you’d like to park your derriere next, we hope you’ll share your faves with us on the EcoSalon Facebook page!

Related on EcoSalon 

Vintage Furniture Ideas for Every Room in the House

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Image of White Chair via Shutterstock

The post Have a Seat in Style with this Eco-Friendly Furniture appeared first on EcoSalon.

Bring yellow kitchen decor ideas into your space for a brighter and fresher home.

Many people are completely comfortable using yellow for those much-needed pops of color, but not as comfortable using yellow decor as the main color. That’s a darn shame. Yellow has a enough personality to be the star of any room in the house, and especially in the kitchen.

Yellow Kitchen Decor Ideas for Making Yellow the Star of Your Kitchen

1. Yellow Walls

Think outside the kitchen for yellow walls. The key is choose the right yellow for your space. Let your decor style guide you in your choice of wall color. A brighter canary yellow might work better for a more retro kitchen, while a soft buttery yellow might work better for a more contemporary styled kitchen.

Another favorite yellow kitchen decor ideas is to choose a patterned yellow wallpaper to be the focal point of the room. If you aren’t sure about the allover wallpaper impact in the kitchen, choose one wall as a accent wall that can act as the dramatic focal point.

2. What Goes with Yellow? Color Combos to Love!

One way to control color in any room is to utilize color combinations and it’s the same for the kitchen. For a really bold look, combine bright yellow walls with bright pink accents. For a more calming combination, consider a soft yellow table and chairs with pastel turquoise walls. Think about what other colors you like with yellow and how you could incorporate those combinations in your kitchen.

3. Statement Furniture Pieces Always Work

If you aren’t sure about committing to yellow paint or wallpaper, but what to bring more yellow kitchen decor ideas into your kitchen, adding statement furniture pieces is one way to do it. Add pieces individually or collectively! Don’t be bashful about adding color. A painted yellow sideboard and table and chairs could really tie your yellow kitchen together.

4. Yellow Flooring and Rugs

There are two ways we love to bring color into a the kitchen–with a painted floor or with a colorful throw rugs. One solution is definitely more of a commitment, while the other let’s you dabble with incorporating color into your kitchen.

5. Home Textiles That Pop

Another way, and often less intimidating way, to add yellow is with home textiles. From blinds and curtains to tablecloths and cloth napkins, get creative with adding yellow to your kitchen. This is a quick way to adopt any color trend without a whole lot of time and money! Plus, it’s one way that apartment dwellers can add a color trend to their kitchen too.

Related on EcoSalon:

Color Trend in Home Decorating: Yellow is the New Black

7 Simple Rules for Picking Wall Paint Colors

7 Wall Painting Trends for Your Home Décor

ellow Kitchen Image via Shutterstock

The post 5 Yellow Kitchen Decor Ideas for the Color Adventurous! appeared first on EcoSalon.

Graphic patterns, whether used for a wall or an accent, can make or break a room’s interior design, but so many people shy away from incorporating them. There’s no reason to be intimidated—many graphic patterns are actually of ancient origin and have a long history of use—some for thousands of years. Here’s a primer featuring 7 on trend graphic patterns for you to consider adding to your home—and now you’ll know exactly what you’re talking about when you hear the buzzwords! 

Damask

Image: Cutting Edge Stencils

Damask originally comes from Damascus (Syria) and its origins are rich, woven textiles. The defining characteristics of the damask pattern is that it features a reversible (mirrored) decoratively ornate focal point. Two-color contrast damasks are the most popular. Damask is very ornate and can be used when you want to add some drama, so it should be the star of any room that incorporates it, so be careful with damask as it can overpower a room.

Faux Bois

Image: Sew Gracious

Faux bois is French for “fake wood” and it attempts to depict the graininess of real wood. Faux bois is part of the trompe-l’oeil family—designs meant to fool the eye. It can be used to create a wood-paneled look via wallpaper , used on faux bois throw pillows and textiles, and more. Faux bois can be a great way to incorporate a pattern in your home decor but have it present as a neutral. It’s also a pattern that lends itself to both casual (urban cabin!) and more sophisticated interiors.

