There is a peaceful presence in a room with classically designed furniture, especially those with the patina of age.  No matter how you express your personal style, every home has space for antique pieces:  a writing desk in the corner, reclaimed barnwood on the floor, or a wing chair handed down through generations.  There is an added beauty to the natural grace of aged furniture:  they are the ultimate in “green.”

All Wood Comes From Trees: And trees come from forests.  Yet lovingly cared for antique wooden furniture was cut from old-growth forests long ago.  No new resources are used in its construction, making its restoration and re-use a loving part of caring for the earth.

No Chemical Fumes Arrive with the Furniture: Your home’s interior should be a place of fresh air and health.  Yet any new piece of furniture, cabinetry, flooring or finished wood may have strong chemical odors.  Off-gassing is the process of releasing the vapors that are the residue of many fine finishes.  Antiques were created long ago, with less toxic products, and any off-gassing has long been complete.

No Negative Environmental Impact is Created: Beyond the health issues in your own home are the costs to the planet.  Manufacturing plants, even the very greenest, distribute impurities into our air, waste systems and water.  New furniture requires the production of finishes, dyes and sealants; shipping them demands the creation of packing materials; they arrive in retail stores via large fossil-fuel burning vehicles.

Antique Pieces Bring Unique Craftsmanship to a Room: Even in a contemporary home or modern space, the gentle lines of antique furniture can add a special eye-catching detail to the design.  Rather than a mass-produced item, what you buy and bring home was likely made in a small workshop by a craftsman who made good use of few resources.

Antiques are Recycling at its Best: The sofa your grandmother loved, the barrister bookcase you find at the auction, the softly faded colors of the old Turkish rug don’t belong in a landfill.  The treasures from another time can be loved and used again.  And again.  And again.

Antiques Have Stood the Test of Time: These classic pieces are sturdy and well-made; they wouldn’t still be here if they weren’t.  The quality of their wood is usually stronger, created from timber with tighter growth rings, making repair a simple task when necessary. Furniture that is unworthy of a craftsman’s repair time often ends up in the landfill, adding to our cycle of wasteful consumption.

Antiques Add Beauty and Joy to Life: There is a thrill when you spot the perfect ship’s model, campaign chest or weathervane.  You feel an immediate connection to the beautiful collectible candlestick or Chinese export porcelain.  When you place it in your home, among other well-loved and cherished pieces, you can feel good about your purchase, your home, and reducing your footprint on the surface of the earth.

Remember, It’s Not All Furniture: You can find antique cabinetry, flooring, doors, beams, posts, mantels and other architectural details.  Have fun, and happy hunting!

Nantucket is so rich in history, but it’s not all about ship captains and whaling boats and lighthouses.  The Dreamland Theatre, located in the heart of downtown Nantucket, has a history all its own.  Although it began as a meeting house for Quakers in 1832, it has also been a straw hat factory and a roller-skating rink.  It was dismantled and moved to Brant Point in 1883, to be part of the Nantucket Hotel.

In 1906, it was floated back across the harbor to its present location, and became a lodge room, dance hall and moving picture theatre.  In the early 1900’s, residents flocked to the Dreamland to watch vaudeville on Wednesday evenings for twenty cents.  By the 1930’s, the latest in moving pictures was being shown there.

Today, the building is undergoing restoration, and the Nantucket Dreamland Foundation is working to enrich the cultural and intellectual life of Nantucket by providing year-round films and educational programs in one of America’s oldest theatres.  Part of the island’s unique character,  the building’s historic architecture will be retained, but the foundation is also striving to meet “green” building goals.

Soon, islanders will be able to say to each other once again, “Meet me at the Dreamland!”

For more information, visit www.nantucketdreamland.org.

When you design home interiors for a living, as I do, it’s quite natural to find yourself designing events as well. I occasionally decorate clients’ homes for Christmas and other special occasions, so when it came to my own wedding several years ago, I was delighted to have the fun of creating my own celebration.

Although my wedding date was May 1st, auspicious as May Day and known as a spring festival, June is universally known as the month for weddings.

