The Q Collection
I often talk to my clients about the importance of indoor air quality. Our super-insulated, warm homes can generate a poor air exchange system, so that chemicals that are introduced unknowingly build up and can cause allergies, asthma, and auto immune disorders.
Producing upholstered furniture and dyed fabrics requires the use of many chemical products, some of which may be harmful to us. The list includes things such as formaldehyde and polyurethane, flame retardants and volatile organic compounds (VOCs), all sources of noxious indoor vapors.
The Q Collection was one of the first fabric and furniture companies dedicated to eco-safe home furnishings. Their materials are free of chemicals that can pollute your home, such as toxic glues, finishes and dyes. Their residential fabric line includes biodegradable, environmentally-safe products made with natural materials such as alpaca, bamboo, Oeko-Tex certified cotton, hemp, leather, linen, viscose and wool.
I’ve used the Q Collection fabrics and upholstered pieces in several of my “green” designs, and recommend them as one more thing you can do to help make all of our lives a little healthier, and the earth a little cleaner, as well as more beautiful!
I’m Dreaming of a Green Christmas: Gifts, Decorations, and Recipes that Use Less and Mean More, by Anna Getty.
Another thing I love is a book entitled, I’m Dreaming of a Green Christmas: Gifts, Decorations, and Recipes that Use Less and Mean More, by Anna Getty. This charming paperback by a chef, mother, organic living expert and environmental advocate offers advice on everything from choosing the best tree (real or fake?) to homemade craft ideas, recipes and entertaining friends and family. She offers tips like The Ten Easiest Things You Can Do to Save Energy during the Holidays, and chapters on Nesting, Trimming and Giving.
A statistic from the book states that Americans throw away an additional five million tons of trash between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Eve. This little book may be the start of a more sustainable holiday for you and your family.
Available from Chronicle Books. ISBN-10: 0811867676
List Price $24.95
If you’re on Nantucket, you can find this book at Parchment, Eleven Washington Street. 508-228-4110 www.parchmentnantucket.com. Heidi, Parchment’s gracious storekeeper, will be delighted to help you.