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 | Urban Eco Chic
My book Urban Eco Chic will be released in September. It's packed with lots of useful information on how you can create your own eco chic style and below is a sneak preview. Keep checking these pages as I will be regularly updating them with more excerpts.
There are three essential aspects of Urban Eco Chic that need to be considered when creating your eco-friendly home without compromising on style.
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 | Vintage
I am using 'vintage' here as an umbrella term that opens us up to the glamour of antiques, the ingenuity of reuse, and even the excitement of flea market finds. It is about making the most of what we already have produced, and finding new ways of using things - offering a new lease of life for an item that someone else has discarded. The pleasure of vintage is all about invention - putting a new spin on an existing object - be that through repositioning, framing, grouping or remaking.
But more than just finding new ways of using old things it is about harnessing the sense of style that is inherent within the object. Vintage items have the potential to add a touch of glamour to our lives, which is always a good thing. After all why shouldn't we live like kings just because we respect the environment?
Vintage items also have a softening quality; all those knocks, scratches, wear and tear are something that can't be simply reproduced, they have the effect of taking the harder edge off a contemporary interior. This patina of age speaks experience and uniqueness that money just cannot buy. In this age of mass production we yearn for objects that posses individuality and character - aspects that in some way wear off onto us, expressing our own identities and curiosities.
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| Technology
Technology is an exciting area that is constantly developing; becoming smaller, better, faster and importantly more efficient. Embracing all that technology has to offer will allow us to make our lives less wasteful, more efficient and to gather more of what occurs naturally around us - such as renewable energies from the sun, wind, earth and sea.
We must trust that developments in technology are key to helping us reduce our impact on the environment and to combat climate change. Technology not only refers to high performing appliances but also to cutting edge materials, be they new low impact materials, natural or even recycled.
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 | Nature
Nature is an essential component of our lives and one we sometimes take for granted. It should be remembered that we are not master of nature but part of it. Interaction with nature is a grounding force in our lives, it quite literally brings us back down to earth, and reminds us that we are still part of the natural world. Think about the vibrancy of the smell of freshly cut grass, the textural feel of the bark on a tree, the flicker of the flames in a log fire - these all raise simple but sensual, primeval emotional responses in us, that are essentially very comforting. Like us natural materials often improve with age and use, developing a sense of character unique to themselves and their experience, adding individuality and a certain richness to any home.
The use of natural materials not only brings textural sensuality to the home, but also allows us to choose sustainable and naturally renewable materials - ones whose impacts onto the environments, if responsibly managed will have a reduced impact on the environment.
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| Green your office
I’m not going to tell you about using recycled paper, as I’m sure you’ve been told a hundred times. But here are a few things you may not have thought of: Start with good lighting, good air and good furniture.
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 | Good lighting
Replace old-style incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescents to save energy, plus money off your bills. LED desk lamps, such as our new leaf lamp are stylish, plus they use miniscule amounts of energy. Natural daylight is not only free, but has also been proven to improve productivity and satisfaction.
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| Good Air
You can literally make the space greener by having some plants. Houseplants help clean the air indoors through their photosynthesis process of absorbing C02 and releasing 02. Our new range of Window plants grow in the pocket they come in, and add colour and scent to the space. Workspace air quality is crucial. Good ventilation and low-VOC paints and materials (such as furniture and carpet) will keep you healthy.
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| Good Furniture
Furniture and office accessories can be manufactured from recycled materials as well as recyclable. Watch this space for some great new furniture ideas coming soon.
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Dine on recycled glass
Why have a glass dinner set set rather than ceramic?
When choosing a new it can be difficult to know what is the best choice for the environment, without compromising on style.
Most dinner services are ceramic, but an alternative made from 100% recycled glass is making its way onto the tables of ethical consumers. |
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Ceramic cannot be recycled in the way glass and paper can. Once it is fired it is fixed in that form forever. Many ceramics have toxic glazes applied to them in firing, they may contain lead and leach heavy metals. Broken ceramics get thrown into landfills and what happens to them? Well they become a studying tool for people digging them up thousands of years later showing how we lived in the 20th Century.
Glass on the other hand is fully recyclable, and can be recycled again and again without losing clarity or purity. Diverting waste bottles from landfill sites to be recycled means they can live another life and be turned into beautiful and original items such as our new crockery.
Making glass bottles and jars from recycled ones saves energy. The energy saving from recycling one bottle will:
- Power a 100 watt light bulb for almost an hour
- Power a computer for 20 minutes
- Power a colour TV for 15 minutes
- Power a washing machine for 10 minutes
Recycled glass plates and bowls come in a variety of sizes and colours and so it is possible for these to be mixed and matched.
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More eco dining tips
Stainless steel cutlery can be a good eco choice as it often has as much as 85% recycled content.
If it is not written on the packaging, all it takes is a quick call to the company to find out.
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 | Try bowls and chopping boards made from bamboo.
Bamboo has been praised for its positive eco credentials. It grows very quickly and in abundance, without the need for chemical pesticides making it a sustainable material.
It has natural anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties, so the products won’t harbour germs or stain like other wood products may.
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| Look for placemats and coasters that are made without the use of chemicals.
Organic cotton and linen are grown without use of pesticides. Pure wool felt is also a 100% natural choice for place settings.
Both can come in a variety of colours to match your tableware and décor.
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 | Found objects can make a statement on a table a flat piece of cleaned up slate can make a stunning cheese board.
Why not write the names around the more unusual cheeses on the slate in chalk to save your guests from confusion.
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