Posts
All Comments
Don't ya love it when you can reuse an object and it actually looks cool? Notice anything familiar on the table? This coffee table uses reclaimed wood from a bowling alley. While no one would ever think high end modern style and bowling have anything in common...
I think I am a true convert to prefab living after viewing this.
When architect Michelle Kaufmann and her husband set out to purchase an affordable green home, to no avail, they decided to build there own. Thus a new company was born out of a need for clean, affordable green living.
Prefab has never looked so good. Michelle Kaufmann's prefabricated homes are a far cry from what we are used to seeing. Her designs are unbelievably cool and modern and affordable. If you are a fan of Frank Gehry and Michael Graves, the influence may be present as Kaufmann previous architectural experience included working for both architects.
.JPG)
.JPG)
Read more...
Love natural stone but not the maintenance? With anti-stain technology, worrisome maintenance for granite, marble, quartzite and soapstone is a thing of the past. Innovative Stone® , just debuted it's premium anti-stain natural stone counter top collection, called Everlife™. This new environmentally conscious collection does not require sealing-typical for most counter top surfaces- and is protected by Innovative Stone's breakthrough PermaShield™ technology.
Madura GoldPermaShield™ does not affect or alter the surface of granite, leaving no added color or coating.
Aristocrat Black
Environmentally Safe Technology.
Both of these independent, non-profit organizations have classified Everlife natural stone counter tops to be safe and sanitary for use in the home due to the materials ease of cleaning and preservation of indoor air quality.
Bianco Carrara
The availability of Everlife marks the first time that consumers will be able to purchase PermaShield-protected natural stone counter tops outside of The Home Depot and
Shiva Kashi
As I was preparing handouts for a workshop my company is presenting tomorrow, I subconsciously thought, how much of this printed material will wind up in the garbage can? Wasteful isn't it. There has obviously got to be a better way.
It was kismet that the next email in my in box was from Remodeling.net. Michael Anschel wrote a clever commentary about the marketing materials exhibitors handed out at GreenBuild, U.S. Green Building Council's annual International Conference and Expo. The irony of printed materials handed out to market the "green" stance of the company is actually not green at all. As companies are becoming greener so should the marketing material. Take a look at the creative ideas manufacturers are coming up with over at Remodeling.net by clicking on the link.
I have attended many KBIS Expos and local trade shows in the past and each time I vow to only let the vendor swipe my card. Nonetheless, I still come back to the office with some literature that becomes useless in six months time. Really, all I want to take away at an Expo is the business card of the vendor so I can write a note about the product I saw and then visit the website for more information. And that leads me to the next problem. I don't even want to get scanned if it means I will be bombarded with 3" ring binders or thick envelopes of literature. I can get everything I need on line. My favorite idea that takes the place of literature is the USB Business card, as shown below. Bam! Give me one of those! I got your name, email, phone, fax and your packet of info of your new products I won't see on your website right now.
Portland Cement Paperless Press Material.Are you wondering what to do with all your techno trash?
Some people suspend old CD's from fruit trees on a bit of fishing line. They spin and are claimed to scare away birds. Perhaps you could hand them near the fridge to scare away hungry ten year old boys. From PC User.com where 30 readers responded with their own tips. 
EMOTION DRIVES THE PURCHASE
Love this counter! I just dig it. Look at the color, the patina of it. It reflects light. The direction in counter design lately is for less shiny, more informal matte finishes as well as mixing textures such as glass, natural stone, engineered stone, wood or stainless steel.
I have the same emotional "ooh-ah" reaction when I look at velvety smooth soft marble counters. The creaminess is lovely to look at but the acid etching and staining, not so pretty after years of use. As with anything, surface beauty has a story behind it. Do the research before you buy. Understand how various materials rate for maintenance and the environmental impact a product has before you buy.
UNDER THE MICROSCOPE
Did you guess that the counter featured above is concrete? If you did, you get to pass GO and get another roll at the dice again at the eco-friendly game of design monopoly. Any outsider thinking it is a piece of cake to make selections in materials, has yet to remodel. As design and remodeling specialists in our given field, we have the added burden of keeping up with all the latest information before us to help our guide our clients with the best materials for their remodel. The truth is, it is not really a burden. It's only a burden if you don't bother to educate yourself. It's a fascinating time to be in design with so many wonderful material options and information available.
