Asparagus Interiors Inc.

I’ve been looking but finally found it! Sustainable eco-friendly furniture.

naturalLEE by Lee Furniture offers a new product line with the following features:

• Certified Sustainable Wood Frames
• Water-based Wood Finishes
• Soy-based Cushion Materials
• Recycled Fiber Pillow Filling
• Organic and Natural Upholstery Fabric

They also donate one tree per furniture purchase to the American Forests organization.

Sounds good to me.

Big thanks go out to my Mom, Kate Cavanagh, and Aunt, Rita Kerley, who with a glass of wine and extra think glue installed my grasscloth wallpaper.
The grasscloth wallpaper is made of a 100% natural materials. The paper backing has an orange color topcoat and strips of grass are woven onto the paper with thin threads of yarn.

The inherent natural fibers create a random pattern. When hung there is noticable seaming, but it adds to the natural beauty.  I would recommend it to anyone looking to add dimension and texture to a room.

I’ve been doing a lot of painting around the house these days, and have commented on my site about my new found love for the Aura paint by Benjamin Moore.

The Washington Post just featured an artical discussing the topic, “Gauging a Paint’s Performance Before It Hits the Wall.” Are we really getting great performance and durability and out of a $60.00 gallon of paint?

The article is worth reading if your in the market for paint. I’ve listed some highlights below:

“The differences begin to emerge after the job is finished and you start using the space. In 10 years, the $60-a-gallon wall, which can be cleaned, will still look good. The $15-a-gallon one may have been repainted three times because when you tried to clean it, the color came off or the stain couldn’t be removed.”

“At the high end, the pigment will be made entirely of titanium dioxide, which is much more durable but much more expensive. Titanium dioxide also reflects light better; to the discerning eye, the color looks brighter and more vibrant.”

“The salespeople may also talk about “coverage” — the area of wall that a gallon will cover. The industry average is 400 square feet, but the more expensive paints can cover more area, so you may need fewer gallons to do the job.”

I recommend doing your research before buying. Paint can get expensive, but get the most out of your gallons for durability, colorfastness and coverage.

Happy Painting!