Looking for a unique way to add visual interest to a feature wall or to use in your new custom furniture piece?

The solution might just be Ecotextures. These architectural panels manufactured by Architectural Systems, Inc. are made from environmentally friendly OSB (oriented strand board). Their beautiful grain texture makes them attractive enough to be used for column covers, feature walls, millwork and furniture.

The manufacturer’s eco-friendly approach is shown not only by the use of rapidly renewable timber. No urea-formaldehyde is used, and component lumber is SFI (Sustainable Forestry Initiative) certified.

Easy to install panels come in different patterns (like Tiers, Basketweave, Pyramids, and Stripes), colors and sizes. You can also add coordinating flat panels and flooring.

Electromagnetic fields (EMF) produced by our computers, televisions, cell phones, wireless networks, microwave ovens and other electronics have a questionable influence on human health. It is said they might generate free radicals that can be toxic to your brain and promote loss of memory and dementia. Research shows higher rates of Alzheimer’s in people exposed to EMFs.

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To minimize your exposure to electromagnetic radiation (EMR):

• move your alarm clock at least 3 feet from your head while sleeping, or use a battery-powered one (6 feet is the recommended distance from all electronic devices during sleep)
• avoid water beds, electric blankets, and metal bed frames, which attract electromagnetic frequencies
• while choosing a mattress, opt for foam over metal-coiled with box-spring
• keep a low-EMR bedroom: minimize TV and computer use in this room, sit and sleep as far back from them as possible; replace cordless and WiFi items with wired, corded lines
• when using an electric cooktop, work on back burners instead of the front if possible

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Interested in more? The text above is a chapter from “10 Steps to a Healthier, Happier Home” special report by Bozena Studio. You can download it by clicking on the link below:
10 Steps to a Healthier, Happier Home. How to Find a Perfect Balance of Comfort, Luxury and Wellness for the Space You Live In.

A living wall is a wonderful solution for improving the quality of the air inside our home or office. The plants will filter the air, enrich it with oxygen, and stabilize the humidity level. I love designing green walls since they free other surfaces of plants, minimizing the risk of damage to furniture and flooring.

One way of installing living walls inside your home or outside, is a Wally Pocket – a flexible container made out of breathable felt derived from recycled plastic bottles (PET). Thanks to the moisture barrier, it is safe to use indoors. Its modular nature allows for grouping in countless configurations, depending on the size of the wall or the type of application.

I like the fact that Wally Pockets are made in USA. I also appreciate that they are just one of many containers by Woolly Pocket.
Their other products can be used as free-standing plant containers (Islands) or modular gardens (Meadows).
You can even choose the color -  they are available in chocolate, camel and blue, in addition to black. The outdoor version is unlined, and some of the freestanding containers have cool zippers (so trendy!) to adjust the size.

This spring, I’m installing (planting?) my own living wall. How about you?

Clutter is anything you don’t use, disorganized and unfinished things that crowd your house and take up your storage space. It can make you feel tired and lethargic, keep you in the past, congest your body and cause disharmony. It can be confusing, depressing, make you procrastinate and distract you from more important things.

According to Feng Shui, clutter obstructs the flow of life-bringing energy through your home.

The following clutter-conquering techniques are taken from the book “Clear Your Clutter with Feng Shui” by Karen Kingston:

1. have a junk drawer - even one on every floor of your house – to handle your belongings, but keep it small, use it sparingly, and clean out regularly
2. give a regular clear-out to all of your kitchen cabinets and pantry; don’t forget your fridge and freezer
3. to keep your bathroom clutter-free, install additional storage units and keep them organized and clean
4. keep your bedrooms tidy and clutter-free; never keep a laundry basket in the bedroom (stale energy hangs around dirty laundry)
5. resist the temptation to stash stuff under your bed; any obstacle in your energy field affects the quality of your sleep; the same rule applies to the tops of wardrobes and dressers – if the clutter there is the first thing you see when you wake up in the morning, you will tend to get up slowly and reluctantly
6. don’t hang on to clothes that are too small, out of style, or were once-worn and will never be worn again; get rid of them – they have accumulated your bad vibrations



photo from Yuri Arcurs Website

7. work out a system to tame your paperwork: sort and toss (recycle) as much as you can, use a bulletin board for current things, have just one agenda (no loose-leaf notes) and keep your financial paperwork up to date
8. lead by example: your own clutter-clearing activities  might inspire other members of your family to do the same
9. clean out your clutter fast (all at once) or slow (in stages); do at least one major review of your household clutter every year
10. to stay clutter-free, stop clutter before it starts: think twice before you buy and adhere to the rule: “Something new in, Something old out”
11. hire a professional organizer to help you

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Interested in more? The text above is a chapter from “10 Steps to a Healthier, Happier Home” special report by Bozena Studio. You can download it by clicking on the link below:
10 Steps to a Healthier, Happier Home. How to Find a Perfect Balance of Comfort, Luxury and Wellness for the Space You Live In.

In the last poll I asked for your opinion on  living green (environmentally friendly). After receiving many comments (and questions regarding the definition of “green” for the purpose of this poll), I’m not surprised that 75% of the respondents try to be “green” most of the time, being concerned about their impact on the environment.

What surprised me is that only 8% of folks answering the questions think that “green” is just a fad and a way of squeezing more money out of people. In my opinion there is a lot of green washing out there, and we should be doing an in-depth research before buying goods that claim to be green, sustainable, recycled, etc. My special concern goes to products with high embodied energy ( which are transported long-distance, e.g. overseas). One of such is bamboo, in which case the benefits from using this rapidly renewable material are outweighed by its embodied energy (transported mostly from Asia).

Only 17% of the poll’s respondents say they would like to be eco-conscious, but they think it is time-consuming and expensive. I guess, nowadays almost everyone realizes that “living green is not even an option” (I’m borrowing from one of the answers). It actually does not matter if you believe in global warming or offsetting your carbon footprint.

In the words taken from another comment: “Hopefully, when today’s very young [reach] our age, they won’t have to answer polls like this because it will be the way they live”. I’m sure it will be so, especially when we’ll be a good example for them.