Quatrefoil

Image: designed beginnings

The word quatrefoil means “four leaves” in Latin and it describes a symmetrical shape made up of circular and overlapping segments. It has its roots in Christian symbolism and can take the form of a single quatrefoil shape or in a repeat pattern of quatrefoils (like the wallpaper shown above). The quatrefoil is also a common theme in Moroccan-style patterns.

Chevron

Image: royal design stencils

The chevron pattern is a bold, geometric inverted v-shaped pattern that can be traced back to ancient times. It’s seen some recent popularity in the home design world and can be used on walls, furniture, accessories and more. It does well in both modern and contemporarily decorated homes, and works as a dynamic pattern without getting too fussy.

Greek Key

Image: FestiveHomeDecor

The Greek key pattern also comes to us from the ancient world. It consists of a continuous line that folds into itself to create blocks. It’s often used as a border for curtains or molding, but can be used more comprehensively in smaller doses too (like the pillows, above). It’s also a bold, geometric pattern like chevron (also above, shown with ikat, in the middle, as well).

Ikat

Image: toni marie designs

Ikat is a pre-Columbian resist dyeing and weaving technique that is still utilized today. The prints that technique produces can be described as exotic by some, and do offer a lot of variation, although the most popular features repeat patterns of jagged or blurred oval-like shapes. It can be used to add a bit of bohemia or looseness to your graphic pattern decor.

Houndstooth

Image: Antiquated Revolution

Houndstooth makes one think of Sherlock Holmes, although it has its beginnings in Scotland. It’s a variation of the checked pattern and features skewed or broken checks. It’s a traditional menswear fabric pattern and subsequently imbibes a more masculine or distinguished  feel to rooms that include it. It can be more stately, but also used in fresher, modern ways as well, depending on the room and furniture style that accompanies it.

Top Image: Pat Print by Amy

Related on Ecosalon:

How to Use 5 Bold Design Patterns to Make Your Home Pop, Gorgeously

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The post 7 Graphic Patterns For Home Decor You Don’t Know the Names Of—But Will Now! appeared first on EcoSalon.

Welcome back to Ecosalon’s Inspiration Home series, where we take you on on a virtual tour of a real home. Last time around we gave you a peek into an Eclectic Rustic Contemporary Home, and for this edition we look at a rustic, charming and artistic oasis. We are looking for folks who want to share their home for the series, so please get in touch if you are interested.

Today we share the home of Margaret Oomen. Margaret is a family physician in a small town in Canada, a blogger (whose blog you will fall into), and creative maker of things. Her home is filled with family, nature, snails, kitty cats, collections and the gorgeous things that Margaret herself makes. It’s also a magically inviting rustic oasis of a home with a porch that just calls out to you to come on up for visit and a glass of lemonade. 

Jen Wallace: First off, tell us a little about yourself.

Margaret Oomen: I am a family physician, mother of four, maker of things, collector and lover of all things natural.

JW: Tell us about your home in your own words. 

MO: I live in a home in the heart of a town that has grown to a population of about 40,000. The house is a three-story brick building;  the third floor was once a separate apartment and has its own small kitchen and full bathroom. My eldest daughter lives there while completing her masters degree in geriatric social work. I have an enclosed backyard with a board and batten shed, currently used for storage. There are gardens on all sides of our home.

JW: I love how your home seems like a space that is actually utilized and not just some showroom. It seems that your home decor is organically created and always changing—would you say that’s accurate?

MO: I think my style is no style at all. Almost all my furniture was either inherited from my mother’s home (some was her mother’s), or was found at auctions, thrift stores, curbside or at trunk sales. I love natural materials like wood, linen and cotton and you will see them throughout my home. I want everything to be comfortable and inviting for exploration by family and friends. I love when someone pulls a vintage book off the shelf and starts reading it or inquires about a certain fossil or feather.

JW: Cats, snails, kids, family—your home seems always to be filled. How does that impact your decor?

