Privacy

Victoria Design Studio respects your privacy. We will never give or sell your information to any third party. We do not keep your credit card information on file. We do not collect any personal information unless given to us by you.

I saw something on your website and it’s not available in your store

There are many items I carry in my stores that are not available via the website and visa versa. I do not ship my hand-painted furniture. At this time, they are available at the store locations only. Also, due to the nature of the work, there are many designs that I do not repeat.

Holidays and Customer Service

We value our relationship with you. Please feel free to contact us with any questions you may have. We honor all major holidays. Though we do our best to respond to you in a timely manner, please keep in mind that we may be closed on a major holiday. If you order an item on a holiday, your order will be processed on the day immediately following. If you email or call us on a holiday and we are not available, a customer service representative will respond to you immediately after the holiday.

Terms of Sale

Payment is made before shipment.
Payments are accepted in US funds.
Sale prices do not apply to previous purchases.

When Will My Order Ship?

Most orders ship in 1 – 3 business days, however, larger orders may take four days for ready shipment.

Sales Tax

Sales Tax on California taxable sales is 8.75%

Back Orders

If an item purchased is out of stock, your order will be adjusted and you will receive a confirmation email with your order total promptly.

Images

Please note that all monitors and settings may be different. Please allow for slight color variations. Hand crafted items will be similar to the image shown, but note that the beauty of individually made artisan pieces may allow for a slight difference, as each piece is individually crafted.

Shipping Rates

Victoria Design Studio uses several artists and vendors. There are generally 2 shipping methods used. Though we reserve the right to use other delivery methods, the standard shipping will be either UPS or USPS and depends on the item. Some items may be a $5.00 flat rate, while at times we may run specials for free shipping. Shipping rates will be calculated at time of checkout.

Important Terms of Service:

1. Product Content: All content on this website is property of Victoria Design Studio (VDS). The design of this Web Site and all text, graphics, information, content, and other material displayed on or that can be downloaded from this Web Site are protected by copyright, trademark and other laws and may not be used. No public use of pictures, Logo’s or content may be used without permission.

2. Shipping: When an order is placed, we ship to the address provided. All purchases made on this website are considered a contract. We ship compliant to the shippers we use, i.e. UPS, USPS. Once an item is shipped, risk of loss and title for items purchased from this Web Site pass to you upon delivery of the items to the carrier. Filing any claims with carriers for damaged and/or lost shipments is your responsibility.

3. We make every attempt possible to assure accuracy. Despite our attempts, information may be inaccurate due to data entry error or a product may be out of stock. We reserve the right, without prior notice, to limit the order quantity on any product or service and/or to refuse service to any customer. We also may require verification of information prior to the acceptance and/or shipment of any order.

4. Inappropriate Material. You are prohibited from posting or transmitting any unlawful, threatening, defamatory, libelous, obscene, pornographic or profane material or any material that could constitute or encourage conduct that would be considered a criminal offense or give rise to civil liability, or otherwise violate any law. In addition to any remedies that we may have at law or in equity, if we determine, in our sole discretion, that you have violated or are likely to violate the foregoing prohibitions, we may take any action we deem necessary to cure or prevent the violation, including without limitation, the immediate removal of the related materials from this Web Site. We will fully cooperate with any law enforcement authorities or court order or subpoena requesting or directing us to disclose the identity of anyone posting such materials.

5. Warrantees: Any product warrantees are the responsibility of the product manufacturer. VDS is not responsible for the warraantees of the products sold on this site.

6. We make strive to make your shopping experience pleasant and problem free; However, we do not assume any responsibility, or will be liable, for any damages to, or any viruses that may infect, your computer or other property caused by or arising from your access to, use of, or browsing this Web Site, or your downloading of any information or materials from this Web Site.

So now that I’ve bored you a bit let me tell you how my store and proactive approach to organic green living began.

Like most people I have always cared about what I ate. When available I chose hormone free, pesticide free organic products. I knew I didn’t want to feed my child chemicals. The FDA didn’t tell us exactly what could go wrong biologically, but common sense told me to feed my child, and myself, the things that humans were meant to eat. That was it -The extent of my organic knowledge.

