Photos by Andrew Schwartz
Eco expert and
author Alexandra Zissu’s West Village loft that she shares with her
six-year-old daughter Aili and her partner Olli Chanoff lets off a
cozy air amidst its uber-green ambitions. The walls are painted soothing, muted
shades, a mix of vintage and modern furniture is perfectly arranged for
engaging adult conversation and piles of welcoming books are always within
reach. But rather than pointing out the collection of retro prints and eclectic
furnishings that she’s gathered from her childhood home, Zissu is most excited
about the perfect amaryllis that’s in full bloom on her dinner table.
“Can you believe
I planted that?” she says. “It was just a bulb with a tiny bit of green
sticking out of the top.”
The flower is
vibrant poppy red, and, unquestionably, a cheerful touch on a cold winter day
inside this green guru’s abode.
Without a doubt,
Zissu has forever been a nature-minded Manhattanite. “I had always eaten super
organically because I was raised eating whole foods,” she says. “I joined a CSA
[Community Supported Agriculture group] in the late 1990s and turned very
organic, learning a little bit more about the way food was raised.” 
But it wasn’t
until she started considering pregnancy that Zissu really jumped on the
eco-friendly bandwagon. “I was talking to a friend who was also thinking about
getting pregnant,” she recalls. “I started researching everything from paint to
nail polish to cleaning products, which can affect growing children.”
As Zissu dove
deep into the world of eco-conscious parenting, she reacted like most
moms-to-be. “I started freaking out. It’s a house of horrors. What am I sitting
on? What kind of foam is in here? Is it off-gassing? What am I breathing? You
get in the shower. . there’s bleach residue getting up in your feet. The nail
polish you’ve loved for years has hormone destructors! It’s going to do
something unbelievably horrible!” she remembers with humor.
After
methodically going through each aspect of her home and work life in an effort
to make things more green, Zissu started to become fluent in the organic and
natural lifestyle. Her next step, naturally, was writing The Complete Organic
Pregnancy with Deirdre Dolan—the friend with which she shared that initial
conversation.
And that was
just the beginning of her career. Six years and three more books later, Zissu
fully embodies the environmentally responsible way of living, and she writes
about it regularly on her blog at alexandrazissu.com. One of her biggest
must-dos? Shared meals at the family table and purchasing food locally. “We
spend Saturday afternoon at the farmer’s market at Abingdon Square. We can get
apples, bread, fish, meat, eggs, everything. Then we usually head home for a
farmer’s market lunch.”
Back
at the apartment, Zissu describes her living space as a “wholesome urban home
setting.” While the loft is a good example of conscious design choices, like
the sleek yet rustic dinner table, Zissu feels strongly that “it’s more about
what’s green.” The layout of the family’s living space is a testament to her
commitment to clean and responsible living. The first floor features a central
lounging area including an antique table paired with new hardwood chairs. The
office furniture is hand-me-downs—solid wood and classic in design—while Aili
sleeps on her mother’s childhood bed frame, topped with a new organic mattress,
of course. Toys are neatly stacked in non-plastic bins and the rugs are made
from natural fibers without backing. 
But
Zissu is especially proud of her kitchen, and most notably, her glass container
collection. An entire cabinet filled with jars of all shapes and sizes is an
attractive and safe alternative for storing food. “Look…no plastic!” Zissu
exclaims. Aili goes to school with a stainless steel Japanese lunch box while
her mom chooses to cook in enamel pans, never non-stick. “A good alternative is
a cast iron pan. They cost about 25 dollars and last forever.”
While
committing to a green lifestyle may sound overwhelming, especially to a busy
parent, there are some simple steps you can immediately take to improve
conditions in your home.
“Take
off your shoes!” insists Zissu. “It’s the public health equivalent of washing
your hands. We all walk around in NYC and we know what we’re stepping on, and then
we see our kids crawling around on the floor [at home]. You wouldn’t let your
kids crawl around the street. Right there you minimize your exposure to
pesticides, auto exhaust and even dog poop.” To make shoe removal easier for
her own guests, Zissu has placed a charming bench with storage right next to
her entryway.
When
helping clients, she starts by finding the easy fixes. “It might not be easy to
throw out your mattress [so] change what’s already there… Look underneath your
kitchen sink. What are you willing to give up? Take everything out and switch
it with green products. Just doing this can result in a drastic reduction in
inner air pollution.”
With
an apartment that’s as pure as can be, Zissu now looks forward to cultivating a
green thumb. “I would like to grow things. To experience that full
circle…watching something grow from seed to corn.” Alexandra glances back at
her amaryllis. “There’s something magical about growing things with a kid.”
Alexandra’s Great Green
Advice: Books, Blogs, Stores And More!
- The Complete
Organic Pregnancy: What You Need to Know—From the Nail Polish You Wear to the
Bed You Sleep In to the Water You Drink by Deirdre Dolan and Alexandra Zissu - The Conscious
Kitchen: The New Way to Buy and Cook Food—To Protect The Earth, Improve Your
Health, and Eat Deliciously by Alexandra Zissu - Planet Home:
Conscious Choices for Cleaning and Greening the World You Care About Most by
Jeffrey Hollender and Alexandra Zissu - The Butcher’s
Guide to Well-Raised Meat: How to Buy, Cut, and Cook Great Beef, Lamb, Pork,
Poultry, and More by Joshua and Jessica Applestone and Alexandra Zissu - Zissu blogs at
alexandrazissu.com and is Editorial Director for practicallygreen.com.
And her favorite
local resources include:
- The city’s
wonderful green markets (87 locations!) can be found at grownyc.org. - The Green Depot (greendepot.com)
in the East Village is the nation’s leading supplier of
environmentally friendly building products, services and home solutions. - The Children’s Environmental Health Center (childenvironment.org) at Mount Sinai supports programs in research, education
and patient care to protect kids against environmental health threats. - Kaight
(kaightshop.com) on the Lower
East Side sells
organic housewares and clothing for adults.
