Funky Eco Friendly Wallpaper for Children
in Bedroom Play

There has been an explosion of colourful wallpapers for children this last year and is a fabulous way to brighten up your kids bed and playrooms. What we particularly love about our round up today is that they are all non-toxic... do you really want your kids to breathe in a big whiff of formaldehyde? Thought not. So look no further than our groovy selection of funky wallpapers to cheer up your kids the eco friendly way!

Another super destination for "gorgeous, non-toxic, vinyl-free, environmentally friendly wallpapers" is our friend Lisa Harland. Lisa's organic furnishings company has a clever line up of decorative materials, from upholstery fabrics, furniture, headboards, bed linens and home accessories, and in the case of wallpapers, Harland also caters for children.

Retro and modern, Harland stocks Mini Moderns, the eco friendly wallpaper collection by Absolute Zeroº and is printed with non-toxic, water-based inks on paper from FSC certified forests. And these wallpapers definitely are a good match for kids, as sticky dirty fingers aren't a problem as they can be wiped down easily - bonus! Harlands have a quite a few designs on offer, so no doubt your boy or little girl will find something they like, and please do request a sample.

We like their Knock Knock version as it's a fun way to count...

And we also love the idea of letting the kids graffiti colour in the walls with this super Tick Tock wallpaper. What fun!

Why not check out Harlands Organic Furnishings complete range of children's wallpaper as they have 13 wallpapers to choose from, and have a good choice for both girls and boys.

Happy decorating!

Non Toxic Upholstered Headboards
Harlands Organic Furnishings, Upholstered Headboards

Available in a wide variety of upholstered fabrics - colours, prints and materials - you can update your bedroom's decor with a stunning, chemical free headboard. Harlands offer a diverse range of headboard shapes, even bespoke sizes, to suit your taste and room's interior.

To give you peace of mind, Harlands' products meet strict legislation and comply with The Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988, but without the harmful chemical fire retardants. Clever and important, because it has now been found formaldehyde, a common fire retardant has been linked to nausea, coughing, allergic reactions, fatigue, even cancer.

Harlands' sustainable approach to organic furnishings go one step further too as all the products are lovingly handmade in the UK.

View Harland's Chemical-free Headboards online today!

A cut above
Harlands Organic Felt Panels

Harlands Organic Furnishings is a bespoke, made-to-measure service.

The company have lots of lovely things to entice you and one of the items we liked were the intricately cut 100% wool felt panels.

The panels are coloured using environmentally friendly dyes and suitable for a variety of interior applications including sliding curtain panels, room dividers and wall panels.

They have been designed by British designer-maker Selina Rose who uses cutting edge technology to create intricately cut and printed interior felt surfaces in a choice of 21 distinct colour options.

The panels are made in the UK and the felt is renewable and biodgradable.

As the panels are bespoke prices vary. For more information visit organic-furnishings.co.uk

Feb 2010,

Feb 2010 issue

LIFESTYLE & HOME: HARLANDS ORGANIC FURNISHINGS

January 11th, 2010

Harlands Organic Furnishings offers a classy, highly customer-focused service suitable for anyone wanting to make a significant investment in their home, whilst having the peace of mind that comes with choosing an ethical company that supports animal welfare, British farming and craftmanship.

Sustainably produced furniture, with a great deal of flexibility in the design - Harlands can work from a photo or drawing to create an item tailored to you - but what I especially liked was the wonderful range of fabrics available. Harlands work with several textile manufacturers so they can offer a fantastic range of styles, from something traditional and simple like Ian mankin to something a bit more quirky like Pieces Of You.

As well as the bigger items of furniture, there are some really interesting and original accessories for the home. I really like the innovative Felt Panels, which could have any number of uses, and look particularly beautiful with the light shining through the cut-out patterns, bringing the colours and the texture of the wool to life.

Harlands and all the companies they work with have impeccable green credentials, are certified to the hilt and are experts in producing furniture and furnishings which comply with the fire safety regulations without using formaldehyde and other chemicals which have proven associated health risks (especially important when furnishing a child or baby's room).

Providing choice, quality, attention to detail, being environmentally and ethically sound, Harlands are helping people to create beautiful homes - the right way.

Sophie Colbert

Trend Watch

Big, Bold Wallpaper Designs

For The Very Brave

This wallpaper is mind-bogglingly alluring, but the strength of its pattern means that it should be limited to rooms that are busy and lively. Put it in a bedroom and the effect will be show-stopping, but is unlikely to be restful. Junglish 21 by Dominic Crinson, £62.95 per roll, Organic Furnishings

Big Space, Big Impact

This wallpaper is of such a large scale that it's best left to large spaces. Put it on more than one wall at your peril - whichever wall you put it onto will visually advance into the room. Extreme Cloud 7 by Dominic Crinson, £62.95 per roll, Organic Furnishings

Tradition With A Modern Twist

If you've got antique or period furniture that you want to complement but update, putting it against a modern take on a traditional wallpaper design will do the trick. Grand Jubilee by mod green pod, £85 per roll, Organic Furnishings

By Clare Steel

Country Living, July 2009

House Beautiful, May 2009

Country Living, May 2009

The [Accidental] EcoManiac

Let's put a new coat of paint on this lonesome old town...

