Eco-designer Kari Whitman Offers Holiday Green Decor Tips

Interior designer Kari Whitman is in high demand in Hollywood. Through Kari Whitman Interiors, she has inspired the homes of A-List stars like Jessica Alba, Mandy Moore, and Christina Aguilera while balancing her commitment to animal rescue and environmental preservation. She launched Ace of Hearts Dog Rescue, a nonprofit dedicated to rescuing dogs from various Los Angeles County shelters the day they are to be euthanized. To date, she's rescued more than 1,800 dogs.

Committed to creating high-end designs, Kari's aim is to keep it as "green" as possible. I asked Kari to offer Tonic readers some of her top tips for creating eco-friendly decor during the holidays:

Add some seasonal flair by making your own eco-friendly floor covering. Get a remnant from your local carpet store — most will either give them away for free or sell them inexpensively. Have fun with colors and patterns that you can swap out depending on the season, the room or your mood. Add spice to your décor and keep leftover carpet scraps out of our landfills.

Create a simple holiday centerpiece, go to your local flea market to find fun and funky salad plates — mix and match sizes, patterns and colors. Arrange pillar candles of different heights on the collection of plates. Beeswax and soy candles are both inexpensive and earth-friendly.

Rather than splurge on a new tablecloth this holiday season, create your own out of remnants from fabric house backrooms or overstock fabrics. Take your fabric of choice to your local dry cleaner or seamstress to have them stitch up the edges for a tailored look (unless you can talk Mom into doing it!).

A fresh coat of paint can breathe new life into any space. Paint a wall, a ceiling or an entire room for an instant and simple makeover. Safecoat paints are eco-friendly and I especially love their zero VOC water-based paint. I love shimmery ceilings, which give any color extra depth and make a great focal point in a room. I recently added dramatic flair to a client's dining room by painting the ceiling in an elegant silvery grey. I added shimmer by adding metallic powder to the paint!

There's no better way to infuse your home with energy and happiness at the holidays than by adding a four-legged creature to your family. Whether you are a pet owner or you are thinking of adopting, pamper your newest furry family member with one of my Greener Pup custom green dog beds. Besides being eco-friendly, 100 percent of all profits go to animal rescue charities.*

*If you e-mail proof that you rescued a dog to greenerpup@gmail.com, you'll automatically get 25 percent off your entire first order!

Photos courtesy of Kari Whitman