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Archive for the ‘Green Living’ Category
Earth Friendly Skin Care
Thursday, February 25th, 2010
Back in the 80s I heard Christie Brinkley kept her teeth white with baking soda. This was before all the toothpaste manufacturers had figured this out, so I placed a box of Arm&Hammer in my medicine cabinet and brushed. It worked well and I still use her trick to this day in conjunction with my peppermint flavored Tom’s of Maine toothpaste. So after two decades of hearing how Sophia Loren stays so beautiful (Olive Oil) I decided to try this one too. It’s also a fact that olive oil absorbs easily into skin. A gallon of it runs about $11 dollars at Costco and the pretty Umbra refillable pump jar costs$15 at Hold Everything. I’ve been using olive oil all over my face, hands and body in place of three separate creams and IT WORKS GREAT. Bye bye expensive, organic creams and all their containers that need to be recycled. This gallon should last me about 6-8 months. I’m saving a small fortune on product which I can use for the “additional” doctor visits I’ve learned Ms. Loren also uses to keep her youthful appearance.
Tags: Christie Brinkley, Costco, Eco Friendly Skin Care, Olive Oil, Sophia Loren, Umbra
Posted in Green Living | 1 Comment »
Juan Montoya and His Second Hand Furnishings
Sunday, January 31st, 2010
Yesterday I had the pleasure of attending a designer series lecture at the Pacific Design Center. AD 100 and Interior Design Hall of Famer Juan Montoya spent an hour dazzling us with images of his work and insider info on how he does what he does so well.
Anytime I have the opportunity to listen to a person who is this successful, I take it. Mr. Montoya is in his 70s and is going strong after decades due to his common sense approach and passion for interior design and architecture.
One of the things I love so much about being an interior designer, is that if you’re good, you get better with age- like a fine wine. It was reassuring to hear someone I hold in such high esteem, espouse the same principle that I hold dear- a green approach to design. No he didn’t use the words “sustainable” or “eco-friendly” or “green” but he practices these things none the less. In most of his designs he uses furniture, art and accessories from the 20s, 30s and 40s, some of my favorites being Jean Michele Frank and Jacques Rhulmann.
(This one is actually one of my projects, but it’s a Rhulmann table and chairs in the Frederick Lowe Estate.)
He rarely uses carpets and instead creates design in a hard (more easily cleaned and longer lasting) surfaces. He is well known for his liberal use of exquiste veneer on columns, walls, ceilings- but always prefers to restore what is there vs. ripping it out and installing new. And the greenest of all is his attitude, his very best advice being to smile a lot.
Tags: AD 100, Frederick Lowe, Interior Design Hall of Fame, Jean Michele Frank, Juan Montoya, Pacific Design Center, Ruhlmann
Posted in Furniture, Green Living, Lectures, Public Speaking | No Comments »
Elle’s First Tea Party, No BPAs Invited
Sunday, January 24th, 2010
My daughter Elle recently celebrated her first birthday. Checks for college funds, adorable clothes, noisy toys (she loves), a soccer ball and a super stylish swimsuit were among the gifts she received. But the tea set from one of her BFFs (whose mommy happens to know a thing or two about etiquette being a deb from Houston) was our favorite. I believe all young ladies should host tea parties for their stuffed friends. Doing so teaches grace and generosity, vital ingredients to being a social success. Of course little Elle Bell took to it like a fish to water, tiaras in tow. Plus, tea sets don’t make annoying noises and they don’t require (rechargeable) batteries.
But what was unique about this tea set and the reason we loved it so much was that it is green, made from 100% recycled, plastic, milk bottles retrieved from curbside collection. The back of the recycled cardboard packaging gives a little information about how much energy green toys can save. In this case it’s equal to using 3,000 AAA batteries or enough energy to power a TV for 3 weeks or run a lap top for a month. This set also contains no BPA, phthalates or lead paint. Just a box of good ole’ fashioned, girly fun- and best of all- made in the USA. You can find one at GreenToys.com.
