Green with Envy: Go MIO

February is bringing about a ton of stories about eco-friendly home design. Natural Home magazine announced that they are building the first ever "green home" in NYC (converting a 90-year-old brownstone in Brooklyn--my late grandmother, who grew up in Brooklyn, would be amused), the Inquirer lead their Home & Design coverage with a story on putting sod on one's roof, while the New York Times is advocating dirt flooring. Did I mention that House and Garden magazine dedicated their February issue to eco-design?

The surge of coverage both highlights the obvious appeal of eco-friendly design (efficient energy bills, decent design quality and general good karma), but doesn't tend to be forthright about the downfalls (products can be prohibatively expensive, time consuming and, in the case of dirt flooring, requires a bit of education before a homeowner is okay with the idea).

Yes, we want to reduce the environmental impacts of our lifestyle without sacrificing style, but generally the costs scare us off. BusinessWeek summed this up nicely. If faced with deciding to purchase a snazzy new granite countertop versus a very efficient furnace, most of us will pick the countertop.

Eco-friendly MIO Culture, based here in Philadelphia, has a bunch of home decor stuff that is a more realistic alternative to sodding up the roofs and floors. As said before, I'm primarily a big fan of their 3-D wallpaper, specifically for long-ignored entry hallways. But the company earns points for their design consideration, but also for addressing affordability.

Starting Out: How to Furnish Your Home, Cheaply and Stylishly

I'm always hesitant to pick up any of the effusive books/magazine articles that promise to let you in on the secrets to decorating your home cheaply and stylishly. Why? Because the tips are usually ridiculous--written by the sort of person who finds bliss in suggesting $300 towels, are far craftier than the general population (Make a lamp out of an old vodka bottle!) or are putting cheapness at a higher priority over quality.

It IS possible to furnish your home on a slight budget without sacrificing quality, style or even comfort. I know because I've managed to do it over the course of a year and a half, right down to the collection of 14 platinum-edged porcelain dinner plates ($3.50-$7.99 a piece) that I bought last week.

So get your piggy banks, here are the secrets to charm on the cheap, even if you're just starting out in your own hovel of an apartment:

1. Develop an eye for quality and style. Browse the high-end magazines for furniture ads or general setting photos. You're not doing this to follow trends, you're just honing your ability to spot high quality and expensive-looking styles. If you study, you'll be able to go to most secondhand stores (read: not vintage, not overpriced nonsense) and come out with something that looks antique. Or will at least know how to re-work a questionable item so it does look special.

2. Start saving--you'll need about $1,500-2,000 at most for this step. Winter (specifically January) and Summer (usually August) are the best times to buy high-ticket furniture for insane discounts. Really. I just bought a $3800 hand-carved table for an insane price. I have bought dresses for more than this table. Waiting for clearance sales=great payoffs.

3. Paint your rooms, if needed. As much as I hate saying this, do a neutral color. I know, I have coral pink walls, but if you're just starting out, it's hard enough buying furniture without having to worry about it matching a silver-and-watermelon-pink wallcovering. Pale buttercream, grey with the slightest twinge of pink, and regular cream are always flattering. Extend the paint on to the ceiling if you can for a more-finished look.

4.. Where to invest. Learn to live with the couch (or upholstered chairs) and dining room table you presently have. These two furniture pieces make a HUGE difference on your overall decor, you have no idea. Even if you fill your home with priceless curiousities, a cheap futon will ruin everything. Same goes for cheap tables with thick layers of plastic-looking veneer. Invest modestly in these two pieces. You will always use a couch and a nice big table. You can even use the table as desk, if you're pressed for space.

If you own a very tiny space--meaning no possible room for a dining room table--replace your counters and/or cabinetry. Huge difference.

In the meantime, get rid of your cheapest-looking, dreary stuff. If it can't be painted to look better, give it away.

5. Almost always, buy these items on sale at high-end places: Plates, drinking glasses and goblets, blankets/bedding, end/accent tables, decorate storage, pillows, drapes, rugs and tablecloths. Buy more plates and glasses than you think you need.

5.a. Usually buy solids, unless you see a pattern you adore. Make sure the curtains you buy aren't see through.

6. Almost always, buy these things second-hand, looking for the highest quality possible: Coffee tables, chairs, bureaus, headboards, mirrors, tall cabinets (instead of bookshelves or wall-mounted cabinets). Look for classic lines, good detailing and convincingly good construction. Don't worry about color or hardware--these can be replaced.

6.a. Don't buy anything with a cheap veneer. You know those cute chain stores that specialize in quasi-contemporary furnishings? Good for accessories, not for furnishings. In the catalogues, the stuff looks adorable, in person, terribly cheap. Save yourself the trouble.