Well, a few years back, just when my art career was taking off, I became ill. Very ill. I couldn’t continue painting. The development of my newest studio came to a halt. As far as anyone knew, I fell off the planet. The doctors didn’t know what was wrong. They saw the lymph nodes enlarging, erratic fevers, signs of a virus would appear then disappear. I was diagnosed with lupus, then told it’s no longer showing up. I even submitted to serious surgery and got sicker while in the hospital. I was too exhausted and in pain to continue work. I felt terrible emotionally because I feel like I had let down those people who supported me. Those of whom I will never forget.

In pure despair, I decided to try a last ditch effort of changing my diet. There was a theory out there that since I enjoyed gourmet cooking (I still do) that possibly I ate an imported item (fruit or veg) that carried a virus. I grabbed my dusty copy of mindell’s vitamin bible from the bookshelf and kept it with me like an old friend. (I am not promoting any books or diets here. Just telling my story.)

And there my education began to flourish. Learning about pesticides and the vegetation we should be consuming, the importance of organic products and green living. Well, I am not a doctor, so let me cut to the chase – It changed my life. A whole world opened up to me. Yes, as you would expect, I got healthier.

Then I met who would soon become my daughter-in-law. I found out that she is allergic to red food coloring. It didn’t manifest itself as hives, but an emotional issue. How unusual, I thought. It didn’t take deep digging to find out the elements of food coloring and its effects. How it affects not only our immune system but our nervous system. That there are studies popping up every day about children who consume artificial food coloring and tendencies for emotional disorders, violence, ADHD etc. I have seen doctors who have said “I don’t even know how this stuff is legal.”

Once again, cut to the chase – here I am, an organic enthusiast and an artist. I try to promote artisan crafted hand made items, organic foods and sustainable green living items. I am not a perfectionist and wholly respect, and am grateful, for those who are. (A true inspiration.) I still enjoy gourmet cooking, I still eat way too much chocolate and I definitely do not exercise enough. I believe we are all continuing to evolve, grow and learn how to incorporate a healthy lifestyle into our current schedules and budgets. I think that’s great. Ever hear the phrase A little can do a lot of good? I am not asking anyone to make a huge shift in their life right now. But I do believe in conscious living. If everyone did a little, I think it would do a whole lot of good!

Thank you so much for taking the time to read this. I am eternally grateful for the support.

Victoria Design Studio is the impetus of artist Victoria York. Victoria was well received at exhibits in NY and NJ. At the same time, Victoria developed a flair for painting recycled furniture, as she was designing her own home.

Victoria credits her parents for her intests in artisan creations and ancient antiquities. When She moved to Georgia, to be with her family, she incorporated her passions and interests into a family business. The items available at Victoria Design Studio reflect both our eye for beauty and sense of social responsibility.

While custom furniture is still available in several locations, this site is offering affordable luxury products with a focus on artisan made hand crafted products.

Though many of our products are eco-smart and fair trade, we hope what you find is simply COOL STUFF for YOU and YOUR HOME!

We continue to look for vendors who specialize in any of the following:
Organic, Sustainable, Artisan Made, Eco Friendly, Fair Trade

So here is the scoop and how I got started in organic, green living…
First, I don’t preach to anyone about what they should be doing, about green living, eating organic foods, or otherwise – mostly because I don’t want anyone preaching to me. There is a big difference between educating and letting people make choices for themselves and their own lifestyle and throwing it at someone tied to a brick! Besides, I am not perfect and am not in the position to tell people what they should be doing. There are a lot of choices and options where someone can begin bringing change into their life at a comfortable pace.

My choices in life are ever changing and evolving and to be honest, I like it that way. I am an artist. I adore creating, the process of creating and watching something evolve. I like to think of myself as a girly girl, but apparently I’m not. I like to get my manicured hands dirty. When I paint, I often use my fingers. When I garden, I often forgo tools to dig with my hands. I don’t mind coming out of the gym, still in my racquetball clothes, before going home to wash up. There is nothing more important to me then my family.

6. Cinnamon

Another power-packed spice, cinnamon has been used for hundreds of years in cooking and home remedies.

Today, scientists are exploring its role in helping regulate blood sugar in diabetics and lowering cholesterol in heart patients.

7. Fennel

Get rid of persistent flatulence with this herb.

Fennel is a great remedy reducing digestive air movement. Fennel also contains phytoestrogens, making it useful as a remedy for many female complaints, especially symptoms of menopause. Also very high in anti-cancer coumarin compounds, such as anethole, the primary component of its volatile oil.

