When Pillows Talk

Organic home design: Houston store sets out on a fair trade mission of style

Green Chulucanas vase, $38; blue Chulucanas lamp, $64; shade, $28; cylinder lampin green or blue, $88
Photo by Valeria Turturro
From left: rectangle fabric lamp, $48; Sacred sari throw, $68; purple and goldshoji screen, $114
Photos by Valeria Turturro
Clockwise from top left: blue and green leaf, $51.80; birds and tree of life,$58; butterfly and floral, $64; pillow, $34; brown tree of life, $84; elephant,$54
Photos by Valeria Turturro
From left: bamboo chair, $58 each; bamboo table, $48; bamboo lounge chair; $84;Himalayan bird pillow, $38
Photos by Valeria Turturro
Top to bottom: Pig twine planter, $44; dragonfly pot, $28; bird pot, $24;turquoise fish pot, $24; olive green ceramic frog, $44; rabbit planter, $16
Photos by Valeria Turturro
Blue floral tapestry, $68; pillow, $34; blue and cream pillow, $24 each; duvetcover, $120
Photos by Valeria Turturro
At top, blue and cream pillows, $24 each; set of two blue and green flowerpillows, $32. At bottom, butterfly and floral pillow, $34; bird and tree pillow,$34
Photos by Valeria Turturro
Top to bottom: Set of three colorful ceramic bowls, $45; recycled paper mirror,$88, and bowl $17; relaxed bottle tray, $20
Photos by Valeria Turturro

With the rising consumer trend of knowing where products come from — like if that peach you’re eating was grown organically or if the chicken in your sandwich was raised free range — there is also a rising awareness in the world of interior design. Fabrics and furniture are being made from recycled materials and dyes that are better for the environment.

The people behind these products are shaping the fair trade movement.

Ten Thousand Villages is one of the oldest and largest fair trade organizations in the world and has had a store in Rice Village since 2000. Fair trade’s mission is simple, really: To help under- or unemployed artisans across the globe market their products and receive fair wages for their work. This allows them, their families and their communities to improve their lives, education, health and overall dignity.

In the process, Western consumers are able to make the purchase of a pillow or chair mean more than just adding a pretty object in their homes.

Fair trade’s mission is simple, really: To help under- or unemployed artisans across the globe market their products and receive fair wages for their work.

Store manager Cassandra Martin says fair trade is very much about building long-term relationships between artisans and buyers. Buyers research markets in Chicago, New York and LA to see what design trends will be coming next season. They then visit with more than 130 artisan groups in 38 countries and share storyboards with them to begin brainstorming what to design.

“Artisans are vitally interested in what consumers want to buy,” Martin says.

Although everything fair trade is not necessarily ethnic or tribal in design, it’s hard to ignore that ethnic textiles and prints are everywhere right now, from fashion to home furnishings; just check Crate and Barrel, Anthropologie and West Elm. Choosing fair trade items still allows you to keep your own sense of style, from the simple and contemporary to the tribal and ornate.

Try these simple ways to incorporate unique, handmade fair trade items into your home décor:

Pillows, pillows, pillows

Throw pillows are the perfect way to try a new color or style in your bedroom or living room without redoing the entire room. For summertime there are plenty of pillows with hand-embroidered floral patterns in primary colors and ocean-inspired blues and greens.

If you want to give your bedroom a quick pick-me-up, try the duvet and pillow set in soothing blues and cream.

If you’re someone who believes anything is prettier with a bird or owl on it (see Portlandia: Put A Bird On It), you’ll find the Himalayan bird pillow just as unique as it is trendy.

Make a statement

If you’re inspired by bold colors and interesting textiles, choose one or two items to be statement pieces in your room.

For walls, choose a hand-embroidered tapestry from India or West Africa, many of which are decorated with a popular “tree of life” motif.

A dramatic lamp can also make a statement in any room. Be bold and choose a retro rectangle lamp upholstered in rich purple and gold fabric, which adds both light and color to the room.

A simple bed or couch can get a beautiful burst of color by draping it with a reversible sacred sari throw. Women that have left the red light district in Bangladesh patch the throws from recycled saris.

Keep it outdoors

If you’d rather put a little TLC into your backyard, add some whimsy to your garden with an assortment of animal shaped planters. Think rabbits, foxes, roosters and pigs.

Give the patio furniture a facelift with a bamboo table set topped with a tropically inspired turquoise pot that instantly transports you to island living.

Stay contemporary

If you’re a lover of clean lines and contemporary design, keep it simple. Try serving salad, pasta or dips in a set of white ceramic bowls with pops of green, red and orange inside.

Choose lamps and vases in interesting geometric shapes and solid colors, like the Peruvian lamp and vase made of Chulucanas pottery.

Recycled materials can find a second home in your design scheme, like a mirror made from recycled magazines or picture frames built from old bicycle chains.

And for maybe the most unexpected fair trade item, a reshaped glass bottle tray like something you’d find in a modern art museum gift shop — but is instead made in Bolivia — can be an out-of-the-ordinary cheese platter and a great conversation piece at your next dinner party.

Because after all, the objects in your home are more interesting when they tell a story.

