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?

Wow, Look at that Sink!

Are you thinking about redoing the sink or vanity in your bathroom? What about your powder room or half bath? This is typically the bathroom that all of your guests use when visiting your home. Selecting a decorative vanity or sink is a great way to impress guests. 

Artwork

When walking into a half bathroom, the first thing you typically see after the wall in front of you is the sink. Start by selecting a beautiful piece of artwork to hang on that wall and then concentrate on what you can do with the vanity or sink.

Pedestal Sink

A typical powder room or half bathroom may have the sink of the side of the door swing and a toilet located behind the door, when it is open. If you focus on the sink, the answer is easy – select a decorative pedestal sink! I recommend choosing one with just a little bit of room on the sides of the bowl? There is nothing harder than trying to put your makeup on or doing your hair without a place to put items down on. Some pedestal sinks today have built-in decorative towel bars.

Pedestal Bowl

But maybe you would like more of a vanity. Wood is a great choice here, but make sure there are cabinets or drawers built in. If there is not, you will have to find creative ways to store toilet paper, tissues, soap, etc. Today the majority of people select a vanity where the bowl is recessed inside the cabinet. Consider a pedestal bowl. They look really trendy, but beware when trying to get ready in the bathroom that those high sides of the sink could get in the way. If you are simply going to be washing your hands in there, it is one of the most fashionable choices available!

Cabinet

When selecting a recessed bowl, I suggest an antique wood cabinet base. The decorative details on the sides or doors will provide an impressive effect from the moment guests walk in. Often the counter and bowl will be a slate, tile, or granite material to offset the decorative details in the base cabinet.

How have you spiffied up your bathroom sink?

How to Choose the Best Fixture When There is No Light

A builder friend of mine said during these economic times he is finding it harder and harder for clients to make up their minds on what lighting fixture they want in the various rooms of the house. He was frustrated with the amount of time they were taking and the fact that many times after their initial choice, they would change their minds, which set the project back from it’s original completion date. “We are just talking about picking out fixtures” was his comment. I thought about just how thrilled he would be if I started to ask him the colors being chosen so that I could coordinate with the correct lamps, but such are the concerns of lighting design. I agreed to resolve the problem with this couple.

The issue is really simple. The fixtures we typically look at in a showroom may not be electrified. There is no light in them, which is a concern the woman had – “How do I know if it will give me the light I want?”

Her point should be well taken, especially if you have ever lived in a house and the lighting has not worked for you in the past. So a simple solution would be “photometric data sheets”.

Okay, I know this sounds complicated, but it is not. Every fixture made has a sheet that shows how the light comes out of the fixture and usually has three or four options based on the type of light you put in it. So you can get a sense of how the fixture works without it having to be on.

In bathrooms, you are better off not having the light come out of the bottom of the fixture placed on the wall over your head. The light will create shadows on the recessed parts of your face, eyes, lips, and neck. The best light comes from the sides of the mirror lighting the sides of your face.

I like having my bathroom lights on dimmers, so I can replicate the space I will be in. If I am going to a conference, the lighting will be up and I need to make sure that I don’t over do my eye shadow. However, if it is an evening gathering, a bit more eye shadow may be necessary because of the dimmed lighting.

How do you choose your fixtures?

How to Save Water with Your Toilets

Looking for ways to save money on your water bill? Or do you have to replace your toilet soon? Have you considered going “green” with your replacement?

Depending on how old your home or office is will determine what gallons per flush (gpf) your current toilet is. I would recommend consulting with a licensed plumber or engineer to determine how to save the most water with your replacement fixture. If you are in an office building, water-use reduction calculations can be done that are determined by the number of full-time, part-time, and transient’s occupants.

If you have decided to install a water-saving toilet, there are several options that may work for you. The standard water closet is 1.6 gallons per flush (gpf); this is what the majority of people are going to have in their homes and offices.

If you are looking to save more water than this without making a big change, then the duel flush toilet might be the option for you! This allows for the user to select if a half-flush or full flush is needed to dispose of the waste. Most residential duel flush toilets have 2 buttons on the top and you can select which one is needed. Many commercial buildings have a lever that you either push up or down. Often a sign with pictures is posted to tell you which way is which. Sometimes a green handle is installed as an indicator that this fixture is different than the norm.

