Green Options » rugs

Rug & Interior Designer Rides the Green Wave

Delia Montgomery — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 04:16:50 +0000

In the green market, the interior design world is about healthy settings with visual appeal. The goal is to create rooms for physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual benefits. That means avoiding things like VOCs, chemicals, and clutter.

You can see that earth and human-friendly designers and decorators are increasingly riding the green wave. And we now know that natural wool, hemp, silk, seagrass, bamboo, cork, and other organic fibers are here for us. Ancient craft techniques are reviving and some know how to blend it all so well into the present. Recycling is one method that seems to create new artistic magic.

One such conscious professional creator is Marla Henderson. She identifies herself as more an artist/producer of interiors than a traditional designer. Marla frequently works with artisans to develop unique spaces. Her course of life leads us to the Babik rug collection she offers today.

Something Green is Underfoot….

Deb Hiett — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 14:33:51 +0000

This Spring, update your patio, porch, or deck in one easy step. Mad Mats are fantastically chic outdoor/indoor woven rugs made from 100% recycled plastic (disposable bottles, packing wrap, etc.). Created in Thailand under Fair Trade conditions, Mad Mats will not work with factories that employ children or produce environmentally harmful waste.

The mats are washable (just run them under a hose), reversible, and really comfy underfoot. The flat weave and soft tubular threads won’t mildew or stain. I’ve had one on my sun-soaked deck in Los Angeles for nearly five years, and it hasn’t faded one bit (ah, the upside of plastic’s longevity!).

Available in a variety of colors and patterns. Small (4′x6′) is $45; Medium (5′x8′) is $89, Large (6′x9′) is $110, and Runners (30 in. wide, and 7′ to 8′ long, depending on pattern) are $45. All available at www.pot-ted.com (323.665.3801).

(Photo courtesy of Mary Gray)