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they're durable, too

3D-printed Houston housing project cements a more affordable future

Courtesy of Cole Klein Builders

Homes in Zuri Gardens are a hybrid of 3D concrete and traditional wood construction.

Houston is putting itself front-and-center to help make sustainable, affordable housing a reality for 80 lucky homeowners in a scalable housing community that will hopefully catch on nationwide. Recently, developer Cole Klein Builders partnered with HiveASMBLD to pioneer what’s touted as the world’s first large-scale, one-of-a-kind, affordable housing development using 3-D printing technology, merging robotics, design, and sustainability.

Located across from Sterling Aviation High School, near Hobby Airport, Zuri Gardens will offer 80 two-bedroom, two-bathroom homes of approximately 1,360 square feet situated in a park-like setting, including walking trails and a community green space.

Homes in Zuri Gardens will hit the market in early summer of 2026. Final pricing has yet to be determined, but Cole Klein Builders expects it to be in the mid-to-high 200s.

Interestingly, none of the homes will offer garages or driveways, which the developer tells CultureMap will provide a savings of roughly $25,000 - $40,000 per home.

Instead of parking for individual units, 140 parking spaces will be provided. Ideally, this small-town-inspired design will provide opportunities for neighbors to meet, connect, and build community.

Each two-story home is comprised of a ground floor printed by HiveASMBLD, using a proprietary low-carbon cement alternative by Eco Material Technologies that promises to enhance strength and reduce CO2 emissions. The hybrid homes will have a second floor built using engineered wood building products by LP Building Solutions. Overall, the homes are designed to be flood, fire, and possibly even tornado-proof.

The Zuri in Zuri Gardens is the Swahili word for “beautiful,” a choice that is fitting considering that the parks department will be introducing a five acre park to the project — with 3-D printed pavilions and benches — plus, a three acre farm is located right across the street. The Garver Heights area, where Zuri Gardens is located, is in what’s classified as a food desert, which means that access to fresh food is limited. Residents will have access to the farm’s fresh produce, plus opportunities to participate in gardening and nutrition workshops—that’s a win for everyone.

With the novelty of Zuri Gardens, it’s no surprise that the neighborhood already has an 800 person waitlist, but with stringent buyer requirements, it’s unclear how many of those 800 will qualify. Developer Cole Klein Builders created Zuri Gardens in partnership with the Houston Housing Community Development Department, who provided infrastructure reimbursements for the roads, sewer lines, and water lines. In return, CKB agreed to push the purchase prices for the homes as low as possible.

Zuri Gardens also received $1.8 million dollars from the Uptown Tourism Bond, 34 percent of which must be used with minority owned small businesses. Qualified buyers must fit a certain area of median income according to HUD guidelines, and must be owner occupied at all times — so no property investors or short term vacation rentals will be allowed.

“They’re trying to bridge that gap to make sure there is a community for the homebuyers who need it — educators, law enforcement, civil workers, etc.,” Cole Klein Builders’ co-principal Vanessa Cole tells CultureMap. “You have to go through a certification process with the housing department to make sure that your income is in alignment for this community. It has been great, and everyone has been really receptive.”

Cole has also brought insurance underwriters to visit the site and to help drive premiums below regular rates for Houston homeowners since homes in Zuri Gardens are not built to traditional standards — claim risks for one of the 3-D homes are extremely low. Tim Lankau, principal at HiveASMBLD, notes that the 3-D hybrid design allows for a more traditional appearance, while having the benefits of a concrete structure: “That’s where the floodwaters would go, that’s where you can hide when there’s a tornado, and that’s where termites would eat. So you get the advantages of it while having a traditionally-framed second floor.”

It’s important to note that Zuri Gardens is not located in a flood prone area, nor did it flood during Hurricane Harvey — being flood proof is merely a perk of a cement house. The concrete that Eco Material Technologies developed is impervious. The walls are printed into hollow forms, which house rebar, plumbing, and accessible conduits for things like electrical lines and smart house features. Those walls are then filled with a foamcrete product that expands to form a “monolithic concrete wall.”

David McNitt, of Eco Material Technologies, explains that his proprietary concrete is made of PCV, and contains zero Portland cement. Instead, McNitt’s cement is made from coal ash and is 99 percent green (there are a few chemicals added to the ash). Regardless, it’s made from 100 percent waste products.

“This is a product that has really been landfilled before,” says McNitt. “It’s coal ash, and it’ll set within 8-10 minutes. It’s all monolithic, and one continuous pour — it’s literally all one piece.”

Eco Material Technologies’ concrete product is impressively durable. A traditional cinderblock wall will crush at around 800 psi, while this material crushes at about 8,000 psi.

“It’s ten times stronger than a cinderblock wall that can withstand hurricanes,” claims McNitt. “I don’t think you’d even notice a hurricane. It’ll be really quiet inside, too — so you won’t get interrupted during your hurricane party. It’s way over-engineered, it really is.”

The second story is built using weatherproof and eco-friendly products by LP Building Solutions. Their treated, engineered wood products come with a 50 year warranty, and their radiant barrier roof decking product blocks 97% of UV rays, and keeps attic temperatures 30° cooler than traditional building materials. These materials, combined with the concrete first floor, will keep heating and cooling costs low — something the folks at HiveASMBLD refer to as “thermal mass performance.”