Penny's Favs: Conrad Imports

I’ve lived with Conrad shades in my various homes for decades, so I’m obviously a fan—and I’m not alone. For more than 50 years, designers have embraced Conrad’s window coverings because we love the way they filter light, add texture to rooms, offer multiple design solutions, and, of course, we love the way they look.

But they are also green, and have been since the beginning, before green was green. In their own words: "Though the art of what we create at Conrad is intricate, our materials are simple. We handweave from plants and grasses that are sustainably grown and harvested. The utilization of traditional hand-looms for weaving our natural fiber products means there is very little energy consumption or waste in our production process. And we support a cottage industry of farmers and local artisans in several countries as part of what we do."

The natural fibers—flax, hemp, vetiver, arrowroot, and bamboo, among others—used to manufacture Conrad shades are rapidly renewable materials with a 10-year or shorter harvest rotation. They are mold and bacteria resistant, VOC-free, durable, contain no harmful toxins, withstand light and heat exposure, and require little maintenance. It’s all good.

GreenSpec, which includes only the greenest of the greenest, recently added Conrad to its listings, a pretty good verification of its environmental credentials.