We are delighted to see our interior design work featured in the November issue of Bon Appétit Magazine! The article “Green Room” highlights our work in sustainability and involvement in two amazing organizations that are helping drive change in our industry. Principal Designer Jennifer is a Founding Member of the Good Future Design Alliance and an Ambassador to the Sustainable Furnishings Council. The article features four of our kitchen designs from projects in Aptos, the Peninsula, Napa and Sonoma.

Jennifer shares her tips for going green in the kitchen, from using Zero-VOC paint to FSC certified cabinets and shifting away from gas to induction cooktops. Shout out to San Francisco’s own zero-waste tile manufacturer, Fireclay Tile, a fellow member of the GFDA. Click here to read the entire article or pick up a copy – on newsstands now!

Join Niche Interiors for this Healthy and Regenerative Textiles panel as part of the Good Future Design Alliance 2021 Fall Conference. Renowned design + build professionals will speak their truth about sustainability, materiality, and resource management. Network with fellow GFDA members, meet featured speakers – Chairish, Fireclay Tile, FabScrap,  and more – and connect with the greater design and build community in interactive chat rooms. Learn about the future of design sustainability and how and why to act now! Click here to Register.

The post Niche Interiors in Bon Appétit Magazine appeared first on Niche Interiors.

The Sustainable Furnishings Council is a coalition of manufacturers, retailers and designers dedicated to raising awareness and expanding the adoption of environmentally sustainable practices across the home furnishings industry. Our mission is to help companies reduce their environmental footprint, and to help consumers find healthier products and design services.  Our strategy for industry transformation is to increase interest in environmentally safe furnishings and promote the development of more sustainable options. SFC members take immediate steps to minimize carbon emissions, waste stream pollutants, and un-recyclable content.

An increasing number of manufacturers and retailers are joining the Sustainable Furnishings Council as members, and their focus on sustainable practices will only increase with consumers demand. Part of my role as an Ambassador is to share the amazing resources that the SFC has created to help connect consumers with sustainable products. You can easily search for specific product types from hundreds of amazing brands, from wood furniture to upholstery, fabrics and mattresses with their “Find Furniture” search feature. A few of our favorite manufacturers are highlighted in the photo above: Copeland Furniture, Libeco Fabrics, Lee Industries, and Naturepedic Mattresses.

The Wood Furniture Scorecard is another handy guide to help you make earth-friendly furniture selections. The SFC scored 94 North American furniture retailers on how they factored in the importance of forest health into their manufacturing and sourcing practices, ensuring that the company is effectively addressing, rather than adding to, the problem of deforestation and forest degradation. You can quickly see how your favorite retailers rank and make informed purchases, supporting the companies that align with your values. When in doubt, look for FSC certified wood, which is considered the gold standard for wood harvested from forests that are responsibly managed, socially beneficial and environmentally conscious. You can read more about our eco-friendly interior design services and find additional resources on our Green page.

The post Designing an Eco-friendly Home with the SFC appeared first on Niche Interiors.

We decided to use one of our most eco-friendly homes, the Napa Wine Country Retreat, as a case study, illustrating the green choices made in three main rooms of this home – the dining room, primary bedroom and living room. This prefab home already had a jump start on the sustainability scale, as prefab homes greatly reduce the amount of construction waste compared to traditionally built homes.

Our clients wanted a large dining table to host big gatherings of family and friends. We designed this oversized custom dining table and coordinating benches and commissioned our local San Francisco fabricator to make them. Both the table and benches are made of FSC Certified wood, which ensures that wood comes from responsibly managed forests that provide environmental, social and economic benefits. The bentwood pendants were designed and fabricated by local San Francisco studio Path Design. Sourcing furnishings locally reduces the carbon footprint of each item and helps support local designers and fabricators – win, win!

We created a wabi-sabi retreat in the primary bedroom, with a mix of natural textures and organic materials. The custom plaster wall treatment behind the bed was designed to mimic the look of shou sugi ban – the Japanese art of charred cedar. Unfortunately, using charred wood inside a home is not the healthiest choice for indoor air quality, so we enlisted our local plaster artist to create a similar aesthetic using a non-toxic plaster treatment. The nightstands are made from reclaimed wood, which is the most sustainable type of wood aside from FSC certified wood or other sustainably harvested wood. To learn more about the sustainability of wood furniture at various retailers check out the Sustainable Furnishings Council Wood Scorecard.

