Green By Design

The Global Organic Textile Standard or GOTS is the worldwide leading textile processing standard for organic fibers, including ecological and social criteria, backed up by independent certification of the entire textile supply chain. North American GOTS Representative Lori Wyman explains the certification process and the benefits of supporting GOTS-certified brands.

Hear from the founder of the eco-friendly, non-toxic home goods store EntirelyEco about not compromising on style when you go green, working with a contractor when building a non-toxic home, the best home goods options for babies, and more.

Professional organizer Julie Naylon of No Wire Hangers shares some of the systems she uses to help her clients be more mindful of their consumption and clutter and help them live tidier, more organized lives. If you (or your clients) have a bag of clothes shoved in your closet that was supposed to go to the donation center 6 years ago, this is the episode for you.

Dak Kopec is an environmental psychologist and Associate Professor in the School of Architecture and Graduate program in Healthcare Interior Design at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Learn about some of the principles of environmental psychology and how he has applied them to different projects he's designed for war veterans, psychiatric facility patients, and more.

Eco-friendly designer Annette Stelmack talks about her work serving clients with chemical sensitivities, the difference between LEED and WELL certifications and which one may be right for you, the impact socially-ethical companies have on the environment, and more.

Celebrity interior designer, Lori Dennis, ASID, LEED AP, leads a Los Angeles-based interior design firm and has written two books on the topic of green design. Listen as she shares tips on sourcing ethical furniture, introducing air filtration to the home, and more.

Learn how to improve your life by improving your space with simple strategies of Feng Shui. Danijela shares how clutter, layout, and more affect our mental and spiritual wellbeing and everything we stand to gain by connecting with the soul of our home.

Learn from art curator turned green materials consultant Kate Bachner about the importance of sourcing eco-friendly materials for building & design projects as well as a her outline for how all designers can work sustainable materials sourcing into their design process.

OEKO-TEX® is one of the most well-known, eco-friendly materials certifications in the industry. OEKO-TEX® Representative Ben Mead dives into the history of the certification, how the organization keeps track of all the new chemicals that are created, the certification process and more.

In the first episode of season 2, Brittanie Elms of My Design Assistant flips the script and interviews our host, Erica Reiner. Learn how you can design greener by looking for certain certifications, brands, and more.

In the last episode of the season, Brett Englander, one of the partners of the Cerno Group, gives us a behind the scenes peak at sustainable manufacturing within the home goods industry. Brett describes why they chose to do the right thing by the environment through production, and what that actually looks like in process. We discuss how the manufacturing process is another major element to consider for interior designers going green.

Re-using wood became mainstream when rustic and modern farmhouse interior design got a revival. However, Brady explains the difference between reclaimed and salvaged wood, the aesthetic applications for both. Beyond that, he educated us on the whole business of salvaging and saving urban trees from the cities' dirty little secret of sending them to the chipper and landfill.

Using animal products can be controversial. At first glance, it seems like the sustainable thing to do would be to use vegan alternatives, however we discuss the valid pros and cons of each, and Beverly, from Moore and Giles, educates us about the myths and truths of the leather industry, what's actually sustainable, and if leather can be non-toxic.

Erica delves into a couple's intimate journey with going green at home. Learn what Fernanda and Eric Firman went through with their experiences remodeling their home and how it changed their lives and careers. They explain what they're doing now in the world of the built green environment and how they are helping others.

Erica interviews Susan Inglis; executive director of Sustainable Furnishings Council and green business owner. Susan describes her journey into starting her green business and how that transitioned into joining, and eventually leading, the SFC. Susan describes the important work SFC does and how that can help designers, as SFC is a leader and major supporter of greening the home furnishings and design industry.

Erica explains how she went on a mission to collect other green designers for connection and collaboration, with Rachelle being one of the best results from that mission. Rachelle explains her sophisticated approach to green interior design, and how she's greening her curriculum to better educate designers of the future as an instructor of a local interior design class.

Kim Lombardozzi joins me to represent Mindful Materials - a platform that's looking to make it easier for specifiers, buyers, designers and architects to find materials that meet their environmental, non-toxic or sustainability criteria. Mindful Materials is a "...library [that] aggregates product sustainability information while minimizing redundant effort on the part of both manufacturers and designers" This is a huge need in green interior design world, so when I discovered this organization I knew I had to have someone on to spread the word. In this episode Kim tells us about her journey, her involvement in the industry and what's great about MM.

Travis is one half of the brotherly duo of Medley Home; an e-comm furniture and home store that's rockin' worlds of Erica and her design company Eco Method Interiors. Travis breaks down how Medley is filling a major gap in the marketplace for the much-needed combination of the modern stylish aesthetic with big-time sustainability + health benefits. He explains how he was able to build a company following the people, planet, profit model and what makes Medley Home different.

Meet Jennifer Beckely of JB Sides Design - her story is similar to Erica's with a career change taking her from teaching to designing to green design! Jen shares her top tips and drops knowledge bombs on all things eco-friendly interior design throughout.

Erica Reiner goes solo in this intro episode to tell the story of her journey from environmental science professor to interior designer to eco-friendly interior designer and owner of Eco Method Interiors design studio. The episode also covers the beginnings of the environmental, health, and business benefits of going green within the interior design industry as a rallying cry to other ID professionals to learn, grow and help change the industry for the better.