MO: My style is very relaxed and comfortable; nothing is irreplaceable. I am often giving things away to make room for new treasures and handmade artworks so the home gallery is always evolving. I used to create using temporary spaces such as the kitchen or dining room table but when a major change in my life occurred, a marital separation, I decided it was time to a literally carve out my own a creative space. I made a studio in the first floor and that is where I create now. But during the warmer months, you be most likely to find me on my porch or dyeing fabrics in the backyard.

JW: Nature also seems to be important to your life; how does that manifest itself in your home?

MO: I am always bringing the outdoors in with flowers, plants, mosses, lichens, stones, feathers, driftwood, and more. I also spend a tremendous amount of time outside communing with nature.

JW: What’s your favorite room in the house?

MO: My favorite place is not really a room but the wraparound porch. We eat all our meals there—it is lit up for the evenings—and it is surrounded by fragrant gardens and the green shade of a very large magnolia tree. We have a small pond with fish beside the side steps to the porch with a fountain that sounds like a babbling brook.

JW: Is the porch also the place you find yourself spending the most time? If not, which room is? 

MO: I love the porch and outside. Definitely. But, of course, not in the winter. During the cold months of winter you will find me in my studio or in the kitchen.

JW: If you could change anything about your home, what would it be?

MO: I would add a solarium to the kitchen and find a way to add a fireplace to the porch without fear of burning down the house.

JW: Conversely, what would you never change?

MO: I would never stop having an extensive library of new and vintage books.

JW: Anything else you care to share?

MO: Thank you for being interested in my home. It really is an oasis in the midst of a very urban environment very close to one of the biggest cities in Canada.

Images by Margaret Oomen.

Related on Ecosalon:

An Eclectic Rustic Contemporary Home: Inspiration Home

English Country Cottage Style: Inspiration Home

The post A Gorgeous Rustic Oasis in Canada: Inspiration Home appeared first on EcoSalon.

2013 has been and will continue to be the year of the design pattern in interior decorating. Bold graphics adorn everything from throw pillows, wall prints and lamps to rugs, wallpaper and furniture. And the patterns run the gamut from traditional floral to more exotic animal patterns. If you like prints and patterns, it’s actually quite a fun time to be decorating or redecorating your home because of all the great graphic trends going on. The only limits are your budget and creativity (of course, tastefulness is always a consideration too).

So, what are the hottest graphic pattern trends in interior decorating?

1. Geometrics

Image: West Elm

Geometric design patterns and prints are nothing new, but they will continue to dominate the home decor realm for the rest of 2013. Repeat patterns featuring chevrons, triangles, circles, polyhedrons and hexagons are especially on trend. Go bold and use this trend on your walls or on the floor via a rug or even painted floor or experiment with something as simple as accent pillows or a throw blanket.

2. Stripes

Image: Potterybarn.com

Stripes are also very on trend in interior decorating, whether they are thick or thin, colorful or monochromatic, vertical or horizontal. Stripes are a great pattern to utilize for pattern mixing to add visual interest. Mix horizontal and vertical stripes, mix and match polka dots and stripes or even mix stripes and another trend like geomatics or bird or other animal patterns (see below).

3. Animal Prints

Image: Julia Rothman

Animals enough to fill a forest (or populate an African Savannah) are all over the home decor world this year. Popular creatures include leopards, tigers and zebras, birds, elephants and dogs. They’re popping up in new colors like neutrals or rich fall colors and repeating patterns of leaping, walking, hopping critters are perfectly on point.

4. Natural Elements

Image: Ferm Living

Natural pattern elements like faux bois (fake wood), feather and botanicals are making the rounds; again, don’t be afraid to use these patterns for all aspects of your home decor from walls and floors to furniture and accents—and mix and match them.

5. Florals

Image: Pier 1 Imports

Floral patterns for 2013-2014 are fresh and invigorating. Monochromatic and colorful patterns are both popular, but florals on white backgrounds aren’t. Don’t be afraid to use flower patterns from wallpaper and furniture upholstery to rugs and bedding. The key to using florals is to not overdo it and to mix them with color accents or even other patterns.

