Celebrating Earth Day with Interiors

Did you celebrate Earth Day on April 22nd? Did you do anything to make your home interior environmentally friendly? Here are some questions to ask yourself when considering a home improvement project or purchase.

1. Have you switched all your incandescent bulbs out for compact fluorescent light bulbs? If not, next time you are in your local hardware store, pick some up. You will have them ready when that next light bulb burns out.
2. Do you really need your heat or air set at the same temperature when you are out of the home or sleeping? Consider installing a programmable thermostat? It will save you money and help save the earth.
3. Is air flowing into your home under doors and windows? Plug them up! Air leaks allow air and heat to sneak outside, making it more difficult for us to control the air in our home. In turn, this makes the air conditioner or furnace work harder. It ends up costing you more money and wasting precious resources.
4. Buy local products. Products made overseas require tons and tons of fuel.
5. Buy items with post-consumer recycled content. This can range from clothes to fabrics, plastic containers to furniture, even coffee mugs.
6. Do you reuse? Reusing ensures less waste goes into landfills. Can you reuse that old piece of furniture? Can you reuse paint you already have in your basement? How about shopping at a thrift or antique store? It’s amazing what your mind can come up with when given the opportunity to save money and make something beautiful for your home!
7. Buy Energy Star Appliances. Replace old appliances with Energy Star models when they break. Your appliances will run more efficiently and can save you money in the long run. Remember to unplug your small appliances when they are not in use because they can still suck up energy.
8. Don’t forget to ask the experts. Decide if buying a sustainable product is an option for you before you buy anything for your home. If so, just ask the expert for more information. I bet you learn something interesting.

Celebrate Earth Day all 365 days in your home! How have you made the Earth better today?

Water, Water Everywhere, and Not a Drop to Drink

As a designer I have always specified Kohler or Sterling products because they are well made, beautiful products and made in America. Their faucets, sinks and toilets have been  on the cutting edge
of  technology for conserving water. In taking some courses in LEED certification a few years ago, I learned that “Kohler has been concerned since the 1970’s about water conservation and have global teams of engineers working to improve water efficiency with beautiful designs, excellent performance and keeping them affordable.”

Kohler’s faucets have water saving aerators. The faucets with the WaterSense label will save over 14,700 gallons of water each year, unlike older faucets.

The Environmental Protection Agency’s WaterSense program reviews manufacturers products and gives awards to those whose products conserve water. In 2008, Kohler was named as a Manufacturing Partner in the WaterSense program. To obtain this prestigious award, there must be demonstrated overall excellence in the water-efficiency arena as well as increase the awareness and advance the overall mission of WaterSense. So why would a plumbing manufacturer get involved in this?

In their brochure, Kohler states “that less than 1 percent of the world’s water supply is accessible for human use. Nearly one billion people in the world lack safe drinking water.” By the year 2013, at least 36 states in the United States anticipates local, regional or statewide water shortages.

Toilets account for 25 percent of daily indoor water use in homes in the United States. Out of that, one-half of all toilets in homes in United States are older, less efficient models, which waste approximately 1.6 billion gallons of water each day. For a single individual, a High Efficiency Toilet can save 16,500 gallons of water a year.

What does this mean to you?

If you are paying for your water, multiply the rate they are charging you by 16,500 (per toilet in your house), and that is how much you could save by replacing your toilet. Do the same with the faucets you have in your house. If for no other reason than saving money, it is worth changing out your old toilets and faucets.

Altruistically, by conserving water we all work towards a better future for our families and our children’s children. After all, 2013 is not that far away. Kohler, in addition to creating water conserving products, also reclaims and reuses the rise water in their faucet facility and product testing labs, thereby saving millions of gallons of water.

Do you believe in doing business primarily with those companies that practice and produce environmentally conscious products? Are you thinking about replacing any of your toilets or faucets in the near future? Will you consider WaterSense labeled products?

Bamboo Fabric! How Do They Do That?

