Simple Steps to a Greener Home

I'm always looking for good advice on making my home healthier for my family. In that pursuit, I recently purchased and viewed Danny Seo's Simple Steps to a Greener Home. I thought I'd read pretty much everything on the the subject, but was pleasantly surprised at how much interesting and useful information I learned. Following is a review of sorts for those looking for some good advice:

If you’re looking to gain a broad view of green design in a short amount of time, this DVD is perfect for that. If you’re more interested in delving deep into a specific category like how and where to shop for organic bedding, you won’t find all you need here.

This DVD is a small time commitment (a little over an hour) and features a compilation of green living tips that cover five areas:

• Building Green
• Eco Accessories
• A Natural Bedroom for Better Sleep
• Using Sun Power
• Re-use and Re-define

Overviews of each category are pretty general, but also manage to highlight some good specifics and interesting artisans along the way like the men at Scrapile in Brooklyn who use discarded scrap wood from construction projects to make beautiful and unique furniture.

Danny Seo, a lifestyle expert who's made a name for himself as an author and the former host of Simply Green, is an engaging host who has a thorough and fluid understanding of the sustainable market. Rather than appearing scripted, he seems to be chatting off the top of his head about easy ways to make your home a little greener. Like a good friend who you trust for good advice. The host uses simplicity, sustainability and affordability as his touchstones – concepts that are near and dear to the heart of anyone attempting to be a little greener without going broke or crazy.

The DVD effectively uses a text box in the lower right of the screen to highlight technical trivia bits that lend credibility to what the host is saying. For example, in a segment about using plants to clean your indoor air, the screen displays a statistic from NASA comparing indoor air pollution to outdoor air pollution. Very convincing.

The portions I found most useful were:

• · Recommendations on choosing low VOC paint
• · Advice on choosing indoor houseplants that are low maintenance
• · How to choose a natural pillow for your bed

Portions I found interesting, but not as relatable were:

• · A tour of an organic farm that uses sun power
• · A tour of a factory that makes toilet paper from discarded scrap paper

Don’t skip the special features – there are some simple and fun DIY projects that are worth trying.

You’ll come away from this DVD with a superficial understanding of the materials available in the market, the chemicals to avoid, and a list of easy things you can do to make your home a little greener. You’ll also come away from this DVD wanting more information on the portions that piqued your interest. And you’ll wonder if that recycled toilet paper is really a good idea.

Resolution #3 -- Read More Than We Watch TV

This resolution shouldn't be too hard: we all love to read, we all know how, our house is filled with books, and I have no clue how to operate the TVs in our house.

In a recent blog post for Benjamin Moore, my friend Clay turned me onto bookmooch.com, a free book swapping service that allows you to trade your used books for used books submitted by other reading enthusiasts. Bookmooch has books in all categories: children's books for Katie, romance for Andie, adventure for Jack, history and biography for JP, and just about anything else for me.

I'll be sending my first package of books off to bookmooch.com this week and acquiring a copy of Ann Patchett's The Magician's Assistant to carry me through February. Furber family, put in your requests. I'm also hiding the remotes this week.

A Katie-Friendly House

As all regular Suburban Zen readers know, JP and I pride ourselves in having a house that incorporates both brains and beauty: it looks great most of the time because it's built with a kid-friendly foundation that can take the beating our family dishes out. One important element to making our house work for our family, is accommodating Katie, the youngest, smallest and most independent of the Furber family members. Katie likes to do most things herself, and loves to help in the kitchen, so we have a set of simple tools to make that easy for her:

A Kik-Step Rolling Stepstool in our pantry that she can roll out when she wants to help in the kitchen

Little stepstools that we stash in the bathroom, under the coffee table, and other places so there's always one available for her to reach what she needs

A big breadbox that sits on a low shelf in the pantry filled with snacks

And a drawer full of plastic plates and glasses so Katie can help herself when she's hungry

And up until recently, we had a Stokke Trip Trap chair for her at the end of our kitchen table that served as both a booster chair and a step ladder, depending on the desired function at the moment.

