Monthly Archives: August 2011

As a designer I am often, unfortunately, in the realm of ‘disposing’ of things as we renovate and decorate. It sometimes makes me uncomfortable to watch this disposable world we live it.  So, the little I can do I do.  I always discuss sustainable ways to dispose of all things with every client that is willing to hear – Habitat for Humanity, for example, takes old kitchens! And when we choose new, I like to talk about the implications of what we choose – there are always options my clients may not have known about that are a little greener. Recycled glass counters over granite is an option and is an excellent way to keep the quarries from getting depleted. And I am forever trying to get people to re-use so much of what they already have since eco-friendly paints do wonders to old furniture!

Although my industry introduces waste and sometimes toxins, it will happen regardless of whether I am in it or not, so I like to believe I am helping by making sure the right, and smarter, decisions are always made from the start.

I was at a friend’s house this past weekend helping her decorate her new, much smaller, house. At just 1000 sq. ft. of space to accommodate two kids, a dog, a cat and a snake, we had to be quite creative! The one thing I suggested was that she just had to invest in a new TV. Her TV was the first thing you saw when you walked in the door and it is one of those mammoth deep XL boxes and it needed a big fat base to sit on as well!  So, with her limited budget, we shifted what she had and decided to use a coffee table against the wall for her soon to be new slim line TV. We saved money on so many levels that the TV was attainable and the coffee table the perfect size (for the new TV, definitely not the old one!)

There are so many beautiful options for housing your TVs these days, and hanging it on the wall is not always the answer. Layla Grace has some beautiful options that house your components and look amazing. I love this white one, which also comes in several other colours, which is amazing! Check out other options here on the Layla Grace website.