Getting back to the picture above, evaluating concrete counters we can say they are a good option for a sustainable surface, as they are made from limestone, an abundant mineral. Eco-friendly aside, is concrete for you? How fastidious are you about the materials for your project? For more facts on concrete counters than you ever need to know, click here.
If you love the look of concrete like I do, a quick primer video to watch by Fu Teng Chung, Video: Concrete Countertop Vulnerabilities, will show you a concrete counter that has been installed for over twenty five years. There is no reason to limit yourself to one material. Consider the use of more than one counter surface in your design.
Quick fact: Concrete has the same porosity as marble. Translation: monitored maintenance for counter surfaces, requiring regular sealing or waxing. If the idea of "wax on/wax off" is better suited for the Karate Kid and not a part of your cleaning regimen, consider the alternatives. Or if you are athletically inclined you could work in counter maintenance as part of your arm routine. Lats Tuesday: wax the counters. (Ok, so maybe you don't need to buff out your counters weekly, but there is maintenance, unless you have the easy going attitude that Fu Teng Chung has about his counter tops. Be truthful, can you live with irregularities and vulnerabilities?).
You can order it polished (left) or honed (right).
...I am shocked.Factoid: Brazilian rosewood became famous in 1921 as an ingredient in Chanel No. 5 and continues to be harvested (often illegally and unsustainably) for fragrances, flooring, furniture, and musical instruments.This newly constructed McMansion Malibu digs featured in the New York Times article is of course, exquisite, and a testament to what money can buy . This could have been an opportunity to promote sustainable design by selecting wood products that are not derived from rain forest destruction.
reference: Sustainable Development in the Brazilian Amazon: A Tale of Two Community-Based Organizations by Robert C. Tatum1,2 Department of Economics University of North Carolina at Asheville
Look for cabinet manufacturers that have earned their certification in the groundbreaking Environmental Stewardship Program administered by the KCMA (Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturer's Association). This program was recently developed in 2006 and grants annual certification to those manufacturers who meet a stringent set of environmental criteria. The criteria, designed to promote the sustainability of natural resources, reduce waste, and to reward those companies who are going above and beyond in their efforts to reduce environmental impacts. The criteria is divided into the following five categories, which manufacturers are required to demonstrate their compliance.
CONSERVATION IS NOT A DIRTY WORD. A thanks to Peggy Deras at Appliance Notes for highlighting the article Smarter Hot Water: The Big Switch- from Tank to Tankless. A good article for anyone thinking about replacing their old hot water heater.
Read more...What's in a kitchen tour?
This weekend, the Central Coast and Valleys Chapter of the NKBA held it's third annual Kitchen Tour. What is better than an interactive tour? See the kitchens, talk to the designers, open the drawers, get a chance to see the latest innovations in cabinets, appliances and advancements in eco-friendly products. It is a once a year opportunity that beats any visit to a showroom or looking at a magazine. Walking through a newly remodeled kitchen is a sensory experience.
A live demonstration from the EasyCleanHome team was on hand at Home # 6 on the Tour, my client's own kitchen. The science behind the nanotechnology demonstration is the coolest thing to watch. It is not really a "new" product, it has been tested and used in aerospace, defense and motor sports. A non toxic, non staining coating that bonds with the surface, providing a anti-microbial, super-hydrophobic surface. A product that repels water, contaminates have nowhere to absorb into, what can be better than that for easy maintenance? What a better idea than to use this technology on residential surfaces such as granite, stone, stainless steel and glass.
The NKBA Tour of Kitchens was held in nine homes throughout Ventura County varying in style from 1950's California Ranch to 1980's tract homes. The following photos are the entries from myself and my associate Liz Tiffin from Westside Remodeling.
Enjoy viewing the transformation!
BEFORE
AFTER
BEFORE
AFTER
BEFORE
AFTER
BEFORE
AFTER
BEFORE
AFTER
Consumer Reports, always looking out for consumers, has just published 5 valuable tips consumers can implement to go "green" without breaking the bank. In this time of uncertainty, buyers must be judicious in knowing what is truly an eco-friendly product.
