Sustainable Furniture For Your Desert Home

With more consciousness about green products and sustainable business entering mainstream products, more clients are demanding more products for the interior of their homes besides wallpaper and paint. More furniture designers are making furniture from sustainable, renewable, and repurposed materials. As interior designers in the desert who are always looking for ways to put cutting-edge items in your home, here are some fine examples of what is available in the market:

Sustainable design is executed in stunning style with the beautiful Girado chair. Created by Team 7 in conjunction with the Batineau Design Group, the elegant chair has an elegant sculptural profile that belies its sustainable origins.

With a rounded back crafted from a choice of sustainable hardwoods or lush leather, the chair can be customized for any environment. Sustainable wood choices range from dark walnut to a lovely light maple, finished off with a timeless leather seat. Even the frame can be customized, with a choice of three very different shapes.

Batineau uses sustainable production methods and materials, producing beautiful non-toxic, solid wood furniture. The materials used by the design group are both natural and sustainable, contributing to a healthier home.

Team 7 is certified as an environmentally friendly manufacturer, using sustainably harvested hardwood that comes from a reforested European forest. Products are finished with natural herbal oils and waxes. Their green practices qualify them for great green design, even before one sees their actual eco-friendly furniture.

Urban Woods makes sustainable furniture from reclaimed wood, eco-friendly materials and environmentally conscious manufacturing processes. The distinct beauty of reclaimed wood, finished with rich water based, non-toxic stains, is preserved in modern handmade furniture that is made in Los Angeles, California. Their exclusive use of vintage reclaimed wood has many advantages; the grain of the timber with its tight growth rings shows the superior density of the wood from ancient trees, and the natural, aged patina and color of the old-growth timber is preserved in the manufacturing process, giving the furniture a look and feel that can not be replicated in new wood. Much of the reclaimed wood was originally harvested and milled 50 to 100 years ago, and has been seasoned in sunny Southern California for decades, giving the wood unparalleled stability and resistance to future distortion or structural movement. At Urban Woods we strive to make beautiful, eco-friendly furniture in the most sustainable way. They do not use tropical hardwoods which harm the rain forest to harvest, MDF, particle board nor toxic glues.

Acronym Designs have produced a range of unique designs that use a variety of materials and manufacturing processes. With a blend of natural and high tech materials, their furniture has modern appeal with classic sensibility. Whenever possible, they "use materials that are sustainable, renewable, reclaimed, or recycled," which includes FSC-certified wood and veneers, Lyptus (plantation-grown), or reclaimed African Mahogany.

Second Home, Second Everything: The Art Of Interior Design for Luxury Homes

Palm Desert, California-based interior designer William Miller has spent more than 20 years in the Southern California Desert planning, designing, furnishing, and accessorizing luxury second and third homes for his high-end clientele. An emerging interior design trend among these 2-million-dollar-plus homeowners is the demand for the interior designer to find relaztion through duplicity.

A second home is a second change for homeowners to rethink their priorities in a living environment. It turns out that for many in the luxury market, an individuals’ idea of indulgence stems from personal retreats, open spaces, and decadent amenities of their very own: custom closets (each tailored to individual needs) the sunken tub for her and the mega shower jets for him, the plasma TV, sports bar, and chef’s grill for him, the trickling fountain, espresso station, and Zen courtyard for her, and separate kitchens for each, both indoor and out.

Sophisticated homeowners have moved beyond requests for his-and-hers sinks. Large his-and-hers closets as well as dressing areas are tailored to individual wardrobe needs; separate toilet rooms, walk-in showers, oversized tubs and separate sink areas with granite counter tops, etched glass and custom tile. These are elements that customers want in the luxury home market.

The master bedroom suite is the refuge for the homeowner. It is, simply put, more than a bedroom and becomes a quiet, luxurious escape from children, guests, and social obligation. A place to regroup and spend quiet times alone at the beginning and end of each day. Female clients typically want to spend their dollars on the luxurious feel of quality fabrics for custom bedding, wallcoverings, and down-filled furniture; men go for large walk-in showers with rain dome shower heads and multiple body wash sprays. Both sexes enjoy having their own separate spaces within one large shared space, which William Miller refers to as “independence through togetherness.”