If you are looking to save water without the complication of selecting with button or lever you need, then a high-efficiency, single flush gravity toilet that is 1.28 gpf may be the option for you. This uses less water than the conventional toilet but still works great! The lowest water consumption toilet option would be a single-flush, pressure assist that is 1.0 gpf.

Now, if you are really “green,” a nonwater toilet may be perfect for you, in so many words that is a compost toilet. This is only for those that really want to be the most environmentally friendly. There are special cleaning instructions and maintenance procedures for this toilet. Personally, I am very environmentally friendly, but I wouldn’t be caught cleaning this toilet!

If you choose to replace your current toilet with a water-saving fixture, make sure to have a preventative maintenance program set-up. This includes plumbing fixture and fitting inspection to find any leaks or sensor issues. This will make sure that your flush and/or flow is appropriate at all times to save you the most water possible

Have you tried any of these alternative toilets? Which is your favorite? Would you ever consider choosing a compost toilet?

Is “Party Ready” One of Your Buying Criteria?

I know one on the first things I look for in a new living space is the ability for that space to house a gathering of my favorite people. Now, mind you, looking at a house versus looking at apartments is a very different scenario. However, I think the interiors can have very similar “party friendly” attributes, no matter how big or small of a space is in question. So here are a few ideas that I have gathered throughout my years that I think make space “party ready”:

• The flow: The flow of a space is critical to party atmosphere. For instance, if there is a back patio or backyard to the home, you should check for the ease of movement from the front entry of the space to the back. Also at this point, for upkeep reasons, check what type of flooring is along this path. If you are lucky enough to get hard surface flooring along the way you will be happier in the long run. Also, hopefully along this path there is the kitchen or a space kitchen adjacent, so the food and goodies are easily accessible.

• Restroom availability: For a while in my life I lived in a 1929 tutor where you either had to go up or down a flight of stairs to find a “potty.” I know that this was a big pain when people were over, especially when planning a family affair and you may have a lack of mobility in some visitors. So you are in good shape if you are looking at a space that has a bathroom on the main living level.

• Know your assets: What you already own, I think, is a big factor in buying/leasing a space. For me, it’s my extendable dining room table. It has multiple leaves that can get pulled in and out to accommodate a larger party or a small group for playing cards. So I know having a space to house my dinner parties is very important. If you have a large sofa or sectional that can fit many people, but takes up a large footprint, just be sure to plan for it ahead of time.
• And finally, the layout: In order to meet all of the criteria I have listed above, your best bet is to look for a home with an open floor plan. By limiting the amount of small, broken up rooms, you will give yourself a more fluid flow, furniture reconfiguration space and possibly a single shared wall between your kitchen and bathroom.

So if you are like me and being “party ready” is a space asset maybe some if these ideas can help. What do you think is your most critical criteria when looking for a new space?

Simple Ways to Spruce Up Your Bathroom

Often the bathroom is a room in our home that gets forgotten about. But why? We are actually in there for a decent portion of our morning routine…well, at least us women are! Bathrooms can easily become one of the most gorgeous rooms in the home without a ton of thought.

Color: The majority of our bathroom fixtures are white – they just come standard that way. So the easiest solution would be to paint the bathroom a color! Color pops great against the stark white fixtures. I might suggest a green, purple, or a blue.

Shower Curtains: For a more upscale look, purchase a fabric shower curtain verses the plastic ones. They won’t show the mildew that can form overtime and you can wash it. What could be better than that? Did you know there are also fabric curtain liners? These can be washed, are more environmentally friendly and don’t stink like plastic when you take them out of the package for the next month of your life.

Towels: To really make the color pop on the walls, buy a striped towel that has your paint color in it. This is the easiest way to bring in multiple colors and the towel designer has already figured out what color coordinates with yours!

Accessories: If there is room on your vanity, try placing a floral or candle arrangement on the counter to give a relaxing feel.

Storage: Placing baskets on the floor is an easy and fashionable way to store toilet paper, rolled-up fresh towels, shampoo and soaps that will impress your guests.

Artwork: Artwork that pops your color scheme can really make an impact in this small room. Just be careful to select one that will not be damaged by moisture. Try hanging it above the toilet to fill the open space that usually exists.