The custom bed contains no harmful flame retardant chemicals, which are typically found in standard poly foam. We specified natural latex foam wrapped in organic wool and used a cotton blend fabric for the upholstery. We opted for a handmade rug made from 100% wool – the most durable and easy to clean choice for rugs. Not only is this a natural product, it’s inherent durability ensures that the rug will last for many years and avoid a premature trip to a landfill. The bedding is a mix of organic cotton and linen, adding additional layers of texture and softness to the space. Organic cotton and linen are grown without the use of toxic and persistent pesticides and synthetic fertilizers. By purchasing organic textiles you can help conserve water, support biodiversity and healthy soils, and eliminate hazardous toxic pesticides from our environment.

The living room features two custom, non-toxic sofas which were fabricated locally using FSC certified wood frames and natural latex wrapped in organic wool. Zero-VOC paint was used throughout the home to ensure healthy indoor air quality. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are emitted as gases from certain solids or liquids. VOCs include a variety of chemicals, some of which may have short and long-term adverse health effects. Most interior paints sold now are low or zero-VOC, but you should always inquire before purchasing.

Incorporating vintage furniture and accessories is one of our favorite ways to re-use products while adding personality to a home at the same time! We paired a collection of vintage ceramics on the console table with a photograph that the clients purchased from their travels abroad.

Head to our Green page for more eco-friendly home tips!

The post Designer Tips for Creating a Sustainable Home appeared first on Niche Interiors.

The Sustainable Furnishings Council is a coalition of manufacturers, retailers and designers dedicated to raising awareness and expanding the adoption of environmentally sustainable practices across the home furnishings industry. Jennifer’s efforts to bring awareness to this important movement include speaking on a recent virtual panel for High Point Market highlighting some of her favorite sustainable products.

Another incredible organization that we are thrilled to be involved with is The Good Future Design Alliance created by San Francisco designer Katie Storey in 2019. Niche Interiors was honored to become a Founding Member of this local movement, alongside other like-minded industry friends in the architecture, construction, and landscape architecture fields. The GFDA’s customized toolkits offer resources for how to reduce waste to professionals in all facets of the design/build industry. Together we can make a change and help our industry move towards a more sustainable future. Read more about our commitment to eco-friendly design on our Green Interior Design page.

The post Building a Sustainable Future appeared first on Niche Interiors.

1. Switch to Reusable Snack Bags.

We produce roughly 300 million tons of plastic each year and half of it is disposable! World-wide only 10-13% of plastic items are recycled. Reduce your plastic use by starting small – replace ziplock bags with reusable ones. The dependence on single-use plastics, especially ziplocks, is a hard habit to break. Luckily, there are a multitude of great reusable options that are easy to clean (dishwasher safe!) and non-toxic. Lunchskins and Stasher are two of our favorites!

2. Ditch the Teflon!

Traditional non-stick pans coated with Teflon contain harmful highly fluorinated chemicals that are linked to a wide variety of health problems. These chemicals are also resistant to breakdown, remaining in the environment for millions of years and harming future generations. Replace your traditional non-stick pans with ceramic or cast iron alternatives that don’t contain PTFE or PFOA. Epicurious has a great round up here!

3. Use a Non-toxic, Plant-based Cleaner 

Most traditional cleaning products contain active ingredients and fragrances that are linked to asthma, allergies, and hormone disruption. Conventional cleaning products are also bad for the environment  – the ingredients cause harm to marine life and drinking water, and continue our reliance on petroleum. Start the process of replacing your traditional cleaning products (ie 409, Windex etc) with plant-based alternatives – Seventh Generation and Ecos are two effective options.

Ready to learn more about how to make your home even healthier and more sustainable for you and your family? Pick up a copy of one of our favorite resources “Healthy Child Healthy World” by Christopher Gavigan.

The post 3 Simple Ways to Green Your Home appeared first on Niche Interiors.

