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Barlas Baylar and Hudson Furniture: Organic and Eco-Friendly

October 10th, 2009 No comments

There one can witness the evolution of chandeliers, tables, bed frames and their headboards. Metal, wood, glass, and stone are reinterpreted to furnish civilization. Barlas Baylar chain chandeliers with softly curving waves of metallic piping trace the descent of light through glass strands that drip like clothing fringe. The bittersweet majesty of expiring trees is captured forever in solid slabs serving as seats. Then there are the accessories that seem at once both stone and wood – petrified wood, of course. Yet all the floor examples only hint at the hustle of his busy NYC workshop.

Twenty-four craftsmen help transform the Barlas Baylar vision into the utilitarian artwork which grace celebrity apartments and upscale boutiques alike. Each piece is unique, with no two exactly alike. With a background in production design and hailing from a family tradition rooted in machinery manufacturing, Baylar founded Hudson Furniture to make use of all-natural antiquated materials modernized with industrial detail to make for organic structures that transform interiors into exteriors by suggesting a universe of ideas without. Surfaces are not simply sanded down, but burnished by hand with broken glass to reveal nature’s own eternal handiwork beneath.

Concern for nature informs his work, and not just admiration of her. Devoted to the conservation of nature, he uses only sustainable materials for consoles, panels, sofas, mirrors, and everything else ever made by the company. Dead or dying lumber is used exclusively, particularly that of salvaged arbor wind or storm-damaged. Preferred species include Claro Walnut, Black Walnut, Myrtle, Jasmine, Acacia, Satinwood, and Ebonized Pine, typically removed by owners such as farmers to prevent damage to houses or other trees.

Nothing goes to waste. Leftover scraps and cuttings of every irregularity are integrated into every design. And with the connections developed through family ties and personal experience in various industries, his company is able to ensure the origins of its materials, even going so far as to seek the approval of embassies and consulates when importing necessary materials.

Indeed, Hudson Furniture is proud to be New York’s sole repository for legally harvested petrified wood. Thus Baylar’s geometric forms, traditional joinery techniques, and hand-rubbed oil finishes can continue to return to the nature from which it emerges to grace civilization.

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Why Consider Using Eco-Friendly Materials?

July 21st, 2009 No comments

There is now a growing consensus among scientists that the state of our planet is in a steady decline. Climate change, pollution, climate change, and depleting natural resources are having a serious negative impact on all species, including humans. The first complete evaluation of the world’s major ecosystems, The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, has revealed a number of distressing findings.

A few of these findings as reported by The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment include:

About 60 percent of the planet’s “ecosystem services” — uses of the natural environment that benefit people, such as freshwater for irrigation or ocean fishing, are being degraded or used unsustainably.

Since 1750, atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide has increased about 32 percent primarily because of the burning of fossil fuels and land use changes. About 60 percent of that increase has taken place since 1959.

Between 10 percent and 30 percent of all mammal, bird, and amphibian species are threatened with extinction.

More land has been converted to cropland since 1945 than was cultivated in the 18th and 19th centuries combined. About 30 percent of the Earth’s land area is devoted to some kind of agriculture.

The report also states that the “changes stem from attempts to meet growing global demand for food and other natural resources.” We are now realizing that we have to change how we live in order to protect and conserve our environment. One way of reducing our impact on the planet is to use eco-friendly materials. Eco-friendly means engaging in activities that are beneficial for the environment.

Using eco-friendly materials helps the environment in many specific ways that include:

The use of fossil fuels is a major contributor to global warming. As well, the toxins emitted from manufacture processing plants contaminate the air, soil, and water. Harnessing the power of the wind and sun, and practicing energy conservation techniques such as energy efficient light bulbs, will help lessen the amount of carbon emissions being released into the atmosphere.

Eco friendly homes and buildings protect natural resources such as forests. Furniture and other products made from trees from sustainable forests help reduce forest depletion. Green buildings also reduce the amount of toxins and biological contaminants being released into the air and water.

Non toxic and chemical free products made from all natural ingredients are designed to improve the health of the environment and people while reducing the negative impact on environment. Using eco-friendly products such as toiletry products, body and face products, natural cleaners, paints, bath products, and other household products decreases the amount of chemicals that the environment, animals, and people are exposed to. This reduces the risk of many health illnesses such as asthma, headaches, skin conditions, cancers, and many other conditions.

Buying products made from recycled materials helps reduce the amount of waste going into landfills, thereby decreasing the amount of land that is cleared to build new landfills. As well, there is less carbon emissions being released into the air because less products are being manufactured.

The growing trend of embracing eco-friendly lifestyles is changing how we live and how items are being manufactured. Using environmentally friendly materials improves the health of the environment, humans, plants, and animals. Adopting a lifestyle where we purchase eco-friendly products and materials is something we can all do to ensure a healthy future for everyone.

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