Merci, Paris: Eco Luxury & Eco- Conscious Design Finds

”Merci: 111, Boulevard Beaumarchais, 75011 Paris, France

All the benefits, minus the costs and salaries – go to children in Madagascar.

A charity concept store. It is the result of several years of hard work by Marie France and Bernard Cohen, the creators of French luxury childrenwear Bonpoint. The 1500 square meter (16,000 square feet) space was previously a fabric factory; today, it is a luminescent menagerie split up into three stories, it offers a multitude of books, clothes, flowers, furniture, but also a café and an elegant cafe and courtyard garden.

Numbered comfy sofas for hanging out and waiting for your turn or your partner.

A dramatic and creative renovation of this old factory makes for luminous and large spaces.

How about wood picnic 18th c. style flatware and spring loaded chopsticks? Very chic!

Even the Packaging is eco-chic for these stylized picnic utensils

The top level of the loft offers a wide range of furniture, some affordable, some more decadent, and in limited editions, along with a multitude of home accessories. This includes a 1950s school desk by Arne Jacobsen, 19th century stools found in Chinese farms, but also contemporary pieces by designers such as Oskar Zieta or François Azambourg. “This is a personal mix of rare pieces and daily objects, which illustrates my life philosophy” said Marie-France. 

Everyone needs a pocket truffle harvesting knife and cleaning brush!

 For Lunch, a Fantastic Organic Cafe.

The cafe is adjacent to a beautiful courtyard garden.

A gorgeous organic salad to help shake the jet lag from California.

Les Deserts!

More shopping, Bowls, mugs, to make colorful displays in your tiny Parisian Kitchen.

Another favorite of mine were Pantone mugs, perfect for the design office.

Vintage and Retro Chic Garden furnishings and recycled furnishings go catch the eye of any designer.

Fashionable and trendy donated vintage clothing has been professionally edited for style.

Fashion is a joint effort: Merci offers specially designed pieces by Stella McCartney, yves Saint Laurent, Paul Smith. These are 30 or 40 percent cheaper than retail because the designers gave up their profit margin. The collection includes YSL's famous Safari Jacket, specially re-edited for Merci in white and Khaki. The rest of the clothes for women, men and children is eclectic and fun offering designers such as APC, Isabel Marant, Paul&Joe, as well as brands such as Acme, Swildens and Forte Forte.  The vintage stand, is fun and retro. Second hand Chanel purses and complete with a selection of pieces donated by various actors, models and singers. There is even Fragrance, an Annick Goutal perfume laboratory, when one can create their own fragrance. 

Next door is an international bookstore, Café Bouquiniste (the Reading Café)  and cafe where every book was donated and used. Check out this incredible 'must see' destination when in Paris.

"Merci"
T.: +33.1.42.77.10.38
www.merci-merci.com

Rich Organic Outdoor Market in the middle of Paris-Marche Biologique

Gregg and I will be heading to Paris at today so we are looking into fun, interesting and sustainable things to do as "responsible tourists" while we are there.  

The Marche Biologique is a famous outdoor organic market we'll be sure not to miss.  "Biologique" means "organic."  This market takes place on Sundays on Boulevard Raspail, attracting health and style-conscious Parisians from all over the city. It is the perfect place to pick up organic and low-fat foods, free range chickens as well as homeopathic health remedies and plant-based cosmetics.

A fantastic visual juxtaposition in the middle of Paris.

photos courtesy wanderlust-diaries.com


My favorite parts of this market are the gateaux and galettes (heres a recipe). Forget the produce, even though it's gorgeous, we are in Paris after all!  The people watching is wonderful. 
After the market we will head over to Patrick Roger Chocolatier. He is nothing other than an artist whose medium is chocolate and his store designs are beautiful!

Eco Luxury Tourism: The Altiplano in Chile

Talking about Chile is like talking about California in one way:  they’re both long coastal places with a huge diversity of terrain and character.  There’s a desert, the Pacific ocean,  forests  of enormous endangered trees, and a renown wine country.   But there the similarities end.  Chile is California on steroids--more extreme in its contrasts of desert and mountains.  Only 265 miles wide, its fashion-skinny length takes in some startling scenery.

Only  in the past few years has there been much luxury travel available but now it’s becoming difficult to choose exactly where to spend time.  Most people think of touring Patagonia, but the Atacama desert is a place we recommend.  The  Alto Atacama Desert Lodge & Spa is a wonderful choice along the San Pedro River.

This desert is amazing.  With a huge aqua sky  and the changing colors of the hills, the scenery is nothing short of sensational.

We like to travel in the winter ( June – August) when the days average in the 70s and the nights are refreshingly cold.   

Each guest suite offers desert views.

Dining is an experience.

Local indigenous materials were used in the architecture and interiors as well as local artisan's  crafts.

Design is a balance of nature and simplicity at Atacama.

Guest Rooms have all the essential luxuries.

We prefer to  keep our focus on the stunning landscapes and its inhabitants --like llamas, vicuna, and the unique  birds of the Altiplano.  There’s truly nothing like the quiet serenity of this arid place to restore a person’s psyche.

By the way, we also like the glorious  Awasi  boutique hotel on the San Pedro River. The first Chilean hotel to volunteer carbon offsets through the British company, EcoSecurities, the owners have always been committed to non-invasive tourism. 

