Show House Installation
physically challenging, but he was surprised to discover that it wasn’t
any more difficult to design. The only challenge he encountered was
with limited product availability. He states, “One of the things I’d like
to see is the pool that we’re fishing in become a well-stocked pond
with more vendors offering more green options.” He also commented
that production time for green products is not longer, and is sometimes
even shorter because local vendors are used and shipping times are
reduced. The savings from shipping can help offset the higher cost of
the products.
Many of the furnishings and materials Dixon used in the great room
were specified at Washington Design Center showrooms, including J.
Lambeth & Co., Donghia Showrooms, Inc., Pindler & Pindler, Inc.
and Schumacher. Several of the upholstered pieces are from his col-
lection for Tomlinson/Erwin-Lambeth. Each piece in the collection is
available with green options. The unique pendant lights are from Da-
vid Trubridge Design in New Zealand. You may ask how these could
possibly be green since they come from a company more than 8,600
miles away. The answer: they’re constructed of lightweight bamboo
plywood and ship unassembled and flat. Dixon selected Farrow & Ball
paint, which has a low VOC (volatile organic compounds) rating for
the walls, Waterworks terrazzo flooring and a Karastan deep-pile rug
for the living room. Along with fabrics from Pindler & Pindler, Pol-
lack, Stark, Brentano and Schumacher, Dixon used designs from his
collection with Vervain in the living room. One of his fabrics, play-
fully named Panda Candy, adorns the Marché Sofa. Reminiscent of
the candy dots we enjoyed as children, the fabric is made of woven
bamboo and is incredibly soft and luxurious. The custom banquette is
upholstered in an S. Harris fabric that is made from 100 percent re-
cycled water bottles. It has a David Hicks-type geometric pattern and
has the look and feel of a wonderful jacquard.
As the heart of the home, the sleek Siematic kitchen provides an
abundance of floor space and houses appliances by Wolf, Sub-Zero
and Asko. The heat-resistant countertops, which are from ECO by
Cosentino, are molded from recycled glass and rubble. Covered in an
organic mica-encrusted wall covering from Maya Romanoff, the walls
provide a bit of shimmer and glam to the room.
The entire show house demonstrates how repurposing and recy-
cling, along with alternative fibers, concepts and products, can take us
into the future sustainably. Dixon also underscores that green design www
is not nearly as difficult as everyone imagined it would be. He adds,
“You don’t have to be 100 percent green. If everyone was 20 to 30
.designtrade.net
percent green in their interiors, the world would be a completely dif-
ferent place.” He encourages everyone to think outside the box when
it comes to green design. Repurposing an antique, requesting soy or
down fill in your new upholstered pieces or choosing finishes with low
VOC ratings are all great places to start.
109
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