Energy efficiency and your home

Photo: The Canadian Passive House Institute.

Hello March, bring on spring! Many of us are yearning for milder temperatures now - and the lower energy bills that they entail! And while there are many ways to conserve energy in our existing homes and businesses, it's with new construction that the largest savings can be made.

 

One way to improve energy performance is through Passive House buildings. Sophie Blain-Rogers of the company Green Leap in Callander is a big advocate of this approach to design and construction. 

"Homeowners would save a great deal on their energy bills and they would be more comfortable and proud in their homes", she comments.

 

The design fundamentals of Passive House buildings include specifications for building shape, orientation and surface area, passive solar gains, advanced windows, insulation and ventilation. Read more here. The Canadian Passive House Institute talks about energy performance savings in the range of 80 to 90 % compared to conventional Canadian construction. Well, that's what I call savings!

Pantone's Emerald is a gem!

A few weeks ago we talked about Lemon Sorbet being the colour of the year for 2013... But the story doesn't end there. Of course, every colour-related company with authority wants to launch its own selection. For Pantone, the world-wide provider of colour systems and standards, the choice was a beautiful green: Emerald. It is described as "a color of elegance and beauty that enhances our sense of well-being, balance and harmony".

In colour theory, green is known to be the most universally accepted colour. Being "Nature's neutral", it's a colour that goes with everything, and it's an easy colour to live with.

There has been a tendency towards bluish-greens and yellow-greens in interior design during the last few years. Emerald is an example of the former. As you can see below, it combines especially well with other greens and blues, as well as with neutrals.

What shade of green is your favourite?

 

Red rooms for Valentine's



Red works wonderfully as an accent wall, as seen

in this crisp kitchen by Zero Energy Design.

Turn up the colour thermometer at home with eye-popping red! Dramatic and strong, red calls for attention and infuses a space with life and energy. But don't go overboard! Painting all the walls in a room this colour is often overwhelming. An accent wall and a few well-selected accessories are often enough to make a statement. Let these red interiors from Houzz be your inspiration for a lovely Valentine's Day!

 

Graphic artwork in red. Simple and effective.

Photo by Elliott Kaufman.

Red combined with its complementary colour

green creates a vibrant and happy corner in

this home.  Modern Living Room design by

Boston Interior Designer Kristen Rivoli Interior

Design.

The neutral backdrop in this dining room makes the

red chair and artwork stand out. The red warms up

the space and gives it a touch of drama. Traditional

Dining Room design by Orange County Design-build

Spinnaker Development.

 

Try red on your porch door! Contemporary Porch design

by Philadelphia Interior Designer Deborah Bettcher.

Red is an invigorating colour and best used sparingly

in a child's bedroom, where you want the little one to

sleep. For a playroom, though, it's another situation.

Red together with light blue or turquoise makes for

a charming combination. Contemporary Kids design

by Dallas Interior Designer Lilli Design.



The attraction of this kitchen is in the red stools

and red accessories. Design by TreHus Architects

and Interior Designers.




More red chairs around a kitchen island.

How do you like them with the rich green

walls? By Camilla Molders Design.

A romantic guestroom with a healthy dose of red.

Contemporary Bedroom design by Other Metro

Interior Designer Z3 Diseño.

 

An eye-popping colour such as red indicates
"this is the front door", and helps guests find
their way to your home. Modern entry
design by Los Angeles Architect Paul Davis
Architects PC.

Red is an enveloping, warm colour and can work

well on the walls in a reading room/library, a cozy

TV room or any other room that you want to keep

dark. Traditional Home Office design by San Francisco

Architect Gast Architects.

Cord management with a spin

Outlet cable organizer.  

"You've got to accentuate the positive. Eliminate the negative." Do the words sound familiar? The lyrics from the song with the same name are also great guidelines when it comes to interior design.

If something is beautiful in our spaces, we want to enhance it (with lighting, colours, mirrors, frames).

If something is not so pretty, we will try to eliminate it, or at least camouflage the unsightly feature. 

Electrical cords definitely belong to the latter category, and it's hard to get away from the messy tangles they create. But with these clever cable organizers it's getting easier. Click the link for each item for more info.

Quirky Cordlets cable organizer.

Plug Hub Desk Power Cable Organizer.

TENSION white cable management system.

A $5 pegboard and zip ties keep cords and

seldom-used devices at check behind the

work desk. Out of sight, out of mind.

Trend report 2013

Let's look at what's new, fun and trendy from the world of design! Click here to read my 2013 Trend Report from last week's Interior Design Show in Toronto.

Add some radiance

Yikes! Canada is in a cold spell and North Bay is no exception. Let's turn up the heat a bit with photos of inspiring, warm fireplaces. At the bottom of the post you'll find two fun, red-enameled stoves that I came across during a visit to the Home Hardware store on Algonquin Avenue some weeks ago.

Stay warm!

With kitchens being "the new living rooms",

a fireplace in this room makes complete sense.

Eclectic Kitchen design by Phoenix Architect Don
Ziebell. Photo from Houzz.

 

 

 

Who doesn't like dinner next to the fireplace? 

It enhances the social atmosphere you want to

create and provides a focal point. Contemporary

Dining Room design by Denver Architect D&D

Interiors. Photo from Houzz.

 

It is popular to place the TV above the fireplace, but it's not always

ideal. Why? It often means that the TV is located too high considering

the ideal viewing height. It also detracts from the fireplace. If the

fireplace is low, like in this photo, it is less of a problem, but it's still

worthwhile spending some time thinking of alternative locations for your

TV. Contemporary Living Room design. Photo from Houzz.

 

In this photo the fireplace becomes part of the "artwork" of

the view outside.  Modern Family Room design by Los Angeles

Architect Griffin Enright Architects. Photo from Houzz.

