Glamorous and Green

Once I own a home I hope to make it as green as I possible can. Luckily, "greenifying" your home no longer means uglifying it, and technology is coming down in price everyday. I've noticed many progressive cities are getting more and more green restorations in historic homes, like this one in Toronto. Enjoy!

The owner didn't want to rip out the authentic stained glass windows, so she added extra glazing on the exterior to improve energy efficiency... so beautiful.

Furnishings are mostly vintage and/or antique and refurbished/reupholstered when necessary.

oh I do love that rug

Here are 5 green things the owners did to improve the space:

1. Complete Geothermal Retrofit
2. Replaced windows and doors for high efficiency versions
3. Added Insulation
4. Used Zero VOC paints
5. Furnished with antique and vintage furniture

Not too shabby huh?
via Pure Green Magazine

As promised - another beautiful book giveaway!

Lucky you guys! I'm reviewing two amazing books recently released by Country Living, Restore. Recycle. Repurpose and Aged to Perfection And one of you will win Aged to Perfection! All you have to do for your chance to win is leave a comment on this post. The chance to enter ends on 12/16, at 5PM EST. I will draw a winner at random and announce the results the next day.

PLEASE leave a way to contact you on your comment-an email address will work, or link your name with a way to contact you.


So, here are some lovely pics from Aged to Perfection which one of you will win. This book is great for the shabby chic and wabi sabi enthusiast. It features many white interiors, wonderful patinas, antiqued linens, and creative texture combination ideas.

The back jacket reads "Create a New 'Old' House. New houses offer modern conveniences, spacious rooms, and efficient infrastructures. Yet they often lack the charm that makes older homes so much more appealing. Now, through hundreds of photographs, ideas, and tips, Aged to Perfection shows how easy it is to give any contemporary home a gracious, rustic feeling."


I adore this living room! Unfortunately my dogs think that they're doing me a favor by letting me sit on "their" couch, and this couch would not be white very long.


Love this chest of drawers.


What a great collection of canisters.

One of the dreamiest bathrooms
Aged to Perfection can be purchased here on Amazon.

The second book is Restore, Recycle, Repurpose. Here's a description: "

Renovation that’s eco-friendly…AND economically smart. From Country Living contributing editor Randy Florke (Your House, Your Home) comes a gorgeous guide to decorating sustainably and inexpensively. Providing inspiration as well as instruction, Florke shows how everyone can achieve a look that’s both harmonious with the environment and beautiful.

Color photographs show examples of rooms, all radiating country charm, created on a budget, and designed with the three “R”s in mind: restore, reuse, and repurpose. Florke clearly explains why going green is so important, how to use what’s already there, find a focus for every space, and determine what makes something environmentally friendly. Anyone hoping to transform a home from ordinary to extraordinary will find eco-friendly, thrifty, and stylish ideas." via Amazon

I can't get enough of the couch upholstery - the pattern is illustrations of old furniture. You can click on the photo for a closer look.




A good mix of patterns is achieved here through a unified color scheme.

This book also has a great section in the back full of green and eco resources. It can be purchased here on Amazon.

Comment away for your chance to win!

disclosure: I received these books as a sample