Made in the USA!

Recently I've been making a conscious move towards specifying more eco-friendly furnishings and fixtures. The greenest thing you can do is re-use what you already have. The next is to buy something that's made locally...especially out of local materials. There are a lot of things to consider when trying to be a responsible consumer and it will almost always require making hard decisions.

For instance, you may find something made of recycled materials but it's produced in China. Or the insulation you've chosen for your home is incredibly good for your lungs and electric bill, but may take a lot of energy to manufacture. I really only point these things out to get you thinking. This paragraph doesn't even need to be here.

Unfortunately, as a designer, not everything I need is available right in the Hudson Valley, so my next step is to shop within the United States (and btw, I do think about all of the above when shopping for my clients).

Here are three companies that are new to my library that I am pretty excited about. They are all at the very least, made right here, in our country.

The first is a lighting company (they also produce furniture) based out of South Carolina named Ro Sham Beaux. Their collection of light fixtures is a modern and fresh take on traditional form. My personal favorites are the beaded and hemp chandeliers-casual enough for a beach house and glamorous enough for a room of sophistication.

When it comes to their table lamps, they run the gammet in style. From the frilly "Ananas" lamp that resembles something out of Regency France to the "Thomas" lamp that is more masculine and streamlined. Honestly? I love them all.

However, the wonderful thing about Ro Sham Beaux is that their product is made in this country and they have a mindset for sustainability. Their materials are of natural and-when possible- recycled matter.

Next we have a company that has a product line that is very straightforward, but very needed by design professionals-lamp finials. In fact, it was created by an interior designer that I admire very much-Hillary Thomas. Their styles range from acrylic cutouts resembling an Asian design motif to faceted gems and slices of stone. The selection is unique and sure to add another layer of style to your table lamps.  They are easily accessible through their online shop.

Finally, my last of the three is Red Egg furniture based in North Carolina. "Fun!" is exactly how I would describe their collection. Their Double Happiness line definitely falls into this category, as it totally offers a fresh take on Asian design. While the shape and form of these pieces have an Asian feel to them, they are available in bright colored lacquers such as highly saturated orange and turquoise.

While some of their furniture is still produced in the Phillipines, Double Happiness is made in North Carolina. The company is also making every effort to bring more and more production to the United States in the coming years.

Well there you have it! My top three new introductions to my design library and they all go a little further than just looking pretty.