We at MDG don’t necessarily find it ironic that trends are cyclical. Therefore, it comes as no surprise that we are so inspired by nature, the circle of life, the very source of all things beautiful. We wear leather loafers that are black as the summer sky, we snuggle under cable knit throw blankets the color of the ocean. We paint our walls the color of dandelion fluff and rub lipstick the color of strawberries on our lips.

We’re inspired and emotional about nature, so what are we doing to protect the world, to help the country in which we live flourish?

There are plenty of companies within the interior design industry who are making efforts and widely succeeding in making quality products while putting much less of a strain on Mama N. They’re being conscious in the materials they choose to use, their production methods and where they are sourcing their jobs.

Hubbardton Forge, a company based out of Vermont, focuses on hand-making luxury lighting using environmentally sound methods and artisans in the US, whom CEO Bob Dillon enthuses provide a deeper connection with clients than perhaps some competitors. Hubbardton Forge utilizes powder coating, which helps reduce waste and it contains low to no volatile organic compounds (VOCs.) They work with natural materials like iron and glass as well as recyclable materials.

Precedent is another American-made company, this time with eco-friendly furniture, from frame to the recyclable shipping materials. The frames are made from recycled steel and lumber certified by the Sustainable Forestry Initiative. This means that the wood has been grown and harvested in a responsible manner. The frames also use an adhesive that emit very low levels of formaldehyde. As far as recyclable materials go, the padding in the seat is 100% recyclable and the metal parts, including the springs and staples are made with a minimum of 95% recycled steel. For more on their eco-friendly successes, click here.

Finally, we not only don’t have to feel bad about where our leather materials are coming from, but now we don’t even have to worry about how our faux leather is made. Thanks to NappaTile, a collection out of Concertex, we have eco-consciously made faux leather tiles to decorate our walls. NappaTile uses a magnesium oxide board as its base that is naturally waterproof, bug and mold free and fire resistant. In addition, the company has the largest range of polyurethane faux leathers in the industry. They have discontinued the use of formaldehydes and heavy metals and as a result it has been recommended by Greenpeace as a better-for-us alternative to standard PVC faux leathers.

Thank goodness this barely scratches the surface of environmentally sound innovators in the interior design industry. Contact one of our designers for more info.

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Is it just us or is every pregnant friend waiting until the bun is out of the oven before finding out if it’s a John or a Jane? In that case, the new parents have what is, we’re guessing, not the last challenge of having a baby. How do you decorate a baby’s room when all you know about it is that it’s smaller than a bread basket?

A brand new life means the opportunity for endless possibilities, a new source of inspiration, a fresh imagination, a little person to marvel and wonder at the sites and creatures of the world. Our whole lives are shared with critters, both real and fictitious. We’ve loved our grandmother’s cat who let us put his tail in our infant mouths, the White Rabbit in middle school English class and Bill Murray’s Baloo the bear in this year’s The Jungle Book.

But animal-themed kids’ rooms don’t have to be just cutesy cartoons either. Thanks to the whimsical inspirations from movies like Wes Anderson’s Fantastic Mr. Fox, there’s décor with characters that go from newborn to dorm room in art work or throw pillows. New colors, patterns, decorations and bedding can be added as baby grows up, personalities develop and interests evolve. With a black and white animal face wallpaper, add bold strips or plaid for a boy’s room. For a girl, use her favorite color as an accent and mix in some chevron or polka dots.

Thankfully there are plenty of ways to bring indoors the animals with whom we share this big, big world.

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marlena design group llc - 100 S. Madison St. Denver, CO. 80209