In Roman mythology, the month of June was thought to be lucky for marriage because its namesake, the goddess Juno, promised happiness and prosperity for all who married then. (June was also a month known to be warm enough to take off your clothing and indulge in an annual bath.)

A healthy life is a happy life. So in the spirit of living with joy and celebrating love, here are my ten sweet ideas for a beautiful wedding, taken from my own celebration.

Sweet Ideas for a Beautiful Wedding

1. What do you love? (Other than each other, of course!)

Frank and I split our time between a house on Connecticut’s shoreline, and a home on Nantucket Island. We married at the Roger Sherman Inn in Connecticut, but wanted to honor the special place Nantucket holds in our hearts, as well. Our wedding included elements of Nantucket sprinkled throughout, like the top of our wedding cake: it’s a Nantucket Lightship basket, created in sugar.

2. Carry the theme throughout your celebration.

We continued the theme with wedding favors of Jordan Almonds and chocolate scallop shells covered with silver, from Sweet Inspirations (www.nantucketchocolatier.com) on Nantucket.

3. Include something special for just the two of you.

There were two blue butterflies on our cake: one represented me, the other represented Frank. It wasn’t a secret, but not everyone knew why they were there, other than as decoration. But we knew.

4. Share your favorite things!

I collect vintage hotel silver, so the cake rested on one of my treasures: a Victorian hotel silver cake plateau.

5. Enchant with details.

Weddings are made for details: from the ribbons and bows to the flowers and food. I had such fun planning darling confections and pretty place settings. Nothing was too small to be special, such as these sugar cubes for coffee and tea, fashioned into exquisite little blossoms.

6. A perfectly planned event is like telling a story, and the venue is your setting. It should be uncommon, captivating, completely extraordinary!

When we chose the room where we would marry and entertain our guests, the shape of the space lent itself perfectly to the idea of a carousel. Festooning the ceiling with great swoops of asparagus fern entwined with sparkling white lights made the room feel smaller and more intimate, and created an other-worldly atmosphere that carried all of us away!

7. Fill your day with flowers!

Flowers and weddings go together, both for decoration and by tradition. Bouquets of your favorite blooms infuse the celebration with your unique spirit, so don’t hold back! Roses, hydrangeas, tulips and lilies of the valley were abundant at my wedding, some in sugared icing draped around the cake, others in small groups of posies gathered in silver chalices, and many more cascading from gorgeous arrangements throughout the room.

8. Lots of pretty little things are charming, and add a dash of fun.

We had lots of delicious cakes and candies to tempt our guests. Each was a delectable work of art all its own, which made the feeling that much more festive! These cakes were mini tabletops, one with a topiary of sugar, and they came in pink and green and blue and white.  Darling!

9. Your family and friends are part of what you’re celebrating: share the love!

Each of our guests took home a miniature wedding cake decorated with blue hydrangeas. Guests who couldn’t attend had little cakes delivered to them. it was our way of telling the people we loved that we couldn’t have done it without them!

10.) Once the stage is set with all the things you love, relax and enjoy your wonderful day. If something goes wrong, laugh it off, kiss your spouse, and celebrate with joy!

“As little as ten years ago, despite an average of a billion dollars a year spent on flea remedies in this country, misery reigned—animals were suffering, fleas were thriving, homes reeked of toxic pesticides, and the liver, kidneys, lungs and nervous systems of every exposed animal (not to mention his or her human family members) struggled to survive under the weight of those toxins. Nobody benefited but the chemical companies and, frankly, the fleas, which were only too happy to engage in a war they were preprogrammed to win.”
(From The Goldstein’s Wellness & Longevity Program: Natural Care for Dogs and Cats)

Happily, things have changed and the description above of the war on fleas no longer has to be played out in your home. There are multiple options that are healthier for you, your pet and your family. Here are a few of my favorites:

Start with your lawn and garden.

Chris Baliko, owner of Growing Solutions in Ridgefield, Connecticut (www.growso.com), offers his clients a five step program for tick control in their yards, all designed to minimize exposure to pesticides and harmful chemicals.

