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In the early 90’s, British native David Weston was a gentleman farmerliving off the grid in theDordogne in France. But he wasn’t the steriotypical salt of the earth small holder; he kept an office in Paris and was a sought after interior designer.”I jumped into the green thing in a big way” David says.”I was raising horses and I didn’t want to give them chemical de-wormers. I read that if you ran sheep, cows and horses together, the parasites would be minimal. So I ended up with cows that needed milking. We had our own water supply and ended up being 97 percent self sufficient.

David left his idyllic life for New York in 2004. He continued to design and wrote for Marie Claire Home, but he soon grew tired of the urban lifestyle. He met a native from Grand Rapids and the two decided to relocate to Michigan. In 2006, David, along with friend Melanie Rogers, opened Think Design , a company that employs a fresh way of looking at environmentally friendly design.

“I always explain to people that you don’t have to have that stark over contemporary look” David says.”You can do a lot with fabrics and linens,too. I’m a great believer in recycling. Reclaimed wood flooring has a beautiful patina. Antiques lend so much to a design, mixing past and present. I love putting a crazy contemporary fabric onto an antique piece. It jazzes it up and adds a contemporary twist”.

David sources furniture with frames from sustainable sources, recycled wadding and, and natural fabric upholstery. He finds tables made from old railway ties merged with reclaimed steel for the bases.

“I think for me, it’s all about your environment,” he says. “I’ve had cancer twice twice, and I convinced myself it had to do with toxic chemicals and food preservatives,” David says. “I had to live and eat very healthily because of my compromised immune system.There can be such horrible chemicals in carpets for example. That new “fresh smell” really comes from toxic off-gasses. I think we need to go back to basics, before all these hideous chemicals were used in processing. Houses in Europe still have silk curtains from the 18th Century. If you use natural materials, they will last much longer. Green design isn’t really new; everything is truly a reflection of the past”

Reported and Written by Sharon Biggs Waller

Think Design has won 2009/2010 “Best Interior Design Company” This is the third time in a row that we have won this wonderful and most prestigious award.

A big “Thank You” goes to all our clients, colleagues and friends who have supported us so brilliantly throughout 2009!

We will do our best to win it again this year!

On Dealing with Knotty Pine in Cabins, Lodges, Cottages and Basements:

“David Weston, co-owner of Think Design Studio in Grand Rapids, Michigan recommends. “generally, people like to refurbish their Knotty Pine by stripping it down and putting a lighter glaze on it or a wash of color so you can see the grain of the wood coming through”,says Weston, who’s committed to eco-friendly treatments. “You want to preserve the knotty pine character, especially for cottages, but make it lighter and brighter, as cabins are more sophisticated these days. It used to be that walking into a cottage was like going into a cave.”

Weston designs interiors for both residences and offices, many of which are in Saugatauk and Douglas. “Reclaimed knotty pine is great”,he says, “because it’s been refinished and doesn’t look like that orangey, old knotty pine of the past.”

Read the rest of the article in the January Edition of Shore Magazine on Page 36

We were thrilled to take a leading role, along with Paula Scott Unlimited in the renovation of the Nurse Examiner Suite for Victims of Sexual Assault at the YWCA in Grand Rapids.

Everything was donated by the companies listed in the Grand Rapids Press Article, and as Paula said in the interview, the suite has changed out of all recognition.

We are still looking for a few donated items to complete the suite, mostly art, accessories and a new examiner’s chair. Anybody who could help would be greatly appreciated.

We at Think Design are committed to doing what we can to help and be involved in our local community, as well as being involved in projects in the Third World.

We send all our supporters in our Non-Profit endevors, our most sincere thanks for everything they have done to help us achieve our goals

Think Design are thrilled to announce that the company has been chosen to design the interior of the “Urba Wellness Club” on North Ottawa.

A 90,000 square foot space - it was the old “Auto Die Fitness Centre”…..now to be much more luxury and spa-like.

We don’t want to say too much about it - that is up to the owners - but watch the local press for further details

Think Design has been chosen to design the Penthouse Condominium Model at this exciting LEED Project.

David Weston said today “we are very pleased to be working with the partners at Locus Development again. We worked together on the Fitzgerald Project and now are looking forward to our first Green Project together, it is a great recipe for success!”

The condominiums are all 2 storeys, with an optional roof terrace, giving spectacular views over the city.

Custom Sofas in Fuchsia, Taupe and Zebra Velvet

Re-upholstered Antique Wing Chairs in Fuchsia, Taupe and Zebra Velvet