About six months ago, Katie announced she was too big for that chair and no longer needed it, so now it sits in our garage. As Katie gets bigger, I'm sure each of the other helpers we have for her will be retired to the garage. But for now, they're happy reminders that while Andie is just a few years away from going off to college, our little Katie will be here to keep us company for a nice long time.

Beds that Take 30 Seconds to Make

We're spending the week in Sun Valley, enjoying the snow, sun and warm sunshine. For some reason, our condo in Sun Valley is the only place where I make all the beds every day. I think it's because our condo is small enough that you see most of the rooms in an eyeshot, and also because all the beds are all constructed very simply so they're easy to make:
Fitted sheet and pillows
Fluffy comforter in a duvet cover

Quilt folded at the foot of the bed

When I make my rounds in the morning, I just shake out the comforters, fold the quilts, prop up the pillows and I'm done.
Even Katie can do it. I can't say the same for the dishes in the kitchen, but I've got Jack and Andie for that.

Thank You Uncle Sam

In the midst of all the depressing financial reports, JP and I received some great news from our accountant: we're getting a rather big tax refund.

Glory Hallelujah, we can finally replace the carpet in the bedrooms! That carpet has seen us through many Furber family events: it was here when we brought Katie home from the hospital, it has been with us through hundreds of Friday movie nights, it has been spilled on, barfed on, and walked on with muddy shoes. Thanks for the memories, but good riddance.

The research now starts on what to replace it with that will look great and be durable enough to handle three kids, a dog with the occasional bout of incontinence, and Jack's bare feet after he spends hours in the driveway shooting hoops with no shoes on.

I've ruled out broadloom carpet because that's what I have now and it's a mess, Berber because Jasper will no doubt pull the loops out with his teeth or toenails, and hardwood because we don't have radiant heat in the bedrooms so the floors get cold. I've narrowed it down to three choices that are all sustainable, durable, stain resistant and in keeping with the general wabi-sabiness of my house:

FLOR tiles



Seagrass Wall to Wall



Cork Flooring


All three will look great in my house and will stand up to all the abuse that my family will inflict upon the flooring once it's installed. And all three will be immensely better than the yucky mess that's in my bedrooms now. That's one family heirloom I'll be glad to be rid of.

I'm leaning heavily toward seagrass, as it will look the best with our decor. I'll be standing watch at the mailbox with cell phone in hand, ready to dial Diablo Flooring the minute our refund arrives.

Stow or Show?

That is the eternal question in a house full of people and stuff. Do you assign a place for everything, and put everything in it's place, or do you let it all hang out? Who knows. But at the Furber house, it's a combination of the two.

Because I think stacks of books, piles of white napkins, rows of glasses or baskets of photographs can be some of the prettiest accessories in my house, I've always been a big fan of open storage. My dining room is a museum of simple everyday objects that I think are beautiful:

However, not everything in a house with three kids is so beautiful, or easy to organize. I recommend a simple Q&A to decide whether to show or stow:

Would you want to look at it every day for the rest of your life?
If yes, then proudly display it.
If no, then tuck it away in a built in, a closet, or invest in a very pretty piece of furniture that has lots of storage and fill it up! Last year I bought this chest for my entryway:

My husband rolled his eyes at how frivolous (and kind of expensive) it was, but that did not deter me, and now I have five big drawers that I can fill up with whatever I want. The possibilities are so vast, I still haven't decided what I'm going to use it for. I need to decide quickly, though. We seem to have a squatter's rights system of claiming storage in our house and I fear if I don't designate a purpose soon, I'll find it filled up with dog toys, old Golf Digests, or Legos.

Just Like a Restaurant, but without the Waiters

I've been hearing some complaints from moms like myself lately about the durability of the plates and glasses in their kitchen. For them, and everyone else who has high traffic in the kitchen, I have some helpful advice: pretend your kitchen is a restaurant and stock it accordingly.