How in the world is there bamboo in my fabric? We have all heard about the hype in the sustainable movement with bamboo because it is rapidly renewable, needs no replanting, pesticides or fertilizers. When it comes to bamboo flooring, we can easily recognize it. But did you know that there can be bamboo in your fabrics?!

Bamboo resembles cotton in its unspun form; it is soft and can be worn directly on the skin without many people complaining of allergic reactions that they might have with wool or hemp. This is because the fiber is naturally round and does not have sharp spurs that can irritate the skin.

Since bamboo is naturally a beige color, many companies are bleaching the fibers until they become white. When bamboo is left unbleached and in its natural color, it is considered organic bamboo. Before the bamboo fiber can be spun and dyed for weaving into our products, it is heavily pulped until it separates into thin component threads of fiber.

But the most amazing thing about bamboo fabric is that is retains many of the same properties it has in its natural plant form! It is highly water absorbent, which allows the fabric to have excellent wicking ability that will pull moisture away from the skin so it can easily evaporate. Wow, can you imagine what this would be like on your workout clothes or socks?

It gets even better because it has many antibacterial qualities and can retain these through washing and drying. This reduces bacteria and odors that can be left behind on some fabrics. Additionally it has insulating properties, which means we can stay cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter. Now THAT’S impressive!

By now you may be wondering how this might translate well into home products. Imagine having bamboo towels that are water absorbent, antibacterial, and reduces odors. How about bamboo sheets or blankets? They will keep you warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer. Sounds like a great night’s sleep to me! Additionally, the bamboo fabric can take bright dye colors well and drapes smoothly to create wonderful looking window treatments.

Have you designed with bamboo fabric before? Are you willing to try?

Is Your Patio Ready For Summer?

I know that interior design is the name of the game, but as we approach warmer weather for an extended period, I think it is important (and I think many would agree with me) that you have to think of your patio as another room in your home. Our family home has this great screened porch. My mother talked about it for years, her dream of having a screened porch on the back of the house. Well, she got her wish about 7 years ago. Now, when our family gathers there. If it is over 50 degrees, we are on the porch. And I have to say, we love it. But what makes it so great?

Here are a few porch attributes which I think add to the value of your outdoor environment:

Lounging around AND dining. Having a great lounge chair to catch some rays is crucial, in my opinion, to a successful patio. However, you need to combine that with separate pieces that work for dining. It can be really hard to eat corn on the cob and lounge at the same time!

The vitality of shade. When thinking about all the members of your family, you need to provide some shade. I am not saying every porch should be built to the expense of being screened in, but a good adjustable umbrella is a great investment. Just be sure to put the money into a good one that will last. If you buy a cheaply made one, you may be investing in one every year. So just lay down the cash the first time around and you should get many seasons use out of it.

Rugs may sound odd, but they work! If you have a roof or awning that covers your outdoor space, consider an outdoor rug. I think this can really take an outdoor living space from Plain Jane to a high-use critical space for your home. There is some type of psychological effect that completes the space when you think from the ground up. Also, the softness makes the space feel more like a living room or even a family room. You can just add the patio to your vacuum routine. Just be sure that if you plan on leaving the rug outside that you purchase something indoor/outdoor ready. Or, just use an old area rug from inside that you have replaced.

I love summer, and I love porch time! So, what are your plans for outdoor living this season?

Rid Your Space of Lead – It’s the Law

A new federal law that took effect this month (April 2010) requires any contractor that is doing work on a home, child care facility or school that was built prior to 1978 must now be certified and follow specific work practices to prevent lead contamination.

When renovations or repairs are done in facilities where children are the primary occupants, the lead will be disturbed and could be transferred in dust to the inhabitants. Sanding, scraping, or even the burning of wood covered in lead based paint can lead to exposure. Lead-based paint was used in 87% of facilities built prior to 1940 and 69% of facilities built between 1940 and 1960. Between 1960 and 1978, only 24% of facilities built used lead based paint.

