Nirmada: Interior Design in New York City

Last week, a group of interior designers from the ASID NyMetro chapter were given an inside tour of the first LEED Certified Platinum residential building in NYC, the Visionaire. The building is touted to be the greenest building in the US, and was designed by Pelli Clarke Pelli architects, whom we were fortunate enough to get a glance of during our tour!

© Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects”.

We were greeted in the sweeping lobby by Tim Button, the interior designer for the public spaces. He discussed the elements used in the Lobby’s interiors, such as FSC Certified end cut Douglas Fir wood floors, natural fiber carpets, and locally quarried limestone which brings the exterior materials inside. The Lobby features a large fresh water aquarium, open on one side to the Lobby and to the children’s playroom on the other.

Rendering by DBOX

The green elements continue in the children’s area (they made us take our shoes off upon entry). Panels by 3-Form allow light in while adding colorful interest, and rapidly renewable bamboo panels clad the surrounding interior walls. Recycled natural rubber floors provide a soft and acoustically sound surface on which to play.

All of the units feature Bamboo cabinetry, energy star rated appliances, FSC Certified oak floors, recycled glass tile, and energy efficient fixtures such as Toto’s low-flow toilets.  Instead of florescent lighting, the models are fitted with LED bulbs, offering a highly efficient and non-toxic lighting source. LED’s in my opinion, aren’t quite there yet in terms of lighting quality. Phillips is a manufacturer on the forefront on LED technology, developing less-expensive, versatile, and high quality fixtures which should be available in the near future. Other building features include; an ultra-high efficiency air handling and filtration system, in-building wastewater treatment system, rainwater harvesting for roof gardens, natural daylighting, solar collectors, low VOC paints and a pesticide-free roof garden.

Rendering by DBOX

The model apartment also features sustainable elements. Window treatments and upholstery are made with Carnegie’s recycled polyester fabrics. The rugs are all natural fiber, and formaldehyde free, FSC certified woods and materials are used for the furnishings. Some of the furniture offerings came from Janus et Cie, and accessories were provided by Roost in Brooklyn.

Today I was lucky enough to spend some time with the wonderful Gerry LeFrancois, who is my rep extraordinaire at the Dennis Miller Showroom here at the NYDC. Gerry spent a lot of time showing me the new products DM is carrying, and what a luscious offering they have!

Dennis Miller Showroom

First off, my fave Jiun Ho, has introduced some lighter-scale pieces perfectly appropriate for smaller Manhattan apartments.

Jiun Ho Desk NEW

I do have a bone to pick with Jiun, as I’m still not clear on whether or not his manufacturing practices are the least bit sustainable…He’s coming to NYC on 23-September so I’ll be sure to discuss with him then! We did use his St. Cere Chair in a recent project on Central Park West:

Nirmada Project Featuring St. Cere Chair

DM does have some GREEN alternatives, and are  starting to see the need for luxury paired with sustainability. Antoine Proulx has even introduced sustainably harvested wood finishes, and acrylic based lacquers. There’s hope for us yet!

Amazing light fixtures are dispersed throughout the showroom, with pieces from McEwen Lighting Studios, Powell and Bonell, Fuse Lighting, and Broad Beach Design.

Broad Beach Paris Lamp

The biggest news Gerry let me in on is that Emma Gardner is now the creative director for Wendell Castle! Two of my favorite manufacturers together in a perfect marriage of color and style. So the pieces I brought you from ICFF, are part of their standard offering.

Wendell Castle Armoire

Alpha Workshops tops off DM’s offerings with great designs for an even greater cause. The Alpha Workshops is the only not-for-profit organization in the country that trains and employs people living with HIV/AIDS in the decorative arts. Jamie Drake recently used one of their beautiful wallpapers in the Kips Bay Decorator Showhouse here in NYC:

Dennis Miller is truly a one stop shop for Nirmada!

I was trolling through the Benjamin Moore (BM) showroom at the NYDC today and asked my sales guy about their new Natura line, which is BM’s new no VOC paint. For a few years now I’ve been loyal to BM’s Aura line, which is a low VOC, super- pigmented paint, available in any of BM’s colors. Initially Aura costs more, but it takes a lot less coats, and is really smooth to apply leaving a great, cleanable finish. I recently used it in a baby nursery and there was barely a trace of any paint smell the day it went on.

But when BM came out with their Natura line I thought I HAD to specify it, since it’s NO VOC, vs. low VOC. Well, my rep Rodger Lippman explained to me that there are some trade offs of using noVOC paints.

Rodger claims that Natura is far superior to other no VOC paints, like Mythic (often touted by our friend David Bromstad at HGTV) and Safecoat.

BM says:

Virtually odorless Natura paint is the greenest and safest paint available in the market. In independent third party testing, Natura paint has the lowest total VOC emissions of any national paint brand tested. Available in any color, Natura also outperforms the competition by being the safest paint for your family without compromising performance or color selection.

Natura exceeds more industry standards for environmental safety than other leading zero VOC paints due to our unique waterborne colorant system that keeps Natura paint at zero VOC levels even after the paint is tinted to a specific color. Natura paint’s quick drying, virtually odorless formula allows you to use your room the same day it is painted.

* Zero VOC even after tinting
* No compromise in performance or color options
* Available in any color

While Natura offers these benefits and can help contribute to LEED credits, Aura also can contribute to LEED credits and offers a superior product despite the trace VOC level:

Aura Interior paint is our best interior coating and is, “Quite simply the finest paint we’ve ever made.”® With our proprietary Color Lock® Technology, Aura Interior paint delivers remarkable durability and exceptional color with hues that are richer, truer and retain their color integrity even after repeated washings. Aura interior paint is washable in any sheen, so you can use the sheen of your choice in any room.

With its superior hide properties, Aura Interior paint never needs more than a second coat in even the deepest colors. Eco-friendly Aura Interior paint is low VOC and low odor and is available in any color. It applies easily and dries quickly for seamless touch-ups.

• Never more than two coats even in the deepest shades
• Available in any color
• Exceptional durability
• VOC <48 g/l after tinting

Having been a long-time lover of Aura and seeing (and not smelling) it’s results, I”ll probably stick to my tried and true, while impacting the environment as little as possible.  I still believe we shouldn’t have to compromise to be green!