Restaurants typically use porcelain or stoneware plates because they don't chip or break easily, and they can survive millions of trips through the dishwasher. Don't confuse porcelain with china -- I'm talking heavy, thick porcelain plates. I think the best source for really durable white plates is Williams Sonoma.
They have Buffalo China, American made dinnerware still used in many restaurants:

And Apilco, a beautiful and heavy french porcelain that's perfect for a busy kitchen:

For their glassware, restaurants typically use pressed glass because of it's durability. Blown glass, even the heavy mexican variety looks pretty, but is prone to breaking and chipping. My favorite glass is the restaurant pint jar:

They're big, they're hard to break, and they stack in your cupboard. At AbestKitchen you can get two dozen of them for $46, so you can even break a few.

Probably the most angst inducing item in the family kitchen's cupboard is the wine glass. Even a working mom likes to have a glass of wine once in a while. However, if the thought of exposing your stemware to wagging tails, flailing arms and the occasional flying soccer ball raises your blood pressure, then Schott Zweisel is the glass for you.

It's virtually unbreakable. This video shows some of the tests that the company performs on the glassware to ensure durability -- nothing compared to what goes on in my house, but it's a start.

I've personally whacked a Schott Zweisel bordeaux glass on the edge of my office desk to conduct my own product quality test, and was unable to break it. Perfect.

My husband and I have had the same two dozen white porcelain dinner plates in our cupboard since we were married 17 years ago, and haven't broken a single one. Those regular Suburban Zen readers who are familiar with what goes on in the Furber house will find that shocking.

I can't say the same for my wine glasses, but that's a post for another day. And maybe another blog.

Art in the Everyday

My friend Brian Andriola just did a great article for Country Living magazine all about his collection of white bowls.


The article, and the images that came with it reminded me that everyday objects can be the most beautiful things in my home. I remember when I was growing up, my Mom had very few decorative things in the house, but always had very beautiful baskets that she displayed throughout the house, hung on the walls in place of art, and used for storage. Now I understand why -- with kids crashing through the house 24/7, unbreakable accessories are a good idea. After 13 years of kids in the house, and 13 years of addressing new and various organizing challenges, I've accidently built quite a beautiful basket collection of my own.
I've got painted french wire that I acquired on a trip to London

Vintage fishing creels collected from Sun Valley

Several laundry baskets purchased in my quest to find the perfect size and shape

African Wedding Baskets that were some of the first decorative objects I bought when we moved into our house

Willow trunks that have held anything from toys to baby clothes, to bike helmets in the garage

Some metal boxes and vintage suitcases that have been with us since the very early days of our marriage

A garden trug I purchased at the Paris Flea Market


Katie and I will be spending this rainy Saturday afternoon trying to make sense of it all. Thanks, Brian for the inspiration. And drop by if you've got a minute.

New Paint or Mittens in the House?

JP's and my first house was the typical starter house with the cheapest, non-washable paint in existence. We learned quickly that the washability of interior paint is as important as the color. Maybe more important.

Little did I know that the abuse a newly married couple can inflict on painted walls is nothing compared to that of three kids and a dog. For as long as I've had children and pets in my house, I've had fingerprints on my walls. Sometimes footprints. At a glance, my children appear to be very clean. Katie and Jack both love water, and Andie seems to shower about three times a day. However, from looking at my walls you might think they never bathe at all. And Jasper seems to pace up and down the hall, rubbing himself along the wall as he goes.

There are many paints on the market that are low VOC (see post "where can I get a cute gas mask that goes with my decor?" 6/4/08) and many paints that are washable. Finding a paint that's both is the challenge. Benjamin Moore's Aura Line is my favorite paint that does both. This video shows how Aura stands up to the standard abuse inflicted by children, demonstrated by the video host's 2 year old daughter Emma. If that doesn't convince you, nothing will.