Outdoor spaces are important for entertaining in California because so many activities are focused around the outdoors. “My clients live outdoors more than indoors, that’s why outdoor living rooms, kitchens, and dining areas are important elements.”

Value is found per square foot in covered outdoor rooms that are essential to today’s increasing luxury second home market. In new construction, these outdoor rooms are often the emphasis of the home and all design and planning begin in these areas.

Outdoor fireplaces as well as multimedia entertainment centers are standard fare in these luxury second homes as well as comfortable seating, outdoor kitchens and full-service bars.

Couples come together with their ideas about their great room. A comfortable great room or family room that is close to the kitchen and equipped with state-of-the-art multimedia entertainment systems. These great rooms are spaces that are casual enough for extended family entertaining, but elegant enough for more formal cocktail or dinner gatherings.

What Kind of a Mood Are You Living In?

Interior design in the desert is important because the color in our environment can have an effect on how we feel mentally as well as physically. Historically, some cultures have used color to heal- such as the ancient Egyptians and the Native Americans. When choosing colors for your home interior, keep in mind the feelings that are associated with each color- you may inadvertently have the opposite affect that you wish to create with the décor of your rooms. Too many colors can make a room look busy, and in fact, confuse or agitate the people in the room. First, determine: what mood do I want to create with my interior designer, and colors can my interior designer help me select to achieve that mood?

Black is the absence of light and color. It represents sexuality, sophistication, formality, elegance, wealth, mystery, and style.

Green represents health, luck, renewal, youth, vitality, fertility, and nature. Rooms that are green or yellow create happy moods, and are ideal colors for playrooms or children’s rooms. The cool quality of these colors soothes and calm.

Red is a color that demands attention. It is the warmest and most energetic color in the spectrum. Red is always associated with love, danger, desire, and strength. Red can affect blood pressure and make heart rates increase. This color, along with violet/purples can boost energy levels by causing the body to create more adrenaline. These colors can be best used in home offices, entry halls, sitting rooms, and staircases. They should be avoided in bedrooms and bathrooms, where relaxation is key, as well as the kitchen and dining areas, because these colors can boost your appetite. Inspired but not wired is the key here- a red leather magazine caddy or bouquet of red flowers is best. An interior designer can help with this sort of choice in your home.

Brown is a solid, reliable color, found in earth and abundant in nature. Light brown implies sincerity, genuineness, and dependability. Choosing brown for a home interior promotes warm feelings and an inviting atmosphere.

Blue is calm, soothing color, the color of the sea and sky. People faced with difficult tasks feel less anxious when surrounded by the color blue. Blue can be used more liberally than any other color in a room where you would like to feel less stressed.

Summer Blockbuster! Must-have items for your Desert Home Theater

Summer is nearly over, but think of the cold nights you’ll need to spend indoors entertaining- well, not so cold here in Palm Desert or Rancho Mirage, but it will get a little cooler. These sophisticated accessories and furnishings will help you enjoy your time spent in your own home theater, be it cold or not, indoors or out!

Nile Audio Planter

These planters not only dress up the garden, but also provide outdoor sound with the woofer and tweeter hidden inside. These realistic weatherproof planters are available in terracotta or concrete finish, and will hold live plans or flowers. http://www.nilesaudio.com/


Omnimount Prism Cabinet

With this cabinet, no one will even care what you’re watching, or even if you don’t have a TV! This high-design media cabinet comes in black or white, and gives your flat screen plasma TV a posh place to rest. http://www.omnimount.com/







Salamander Jump Seat Ottoman

These remind me of those great seats in coachbuilt limousines that fold out of sight when not in use- These ottomans open up in rumbleseat fashion into a theatre seat. These are ideal when you have friends over for movie watching or video games. When closed, it functions as an ottoman. http://www.salamanderdesigns.com/


Netgear EVA8000

A complete media bridge that frees up all of your media, including photos, videos, will transpose information on your computer to your video screen- simply choose from your MP3 music and your photos, and you’ve got an instant slide show!







Vantage TPI Screens

Control your home theater lighting, Music, and Temp from one touchscreen remote control with easy to read graphics.

