Oliveira Textile {eco-friendly}
I don't talk a lot about the environment because I'm a big believer in practicing what you preach and since I'm not living the most eco-responsible lifestyle, I lay a bit low on the topic. I did start to recycle this year by donating a lot of clothing and misc. home decor items to charity, and I started to buy only organic meats and produce so even though my grocery bill is like $5,000 a week and I risk losing my home, car, and life savings all in the name of $30 per pound oranges, at least I'm helping out. That's a good start, right? In addition to those things, another one of my goals for the year is to source for more eco-friendly products that I can share with you from time to time so that at least we can have options. Green ones. And having options is always good.
Rhode Island-based twins Deborah and Dawn launched Oliveira Textiles, an eco-responsible textile company, after a bout of illness in the family got them thinking more about how toxins in the environment affect our health. (Some of the most successful companies rise from tough times.) Dawn spent 22 years in New York designing fashion and home textiles with an impressive client list that includes Ralph Lauren, Stark Fabric, and Emanuel Ungaro but now that she's back in Rhode Island with her sister Deborah by her side, the focus is on their recently launched brand and their premiere Ocean Collection, a tribute to their coastal upbringing.
With fabrics made of sustainable hemp and organic cotton and printed using only water-based pigment dyes, they found a mill willing to work with them, resulting in both eco-friendly and beautiful textiles. Anemone in red coral would make beautiful drapes and I picture Wavelength in ultramarine as cushion covers on a three-season porch. Sure, it may take a lot to develop products that fit such strict requirements, but if part of your new year's resolution is to shop for more green home items, then your support of companies like Oliveria can make their hard work worth it and your resolution a lot easier to stick to.
Looking for more sustainable textiles? Visit Boston locals over at Mod Green Pod or click on the word 'eco-friendly' below to view green products that we've covered on decor8 previously. For additional products and tips on going green, please visit some of my favorite eco-bloggers: EcoFabulous, Ideal Bite, Treehugger, and Pure Style Living.
(images from oliveira)