We are seeing first hand what deregulation has done to our financial institutions and Consumer Reports reminds us in their newest publication, Shop Smart; "There are no federal regulations for items marketed as eco-friendly so some green products might not be as green as you think".
The experts at ShopSmart, from the publisher of Consumer Reports, spent months sizing up fridges, running dishwashers, burning light bulbs, and punishing faucets to find the best green kitchen products.
· Why: A gleaming new faucet is an easy upgrade, but kitchen models can be water wasters compared with some bathroom faucets. Low-flow bathroom faucets with the Environmental Protection Agency’s new WaterSense label are about 30 percent more efficient.
· Easy Green Fix: Until the EPA comes up with criteria for low-flow kitchen faucets (they’re in the works), for $3 to $11 you can make most new or existing taps more efficient simply by attaching an aerator.
· One Possible Draw Back: With lower flow, it might take a bit longer to fill that pasta pot.
· What to Buy: Two Kohler models that aced ShopSmart’s most recent tests and can be ordered with custom-fit aerators for about $10 are the Vinnata K-690-BX , $550, and the Forte K-10433-VS, $250. Another green choice is a hands-free faucet, like the Danze Parma D421058, $480.
· Tip: When you find a faucet style you like, make sure it has a lifetime warranty that covers stains and water-wasting leaks.
· Why: Modern kitchens can use up to 2,000 watts for lighting because standard incandescent, halogen, and xenon lights are energy hogs. All that excess heat from lights might prod you to turn down the A/C to cool things off.
· Easy Green Fix: Switch to cool-burning compact fluorescent lights (CFLs) in overhead fixtures, and also consider adding some LED or fluorescent undercabinet task lighting. This easy fix costs about $200 for five fluorescent fixtures.
· One Possible Draw Back: Some—but not all—CFLs and LEDs cast a bluish or other funky-color light. Before you buy, ask if you can return the fixture if you don’t like the way the light looks with your décor.
· What to Buy: Strips are the most common type of task lighting, round “puck” lights are best for casting pools of light onto a counter and linear lights are best if you need more versatile fixtures. Both round “puck” lights and linear lights are available with LEDs.
· Tip: If your cabinets don’t have a built-in valence to hide task lighting, either add one or choose a fixture with a sleek housing that’s not as noticeable.
· Why: Kitchens get hot, and if you use an air conditioner to cool things off, it will gobble up a lot of energy and money.
· Easy Green Fix: A ceiling fan in the kitchen will use only a fraction of the electricity that an A/C would.
· What to Buy: ShopSmart tested models from Hampton Bay, Harbor Breeze, and Hunter, and most performed pretty well in air-movement tests. So rather than shop for a particular brand, go for a style you like and remember that lighting affects energy use.
· Tip: You might be able to find CFLs designed for ceiling fans that can replace the original bulbs and save energy.
· Why: A new countertop or cabinet style can change the whole look of your kitchen, but manufacturing them keeps power plants polluting the air and some green goods aren’t as green as they might seem.
· Easy Green Fix: Before you buy new, see if you can find secondhand products.
· What to Buy: Salvage shops are stocked with new or gently used stone countertops, hardwood flooring, decorative lumber, and kitchen cabinets, so they’re a great place to look for bargains. Habitat for Humanity sells used and surplus building materials at outlets called ReStores.
· Tip: If you must have new, look for greener cabinets and other products made from sustainable lumber and materials.
· Why: The appliances in your kitchen that take the most energy to operate are refrigerators and dishwashers. The older these appliances are, the less energy efficient they are and the more costly they are to run.
· Easy Green Fix: It usually doesn’t pay to replace working appliances with new ones. But when you do update, look for models that use less energy and are quieter. Though energy efficient models can cost more, you’ll recoup the money as your utility bills shrink.
· What to Buy: ShopSmart found that the Amana AFD 2535DE [W], $1,550, saved up to $72 a year in annual operating costs compared to a 15-year-old fridge and the Bosch SHE33MO [2]UC, $540, saved up to $51 a year compared to a 7-year-old dishwasher.
· Tip: You don’t have to ditch the clunkers all at once. Start with the least efficient ones. It pays to replace them when repairs would cost more than half the price of a new appliance.
###
Read more...
© Blogger template Brownium by Ourblogtemplates.com 2009
Back to TOP
