Seating

If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed or email newsletter.

Most of you know that my family and I recently moved from Georgia to Tennessee.  We’re currently living in a situation where we rarely have any control over the thermostat. That means two things: It’s always a bit colder in the house than I’m used to, and we have been layering our bedding to make sure we’re warm at night. During the winter, which is a lot colder than I expected here in Tennessee, there’s nothing quite as valuable as a really warm blanket.

EDITOR’S NOTE: I’ll be offering up a series of product reviews this week. Over the past couple of months, I’ve received some great eco-friendly product samples to test, so I want to catch up on those this week. You’ll learn about great eco-friendly bedding, artwork and even a vaccuum cleaner, and I’ll be giving my honest opinion of the products. I’ll also be posting giveaways of some of these products, so don’t miss anything!

It’s been a while since I have posted about something with a bird motif. Too long, if you ask me. I can’t help it — I am just drawn to the little critters by some unknown force. Thankfully for me, there’s no shortage of eco-friendly art featuring friendly birdies. These Bird Collages by Petite Flaneur would be welcome in my home any day. Just don’t tell my husband that. He’s not quite as fond of the birdies as I am.

It warms my heart to find companies with a conscience, particularly independent ones. For companies just starting out, I know it can be tempting to go with the cheapest materials and follow only the most lenient standards, and many companies do just that. That makes the ones who take the time to create quality, safer products stand out from the crowd even more.

I like the idea of being able to go green in every room in my home, from the kitchen to the bathroom and everything in between. In my home office (more of a work area right now), part of that is going paperless whenever possible. I also repurposed a utility table to use as a desk. But the major green work solution? My gorgeous Amia chair by Steelcase.

A few months ago, I featured the Amia for its features on paper. It really looked to be the ultimate in sustainable design: Gold Cradle to Cradle certification for indoor air quality, 97% recyclable, it can contribute to your home’s LEED certification…the list goes on. But, I wondered, how would this chair stand up to real use?

I love interesting chairs. While I doubt that I would put six of them around a dining table, they are a great way to add a little bit of flavor to an otherwise traditional or unextraordinary room. In fact, if you are looking for a bit transformation with a smallish budget, an awesome chair is a great investment.

One of my favorite things to do is scour the web for before and after photos of used furniture. Anyone who can take a chair or table they’ve found in the trash that has clearly seen better days and turn it into something beautiful deserves kudos, in my book. I have lofty dreams of being able to do the same, but have yet to put those thoughts into action. I’ve been wanting to find a used coffee table I can turn into an upholstered bench for a long time, so I’ve been searching for some inspiration. Viva Terra always manages to deliver.

I won’t claim to be an expert kitchen designer (yet :)), but I know that in my dream kitchen, one of the most important features I’d want to have is a bar. They are perfect for laying out food when have family over, and they make it really easy to keep kids close at hand while cooking. They also provide room for extra seating, and we all know how precious that can be in a kitchen. We currently own some barstools that look like they belong in 1984. I’m sure the look was modern back then, but now…well, they just look a bit cheap.

When my husband and I look at pictures from our childhood, its hard not to laugh. We all know that the 80s is a fashion decade that never should have happened. Overalls (What were we? Farmers?), Cross Colors outfits, huge earrings and hair styles…It’s a wonder those photos haven’t been burned already.

Thankfully, home furnishings are more forgiving — and you don’t have to wear them in public. Vintage pieces have a way of giving a room character — not to mention the fact that you’re saving them from the landfill. It vintage charm is what you’re looking for, the ladies of Spruce have got your number.

They say all that glitters isn’t gold, and in this case “they” are right — all that glitters is aluminum. Every now and then, all women like something a little shiny. For some, its jewelry with sparkly diamonds (hopefully vintage or responsibly harvested). For me, its a shiny new piece of furniture. The shape of this awesome Kong chair by Emeco literally took my breath away. I saw a similarly shaped chair made of clear lucite in the last couple of days, but this? This is a keeper!