Global Green’s Lower 9th Ward Showcase Home Includes Green Interiors by Domino Magazine

Domino Magazine Eco-Decorates Interior; Adds Allure to Net Zero Energy Home That is Affordable to Operate, Healthy to Live In

New Orleans, LA - April 10, 2008 - Global Green USA has partnered with domino magazine to decorate and furnish the first home to be completed in Global Green USA’s Holy Cross Project, with lead funding partner the Home Depot Foundation.  Some of the interiors – as well as all of the green building features in the showcase home -- will be available for the public to view beginning next month when Global Green unveils its first completed home as a Visitor’s Center.

domino contributor and LA-based interior designer Ruthie Sommers collaborated with domino style director Dara Caponigro on the interior of the model home using all sustainable and certified materials and furnishings that will serve as an inspiration and a template for future affordable green home décor. They incorporated old and new materials to create a colorful, festive and happy décor while evoking a New Orleans sensibility. The result is a livable and cozy home.

“Our first showcase home not only helps educate citizens, developers, and public officials on how we can create healthier homes that are more affordable to operate via lower energy costs, but with domino’s help we are highlighting green interior furnishings,” said Matt Petersen, President and CEO of Global Green USA, “The interior design by domino was guided by environmentally friendly, sustainable and non-toxic principles, and the result is quite amazing.”

As part of making the project as green as possible, domino not only used eco-friendly products, but also supported the community. The original artwork and photography in the house was created by Zack Smith, whose work features portraits of New Orleans musicians, friends and notables. domino shopped locally, reused furniture from second-hand stores, and received help from local vendors such as Letitia Youngblood, a New Orleans native, who created draperies for the house. The completed home will appear in an upcoming issue of domino and be posted on www.dominomag.com.

Many companies donated materials and contributed to the success of the project. Furniture was provided by DWR, Ikea, Lee Industries, Mitchell Gold, Palecek, Paul Loebach, Pier 1 and Vivetique. VivaTerra provided eco-friendly accessories, along with Crate & Barrel, CB2, Currents of Clay, Design Within Reach, Green with Glamour, Merida Meridian, Stray Dog Designs, Woodson & Rummerfeld, and Shawn Silver. Hable Construction, and Twill Textiles donated fabrics to the project, while Hartmann & Forbes Shades and Hunter Douglas provided window treatments. Jgood Design donated lighting, Studio Printworks provided wallpaper, and Lauren Spa, Be Sweet, and Swans Island Blankets provided linens.

About the Holy Cross Project
Global Green’s Holy Cross Project - with lead funding partner The Home Depot Foundation (www.homedepotfoundation.org) - will be the first LEED Platinum certified green affordable housing development in the Lower Ninth Ward.  It features the winning design by Workshop APD architects, who won the Sustainable Building Design Competition chaired by Brad Pitt. The completed homes will use 75% less energy than typical buildings. The full project design can be viewed at www.globalgreen.org. The mixed-use residential development will feature an 18 unit multi-family building, five single-family homes and a community center with essential services for working families and the neighborhood.

About Global Green USA
Global Green USA, the American affiliate of President Gorbachev’s Green Cross International, was founded by Diane Meyer Simon in 1993. Its New Orleans field office and green building resource center opened in early 2006, and serves as a focal point of green building expertise for New Orleans residents and leads its “Healthy Homes, Smart Neighborhoods” initiative whose Honorary National Task Force includes: Julian Bond, Gen. Wesley Clark, Leonardo DiCaprio, Morgan Freeman, Lee Hamilton, Pat Mitchell and David Orr. Global Green USA has been a national leader in green building for affordable housing, schools and communities for more than a decade and has influenced more than $20 billion dollars in green construction.

About domino magazine
domino, the guide to living with style, is the leading decorating magazine of our time. Launched by Condé Nast in 2005, the magazine quickly gained a cult following among young, discerning readers who are passionate about living with style, and who understand that style is about personal choice not price. Full of unique, sophisticated ideas on topics such as decorating, fashion, culture, entertaining and technology delivered in the voice of a true confidant, domino inspires and enables its readers to create a home that expresses who they are. Published ten times a year, domino can be found on the web at www.dominomag.com.

Media Contacts:
Jeanne Nathan, Tel: 504-218-4807 / Email: nathan@creativeindustryusa.com
Sam Boykin, Tel: 212.584.5000 ext.307 / Email: sboykin@fenton.com
Amy Peck at domino, Tel: 212-286-4924 / Email: amy_peck@condenast.com