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Innovative & Eco-friendly Wallcoverings by Lori Weitzner

linen magnetic wallcovering wallpaper weitzner

It was love at first sight. I was first introduced to Lori Weitzner’s artful wallcoverings at the San Francisco Design Center last October when Veranda presented their 2010 Art of Design Awards: Timelessness & Innovation. Lori was one of six design industry “trailblazers” honored with the award.

In 2004, Lori launched New York-based firm, Weitzner Limited to explore textiles and wallcoverings made with a combination of ancient and modern materials. The award winning line blends exceptional design with unexpected materials – all while being environmentally conscious.  For example, Weitzner’s Magnetism wallcovering {above} combines beauty & sophistication with functionality & versatility. Magnets can be placed directly on the linen surface and can be changed or removed easily leaving a pristine and unmarked backdrop. Simply brilliant!

thin natural stone wallcovering wallpaper

Love the look of natural stone? Weitzner again delivers an innovative product – Quarry from the Nature Collection. It’s a remarkably flexible paperbacked layer of stone that offers all the varied color and texture of the rock, but delivers the same ease of installation as paper. Yes, it’s natural stone!

denim jeans wallcovering designer

We all have our favorite pair of jeans and love the way they feel. Weitzner brilliantly takes casual and comfortable denim in classic indigo and creates this paperbacked textile wallcovering. Perfect for a boy’s room, home office or family room.

recycled paper design for screens wallcovering lamps

Not all of Weitzner’s creations are applied to the walls. In Apropos collection, Lori continues her search for sustainable and organic materials. Shown above, Currents is handmade using pressed paper from renewable and recyclable mulberry and salago fibers. I love the texture and pattern. And its applications are endless… as a room divider, screen or perhaps used as a wall treatment?
Fabulous don’t you think?
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Read full story By on February 18, 2011 in green design, wallpaper

Thanksgiving Place Card Ideas and Wembé Giveaway Winners

Thanksgiving. It’s just days away. Whether formal or casual, your table setting and décor will set the tone of the gathering. Setting out place cards for guests is something I do even when entertaining a small group. It puts guests at ease and can add a fun decorative element to the tabletop. Here are some place card ideas perfect for celebrating Thanksgiving: 

thanksgiving place cards autumn leaf

These handcrafted autumn leaf place cards by Timeless Paper simply perch on wine glasses. Made of cream or white card stock and embellished with custom colored dots, you only need to hand write your guests’ names in the spaces. Such an elegant touch to any table.
thanksgiving place cards printable diy paper
Paper Source featured these simple printable place cards on their blog recently. An edging of yellow ink  from a stamp ink pad and a simple raffia bow adds the perfect color and texture. Easily adapted to any color scheme too. Here’s the how to.
thanksgiving leaf place cards diy
Here is another Thanksgiving place card idea from Martha Stewart. Name cards are topped with leaves for a whimsical look that is inexpensive and easy to do yourself. Here is the how to.
thanksgiving yarn turkey place card diy
Here is one of the turkey place cards I made for our tabletop this year. The project needed paper, yarn and glue – and of course a little time. Super simple. I found the idea and how to on Martha Stewart.
If you will be a lucky guest this holiday season, providing the hostess with a small thank you gift is always a nice jester. Go here to see some great hostess gifts under $40. 100 organic and natural soaps from Wembé a Paraguayan Eco-lux soap company made the list.

hostess gifts wembe amazon soaps natural

The nice folks at Wembé Soaps also hosted a giveaway; The two lucky Simplified Bee readers are Wendy and Studio 13. Each has won a Frutal Energizing Set of their luxurious soaps. Enjoy!

random wembe giveaway winner two

Congrats and happy holiday decorating!
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Read full story By on November 19, 2010 in DIY, Entertaining, green design, holiday decor, Thanksgiving

Interview with HGTV’s Martin Amando on Green, Seasonal & Budget-friendly Design

Last week I had the pleasure of interviewing HGTV’s Martin Amando. His past experience and accomplishments include working as a guest designer on episodes of Decorating Cents as well as being a host on Small Space, Big Style both for HGTV.

With a focus on green, seasonal and budget-friendly design, here are the questions I asked Martin…

1. Many of your designs are earth-friendly – what are your favorite eco-friendly decorating tips?
2. Budgets are tight these days. How can going “green” save homeowners money?
3. What is one way to change the look of your home without breaking the bank?
4. Fall is here. Do you have any tips on how we can make wise home improvements before winter arrives?

Thanks Martin for your time and expertise! To see some of Martin’s fabulous work, visit his website

Happy decorating!

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Read full story By on October 13, 2010 in green design, holiday decor, interior design, interview

Friday Find: Sang and Serena Inlaid Furniture & Hand-blocked Textiles

After writing this article on Bone Inlaid Furniture and Decor , I was introduced to a wonderful , eco-friendly company called Sang and Serena.  The company embodies three concepts when designing its furniture and textiles: eco-luxe, East-meets-West, and old world-new needs. Every item that they design and import is environmentally sensitive, rich to the eye and to the touch and a fusion of cultures.
Here is what Sang and Serena have to say about their stunning inlaid furniture pieces:
“The art of inlay work within India dates back to the 17th century. During that time, precious and semi-precious gemstones along with marble were used as the primary mediums for this form of craftsmanship.
Today, inlay work persists. Sang and Serena obtain their furniture from the Indian state of Rajasthan, where the art is practiced using regionally sourced bone and mother of pearl. The bone is extracted from camels that have passed on naturally; its cream-colored opacity manages to exude an elegant rusticity. Meanwhile, the mother of pearl is separated from the outer shells of water-dwelling mollusks; its shine is incredible, opalescent.”
 
Sang and Serena released a beautiful and vibrant collection of hand-blocked textiles. It includes six exclusive quilt designs available in king, queen and single sizes. The patterns are visually rich. And the texture {100 cotton} is soft to the hand. Here are my favorites:
 
To learn more about these one-of-a-kind, handmade pieces or to make an order, visit Sang and Serena.
Also, it’s not too late to enter to win two throw pillows of your choice! Go here to enter.
Happy Friday!
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Read full story By on September 3, 2010 in friday find, furniture, green design, textiles