Now, if anyone has any useful advice for me on how to keep my floors clean, I'm all ears.

Investment Advice for the Family Room

A house with kids in it is like any investment -- you want to spend more on the things that matter to you, and less on the things that don't.

It's my opinion that the best investment in any family home is a comfortable, well-built sofa for the family room. It's also my opinion that many people invest too little in their sofa, and aren't quite sure how to choose a good one that will last.

Here's a simple rule: a good sofa is like a good meal -- you have to start with the right ingredients. The main ingredients for a good sofa are:

The Frame
A good one is made of kiln-dried hardwood rather than soft pine, plastic or particle board. The best frames are corner-blocked, double-doweled, glued and screwed together. As a general rule of thumb, there is less wood in cheaper sofas. Instead of being screwed and glued, the frames may be stapled together. Juliette Barrell of furniture maker Wesley-Barrell says, “A quick test to do in store is to gently lift the sofa by the corner. If it feels heavy and solid, this means work has gone into engineering the frame.” When you lift one corner of the sofa from the floor, at least one of the other legs should come off the floor also. If the other three legs stay on the floor, you know your frame will twist over time.
Penalty for choose a poorly constructed frame: your sofa will squeak.

The Springs
The very best springs are coil springs that are eight-way hand-tied to the frame. A good second best is a sinuous steel spring that's tied to the frame. Watch for zig-zag springs or pre-fabricated spring units that are dropped into the sofa -- they're bad. We've all seen antique sofas that sag in the middle: that's because the springs aren't strong enough to withstand years of regular use.
Penalty for choosing an inferior spring construction: your seat will sag. (And who wants that?!)

The Cushions
Part of the overall feel and comfort of the sofa will come from the style of cushion that is used in the sofa. The base cushions separate you from the springs of the suspension system, so they should be constructed well. For the best comfort, and lowest maintenance, you'll want a high density foam core in your cushion. You can then choose fiber or down to wrap the cushion, depending on whether you want your cushions to look tailored and neat (fiber), or loose and cushy (down). Avoid cushions that are foam only with no additional fiber or feathers -- they'll be uncomfortable and they'll break down quickly. The best test of a good cushion is to drop into the sofa like you will every Friday night when it's in your family room. If the sofa is the one for you, you'll feel comfortable right away. If you have to keep squirming around to get comfy, keep shopping.
Penalty for choosing an inferior cushion: a sofa that you don't really want to sit on.

After you've grilled the salesman about the frame construction and springs, and completed the comfort test, the last thing you should do before buying is sit on the arm of the sofa. If the arm is well-padded and comfortable, then you can reasonably assume your sofa is well-constructed, and you can confidently invest.

Your return on investment will be a sofa that will withstand hundreds of movie nights, bouncing and jumping from the most rambunctious kids, the occasional night spent on the sofa, and can still be passed onto your kids when they move out.

My Favorite Accessory -- The Sheepskin Throw

My husband and I generally aren't big spenders, but we do have a weakness for real estate. Consequently, we've got a few residences to maintain (and a beautiful lot in Ketchum, Idaho that's on the market, if anyone's looking). So the challenge of decorating a home that works for a family and still looks great replays itself over and over in my life as I roam from San Francisco to Sun Valley to Olympia and back.

One item I've found that is universally useful, comfortable and kid-proof in all our locations is the classic sheepskin throw.


We use them on the floor as rugs, but also:
Thrown over chairs they made a super comfy and soft place to sit
We always have one draped over the foot of our bed in the winter to keep our feet extra warm.
Sometimes I'll throw one on the floor in front of the fireplace and make a little nest for Katie to snuggle into.
Jasper has now adopted one in the the bedroom has his resting place in the evenings.
And my favorite use: in a pinch, I'll throw one over the sofa in the family room if one of the kids has wiped their face on the slipcover and I don't have a minute to wash it.

