The Eiffel Trocadéro Hotel, Xavier´s Moraga´s second ecologic establishment, has just opened its doors to the public; we’ve decided to dig in on one of its green particularities: the walls made of plants. Florist, landscape artist, and creator, Naturalys is an enterprise specialized in stabilized plant design. After the installation of 3 amazing walls in the entrance, Loïc Derrien, the man behind this work, accepted to answer us some questions.

Green Hotel Paris – Introduce us to your work?
Loïc Derrien: Aware of the difficulty for an establishment that’s very demanding of its interior, to maintain a plant and flower made decoration through out the year, we’ve been doing plant walls for professionals (restaurants airports), and mainly for the hotel industry, for the last 6 years. We get our plants from our franchised network and from more than 200 partner florists Flowerbox.

Green Hotel Paris – In what does this process consists?
L.D.: The stabilized plants and flowers are 100% natural and environmentally friendly. They are the result of a unique plant conservation process that consists in the replacement of the sap for a natural glycerin-based stabilizing treatment product. This product allows the conservation, freshness and softness of these plants for even a decade, with no cost. This means that they don’t need water, earth or light.

Green Hotel Paris – How to look after a plant wall?
L.D.: Plant Walls are made for an interior use only. The must be kept away from direct sun exposure coming from behind a window. However they handle pretty well the air conditioning, the heating, the lighting, total darkness and even smoke. Contrary to artificial plants, stabilized plants are not static, dust won’t stick to them. Occasionally cleaning them will be enough, just using just a simple hair dryer.

Green Hotel Paris – Can all plants be stabilized?
L.D.: No, they have to hang on a minimum 5 months after the stabilization process to be considered stable. So that excludes plants and flowers that need a lot of water, because of this characteristic they’re fragile for this process, for example: orchids and tulips. Nevertheless, we count with over 50 stabilized species of plants.

Naturalys
33, Chemin de la Rollande
84140 Avignon
France
T.: +33 (0)4 90 81 07 16
contact@naturalys.fr
www.flowerbox-gallery.com

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Last Saturday March 5th, the Gavarni hotel hosted an exclusive edition between a classical private viewing and a private party. For the first time, here are some pictures of the event along with portraits by the artist Caroline Moisan and the organizers of this retrospective.

Caroline Moisan: spiritual food

Born into a family of artists, Caroline Moisan has been bathed in a fabulous environment ever since she was a little girl. All grown up, she graduated from the Penninghen school with a diploma of interior architect. After a first experience in the field of advertising as a junior artistic director, she became a designer and dedicated her time to her two passions: painting and… astrology! In 2006, she eventually gave up fashion designing and fully devoted herself to her two passions.

Influenced by the greatest artists such as Modigliani, Picasso, Waterhouse, Klimt and contemporary photographer Nathaniel Raruch, Caroline draws her inspiration from her family and friends as well as unknown faces she comes across in the street because this young artist is thoughtful and receptive to the world surrounding her above all. Thanks to her grandfather Roland Moisan, great caricaturist at French satirical newspaper Le Canard Enchaîné at the time, Caroline painted with dark colors. Especially since the young woman never let her choice of colors be “polluted”. With her paintings, Caroline isn’t conveying a message, only her emotions and the sensitivity that makes her even livelier by the minute.

“They are women but they could easily be men”. Letting her mind flow, Caroline never knows beforehand which face will arise. Emotions follow movements, not proportions. On a piece of plywood or cardboard, in shades of black and white or midnight blue, the souls stand out the most. The energy alone prevails in front of these chrysalis-like beings. The souls unveil themselves to reveal a sensuality suggested by the position of these intangible women. Such as nymphs, they inspire an extreme sensibility and sweetness. So much so that anyone could identify with one of these singular women.

Rita Verissimo Hernandez: a new genre of gallery

Because an art gallery is often an impersonal place where people are nearly rushed into buying, it’s not easy to imagine the works of art simply hanging on your wall. That is why Rita Verissimo, young 24-year old Art designer, imagined a concept that is still new in France. Created in June 2010, Art Apart’ consists in gathering a few contemporary artists in the living room of an individual or a hotel for one night. In a warm and intimate environment, the artists are put in touch with the guests by being there and they can express their emotions freely. The artists she selects following her heart already have a certain reputation in the world of art. It’s also an opportunity for guests to discover the trends of French Art and invest in safe renowned values.