Related on Ecosalon:

How To Wear It: Pattern Mixing

On Trend: African Prints

The post How to Use 5 Bold Design Patterns to Make Your Home Pop, Gorgeously appeared first on EcoSalon.

Welcome to Ecosalon’s Inspiration Home series, where we take you on a virtual tour of a real home. Last time around we shared a charming English country cottage-style home ,and for this edition of the series we are sharing a rustic-styled contemporary home. As always, if you’d like to share your home, please get in touch.

Tasha McKelvey is a professional ceramic artist from Richmond, VA. She and her husband (and six month old beagle) live in a 99-year-old rehabbed home near the south bank of the James River, which they purchased in spring 2009. Lucky for them, that meant they could focus on decorating instead of putting their time and energy into updating and remodeling.

The pair are both artists/musicians who are committed to sustainable living and their approach to decorating is making their home reflect who they are, while making it as comfortable as possible. They have blended their tastes and interests into an eclectic home that looks wonderfully inviting.

Jen Wallace: Your style seems to be blend of a contemporary home with rustic touches, can you talk a little about that? Was this intentional or did it just develop?

Tasha McKelvey: I think that’s a pretty good description of our house’s style. I think a home should reflect the personalities and interests of the people living in it, so it wasn’t particularly intentional. Even though I took the lead on decorating, I wanted to make sure my husband was part of the process. We picked out the paint colors together and I made sure nothing was over-the-top feminine. I enjoy modern design, but I know we have too much stuff and not enough closets to make a go at a strictly modern look. I also love the look of vintage and antique furnishings but can’t afford to fill a whole house with them. I grew up in the country and as an artist, I have an eccentric personality so the modern rustic feel of my house reflects that.

JW: Your garden is just divine. Tell us a little bit about it? It seems like a wonderful labor of love.

TM: Before we bought our house I was never interested in investing time in developing and tending a garden.  As soon we moved here I started putting down roots, so to say. My Dad is a Garden Historian for Colonial Williamsburg—my parents have been organic gardeners since the early 70s. If I have questions I can ask them, but I learned most of what I know about gardening through osmosis. When you are around something your whole life you can’t help but to absorb it.

JW: Do you see your garden as an extension of your home?

TM: Yes. I call my vegetable garden “my little kitchen garden.” I grow things that we use in our kitchen. My approach to garden design is the same as my approach to home decorating and my ceramic work—form follows function. Make sure it works, then make it look interesting.

JW: Sustainable living seems important to you; can you share some other examples of how try to incorporate sustainability in your home and studio life?

TM: Sustainability is important to us. We grow what we can, as well as support local sustainable agriculture through our CSA membership and farmers’ markets.  We’ve made an effort to reduce our carbon footprint by cutting down on our dependence on automobiles. We’ve eliminated the long commutes we used to make, use public transport and have now become a one-car household.

In my pottery business, I use recycled and environmentally-friendly packaging and shipping products. I make handmade pottery and ceramic jewelry, in part to encourage consumers to transition to using handmade items instead of mass-produced.

JW: Your studio is in your home: Share some of the biggest challenges as well as the biggest benefits of that setup.

TM: The biggest challenge of having a home studio is also the biggest benefit—you can work whenever you want. My work habits always seem to be feast or famine. I’m either over-working or avoiding work in the kitchen or garden. I’m still trying to find the right balance or whatever the magic key is.

Jen Wallace: You’ve got to tell us about the guitar and banjo hanging next to the fireplace.

TM: My husband is a musician, he plays lots of instruments, including guitar. I am not musically inclined, but I do love the banjo and I even took lessons but I’m still not very good.  When we moved in, I wanted the guitar and banjo to be in the living room in the hopes we would play more. It has sort of worked, but I’m still no good. Either way, I still like that we and our guests have easy access to music instruments for when we do want to play.

JW: What’s the story about the quilt hanging over the couch?

TM: I love quilts, although I have only ever made one small one myself. I see quilts as abstract paintings. The one over the couch was a Christmas present from my husband a few years ago. When he asked what I wanted for Christmas I pointed him in the direction of my Etsy favorites. I have several other quilts on display or in use around the house.