Sheepskins are especially great for babies, as they absorb 30% of their own weight in moisture, so they create a nice, natural dry zone around the baby.

Our sheepskins take a beating, but they're machine washable, so just a spin through the wash and a few strokes with a wire dog brush and they're good as new. I think every family should have a stockpile of sheepskin throws in their home, so I've compiled the Furber Family Guide to Buying a Sheepskin Throw below:

When buying a sheepskin, there are a few things you should consider:
Sheepskin rugs from sheep-producing countries such as Australia, New Zealand or the United Kingdom are almost always higher in overall quality than rugs produced other places. It's not the sheep that are different, but sheep producing countries have centuries of sheep shearing traditions that newer industries often lack. In many cases, imported sheepskin rugs have been subjected to old fashioned washings in local waters and multiple dryings and combings.

The most important consideration when buying a sheepskin is comfort, so the overall texture of quality sheepskin rugs should be soft and pliable. The piling should be neatly combed, with very little to no shedding. Beware of any backing material that feels rubberized or artificial.

I've found that sheepskin throws range in price from the very inexpensive to the very expensive, but there's a middle ground of $50 to $100 per rug that looks great, wears well and lasts. Good resources for sheepskins in that price range are:
Pottery Barn
Ikea
SheepskinTown.com

All are very similar in quality and price, and are usually in stock so if you start right now you can be lounging with your sheepskins by next Friday night.

Five Things I Forgot I Had

The swap meet at the Furber house last weekend was a moderate success. JP,Jack, Andie, and Katie all got great things that they were very excited about. One man's castoff is another man's treasure, it seems.

I rate the event as only moderately successful because I didn't get the inbox I was hoping for. Maybe next time. However, as always happens when I start looking in closets and under sinks, I found some pretty good and useful stuff I had forgotten about. For example:

Some plastic storage drawers that were nearly empty under my bathroom sink are now in the garage holding JP's odds and ends on his workbench.

Some empty wine crates are now holding table linens in my dining room.


I found a supercool corkboard that now makes a great addition to my command center in my laundry room.

I found stashes of notecards all over the office. When I gathered them all together, it seems like we've got enough to get us through about the next five years of thank you notes. We now have a drawer in the office dedicated only to notecards and thank you note writing supplies. Stand by Grandmas and Grandpas -- thank you notes are on the way.

I found dormant frames all over the place -- in the garage, in the office, in the hall closet. Next time I think I need to buy a frame, I don't. And the next time after that, too.

Cleaning out my closets looking for stuff to trade just wet my appetite for a bigger excavation. I think I'll venture into the garage next -- maybe my inbox will be in there.

There is a Method to my Madness

In spite of all evidence to the contrary, there is a system of organization that holds the Furber house together, and it's about to be put to the ultimate test. We're looking forward to the arrival of eleven relatives for Thanksgiving. During the week of November 23rd, the occupancy of my house will range anywhere from 0 to 16 people, depending on time and day. This is the week when all of the various organizational and space saving tricks that I employ all year round come together to pay off big. For example:

My giant 120" kitchen table is too big for my family of five most of the year, but will be just the right size for the extended family.

Those Tolix french stacking chairs that I bought on sale in June will now come off the back porch, and sit around my table for the week so there's always room for everyone at the table.


My refrigerator will be filled with cleaned and chopped fruit and vegetables so everyone can help themselves throughout the week. (See post "I Love My Fridge" May 2008)

There's plenty of room for everyone (or nearly everyone) to crash. (See post "Welcome to Casa de los Furbers. Checkout is at Noon." August 2008)

We have lots of tiny bars of soap and tiny bottles of shampoo that we've collected. Perfect for guests. (See post "I Bought My House for the Bathtub." June 2008.)

I can find anything in my linen closet at a moment's notice. (See post "A Linen Closet Expose" May 2008)

I invested last year in Pottery Barn's Caterer's Box dessert plates and wine glasses, which will be put to good use as we blow through three meals worth of dishes each day. That will save us from the temptation of using paper plates and plastic glasses at every meal.


