SUSTAINABLE HOME
In Good Company
As I renovate and update my century-old house, I hold a “less but better” philosophy. I don’t need more things, I need useful, beautiful things that have a timelessness about them. I pass this philosophy to my kids, in an effort to help them understand product life cycles, and how much of the things we don’t really need or use end up in landfills despite our best intentions. This is something we are passionate about at home, as we try to raise conscientious children and prepare them to live in a world that will need to contend with social and climate impacts that are wholly new. I think “less but better” creates an opportunity for us as consumers to be considered about what we invest in. Not only about the monetary costs, but the industry practices we are supporting with our patronage. It is my ultimate hope that by changing our buying habits we can change the ever-expanding product landscape to serve us, and our world better.
These are some tried and true products I’ve used through the years and can attest to their impeccable design as well as longevity. I take care of my things but I am not super precious about them, so when a product makes it to my list, it’s been through some things!
Material Kitchen
Aside from their gorgeous wares, the Asian-owned startup was inspired by the sharing of our heritage through the food we prepare and share on our dinner table. This speaks to me so personally because for my family, multi-generational mealtimes are particularly important. It is a way to impart a sense of reverence for our histories, to hear our varied languages exchanged and revel in our ancestral traditions and multicultural family values. From the knives (and stand!) to the chicest salt cellar I’ve ever seen, their expanding offering will surely have you swooning and wanting to get into the kitchen to show your love.
THE KNIVES & STAND →
Parachute
Form + Function. It is such a kindness when a brand makes things easy for me. In a world that is overwhelmingly full of stuff, and all that stuff being marketed at us continuously, I like it when I can keep it simple. I can rely on Parachute for chic bedding that just performs. It does its job and looks good doing it, but wait… there’s more! The percale sheets get better with age (I’ve tried other brands that have literally fallen apart as a sleepy foot poked through a hole in the weave during a wake-up stretch…SMH). They have a beautiful array of colors and and a helpful breakdown for selecting the material for the warmest or coolest sleeper, and everyone in between.
PERCALE BUNDLE →
Avocado
I have been a fan of Avocado Mattress for years. The first time I came across the brand, I was searching for my child’s first “big kid bed,” and I went into the dark world of mattress off-gassing and toxic materials in furniture. The result of this deep dive was an investment in a quality product that isn’t laden with chemicals, and discovering a company that was really trying to change the landscape of this product to one that was ecologically and socially proactive. At one point our kid’s bed was the greenest and most deliciously comfortable bed in the whole house. I have since purchased a low-profile mattress for the kids’ top bunk, to rave reviews from my little critics.
What I love most, besides the product itself is that the brand is asking the right questions, ones I feel should be front of mind for businesses and consumers alike: “How does a business scale sustainably? What is the right balance between purpose and profit? How do we continue to raise the bar for sustainability?”.
Perhaps their success can inspire other companies to follow suit and surely, we can all sleep easier in a world like that.
ORGANIC MATTRESS →
Ruggable
I have children, and a dog, and my own special brand of clumsiness. I love the quality of these rugs, and the fact that I don’t have to spend a fortune sending rugs out to be cleaned when the inevitable spill, squelchy slime or muddy paw ends up on the rug. I also appreciate that I can use the same mat and replace the rug seasonally. They’ve recently launched different pile sizes, which makes for a softer step underfoot.
JAQUE CHECKERED STONE RUG →
New York-based creative Michelle spent over a decade as co-founder of a luxury fashion startup, touching every aspect of the business. She is inspired by her multicultural heritage, her imaginative children, and in the act of finding or creating beauty in everyday life.