Sustainable Urban Transportation in Paris: Biking around Paris on a Velib'

Gregg and I are headed to Paris again at the end of the month;  this time I really want to take advantage of a mode of transportation that is easier to grab than a taxi. Not only will it be fun but we'll be able to see more faster and we won't miss all the beautiful architecture and street scenes because we're stuck in the Metro. 

photo courtesy spikes.org

In Paris, Velib' Bikes are a welcome effort in sustainability.  Tourists, as well as  businessmen, are using this system, developed in 2007, for transportation and just enjoying the city on two wheels. There are over 10,000 bikes available at 750 locations throughout the city, with stations every 30 meters.  

This ecologically- friendly network of bicycles is not only great for commuting, but also for everyday errands. They are free for trips under 30 minutes.  Bike a bit, return the bike near your destination or leave it and continue on by train or bus to pick up your next bike and return it where convenient.  You never have to worry about locking your bike or remembering where you parked it.
                               

Here's great video on how it works. Remember, you'll need a credit card.

photo courtesy LWY/Flicker

The bikes are super- sturdy and designed for high traffic use and low theft appeal.

photo courtesy davetroy.com

 photo courtesy selectism.com

The system seems to work, the bikers enjoy some exercise, and city air may just be a bit cleaner.

Sublime Journeys-Sustainable Travel

"Luxury Off The Beaten Path"

If you are looking for  a sublime experience through Central or South America, Sublime Journeys offers inspirational adventures that delivers both substance and style.  Choose from themes as Active Adventures, Rainforest Getaways, Breathtaking Voyages, Rainforest Getaways or Romantic Getraways.   While catering to people from all walks of life, they take specialty to the gay and lesbian community.  They offer small group getaways as well as single escapes. They use local & indigenous guides wherever possible to ensure sustainable support for local communities.

Sublime Journeys is the choice for all travelers who want conscientious travel with style. A percentage of all Sublime Journeys profits is donated to local organizations in each country that we operate in that supports sustainable development.

"Our World has many challenges and we strive to forge a connection with many indigenous communities who are frequently marginalized by mainstream society. 

Sublime Journeys uses local & indigenous guides wherever possible to ensure sustainable support for local communities. The gay & lesbian community worldwide has many challenges and shares a connection with many indigenous communities who are frequently marginalized by mainstream society. Sublime Journeys sustainable travel initiatives offer these communities the chance to maintain their cultural heritage while educating others on their cultural identity.

Taking it to the top, Sublime Journeys is committed to responsible and sustainable tourism.  They aim to educate travelers and the diversity of cultural wealth of the places they visit.

Art from Recycled Copper. Call it Eco Art or Just Call It Beautiful

Susan Venable for Maienza - Wilson (Detail)

Recycled….reused….green….eco-friendly….no matter what you call it, Susan Venable’s art fits the bill. For the past 25 years, she has worked in line with her environmental concerns, in a way that treads lightly but shines boldly.  Her steel and copper bas-reliefs have been placed in large public spaces as well as intimate alcoves.  Using steel and copper from re-cycled sources she creates works of art that bring light and interest to the human environment. Susan is one of our favorite artists and is based in Santa Barbara, CA.

Susan Venable"Zen Saga"

Non-objective and reductive in approach, she “weaves” recycled copper wire in the grids using an ancient Peruvian technique and creating something entirely unique.  They are an exploration of structure, surface, materials, and the relationship between them.  Copper is one of the earliest known substances used in art making. There is a wonderful paradox in the use of this ancient earthy material, expressed in a space age form: blending the idea of art and technology….past and future.

 “My inquiry is on a perceptual level, to elicit an abstract response from the viewer.  Not to recall a specific place or object, but to create a transcendent reality. To remind without being specific…..to be contemplative and serene.” 

Susan Venable "Fire Mirage"

Each piece consists of thousands of copper wires, which catch the natural as well as the artificial light to produce a shimmering effect.  The copper wires appearing as thousands of gestural lines, creating a meditative field. Some pieces include non-objective oil + wax paintings. ...To quote Orville Clarke: “Susan Venable’s art plays with our perceptions.  Constructed of copper wire tied to steel grids, looking soft and sensuous, her pieces are actually hard….the surfaces appear to move with the breeze, however they are static.  Their structures and colors give the illusion of natural fabric, yet they are all man-made.  The paradox emerges, for gestural implies quick rapid probing of the unconscious while her methods are slow and deliberate, more akin to Zen than action painting.”

 Susan Venable Moanalani Installation

Acutely aware of further impacting a degrading and exploitive environment, all of the metals are fabricated of recycled material, the bees-wax is a renewable resource, and the painted surfaces are on reclaimed wood.  To achieve an expressive and original art form, while being sensitive to the impact of manufactured art materials is a challenge she enthusiastically embraces. Here is a link to Susan's Site.

Eco-Furnishings Inspired by Nature

Bleu Nature is a beautiful line of furnishings inspired by the sea.  Combining French craftsmanship with raw unprocessed elements, raw linen, hemp and boiled wool.  Driftwood, and wave washed stones are two of the main components in the line and they are gathered by beach-combing.  They combine their finds with polar whites and the end result is clean and organic at the same time. 

CHANDELIERS NATSIG- white lacquered steel and polycarbonate structure availble in weathered plank, carrara marble, lacquered MDF or Linen finish

FOLDING TIKIBAG SCREEN- Lacquered stainless steel and driftwood, designed for outdoor

SOFA PLAZA-Lacquered wood, driftwood and fabric.

ILLU OUTDOOR SOFA-Lacquered stainless stell and untreated raw oak from french forests.

YUNAK BED- Round driftwood and lacquered wood bed

ARTIQ CHANDELIER-Pebbles with metal base

MOUSSE STOOL- Driftwood and Flokati wool seat

Sold exclusively to design professionals. Bleu Nature

Post Author for Globally Gorgeous
Tamara Wallop