One of the most exciting ideas behind green design is using small, independent sources for all things design. Buy mass-produced furniture, decorations, pillows, and accessories and your place has a greater chance of looking just like everyone else’s. But buy these things from independent creative people, and it’ll be that much easier to express your own unique style.
With independent manufacturers and designers, you also have an easier time knowing where the goods you’re getting really come from. And if in doubt, you can always ask.
To find independent designers and to see what’s new from them, we often rely on the Indie Fixx website, which has listings of designers of everything from sachets to candles to kitchen magnets.
Many of the designs have a vintage look, as many are made from recycled materials — fabrics, paintings, drawings, buttons — another factor that’s green-friendly.
Some are “up-cycled” — wherein the designer comes up with a wholly different use for an object nobody else seems to want. For example, Objects of Affection by Lani Robertson takes pretty patterned security envelopes and transforms them into glass soldered paperweights. They bear a dual message, depending on your mood of the moment: “get to work” on one side and “take a break“ on the other.
And we love the crisp, feminine, vintage look of the sachets produced by Rebecca Thoms Hanley of Bananasaurus Rex — not to mention her pillows, bags, and aprons. As the blog’s menu page says, “You should know: I’m rather fond of recycling,” and that seems an understatement.
Hanley uses natural, recycled materials, creating a patch-work, layered effect with a freshness of design that will never be confused for an old musty thing found in your grandmother’s basement. These items are bright, lively, and meant to be adored.