When the work begins, the contractor is required to seal off the area being worked on. No occupants or pets are allowed to have access to the area until all the work is complete. The forced air and air conditioning systems must be turned off because they can spread the lead contaminated dust throughout the facility.

To minimize the lead dust it is recommended that water be used to mist areas before sanding or scraping . Before boards are pried up or other materials are separated, paint should be scored with a knife to minimize dust and paint chips. When all the work is complete, a vacuum with a HEPA filter is used to clean up the dust and debris and then all surfaces are completely washed down. The key to this will be the constant use of clean rinse water.

When creating a contract for this type of work, make sure that a lead-free test is part of the work included. An EPA recognized lead testing site will send a sampling kit to you. You can collect the samples and return the kit for analysis. Because the facility can fail the test and may need to be cleaned again, it is important to make the contractor responsible for any re-cleaning that may be necessary.

Lead can affect our children’s brains and developing nervous systems (especially those under the age of 6), causing reduced IQ, learning disabilities and behavioral problems. Lead can also have negative affects on adults causing high blood pressure and hypertension.

Have you been involved in renovation work that involved lead paint? Does your home contain lead-based paint? If so, have you ever thought about replacing it?

Starting from the Bottom Up: Green Design

When construction begins on a facility we rarely think about the foundation work. After all, it basically gets buried on the outside by the earth. And on the inside, we turn it into a recreation room with drywall or paneling. A new foam wall system has improved foundation. It uses two layers of foam with reinforcements and the cement is poured between the layers. Before this system, the forms would be pulled away from the concrete wall. Now we leave the foam in place as additional insulation to the lower level of our facilities.

Nudura is a new product that moves this technology from the lower level of homes through the entire building. In locations that are prone to hurricanes and tornadoes, this technology may save lives and prevent
property damage. The walls can withstand winds up to 250 mph and have hurricane anchor systems suitable for roofs. The anchoring elements are surrounded by cement in the concrete walls, so the roof will not break away from the home.

The basis of their product uses foam walls with one concrete wall between to form the foundation all walls within the home. Because the walls are made of highly insulated concrete, they reduce air infiltration that can occur in traditional wood stud homes and reduce sound transfer into the home. They also increase the fire protection over wood built walls for up to 3-4 hours. Concrete would not allow for moisture to get caught between the walls. Once they are cured, they are impervious to moisture and molds caused by moisture forming in the walls.

The wall systems are manufactured with recycled material and produce little waste during the construction phase. Most of the waste during the construction phase of buildings goes directly into landfills. The foam forms are non-toxic and do not emit CFC’s or HCFC’s. They are able to design their forms with 45-degree angles or curved walls so the building materials do not hamper the design. This means a precise layout, reducing costs on labor to layout. Another reduction on costs is in the delivery of the forms because they are able to be shipped flat, so almost twice as many can be shipped on one truck transportation costs and fuel usage is reduced.

In areas of high humidity, winds and termites, the Nudura product would be a logical building material. What do you think? Is your home built with this material? How does it hold up to traditional foundations?

Key Elements of Green Space Planning

Space planning is the act of deciphering solutions for a space based on client criteria and needs. During space planning, a designer will determine needed spaces, arrange the spaces as necessary to address flow of the space and also verify building codes – all at the same time!

Space planning is one of the most important rolls a designer can play – it is the basic step and most time intensive (can be at least) in order to finish selection and furniture planning of the space. When a designer is addressing space planning, they sometimes get to start from scratch. Other times they have to begin from an existing space that has obstacles like existing walls. But what are the challenges and added criteria when trying to plan green??