Tags: BPAs, Children's Toys, Energy Conservation, First Birthdays, GreenToys.com, Houston Debutant, Recycled Plastic, Tea Parties
Posted in Accesories, Green Living, Parties | 1 Comment »
Green Dining Al Fresco
Sunday, January 10th, 2010
A few days ago we headed out to Franklin Canyon for a New Year’s, first birthday celebratory picnic. While having a picnic certainly isn’t a new idea, doing it without disposables certainly did drawn some attention.
Our lunch consisted of free range, beef fillet sandwiches, beans, green salad, custard with blueberries (everything organic, of course) and a bottle of Champagne- not organic, but French- and we all know Europeans have higher eco standards for things that go in their mouths. It was served on 19th century Limoges china, an antique table cloth, with matching cloth napkins, silver utensils and hand blown glasses. Instead of cut flowers, we brought two pots of fragrant herbs to decorate the table. (Later that day they were planted in the ground at our house).
At the end of the picnic, we had almost no trash, which delighted everyone at around the table. Everything we brought was eaten, reusable or recyclable with the exception of the champage cork/wrapper and a little plastic wrap used to cover the custard ramekins. Soon we will be able to buy biodegradable plastic wrap and we can walk away as if we never visited.
THAT’S IT FOR THE TRASH!
After our lunch, we loaded up the car, left the herbs in the baby stroller (because it looked cool) and circled the lake for some more fresh air and exercise. Europeans aren’t the only ones who know how to enjoy a civilized outing.
And now we can enjoy our “decorations” for many meals to come.
Tags: biodegradeable, Franklin Canyon, free range beef, Limoges, organic food, picnic
Posted in Green Living, New Year, Parties | No Comments »
The SoCal Contractor on Design*Sponge
Thursday, January 7th, 2010
Big thanks to Grace at Design*Sponge for blowin’ up our favorite green builder Mr. SoCalContractor on one of our befores and afters.
BEFORE
AFTER
BEFORE
AFTER
BEFORE
AFTER
BEFORE
AFTER
Fresh, green goodness! Enjoy.
Tags: bath remodel, Before and After, Design*Sponge, kitchen remodel, SoCal Contractor
Posted in Baths, Before and After, Blogs, Green Living, Kitchens | No Comments »
Recycle Bins in the Lobby
Friday, December 18th, 2009
This week we shot film and photography for Blue Jay Way in Hollywood Hills and The Keys Estate in Rancho Mirage with Ken Hayden who is a photographer for Architectural Digest. Throughout the days I had to keep reminding people not to throw batteries in the trash, to recycle their glass bottles and turn off the lights when we left a room. It was such a pleasure to come back to the hotel and see, not one, but two recycle bins on each floor’s lobby by the elevator. I can’t say the Spa Casino and Resort in Palm Springs is the nicest hotel I’ve ever stayed in, but it is rated 5 stars. To see recycle bins in a five star lobby just made me smile. Now if people can figure out how to use them… we’ll be in business.
Tags: Architectural Digest, Blue Jay Way, Hollywood Hills, Ken Hayden, Palm Springs Spa and Casino Resort, Rancho Mirage
Posted in Green Living | 1 Comment »
Cherokee Studios Rock N Platinum Showcase
Monday, November 2nd, 2009
Alcie Cooper Lyrics
- Platinum records for the Platinum loft
Thursday night, across the street from Genghis Cohen and behind a secretive, black curtain Rethink Development unveiled the rock n’ roll lofts at the Cherokee Recording Studios LEED Platinum Lofts Showcase benefitting Habitat for Humanity. We (Lori Dennis and Brook Casey of the Dennis Design Group) were in charge of the Alice Cooper pad and took our assignment very seriously, literally dressing the part.
Dennis Design Group gettin' down in bed?
