Asparagus Interiors Inc.

Thinking about installing bamboo, but confused about durability and available sources?

I turned to Green Operations Magazine, article “8 Questions to ask when purchasing bamboo flooring,” by Ann Knight of Teragren.

Important notes to consider:

• When was the bamboo harvested?  After 6 years bamboo reaches maturity and offers it’s hardest fibers.  Harvest any younger and your getting a softer less durable product.
• Is bamboo coming from a reputable manufacturer?  Quality control is more consistent with a manufacturer with tighter standards of growth, harvest and production.
• How eco-friendly is bamboo?  Was it manufactured with Low VOC adhesives and sustainably harvested?
• Harder than Red Oak, what does that mean? Janka Hardness Test, is the means in which wood species are tested for hardness.  Harder than Red Oak, is softer than Maple and almost as hard as White Oak and other like species.

My recommendation, use a reputable manufacturer.  Going for cheap doesn’t mean you will get a good product or a company that will back defects in product.  Younger bamboo can dent, scratch and gray as it may not have had time to mature and harden.

Do your research and consider this sustainable product as an investment in your home.

Note: Image sourced from Teragren.com

A few reputable firms offering bamboo flooring: Teragren and Eco Timber

Ever wanted grasscloth wallpaper in a bathroom or hallway, but worried about it’s durability?

Color & Design have come up with an “Alternative Substrate.”  According to their site, “This eco-friendly wallcovering is lightweight, breathable, recyclable, Greenguard certified and can be effectively used with the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system.”  It looks like grasscloth and comes in a variety of colors.  Giving you the look and feel without breaking down… hello foyer!

New Year, New Projects, New Fabric.

I just recently ordered samples from Carnegie’s new line, Bright Side.

Bright Side is fun, bright and made of recycled material.  Noted on their site as, “Bright Side is woven from 100% post consumer polyester and finished with the MBDC Cradle to Cradle Certified “Nanotex Resist Stains” and antimony free 100% polyester barrier “Durablock”.

Consider reupholstering your pieces to something more durable and bright.

Renovating your kitchen.  Looking for a pop of color and considering new countertop options. Check out Vertrazzo Recycled Glass countertops made with 85% recycled glass.

They recently won the “first annual Green Log Home & Lifestyle Awards^TM in the countertop division. Judged most eco-friendly from a crowded field of surfacing options.”

Looking for and “eco-friendly” counter top solution that’s more affordable than recycled glass, requires no maintenance like quartz and is made of recycled material.  Try Eco by Consentino.  New on the market in 2009, check out the article in Interiors Design magazine.

Looking for a “greener” furniture line.  Check out the offerings over at Green Home Chicago.

• Seat cushions made of Preserve foam core with soy-based BiOH polyol and fiber wraps in a 100% cotton down proof ticking.
• The fibers are 80% regenerated.
• The back and throw pillows are made up of 100% recycled fibers made from clear and white plastic bottles.
• The frames are made from engineered laminate panels and soy-based resins.
• They meet Sustainable Forestry Initiative standards.
• Finishes are water-based.
  The springs are made from 60% recycled metals.
• Many fabrics are made from organic and natural fibers.
• In manufacturing all waste products from the process are recycled through a national waste management company, who, in turn distributes almost 100% of the raw materials for use in other products.
• American Made

Last week I attended a continuing education presentation at Cabinets at Danada, Studio West in Geneva.  The “Sustainable Green Kitchen and Bath Design” session focused on cabinet construction, counter tops, lighting and flooring.

Interesting Take-aways:

• Rapidly Renewable Resources:  Bamboo, Lyptus, Alder are becoming increasingly popular due to their fast growing nature.
• Increasing in Popularity: Coconut Palm and Reconstructed Veneers for those endangered wood species.
• Cabinets:  Cabinet Construction should comply with NAUF (No Added Urea Formaldehyde) and Carb1 requirements.
• Countertops:  Emerging materials – PaperStone, Recycled Bottles to Ctr top from 3form, Recycled Glass
• Flooring: Taking a 2nd Look – Cork / Linoleum or Linseed based flooring has resiliency, low maintenance, durability, acoustic value and sourced as a renewable resource.

Urban Decors offers wood, granite and crystal drapery hardware, finials and motorized shades.  Finials and hardware made of natural and recycled materials add a touch of eco chic to your windows.

With fall coming on, the layered window treatment effect allows you to retain heat in your home and conserve energy.  Soft finishes always add a touch of cozy.

With so many sources for green cabinetry and the various shades of “green” it’s nice when you come across a company that really represents what “green” is all about.

Consider EcoUrban Collection, based in Chicago, EcoUrban offers sustainable solutions made of recycled materials and are recyclable.

According to their site, “EcoUrban Collection is a line of environmentally responsible, American-made, Eurostyle cabinetry for kitchen, bath and office.  Offering low VOC processes and domestic, cellulose fiber-based EcoVeneer; or EcoSteel, our premium tier, all stainless steel system featuring our proprietary, weldless assembly.”

I’m just scraping the surface with my knowledge of rugs, but the more I learn the more artisinal it gets. Rugs on the floor are becoming my new medium for art.  Although we typically like to hang large bold prints on the walls, drawing the eye to color, pattern and texture on the floor can be considered the “art” in the room.

e’bella Designs is a, “small, sustainable rug and pillow company that provides hand-made products from select artisans in Peru.”  Using Alpaca and wool fibers, e’bella is able to add a soft fiber with depth and creating interesting modern patterns.  These pieces are artwork for the floors and the statment in the room.