Thursday, 19 March 2009

My 'Hot Houses' blog on property porn seems a long time ago now. Like me, you may still feel the odd twinge as you rifle through the ads, mags and websites, but the reality of the property bust has cooled our lust. It's like the moment a gent realises his favourite pinup's not real: fake chest, fake lips, fake hair – oh, sorry, bad analogy; most XYs don't actually care. Anyway, the glossy illusion of property heaven has evaporated, revealing the hell of negative equity and looming repossession. Just as well: our cravings for bigger, shinier, more obscenely indulgent homes were out of line with the planet's limited resources.

Now, instead of hankering after what you can't have, it's time to make the most of the home you're in. Think of it as cosmetic surgery (without the troubling philosophical dilemmas), especially in the mantra that less is more. Instead of a scorched-home policy, try the light touch. The easiest (and most earth-kind) way to freshen up your home without going overboard is a fresh lick of (eco-friendly) paint like Beckers (left), my Favourite Find for March. Try a new coat of paint, cue up Tom Waits on the music system (or tickle the ivories on your own customised piano: Beckers has some wild ideas, right) and laugh at that old bloodshot moon in that burgundy sky.

Another easy trick is to whizz up some new cushion covers. I know, I was very snooty about SIY (sew it yourself) but perhaps I was a bit hasty. It's not clever to crow about your ignorance or dearth of skills (especially in the current mend-and-make-do mood of thrift and self-reliance). I'm suitably humbled and have asked a friend for a few lessons on her sewing machine. Will I be opening my own fashion boutique? Now you're being too hasty, but if I can turn up my kiddies' trousers and magic up some presentable cushions, I'll hold my head high.

Go one step better by choosing organic fabrics to tart up your pad: see the list below. And don't sniff at extras such as buttons and trims, a handy way to liven up a cushion or skirt without spending a fortune (and if you're re-using old buttons or ribbons that have been lying about for yonks, even better).

Harlands Organic Furnishings has a great selection of organic fabrics, many made in the UK. It's a step above many organic fabric collections, with fresh colours and patterns, like this hand-printed organic cotton from Les Indiennes (above).

Mod Green Pod (right) has sleek printed fabrics in gorgeous contemporary styles (made in US but stocked at Harlands).

Hemp Fabric stocks a big selection of cool neutrals that are all-natural.

Draper's Organic has gorgeous fabrics and cushions covers (if you find you don't have the knack – or the time – to SIY.

Near Sea Naturals They obviously stock the natural look and pale seaside colours, but I'm a sucker for their deep scarlet sateen organic cotton.

Published 2008,

Published 2008,

Nov 2008

Big City Small Footprints blog

Our Eco Shop’s pop-up Christmas boutique opened in Westbourne Grove this week. A collaboration of UK designer-makers and small green companies have come together for the second year running to create the shop. From now until Christmas Eve, they will be selling a selection of fair trade, ethical and organic products from the boutique.

BCSF was at the launch party last night to check things out. Alongside old favourites like Little Green Radicals and Izzy Lane, we discovered some exciting new ethical brands such as Harlands, an organic home furnishings company that makes chemical-free upholstered sofas, chairs and headboards.

It was good to see that even in the current financial climate, the shop was packed. And people weren’t just there for the delicious organic wine and nibbles - there were plenty of transactions taking place too! There’s a lot packed into the two-level shop. You can pick up everything from baby clothes, jewellery, stationery, beauty products to an electric cycle. It might be just the thing if you’re out looking for unique presents - many of the items on sale are one-off creations, and nothing in the shop is mass-produced.

Our Eco Shop is located at 303 Westbourne Grove, W11. Nearest tubes are Notting Hill Gate and Ladbroke Grove.

Opening times 10:00-18:00 (Mon-Sat), 12:00-17:00 (Sun), from November 10th until December 24th.

Sept 2008

As seen on thegreenbabyspot.com

Fab Eco Friendly Nursery Decor

This is my little attempt at interior design! I’ve put some swatches, furniture and furnishings together to try to give you some ideas for eco friendly nursery decor. The background is covered with different patterns of Eco-friendly wall paper from Mod Green Pod. Mod Green Pod is a lovely company which makes whimsical, sophisticated organic fabric and vinyl-free wall paper. Their beautiful and stylish non-toxic wallpaper can be bought at Harlands Organic Furnishings in the UK. The printing is done with water-based inks and no harmful finishers are used.

The comfortable oversized, upholstered chair is ideal for snuggling up in a cozy corner of the nursery, during those late night feedings. You don’t have to worry about baby’s skin brushing up against the chair, because it’s made chemical free.
The Claude dark herringbone chair is available at Harlands Organic Furnishings, for those who can afford to splurge on a quality nursery chair…the rest of us can only dream! Be prepared to fork out £1,800.

The stunning Danish Leander Cot, made out of high quality Scandinavian birch is available from Natural Mat. The Leander Cot is a worthwile investment as it converts into a toddler bed, and can be used up to 6 years. The cot comes with a Natural Mat Latex Mat mattress made to fit. The cot mattress is made from 100% natural fibre materials which makes it breathable, non-allergeic and offers superior support £655.00.

The 100% organic cot bed sheets are also from Natural Mat. Their range of organic sheets includes fitted and flat sheets made from soft flannelette and crisp cotton percale. Prices start from £17.45

SHE, Sept 2008

Kitchens, Bedrooms and Bathrooms, Sept 2008