Decorating for a green environment

Tag : Blended Fabric
Natural or natural-feeling materials used in the home can create areassuring, calming, secure sense of rightness.

To feel at one with nature in the home, use natural grains, naturalcolors, blended tones and a punch or two of color and print.Texture, soothing tones, and high-quality products stand the testof time.

We're seeing more recycled and quickly regenerating hardwoods beingused for flooring, furniture, kitchen cabinets, woven bamboo shadesand drapery hardware.

Many fabrics free of carcinogenic and allergenic dyes are availablenow for draperies and re-upholstery projects. In addition to beingfriendly to the skin, they add "R-value" to the windows.

The "R" represents resistance to energy loss. R-valuemeasures a product's ability to keep heat in and cold out andvice-versa.

The higher the R-value, the greater the insulation value.

An R-value of 4.00 will prevent up to 75 percent heat loss throughthe window. Honeycomb shades with R-values ranging from 3.45 to7.73, offer tremendous energy efficiency with distinctive fashion.These shades will pay for themselves with reduced utility bills andare highly unlikely to wear out.

Custom, lined draperies will generally last 25 to 30 years and addenergy efficiency. A beautiful pattern pulls together colors anddesign, accomplishing two goals with one product.

Sheer draperies will add 90-percent UV protection and still allow aview, while adding even more R-value.

Split bamboo shades date back to China in 4000 B.C. and add greattexture to the room. Other products with natural appearancesinclude bamboo blinds, grasscloth wall finishings, cork flooring,and flooring made from bamboo and recycles wood.



Colors of the earth

Earthy tones are easy to live with. When choosing your colors,remember that complimentary colors promote harmony and balance.

Chocolate browns with lighter tints such as deep beige, mocha, tanand desert-toned hues are soft, warm and are great for thecolor-shy. They pair well with bright or deep-colored accents.

For instance, pair milk-chocolate brown with moss green and brickred accents.

Blue fits into an earth-tone color scheme as blue-based greens andslate-like grays, which are growing in popularity. Green appears inhues of moss, sage and pine.

Reds are best used as accent colors. In an earthy design, using asoft brick-red paint on one feature wall. Pair that brick-red witha gold-tan pair of stationary draperies, in an earthy pattern withtouches of moss, sage green and brick-red, flanking the sides ofthe windows. This promotes drama and warmth in the room without anover-done look.

Continue this look in another room with gold-tan walls andbrick-red, patterned-fabric window treatments with touches of gold,tan and greens. Blending and balancing colors from room to room,especially in the main living areas, extends the overall sense ofharmony.



Earth-friendly furniture

When it comes to buying a sofa or chair, a smart decorator knowsthat buying better-quality furniture once and recovering them whenneeded with earth-friendly fabrics is a more sustainable path thanbuying three or more sets of less-expensive pieces over the years.

Long-lasting leather is a good choice for furniture, it suits ourlocal environment perfectly and is offered in virtually everystyle.



A Shade Above Interiors, by Sandi and Paul Bernstein, was votedBest Interior Designer by The Union readers from 2002 through 2007.Contact them at 272-6161.