Archive for the ‘Green Building’ Category

The Beauty of Composting Toilets

Thursday, June 23rd, 2011

I just got back from the wettest spot on Earth, Kauai’s Mount Waialeale.  Having been told that it’s the prettiest and greenest of Hawaiian Islands, I expected the flora and fauna to be out of this world.  It was. However, something utterly mundane impressed me so much more, a composting toilet at Limahuli Garden . 

 

Having written an entire chapter on plumbing fixtures for my book Green Interior Design, I know quite a bit about composting toilets.  But reading about them and seeing them in pristine showrooms was altogether different than actually using one.  Walking into the small, public bathroom at Limahuli, I immediately noticed the toilet and a friendly sign posted above it (instructions for use). I confess, visions , and worse, smells, of outhouses danced in my head.  Getting ready to lift the lid, I braced myself for “the stank”.  The stank never happened. On an 87 degree, humid, sunny day in a public bathroom that had no  air conditioning,  IT DIDN’T SMELL…  AT ALL. 

 

I live in Southern California, literally a desert , where we  import billions of gallons of expensive, fresh water from thousands of miles away.  Composting toilets do the job without a drop of water. I’m thinking if the wettest spot on Earth finds the composting method useful, shouldn’t we start installing these in every public space in our arid state?

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Poisonous Preschool

Wednesday, May 4th, 2011

During spring break my daughter’s preschool refinished their wood floors.   As excited as she was to see her teachers and friends on Monday after the break, our visit resulted in a big fat round trip right back to my house.  In two decades of refinishing floors, I don’t believe I’ve ever smelled a more noxious interior.  There was no way I was leaving those tiny lungs to fend for themselves. 

 

I immediately turned to the smartest guru I know for healthy green interiors, Mary Cordaro.  In addition to being a certified Bau Biologist, she deeply cares about the effects of built environment toxins on infants and children. Mary, of course, had plenty of answers for me and generously shared her time and research.

Mary Cordaro

The brain of Larry Gust , another green building expert, was also picked.  Between Mary and Larry I had enough info to go back to the preschool and discuss options.  Unfortunately there weren’t many because the product used was within the legal limits (unbelievably) for VOC levels in a preschool.  The owners felt badly that they didn’t know more before they finished the floors and said they would research more for future renovations.

Moral of the story: GO OUTSIDE OFTEN and get fresh air for as much time as you can EVERYDAY.   The design and maintenance of places where we work, pray, shop and study are mostly out of our control and these interiors are loaded with carcinogens (cancer causing chemicals).  Most Americans are forced to work in very unhealthy environments for 40 plus hours each week, year in, year out.   And many live in homes that contain materials that are toxic.  It’s just not good for our bodies or souls.  Human beings are meant to be outdoors.

Christopher Kennedy

During the week of research it took to determine how long my daughter would need to stay away from school while the VOCs dissipated, I was invited to Niche’s party for Kettal thrown by LUXE Magazine.  Ironically Christopher Kennedy, the designer on LUXE’s current cover, was speaking about his concept of bringing the Inside …Outside due to the toxicity of most interiors.  Unlike architects like Phillip Johnson (Glass House) and Frank Lloyd Wright (Falling Water), who strived to bring nature into our interiors, brilliant designer Christopher Kennedy proposed we do the exact opposite and pay special attention to our exterior rooms.

    

Kettal’s chic outdoor furniture

He echoed my sentiments about human beings not really being meant to live in boxes with manufactured air and toxic paint.  He talked about the interior air being much worse than outside air and the positive effects that sunshine and fresh air has on us.  He even reminded the designers in the crowd to include outdoor spaces in their interior budgets so clients wouldn’t be tapped out at the end of their projects and miss designing quite possibly the most important spaces- the outdoor spaces.

 

(Falling Water and Phillip Johnson’s Glass House, beautiful, yes,  but not necessarily designed for outdoor living.)

Thankfully my daughter’s preschool has a great playground that the children use for many hours during each day.  And… those floors  have almost finished off-gassing.