JW: Love the photo of your dog with the dog painting above her on the wall. Is that a portrait of her?

TM: Yes, that’s a picture of our beloved Tela Beagle. Tela passed away late last year. I painted her portrait back in 2001, when she was a year old or so. This winter, I made the urn that she now rests in.  She was a very special beagle.

JW: Artwork is obviously an important part of your contemporary home: What are your favorite pieces?

TM: I’ve been a working artist for 13 years and one of the big perks is trading work with other artists. I’ve amassed a fairly large collection of small 2-D works over the years from trading or buying what I could afford. I have several gallery walls in different parts of the house to display all of it. I also have a decent pottery collection. My favorite pieces tend be ones made by artists or craftspeople I’m lucky enough to have met along the way.

Images courtesy Tasha McKelvey

Related on Ecosalon:

English Country Cottage Style: Inspiration Home

Cottage Style in Martha’s Vineyard: Inspiration Home

The post An Eclectic Rustic Contemporary Home: Inspiration Home appeared first on EcoSalon.

Welcome to Ecosalon’s Inspiration Home series, where we take you on a virtual tour of a real home. Last up was a tour of a Martha’s Vineyard cottage style home and this time around we are sharing a charming English country cottage style home. Enjoy! If you’d like to share your home, please get in touch.

Constança Cabral is a stay-at-home mom and blogger, and practitioner of seasonal living. Born and raised in Lisbon, Portugal, Constança and her husband decided they wanted to have the experience of living abroad for a time. Their first stop was rural England, where they lived for 3 years, and now they have recently settled on the North Island of New Zealand. Along they way, they had a son.  

Seasonal living is all about taking advantage of what the season has to offer. In warmer months, the idea is to spend time outside gardening and foraging, and nesting indoors in colder weather. Constança is also a busy seamstress and makes many of the textile elements for her home. Her goal is to lead a “simple, meaningful, handmade life in a lovely home with my family,” she says.

Since Constança and her husband are recent transplants to New Zealand they aren’t quite ready to open up their doors to us yet, but they are sharing their English cottage home in the countryside, which was decorated in a fresh and modern English country cottage style.

Jen Wallace: You moved from Lisbon to the English countryside and now live in New Zealand. What’s it been like setting up house in all of these places?

Constança Cabral: When we were first married we bought a small flat in the centre of Lisbon. When the opportunity to move to England came up, we figured that was the perfect chance for us to radically change our lifestyle and try living in the deep countryside. We rented a charming house on a dairy farm and we were surrounded by just animals and plants.

We loved it, it was magical for us. It’s funny because it’s a matter of perspectives: some of the friends that visited us described the house as “fairytale-like”, whilst others said it reminded them of horror movies (being so isolated, with no fences and nobody around). When we moved to New Zealand, because we had a baby and things are so different from what we’re used to, we thought it would be more sensible to get a house in a village. I really miss the silence but for now this is working for us. I walk my son to school every day and there are people around in case something unexpected happens.

All that being said, I guess our main goal in terms of setting up house has been to try and make the most of the place we’re living in. We always want to live in character-rich, old houses which might be freezing and crooked, yes, but that are quintessentially English/Kiwi. In England we lived in a red brick cottage, now in New Zealand we are living in a 1895 weatherboard villa. We really want to experiment the architecture of the place we’re in.

JW: Moving first to the other side of your continent and then moving again halfway around the world must have made it challenging to make sure home feels like a home. How do you manage to make someplace new feel like yours?

CC: For me, a house only feels like a home when our belongings are in their proper place. I’m not a minimalistic nomad and I don’t believe in ruthlessly editing your belongings just because you’re moving to the end of the world. I like my books, my bed, my pillows, sofa, kitchen appliances—you get the idea. But the thing that really makes the house feel put together—and truly ours—is a decor that suits my style. At the moment I’m living with 80s wallpaper, crazy wallpaper borders (there are glittery dolphins in the laundry room!), a dysfunctional kitchen with tiled bench tops, so I am struggling to feel at home, yes. But we’ll get there!

