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?

Moss as Art: A DIY Project

 

 

I just started a DIY project at home with the help of my friendly neighbor. With the growing popularity of a living wall, I wanted to try my hand at creating a simple version for my own home. I love the idea of plants as art and decided to start with easy simple to grow and maintain: Moss.

The Internet popularity of the moss mat has only expanded my interest in this concept. Though not many people have presumably brought one into their home, it’s creative approach has sparked conversation.

“Nguyen La Chanh’s ingenious design is made from a decay-free foam called plastazote, and populated with three varieties of moss: ball, island, and forest. Maintenance required for this little patch of green is limited, as the moss thrives off of the humidity released from daily bathroom rituals.”

 

 

Though I’d like to continue the do-it-yourself experiment into a moss table (as pictured), we started with a piece of art. We decided to grow moss on a piece of plywood to later mount to the wall. Pending any success, we’ll add two more pieces for additional decoration.

I’m no botanist, but I found directions moss-growing directions that were easy enough to follow; then I let some creativity take over. Please let me know what you think!

 

Materials:

• 1’x1’ piece of plywood
• Water sealer for plywood
• Burlap (enough to cover plywood with 3 layers)
• Staple gun
• Moss
• 8 oz of beer
• Teaspoon of sugar
• Blender

Prepping the base

 


Burlap stapled to plywood

 

• Start by treating the wood with water sealant. You’ll need to let this dry, so make sure to get this finished before you’re ready to continue.
• Once the plywood is treated and dry, cut the burlap to fit the plywood. You’ll need 3 separately cut pieces.
• Pull the first piece of burlap tight against the wood so it’s not draping, but allow room for plants to root themselves. Staple the burlap to the back of the plywood.
• Do the same with the other two pieces of burlap, but angle the pieces in different directs to add texture. You should not be able to see the wood when this is complete.

 

Growing moss
This is the fun part so, if you have them, make sure to include kids!

1. Collect grown moss outdoors. We used about 6” worth. Make sure to shake off any loose dirt.
2. Put the moss, beer, and sugar into a blender. Blend until liquid.
3. Pour the mossy concoction onto the burlap. Leave room on the edges.
4. Allow the moss to grow by keeping it flat, moist, and shady. (It’s pretty messy and a little smelly at this point, so we kept it outdoors.)
5. Once the moss has rooted and grown, we’ll be adding trim pieces on the edges to frame the moss!

Have you ever experimented with anything like this? How did it work out?

3 MORE Eco-Friendly Fabrics You Need to Know

Eco-friendly material options are growing every day. As a follow up to the 4 Eco-Friendly Fabrics You Need to Know: Non-organic linen production processes may surprise you article, I wanted to further explore three additional options.

Seaweed: Not a lot of verifiable information exists about exactly what seaweed linens are created from. There are many products that say they include seaweed fabrics, such as the Seaweed Fabric Main Street Chair and Seaweed Fabric Main Street Loveseat, but additional information is hard to come by.

In clothing, some controversy surrounds some the Lululemon Athletica brand regarding whether or not their products (marketed as containing seaweed) actually contain any. (Source.)

Soy: Soy is softer than cotton and more durable, so it makes a great choice for garments that hug the skin (camisoles, yoga pants, undies, etc.). It’s also warm and absorbent, even though lightweight, so it makes a great all-season knitted sweater or fleece pullover.

Soy is the ultimate sustainable fiber, as it’s made from discarded tofu! It’s for this reason soy is sometimes referred to as “vegetarian cashmere”; “cashmere” due to its incredible softness and luxurious appeal. Leftovers from tofu manufacturing are gathered up, liquefied, and extruded through spinnerets to create filaments that are spun into fine yarns. The process is very similar to how bamboo fibers are spun.

Interestingly, Henry Ford first investigated the use of soy in textiles for his automobiles in the 1940’s, but the arrival of synthetics on the scene caused this effort to fade away. Now, manufacturers and consumers are looking for more sustainable sources for their textiles, and soy has been rediscovered.

Bamboo: Many agree bamboo viscose is a more sustainable choice than conventional cotton. Unfortunately, it is more expensive to process and requires chemicals; however, market demand increases are helping to fund alterative processing research. It is possible to make bamboo fibers from the plant’s stalk, rather than from pulp (the way hemp and linen are made), but currently few manufacturers are doing this, and true bamboo linen (as it would be called) is rare.

