Show off your inner Anglophile with these fun finds for the home.

Whether you’re a fan of “Sherlock”, “Downton Abbey”, or a just a long love of all things British, you can show off how much of an Anglophile you are by adding fun touches of British decor to your home. From wallpaper to throw pillows, your imagination is pretty much the limit.

13 Anglophile Finds for Your Space

1. Love Britannia Pillow – Show your British love and be comfy with this adorably sweet and frilly cushion that looks just like it’s from your Granny’s.

2. London Boroughs Wall Art – Understand London like a local with this cool and colorful with illustrated print by self-taught artist Jazzberry Blue.

3. Union Jack Dresser – Add some British flair to your space with this Union Jack small cabinet. It would make the ideal drinks cabinet for those who like to imbibe and entertain!

4. London Underground Shower Curtain – Don’t forget about the bathroom when outfitting your place like a true Anglophile with this clever and cool shower curtain featuring a map of the London Underground.

5. London Bus Rug – Turn any room into a showcase with this showstopper of an area rug. It would be a great way to show off how much you love London and add some color to your space!

6. Made in England Tea Towel – A practical and fun way to add a bit of Britain to your home. Use it during tea time!

7. London Duvet – Add some London love your bedroom with this duvet cover that features a collection of iconic London locations.

8. British Rock Wall Mural – Channel your inner Clash, The Kinks, and The Who with this super cool homage to British rock.

9. Union Jack Teapot – Turn it up for tea time with this Union Jack tea set.

10. God Save the Queen Throw Pillow – The Diamond Jubilee may be a remembrance of the past, but that doesn’t mean you can’t show your reverence for the Queen still.

11. Liverpool Wall Art Print – Did you know that The Beatles were from Liverpool? Of course, you did. You’re an Anglophile after all.

12. Big Ben Wall Decal – Feel just like you are there with this graphical vinyl wall art decal. It just peels and sticks.

13. Sherlock Pillows – Combine two of your favorite things–the British empire and Sherlock–with these fun pillows.

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Image: PhotoWall

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Known for its street style, punk rock past and plethora of talented, conceptual designers hailing from institutions like Central Saint Martins and the RCA, the UK is bound to boast its fair share of eco fashion designers.

Check out these 6 fashion designers using sustainable fabrics, upcycled materials and ethical production practices to make their gorgeous garments.

1. Ada Zandition

Based in London, designer Ada Zandition creates fashion pieces for the intelligent, confident and aware woman. Her work is informed by science, the environment, contemporary architectural forms and and futuristic fantasies. The result is collections of womenswear and bespoke pieces that speak for themselves and demonstrate Zandition’s uncanny ability to seamlessly blend together elegance and innovation.

2. Antithesis

Antithesis is a collaboration between designers Renée Lacroix and Zahra Ash-Harper focusing on slow fashion and garments that are of benefit to our society and the environment. Their transeasonal capsule collections are handmade from high quality, sustainable materials and designed to meet the needs of cosmopolitan consumers.

3. Auria

Founder Diana Auria launched swimwear label Auria, which is designed, developed and manufactured in the UK. All items are made out of 100 percent recycled polyamide produced from waste items such as fishing nets and polyester carpet – who would’ve thought it would end up looking so hot?

4. From Somewhere

A leader in the British sustainable fashion movement, designer Orsola de Castro is also a co-founder of fashion label From Somewhere. She works with pre-consumer surplus materials from manufacturing houses and textile mills supplying the luxury fashion industry to create high quality, one-of-a-kind garments out of otherwise landfill bound resources.

5. Goodone

Goodone is a London based fashion label manned mainly by designer Nin Castle. She works with upcycled materials, combining new British and sustainable fabrics with reclaimed textiles to create bold, color-blocked styles that are chic and edgy.

6. Katharine Hamnett

Considered a pioneer of the ethical fashion movement since the 1980s, Katharine Hamnett has been producing statement fashion to raise awareness worldwide. She has promoted several causes mainly through her t-shirts blaring out the likes of “NO MORE FASHION VICTIMS” and “MAKE TRADE FAIR”.

Related on EcoSalon

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Being the metropolitan that it is, London is no stranger to healthy food and lifestyle options. But because the city used to be called “the Big Smoke” because of its smog, I was surprised to find that it comfortably caters to a plant-based diet and active lifestyle.

Roaming along the aisles of its popular grocery stores, such as Sainsbury’s, Waitrose and Whole Foods, you’ll come across a larger variety of raw and vegan food specialty items than you would even in New York City. And if you enjoy a good outdoor workout, have no fear, because London’s parks are highly accessible for the avid runner or walker. In the event the city’s healthy charms don’t stop you in your tracks first, here are some standout eateries that will orient you.