7. Chandeliers and lamps can be bought anywhere, even chain stores. Remember that people will notice them, and that you can also paint these (albeit carefully). Don't buy torchiere lamps.

These are the general rules for starting out in style, while not spending too much. If you always buy high-quality in a neutral pattern, you won't have to worry about mixing and matching. You'll look charming, not adrift.

Divide and Conquer

As in life, we all might live better with a few boundaries.

Many new construction homes/apartments are of the “loft-inspired” or open floor plan. It’s a no-brainer as to why people like these plans—you get lots of spaciousness, control over where you can arrange your furniture and you don’t have to navigate around doorways when moving in. The issue usually comes up with how to properly define a space when there aren’t any rooms.

I’ve found a solution with the Textile Softwall, available through Design Within Reach (1710 Walnut St.). The Softwall is exactly what it sounds like: a soft wall. It’s made out of environmentally sound materials, portable and soundproof. When standing, the wall’s curvy shape is a more visually interesting alternative to traditional dividers. The Softwall also allows natural light to filter through, no small feat for a partition.

Though it’s a bit pricey for some budgets, I’d say that this was a smart investment for some individuals. You can use it as a general room divider, as a way to section off your home office space, or as an outdoor privacy screen.

Photo from dwr.com

Much Ado About Antiques

I was positively suckered in to reading an article in the New York Times H&G section last week, merely because the accompanying photographed included Joan Rivers and folk art. Not that I have a particular interest in Joan Rivers and folk art, mind you, I just enjoyed the juxtaposition.

(Here is the article, in case you didn't see)

Well, not only was there scant information about Ms. Rivers and her folk art, the article turned out to be a very serious investigation on what well-heeled people worry most about: What their designers think of their family hand-me-downs and antique purchases.

To wit, "You know these pieces: The baroque, over-size bedroom set, fit for the home of a mountain king; the circular mahogany table that seats 14. Angèle Parlange, who grew up in an 18th-century Louisiana plantation house and is the author of “Creole Thrift,” just published by ReganBooks, calls it “big brown furniture.” And unlike the mistakes you make at a flea market and can unload on eBay, when you take this stuff home, you’re stuck for life."

What a limited and dreary world view to have. I was highly appalled by the glaring lack of imagination that I felt a need to give some soothing tips on what to do with your antiques:

-Paint it gold. Unless Aunt Mimi wrote a brilliant manifesto on her writing desk, feel free to paint it gold, replace the hardware and use it as a mini-bar. Aunt Mimi probably used it in that respect, albeit informally. If you're short on space, take the doors off a closet and place in there. You can always stuff your ill-fitting sweaters and stretched-out bathing suits somewhere else.

-Make a dining room. Even if you have the most microscopic apartment, it will behoove you to make your own dining room. If given the choice between some clunky entertainment center and uncomfortable futons, and a circular mahogany table for 14...you are better off with the table, a deck of cards, and the phone number of the nearest hotel for your dear friends. Throw caution to the wind, when it comes to scale.

-Burn bridges. Some people WILL be cross with you if you start painting "antiques." The resulting grudge will only be short-term, and really, you probably needed a break from their presence/phone conversations anyway.

Dining Room Tables Are Very Good Investments

I've spent a few days trying to find an acceptable desk that has enough surface area for projects, but isn't a dreary eyesore that depresses you to the point of inactivity. Today's desk offerings tend to look as alien to the home as a cubicle or giant Xerox machine would.

I think I've said this before in the not-so-distant-past, but I fully believe and encourage everyone to eschew desks in favor of dining room tables. Yes, even if you have a microscopic apartment (you will come off as imaginative and charming when you throw all the rules regarding furniture scale out the window, by the way).

Here is the logic: Barely acceptable desks tend to cost just as much, and are not nearly as useful as a dining room table. A dining room table can accomodate all sorts of projects, tend to be better constructed and serve as a natural gathering point for your guests. And having a dining room table makes you feel like an interesting specimen that entertains constantly. You also have a place to hang a chandelier, which is always a bonus.

The above dining room table/desk is the Newport Dining Table from Usona Home (113 S. 16th). Made of solid walnut with two pedestal bases, the table is both classic and a bit off-beat. I don't have any particularly imaginative ideas regarding seating, but I do like the idea of this sort of bench seating and their complementary chair counterparts.

(photo from usonahome.com)

The #1 Decorating Solution For Renters and Other Transients

I have a small spot in my heart for renters. It’s not as big as the spot for Schnapps bears, but one look at that link and it’s obvious why. But I really do sympathize with the plights of renters these days.

