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Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Find style, sustainability at Verde Home
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Yesterday, I had the pleasure of chatting with Laura Walker Baird and Paul Baird, co-owners with Kent Schneider, of Verde Home, the Westside home furnishings store that specializes in fusing style with sustainability.
Laura (pictured at right) is an interior designer by trade and an antique hound; Paul and Kent have extensive experience in the floor coverings industry.
They all decided to open a store in Brickworks, the commercial complex at 1000 Marietta St, that aspires to be Atlanta’s hot new design district. Build out is ongoing, but there is already a growing presence of clothing (Luxe, 1FIVEO, Willis & Walker) and home furnishings (InterfaceFLOR is on the way) retailers.
Green may be all the rage right now, but at Verde the goal is to offer high design that is aesthetically pleasing, said Paul. The fact that items are sustainable is an added bonus.
I had a love affair with a console (see below) made from South American hardwoods in Peru. The story behind it, how forests in Peru are managed to ultimately build a sustainable furniture industry, only made it that much more appealing.
Verde uses coded tags to help shoppers understand how items are eco-friendly such as a tree symbol for pieces that are FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certified or the symbol of a plus sign with an L for particularly durable items.
Among the other goods in the store are designs by Atlantan Reed LaPlant, an architect who has turned to furniture design. On display is a LaPlant designed hard pine table from wood that used to be flooring.
This is definitely a high-end store, though much of the price depends on the specific materials requested. Upholstered furniture runs about $2,000 to $4,000. A sofa with organic cushions on reclaimed teak frame was priced at $6200, while a bird stool (see pic at right) goes for $290.
Has anyone had a chance to visit Verde Home? What are your thoughts?
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