The study found that certain plants are effective at removing benzene, formaldehyde, trichloroethylene, xylene, and ammonia from the air — chemicals that have been linked to health effects such as headaches, nausea and eye irritation. Read on for 5 houseplants that will clean the air and add a dose of style to your healthy home!

Dracaena Marginata 

Dracaena are common foliage plants that come in over 40 varieties. Known to filter benzene, formaldehyde, trichloroethylene and xylene. Perfect for modern spaces with filtered sunlight. (May be harmful to pets if eaten).

Boston Fern

Ferns are a great way to add softness and greenery to your small space – we especially love grouping a few together on a bookshelf or console. They prefer indirect sunlight and regular waterings. Known to remove formaldehyde and xylene from the air.

Variegated Snake Plant

This sculptural, hardy plant is low maintenance and easy to care for. Known to remove benzene, formaldehyde, trichloroethylene and xylene from the air.

Peace Lily

This plant takes the prize for biggest workhorse – the Peace Lily has been proven to filter out all 5 harmful chemicals from the air! Place peace lilies in a shady spot and keep the soil moist without overwatering.

Spider Plant

One of the easiest houseplants to grow, the spider plant loves bright, indirect sunlight. Known to filter formaldehyde and xylene.

Ready to start on your eco-friendly interior design project? Contact us today to get started! 

The post Top Plants for Improving Indoor Air Quality appeared first on Niche Interiors.

Long-standing Green Companies
Cisco Home, Lee Industries, and Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams have all been offering a greener alternative to traditional foam for years. Up until the new 2013 update to TB117 passed in California, Lee Industries and Mitchell Gold were using soy foam, which contain significantly less chemicals. Cisco Home takes it one step further by offering natural latex and organic wool options. Mitchell Gold and Lee Industries now use foam with no flame retardants.

On Board
• Crate & Barrel phased out flame retardants in early 2014 – kudos!
• DWR has phased out the use of flame retardants in their new pieces, but be sure to check if you are purchasing something from old stock which may still have chemicals.
• Room & Board stated that their manufacturers have phased out flame retardants this year.

Not Even Close
• Restoration Hardware still uses flame retardants and has no known plans to change. Boo!

When in doubt, check the label on the underside of sofas. A new Calfornia law requires that furniture made after January 1, 2015 feature an updated label that clearly states whether or not flame retardants were added to the foam.

The post Flame Retardant Update appeared first on Niche Interiors.

I’m excited to share the inside scoop from last week’s Healthy Homes Conference sponsored by Build it Green and PG&E. We’re huge fans of Arlene Blum, the biophysical chemist who was largely responsible for eliminating the flame retardant requirement in California’s new standard for upholstered furniture (Read more about TB117-2013 on our blog post here.) It was an honor to meet her and hear the latest on the fight to remove harmful flame retardants from our sofas.

I learned some interesting facts about the specific chemicals used in flame retardants, all of which were very alarming. Did you know that PentaBDE is one of only 23 chemicals that is banned GLOBALLY? It’s effects on animals exposed include endocrine disruption, neurodevelopmental problems, lower IQ, and cancer.

The good news: Furniture manufacturers are starting to make the switch to foam without flame retardants. A few big box stores will be phasing in healthier foam starting July 1st. Be sure to look for the “TB117-2013” tag and to confirm with a sales rep that the foam doesn’t contain flame retardants (they are not banned from furniture, just no longer required).

Ready to make a change? The Green Science Policy Institute has a fantastic program called the “Safer Sofa Foam Exchange”. Take your existing foam inserts which contain flame retardants (purchased anytime between 1978 and 2013) and exchange them for new, healthier foam for roughly $50 per cushion. The old foam will be used for testing and research by the Green Science Policy Institute to help determine the safest way to dispose of these chemicals, many of which have long half-lives and remain in the environment for decades. Participating locations include Foam Order in San Francisco, The Foam Store of Marin, Foam and Cushion in Concord, and Kay Chesterfield Company in Oakland.

Interested in a 100% green, non-toxic sofa? Contact us to learn more about our custom, locally made sofas fabricated from natural latex foam wrapped in organic wool.

The post Healthy Sofa, Healthy Home appeared first on Niche Interiors.