The foundation of my house is mostly white, so when everyone leaves, all I need is some hot water and bottle of bleach to get it all spotless again. (See post "Life in the White House" June 2008)

I expect the week of Thanksgiving to be fun and happy, with very little stress related to the care and keeping of the house. I still wish I had that cement floor with the drain in the middle, though. (See post "Get the Hose!" June 2008)

Life in the White House

My friend Sheryl stopped by the other night to pick up her son after a playdate with Jack and we were discussing the new slipcovers I had just bought for my family room sofas. When I told her they were white, she said "WHAT?! White? Why would you do that?"

I realized then that it's time to share a secret with all my fellow moms: white is the most under-used and under-rated color in the interior palette of a family home. Unlike bright colors, or other non-white neutrals, white can be washed in hot water and bleached. I buy everything that gets tons of use in white: I have white sheets and a white duvet on my bed, white bathtowels in my bathrooms, white floursack towels in my kitchen, white slipcovers on my sofas, white table linens in my linen closet.

I don't worry too much about spilling. If I did, I'd be in a straightjacket -- I've watched my son Jack wipe his face on the sofa. Whenever something gets messy, I just give it a warm, sudsy, bleachy bath and it's good as new. When something needs a little extra brightening, I make like my Mother-in-Law and put it out in the sun for an afternoon.

Because my basics spend lots of time in the pool, I've learned to always have a few extra sets of everything, and to pay a little more for quality base fabrics so the items last longer. Here are some rules I live by:

For sheets and towels, I always buy combed cotton when I can, because carded cotton pills.

For slipcovers, I always buy denim or canvas when I can, because those fabrications have more body, and don't get too wrinkly in the dryer.

For kitchen towels, I always buy the classic floursack towels made by Ritz. They're the best, they don't leave lint on your glasses, and they're cheap -- you can get 4 for about $10 from any restaurant supply or kitchen store.

For table linens, I always buy classic hotel linens. The good ones have a really thick, mitered border all around, so they don't shrivel up in the wash, and whatever that fabrication is, it lasts forever. Best of all, the hotel linens don't really need to be ironed. Which works for me because the last time I had an iron out, my daughter Andie said "what's that?" The time before that, my Mother-in-Law took a picture of me with the iron because she wanted to have it on film.

Waiting until the kids are out of the house to indulge in white is for wusses. I've got a Maytag Neptune and a bottle of Clorox. Bring it on!

Get the Hose!

My husband and I have always said our ideal flooring would be cement with a drain in the middle.

However, so far that hasn't really fit with the casual, comfy home we're trying to build for our family. Maybe for the grandkids. So for now, we use rugs like everyone else, and they tend to move through stages just like our kids do:
When my children were tiny, I wanted my flooring to be super soft so they could roll around on it.
When they were a little older, I wanted rugs with pretty patterns so the kids could spill on them and the spills were invisible (for the most part.)
Now that they're even older, I like natural flooring because it's very durable, always looks great and is very easy to clean.

Lately, I've had a new selection criteria: I want my flooring to be free of chemicals and any other artificial stuff so the kids can lounge around on the floor and I don't have to worry. There are lots of good natural rugs on the market now, and they're very easy to find:

Starting with the youngest lifestage, babies crawling on the floor, I've always loved Sheepskin rugs. They're super soft, they're organic, they don't shed, you can wash them, and kids love them. When my daughter Andie was a new baby I always had a sheepskin in front of the big mirror in the bathroom so she could look at herself in the mirror while I showered.

I still have them all over my house -- right now my little Katie is asleep on a sheepskin rug on the floor next to me.


Natural flooring is great for families like mine, and can be easily found in all ranges of quality, from a natural resource like Gaiam to a big retailer like Pottery Barn. Look for the softer sustainable materials like jute and seagrass -- they feel better on your feet than sisal. If your natural fiber rug is backed with latex, this is one place where I'd recommend a synthetic material. Natural latex breaks down over time into a fine white powder, whereas synthetic lasts as long as your rug will, which is a long time.