Our shock rock loft never could have been possible without the generous donations of our many vendors and time from our interns, Sara, Rob and Natasha. Plus it’s not really a party if Tony of Francois and Roy from the SoCal Contractor aren’t in tow. In the bedroom Heritage Draperies fabricated and installed our padded, chained window treatment and Mike Ragan of Rags put together this amazing patchwork, padded wall with fabric from Jason Asch of Diamond Foam. The stars were out in LA on Thursday night and two showed up at our event: Jodie Sweetin , who we all know and love as the old Stephanie Tanner from Full House and Calico Cooper, Alice’s daughter and former co-star of his stage show.
Calico Cooper representin' for Papa
Lori and Brook Nailing
Still nailing...
and finally it was done.
I was afraid Brook was going to hang himself. But he stuck it out and we even finished the lyrics on the bathroom wall so Tony from Francois could learn them and sing along.
Don't do it Brook!!
When the doors opened at 7PM we all took a shot of Skull Vodka and welcomed our guests to Alice’s Lair. Francois provided the Gothic mantel in the living room, serving as the perfect backdrop to the snake skin bench from Bausman and Co. and upholstered chairs from Cisco Brothers. All the kitchy 60s, 70s and 80s accessories from Retropia and the original props from Alice Cooper’s show gave our loft an authenticity rarely seen in staged showcase homes. Big Red Sun even landscaped our balcony in a true, desert decor representative of the golf courses in Phoenix that Alice so dearly loves.
Alice's Lair
You'll never guess what these balls are for!
Cooper Gang in the Loft
Green bondage-stay in and save gas!
Tags: Alice Cooper, Bausman and Co., Big Red Sun, Calico Cooper, Cherokee Recording Studios LEED Platinum Lofts, Cisco Brothers, Dennis Design Group, Diamond Fabric, eco-friendly, energy saving, Francois and Co., Green Events, green materials, Green Retailers, green roofs, Habitat For Humanity, interior design, Jason Asch, Jodie Sweetin, LEED, LEED Platinum, Lori Dennis, Mike Ragan Rags, Pleasure Chest, Retropia, SoCal Contractor
Posted in Charities, Events, Furniture, Green Building, Green Living, Materials, Parties, Press, Retailers | No Comments »
Feeling High on the Highline
Monday, July 20th, 2009
Last week my husband, daughter and I returned from a trip around the world to show the 6 month old baby off to her relatives throughout the globe. One of our stops was New York City where we visited with my side of the family. I had been reading about the Highlinerenovation in New York for about a year and to my delight we hit the opening at the perfect time. It was a Monday afternoon on July 5th . I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a better summer day in the city, perfect temperature, clear skies with an occasional puffy white cloud floating by us. We started our journey on 12th Street between 10 and 11th Avenue in the meat packing district where the old railway, now converted into an elevated city park, begins. It’s the lower Manhattan’s answer to Central Park. But it has a few things Central Park is lacking: a clear view to the Hudson, no street traffic and a vantage point to city rooftops you would never imagine existed. On our walk there my husband commented, “Wow, they still sell meat here.” It is a perfect example of urban civility when you see a Hugo Boss Boutique, next to quaint outdoor patio dining of a tasty bistro, with the Quality Meat warehouse in full view complete with blue collar guys loading sides of beef into cold trucks. In the mix is a sky scraping, modern condo sitting atop the Highline Park. The scene is sublime and even these great pictures can’t tell the story… you have got to go to the city and check it out for yourself.
See what I mean.
Tags: Green Building Guidelines, green materials, Green Renovations
Posted in Green Building, Green Living, Materials | No Comments »
Cheap, Fast and Green
Friday, May 29th, 2009
I admit it. I love fast food, especially the roach coach carne asada. Cheap, fast and yummy are high on my list when it comes to jam packed days. Having a four month old has made finding time to eat an even bigger challenge. Grabbing a quick bite at the Jack in the Box was a savior many times. Then I had to go and watch King Corn, the documentary about the way America grows engineered corn, feeds it to cows and manufacturers corn syrup which winds up in almost every food you find on a supermarket shelf. In addition to being inhumane to pen cows up their entire lives to fatten them up quicker, it’s unsanitary (they pump them full of anitbiotics) and unhealthy for the cows to have a corn diet. You can only imagine how horrible it is for us to eat the meat. I remember 20 years ago when I was in Jamaica and asked a native why their cows looked anorexic. He replied,” our cows are normal, your’s are bloated with filler and chemicals.” I didn’t really understand what he meant for a few years, but I never forgot what I saw. Since this is a green blog we can’t leave out the fact about how much methane those millions of penned up cows produce and how it affects global warming. For many years I’ve crossed chicken which is not free range off of my list of edibles. Now, it’s beef (unless it’s free range and grass fed).