For this young woman, the Gavarni hotel has an intimate warmth which perfectly fits to her concept. Also, the works of Caroline Moisan are perfectly highlighted for they fully contrast with the decor of the hotel. It struck her as an evidence to set up in the lounge of this charming hotel for her second edition.

Prisca Scheidecker, assistant manager of the Gavarni hotel, is one of those free and sensitive women, extremely attentive to associations, who draws her energy along her coincidental encounters. Touched by the courage and the determination of Rita and drawn by the desire to help French Art develop in France where the field seems to be at a standstill, Prisca didn’t hesitate for a second. She was even more interested by Rita’s approach, her concept and the deeply feminine environment of Caroline Moisan. It seemed obvious to the young woman to house this great project in her charming hotel. When asked if other events of the sort are planned, the young woman answers that she refuses any commercial approach but is still open to any association bound to lead to a collaboration.

Art Apart’ is a new concept in the very exclusive French art world . The goal is to gather, present the work of an artist, during one evening, in someone’s appartment or, as it is the case here, in a boutique hotel.For its second edition, Art Appart has moved in hotel gavarni’s loundge to present Caroline Moisan, a charming painter whose work reflects transcendent emotions.The evening of March 5th will be an intimate artistic gathering, opened to selected guests only.They will be able to admire those women who represent absolute and impalpable desire,wishing only to please.

[View with PicLens]

The hotel Gavarni has just renovated 4 rooms, still by calling upon the interior decorator
Anne-Sophie Robert. The hotel has a new face, and now displays a contemporary decoration.

Tell us about the new contemporary aspect of the Hotel Gavarni.
Anne-Sophie Robert : The Hotel Gavarni now has a contemporary style in 4 of its rooms. Xavier Moraga, the hotel director, allowed me to realize them. I was able to decorate them as I wanted, mainly working the patinas, which I make myself. Thus, the rooms are more luminous notably thanks to the furniture, more design. For example, the offices have been made in acrylic panels, and I have included lace collages. It is a difficult and unique process. Moreover, the acrylic can contain only natural materials like in the hotel bathrooms, decorated with an acrylic panel composed of plants. The lamps look like chandeliers. Finally, the color is ubiquitous, because, to me, “color is life” !

The entire hotel will be redecorated on the same model ?
A.S.R. : Yes, the rooms will be gradually renovated in this decoration spirit. Despite the fact that they will have the same themes, each one will be conceived in its own patina or color shade, because I make my mixtures myself. Thus, each work is different, nuanced : they will never be the same because of my mixtures.

Does ecology influence your daily work ?
A.S.R. : Yes, working with the Hotel Gavarni particularly made me aware concerning ecology, in my work and also in my personal life. Among other things, I really would like to work with organic paintings, but so far, I do not have a favorite. However, I use a lot the water paint. I also apply the ecofriendly actions everyday.

[View with PicLens]

www.robertandcau.com

For 25 years now, Nature Bijoux has been mixing raw materials and organic design in an authentic and creative way.
Ebony from Macassar, corail bamboo, black horn and lava rock are some of the many raw materials used to create those beautiful hand made jewellery pieces. The mix of wood, rocks and recycled glass pearls, with the ambition of creating a fusion between body, spirit and nature, reveals the unique kind of beauty every woman possess. For those already familiar with this trademark , and those who would like to see what it looks like, just go rue Vavin, to discover the 24 stories invented for the 500 jewellery pieces presented. After this visit, you too will become a woma sublimated by nature.

Open from Monday to Saturday, from 11 am to 7h30 pm

Nature Bijoux
3 rue Vavin
75006 Paris
France
T. : +33.(0)1.53.10.80.77
www.nature.fr

The Gavarni Hotel has called on Ecovert to be its supplier for organic cleaning products. Founded in 1987, Ecovert creates and develops products and services designed for companies and institutions which help to optimise the impact of human activity on the environment.

The Ecovert Attitude is one of realism, self-effacement, creativity, pro-activeness, pride and thoroughness, all in the cause of coming up with ideas for saving and protecting the planet.

Ecovert naturally distributes its own products, as well as carrying “comptoir des lys” products, also available in Biocoop supermarkets.

Ecovert
La Passerelle
20, rue Bernard Palissy
69800 Saint-Priest
France
T. : +33 (0)4.37.23.89.99
F. : +33 (0)4.37.23.89.90
contact@ecovert.fr

In France, households account for 50% of CO² emissions. By making careful decisions about what we consume, we can all act responsibly to care for the environment without completely disrupting our lifestyles and levels of comfort.

