Here’s a box of vintage Corning cookware that was left behind in the house.  It was so much fun going through the box of casseroles, frying pans and serving pieces.   Everything was in immaculate condition, so I boxed it up and brought it to my local Goodwill (along with the original owner’s guide!) to donate.  I thought about using FreeCycle to find someone who could use these items, but with all the craziness going on with the new house and all my other projects, I just couldn’t find the time to meet someone to give them their box of vintage cookware.  That said….

BUT… I did keep a few things.

This white casserole dish is so classic in design and function.   How could I give this up?  I could envision making everything from cheese enchiladas to a yummy basked macaroni and cheese in this.

And this measuring cup.  Isn’t it cool?   I am so going to covet this in my new kitchen (whenever it gets done!)

There were a few pieces of furniture left behind in the new house that I—-it appears to be—am the only one who absolutely, positively loves.

These two vintage cabinets are covered in decades worth of splattered oil paint: drips and drops here and there of every type of paint, color and texture. 

The drawers, I do agree, do not slide open smoothly, so that’s something that needs to be remedied.   But I am keeping the years of splattered paint right in place.

I am thinking of having remnant white carrera marble cut to cover the top of each cabinet.   You can find remnant marble by calling local countertop fabricators.  Basically, when they cut out the hole in a countertop for, say, a sink, they have leftover marble.   I figure I could buy that leftover marble and use it for tabletops on these vintage tables.

I envision using these in the bedroom in between two stainless steel beds.   The juxtaposition of the shiny and new meets the treasured and old, I think will work.   I’ll keep you posted.

An area of my life that I am obsessed with right now is flooring.    

I’ve been obsessed with choosing exactly the right flooring for my new house: carpets, wood floors, tile, backsplashes, etc.    My theory is once anything goes down on the floor, it nearly impossible to replace it if you got it wrong.   Paint on the wall can easily be corrected.   Fabric on a chair can be reupholstered with scissors and a staple gun.    Engineered wood floors in the kitchen?   Not so much in the "easy" category.

As I’m trying to figure out the flooring for the home, I have been a little obsessed (Hmm..I use that word a lot) with figuring out ways to recycle the samples I have.   One idea: Make a handy tray.

Just screw in two handles on the sides of the wood floor sample and use it around the house.   Here’s a photo of just that idea from my book "Simply Green Parties."   I have all these bits and pieces of tile, hardwood samples, and carpet that I’m going to figure out somehow to recycle into something new and functional. 

My Shaw pre-engineered wood floor sample?   Wood Tray.  Check.    

Here it is!   I’m in Las Vegas right now at the Furniture Market expo launching my new partnership with Simmons Bedding Company:   The Simmons Natural Care by Danny Seo mattress.

It’s been a wonderful experience partnering with Simmons to create one of the first nationally-distributed, environmentally-friendly sleep systems that carries the trusted Simmons name on the mattress.   

It will be available nationwide this Spring in JCPenney stores (where you can test it out) and online at jcp.com… and a select few fine furniture and mattress stores will also be carrying the line.

What makes this product different from traditional mattresses is that it features a Talalay Latex foam made from the milky sap of the rubber tree.   Because it’s made from a renewable, non-petroleum based resource, it’s a more environmentally-friendly product.   And because it’s made from natural latex, it’s also a healthier sleep system since it’s dust-mite, mold and mildew resistant.

Other eco aspects of the mattress include a 6 1/2" soy support base foam, a fabric cover made from natural knit eco-friendly Tencel fibers (that’s also Oeko-Tex certified), and a foundation frame constructed from fast-growing pine instead of slow-growing hardwood trees.

It also carries the legendary 20-year Simmons warranty and comes in different firmness levels of firm, plush and pillow-top (what I have in my house).

So, when the time comes when you do need to replace your mattress, I hope you’ll consider my new Simmons Natural Care by Danny Seo sleep system.  I’m really proud of all the hard work and effort to create this and I hope those of you who try it will absolutely love it as much as I do.

Updated: Good Morning America named my new mattress "product trend of the future."   So exciting!

I recently remodeled my bathroom using water-efficient products.   There will be a full blog download about the bathroom renovation at www.countryhome.com in a few weeks when our "Bed and Bath" March themed issue hits newsstands.

But until then, I wanted to give you all a sneak peek at the bathroom. 

I used water-efficient Caroma products.   If you haven’t heard of Caroma, there’s probably a very good reason: they are new to the US and hail all the way from Australia. 

In many parts of Australia, they’ve been facing a terrible drought that is considered one of the worst in the history of the country.   When I was there for a photo shoot a few years ago, I remember asking the front desk clerk at the hotel if they had any umbrellas I could borrow "just in case of rain."  He looked at me dumbfounded and said he would bet the whole hotel that it would not rain that day.   And that’s when I started to connect the dots in my head….

Anyway, the Caroma toilet is what I was most excited about.   It’s a dual-flush toilet that uses .8 gallons or 1.6 gallons of water.   It gives you the choice if you need a full or half flush, saving thousands of gallons of water per year (and doing less damage to my on-site septic system).  Photo below.   I’ll let you know when the full post on my bathroom makeover is up on Country Home’s website.