Organic but Opulent

At the International Window Coverings Expo in Atlanta that I attended from March 26 through the end of the month, I had some unexpected pleasant encounters. I met some "Green Heads" (my term) that were vendors of products that I love! Now this is unexpected because as an interior decorator, I like the idea of "Green" design, but I don't always like the look.

• I saw Velvets made of Bamboo. Yummy. And bamboo grows, once established, at a very fast, replenishable rate. As long as the washing and rinsing process are environmentally responsible, which OecoTEXTILES' is, then that is a great choice for drapery, bedding or pillow fabrics.
  
• I learned that babies raised in newly decorated nurseries have double the rate of asthma. Well that explains a lot right there. Both my son and oldest daughter had nurseries that could have been on "MTV Cribs" for babies. OecoTEXTILES informed me that their patter of "Willapa" is perfect for a baby's nursery. It has been OekoTex100 certified for human health and safety to a standard of 100. That means that a baby can suck on that material without any adverse affects.
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  Well, I am moving towards the new light. Something for all of us to consider is "Green Washing": companies and organizations that pose as caring about our environment and making claims of manufacturing products in an environmentally friendly process to just grab our next consumer dollar. Not all that is touted is true, of course. Once again, the onus is on us to check to see if that product is "Greened" every step of the way.
  
  Patty Grossman, President and CEO of "OecoTEXTILES" is the person responsible for the title of this article. Their company, located in Seattle and London, encourages you to choose fabrics that are "organic fabrics" not just fabrics made from organic fibers. The key is that there are many steps in the production of that cotton Tee that you love. The steps use a lot of 1) chemicals and 2) water. That got my attention right away. Water is life and the chemicals used to produce these products we want don't always do a body good.
  
  One point made in an article she wrote for the sustainable Furniture Council is that we are all "downstream" from these pools of washed and rinsed cycles of production. So be sure to find out if they your textiles have been certified by a textile certification agency. Or Call Mary Etta Designs and tell us if you want economically friendly choices only in your design.
  A link you may want to check out:
  
• http://oeko-tex.com/ This organization lists on its website as one of its objectives being able to provide"a reliable product label for consumers who specifically aim to buy textiles which are harmless to health."