JW: While you are busy setting up your new home in New Zealand, what did you take away from your English home that you hope to recreate in this new place? Is there a certain spirit or air that you want to reinterpret or will you be treating this new space as a blank canvas?

CC: In England I discovered a whole new world in terms of interior decorating possibilities. Suddenly it was so easy to just skip Ikea shopping and buy old furniture and objects with personality on the cheap. Charity shops, junk shops, and antique fairs are such amazing places and are so difficult to find in Portugal, where you’re generally faced with two extremes: either expensive antique shops or the inorganic waste collection. We were spoilt for choice in England! In New Zealand things are harder to get, but I go hunting for vintage bargains almost every week. There’s no Ikea here either! So yes, I guess I’m trying to recreate in our NZ home that same eclectic style I think I achieved in the UK.

JW: Nature and flowers seem very important to you in decorating your home, can you talk a little about that?

CC: That was another thing I took away from our English experience. I was a city girl and I had never had a garden in my life before coming to England. Having a garden and living right next door to the woods made me look at nature with entirely new eyes. Cultivated flowers, weeds, shrubs, leaves, tree branches, seed pods, berries—when you’ve got all of that around you, it’s impossible to resist the urge to pick them and bring them indoors. I can honestly say that I haven’t set foot in a florist’s for more than three years! I am definitely not one of those people who can’t pick flowers from their garden for fear of disrupting the garden’s scheme and harmony. I’d rather have the flowers die indoors than outdoors!

I reckon that a room feels more alive when you’ve got some sort of living element in it (apart from people, that is!). And what a great way to reflect the changing of the seasons and inject some different colors and patterns in our rooms!

JW: I’m in love with so many of your furniture pieces. They look to be salvaged/recycled/re-loved, is that the case? Is that for aesthetic reasons, for thriftiness, to be eco-friendly or all of the above?

CC: We’ve got a mix of Ikea basics and old pieces, with some salvaged objects thrown in. Apart from one or two “proper” antiques, everything else is pretty much old junk that you don’t have to be too precious about and that you can paint and alter according to your current tastes and needs. The reasons behind this are exactly what you’ve described. Old/recycled things are charming, well built, usually cheaper and eco-friendly. Why buy a new chair when there are dozens of sturdy, pretty chairs around at great prices?

JW: What advice can you give for those who are inspired by your English country cottage home in re-creating the look and feel of it?

CC: Look beyond the surface. Don’t overthink your impulses. Don’t be afraid to mix things. Have a good rummage through your mum’s drawers, your granny’s cupboards, your local charity shops and even the streets in your neighbourhood before you buy something new. Everything that isn’t in tip-top condition and that isn’t quite your taste can be reframed, repainted or re-upholstered!

JW: Is there anything else you’d like to share?

CC: Looking at these images of our English home have made me feel very nostalgic. We lived in such a special place and in the end the house really reflected who we are. Well, let’s hope I can say the same thing about our New Zealand home in a few months’ time!

JW: Thanks so much for sharing your home. I am looking forward to seeing your New Zealand home when it’s all ready. Good luck and have fun in the process!

Related on Ecosalon:

Cottage Style in Martha’s Vineyard: Inspiration Home

Rustic Chic: 4 Tips to Get the Shabby Chic Look for Less

Reuse Around the Home: 15 Ideas for Repurposing Furniture

The post English Country Cottage Style: Inspiration Home appeared first on EcoSalon.

Once relegated to kitchens, bathrooms, kids’ rooms and dining rooms, yellow is now a hot home color trend for any room.

From pale yellow to dark mustard and everything in between, yellow is the cool kid on the block right now. It’s versatile, refreshing, and can fit with many home decorating styles—from modern to rustic, traditional, contemporary or whatever your style happens to be.

Yellow pairs well with gray and other neutrals as well as white, cream and off-white. For livelier combos try yellow with aqua, purple, red or pink. And for a more striking and bolder look,  pair yellow with black and white or with navy or other darker blue.

