Living Being Design

Living Being Design embraces the premise that successful and ethical interior design practice in the 21st century incorporates environmental stewardship. Whether large or small in scale or scope, all design projects offer the opportunity to shrink building occupants’ ecological footprints and to protect species and natural habitats. Striving for an environmentally sustainable solution while considering functional and aesthetic criteria enhances quality of life for all living beings and contributes to the health of our planet.

A painting of Jay, a rescued steer living at Farm Sanctuary, was the starting point for creating a light palette with strong contrast. The mix of materials includes reused elements and less harmful materials.

Soothing a sleeping Diane in the pig barn at Farm Sanctuary.

She’s one of the lucky few; most farm animals endure extreme confinement and are killed before they reach maturity. Exploiting animals harm nature and humans in a multitude of ways.

Light grazing over richly textured groundcover in the Scottish highlands. Everywhere I travel nature provides an endless source of inspiration.

Original bead board wainscot is integrated into a new interior. Two of the historic finishes are exposed as whimsical polka dots. Preserving interior components reveals the building’s history and saves embodied energy and resources.

Cheetah surveying the landscape before hunt.

A transformational trip to South Africa to see the native animals revealed the fragility of this visually stunning ecosystem. The experience strengthened a commitment to reduce my ecological footprint and help others do the same one design project at a time.

The high contrast patterns and rough textures of African animals and landscape inspired this selection of materials for this rustic palette. The collection includes less processed natural materials and salvaged reclaimed finishes.

Selected carpet samples for a project are made with recycled fiber. Using tiles extends the life of this floor finish, reducing resources.

Cork is a richly textured material that can be used for a variety of surfaces and has less negative impact on the environment.

Furnishings made entirely of recycled plastic keep a harmful material out of landfills and waterways and save embodied energy.