Gaiam also has this super cool shag rug that's made from unused t-shirt remnants, a by-product of the garment industry.


A new option on the scene is Flor tiles. They have some nice natural fiber options, are made up partly of recycled materials, and don't smell like new carpet because they have the lowest VOC in the industry. FLOR tiles are the next best thing to my hoseable cement floor fantasy.


Another option to consider is a Vintage rug. Vintage rugs can be very expensive, but there are many reasons to love them: they're beautiful and can be handed down through your family, they have intricate patterns and deep colors so they hide all your family's sins, and they already show the signs of a lifetime of use. Very wabi-sabi. Another nice benefit to a vintage rug is the environmental protection aspect -- not producing something new is the best way to limit the impact of consumer goods manufacturing on Mother Nature. It's always good to love your Mother.


Until I get my drain, I'll be settling for natural flooring, sheepskins and will be shopping for a vintage kilim for my living room. But I'll be dreaming of that day when someone makes a mess and I can just shout to my husband "get the hose!"

Where Can I Get a Cute Gas Mask That Goes With My Decor?

The EPA has stated that indoor air can be up to three times more polluted than outdoor air because of emissions from paint, building materials, furniture, carpet, adhesives, among other things. Seriously?! As if I wasn't tossing and turning enough already.

Because of all the press about indoor air pollution, paint is a topic that's received plenty of attention lately. Fortunately for those of us trying to keep a stylish, family friendly and healthy home, many paint manufacturers have jumped on the bandwagon quickly. Non-toxic paints are readily available everywhere from large paint manufacturers like Benjamin Moore, to smaller labels. A nice side benefit is that the demand for non-toxic paint has spawned interest in some smaller, more entrepreneurial paint brands. I always like it when the little guys benefit from a media blitz.

If you've recently seen the "Sex and the City" movie and are thinking about painting all your millwork black like I am, you're also probably thinking about how to choose a non-toxic paint. Here are a few things you should know:

There are three categories of non-toxic paints: natural, low VOC and zero VOC.

Natural paints are made from all natural ingredients. Water based natural paints give off no smell, oil based natural paints usually have a nice fragrance from the natural oils that are used. Aglaia is a brand I like because they have interior paint for both walls and millwork and their color palette is beautiful.
Aglaia Natural Paints

Zero VOC is any paint with 5 grams per litre or less of volatile organic compounds. This type of paint is easier to find, and many big brands have a Zero VOC option in their line. I like Green Plant Paints because of their commitment to small scale production. It's a little harder to find, but the quality is really nice.

Low VOC is any paint with 200 grams per litre or less of volatile organic compounds. I like Benjamin Moore's Aura line, because their range of color grea , and the paint is formulated not to exceed 100 grams per litre.

Another nice benefit of using non-toxic paint is that it's not deemed hazardous waste, so is much easier deal with when you're finished. Who has time to find a HASMAT site to dispose of the leftovers?

Better yet, EarthEasy.com recommends using the BUD method when buying and using paint:
Buy only as much as you need, so there's no waste.
Use everything you buy.
Dispose responsibly -- if you do have leftovers, donate to a local charity who can use it rather than throwing it away.

Organic Bedding Survival Guide

Yesterday's post on the health benefits of houseplants got me thinking about the healthy home in general.

Understanding all the volumes of information available on the different aspects of creating a healthy home for a family is such a challenge. Isn't enough that we've got to learn 4th grade geometry all over again? Must we also be subject matter experts on organic farming, formaldehyde and toxins emitted by our paint and furniture?

