Conscious Style Home: Eco-Friendly Living for the 21st Century [Hardcover]

Danny Seo (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 19, 2001

That is the essence of Danny Seo's Conscious Style philosophy. As a leading environmentalist, Seo believes it doesn't take much time, effort or money to make a difference in the world. It's the small choices we make everyday-from what we wear to what we furnish our homes with-that have a tremendous impact. In this gorgeously illustrated book, Seo describes hundreds of unique, readily available products and easy projects to help you create a comfortable, elegant living space without harming the planet.

In Conscious Style Home, Seo transforms his parents' suburban home. Recycled paint in gorgeous colors brightens the rooms; bamboo blinds allow plenty of natural light; simple white canvas and hemp slipcovers give sofas and chairs a face-lift; recycled glass tiles accent the bathroom; luxurious organic cotton sheets and fluffy comforters stuffed with EcoSpun (made from recycled bottles) make the bedrooms a sanctuary.

So, whether you're planning to paint a wall, re-decorate a cluttered office, plant a garden, re-do the kitchen, or buy a new comforter, Conscious Style Home is an invaluable resource packed with easy projects, creative ideas and suggestions for enhancing your living space, indoors and out.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Did the environmentally conscious movement fade away in the millennium? Not according to Seo, who ascribes his pro-eco stance to an Earth Day birthday. Believe it or not, Seo talked--or conned--his parents into redoing their suburban home in an Earth-friendly manner. That means an uncluttered house, free of trash and unwanted items, and recycled paint, old-fashioned linoleum floors, and wood such as tanoak and heart maple, which are produced by responsible logging. It means kitchen countertops that welcome organic produce. Room by room, he examines the good, the bad, and the 63 hazardous products in every home, warning against formaldehyde, PVC, and other noxious substances while providing complete tips, lists, and in-depth profiles of certain organic manufacturers. Other advice includes using stones, leaves, and beach-found objects in place of expensive decorative accessories. Barbara Jacobs
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

About the Author

Danny Seo is the founder of Danny Seo Media Ventures, a cause-related lifestyle media company. He is also creator of Danny Seo Home, a line of stylish eco-friendly housewares and accessories. His particular take on style has been featured in People, The Washington Post, and on ABC's The View and The Today Show. His books include Generation React, Heaven on Earth, and most recently, Be the Difference.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Press; 1st edition (September 19, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312276613
• ISBN-13: 978-0312276614
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 8.2 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #588,868 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Okay, here's my "official" bio...

Environmental lifestyle expert Danny Seo calls his eco-friendly way of living Simply Green. Through his bestselling books, his how-to lifestyle lectures, weekly Sirius Satellite Radio program and his upcoming companion TV show, Danny Seo continues to share his creative ideas that has made him America's leading lifestyle authority on modern, eco-friendly living.

Born on Earth Day in 1977, Danny has championed on behalf of the natural biodiversity of our planet from a very young age. On his 12th birthday, he founded the organization Earth 2000 with just a few friends and $23. By his 18th birthday, he transformed the grassroots organization into the country's largest teenage activist charity spearheading worldwide campaigns on behalf of the environment.

Today, Danny, 29, encourages America to live a greener lifestyle. His lifestyle book Conscious Style Home (St. Martin's Press; 2001) chronicles his renovation of his parents' Green Hills, Pennsylvania home. Using easy-to-find eco-friendly materials, the beautifully photographed book received rave reviews in The New York Times, Elle, Food & Wine, Elle Decor, and USA Today, who raved "Say 'environment' to Danny Seo, and it's as if you've punched the word into the search engine Google: Out roars an avalanche of ideas and references that threatens to scramble your brain.'"

His brand new books Simply Green Parties and Simply Green Giving showcases Danny's unique take and approach to stylish green living. Both books feature lush, colorful photography and clear, step-by-step instructions along with Danny's secret tips and how-to information on living the Simply Green way.

As Editor-at-Large of Country Home magazine, Danny pens a monthly column for the magazine and produce feature stories for the magazine's 7.6 million readers. Each month, his "Fresh Thinking" column features clever and easy ideas to recycle anything into gorgeously chic home accessories with quick and easy tips that prove green living can be gorgeous living, too.

Debuting in September 2006, Danny's TV series will debut on the LIME cable channel, the new Steve Case backed network with the tagline, "Healthy Living with a Twist." The show, also titled Simply Green, will feature stylish and eco-friendly tips for the home, all shot on location from Danny's new bungalow style dwelling in Pennsylvania. Danny also hosts a weekly talk show on Sirius Satellite Radio of the same name.

Danny also assists some of Hollywood's biggest celebrities as an eco-stylist. He dresses actors and actresses in environmentally-friendly fashion, consults on the renovation of their homes, and helps them raise money for their eco-charities.

Danny has been named one of "40 Under 40" to watch by Crain's New York Business and in an honor of a lighter note, one of People magazine's "50 Most Beautiful People in the World." He stars in a nationwide TV public service announcement campaign airing on HGTV and TLC encouraging Americans to recycle their old cell phones through a nonprofit program called Call2Recycle. A popular speaker at colleges, corporations and special events, Danny has given hundreds of keynote addresses including the College of William & Mary, and The State of the World Forums and the National Kitchen & Bath Association. In May 2006, he gave the commencement speech to the University of California's Berkeley graduating class.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Pretty pictures, great ideas, August 28, 2001

By 

Betty Wilson (Philadelphia, PA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Conscious Style Home: Eco-Friendly Living for the 21st Century (Hardcover)

Well, I've never gone to amazon and submitted a review, but I felt compelled to after reading Conscious Style. I am renovating my 19th century farmhouse and found great, simple tips in this book we are using RIGHT NOW! Bamboo flooring is great. Recycled glass tile is amazing. Toxic-free paints have no odor! My only complaint is that there aren't enough color photos...but the 200 photos are beautiful.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Conscious Style Mind, February 17, 2002

By 

Delia Montgomery "Chic Eco" (Pahoa, Hawaii USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Conscious Style Home: Eco-Friendly Living for the 21st Century (Hardcover)

For people who want to understand what conscious living is all about, this book is a great start. And there are some tips for those in the eco industry too. I didn't know, for example, that about half of marble mined is wasted. That is because marble lies deep in the earth and it is destroyed by machinery to retrieve it. Danny points out that a marble pastry rolling pin can be justified, but a marble floor too is a bit much. A case of less is more.

The reason I believe the beginning lacked enthusiasm for me was because of the subject matter being cleaning and sorting. I'd rather read fun stuff or see pictures first. Then there happen to be some opinions I didn't agree with. Choosing synthetics over real leather, for example. I really don't look to Danny as an eco guru, but then he's not trying to be. It's just about what the title reads, "Conscious Style." Once you get the hang of it, you use your own particular earth-friendly fashion. I hope this book is inspiring for many because mindful decor is a good thing for everybody.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If you really want to change the world..., June 5, 2002

By 

Abbey Scott (Cincinatti) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Conscious Style Home: Eco-Friendly Living for the 21st Century (Hardcover)

I have to say that I care about the planet, I want to do my part, but feel there are so many hardcore green people who say, "you either do it all the way or not at all."

Well, I disagree. This book is so perfect....while you want to make a difference and help the planet, you don't wanna live in a hut. The photos are really inspirational and I got lots of clever ideas from it. Good job!!