Hi All,
New week, new holiday, new post. Today is St. Patrick's Day and while Irish and honorary Irish bask in the yummy fattening delight of corned beef and cabbage, others in the world use this day to sport their cutest green outfits or everything covered in four leaf clovers that they can find! I am going in a different direction this year; not that I won't still probably wear green, why not? This year I am using green as a symbol to improve the green aspects in my life and my business. Of course green is the color of money- and I am hoping to improve that in my life as well, as the market is still not jumping like I wish it was. I am also taking a day to increase my focus on green practices, both in my personal life and my company.
So, my kids think I am crazy every time I step into a super Walmart with my eight black recycled bags. I stack them folded into the front of my cart and use them when I check out, instead of the plastic bags they offer. Not only do I help in my own tiny little way to save the landfills from my twenty plastic bags that never break down into organic matter, but the large recycled bags actually hold way more weight than those cheap plastic bags. I feel good when I remember to take them out of my trunk before I head to the store, not so bad when I have to send one of my daughters back to the truck to get them out of the trunk and horrible when I completely forget that they are in the trunk and leave the store with plastic bags. So many people ignore the very thought of purchasing these bags, as though it can't possibly make a difference, or that one dollar a bag will really break the bank! Perhaps if they took a second to view their own carbon footprint or considered how often they shop, they might realize that any small contribution can help. It is estimated that we dispose of over 500 billion plastic bags a year! If you want to learn more about the effects on your environment check out this website: http://www.reusablebags.com/facts.php One hundred thousand small changes can equal one large change. It can make a difference! Anyway, enough of my public service announcement.
Many of my friends call me a "Maria Stuart" ( a Puerto Rican Martha Stuart). I like to garden, so for the last ten years I've had my own compost pile in my backyard, no matter where I've lived. I use compact fluorescent lightbulbs to conserve energy, unplug everything in the house when I go on a trip. I donate all of my children's old clothing and toys and furnishings to Big Brother, Big Sister or Goodwill, whenever they are low of stock. Donating is very important to me. Even when someone feels that they have no money to give to the needy, donating old items is a free way to be involved in giving back and it prevents needed items from going to the dump and being covered over with millions of pounds of dirt to sit for decades! It's one of the easiest forms of creating a greener earth! Even tag salers, those that troll the streets on a Sunday looking for rummage sale deals are being green, whether they know it or not! One man's trash is not only another man's treasure, but everyone's cleaner world! If that seller can't find a buyer for their old things, they will toss it in the trash. Thank the Lord that someone else sees that old dresser as a re-purposed vanity cabinet.
I, like many Interior Designers, spend time at consignment stores looking for deals on items that can be reupholstered or reused in a client's new space. Some of the pieces you can find are priceless and better than anything new you can imagine for that space. New is not always better. Then there are the remodels that we do. Our company makes fine custom cabinetry, in addition to interior design. Whenever we have to remove cabinets, furniture and appliances, we donate them to worthy causes. Our furniture and slightly used appliances go to Habitat For Humanity. They build new homes and make repairs to homes of those in need. Our client's old dining table goes to a family of five getting their first new home. Older items or those that they can't take go to Stardust Building Supply or Goodwill. Stardust is a non-profit that sells used goods with the proceeds going to other organizations in need. In addition to this, I specify low VOC paints by Sherwin Williams for all of my client's homes. The cost of these paints are not any higher than the standard paint cans, so clients do not have to pay more to be a little greener, and they avoid emitting volatile compounds into the air, which is better for their health. They also have the options of no VOC paints, which Sherwin Williams offers as well. I just find the extra cost to be a harder sell to those that are more concerned with the cost of their job over how sustainable I have made it.
I must say I am happy that my vendors have all increased their catalogs of sustainable products, including case goods made of reclaimed woods and fabrics made of bamboo, which regenerates more rapidly than any other wood species. The possibilities of interior design are endless with these great new items. I hope, in time, I will have a true need to specify these products for my clients. I don't just want to suggest these healthier options for them, I want them to demand a better lifestyle for themselves and our planet. It will come, this I know. In the meantime, I as a designer, Custom Interiors LLC as a company, and Michelle as a person, will continue to use every mention of green as a reflection of how to contribute to making my world a greener one, one clover at a time.
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