The UK may be known for its fish and chips, puddings, and roasted meat, but in recent years, eateries with vegetarian, vegan, and raw food options have emerged and subsequently gained popularity. The following cafes and restaurants will make your transition to London a healthier and happier experience.

1. Since 1988, Mildreds has been serving a vegetarian menu in its quaint location on Lexington Street in West London. The menu will seduce even the most skeptical of carnivores. From its pumpkin and ricotta ravioli with chestnut mushroom cream and white wine sauce to its sun-blushed tomato, mozzarella, and basil risotto cake, you’ll be drooling far before the food arrives to the table.

2. The world-wide vegetarian chain, Govinda, has a location in London’s Soho neighborhood. Govinda is a restaurant that hails the “karma-free diet” and provides a no-frills environment that promotes tranquility, health, and balance. Govinda does not use meat, fish, or eggs in any of its dishes and also shuns onions, garlic, and mushrooms. Take a bite into its egg-free quiche, veggie burger, and spinach rolls for a wholesome and rounded meal.

3. It would be a mistake to overlook the South Asian influence on local cuisine. It seems like an Indian restaurant can be found every few blocks and, considering lots of Indian food is strictly vegetarian, it’d be helpful to filter through the many restaurants and pick the right place. One dependable option is Woodlands, which has locations in Piccadilly, Hampstead, and Marylebone Lane. The interior of the restaurants is decorated with bright, fresh colors, the dishes are elaborately plated, and the atmosphere is high-end but casual. The restaurants also provide a vegan menu.

4. Vitao, located in Soho, has an international vegan menu that changes weekly and features seasonal produce. With its lentil dhal, kale and pomegranate salad with grape dressing, Thai green curry, homemade kimchee, and paella, it’s clear that a meal at Vitao is a trip around the world.

5. For a quick lunch or take-out vegan fare, check out Beatroot on Berwick Street in Soho. The small eatery displays ten internationally-inspired and ready-to-eat hot dishes, most of which are vegan. Dip into the moussaka or cut into the soy-based sausage for a hearty vegan experience. Beatroot also offers homemade vegan sweets – nut and dried fruit-based power balls and a variety of muffins – for a post-munch delight. If you in the mood for something lighter, ask for a fresh juice or smoothie.

6. For those with even stricter food preferences, the raw food options in London are growing. Without question, the premier raw restaurant is Saf, which means “pure” in Turkish. The menu features items that have not been heated above 48 degrees Celsius (118 Fahrenheit), preserving optimum flavor and nutrition. The restaurants location may throw you off, as it’s situated in the top floor of the Whole Foods adjacent to the High Street Kensington station, but its cuisine rises to the occasion and has truly set the precedent for London’s raw food scene. Head to Saf for a unique culinary experience and indulge in a Mexican raw tostada or lasagna verde without craving anything else. To get a sample of it all, order the raw tasting board, which includes maki rolls, cashew cheese dolmades, bánh tráng rolls, and nachos with guacamole, tomato salsa and sour cream.

7. The Wild Food Café in Convent Garden is an independent eatery that aims to create “heart-opening” food. The environment is light and friendly, with all the food prepared in an open kitchen. While not all menu items are raw or vegan, the menu makes it clear what dish falls under what category. All ingredients are also sourced thoughtfully from trusted farmers and producers. This summer, Wild Food Café will introduce wines from organic and bio-dynamic producers. The café offers an abundant wild salad with foraged greens, wild rocket, Romano pepper, carrot, zucchini, pomegranate seeds, and a mustard and dill emulsion, which is entirely raw and best enjoyed with the café’s sourdough bread. It also serves living pizza, falafel, and an olive and shiitake burger that is best finished off with a raw chocolate and almond mousse.

Other raw-vegan eateries are increasing in popularity:

8. Dragonfly Wholefoods, which hosts a daily buffet, is a whole food shop turned vegetarian café with vegan and raw options.

9. InSpiral Lounge is a raw and vegan hot spot run by the Ekopia Poject collective that hosts festive events.

10. The Bonnington Café is a community vegan and vegetarian restaurant that hosts a feast every second, fourth, and fifth Sunday of the month. Bonnington Café’s chef is the mastermind behind the raw food delivery service Raw Fairies.

For more information on taking your culinary adventures to the streets, check out London’s many open markets. No matter where the city takes you, you can rest assured knowing that the city is large, diverse, and open-minded enough to accommodate your personal preferences. Safe travels!

