The Toronto Sun ■ OCTOBER 30 & NOVEMBER 1, 2009
Before you start
forests that float in the cold Pacific
waters, and named for the famed
surfing location off Vancouver Is-
land, the Sombrio chandelier (top
right) is a statement piece that’s
biodegradable. Its square chips are
made of eco-resin, a translucent
material with 40% recycled con-
tent. It comes in a range of colours,
built by hand by Propellor Design.
The Sombrio retails for CDN$4,380.
Visit www.propellor.ca for details.
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The first steps in planning your
green decor aren’t any different
than for non-green decor, Campo
says. Here are some tips to get you
started.
• Long before you consider the am-
bience, determine your budget.
Take into account how much space
you have and how you plan to use
it. If possible, live in the space for a
week or two to see where you
spend the most time.
• Next, determine any special
needs. Are there small children who
might be injured by sharp coffee
table corners or pets who might
nap on that white sofa you’ve al-
ways wanted?
Photo: Ekin Yagman, Ingram Gallery • Don’t rush to buy everything at
once, even if your budget allows,
because the space will end up look-
ing staged and won’t look warm
and personal. Your home should
reflect your personal style.
• Spend the most on well-built fur-
niture that will be hardest used.
Even with a limited budget, that’s
the smart thing to do. Luckily, re-
sponsible green products are built
to be durable and last.
• Go for multi-purpose items, so if a
piece of furniture no longer fits into
one room, you can use it in another.
Create a clean,
green canvas
Before you launch into your eco-
friendly decorating projects, create
a fresh, clean, “green” canvas.
There’s no sense in adding an or-
ganic mattress if there’s toxic paint
on your walls, says Campo. She of-
fers these seven tips:
1) Even though your new home will
have been freshly painted, most
likely it won’t have been with eco-
friendly paint. Before you move in,
repaint surfaces with low-VOC
paint.
2) Change the lighting. It’s basic but
an absolute must. Use energy-effi-
cient light bulbs.
3) Change the way you clean — go
with green cleaning products to
avoid introducing harmful chemi-
cals to your living space.
4) If you don’t want to pull up floor-
ing and go with more green op-
The Kirei Mod table (pictured townships of Cape Town. The ani- to the communities, and the bead tions, consider installing tiles over-
above) is made from FSC-certified mals and dolls, like the elephant artists benefit. top. Linoleum is renewable and
and formaldehyde-free plywoods shown here, are beaded by hand, Eat My Words is the Canadian healthy, as are bamboo and cork.
with a low-VOC water-based top- in the country’s ancient tradition, distributor for Monkeybiz. To 5) Appliances more than 10 years
coat and a hand-applied finish. The and use discarded off-cuts from order, visit www.eatmywords.org old should be replaced with energy-
33-by-33-by-11.25-inch table retails clothing manufacturers and other or call 416-489-7700 for details. efficient Energy Star models.
for US$1,200. Visit www.ian- recycled materials as filler. The Prices start at CDN$50.
nonedesign.com. project creates employment for dis- Green has come a long way in a 6) Install dual-flush toilets and
Add a splash of joy and colour advantaged women, who can work short time, says Campo. It’s gone water-saving faucets.
with beaded animals from Mon- out of their homes and help pro- beyond hippie and granola. It’s 7) Remember the 3 Rs: reduce,
keyBiz, a non-profit organization vide for their families. All of the healthy, but now it’s luxurious, reuse, recycle.
that commissions artists from the proceeds from sales are returned too.