1. Use your walls – One of the greatest elements of green design is to use what you have. So if there are dividing walls in a space then why not use them to their greatest potential. When thinking green, you want to avoid using new materials when not needed. By using rooms and walls that are in existance you are not using any more virgin materials. And that is the key – what you are NOT using from scratch to make new.
2. Think about daylighting – Natural daylight needs to travel throughout a positive green interior. The use of daylighting does not only reduce the dependence on artificial light, and therefore reduce energy consumption, but it also saves money, increases employee productivity and allows space inhabitants to have a connection with the outdoor environment. All this from something that is free. You just have to plan for it.
3. Plan the height – 42” is a general standard of measure that is used in Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) and at this measurement, the inhabitants of a space can have clear view (meaning a view to the outdoors). If you can plan for this height you can once again increase productivity and make the office a more friendly work environment. Keep in mind that for LEED purposes you can have a clear line of site, including through levels of glazing or interior glass partitions.
4. Plan away from the windows – Be sure to save the aisle for next to the exterior – if you can place the offices and conference rooms toward the interior and the individual work stations on the exterior, all the planning for the above elements will be easier!

So these are just a few ways to plan smart and plan green! How is your office set up? Does it fit in with green design?

The Debate Between Low Voltage, Solar, and Decorative Outdoor Lights

Low voltage lighting is a type of landscape lighting that uses 12 volt electrical instead of the 120 volts delivered by regular household current. These 12-volt systems do not require an electrician to install, which makes them safe and easy to work with, and thus popular with homeowners.

Another benefit is that light fixtures can be added and adjusted while the system is plugged in and turned on. Low voltage landscape lighting kits are generally affordable and available in most hardware and building centers. That said, professionally installed and designed low voltage systems using higher grade components will give you lasting satisfaction that stands the test of time.

Solar lighting is a relative newcomer to the outdoor lighting market but has captured homeowners’ fancy with a vast selection of fixture styles and dead-easy installation and upkeep. Like landscape lighting, solar lights can be used to illuminate steps, paths, and pools. However, instead of an electric power source, solar lights use a photocell that charges a NiCad battery during the day and then powers the light at night.

With virtually no wiring to speak of, solar lighting kits have become very popular and if you are not careful, very ugly! I can’t stand some of these little sticks with lights attached that you find at CVS, or your local drug store. People are going way, way, way overboard! There is nothing worse than seeing a neighboring home use twenty or thirty of these ugly lights to line their path to their home! What did you do a few years ago to “light the way”? I am sure that people will be able to find your house without them!

When I think of patio lights, I immediately recall plastic owls and plastic bee hives that my grandparents hung at their lake house back in the late 70’s and early 80’s. VERY TACKY! Yet so lovely! Now, strings of brightly colored party paper lanterns come to mind which can be tastefully done for PARTIES only! Please take these down when you are not celebrating a birthday or having a garden party. There is nothing worse than a backyard that is full of party gear all summer long. You wouldn’t keep streamers up in your house so don’t do it outside either. String patio lights are perfect for temporarily dressing up patio seating areas or entertaining spaces.

Lanterns may be low tech, but nothing beats the charm and versatility these provide. You can find garden lanterns in a huge array of styles, from Chinese to Victorian. Let go of the bamboo tiki torch. Unless you are having a luau or live on a tropical island, these should not become part of your normal backyard décor.

If you are fond of the torch style lighting, select something that is more stable like wrought iron or copper. Styles range from classic Art deco to metallic finish oil fueled torches and wall torches. It is a simple way to add a glow without having to run wiring for electrical ambiance.

Explore your options before you buy, and think of how you will be using your summer space. What kind of lights do you have hanging in your backyard? Do you agree with me about the tackiness of some lighting options?

Hidden Charitable Companies: Kohler

When searching out some product inquiries on Kohler’s site the other day I was surprised to learn that they are so much more than just bath fixtures and faucets.

This privately held company has four very separate and distinct divisions. The Kitchen and Bath Group manufactures water-saving products for conserving water and utilizing recycled materials. The Interiors Group consists of businesses like Ann Sacks, McGuire Furniture, Baker Furniture and Kallista – four well-known names in the Interiors program.

As a company focused on environmental issues, many of the tiles within the Ann Sacks line are sustainable. McGuire Furniture has designed furniture that uses renewable natural products, like the water hyacinth fibers, in their Copenhagen lounge chair and ottoman. Global Power Group focuses on decreasing emissions and improving air quality and their Hospitality and Real Estate Group has preserved vast acres of wildlife habitats.