First of all, they have to constantly fear that a developer will come in to their building, then convert it in to $500,000+ condos, forcing them in to a seedier part of town. Until the forces of gentrification invade that neighborhood, and so on, until those who can’t afford to buy will be relegated to the Delaware River.

But some renters also have to put up with landlords who won’t allow one speck of color on the walls, producing depressing off-white rooms that marginalize your existence even further. One minute, you feel like a sassy grown-up, the next, you’re looking at the lone pathetic art reproduction poster illuminated by a torchier lamp and wondering what went wrong.

So I was excited when I saw the wall clings, discussed in the previous entry. But once I saw the gentrification-like price of those scraps of vinyl, I got angry. And while I may not be able to fight market forces, I can offer you a solution for your bare walls.

Look at the above left photo (of my office, as indicated by the coffee table books and rotary phone). You’re thinking “Well that sure is a busy wallpaper pattern. Did she steal that from the set of the Mary Tyler Moore show?”

But you're wrong. It's not wallpaper; it's $12 worth of fabric from the local crafts store, with a short length of pom-pom fringe. Underneath all of that color, is roughly 3-4 rolls of double-stick heavy-duty wall mounting tape. Put these items together, rope off about 3 hours of your evening, and your wall can also be enhanced by a little no-damage very cheap faux upholstery. (exhale)

I recommend applying the tape in three foot squares. Place the short end of the fabric length on the horizontal axis of the wall, pressing hard to make sure you get it nice and stuck to the tape. Proceed across the wall. Cover up any unsightly seams with fringe, or ribbon (this is why I advocate working horizontally). Try to use a fabric with a slight stretch to it- here I used a sort of lightweight flannel. The whole project set me back maybe $30. That price won't even get you a packet of wall clings.

NOTE: Obviously...applying zingy fabrics to the wall makes your entire room 10 times more flammable. Be careful with your novelty candles.

Dorm Residents: This is the perfect way to tone down the industrial, soviet bloc-style room you live in. It's also easily removable with a strong tug, in case the pesky RA enters.

Temporary Wall Decor

Available exclusively online through the Philadelphia-based company Urban Outfitters, the Blick Wall Sticks are temporary decals that you can apply to your walls for a small dose of movable cheer. Finally, a retailer extends the décor offerings for college students beyond butterfly chairs, scratchy x-long sheets and $20 milk crate containers.

These also are great for renters with particularly restrictive landlords (sidenote: forcing your inhabitants to live in rooms devoid of any color should be regarded as tenant abuse, in my opinion).

Do I think the wall graphics are a great idea? Yes. But I do have my reservations. First of all, the price point, at $38, is a bit high for essentially a piece of vinyl (this isn’t the highest price either- Target offers a similar package, but for $58). Fancy, but still cut vinyl. They also don’t offer you enough for your money—in order to make an effective design statement with these, you’d have to buy multiple packs.

I do have a much better solution, specifically for renters. The tips will be posted tonight at 10:30 p.m. (EST).

Especially for basement dwellers...

...or anyone else living in an indirectly-lit, ultra dreary apartment.

In July's Vogue, I saw a mirrored/metallic-finished bureau that would infuse a dark space with a bit of light and whimsy. And we all know that whimsy is of utmost importance. Remember, you'll never-ever-ever fool someone in to thinking that your 300 square foot shoebox is really a grand penthouse. That just happens to be a basement apartment. You get my point.

But you can fool someone in to thinking that your apartment is a fun-filled space that reflects a bit of personality. And maybe a little light.

So that's where the whimsical metallic furniture comes in. Matthew Izzo carries quite a selection, though you could always spray paint a boring old piece (it took me roughly 3 cans of gold spray paint for a medium-sized desk with drawers). Moderation is key, as if I had to tell you- limit yourself to one metallic piece per residence. Okay, maybe two. But only if they are in different rooms.

P.S: "Gold or Silver?" Normally, I would go with the undertones on this- gold is warm, silver is cold, etc. But some of the silver finishes on the Matthew Izzo pieces appear to be olive-based, so this adds up to a matter of personal style. I'd go with silver if you have a lot of 'modern' boxy type lines, and gold if you have more antiques. For some reason, mixing metallic this way works.

Modular Wallcovering.

One of the biggest trends last year was the InterfaceFlor Modular Carpet Tile System- with good reason, since it eliminated the circle of hell that is measuring for area carpeting. The customizable tiles made perfect sense for renters who wanted to add cheer to their apartments without incurring the wrath of a landlord, pet owners (each tile could be replaced easily) and those of us who can't commit to just one color of carpet.


