Today's post is by Melanie Senko, a regular contributor to Pure Green Magazine. She and her husband Jesse pen and photograph the homesteading column in each issue... in fact, they're working on the next installment for our new issue right now! In this post Melanie makes an adorable dress using a Colette pattern. You could make your own with some vintage fabric perhaps! Read More

John James Audubon's legacy is intriguing - an ornithologist and painter who immigrated to the United States from France in 1803, his work has proven incredibly significant both in his naturalist field and in the world of design. Among some of the most coveted and celebrated naturalist painters and illustrators, Audubon is credited with the discovery of 25 new bird species and a number of sub-species discovered while on his journey to paint every North American bird in their natural habitat. His efforts led to the creation of Birds of North America (1827-1839), a color-plate book that is still considered one of the finest ornithological works ever completed— the original recently sold at auction for $11.5 million, a record price for a single book! Read More

I've spent many a time wishing I had the skills of a painter or artist and yearning for the allure of a creative life, and now I find myself realizing that dream of in the form of the creative process behind Pure Green Magazine. I often dream about the perfect creative space, which is perhaps why, when I came across Where They Create, a new book of photography by Paul Barbera (with text by Alexandra Onderwater) featuring the spaces and studios of creative people, I became instantly intrigued. The sequence shown here is the home/studio of Jade Sarita Arnott of the fashion label Arnsdorf. Her spaces are full of vintage and repurposed items and also the bits and bobs that provide a small window into the process of her work. It surely sets the mind wandering... Read More

What can I say... yes please!! A safari style portable tent— make anywhere you fancy your glamping pleasure. Read More

It's still winter out and I'm a little chilly, so I thought it would be a great day to post this delectable and rustic mushroom soup with you as this week's best of Pure Green, pulled from the Organic Kitchen recipe archives. It's a rustic and textured soup that eats like a meal. Enjoy it with some fresh crusty bread, a rich soft cheese and an extra little glass of wine on the side. Read More

We haven't really been talking Valentine's Day here on Pure Green, but when I came across Clare Day yesterday I couldn't help but share her work with you and it is rather fitting that it's February 14. Clare lives in Victoria, BC where her love of gardening has literally blossomed into a fabulous floral design studio. Even better is that the studio is located on her organic produce farm, Red Damsel Farm where many of the flowers she works with are grown right in her own backyard. Read More

Saigon is not a name you often hear when talking architecture and cutting edge design. The most densely populated city in the world, Saigon has been fighting the monotony of furious urban sprawl as of late and the architect on this project, Vo Trong Nghia Co., wanted to create something radically different but that still had some of the character of traditional Saigon— "...we intended this house to inspire people to re-define and re-increase the greenery as the character of this city. “Stacking Green” is just one small house, but it is generated from the context of Saigon." Read More

A lovely reader submission from Jen Selk in Toronto –amazing what you can do with a little ingenuity, creativity and other people's discards!
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Truly this doesn't need much introduction. It's a stunning reminder of the beauty found in nature and exactly the type of thing that fuels my passion to preserve and to appreciate. We Were Wanderers is an ode to the incredible flora and fauna of Malaysia –directed by James Griffiths, the video is narrated to excerpts from Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness, published in 1899. Read More

Today we're sharing the Paris home of Virginie Denny and Alfonso Vallès, shot by Petra Bindel. The most beautiful shades of gray are so calming yet the subtle hints of wood tones and colour add warmth and welcome. It feels moody and wonderfully quiet, like soft winter snow, yet easy to imagine freshened up with added greenery and flowers for spring and summer. Read More