Green equals gorgeous at M-Smart Design

Nicole Sjostedt

From selling fine wines to cooking fine cuisine on mega yachts, Carmen Spagnola turned over a new leaf for “green” and became shop owner of M-Smart Designs in West Vancouver’s Park Royal Village. A beautifully decorated, eco friendly, and socially sound shop selling everything from home accessories and furniture to baby clothes, jewelry, and stationary. The shop floors are made from beetle pine, the walls are painted with low-voc paint, and the counter top is made of Paperstone, a product composed of 100% recycled paper and cashew nut resin that is stronger than steel.

“I am doing this because it’s right, I don’t think about the risk, it’s just the right time and it’s everything I believe” Carmen explains. She is an “accidental retailer” that fell into her role as shop owner by being a frustrated consumer. After she had her daughter Mirabella, after which  M-Smart Design is named, she became hyper-aware of environmentally friendly products, and soon realized the void of information about environmentally friendly products and found her niche. “This is a very personally driven store, I feel that I have a civic responsibility in promoting a message and I hope that in ten years time, a store like this will become the norm as more people make this a way of life.”
With a diverse selection of merchandise there is something for everyone. Prices range from $11 for all natural cleaning products to $45 for local handmade jewelry and $6500 for an eco friendly sleep mattress made from all organic materials. You get a firm sense that Spagnola is rather serious about her quest to educate people about green products and practices from the informative little postcards that are strategically placed all around her shop giving clear explanations to questions like: Why an organic mattress versus conventional? “You choose everyday in what you bring into your home,” she says with concern, “you vote with every dollar because there is no such thing as cheap — everything comes at a price.” Talk about value-based business! With a positive vibe and a dedicated cause, Carmen’s shop is all about Smart Design — S ustainable M erchandise A nd R esponsible T rade.