Naturally Divine….

Eco Chic By Anne Ellard

Naturally Divine

Eco Chic

Naturally Divine…

There has been a real shift in the way people view eco-conscious living, we are more aware of the environment and the world around us

than previous generations. With this in mind I have chosen Eco Chic as the theme for myroom setting at the Ideal Homes Exhibition.

This room embraces the beauty of nature with its environmentally friendly and sustainable furniture and decorating materials.

A sustainable home will be cheaper to run, healthier and more enjoyable to live in for future generations. However sustainability

doesn’t have to mean dull…through my design I want to show people that you can have an environmentally friendly home

and still have that designer look that we all crave.

My inspiration for the colour scheme in this room came from the changes deciduous trees go through throughout the year.

They change from being dressed with vibrant green leaves in the summer to glittering gold in the autumn and finally they

are left standing bare in the winter exposing their brown branches.

The main feature of any bedroom is the bed. I have chosen an elegant four poster bed from a selection at Maison & Chateau Waterford

that, along with the rest of the furniture in the room, is manufactured from reclaimed teak. This teak has been gathered from

derelict buildings, avoiding the necessity to cut down trees. Old doors and building frames have been turned into beautiful

pieces of furniture that have been hand finished by expert carvers.

The bed will be dressed using Organic Cotton bed linen from the Organic Cotton Shop, Waterford. Organic cotton is grown using

methods and materials that have a low impact on the environment. The cotton fibres stay softer as they are not damaged

during any chemical processing. This reduces irritation to skin and is less likely to trigger allergies through the absence of

chemicals and increased breathability. Organic cotton promotes fair trade farming and production.

…Eco - Chic

Most paints release low level toxic emissions into the air for years after application. The source of these toxins is a variety of VOC’s

(Volatile Organic Compounds). The paint I have chosen for this room, manufactured by Auro and supplied by Honeystone House,

Macroom, does not contain any VOC’s. The natural materials used to produce this paint are organically grown, come from

environmentally managed sources and are produced using a sustainable ecological cycle….and best of all, any waste can be

thrown on your compost heap!

The wallpaper, designed and supplied by Tektura Wallcoverings is also designed with the environment in mind. This wallpaper is

PVC free, is printed with water based inks and the pulp used in manufacturing has been certified by the FSC (Forest Stewardship

Council).

Flooring can also be environmentally responsible and still feel soft under foot. Heuga Modular Flooring supplied my chosen flooring.

Heuga’s manufacturing facilities run on 100% renewable energy. Their mission zero promises to eliminate any negative impact their company

has on the environment by the year 2020.

Every tiny detail in this room is in some form environmentally friendly right down to the photo frames. All the lighting and accessories

have been sponsored by Nirvana, Waterford and are sourced in Indonesia, Thailand and India. The natural materials used to

manufacture these accessories include bamboo, rattan, water hyacinth, coconut and reclaimed teak.

All of these small steps count towards our individual role in the effort to reduce our “carbon footprint”. I hope that through my design

others will be inspired to take an environmentally friendly approach to their next design venture.