Photo Credit: Mildreds,  Aylin Erman, Oatsy40, Zooey_, EEPaul, Jeremy Weate

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A new infographic details municipal efforts to make cities more environmentally friendly.

With the definition of “green” still fuzzy when it comes to products, it’s even more difficult to measure the efforts of cities attempting to decrease their carbon footprint. What are water consumption policies like? How many cars on the road? What types of recycling programs and waste reduction efforts are underway? Are there any green building or alternative energy incentives?

HouseTrip set out to find out and measure the efforts of the world’s top “green” cities. Motivation for the project came from wanting to help draw attention to the importance of cutting global pollution generated by cities. With more than half of the world’s population now living in urban areas, cities are beginning to become leaders in environmentally responsible living. Data collected from the Siemens Green Cities Index and other sources provided the information to develop the infographic.

The inforgraphic shows which of these most progressive cities are doing what in the world of green: London, New York, Vancouver, Copenhagen, Amsterdam, and Stockholm. So what are these cities up to? Just 44 percent of New Yorkers own a car, for example. Compared with 95 percent of the rest of Americans, that’s a pretty huge difference. Head over to Amsterdam and you’ll see more bikes than people—one bike for every 0.73 people in fact. Copenhagen is among the cities embracing the benefits of green roofs, with legislation requiring green rooftops on all new buildings, which will add 5,000 square meters of vegetation. Vancouver and Copenhagen recycle 55 percent of all their waste. Vancouver generates 90 percent of its energy from renewable resources; Stockholm is at 60 percent.

Keep in touch with Jill on Twitter @jillettinger

Images: HouseTrip

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Sanitov Studio’s Inachus sustainable floating home sets the standard for the 21st-century houseboat.

Contemporary design, technology and eco-consciousness have never been closely associated with houseboats. Or luxury, indeed. More like canals with murky water and damp, cramped interiors – although admittedly, living on water has become trendier in recent years.

The Inachus arrives like a ship from another planet: a sleek, intelligent vessel which has every possible feature to minimize its impact on the environment. Created by London-based Sanitov Studio, it was launched at the UK capital’s Design Festival earlier this month. Over the summer, the boat formed part of the Danish Olympic pavilion on the Thames; Sanitov says it was influenced by Danish design. They see it as part of a future floating community – a fleet of super-smart ships.

Named after the Greek river god, Inachus is a two-storey houseboat with designer furnishings, a living wall, floor-to-ceiling windows, a rooftop deck with hot-tub, and an intelligent lighting system controlled by smartphone or tablet. Daylight is also used to maximum effect thanks to skylights in the roof.

Its eco-credentials are as gold-plated as its potential occupants. According to Sanitov, Inachus is one of less than 50 homes in the UK with an Energy Level 5 status (meaning it is 100% energy-efficient). The floating structure comes highly insulated with triple-glazed windows and mechanical ventilation with heat recovery, and shading by horizontal louvres; photovoltaic panels produce off-grid energy – in other words, it is self-sustaining, heating and cooling, with zero emissions. The boat’s environmental credibility extends back to the building process: sustainable and recyclable materials were used, such as fast-growing bamboo, reused industrial wood and recyclable concrete.

Unfortunately for us mere mortals, such luxurious, light-footprint living comes at a very high price: Inachus costs from $1.2 million (though your electricity bills should be non-existent). This prototype is moored at Wandsworth Dock in London, if you want to sneak a peek at how the other half might one day live on water.

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For Osman Yousefzada, the transformative power of clothing is everything.

London based designer Osman Yousefzada is known for his signature sharp silhouettes and pared down elegance. His ability to adapt his key styles each season – cigarette trousers, curved hems and dramatic collared jackets and coats – to fabrics varying from the finest jerseys to organic wool boucle is becoming more identifiable as his own each season.

The use of opulent oriental style brocade in his current AW12 collection is sure to be a talking point with the fashion pack worldwide, as it drops in stores this month in time for fall. Sourced at a small family owned mill in Spain, the brocade from the collection is loomed completely by hand before being delivered to his London studio. Here, his highly skilled seamstresses masterfully create each individual piece. Despite stocking in over 30 countries, the designer still manufactures every garment in the tiny downstairs workroom of his small London studio. With 15% of his clients bespoke, he is still very hands on and inspired.

Osman tells Fashion Editor at Large: I grew up watching women coming and going from my mothers workroom…I think that is why I love dressing women, and no two are the same…I know the transformative power of well cut clothes, and I guess what I do is work with my experience of women to create the right clothes for them.”

Strong, powerful women such as the prime ministers wife Samantha Cameron, Vogue editor Sarah Mower, and influential art collector Valeria Napoleone are huge advocates of his work due to his hand crafted, personalized touch as well as his ability to drape and flatter a woman.