An easy place to start is with bedding. Anything that directly touches the skin should be as chemical free as possible and, with the proliferation of organic bedding in the market, any house can be completely outfitted with organic bedding. Most bedding is made from cotton. My friend Pallavi, who knows much more about organic cotton than I ever will, tells me that conventional cotton is one of agriculture's most chemically-dependent crops. It takes about 1/3 of a pound of chemicals to produce enough conventional cotton to make a t-shirt. Organic cotton is the version of its conventional counterpart grown without pesticides or other chemicals, and uses agricultural methods designed to help sustain the land it grows on. The organic cotton supply is estimated at only .1% of the global cotton production. As demand for organic cotton increases, so will the supply. Click this link for more information on organic farming

Organic cotton, both grown in the US and imported into the US, is strictly regulated by the USDA. That means you can reasonably assume that anything labeled and marketed as organic cotton is in fact organic cotton. If you need more assurance, look for SKAL International certification

There are plenty of great looking organic bedding options in the market now, so there's something for everyone. When you're choosing your organic bedding, remember to consider all the same things you've always considered: thread count, cotton quality, cotton fiber (long staple combed is great -- nice and smooth, won't pill).

Here are some of my favorites:

Pottery Barn has a great collection of patterned organics, plenty of choices and some really nice patterns.


Amenity has some beautiful, large scale patterns that are very stylish.


West Elm has some very pretty neutral organics -- lots of style.

Good Night Naturals is a good resource for higher thread count styles.

Convert your beds to organic bedding, and stay in bed a little longer in the morning. It's good for you!

Coffee Tables That Will Save You a Trip to the ER

Ever since my son Jack required eight stitches after hitting his head on our coffee table, I've been on the lookout for a coffee table that can peacefully coexist with a family like mine in a house like mine. These are my favorites:
Lewis Slipcovered Cubes from Pottery Barn. Lots of cute patterns, extra credit for storage, and for the slipcover (see April 27th post on slipcovers -- you know I love them).

Truck Tarp Ottoman from Anthropologie. Super cool, deconstructed styling. Very WabiSabi, so the kids can't mess it up too much.

Alistair Ottoman from Jayson Home and Garden. Poofy for a nice, soft landing. They also have a nice flea market where you can find one of a kind vintage pieces that can be used as coffee tables. Tables in the French or American Empire style are perfect, because tables in that style tend to be round.

Sullivan Ottoman from Pottery Barn. Poofy for a soft landing, and bonus points for leather so it's easy to clean.

I no longer need to buy a new coffee table, as none of my three children have gone near the coffee table in the four years since Jack's injury. However, if my list saves even one Mom a trip to the ER in her pajamas on Halloween when she's ten months pregnant, then I'll be happy.

A Linen Closet Expose

With four beds in the house, all of different sizes, keeping track of all the stuff that goes with them is a challenge.

My daughter Andie suggested I write this article not only to share some insights with the rest of the world about what you need and don't need in your linen closet, but also to maybe gain some insight myself. The doors to my linen closet barely close.

There are a few things I know:

• With three kids in the house, stock up on waterproof mattress pads. Someone always seems to be in a stage, and who knows what beds people will be sleeping in each night.
• Color code the sizes, so you can always find the size you want. All the twin beds in my house are a blue of some sort, queen beds are red, king bed is white. Even in the darkest of night, I can make a bed.
• Keep your flat sheets, your fitted sheets and your extra pillow cases inside one of the pillowcases when the sheets are in the closet. That way, everything is always together.

A few things I've tried that have bombed:

• Storing luggage in the linen closet is a bad idea
• I went through a labelmaker phase and labelled all the shelves. What a waste of time. I'd rather color code the sheets, because then I can throw them into the closet, slam the door shut (if it will shut) and keep moving.
• Keeping towels in the linen closet is a bad idea. Everything gets all mixed up and looks like a mess. I am lucky to have a closet that can fit all my towels, and a different closet that can fit all my sheets. Very lucky.

Making lists like this always reminds me that I don't usually follow my own rules. I think I'll sign off now, and go relocate my luggage and my towels from the linen closet.