Bamboo is incredibly soft, making it ideal for linens close to bare skin. The finished fabric feels silky to the touch and is a good option for drapery. It’s naturally more wrinkle-resistant than cotton or hemp, and also warmer.
Great news: The fabric does well in conventional home washer and dryers.

4 Eco-Friendly Fabrics You Need to Know: Non-organic linen production processes may surprise you

What you don’t know about most fabrics will probably surprise you. Not only are there chemicals in the foods we eat, they are also found in our upholsteries, blankets, and clothes.

“Green fabric” includes any fabric made from sustainable or organic natural materials. Green fabric is also used to describe both recycled and fabric created using natural products and organic processes.

Organic cotton: Traditional cotton covers 5% of the world’s cultivated land, yet uses it uses 25% of the world’s insecticides and 10% of world pesticides (including probable carcinogens).

Organic cotton is weaved from non-genetically modified plants. It is certified as grown without the use of any synthetic agricultural chemicals, such as fertilizers or pesticides that damage not only the integrity of the cotton but the land and surrounding ecology.

Organic linen (Flax Fiber): Though many use “organic linen” to describe all organically (grown without the use of any synthetic agricultural chemicals such as fertilizers or pesticides) produced linen, true organic linen is created with flax fibers – the oldest crop in the world! Linen is naturally creamy white to light tan in color, pure white is only achieved through bleaching. It is notorious for wrinkling, but linen lovers just accept that as part of its charm. It is a great hot-weather fabric because it absorbs a lot of moisture (e.g. sweat) without feeling damp and dries quickly, which cools the skin.

Flax fiber is extracted from the skin of the stem of the flax plant. Flax fiber is incredibly soft, shiny and flexible (often resembling blonde human hair). Though flax fiber is stronger than cotton fiber, it is less elastic. The best grades are used for linen fabrics such as damasks, lace and sheeting. Coarser grades are often used for the manufacturing of twine and rope.

Organic wool: Traditional methods for producing wool have an adverse impact on the environment and livestock welfare. During the production of non-organic wool, livestock is often subject to synthetic pesticides, non-organic feed, and possibly even synthetic hormones and/or genetic engineering. The livestock could also be subject to substandard health management, and live in substandard conditions.

Organic Wool During the production of organic wool, sheep/livestock are raised and treated in a different way to those which produce non-organic wool. The above treatment and conditions should not be present during the production of organic wool.

Hemp: Because of its biological association with marijuana, hemp is still illegal to grow industrial hemp within the United States. Legislation is being worked on to change this, but as of now, hemp needs to be grown elsewhere in the world (which causes it’s carbon footprint to increase). Hemp products can be manufactured in the US, though, and there are now on the market a wide variety of clothes that use hemp as the green fabric in their manufacture.

Hemp grows easily and is environmentally friendly. Hemp fiber is naturally mildew-resistant, antimicrobial, UV protecting and even fireproof! This makes it an ideal candidate for household pieces that get a lot of use, but isn’t the softest option around.

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?

Gold Certified for Art: Is Your City’s Art Museum LEED Certified?

In the news, most of what we see about the Midwest details how poor Michigan is doing economically. Yet, when you look at sustainability, Michigan is leading the nation. Green design has been going on in Grand Rapids for the past 16 years and has been championed by retired Steelcase chairman Peter Wege. They even have a journal, Grand Rapids Business Journal, that compiles volumes of information on sustainable business practices, building reuse or restoration methods to bio-economy businesses.

Western Michigan has more LEED certified buildings per capita than any other region in the country. The Grand Rapids Art Museum is not only the first LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified art museum in the United States, but also in the world. It is not just a LEED certified building, but it is a Gold certified building.

When a building is certified green, it does not just refer to the materials used in the building. It also considers operational functioning. Anyone who has ever designed for an art museum knows that there are very exacting climate standards to maintain the artwork in pristine condition. Green features include energy-efficient lighting, use of natural light, heating and cooling systems, and recycling systems for water and paper supplies.

The water collection system is able to reduce the Grand Rapids Art Museum’s demand for water by 20 percent. So in addition to using less water, they will be paying for less city water, which affects their operational costs. Natural lighting was used in 70 percent of the museum’s space and courtyards that can be viewed from the museum are planted with indigenous plants and trees.

Green educational programs and activities are offered as part of LEED requirements. Even the gift store has environmentally friendly retail items e.g. items made from recycled paper and organic cotton clothing are just a couple of items.

In addition to these factors, consideration was also given to where the museum would be located so that transportation to the museum would be easily accessible to public transportation or commute by bike.

Do you have a LEED certified project in your region?

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?

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?

Next Page »