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Posted in Green Building, Green Living, Outdoor Living, Outdoor Living Rooms | No Comments »

The Top Five Interior Design Trends of 2011-2012

Friday, April 8th, 2011

For the past six months, I’ve been traveling  the country giving presentations at trade shows and design centers on luxury green living and signing my book Green Interior Design .  I’ve seen five trends stand out more than any others and here they are.

1. GREEN DESIGN GONE HEALTHY 

The emphasis on green continues to gain momentum.  While most people are well aware of the built environment’s impact on our planet,  less is known about how it relates to human health.  It’s hard to believe that the indoors are more polluted than the outdoors. But they are and we spend 90% of our time inside.  In fact, the EPA currently lists indoor air pollution among the top five environmental health concerns. 

Expect to see more prominence put on home design features that can help improve indoor air quality. For instance, windows, when positioned positioned and operating properly, allow for naturally occurring cross currents of air that result in proper ventilation of indoor spaces.  I highly suggest opening your windows and vacuuming at least once a day. For those of you who do not employ a full time cleaning crew, check out I Robot’s Roomba.

2. THE GENTLEMAN’S LOUNGE

 

Leathers, tweeds, flannels and other menswear inspired fabrics are popping up all over furniture.  Icons of high style like Ralph Lauren, Giorgio Armani  and Andrew Morgan have turned their attention to interiors.  Everything from master bedrooms, media room and living rooms, both indoors and out will be dominated by fabrics traditionally seen on Saville Row. The look evokes a sense of luxury embodied by a life well traveled, a meal savored, a professional respected and a bed never empty.  It’s a style that wears well on both male and female, allowing the occupant to invite elegance and permanence into their interior spaces.

 In residential and hospitality expect to see tweeds in camel and cigar browns; hound’s tooth checks in black, green, red and blue; richly hued plum and tangerine silk paisleys and sultry shades of grey pinstriped, flannel wools. And peacock- that male struttin’ bird will be seen everywhere for some time to come.

3. AMERICANA SUPPORTING MADE IN AMERICA

Thirty years of sending our manufacturing overseas has culminated in jobs lost forever and a nation left wondering where it all went wrong.  Consequently the “Made In America” label has a brand new cache.  People are finding strength in returning to American values and traditions, whether its comfort food , an old pair of Levi’s or the design of their homes.  At  Sotheby’s and Christie’s for example, American antique furniture and objects of art recently sold for record high prices.  Manufactures who produce locally like Milgard Windows have been high on the must have  lists of my clients.  American handmade accessory items are also in demand like  Cheryl Sheehan’s gorgeous table toppers. 

  

Consumers want quality products that support the stability of our communities, states and nation.  Expect to see red, white and blue in every room in the home.

4. SMALLER SPACES, QUALITY MATERIALS DOING MORE WITH LESS

Gone are the days of cheaply produced mega mansions. Today design is about smaller, well planned spaces made with quality materials that will last a lifetime.  Dollars are being focused on fewer, but higher end products and materials.  These new products have a common thread in the sensuality of their composition, an almost handcrafted feel. 

Expect to see a re-connection with nature, more wood and metal in design.  Because interior spaces are being made smaller, there will be an explosion in the design of well adorned outdoor rooms that visually create a large living space.

5.  TECHNOLOGY WITH GREATER PURPOSE- FOCUS ON ENERGY EFFICIENCY, DURABILITY AND UNIVERSAL DESIGN

 

Technology and beauty haven’t always gone hand in hand, but in today’s Apple infused world of style and function, it is now more expected than ever-even in home design.  Cutting edge technology is enabling design oriented manufacturers such as Creation Baumann to produce stylish products that are also durable and easy to use.  The company recently updated its technology in its century old mills to transform polyester into dreamy silk like fabrics that don’t compromise indoor air quality, produce little waste in manufacturing and are machine washable.  New technology such as the Smart Touch lock  is fusing style and performance.  The exclusive design from Milgard makes windows much easier to use as we age and was the first window manufacturer to receive the Arthritis Foundation’s Ease of Use Commendation.

Expect to see more attention put on products and home improvements that offer more style, performance and comfort.  The retirement of the Baby Boomers, in particular, has made Universal Design one of the most important areas in design.

That’s the top five as I see them.  And trust me, I’ve seen it all this year!

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Posted in Architecture and Design, Green Building, Green Living, Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

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