His strongest offerings from the collection include the strapless brocade dress paired with brocade pants, and the full head to toe look of clashing brocade with a pop of leather (pictured above). Potentially overpowering, Osman still makes this fabric choice work, as he maintains his sharp tailoring and purity of line throughout each piece in the collection.

Here are a few more pieces we love from his AW 12 collection:

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Crumple-able maps for bad-tempered tourists in rainy cities. Baggies included.

You know when you’re trying to find your way around a foreign city and you’re lost because all the streets look the same, plus you’re so flummoxed that you want to squish your street map up into a little ball and throw it away?

Temper tantrums aside, Palomar’s Crumpled City Maps are the hardcore all-terrain vehicles of the urban navigation world. No need to fold this baby up neatly. It loves being shoved into its little bag or your back pocket. It scoffs in the face of rain, being 100% waterproof. Especially handy for London, where clouds are ever-present; the other 31 cities include New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Tokyo, Amsterdam, Berlin, Madrid, Moscow, Paris, and Rome.

Each map provides a sightseeing index with monuments, museums, art galleries, plus a list of 10 “Soulsights.” Since they’re printed on high-tech material and are designed to last, rather than falling apart after a weekend of intensive use, these temper-busters get our eco-vote.

The price of such super-resistant, lightweight Italian innovation: 12 euros ($15).

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Carrying the torch for green.

In a London Olympics 2012 poster titled “being greener”, the London Organizing Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games vows to keep this year’s Games eco-friendly.

London’s Olympic Park will be one of the biggest city parks newly constructed in Europe for more than 150 years. The Games will host 26 Olympic events, 20 Paralympic events, 14,700 athletes, 21,000 media, and 10.8 million ticket holders. While it will inevitably boost the city’s economy, the strain on resources is unavoidable. The Organizing Committee is working hard to maintain a high level of sustainability despite all that needs to be constructed, and the the “being greener” poster is a representation of London’s conscious efforts to make its Olympics the greenest of them all.

The Park will be equipped with some of the most cutting-edge technology to curtail the Games’ greenhouse gas emissions, preserve the natural habitat surrounding the area, as well as to recycle, reuse and reduce all waste. In a pamphlet distributed by the Organizing Committee, the extent of London’s green efforts are detailed.

• 20% of the energy used on the Olympic Park will come from renewable sources
• 4,000 newts and hundreds of toads have been removed from the Park to be protected
• 90% of the materials from the demolition of building in the Olympic Park have been recovered so they can be reused or recycled.
• 50% of materials that are being used to construct the Park will be transported by water or rail, saving thousands of trips on local roads.
• A 120-meter wind turbine in the Park will produce enough electricity for 1,000 homes
• 80 lampposts, 2 tons of red bricks, and 76 tons of paving stones will be saved for reuse on the Park.
• A 3-kilometer footpath and cycle-way will be improved for the local population as well as wildlife.
• Rubbish was removed from 8.35 kilometers of waterways running through the Olympic Park
• 45 hectares of wildlife habitats will be left on and around the Park after the games

Aylin Erman currently resides in Istanbul and is creator of plant-based recipe website GlowKitchen.

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Taking art out of the buildings and onto the streets.

Art can be post-modern, conceptual, classic, abstract, or experiential. It can create a narrative, challenge hegemony, or debunk a stereotype. Indeed, art can do all these things, but if it’s stuck behind the walls of an pricey museum entry fee, it can’t do them for everyone.

That is why we love street art. Simultaneously controversial and accessible, rebellious and democratic, street art greets us when we least expect it. It can evoke proletariat angst, urban renewal, or a wicked sense of humor, all while we wait for the bus or walk to work.

Street art is quickly gaining wider recognition as a legitimate art form, much to the distaste of law enforcement and city officials. The first major exhibition of street art appeared last year at the Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA), followed by similar shows organized by Australia’s National Gallery, the Tel Aviv Museum of Art, and the UK’s Victoria and Albert Museum.

Marcus White, co-creator of the Brooklyn-based All City Street Art app and website, explains how certain neighborhoods end up becoming hot-beds of graffiti creativity.

“Industrial areas have always been good spots for graffiti as they tend to be rather desolate in the off hours, as there are little to no storefront areas or residential spaces, making them perfect for late night bombing missions,” White told EcoSalon. “[They] become areas for artists to have studios and form communities.”

