Top Green Design

Date: October 9, 2008 | Category: Green Building, Lifestyle, Media, Office

As a self-trained designer, I get a special thrill out of indulging in an hour of Top Design, even last season when it was painfully bad. This season is actually well produced and addictive enough to thoroughly entertain me whilst I peck away at my keyboard round midnight.

It is tremendously enjoyable to see rooms come together, especially with time constraints, but I am always amazed at how the contestants are oblivious to what is happening in the ecosphere. Tonight was a refreshing exception. Danny Seo was the guest judge for an eco-challenge.

I thought that Danny did an excellent job delineating the eco-R’s “reduce, reuse, recycle, refinish, repair, reupholster, just be resourceful”. I was biting my lip when the very naive Natalie used MDF (medium density fiberboard) to make recycling bins - it is a material that can offgas for 14 years! I wanted to give Danny a big tree hug when he called her on it, though she still looked like a deer caught in headlights. Also I found it disturbing that they commented on how they were cleaning everything up with Windex, couldn’t they have used Method or Green Works?!

They should have given the contestants more furniture and accessory choices to show viewers what is possible, even judge Jonathan Adler has a bunch of eco-accessories to choose from at his store (we recently sprinkled them throughout the West Coast Green showhouse).

All in all, it was great to see mainstream media experiment with sustainable ideas. I hope next season that those ideas (and ideally many more) are incorporated into every challenge!

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