Words :: Rennay Craats // Images :: Courtesy of Spectra Decor

In a time of perceived environmental meltdown, more people are trying to do their part to minimize their footprint on the world. But it can be difficult to balance a sense of environmental responsibility with a yen for really spectacular home accessories. That balance is now easier to achieve with the rise of SpectraDécor Luxury Hardware and Tile.

For this Seattle-based company, today’s only colour choice is green—and green never looked so striking. SpectraDécor’s founder, designer and artist Leilani Norman-Young has always been intrigued by unconventional materials and finding ways of using them in her art. Instead of using stones in her jewellery lines, she created unique pieces with floor tile. “I always had my eye open for different materials and then I started becoming more and more aware of green materials and the whole green movement as accessories for residential and commercial spaces,” Norman-Young says.

Many other manufacturers were offering environmentally friendly floor, countertop and wall options but there were few accessory options that were both green and gorgeous. So more than five years ago, Norman-Young stepped in to fill that niche with the contemporary offerings of SpectraDécor. She found a company in Seattle that created recycled glass tile, developed a design and methodology for using that glass tile to create cabinet hardware, and launched her successful line called Luminous.

The success of Luminous goes well beyond environmental consciousness; it’s truly easy to befriend the environment when the result is incredible cabinet hardware that complements any space. The 100 percent recycled glass comes in 18 different colours, ranging from subdued shades, like celery and mineral water, to vibrant ones like tomato soup and deep blue sea. The watercolours are created using scrap that is left over from art glass before being recycled into tiles, while the more organic-looking classic colours are created from trash glass. “The classic colours are 100 per cent post-consumer and the watercolours line is 100 per cent post-industrial,” says Norman-Young.

This beautiful glass is then paired with lead-free pewter to create hardware that is sure to pack a punch in any room. “Some of the people go for it because they found it on the internet while looking for green or recycled glass. Then there are people who want something really beautiful and the fact that it’s green is sort of secondary to them but they’re really pleased to find out about it,” she says. Attracting these clients is rewarding for this talented artist, as these choices elevate green options in people’s minds as they continue with changes to the rest of their homes.

Since Luminous, the innovative designer has also used recycled glass in an organic, earthy line called Beach Pebble. It comprises opaque cast glass in ten different colours that she processes and fashions into pewter-based knobs. She is quick to point out that the name isn’t literal. “The name really throws people off. They think I’m taking rocks from the beach and they express their concern that I’m depleting the world of it beautiful beach pebbles. They’re really pleased to know that it’s trash glass that has been recycled into really beautiful accessories," she says.

Norman-Young is also using beautiful glass in another completely green line called Fusion. Launched in 2005, this line offers very contemporary design with various green options. Clients can choose to inlay glass or a product called eco-resin, which comes in many different colours and textures, and some clients are opting for cork inlays in the lead-free pewter bases for something a bit different. “Folks that want a very subtle look or have cork on their floor love the idea of using cork as a decorative material,” says Norman-Young.

And if there is still nothing that quite fits a design vision for a space, SpectraDécor can customize hardware or offer up a number of additional lines and products. The award-winning Hue line used fused glass created in opaque and transparent layers available in thirteen colours and twelve colour combinations. Villa employs scrap remnants from nature stone set in pewter to create luxury cabinet hardware that is rimless to better display the stone; and Lulu offers hand-pigmented resin and cast pewter hardware in nine colours and twelve shapes.

The newest line is Pure, which offers nine shapes to coordinate with Luminous, Hue, Lulu and Villa products. “It’s simply beautifully finished cast pewter,” says Norman-Young. Even the company’s metal choice supports the green mandate of SpectraDécor; all of the bases (which are created at a family-run foundry in northern California) are made from pewter, which is cast at lower temperatures so demands less energy. But more metals are on their way at SpectraDécor.

Norman-Young is currently working on a new line that uses 100 per cent recycled aluminum made in Seattle. “The foundry I’m working with sources the material and it’s made from things like hubcaps and cast-off aluminum window frames,” she says. As always, Norman-Young has her eyes open for opportunities to use different materials in a different way and is constantly looking for artisans with unique skills. She supports local artisans as much as possible and all of her products are 100 per cent American made. SpectraDecor’s products are available in twenty showrooms across the United States, and in 2006, it branched out north of the border to Calgary as part of an exclusive relationship with Banbury Lane.

Banbury Lane’s impressive selection of decorative hardware and accessories makes it the perfect place to showcase SpectraDecor’s products and the southwest store is happy to add these green lines to the family.

“When we initially go it, the appeal was the eco-quality of it—the eco-resin, the recycled glass, the recycled materials,” says Melody Scroggins, Design Consultant for Banbury Lane. “There wasn’t anything like it out on the market like that.”

Now the incredible colours and eye-catching designs of SpectraDécor hardware are adding equally to the appeal of these unique hardware items. Calgary clients are especially drawn to the organic, natural appearance of the hardware, making Lulu, Hue and Fusion with bamboo inserts big sellers at Banbury Lane. Clients are also attracted to the contemporary style that can transform and accent a space or piece of furniture. Norman-Young looks at contemporary as well as mid-century modern furniture and architecture and tailors her designs to those inspirations.

“I’ve tried to create things that could be used in a really contemporary setting, traditional setting, or a transitional one,” she says.

Her products are aimed at clients wanting clean, well-made products that compliment a space—perfect for a traditional house yearning for a contemporary kitchen or a spa-inspired bath. And best of all, SpectraDecor’s products are all custom made, so customers can ensure the pieces make just the right statement in their individual space. “You can place so many different variations inside her pieces so it’s definitely customized to the place itself,” says Scroggins.

Leilani Norman-Young’s gorgeous hardware pieces are the perfect combination of art, function, and environmental kindness. Sophisticated, unique, visually appealing and durable—SpectraDécor is making choosing green completely natural.