Regardless of which division you are working with, there is a sense of responsibility to their communities and our global environment. They talk about their “corporate environmental, and the health and safety considerations in all company activities.”

Kohler talks about their goal to have an environmental footprint that nets zero by 2035. To achieve this, they started working on reducing their dependency on natural gas back in the 1970’s. They reuse the heat from their kilns (which bake on the enamel finishes on the sinks & toilets) to heat their facility. When making cast iron tubs, rather than use new mined materials, they use their foundry to melt recycled metals and reclaimed materials. They recycle wood, corrugated materials, paper, waste oil, machine coolants, batteries, electronics and light bulbs rather than send them off to their on-site landfill. When they develop new facilities, Kohler use green building principles and incorporate green spaces with each facility design.

Let me continue filling you in on some of the surprising information that I learned about Kohler. Kohler’s has donated approximately 43,000 kitchen and bath products to Habitat for Humanity homes. They donate products to Extreme Makeover: Home Edition and have charitable contribution programs that are concerned with education and preservation of the environment in every community they manufacture in.

Kohler has won awards for their gardens not only on their manufacturing facility locations, but also throughout their communities. The gardens are designed to encourage the wildlife in the areas, e.g. plants to feed hummingbirds and butterflies. So much for me thinking this is a little company in the hills of Wisconsin just focusing on making quality products.

Do you know of other corporations – public or private – that focus on green space design and manufacturing?

Dreading Gardening? Helpful Tips and Tools!

Well ladies and gentleman, it is that time of year again! Get back outside to clear and clean out the gardens and flowerbeds for the new arrivals of the season! It is time to suffer with dirty fingernails, sore backs and aching knees. Or is it?

I have found some products on the market that will help alleviate some of the pain and discomfort that goes into making our garden’s look beautiful.

When it comes to removing debris and replanting stationary planters, it can seem like a great deal of effort to remove soil from years past and make room for this year’s new seedling. I found a gadget that saves time and effort by holding back the soil while it remains in the planter. This is ideal for planting in containers. If you’ve experienced the aggravation of digging out dirt and trying to figure out where to move it next, your problem is solved.

The Wedgie has an ergonomically designed knob handle that reduces wrist strain from planting. With the Wedgie, you are displacing dirt instead of digging it out with a trowel, so you won’t have a mess. You simply push the Wedgie into loose soil, rock it back and forth and side to side to make room, pull it out, and put in the plant. That’s it!

Ladies, don’t you just love that no matter what gloves you wear while gardening, your fingernails are filled with dirt at the end of the day? I was willing to accept this, until I found a comfortable, pair of gloves  perfect for outdoor projects.

Nitrile garden gloves have seamless knit liners – no lumps or seams to rub and irritate hands. These sure-gripping gloves are flexible, offering amazing dexterity without compromising durability.

These lightweight nylon knit gloves fit like a second skin. Tougher than rubber, the nitrile coating protects palms and fingertips from the hazards of gardening. These ultra thin gloves let you feel what you’re doing – weeding, thinning, pruning, even picking up individual seeds! They stand up to repeated machine washings and dry quickly.

When we start talking about specific tools, I would advise in the investment of a really good set of standard tools that will last your lifetime and actually prevent excessive pain and discomfort.

Garden tools come in varying levels of quality. Many cheaper tools will get the job done, but will only last a season or two. If you want something that will last a lifetime, buy tools with a proven forging process. There is less chance of breaking or bending these tools under hard use.

Clarington is one of my favorite tool companies.  The company has a long history of craftsmanship and they are not outrageously expensive. You can buy more expensive tools, but I’ve found Clarington will stand the test of time and wear. Consider these a life long investment. Your grandchildren will probably inherit them!

What are your tips for a safe, successful season of gardening? What brand of tools is your favorite?

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