Monday, November 22, 2010

Interview with Alison Pollack, founder of Earth Friendly Interior Design and the Green Designer Studio Collection


Alison K. Pollack, specialist in non-toxic interior design for nearly two decades, is founder of Earth Friendly Interior Design and of the Green Designer Studio Collection of furnishings, including AKP and Suite Baby…organic nursery, represented at the Livingreen stores. Her furnishings are manufactured locally, creating Green jobs and environmental production support services. Alison is a published author, educator, guest lecturer and a pioneer in her field.


You founded Suite Baby, an organic nursery line, and AKP Fine Earth Friendly Furnishings. What inspired your interest in green home decor and why did you see a need for more eco-friendly design businesses?

My interest in the Green sector was inspired via my search to be the type of designer who gives back to their community. I am sensitive to our natural world so I thought to be an environmentally friendly designer.

That led me to learn what really are in the materials a designer specifies, hence, the discovery of unlimited toxic chemicals in our every day products, and which I felt was criminal as they were undisclosed.

When I was in design school, in 1991, an eco-friendly business was not a common find, at all. As my firm grew it was necessary to custom create furnishings for our clientele as there were none on the market to specify.


You do business in Los Angeles and Hollywood, sometimes working with people in the television and movie industry. Do you think design choices made by designers on sets can influence the greater public?

Yes, I absolutely do. Set designers are some of the most talented artists and the exposure to their work can be global. Just like a fashion designer’s gown shown on a celebrity figure, set decorators make a huge impact on style trends.


Why is it important to choose eco-friendly decor for your home? If someone were to invest in just one or two eco-friendly options for a room, what items would you suggest?

It was important to me to specify eco-friendly materials for my own home, especially after knowing the amount of toxic chemicals that are introduced into the many aspects of a remodel.

By utilizing these materials myself, it was a way to test alternative materials vs. conventional materials prior to specifying them on a client’s project. And it was how I learned, hands-on, the various construction trades, by applying and installing them myself with a general contractor’s supervision.

The first eco-friendly option for a conventionally designed room, I would suggest is a transportable air filter. It’s the first step to gain any ground on the exposure we have to the countless toxins we’re exposed to and that are affecting us in ways we may not recognize….yet.

And for, let’s say the bedroom, because we spend the majority of our time sleeping, I would recommend an alternative mattress. Again, it’s just simply shocking the amount of toxins that are in mattresses, that we absorb through our skin and inhalation.

What are the some of the first decorating mistakes you see when you walk into a home?

An overdone interior can be just as jarring as an empty one. Too much of everything, using all the tricks of the trade, all in one place, makes a space feel busy and disconnected.

On the flipside, a space that is done to aesthetic perfection, but shows no real signs of inhabitants, is also just as psychologically disconcerting. An inviting space, with groupings of interest and places for one’s eye to rest, within a warm and comfortable atmosphere, whether it be of traditional or contemporary design, is what I believe to be the ideal.

What decorating techniques/ideas/suggestions would you recommend to a homeowner looking rev up the look of a room or house without spending a fortune?

First, de-clutter. Get rid of anything that doesn’t please your eye every time you walk into that room. And if it’s still too much, store a portion and rotate decorative items throughout the year.

Negative space is just as important as used up space. Cluttered space = cluttered thought. Introduce house plants in small groupings. Not only do they bring the outside in, but they filter our indoor air, absorbing toxic chemicals and they look lovely.

What piece should homeowners start with to build a new decor scheme around?

A favorite item that will be around for a long while, for instance a rug, or a piece of art, a favorite piece of fabric, or cherished piece of furniture.

What has been the best decorating advice you've gotten or what do you wish you would have known before decorating your own home?

“Less is more” is the best advice I received while apprenticing an amazing designer and I know it originates with a famous architect, but it is just as suitable among décor.

For customers on a budget, what pieces do you think are important to splurge on higher quality furnishings/decor and what can you get away with doing cheaper?

A mattress is an item worth the price, IF, the materials used to make it are free from harmful chemicals. Shopping for vintage items at flea markets, garage sales, antique malls – that’s a great way to discover treasures at reasonable prices.

What do you think amazing floor coverings can do for the look and feel of a home?

Floor coverings ground a space. They create a visual foundation. For high volume spaces, they make one feel…well, grounded.

For shorter ceilings, they create a slightly enclosed space that lends a feeling of coziness and introduces a more human scale of proportion. And when they’re amazing, the comfort level increases to one of luxury, such as the effect of a cashmere, silk or mohair rug.