Step One: Reduce the tick habitat naturally. Ticks like moist and shady areas, so letting in the sun is key to success. If there are many trees, it’s possible to thin their crowns to let more sunlight reach the ground. Clearing away leaf debris (a favorite tick home) is important, as is cleaning up along stone walls and keeping them free of branches, weeds and other plant debris.

Step Two: Establish a Tick Border. A Tick Border is a three to four foot wide woodchip border that is established between the woody edges of your property and your lawn. Ticks are loath to cross the sunny, plant free zone.

Step Three: Put up deer fencing to keep “tick buses” (aka deer) from entering your property. A single deer can be host to more than 200 ticks, so by removing their hosts, you reduce the number of ticks.

Step Four: Move children’s play equipment out of the shade and into the sun. Don’t forget the kids’ sunscreen!

Step Five: Use an organic tick spray only in the areas where ticks are likely to live. Growing Solutions uses two different kinds of tick products, both plant based and created from essential oils. One is based on oil from the chrysanthemum plant, and the other is a blend of essential oils from peppermint, wintergreen and rosemary plants: it works against ticks, and smells wonderful! All of their products are approved by the Organic Material Review Institute (OMRI) for health and safety. A three time yearly program, applied in spring, summer and fall, has proven very effective in maintaining tick-free surroundings.

Chris said, “As landscapers, we’re responsible for what we do. We’re supposed to be taking care of the earth, and not using so many chemicals to do it. We’ve gotten complacent with chemicals because they’re so easy to use.”

He continued, “It’s important to remember that an organic pesticide is still a pesticide. It kills things. There is some toxicity to it.” That’s why Growing Solutions only uses organic sprays, only when necessary, and only in limited areas. Chris and his partner Paul began their organic approach years ago after recognizing the dangers of synthetic products, and taking courses from the Northeast Organic Farming Association (NOFA). Once they had a safer method to use, they began converting their landscape customers, sharing the health wherever they could.

Use a Natural Flea and Tick Control Method on Your Companion Animals

Earth Animal offers a three step process for natural flea and tick control. One of my favorite retail stores, there’s more information about them here.

Step One: Earth Animal products are designed to boost your animal’s own flea-fighting immune strength with a dietary program of basic nutrients, supplements, and “superfoods” to fight pests from the inside out. When the immune system of the target victim is strong, pests find him to be less appetizing, and they move on to tastier prey. Earth Animal’s program starts with feeding a natural, nutrient dense food, then supplementing each meal with a powder made of brewer’s yeast and herbs, which changes the odor and chemistry of the animal’s blood.

Step Two: During peak flea and tick season, add No More Tick or No More Flea drops everyday to your dog or cat’s water, mouth or food.

Step Three: Spray Earth Animal’s Organic Bug Spray on your dog’s belly and paws, and mist the exterior skin and coat daily during spring, summer or fall, or when you travel into tick infested areas. It’s safe and effective for humans, too!

Investigate Other Natural Options

• Another safe, environmentally friendly product I use is Damminix Tick Tubes.  Since Lyme Disease begins with mice, not deer, Tick Tubes rely on the natural nesting instincts of mice to fight the battle. Placed on your property in areas where mice frolic, the biodegradable, cardboard tubes are filled with permethrin treated cotton balls. Mice collect the cotton to build nests in their burrows. Young ticks feeding on the mice are killed by the mild insecticide before they can spread Lyme Disease to you and your family. It is important to use this only on the perimeter of your property, in safe places that are not accessible to pets or children. Even mild insecticides are poisons, and must be used carefully and responsibly.

• Buck Mountain Parasite Dust, available only through veterinarians and pet stores, can be used to rid animals, gardens and buildings of flies, fleas, ticks, mites, ants and more. Its active insecticide is a chemical derived from the Neem tree, which is both a repellant and provides disinfectant and healing properties. You can sprinkle the dust on your pet’s back from head to tail, and brush against the hair to bring the dust into contact with the skin. A teaspoon of the dust can also be placed on a window sill to eliminate fleas, flies and other bugs in your home. It is safe for use in your garden as well.

