Check out the Green Thinker Network at www.greenthinkernetwork.com. Green Thinker Network is an online source of information and a catalog for the green building industry. The website features products and building materials, service providers such as architects and building professionals, LEED information and guidelines, recycling information, articles and blogs, and links to websites promoting green practices and products.

 

GTN recently announced its "Sustainability 2011" competition, which seeks the best sustainable products. Judging criteria includes post-consumer content, recycled content, third party certifications, LEED Points, life cycle, energy efficiency studies, and renewable energy production and usage.

 

For more details about "Sustainability 2011", click here.

 

The Green Thinker Network will have a booth at GreenBuild in Chicago from Nov. 17-19.

 

 

Billed as the definitive reference guide to the major design trends for the coming year, the very popular Trends 2011 presentation has now been posted on the Boston Design Center website. Organized and presented by BDC's Alexis Contant, the slide show presentation predicts the hottest colors, patterns, materials, and styles for 2011.

 

Featured colors include soft reds, Mediterranean blues, "wicked" greens, and sophisticated neutrals. A number of different collections are featured, including many that are on display at the Martin Group, Osborne & Little, and Webster & Company showrooms at the BDC. I particularly like Zimmer + Rohde's Residence Collection which BDC is predicting will be hot in 2011.

 

To view the full presentation, click here.

 

Congratulations to Lillian August, who just opened a new 16,000 square foot store in Los Angeles, and with a new store in NYC's Flatiron District to open soon. Based in Norwalk, Connecticut, Lillian August's collections feature furniture, area rugs, accessories, fabrics and antiques. The in-house collections range from traditional, English styles to simple American farmhouse furnishings, and from contemporary European styles to Southeast Asian pieces. Lillian August stores also feature designer collections such as Barkley Butera, Mariette Himes Gomez and Thomas O'Brian, plus many, many more.

 

Lillian August's design career started with textile and wall covering collections, and in 1987, she opened her first store in Westport, Connecticut. With two sons, Dan and John Weiss, she built the Lillian August brand into what it is today. Another son, Michael, created the Michael Weiss line of home furnishings. Ms. August and her staff now now support her collections and stores, as well as design residential projects throughout the U.S.

 

The Lillian August stores provide retail, in-house design services, as well as "to the trade" services for architects and interior designers. I had the pleasure of hearing Lillian August speak at a gathering of designers recently, and her presentation was vibrant, informal and highly informative. Her passion for furniture, furnishings, her collections and chosen career was very evident.

 

Lillian August Notting Hill Collection

 

Lillian August Cottage Home Collection