June, 2009

Design / Products — Comments Off
9
Jun 09

Leslie Fine Interiors

Leslie Fine Interiors -

Leslie Fine Interiors, Inc. is an award winning, full service residential interior design firm whose offices are located in the heart of Boston’s Back Bay.

Sandi Hammond, a member of Merida’s Sales Team, and I met with Leslie and took her through a tour of what Merida offers in floor coverings. She was drawn to Merida’s Viewpoint collection because of its flat profile and custom coloring options.

Some pictures of Leslie’s work -

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  • A great contemporary twist on the four poster bed.

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  • A beautiful combination of light neutral colors, and a variety of textures and surfaces.

We had a great time meeting with Leslie. We look forward to working with her on future design projects!

Company / Sustainability — Comments Off
5
Jun 09

Michelle Kaufmann closing green prefab design firm

I heard last week on the Treehugger blog that green prefab designer Michelle Kaufmann was closing up shop. It img_10212seems that Kaufmann’s business has fallen victim to the credit crisis, despite a backlog of clients clamoring for her work. We were really disappointed to hear the news, since Michelle’s concept of modular sustainable housing combined with her unique design aesthetic is something we appreciate and admire.

I first heard about Michelle Kaufmann a few years ago when her mkLotus show home was being constructed in front of city hall plaza in San Francisco for the West Coast Green show. I worked with some of the folks who were building and designing the home to pick out a sustainable Merida rug that would fit with the simple, clean aesthetic of the house. We chose one of our paper and wool rugs, Festival in Layer Cake. This rug is designed and woven in the US and the paper yarns are obtained from sustainably-managed forests in North America.

The rug looked great of course, but the house was the real talk of the show. Michelle’s woodstock-festival-layer-cake1beautifully simple, modern design felt deeply connected to the outside world and the landscape it was a part of. The green roof, grey water usage, solar power, and many other sustainable elements only added to the overall beauty of the space. We hope that Michelle finds a way to continue her excellent work. We’ll be keeping up with her on her blog: http://blog.michellekaufmann.com


Sustainability — Comments Off
5
Jun 09

World Environment Day 2009

Today is World Environment Day, a holiday that the United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP) has celebrated since 1972 as a way to ignite action against environmental issues. The theme for 2009 is “Your Planet Needs You – UNite to Combat Climate Change,” calling for an immediate and unified response to the environmental effects of climate change. One of the main goals of the day is to put a human face on the issue and show the consequences of inaction. To see what this means, take a look at these images of developing countries facing the effects of overconsumption and pollution.

Merida, like many companies, is striving to reduce our waste output in all parts of our business. In 2008 we reduced energy use in our Boston facility to save 11 barrels of oil, lowered our impact on landfills by 14 cubic yards, and saved 47 adult trees by using less paper. We still have a long way to go and already making even larger strides in 2009.

picture-11You can follow World Environment Day events on Twitter and help UNEP reach its goal of 10,000 followers. For every new follower on Twitter, the UNEP will plant a tree as part of its “Plant for the Planet: Billion Tree Campaign.” http://twitter.com/UNEPandYou.

For more information on World Environment Day and how to get involved, check out the UNEP Web site. They also have a great section filled with tips to “easily green your daily routine.”

Design / Products — Comments Off
4
Jun 09

Charym Spa: Beauty and Health with a Design Twist

Alexandra Champalimaud is an award-winning interior designer recognized for her work on high-end hospitality projects. Her work includes the new Spa by ESPA at the Peninsula Hotel in New York, the Boca Raton Resort and Club in Florida and the Liberty Hotel in Boston. Alexandra is presently working on the renovation of the Hotel Bel Air in Los Angeles, which will include a newly built spa and suites.

Alexandra is the visionary behind Charym, a lifestyle integral health and wellness spa in Litchfield, CT. Alexandra partnered with Denise Korn of Korn Design, a branding and graphic design firm based in Boston, to create the new brand and design its web site.

“Charym” means beauty in Bhutanese. In Bhutan, the well-being of the people and the country are measured by a “Gross National Happiness” index, which provided Alexandra and Denisewith the inspiration to create the magic behind Charym and the deeply healing experiences that the spa offers.

Merida’s newest luxurious natural fiber rug was selected for key areas of the spa.  Serengeti is a woven floor covering of sisal and linen. The refined look in an earth-tone palette is a beautiful addition to the Charym spa.

“I could not think of a more authentic, sophisticated product that aligns with the experience I wished to capture on entering Charym, than Merida’s Serengeti design.” Alexandra said. “It is a luxurious natural fiber rug that is unique and practical. It adds a comfortable charm and grounds the space.”

“Merida has become one of my preferred suppliers; their attention to the needs of designers such as ourselves is outstanding.”

Serengeti in Jacana with black leather border in sitting area of Charym Spa.

Serengeti in Jacana with black leather border in sitting area of Charym Spa.

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Serengeti in Jacana with black leather border in sitting area of Charym Spa

Click here for local news coverage of Charym, or here to visit the spa’s web site.

View Serengeti’s four colorways on the Merida web site, or create a quote in our customer center.

http://www.charym.com

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