8. Hemp Oil

Hemp oil, available in Victoria Design Studio store, Hemp oil is used as a nutritional supplement and in many beauty care products. Hemp oil is rich in omega-3 fatty acids. Regular consumption of omega-3 fatty acids may help prevent heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, diabetes, arthritis, mood disorders and Alzheimer’s. Omega-3 fatty acids may also help improve brain function in healthy individuals.

Hemp oil provides significant amounts of vitamin E, magnesium, zinc, iron and phosphate.

Even for Pets..Hemp-oil pet products promise a healthy coat, healthy skin and joint health. Hemp oil can also be used to soothe cracked or worn paws. I put a tablespoon into my dogs food everyday to help with his dry skin and it works wonderfully!

How to Use
Hemp oil has a pleasant, nutty flavor and can be added to many recipes. Try adding it to salad, pasta dishes, rice pilaf, stir fry or soup. Make sure to add the oil after cooking because high temperatures will reduce the health benefits of the omega-3 fatty acids.

9. Oregano

An antioxidant nature of oregano is evident from the presence of thymol and rosmainic acid. These compounds help in scavenging free radicals, thus preventing cell damage and membrane alteration. The amount of antioxidant present in a tablespoon of fresh oregano and a medium-sized apple are the same. Oregano essential oil and it’s ingredients thymol and carvacrol at concentrations of 0.025% and 0.05% completely inhibited the growth of all fungi.
The oil of oregano is a potent inhibitor of yeast, including Candida albicans. Oregano contains the phenolic compounds carvacrol and thymol, two powerful antimicrobial agents.

10. Rosemary

But pair rosemary which has two big-name antioxidants, and you could help to fight off cancer. Rosemary has also be suspected as a breast cancer-fighter. It contains rosmarinic acid, an antioxidant that works with your immune system to block allergy triggers; it also helps to prevent arthritis

Information from: Health, Dr. Oz, Earl Mindells Vitamin Bible

Everyday Foods that can Actually help cure your ails. Keep these items in your home and you could be feeling better in no time..

1. Garlic

Whenever I feel the risk of getting sick, I take garlic. Much better raw than cooked, garlic has 1% of the potency of penicillin and can ward off a number of bacteria such as Listeria, Salmonella, E. coli, Cryptococcal meningitis, Candida albican and Staphylococcus. The problem with most antibiotics is that bacteria develops resistance to them, however this is not the case with garlic.

Garlic has antibiotic and blood cleansing properties containing allicin which scavenges hydroxyl radicals (OH). This is turn is thought to prevent LDLs from being oxidised.

Known for its beneficial effects on your cholesterol, among other things. It is high in phytochemicals, which have been known to lower blood pressure, and may also help to reduce the risk of stroke. Eating a lot of garlic can lower rates of some cancers as well (ovarian, colorectal, etc) and colon polyps, too.

2. Turmeric

Long held as a cure for pain, this common curry spice that contains a chemical known as curcumin has powerful anti-inflammatory effects on the body, making it a great choice for those suffering from arthritis, tendonitis, and other auto-immune conditions. Tumeric is connected as a potential healer of ailments such as Alzheimer’s disease and colon cancer.

3. Basil

This healing herb is just now beginning to get the recognition it deserves as beneficial for things like stress. Holy basil in particular (the kind you use in pesto) contains compounds that stimulate adrenaline and noradrenaline production, while decreasing serotonin—all effective ways to reduce feelings of stress. Others have studied basil for its possible benefits in inhibiting breast cancer. And some even recommend basil essential oil (in a water mixture) as a formulation for sterilizing produce naturally. It can also be used to alleviate nausea.

4. Ginger

Used in all kinds of cooking for centuries, ginger comes in many forms—powdered, fresh, candied, minced, and more. A classic home remedy for nausea (whether you’re pregnant or experiencing motion sickness), ginger has also been implicated as a powerful antioxidant capable of banishing free radicals.

It may also be able to help lower blood pressure, reduce cancer risks, regulate blood flow, relieve pain, and even ease arthritis. Studies have shown that ginger can reduce nausea from motion sickness and surgery side effects better than other dangerous, over the counter medicines. It inhibits the aggregation of platelets which cause blood clots and protects against stomach ulcers.