Why is it important to invest in a natural fiber and/or vegetable dyed rug for your home? What do you see as the primary benefits?

It comes down to healthy home = healthy inhabitants = healthy natural world. In knowing that there is no sacrifice for beauty, luxury, or the health of ourselves and the natural world, to me, there is no justification for deciding otherwise.

Monday, November 15, 2010

Help us win the British Airways Face of Opportunity contest

ecoFiber Custom Rugs has always been an international business. With our main office in the U.S. and our master weavers in Nepal, international travel and business are an essential part of the company.

This international connection is why we recently jumped at the opportunity to be a part of British Airways Face of Opportunity contest. The contest will award the top 250 teams (yes, top 250), with an invitation to exclusive networking conferences in New York and London and one flight after London events to any British Airways destination.

For obvious reasons, this opportunity would be tremendous for our business. Because each ecoFiber Custom Rug is made by skilled artisan weavers in Nepal, traveling there would allow us to work with the weavers on new designs for the next season and oversee the development of custom colors of clients' rugs.

Winning a trip to south Asia would also increase our ability to personally communicate new ideas for rugs, colors and textures with the weavers, thereby enhancing our ability to respond to clients' desires and needs in the rugs for different sizes, textures, colors and designs.

The Top 250 entries for the contest will also win a trip to London for a networking event that would also us to expand the export of our beautiful rugs to new markets and connect with important international business leaders.

That being said, please VOTE for us. As stated, the top 250 teams win, so every vote really makes a big difference.

It takes 10 seconds to vote. Just go to the contest gallery, read our entry (titled "A Simple Choice, A Global Impact") and hit “Vote for this entry.”

THANK YOU for your support!

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Interview with Richie Morgan of AVA Design


Richie Morgan has been working with AVA since March, 2010. Previously, Morgan worked for 12 years as a freelance interior designer in Atlanta, working on projects around the country. His work has been featured numerous times on MTV and Morgan has also worked as a corporate designer for several clothing companies creating retail concepts for products.

AVA recently hosted ecoFiber Custom Rugs' founder Phyllis Waldron-Ripple for a design workshop at their studio in Atlanta.


What are the some of the first decorating mistakes you see when you walk into a home?

Unnecessary clutter is the biggest one. If you are a person that has a lot of 'stuff" that's ok, as long as it's organized it will make a better impression.

What decorating techniques/ideas/suggestions would you recommend to a homeowner looking rev up the look of a room or house without spending a fortune?

Paint! Paint! Paint! It is the cheapest and easiest way to spruce up any environment.

What piece should homeowners start with to build a new decor scheme around?

I would suggest finding the most prominent piece first—like a sofa, bed, or some other large piece of furniture. Start there and build upon it.

What has been the best decorating advice you've gotten or what do you wish you would have known before decorating your own home?

Hmmm... I think trying to utilize some of what you've already got. Be organized, develop a plan and stick to it!!

For customers on a budget, what pieces do you think are important to splurge on higher quality furnishings/decor and what can you get away with doing cheaper?

That's subjective. Different people have different priorities.

Personally, a great quality sofa is number one for me. A great mattress is number two.

You can fill in the blanks from there. I collect art so that is important to me. However, my artwork doesn't have to match my sofa. My connection to it is more emotional than anything. Good artwork will outlive anything else in the home.

What do you think amazing floor coverings can do for the look and feel of a home?

Great rugs can be a anchor for the room. It's the comfort you feel when you walk on it. Higher quality rugs will last generations, and are things that can be passed down through the family for generations, like antiques.

Do you find many clients seeking out green home decor products strictly because of environmental ethics?

Most people in Atlanta looking for eco-friendly products know the philosophy and concept of the products. I do think it is a limited market at the moment, but I think more and more people are interested in finding out more about green home décor.

Who would you recommend ecoFiber Custom Rugs to?

EVERYBODY!

Do you think ecoFiber Custom Rugs look/work best in contemporary or traditional interiors?

My personal opinion is ecoFiber rugs are conducive to more modern/ contemporary environments, although the wools and silks can be transitional. It's a customer or designer’s call.

What are the advantages to investing in a high-quality, custom made rug?

Higher quality rugs are made to last generation after generation. Normally the materials and manufacturing of ecoFiber Custom Rugs make them a sustainable and durable choice. The customization of ecoFiber rugs, in particular, give the customer the ability to create a rug tailor made that caters to their tastes and homes.