April, 2009


30
Apr 09

Saving energy at Merida

energy-savings-initiative-take-1-0012Last week, we took another step towards reducing our environmental footprint by converting the lighting in our Boston office to more efficient energy-saving bulbs. This is a small but significant step in our sustainability journey.

The new lamps have a 95% lumen maintenance which ensures that we get the same amount of light from bulbs that consume much less energy.  We are using Sylvania Octron T8 Ecologic lamps, which also pass the Federal Toxicity11mtlp1yr6l_sl500_aa280_ Characteristic Leaching Procedure (TCLP) criteria for classification as non-hazardous waste.

The project was completed with very minimal inconvenience sylvania-t8-eco1to employees during the work day.  We highly recommend this change to all and would be happy to share more details. Just get in touch!!

Share/Save/Bookmark

  • Share/Bookmark

29
Apr 09

Designer Spotlight: Lynne Scalo

lynne-scalo

Lynne Scalo

As a young girl growing up in Massachusetts, Lynne Scalo always loved the process of creating art. Inspired by everything from childhood summers on Cape Cod to residences in Miami, New York and Los Angeles, Lynne has continued to gather inspiration translated her love of design into a successful, passionate career as an interior designer.

Her eponymous firm, based in Westport, Connecticut, works with clients to create livable spaces that reflect both dramatic tension and harmony. Lynne compares her design process to that of creating a sculpture – always striving to make sure the final result is beautiful from every angle. Her work can be seen in homes throughout New England, New York, and Europe.

One of the ways Lynne accomplishes this goal is by using Merida rugs in her projects. “I choose Merida for the high quality of the products,” Lynne says. “I love the organic aesthetic, the textures, and the timeless, laid-back sophistication.”

In September of last year, one of Lynne’s design projects featuring Merida appeared in Interiors magazine (see photos below). The rug in the project, our Belgian-woven Parquet sisal design, works with the other elements in the room to create an elegant and comfortable backdrop for the residents’ daily lives. Lynne’s work has also been featured in magazines such as Fairfield County Home, Connecticut Cottages and Gardens, The Modern Estate, and Westport Magazine.

Lynne’s own home is furnished with Merida rugs that highlight the juxtaposition of understated natural materials with more dramatic metallic and acrylic furniture and accent pieces. We’re thrilled that Lynne is such a big fan of Merida and we highly recommend her work!

lynne-scalo-sisal-rug-room1

Parquet sisal rug in Roman Grey. Interior design by Lynne Scalo, photography by Phillip Ennis.

lynne-scalo-sisal-rug-room2

Parquet sisal rug in Roman Grey. Interior design by Lynne Scalo, photography by Phillip Ennis.

  • Share/Bookmark

26
Apr 09

The life you can save: a powerful argument, a must-read book

Every so often, a book comes along that really invites one to step back and reevaluates his values and lifestyle. This is the case with The Life You Can Save: Acting Now to End World Poverty by Peter Singer (New York, Random House, 2009).

The book points out that most people would do almost anything to safe a child’s life if the eminent risk is right in front of them. It then ponders why most people do not do anything about the 27,000 children that die of poverty daily. Is there a moral obligation to human beings that are geographically far removed from us? If so, why do we not feel the human connection we feel for those who are right in front of us? And is there an effective way to help needy people on the other side of the world?41or77ebjyl_sl500_aa240_

These are just some of the issues The Life You Can SaveActing now to end world poverty discusses with incredible simplicity, clarity, rigor and passion. Philosopher Peter Singer walks us through the subtleties of the moral arguments of this issue, and provides very practical and action-oriented advice. How to find an effective and efficient charity? How much does it cost to save a life in Africa? Should we tell people about our donations or should we keep it to ourselves? What is more effective?

I highly recommend this little book to anyone who struggles to find out what they can do to help the world become a more equitable and just place, free of extreme poverty. It also helps to provide good reasons to take action and to talk to others about it.

Check out the book’s website if you have a moment. I’d love to hear your thoughts!

  • Share/Bookmark

24
Apr 09

AFH’s Greatest Party on Earth Part 2

Last Saturday night was the much-anticipated “Greatest Party on Earth”, hosted by Artists for Humanity in honor of Earth Day. As a sponsor of the event, a group of us from Merida attended and had a fabulous time. We made a few rugs specifically for the event space (check out Maegan’s blog post about the process of tufting two of the rugs), and they looked phenomenal:

wool-rug-glow-optics

Optics custom color wool rug on the mezzanine level overlooking the dance floor

moko-wool-and-sisal-rug

Moko wool and sisal rug in VIP tent

bora-bora-jute-rug

Bora Bora jute rug in the studio space on the 3rd floor

The event featured live music, dancers, acrobats, food and drink from some of Boston’s top caterers, and of course beautiful artwork made by the students. A Merida rug from the Abaca collection was raffled off to one lucky partygoer, and the coasters we blogged about last week were given out at the end of the night. Check out some of the photos and videos below to see what the party was like!

greatest-party-scene

The dance floor and performance space at the EpiCenter

kim-han

Kim Stockwell - Sales Manager and Han Phan - Accounting Analyst hanging out on the Bora Bora rug with student artwork in the background

Josh, Maegan Fee - Creative Director, Rich, Carrie Kabat - Marketing Manager, Karen, Mark Marquis - Director of Online Marketing

Josh, Maegan Fee - Creative Director, Rich, Carrie Kabat - Marketing Manager, Karen, Mark Marquis - Director of Online Marketing

We had a great time and look forward to working with Artists for Humanity again soon!

  • Share/Bookmark