But what if you like the look, but don’t want to commit to paint or wallpaper? Don’t worry, you can get the yellow effect without a full on commitment by adding splashes this color trend to your home. (In fact, that’s a fabulous way to test out a color before committing to painting, wallpaper, or any other more permanent additions).

Throw Pillows

Image: Honey Pie Design

Throw pillows are a fantastic way to incorporate any trend in your home. Toss a pillow on the couch and voila, instant trend. These pretty pillows from Honey Pie Design would do the trick.

Furniture Pieces

Image: Bank and Pearl

Another option is painted furniture, like this gorgeous refinished dresser from Bank and Pearl, or upholstered furniture, like this stunning custom-built antique Louis velvet chair from metrosofa.

Lighting

Image: KOLORIZE

Lamps, chandeliers, wall sconces and other lighting choices are also an option. This vintage ceramic Mid-Century lamp from KOLORIZE would work well in a modern styled space.

Rugs

Image: Ikea

Throw rugs can add a pop of color to any room, like this Moorish-inspired woven rug from Ikea.

Tchotchkes

Image: Carriage Oak Cottage

Home accessories like vases, bookends, candle holders, and mini-statuary are also a low-effort way to add accents of yellow to your living spaces. This cement and stucco ombre vase from Carriage Oak Cottage is a gorgeous example of form, function and color.

Throws

Image: katee textiles

Every home needs a couple of throws for on the backs of couches and at the end of beds. This beautiful woven wool throw from katee textiles would make a stunning addition.

Artwork

Image: 7 Wonders Design

A neutral painted room with pops of colorful artwork on the walls is always a showstopper. This trio of flower and chevron prints from 7 Wonders Design would look stunning on light gray walls.

Windows

Image: West Elm

Try adding yellow curtains or blinds to get your yellow decor fix. West Elm’s canvas chevron curtains make a statement.

Main Image: West Elm

Related on Ecosalon:

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The post Color Trend in Home Decorating: Yellow is the New Black appeared first on EcoSalon.

Inspiration Home is a new series where we’ll take you inside the houses we all want to peek into. In each installment, we share a space with you via a virtual tour and an interview with the homeowner and designer. We hope this new series will offer some inspiration to you in your own home! First up, Cottage Style, dreamy in midsummer.

To kick off the series, Melissa Swansey Nicholson, the designer behind Oliver Henry Designs, opens up her home to us.

A Parsons School of Design graduate, Melissa is a surface and pattern designer by trade (check out her portfolios here) and her designs are available for sale and license. She also creates fabrics, which are available on Spoonflower and Etsy.

Melissa’s home is the epitome of Cottage Style: a charming Cape Cod on the island of Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts. Melissa always wanted to buy an old fixer-upper, but when gifted some land on the Vineyard, she and her husband built a new home with vintage details like hardwood floors (intentionally weathered wide-plank eastern white pine) and wainscoting. They also incorporated salvaged pieces like the stair baluster (purchased at the Brimfield Antique Show—a New England Institution—in Massachusetts) and the radiators that were torn out of a great old home. Melissa also gave carpenter photos of old house mantels and fireplaces for him to use in construction. But how did she bring it together?

Jen Wallace: Thanks so much for taking the time to talk with me; so, how would you describe your decorating style?

Melissa Swansey Nicholson: A love for vintage definitely. I don’t know if I have a style, I just buy things I like and hope they work together! I have always loved the cottage painted furniture look, but lately I have started really wanting more simple midcentury modern pieces as well (maybe due to my obsession with Mad Men). I also love white and neutrals with pops of color.

JW: Your garden is also very lovely, is outdoor living an important part of your home life?

MSN: Yes, outdoor living is very important to us. My husband is a landscape designer and contractor and he co-owns a landscape company called Contemporary Landscapes. So all of the well-planned and laid-out parts to our landscape are my husband’s doing—and the messy perennials placed randomly around are from me! One of my favorite parts about our home is that with all of the windows and doors we can always see the gardens and forest around us.