My husband, the burger lover, doesn’t know what to do with me anymore. ”WHAT? No more Carl’s Six Dollar Burgers? No more Mini Sirloin Burgers?” I just can’t eat them anymore knowing what I know. But I have no idea why Jack in the Box hasn’t partnered with Whole Foods and developed a cheap, fast and green solution for us? Maybe it would be a few dollars more for free range, grass fed beef, organic buns, cheese and potatoes and soda with actual sugar in it, but I think there’s a market. I became convinced of this when I was at the Pasadena Green Fair and saw a GREEN roach coach.
All food on the green roach coach is organic and grown locally. The cups and plates are biodegradable, but they encourage you to bring your refillable cups and give discounts for doing so. Napkins are made of recycled paper. The truck runs on used, vegetable oil.
I love the fact that they listed all the good stuff right by the organic menu, so you know why it’s green and why it’s good for you.
In case you can’t read it, the truck can be reached at www.greentruckonthego.com. It’s brilliant. If there was one on every few blocks and they were open 24 hours, my problems would be solved. Until then, if you know someone who wants to open a drive thru, fast food, green burger joint, I’ll give them half off on the design fee!
Tags: green eating, Green Living, Green Truck on the Go
Posted in Events, Green Living, Retailers | No Comments »
Ship it to Me Green
Tuesday, January 27th, 2009
Most often when people think of eco-friendly products, they think about what a certain product is made of. This is one of the elements, but there are many more. A product that is manufactured locally, and contains 75% eco-friendly materials should be considered more “green” than an item of the same size containing 100% eco-friendly materials that is shipped from China fully assembled.
According to treehugger.com , a green product is one “that is both environmentally and socially responsible.” Here are some criteria they give to determine an items’ “green-ness”:
- Demonstrate care for the people who make, supply and use the product
- Demonstrate care for the ecological community in manufacturing
- Use materials which are reused, recycled, renewable or organic
- Products that address the use of energy in their production.Could the energy saved by their use be greater than the energy it took to create the item?
- Serve a useful purpose
- Use materials that can be recycled or are biodegradable.
I’m seeing more and more businesses implement or continue the green practices that make products more appealing to those that care about the environment.
Our firm loves Ikea. The fact that Ikea flat-packs their furniture means that costs are reduced because more of that item can be shipped to the store at one time. Also, consumers are able to order most items online. This means than rather than making a trip to the physical store, the items can be shipped directly to the home from the place of manufacture.If you do have to make a trip, the flat-pack concept allows a few rooms of furniture to fit inside your back seat! One trip!
In other news, Wal-Mart is attempting some of its own packaging improvements. They have reshaped their milk cartons to be taller and rectangular-shaped for greater efficiency in shipping, which keeps consumer costs down about 20 cents a gallon. The new shape allows cartons to be stacked on top of one another, rather than packaged with lots of material separating rows of cartons. While some consumers love the new body shape, some are not so amused. Jo from Ohio said, “It is an utterly stupid design. You can’t use a paper towel, water and wipe it up every time you pour milk. They would need to give away a mini roll of paper towels or wet wipes to wipe up the old stinking milk on counters, coffer cups, bowls…. How green is the new design if we are wasting paper towels and running water after every use?” Hmmm, something to think about. A nice attempt though, I think.
Tags: eco-friendly, green product, Materials, Wal-mart
Posted in Green Living, Materials | No Comments »
[LORI DENNIS INTERIOR DESIGN]