 

 

A contemporary, wall-mounted fireplace. Design

by Boston Architect Siemasko + Verbridge.

Photo from Houzz.

 

 Red stoves from Home Hardware on Algonquin:
 

 

 

 

Turn homely into helpful

A structural post in the "wrong" location, can become a functional

and stylish feature in your space. Picture from Houzz: Modern

Basement design by Dc Metro Design-build Wentworth, Inc.


 

Some rooms can be tricky to "get right". Space may be tight, the existing flooring may dictate a certain traffic pattern, and there may be unsightly ductwork and structural posts to deal with. That was the situation at a consultation I was called to recently.

The homeowners wanted to use their basement as a TV room, but a column in the middle of the space made most furniture plans less than ideal. The solution? Using the "lost" area below the staircase to host the TV. This plan created more flexibility for TV watching and also minimized the importance of the structural post. Clever use of lighting, eye-catching wall art and inviting seating will further divert the attention from the less-than-beautiful column.

Let the space below a staircase "work" for you.

Traditional Basement design by Toronto Interior

Designer BiglarKinyan Design Partnership Inc.

Had we had the space, we might have decided to let the column "work" for us instead of trying to camouflage it. Alternative solutions could include transforming it into a practical shelf to display treasures on, turning it into a slatted media unit, or using it to display art. Check out these pictures from Houzz for inspiration. Have you dealt with similar situations in your home? I'd be delighted to hear how you solved them!

Create a second post, add shelves and transform
the column into a practical bookcase or
display unit. Contemporary Basement design
by Calgary General Contractor Urban Abode. 
Photo from Houzz.

Put up your favourite artwork on the column.
Basement design by Chicago Interior Designer

Your Favorite Room By Cathy Zaeske. Photo
from Houzz.

Say hello to Lemon Sorbet!

Lemon sorbet is Benjamin Moore's colour of the year 2013.
Yellow is a strong directional hue this year, according to
Allaire-Perrault.

"When you're over it, just paint over it!" For Benjamin Moore designer Leigh-Ann Allaire-Perrault, trying new paint colours at home is as natural as having breakfast every morning.

At a seminar organized by Trout Lake Paint/Stewart's Decorating last November, she presented her company's "most inspiring colours for 2013" and encouraged us to experiment. "Paint is one of the easiest and cheapest tools you have in your toolkit", commented Leigh-Ann as she shared the latest from her world of design, and I agree.

Here are ten highlights from her talk:
1) Paint can update anything. And you can paint anything.
2) There is only one rule in design: If you love it and it looks right for you, then it's right!
3) Curate your home with objects that speak to you. (More about curating in another blog post).
4) We'll see more softer, lighter pastels in 2013.
5) Match ceilings to floors and you will achieve balance and harmony in your home. Leigh-Ann calls this "the mirrored balance" (see photo below). In general, the ceiling is the perfect place to add accent colour, according to Leigh-Ann.
6) Colours define a decade. Last decade was "greige" (greyish beige hues).
7) Take inspiration when possible, but don't be a copy cat.
8) Introduce pops of colours in unexpected places, such as the front hall closet.
9) Use cut-out stencils to paint a patterned backsplash.
10) When in doubt, try a new colour in a throw cushion.

Plenty of tips in one compact and inspiring seminar! And lots of material for future blog posts - stay tuned.

Did I come home with anything else from the seminar? Yes, a door prize (including a fancy cap) and an intense urge to try out "dusty mauve" at home. After all, I can always paint over it when I'm over it.



Benjamin Moore's Artisan collection includes "earthy tones and

rich, saturated colours". This is an example of the "mirrored

balance" that Leigh-Ann talked about.



The Urbanite collection includes "chic, crisp hues and unexpected

contrasts that convey a cool, cosmopolitan vibe".



The New Traditional hues offer "a fresh interpretation of classic

elegance, showcasing bold colours and patterns to create a warm,

inviting retreat". Here you see the "dusty mauve".



Costal is a "refreshing, nature-inspired palette, infused with a

contemporary sensibility that transcends the unexpected". The

colour of the year, Lemon sorbet, is part of this collection.

Make room for the new year

         Keep your clutter at bay with appropriate storage.

         Organize your items by colour, it makes it more

         restful for the eye. Storage cabinet from Crate and

         Barrel.

"When in doubt, take it out!" How about that design mantra for 2013? Having too many things on our shelves, walls and on the floor drains energy. Better then to leave space for what is truly useful, beautiful and what we really love. The new year is a great time to edit our belongings. Look at it as a cleansing process that will free up space for new, positive experiences. Here are five tips on how to kick start your clutter control:

1) Go room by room and define the function of each room. Think about what you need for that specific room and get rid of everything else.

2) Old magazines and books can take up an incredible amount of shelf space. Weed out what no longer interests you. Tackle the rest a little at a time. File magazine clippings in binders organized by theme.

3) Dishes in your cupboards are like clothing in your wardrobe. If you haven't used them in the last year, you probably never will. To realize that some things simply aren't for you is quite OK. That also applies to items that were given to you. Pass them along to a thrift store. They will be somebody else's treasure.

4) Have an empty corner somewhere? Use it for extra storage. Clutter control requires a good organizational system and appropriate storage.

5) Make a promise to yourself to buy fewer things, but to buy better quality. If budget is an issue, put up a picture of the piece you are craving, and look at it regularly. It will be an incentive to save up for what you really love, and to avoid impulse purchases.

Do you agree with me that less is more when it comes to design?

Season's Greetings. See you in 2013!

I'm wishing you a happy and safe holiday season. May the new year be full of beautiful interiors and great, inspiring design!