JW: Since you’re textile designer, fabrics must be an important part of your home. Can you talk a little about how you use textiles?

MSN: The reason I started toying with fabric design came from my love of vintage textiles. My collection became a collection without me knowing I was even collecting! Every time I would go to a yard sale or flea market, I found myself drawn to the vintage tablecloths and aprons. I also love the old blankets and have plenty of them. Nothing is for show, we use all of the linens I buy.

JW: You have young children and are a work-from-home mom. Is having your studio in your house a challenge or a bonus? What’s your favorite part of your studio?

MSN: At this point, I am just designing to build a portfolio and try to get my name out there. My dream is to actually make money by designing and still be here when my kids get home from school to give them a snack and make my family dinner. I love the little nook we created for my home studio. It’s a perfect spot.

JW: It looks like many of your furniture pieces are vintage or thrifted, Is that an aesthetic, budgetary or planet-mindful choice?

MSN: I wish I could say it was for eco-friendly purposes,  but that’s an added bonus. I think it was just what I grew up doing. We were always going to yard sales and thrift stores; it didn’t really occur to me to do anything different. I love a good yard sale and people get pretty serious around here. When we were building the house, I would wake up super early, throw my one-year-old old in a backpack to go scope out the houses before the yard sales started. I knew the older the house, the better the goods would be inside. I would try to be the first through the door (they give out numbers before opening the door at the good sales).

JW: Finally, what’s your favorite room in the house and why? Is it also where you find yourself spending the most time?

MSN: I don’t necessarily have a favorite room, maybe just a favorite overall feeling from my home. When I come home from vacation, no matter how amazing the vacation was, I always feel so happy and comforted to be home.

The light pouring in from all the windows is my favorite part. That said, I think I spend the most time in my bedroom—with all of the windows, it feels like being in a treehouse when I’m lying on my bed. It’s a very peaceful space.

JW: Sounds wonderful. Thanks again for sharing, Melissa!

Images: Melissa Swansey Nicholson

The post Cottage Style in Martha’s Vineyard: Inspiration Home appeared first on EcoSalon.

The team at CasaSugar helps us create the DIY terrariums of our dreams. 

You might have seen our terrarium tutorial with floral experts Leigh Oakies and Allison Futeral of Crimson Horticulture Rarities. The design duo shared so many helpful insider tips about how to create and care for terrariums that we decided to pull together our favorite tips to share again with you. If you’re considering crafting a terrarium, you’ll definitely want to read these first!

When choosing a vessel, don’t limit yourself to the traditional glass bowl or vase. Leigh and Allison have experimented with everything from beakers to mason jars!

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Air plants do in fact need water. To water larger air plants, hold them under running water, shake off excess water, and dry them in the sun before returning them to their vessels.

For smaller air plants, simply immerse them in a bucket or sink of water and let them soak for an hour. Shake off excess water and allow them to dry in a sunny spot before returning them to their vessel. Watering should be done once a week.

For leafier plants like succulents and ferns, add activated charcoal as the first layer in your terrarium before adding sand or rocks, and soil. This will soak up excess water and keep the plants from developing mold. You can easily find activated charcoal at pet stores. If you’re using air plants, it’s fine to skip the activated charcoal and just use small rocks or sand.

If you have a terrarium with a lid, don’t be concerned if you see condensation – that’s a good thing! Just remove the lid overnight once a week to allow it to air out. Be sure to keep lidded terrariums out of spots that receive a lot of direct sunlight because the heat may become too intense for the plants.

Leigh and Allison mainly rely on paintbrushes, small shovels, and large tweezers to insert items into vessels and move them around until they are satisfied with their arrangement. Chopsticks are also unexpected but handy tools for arranging terrariums.

For a step-by-step terrarium tutorial, read this helpful guide!

More from CasaSugar:

100 Awe-Inspiring Green Home Photos

8 Cool Uses for Lemons

Everything You Need for a Stylish Eco-Friendly Picnic

The Perfect Summer Getaway… In Finland

The post 6 Tips for Creating a DIY Terrarium appeared first on EcoSalon.