Shades of Green

2008-07-09T10:49:00.002-04:00

I love the clean lines and fresh white feeling of this loft. I am also drawn to the combination of the new cement forms and the recylced and more rustic accents...

ECO Furniture

2008-07-08T16:10:00.008-04:00

How many way's there are to improve the quality of your life and the surroundings you live in. Furniture, we don't really think about where and what it is made of and how it is made all that often. And then there is style and comfort! There are some really great companies out there making furniture that respects the planet. What does it mean to choose green furniture? And what impact does it really have on the environment? I don't have all the answers, but one way to look at it is that ANY choice you make to lightly or heavily benefit the environments well being is a good one. So choosing green furniture may mean looking in grandma's attic or finding a company that uses only renewable resources for their raw material like Vermont Woods Studio (www.vermontwoodsstudio.com) Or find a company whose upholstery is organic like Lee Furniture check them out at www.leeindustries.com. If you are in New York city ABC Carpet and Home is also a great store to visit, they have a whole line of eco furniture that is just beautiful, not to mention the store is inspiring. And I am serious about checking out old thrift stores for recycled furniture...If the upholstery is wretched, get it revamped with organic cotton! The site www.modgreenpod.com is awesome for fabrics.

Spring Transportation

2008-05-08T16:10:00.006-04:00

Spring is really here now and it is time to get the bikes out... no matter what style or kind you have, it is high time we all bike more. So take your buggy to the shop or get your tools out and tune up! Greese up the chain or oil up the saddle.

CHOICES

2008-03-27T15:12:00.003-04:00

We have so many choices to make in our lives... how do we know what the best ones or the right ones or even the wrong ones are? In my opinion staying educated and thinking about the future of what we are surrounded by are the most important things. Ultimately forward thinking is thinking in logic terms. Local, healthy, renewable and low environmental impact. How we fill our houses with stuff effects everything about us... Choices. Choose items that you know more than half of the ingredient list, choose materials that come at least partially from something that was grown in the soil sustainably.

COLOR in the WINTER

2008-02-06T10:50:00.000-05:00

There is nothing like a little burst of warm comforting color in the chill of the winter, especially toward the middle to end of the season when the white and grey seems endless. This space seems like it would do the trick of a pick me up! The plaster texture is also quite appealing. Check out the American Clay website for some plaster inspiration.

WATER consumption & ENERGY usage

2008-01-23T12:51:00.000-05:00

Paying attention to our individual water consumption in our daily lives is part of the whole picture of being "green," though it is hard to gage how much we actually use there are ways to start at the top with the products we purchase as well as taking shorter showers (for example). Check out the Earthday Network wesite for some facts on water usage. There is amazing new technology out there for clothes washers, toilets, faucets and shower heads that have low flow options as well as load sensors. When purchasing a new washer and dryer there are two easy facts to consider; The WATER FACTOR and the MODIFIED ENERGY FACTOR.

The Water Factor (WF) measures the water usage per cycle in gallons per cubic foot of washer space... the lower the WF the more efficient the machine is.

The Modified Energy Factor (MEF) considers energy used by the machine as well as the water heater for each cycle and by the dryer to remove the remaining moisture...the higher the MEF is the more efficient the washer is.

Energy Star requires that the WF be less than 8 and the MEF be higher than 1.72... to find out what your washer is or to find info on a new washer you can find the product criteria on the Energy Star website. And to see a table of products with their WF and MEF listed you can check out the Wash Wise website.

Toilets are another water drain in the house and according to the U.S. EPA, a family of four could save more than 16,000 gallons of water per year simply by replacing a traditional toilet with a high-efficiency toilet. There is a leading Australian company called Caroma that has a dual flush system so you can use half the amount of water for a pee flush!

Plants for INDOOR air quality

2008-01-17T10:34:00.000-05:00

CLICK ON IMAGES TO ENLARGE

Winter Time Inside

2007-12-09T13:28:00.000-05:00

This is a time of coziness and warmth in the house. We have radiant heat in our basement and first floor, but our real heat power comes from our grandpa Fisher wood stove.

HEALTHY House

2007-11-26T11:19:00.000-05:00

A pleasant and healthy interior space, whether it be work or home, improves the quality of life and outlook for everyone. Especially, but not exclusively for babies, people who suffer from allergies and elders who might not be able to get outside very often. Therefore I am committed to eco-conscious design and the well being of all who I work with. Through colors, materials and finishes we can accomplish creating a non-toxic, cheery and comfortable space.

Being GREEN

2007-11-21T16:07:00.000-05:00

I define "green" as having an awareness and a conscience about elements in life that effect our health, environment (both inside and outside) and our fellow inhabitants...plants, animals and other humans. In terms of interior design there are many non-toxic products to choose from, paints with no VOC's (volatile organic compounds) carpets made out of wool with no off gas from adhesives, and fabrics made from organic cottons and natural dyes. I also believe that recycled and reclaimed materials fall into the green sector, along with sustainably harvested lumber for flooring etc. Another element that is important to my definition of green is a sensitivity and awareness of your local habitat. This piece of the puzzle relates to the impact we have on our surrounding natural world, but also what works best for design in your climate and locations history.

just some thoughts for thanksgiving...
EAT LOCAL
THANK THE TURKEY FOR GROWING and all the other food
and SMILE

Found Materials

2007-11-19T14:11:00.000-05:00

The practice of creating a whole from unlikely found or otherwise acquired objects is one that I apply to interior design. I pull together old brick that has been exposed to many fires in one house into a new house... the bricks age complements the newness of freshly cut and milled timbers that dress the ceiling. On the floor may be some old roofing slate cut into tiles adjoining spruce and hemlock wood that was acquired from one of the oldest houses in Lincoln. An old door to the basement rises vertically from the slates integrity. The walls around all this are a semi smooth surface of plaster painted with a low VOC paint in a jersey cream color. All together these elements from many different locations come together and create a new space that has history and a story to be told. There is a certain sensation to the way it feels and a character to be seen that is unique from any other space.