Jet Set Interior Design in Rancho Mirage

William Miller Design in Palm Desert has recently completed the interior design of this stunning 1967 home in Rancho Mirage by noted architect C.H. Barlund. Located in Rancho Mirage. This amazing home features vast expanses of glass and terrazo floors throughout, and is fantastically simple in its mid-century lines. Natural rock is utilized on the fireplaces. As an interior design project, we loved working with the Jet-set color palette of Solar Orange and Kelp Green throughout the house. Earlier this summer, this residence was featured on the Palm Springs Modern Home Tour. Those on the tour ended their day here with a cocktail at this beautiful residence in Rancho Mirage.

Hollywood Regency at Home in the Desert

This glamorous style evades definition. It does so by way of incorporating so many elements of design- but most agree that its origin can be traced to Hollywood style of the 1930s and 1940s; particularly the set designs of the Golden Age of Hollywood.


The popularity of this style is extending itself into the current rage in Palm Springs and Rancho Mirage’s for modern glamour- and so the Hollywood Regency style is gaining popularity once again. Elements and objects found within the Hollywood Regency style are sourced globally: Asian, Moroccan accessories are frequently spotted; English and French Regency furniture which give the rooms their scale and sensibility; Greek Revival elements are certainly always spotted in fabric patterns used; and classic art deco and modern influences are used to bring the look up to date.
Historically, designers such as Billy Haines and Billy Baldwin are credited for the emergency of this style, and their contemporary counterparts are Kelly Wearstler and Jonathan Adler, both of which have completed major hotel projects in Palm Springs for The Viceroy Hotel and The Parker Hotel, respectively.

However, Dorothy Draper defines the Hollywood Regency style and is also credited with being the first successful female interior designer. Her firm was based in New York and she also was a contributing writer to Good Housekeeping magazine. Draper is most famous for her hotels including the Carlyle Hotel in New York, the Arrowhead Spa in San Bernardino, the Greenbrier in West

Virginia. The Museum of the City of New York held a retrospective of her work in 2006- a photo of the entry is featured here.

The Beautiful Arizona Biltmore

We recently spent time at the Arizona Biltmore, which has been a landmark destination since it opened its doors in 1929. Many have mistakenly credited Frank Lloyd Wright as being the architect on this project, although Albert Chase MacArthur, brother of one of the original investors, is the actual architect of record. He was also a student of Frank Lloyd Wright in the early 1900’s.

Contributing to most visitor’s confusion are the placements of FLW objects throughout the hotel, such as: the “Sprite” sculptures from Wright’s 1915 Midway Gardens project in Chicago; a stained glass window “Sahuaros” placed in the lobby; and the naming the hotel lobby bar and downstairs café “Wright’s.” This dispute is not anything new. Frank Lloyd Wright himself has previously claimed credit for the building’s design.

It has been claimed that this is the only existing hotel in the world with a Frank Lloyd Wright influenced design, one of the FLW hotels is still in existence, albeit currently in use as a museum. The Imperial Hotel, previously in Tokyo, Japan, is now the Meiji Mura Museum outside of Nagoya. The entire façade, lobby, and pool were moved to their current location and are open to the public. I had the good luck to visit there about eight years ago.

One of the most obvious motifs in the interior design of the Biltmore hotel is the geometric pattern based on the scarring that occurs on palm trees as they are pruned. The “Biltmore Block” is seen throughout the grounds, and the blocks were molded on-site. Other similar patterns were woven into carpets, and the selection of the furniture and fabrics were selected with the integrity of the architecture in mind.


The interior design of this churchlike hotel plays on shadows and rich browns and gold tones. The desert heat seems far removed from the interior as visitors enter the main lobby, although high clerestory windows allow sunlight in, and reflects off the gold-leafed ceilings.

Thanks to owners who are committed to preserving the building’s architectural history, the resort has become more “Wright” than it was when it was originally built. This hotel is a wonderful example of an architectural vernacular that could be built in the California Desert successfully- it would be a wonderful change from the Spanish Colonials in the Palm Springs, Rancho Mirage, and Palm Desert construction. The interior design of this project could equally be adaptable for a residence at Bighorn or another California Country Club as well.

UPDATE: A reader informs me that there is one Frank Lloyd Wright hotel in Mason, Iowa- The Park Inn. It is not currently operating, and seems to be in the process of resoration, and will possibly open within the next two years...