5. Chocolate

Dark Chocolate contains strong flavonoids that are antioxidants. The antioxidant effect include inhibiting blood platelets from sticking together, clogging arteries and causing heart attacks.

blend the best of both… Ginger has a strong flavor that is loved by many. But if you are new to the root, a delicious way to get your taste buds ready is to try the crystallized ginger in dark chocolate bar. Just a small square a day makes me very happy!

As seen in Bottom Lines News:
Chattanooga Named One of the World’s Seven Most Intelligent Communities

Chattanooga, TN (January 24, 2011) – Chattanooga was recognized as one of the world’s seven smartest cities in 2011 last week by the Intelligent Community Forum (ICF), an economic and social development think tank that studies 21st Century growth within the global community.

Praised for leveraging some of the latest information and communications technology to spark job creation, Chattanooga joined six of the world’s most innovative cities to top 14 others considered for the accolade.

The ICF cited Chattanooga’s tremendous strides in air quality control, its transformative downtown revitalization, its improved standards for secondary education with integrated career training and its fully-accessible 1,000 megabit-per-second residential Internet service as the primary reasons it was selected as a Top Seven city.

Two other U.S. cities – Dublin, Ohio and Riverside, California – also made the list along with communities in the Netherlands, France and Canada.

“We’re proud our achievements as a technologically-progressive city are receiving recognition of this magnitude,” says Tom Edd Wilson, president and CEO of the Chattanooga Chamber. “Chattanooga has engendered outstanding transformation over the last several years by using innovative technologies to create jobs. We’ve earned our place on the international map and expect to continue making waves in the global community as we pursue further leadership in 21st Century growth.”

The Intelligent Community of the Year selection process will enter its final stage in May when a team of independent academic experts visits each of the selected cities to survey their technological infrastructures and gauge the impact of each in powering growth, addressing social challenges and preserving and promoting culture. The awards cycle will end in June, when one of the seven cities visited takes the torch from last year’s winner, Suwon, South Korea, to become the 2011 Intelligent Community of the Year.

Chemicals and contaminants might trigger cancer by a variety of means. They can damage DNA, disrupt hormones, inflame tissues, or turn genes on or off.

“Some types of cancer are increasing rapidly,” Clapp said, including thyroid, kidney and liver cancers. Others, including lung and breast cancer, have declined, largely due to declines in tobacco use and hormone replacement therapy.

Previous reports by the President’s Cancer Panel have focused largely on treatment and more well-known causes of cancer such as diet or smoking.

The panel criticized regulators and industry for using ”woefully outdated” estimates of environmentally caused cancers to set regulations and “to justify its claims that specific products pose little or no cancer risk.”Some experts are concerned that the report might just sit on a shelf at the White House. But Clapp said the findings are so strongly stated that he is confident the report will be useful to some policymakers, legislators and groups that want tougher occupational health standards or other regulations.

“We’re not going to get any better than this,” Clapp said. “This goes farther than what I thought the President’s Cancer Panel would go. I’m pleased that they went as far as they did.”

Environmental health scientists said they hope the report raises not just the President’s awareness of environmental threats, but the public’s, since most people are unaware of the dangers.

“This report has stature,” Schettler said. “It is a report that goes directly to the president.”

Overall cancer rates and deaths have declined in the United States. Nevertheless, about 41 percent of all Americans still will be diagnosed with cancer during their lifetime, and about 21 percent will die from it, according to the National Cancer Institute’s SEER Cancer Statistics Review. In 2009 alone, about 1.5 million new cases were diagnosed.

For the past 30 years, federal agencies and institutes have estimated that environmental pollutants cause about 2 percent of all cancers and that occupational exposures may cause 4 percent.

Patients who have a chest CT scan receive a dose of radiation in the same range as survivors of the Hiroshima atomic bomb attacks who were less than half a mile from ground zero. The panel called those estimates ”woefully out of date.” The panel criticized regulators for using them to set environmental regulations and lambasted the chemical industry for using them “to justify its claims that specific products pose little or no cancer risk.”