This is made possible thanks to certified products which guarantee both effectiveness and the certainty of doing something worthwhile for the environment: eco-products. Getting to know these products is a matter of spotting the appropriate environmental logos:

The European Ecolabel  or “the flower”.Green label of all countries members of the European Union.

European Union Européenne and Biological Agriculture. Certifying label that proves that products are coming from biological agriculture on european ground.

NF Environement.
Official green french certificate.

Today, eco-labels cover a vast range of everyday consumer products including cosmetics, washing powders, lighting and even furniture and clothes, so you can act on an everyday level to help save the planet. By choosing eco-certified products, you too can do something for the environment and take care of your health – the less we use chemical products, pesticides and fertiliser, the better we’ll feel.

Visit www.ademe.fr to find out more about eco-consumer habits and start adopting them now!

Gavarni, the Green Hotel, is carrying out rebuilding work to enlarge its bedrooms. Some of the 25 bedrooms (including 4 suites) are being altered to become modular, accommodating between 1 and 3 people, with connecting doors between rooms. This means that families can have their privacy and children can enjoy a little more independence!

Renovation work is being carried out in a traditional, cosy style, using high-quality fabrics, wood and other materials. The work aims to incorporate high-tech features into the decor. It’s still very much a case of Parisian chic.

This refurbishment work incorporates an added green bonus, too; the Gavarni has made use of old furniture and materials that have been renovated and altered so that nothing is wasted and excess consumption has been avoided. It’s a straightforward idea: a table can be turned into a set of shelves! It’s easy – and green!

A major new feature of these new rooms is definitely the bathroom, which has a jet shower and a lead shower tray, preventing water leakage and ingress which accounts for a huge amount of water wastage. The lead is used for some distance up the walls beneath tiling, which avoids the problem of the grouting darkening. Eau Delice water jets spray 70% water and 30% air, leading to significant water savings.
The Gavarni will be continuing renovation work for a few weeks more before letting its customers have the full run of the place once again.

Interview with Xavier Moraga, Manager of the beautiful and eco-friendly hôtel eco-friendly Gavarni.

Hoosta – What’s involved in being an environmentally-friendly hotelier?
Xavier Moraga: Well, there are lots of obstacles! You always have to excel yourself to find good suppliers and producers, particularly for foodstuffs. It’s difficult to find fresh products, for instance (purees, ham, cheese, and so on) in large enough quantities. However, I haven’t given up hope!
Hoosta – Do your suppliers include many French producers?
Xavier Moraga: Unfortunately the answer is no: fair trade and organic production are often the preserve of developing countries and poorer nations. France has some catching up to do!
Hoosta – Do you have any special environmental training for your staff?
Xavier Moraga: When they arrive, we provide a small amount of training, explaining how they need to pay special attention to certain issues. For instance, we make sure they don’t order something without first asking themselves whether it’s really necessary. My real goal, though, is to get them thinking for themselves, encourage them to change their outlook and basically become eco-friendly, both at work and at home.

Hoosta – What kind of “green” resources do they have available?
Xavier Moraga: At the Gavarni, we have 4 or 5 organic cleaning products which do several tasks each, instead of having 50, one for each specific task! Staff use a special dispenser which dilutes and distributes these products. You get your container and place it beneath the machine, which fills it up. The staff have no fiddly filling operations to perform, everything is measured out and nothing is wasted. In addition, we recycle batteries, use energy-saving light bulbs, sort waste and so on…
Hoosta – What about services such as reception?
Xavier Moraga: In this area, we do things like recycling printer cartridges and paper. At the end of our e-mails, we have a footer requesting that people do not print out the e-mail unless this is absolutely necessary. In the past, we sent out photos of the hotel on CD-ROM to journalists and sales advisors. Today, the photos are available to download on the site – much better than a CD-ROM, which takes a long time to biodegrade.

The hotel Gavarni in his quest for organic and healthy quality services to the public, is in improving his card with only organic food and fair-trade … A true revolution that promises to be ready in September …

It is the brand Oxfam has been chosen to power the mini-bars in rooms or suites, but also breakfast with organic fruit juices, pulp spreads from the Dominican Republic, cereal bars, honey, as well as chips, peanuts and beer.

However, finding producers to provide a hotel is quite difficult. First, because they are not interested in a hotel, which really does not fit in their policy of low production. Second, because the packaging is another problem, since there is not fair trade or organic, small-format, such as mini pots of jam … It is therefore necessary to adapt.

By September 2008, the hotel will offer 100% of its organic food products.

Another way to eat well & nicely …

Photos: ILoveButter and jonny.hunter