Whatever methods you choose, remember that the toxic chemical industry is alive and well due to consumers not knowing there are other, healthier choices. As more people choose nonchemical alternatives, the health of our animal companions, our homes, our gardens and our families will continue to flourish for years to come.

Help spread the word!

Part of having a home is enjoying the lawn and garden that surrounds it. It’s possible to have a beautiful green lawn surrounded by a garden that’s teeming with life: bees lazily buzzing from flower to flower, birds flitting through trees brimming with nests and berries, and children and pets playing in the soft grass. You can’t create a sanctuary like that, though, and then poison it. I often say that a healthy home is the ultimate luxury. Nothing is more important than protecting our health, and the health of our loved ones, from chemicals and toxic by-products in our homes. Your lawn and garden is in integral part of your home, too, and deserves the same loving care to keep it free of chemical contamination.

Lawn Chemicals are Poisonous

Lawn and garden chemicals are poisons to things that live, including humans and pets. They pollute our water, harm wildlife, and interrupt the delicate balance of our eco-system. If you’re not part of the suburban quest for the perfect lawn, then chances are your neighbors are. Killing weeds and encouraging rapid growth of thick green grass may seem the natural thing to do, but nothing could be further from nature. 100 million pounds of lawn care chemicals are used by homeowners in their lawns and gardens every year. These include chemicals that kill weeds, insects and a variety of plant diseases. A study from the U.S. Center for Disease Control (CDC) found pesticides in 100% of the people who had both blood and urine tested. The average person carried 12 of 23 pesticides tested. Many of these chemicals are linked to cancer, birth defects, and liver or kidney damage. There is a way to have a green and healthy lawn and garden without resorting to chemicals, though. Here’s how:

Five Tips for a Healthy Lawn

• Healthy soil promotes healthy plants. Good soil is “alive,” teeming with bacteria and organic content that is naturally resistant to pests and disease. You can boost your soil’s health by spreading organic compost or alfa meal.
• Corn gluten is increasingly used as a high-nitrogen, organic fertilizer. Organic fertilizers feed your lawn slowly; quick release chemical fertilizers encourage rapid growth that weakens the grass, promotes disease and leaches into nearby surface waters.
• Tolerate a few weeds. You can dig them out by hand if they bother you, or you can adopt the philosophy of “live and let live.” A few weeds in the garden can also provide a home for beneficial insects, which keep the overall landscape in good health.
• De-thatch and aerate your soil by raking and aerating compacted lawns. Compaction invites weeds. By removing plugs of soil, air, water and nutrients can reach the roots of your grass. When your lawn is healthy again, birds and worms will continue to aerate it for you!
• For the first and last mowing, mow down to 2 inches, which prevents fungus growth. For the rest of the year, keep your grass higher, at 3 inches, to shade out weeds and foster deep roots. Short grass promotes weeds, shallow roots and thatch.

Tips for a Healthy Garden

• Investigate companion plants to discourage pests: lavender and garlic make good bedfellows for roses; nasturtiums and marigolds are detested by green and black flies.
• Just like in your lawn, add organic material to your garden soil to make it healthier, and less likely to be a host to disease. Spread as much as three inches of new organic matter to the top of your soil, then work it in to a depth of twelve inches. You’ll be amazed how much healthier your plants will be.
• Spread mulch (chopped leaves, shredded bark, compost) to smother weeds and keep soil moist.
• Put up birdhouses and birdfeeders to encourage nature’s pest patrol to help with insect problems.
• Carefully choose plants that are suited to your year round temperatures, rainfall and amount of sun required. No matter where you live, you will have hundreds to choose from. Look for disease resistant varieties of ornamental trees and roses, and attract beneficial insects by planting a mix of trees, shrubs, flowers and herbs. A diverse biosphere in the garden best mimics nature, and makes a stable ecosystem. Remember that even chemicals and pesticides labeled organic can cause damage to your delicate ecosystem if overused, so apply with care and please be sparing in their use!

A wonderful guide to organic gardening is Taylor’s Weekend Gardening Guide to Safe and Easy Lawn Care and Taylor’s Weekend Gardening Guide to Organic Pest and Disease Control, available through Amazon. Keep both your outdoors and your indoors healthy!