But Thun of the American Cancer Society said that conclusion “does not represent scientific consensus. Rather, it reflects one side of a scientific debate that has continued for almost 30 years.” [Editor’s Note: added May 7, 2010]

The report does not try to estimate environmentally induced cancers but said the old estimates, dating back to 1981, fail to take into account many newer discoveries about people’s vulnerability to chemicals. Many chemicals interact with each other, intensifying the effect, and some people have a genetic makeup or early life exposure that makes them susceptible to environmental contaminants.

“It is not known exactly what percentage of all cancers either are initiated or promoted by an environmental trigger,” the panel said in its report. “Some exposures to an environmental hazard occur as a single acute episode, but most often, individual or multiple harmful exposures take place over a period of weeks, months, year, or a lifetime.”

Boston University’s Clapp was one of the experts who spoke to the panel in 2008. ”We know enough now to act in ways that we have not done…Act on what we know,” he told them.

“There are lots of places where we can move forward here. Lots of things we can act on now,” such as military base cleanups and reducing use of CT scans, Clapp said in an interview.

Dr. Ted Schettler, director of the Science and Environmental Health Network, called the report an “integrated and comprehensive critique.” He was glad that the panel underscored that regulatory agencies should reduce exposures even when absolute proof of harm was unavailable.

Scientists are divided on whether there is a link between cell phones and cancer.

Also, “they recognized that exposures happen in mixtures, not in isolation” and that children are most vulnerable.

“Some people are disproportionately exposed and disproportionately vulnerable,” said Schettler, whose group was founded by environmental groups to urge the use of science to address public health issues related to the environment.

Schettler said it “took courage” for the panel to warn physicians about the cancer risk posed by CT scans, particularly for young children.

“It’s almost become routine for kids with abdominal pain to get a CT scan” to check for appendicitis, he said. Although the scans may lead to fewer unnecessary surgeries, doctors should consider the high doses of radiation. “I’m very glad this panel took that on,” Schettler said.

Another sensitive issue raised in the report was the risk of brain cancer from cell phones. Scientists are divided on whether there is a link.

Until more research is conducted, the panel recommended that people reduce their usage by making fewer and shorter calls, using hands-free devices so that the phone is not against the head and refraining from keeping a phone on a belt or in a pocket.

Even if cell phones raise the risk of cancer slightly, so many people are exposed that “it could be a large public health burden,” Schettler said.

The panel listed a variety of carcinogenic compounds that many people routinely encounter. Included are benzene and other petroleum-based pollutants in vehicle exhaust, arsenic in water supplies, chromium from plating companies, formaldehyde in kitchen cabinets and other plywood, bisphenol A in plastics and canned foods, tetrachloroethylene at dry cleaners, PCBs in fish and other foods and various pesticides.

The two-member panel – Dr. LaSalle D. Lefall, Jr., a professor of surgery at Howard University and Margaret Kripke, a professor at University of Texas’ M.D. Anderson Cancer Center – was appointed by President Bush to three-year terms.

Lefall and Kripke concluded that action is necessary to reduce exposures, even though in many cases there is scientific uncertainty about whether certain chemicals cause cancer. That philosophy, called the precautionary principle, is highly controversial among scientists, regulators and industry.

“The increasing number of known or suspected environmental carcinogens compels us to action, even though we may currently lack irrefutable proof of harm,” Lefall, who is chair of the panel, said in a statement.

The two panelists met with nearly 50 medical experts in late 2008 and early 2009 before writing their report to the president. Cyclist and cancer survivor Lance Armstrong previously served on the panel, but did not work on this year’s report.

The report recommends raising consumer awareness of the risks posed by chemicals in food, air, water and consumer products, bolstering research of the health effects and tightening regulation of chemicals that might cause cancer or other diseases.

They also urged doctors to use caution in prescribing CT scans and other medical imaging tests that expose patients to large amounts of radiation. In 2007, 69 million CT scans were performed, compared with 18 million in 1993. Patients who have a chest CT scan receive a dose of radiation in the same range as survivors of the Hiroshima atomic bomb attacks who were less than half a mile from ground zero, the report says.

The panel also criticized the U.S. military, saying that “it is a major source of toxic occupational and environmental exposures that can increase cancer risk.” Examples cited include Camp Lejeune in North Carolina, where carcinogenic solvents contaminate drinking water, and Vietnam veterans with increased lymphomas, prostate cancer and other cancers from thier exposure to the herbicide Agent Orange.