How did I become a HEALTHY HOME EXPERT?

I started in residential interior design 20years ago and thought I was walking into a world of pillows, sitting on sofas and pretty things.  After years of schooling at Parsons School of Design, passing my licensing exam thru NCIDQ and my entry position with a successful interior design firm in NYC my eyes were opened wide to a field which had much deeper meaning and work. 

My work experience and exposure to our industry has led me to my specialty of sustainable HEALTHY HOME design.  Thru a path of staying current and developing new skills for my business I found a connection to the Green and Sustainable movement.   I wanted to learn and understand the “green” way of life and work related the way to “design green”.  Inspired and affirmed when I became a Mom to a beautiful boy in 2008 and wanting to provide a good home for my family, my passion for Healthy HOME DESIGN strongly to the forefront and became a personal and business focus for me.

As my awareness took off there was little or nothing in the residential interiors world for me to purchase, reference and source from for my work.  In order to understand my needs I had to look to the construction side of the industry and so I begin my training as a Certified Sustainable Building Adviser.  I took this knowledge of the structure and building methods and began to apply it to the residential interior design and decorative world.  I began to source fabrics and find small craftsmen willing to work with me to develop upholstery and cabinetry that was beautiful and healthy for my clients and the earth.  Having started at such an early adopter my process has brought me to a deeper understanding of building healthy home environments. 

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Today I am supported by a growing crop of up and coming product designers that have been raised and schooled with the awareness and who keep environmental and health goals as a core to the development of home products.  I have happily seen major industry manufacturers follow suit and changing their ways.  Gone are the days of everything HEALTHY and SUSTAINABLE needs to be made custom or is a huge cost more.  We now have loads of options and paths to take!

 

Photo Credit:  Chair from Cisco and Linens from Coyuchi