Light Fixtures: Many new construction homes have simple strip lighting fixtures with bare bulbs above the sink. I don’t know about you, but they really hurt my eyes if I look at them first thing in the morning. Go to your local Home Depot, Lowe’s or lighting store and find a new lighting fixture. This can usually be found for under $100 and if you are at all handy when it comes to electricity, it can be easily replaced. Buy one in brushed silver or bronze with frosted glass shades to give your bathroom an updated look and be easy on your eyes in the morning. Don’t forget to use compact fluorescents in your new fixture, now you can save money on your electric bill too!

I bet the start of your day will seem a little brighter when you start it off in a great looking bathroom!  How have you designed your bathroom to give it a softer feel?

What were they thinking?! Bad Design Layouts

When you buy a home, you don’t expect everything to be the way you want, but you expect some thought to have gone into the planning. How about a home on the lake with no bathroom in the walkout basement? That’s right – everyone has to run through the basement and up the stairs to the bathroom or up through the deck, through the dining room and kitchen to the bathroom.

The bathroom, because it would be in the basement or walk out part of the house, meant that the toilet plumbing had to flush up rather than the typical gravity fed systems you find in homes. A great deal of research was done and pricing was obtained. The most recommended suggestion was the breaking up the basement concrete floor to put in a sewage ejector system, which means you break up the concrete basement floor and put in a plastic pit to use a sewage ejector pump to remove the waste. I was uncomfortable with this idea. And then we found the “Saniplus” system. It handled the toilet and sink. (In fact it handles four fixtures – toilet, hand basin, shower and bathtub.)

The pump, which was in a box fastened to the back of toilet, had to be connected. The toilet tank had to be connected to the water supply. The sink was connected to the pump using a 1 ½” plastic pipe, and the pump had an air pipe connected with the other end being put through the wall. It was connected to the electrical supply.

The “Saniplus” system is activated when the toilet is flushed. The micro switch within the pump box starts the motor, ultimately pumping the slurry up to a maximum of 12’. As soon as the water level in the pump box goes down, the micro switch deactivates and the toilet is ready for use again. It takes about 15-18 seconds for the entire flush process.

It was a day and a half job to get a toilet installed in the basement. It uses only 1.6 gallons of water per flush, so it uses less water than older toilets. Have you ever had a need for a bathroom in a lower level? What about any “What were they thinking?!” design problems have you run into?

What Was I Thinking?! My Bathroom Building Experience

We have the basement bathroom toilet installed. We could have just done a pedestal sink, but oh no. I wanted to have a cabinet so there could be storage for soap and toilet paper, some hand towels, you know the drill. And it couldn’t be just any cabinet; it had to be the one we used as our dry sink in the dining room before the new furniture because I am all about recycling and reusing everything I have. So we moved that bad boy to the basement and began the reworking.

There is the drilling of the hole in the top so the sink can discharge. Then there was the plumbing from the “Saniplus” system at a slight incline so we could determine where the plumbing would come up inside the cabinet. Then there was the connection between the bottom of the sink to the outflow pipe. Sounds easy right, well that part was, but because I wanted a glass sink to sit on the dry sink and a faucet that came out of the wall…things got a little tricky.

First, basement walls are typically poured concrete, so we built a fake wall. Now the wall couldn’t be a typical wall thickness because that would have made the room too narrow, so we built a 2” fake wall (just thick enough to hold the water lines). Because I wanted a faucet that came out of the wall, we had to figure out how to attach the faucet to a finished wall while having part of the wall unfinished to do the plumbing.

We dry walled only the top half of the wall. We attached the faucet to this part and dropped the flexible water lines down the wall. Have I told you how much I love flexible water lines? We would be still working on this job if we had to use rigid lines.

We then hooked up the water lines in the not yet dry walled area of our wall and proceeded to dry wall the lower part of our wall. That only took us a couple of weeks to figure out all of the parts and pieces to make it work.

The plumbing goes through one of the drawers in the dry sink, so we took the face off the drawer and permanently attached it to the dry sink.

Now I have 1 drawer and ½ of the dry sink for storage. It looks great and we have had a lot of complements on it. Have you ever thought up a project that ended up  taking a lot more effort and time than you originally thought it would? Tell me one of your “What was I thinking?!” projects.