Category Archives: Apartment

I often get pitches for green products, some of them good and some of them head-scratching. Why would I want to promote green lawn pest control? Um, I live in New York City. I wish I had a lawn that needed the services of a pest control company.

In any case, publicists take a risk when sending out eco-friendly items to be reviewed. I could hate their products, or love it. Most of the time, I’ve gotten on board and given an honest, yet largely positive review.

But this time, when I finished reading EcoChi: Designing the Human Experience, by Debra Duneier, I was left simply scratching my head.

I was absolutely willing to not judge this book by the horrendously-designed cover (and inside pages too, woof), and instead eagerly dug in to see what this lady could offer me. Here is my honest account of what I found:

Pro: An integration of of environmental psychology, LEED design, and feng shui.

I’m totally on board with Ms. Duneier’s philosophy. I find the field of environmental psychology fascinating, as it’s offered up such gems as how much happier office workers are when surrounded by plants. LEED design, a system by which buildings get certified as environmentally friendly, is an impressive credential on her resume.

And feng shui? Well, I’m not sure how much I believe in it, but it can’t hurt to do a little rearranging of furniture, throwing in a water fountain and a plant or two. All pleasant things.

Con: A few too many WTF moments.

I don’t mean to offend anyone here, but I was totally with Duneier, until I wasn’t. First came her assertion that:

Others in this field hold that we as a species are suffering from a “disassociative syndrome.” While similar to post traumatic disorder and multiple personality disorder, this thinking is based on the belief that many, if not most, people are no longer able to respond appropriately to the natural world.

If by respond appropriately you mean, not picking up my shoe to smash a spider that has invaded my apartment. Well then, yes, you got me there. But I consider myself a healthy, balanced individual, thank you. I would be curious to see who her sources are on this, but sadly, she does not cite them.

She also goes into a description of meditation not in a practical sense–as a way to calm the mind–but describes a ribbon of light flowing through our guts and connecting us to the heavens.

Finally, I really wanted to skip over the whole “space clearing” chapter, where she describes bathing in salt water before walking through a space with incense in order to clear out bad energy. I’m sure her client was very comforted when she told him the fact that his ceiling came crashing down meant that the space was actively being cleared of bad energy. Does that mean it’s working?

Pro: Some fun an actionable concepts.

I was especially drawn to Duneier’s description of the feng shui concept of the “Red Bird,” which is what you see in front of you when you first wake up in the morning. It should symbolize what you want your future to look like.

Her illustrative story here was compelling, about a client who was having trouble in her love life. Well, no wonder! Her “Red Bird” was a lonely women waiting for a phone call. Once she replaced it with a painting of two lovers, her love life picked up. Oh, if everything were that simple!

Well, looking at my own wall opposite my bed, I realized my “Red Bird” was a large collection of liquor on top of the cabinet. My future = drunken party girl?

I went into action, storing the liquor bottles and leaning a romantic illustration of a couple with a pair of pet dogs meeting, him holding flowers behind his back. Hopefully, someday I too will have a dachshund and will make out with someone resembling Don Draper while wearing an overdone sundress.

Other helpful hints from Duneier include limiting sharp corners (“poison arrows”), uncluttering your space to let good energy flow, facing your desk toward to door to project authority, and bringing in a water feature to promote abundance. The book is full of them.

Con: Written clutter.

Duneier could have benefited from an editor for this book. While she obviously has a lot of valuable information to impart, it’s all bogged down in irrelevant personal stories, asides, random tidbits and unnecessary instruction. There are chapters on hotels and offices (is this for residents or business owners?), a story about how a crying jag during the BP oil spill, and other items that–while they aren’t useless–are a bit superfluous. Half the book assumes you live in New York City, the other half you live in the suburbs. Because of this, she never quite goes deep enough in any one topic to sate your curiosity, instead moving quickly on to the next one.

Pro: A good introduction to basic indoor health and green principles.

If you are new to the green scene, she does do a nice job of introducing the concept of choosing materials wisely to help the environment and promote health.

Overall:

Debra Duneier sounds like a charming lady, sort of like your eccentric aunt that will serve you green tea and listen to all your problems. This book does a great job of advertising her talent. I actually would consider calling her to come over (she lives in NYC) and feng shui my apartment for me. She could rearrange my furniture and help me organize while I tell her about my life goals.

But the book itself I found not terrible useful or actionable. I would imagine someone moving into a new house or apartment could pick this up, give it a quick read-through, and if she were so moved get another book that dives more in depth into all the of the topic Duneier covers. Maybe a book on Feng Shui that actually tells you how to calculate your Chinese Divination, or a book on sustainable renovations.

If everything I’ve mentioned her is utterly foreign to you, sure, go grab the book. Otherwise, I would save your dollars and reading time for something else.