So, in celebration of all things industrial, street-level and beautiful (if not entirely legal) here’s a list of graffiti and street art hot spots around the world:

Athens: With an youth unemployment rate of more than 50 percent, the young people of Greece have plenty to be aggro about. As austerity measures have become more severe, the street art of Athens has flourished, directly addressing themes of government accountability, greed, and high-level thievery.

Brooklyn: The rich history of New York City’s street art scene is at least partially owed to the subway system, which artists and taggers began using in the 1970s to communicate and spread their work across the city’s five boroughs. However it is in NYC’s most creative borough, Brooklyn, where the modern NYC street art scene is most expressive. Brooklyn’s diverse mix of ethnic backgrounds contributes to this, and the borough’s walls manage to beckon artists from Europe and elsewhere who want to get in on the scene.

London: Thanks to the iconic, elusive, and still anonymous UK artist Banksy, London and street art have become synonymous. There are several neighborhoods to check out, including the Big Smoke’s Brooklyn-equivalent, East London. London is also home to Global Street Art, which is boldly trying to create a “global photographic archive of street art online” and to create more spaces for artists to paint.

Detroit: The newly launched Detroit Beautification Project is using a simple tool to address the chronic problems of what was once America’s most prosperous city: spray paint. In its attempt to revitalize Detroit’s aesthetic through street art, the project has of course gained some critics, but the artists involved insist their intention is simply to create a more beautiful city.

Berlin: Berlin’s street art scene has its roots in the Berlin wall. During its tenure as the dividing line of Europe from 1961 to 1989, the wall’s west side was covered with graffiti conveying messages of politics, revolution, and the state of Germany. When the wall finally came down, Berlin’s street art scene exploded, as artists finally had free reign over an undivided city. Years later, the German city now earned a reputation as “the most bombed city in Europe.”

 

Rio De Janiero: Brazil’s second largest city made the progressive step of legalizing street art in 2009. As the art form has developed there over the last decade, graffiti has become “an agreement between the population and the city,” as one art student put it, and can be spotted throughout the city, from favelas to rich suburbs.

Miami: According to Marcus White of All City Street Art, Miami is home to a fast-emerging and important street art scene. The Wynwood Walls Project, conceived in 2009 by artist Tony Goldman, is an attempt to create a “museum of the streets.” Inviting artists from around the world, Goldman and his co-curators (one of which went on to become the museum director of LA MOCA), see the city’s walls as a giant canvas.

Austin: For a city that’s relatively small, Austin has a particularly vibrant street art scene. Its walls are known to feature the work of famed artist Shephard Fairey (creator of the iconic Obama Hope image and the Obey Giant) from time to time. The city’s Castle Hill neighborhood plays host to both up-and-coming artists and veterans alike.

Images in order: Jaime Rojo via BSA, the euskadi 11, Jaime Rojo via BSA, Global Street Art, Sleazy McCheesy, von_boot, Michelle Young, Wynwood Walls Project, Geoff Hargadon

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Designer Brooke Roberts takes inspiration from her medical industry past and designs knitwear based on CT scans and x-rays of the brain.

Sometimes inspiration can come from the strangest of places. Designer Brooke Roberts worked for a few years as a radiographer in Australia before moving to London to study fashion design and pattern cutting at London College of Fashion and Central Saint Martins. However, it was not until her second collection that she was inspired to merge her science past with the fashion future she is trying to build.

Using her unique scientific and technical insight and broad knowledge of human anatomy, Roberts started looking at x-rays and CT scans for inspiration. Using Photoshop and a textile design program called Eneas she programs knitting machines to translate these medical images into bold yet organic graphic patterns for her clothing. Roberts’ pieces are knitted, with each pixel representing a stitch, in a mix of cotton, wool, cashmere, silk, and lurex. This material mix gives the final pieces a wonderfully layered, luxurious quality.

Inspired by fashion greats like Thierry Mugler, Pierre Cardin, and Haider Ackermann as well as starchitect Zaha Hadid, Roberts has a very specific person in mind when she designs. In an interview on Stylenik, she talks about her:

A woman who belongs to a seemingly unserved segment. I think about science, technology, medical and media professionals who will not only appreciate the beauty my designs, but will also connect with the story and information behind it. I am targeting a group of incredibly smart people – people who work in industries that advance by the hour, people who enjoy, if not expect, to learn something new every day. I am aware that for many people in this niche, fashion can be a bit too subjective, too lacking of structure, rhyme or reason. With my brand, I want them to make sense of it all. I want my customer to see their field combine with the enigmatic fashion world to create products that are cutting edge, innovative and serious conversation starters.

The collection, which is called “Cuts” is sold exclusively at British retailer Browns Focus. Brooke Roberts is based in London and, while she grows her line, continues to support herself as a radiographer.

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