Philadelphia-based MIO takes the modular concept one step further with their 3D wallcovering system. Each 12"x12" tile, made from recycled materials, is cut to produce a 3D effect. Mix and match the tiles (available in two styles: V2, left; and Flow) to create your own pattern.

Most use the tiles on just one area of a wall, but try tiling an entire room in one color. An entryway/foyer is an excellent place to start- just eliminate extraneous decorative accents. Juxtapose a traditional dining room set with walls covered in white V2 tiles. Keep the lighting low to soften the geometric effect.

The Urban Home Office.

In the space-impaired urban nest, the home office area is a relative term. A small percentage of us have the luxury of a designated home office, while the rest of us make do with a disorganized corner of our sofas, or other inconvenient spot. One man's home office is another man's laundry room, after all.

Should you invest in a desk? If you actually work from home, have a demanding hobby, or are a student, then yes. A desk can be an excellent motivator for the procrastination-inclined. Having that specific spot to write your memoirs, study brain surgery or categorize your seed collection will inspire more productivity than the overstuffed Barcalounger dangerously close to a television.

Unfortunately, desks present a conundrum. You either get a spacious work surface, or you get clever storage, rarely both. Pick work area and watch those square inches pile up with clutter. Pick storage and you won't have enough surface room to sign checks. For the serious home worker, it's a better choice to select the "surface area" option, with a few alterations for the clutter-inclined. Start with a sensible desk, such as the B1 desk from Usona Home Furnishings (113 S. 16th), with drawers for the bare essentials: pencils and paper. Keep your address books, legal pads, calligraphy sets, commemorative inkwells and other items in a stool that doubles as storage, such as this Storage Cube from Pottery Barn (4230 Main St., Manayunk; Route 73, Marlton; King of Prussia Mall). For those who require back support, use the cubes as an ottoman, or stow under the desk.

A desk, no matter how well-designed, eats up precious square footage for the casual home worker. A dining room table can easily be re-purposed using a few techniques. First, find a place to keep your materials (pens, files, postage), such as a little-used nook in your china cabinet or on a bookshelf. A basket, such as this magazine holder from online retailer Hold Everything, keeps everything together and is sturdy enough to stand on its own.

For serious filers, make your own Portable Desk (in the spirit of hanging CD storage curtains). Buy a length of vinyl from the fabric store, and a cheap, cheery vinyl tablecloth from a discount retailer- think Target. Cut the vinyl in to varying sizes of rectangles and squares, and apply a strong-hold glue to three sides, producing a pocket. Drape over your table when it's time to work. The Portable Desk is very handy for filing bills and those other loose pieces of paper that tend to run away easily, and also works well as an outdoor desk- just spread the tablecloth on the grass, patio or table.

If you don't have a dining room table, pull up a bar stool (if you don't have one, visit Mr. Bar Stool, at 167 N. 2nd St.) to the counter. Make an office nook by hanging cork tiles, found at any office supply store, on the wall, or on to the refrigerator. If you own, consider adding a coat of chalk board paint to your refrigerator, wall, or cabinet for a writeable surface. Keep supplies in the closest drawer or cabinet.

Portable Glamour.

Space-conscious furniture has always been the L.L. Bean of the home design world- functional, yes. But pretty, stylish or fashionable? No.

But as our rooms and apartments get smaller while the home entertaining trend grows, the benefits of stackable, stowable or hideable furniture is obvious. So it's with this mindset that I set out to prove that foldability and good design aren't mutually exclusive ideas.

First, the folding chair. Folding chairs make sense because they solve the problem of having to force guests to sprawl out on the floor, and they can be easily be hidden away when not in use. Neiman Marcus (The Plaza at King of Prussia Mall) has an authentic antique folding chair, originally used at opera performances. Its curved lines and woven seat would be best highlighted in a white room.

Next, was Target. They're in a fit of pseudo-ethnic style at Target (Southeast Philadelphia, Cherry Hill, etc.), which gave me the feeling I was at Pier 1, right down to the potpourri. While I believe that style can be had at all price points, I don't see why "affordable" always has to go hand in hand with "Anonymous Eastern Country." The best option was the classic Director's Chair. It will juxtapose nicely in those pricey, library-esque living rooms. Word of warning: Director's Chairs are notoriously wobbly, so lower the gin content in that batch of Tom Collins.

The stackable chair is more abundant and quite often, better designed. The best place in Philadelphia is, hands down, Minima (118 N. 3rd). The Panton chair's curves and color options are cheery, while the Gigi Stacking, .03, and Fpe chairs have aerodynamic sleekness. Studio apartment dwellers take note- these options, especially the Panton chairs, don't look awful when stacked out in the open.