Amenity Home Expands Its Commitment to Green Living

Amenity Home has been well-known for some time for its beautiful eco-friendly bedding and wall hangings depicting branches, trees and other flora in a warm palette. They even expanded their organic line into crib bedding and other nursery textiles. The founders, Nicole Chiala and Kristina de Corpo, didn't stop there: They've just launched a new line of eco-friendly furniture called Muir and home decor called Arroyo, rounding out their company into a viable lifestyle brand.

The brand new Arroyo line of accessories are hewn by hand from FSC-certified walnut and hand-oiled to enhance the beauty of the wood grain. Earlier this year, they launched the Muir Collection, which was inspired by nature as well as classic modernists such as Paul McCobb and Charles Eames.

I caught up with Kristina to find out all about this new and exciting expansion. "We always wanted to start a lifestyle brand that reflected modern sensibilities but was thoughtfully and responsibly produced," she told me. The pair decided to move into the business of environmentally-friendly products because both women grew up with a strong sense of the natural world and conservation.
They're hoping to pass on the same sense of concern to their children. "Children are the biggest sources of inspiration in guiding decisions that make the world more peaceful and healthy," Kristina says. Much of their inspiration comes from nature, and it's reflected in their patterns as well as the designs of their collections.

"My son has been hiking since he could walk through the canyons and parks of Los Angeles, up through the surrounding mountain sides," she says. "There is so much to learn from nature. We work with natural fibers and solid wood because we appreciate the integrity of their beauty."

They use all certified organic cotton or sustainable hemp in their textiles, and all of their dyes are eco-friendly, non-toxic and water-based. In addition, their textiles are printed and sewn in Los Angeles and packaged in biodegradable cellophane bags. If that isn't enough eco for you, they even create their pillow inserts from regenerated, spun-recycled plastic bottles. Their furniture is made from reclaimed local woods and coated with low-VOC finishes.

So what's next for this dynamic green duo? Furniture for children, of course! As their own kids grow, they see the need for toddler and kids furniture. But don't think that will be the end for these eco-crusaders. Says Kristina: "There is so much we want to do!" Based on what Amenity has done so far, we're excited to see what else is in store!