Posts from — March 2010

San Francisco has long had a history of caring about its community. For decades, the country has looked to San Francisco for guidance on how to take care of one’s fellow man and of the planet. So it’s no surprise that San Francisco is one of the leaders in environmentally friendly communities. From the Green Building Program of Marin County to the Mountain View apartments of Silicon Valley, San Francisco is again leading the way, showing some great new methods for building green communities to the world.

Marin County – Green Building Program

The Green Building Program is a Marin Country project run by Omar Pena, Marin County’s Green Building Coordinator. He is available to offer any technical assistance needed in order to build green in Marin County. The Green Building Program is part of Marin County’s Sustainability Initiative, designed to save energy and protect the environment in various ways, from promoting alternative energy use, to green building to tips on green living. The Green Building Program includes residential green building guidelines and a rating system, incentives for green building initiatives and green building technical help.

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Gentry, the artist who makes floppy disk art? Some of you may ask ‘what is a floppy disk’? If you asked that question, then I have very young readers. Else, you would know that they were the most widely used portable storage medium before CDs.

I still remember slotting in my favourite floppy disk which my dad bought for me – it was from the legendary Commander Keen series, titled: “Commander Keen and the Invasion of the Vorticons – Marooned on Mars“! I had hours of endless fun playing it (come to think of it, this could be the origin of my game addiction problem) until the PC gave up on us one day. Back then, not being the geek I am today, we were at the mercy of the folks who ran computer stores to fix the computer.

I seemed to have digressed very much from Nick Gentry…

Yes, so Gentry’s a one of a kind artist and he brings the obsolete (floppy disks) back to life via his art. His works are predominantly portraits done on floppy disks, fusing art eternally with old storage media, giving the disks a different way of functioning but still keeping in line with its original aim – storage.

Here are some of Gentry’s works.

For more – visit his website

Imagesource: gentry

With styles and designs changing all the time, it is often hard to decide on one specific style and commit to purchasing a sofa. Because sofas are such a financial investment for most people it is essential that you feel confident that you are making the right purchase for you. There is nothing worse than buying a sofa only to stumble upon the one you really want one week later.

Although this risk can never be totally removed there are things you can do to reduce the possibility.

Firstly work out all the local stores in your surrounding area. Take the time to visit them all one weekend. Take pictures of all the sofas you like and take note of the basic details to ensure you have a record for later on. Doing this makes sure you will not stroll in to a sofa store weeks later and realise you had forgot about a sofa you viewed. It may even make sense to rate the sofa on comfort so you at least have some metric for this important factor.

The next step is to spend a few evenings checking out design and interior blogs. Doing this will give you a good understanding of the latest trends and styles. Make sure to print out all of your favourite visuals from the blogs you have been checking out.  This process will also give you an idea about how your space could be changed to accommodate a certain style of sofa. Often it is the room that your sofa is going to be located that drives your sofa choice rather than the actual sofa itself. Make sure you realise that a wall can be painted in second but a sofas appearance cannot be altered.

Once you have done this it is also advisable to check out 4-5 of the major sofa retailers online. Often there are great deals to be found online and you may even be able to purchase a sofa you have tested offline online. Many of the major high street retailers also have a strong online presence offering great deals and offers. Trying a product on the high street and then buying online is usually the most cost effective way of buying. Remember to scour the internet for a good few hours or until you feel you have a clear view of what is available.

Print your visual references out, print the photos from your weekend shopping around, compare notes and make the best decision you can.

This process should make you feel confident in your decision.

Good luck, I hope this helped!

When i think about interior design, I love to experiment to find the right layout, style and feel for my home. This process will not come in an instant so I would advise testing out different themes for your home. Here are a few quick tips which could work well in your home:

1. Think about changing the colour scheme depending on the season. When the weather is really special, why not consider changing your interiors to match. This could include buying lighter coloured fabrics, adding more light to the living spaces and decluttering your rooms to give a more spacious feel.

2. Experiment with art and design pieces to add interest to different rooms around the home. Obviously, artwork will depend on your tastes so choose items that reflect your personality for best results. Alternatively, why not choose some nice home decor items such as plates, glassware, soft furnishings or collectable figurines to add a touch of class to the room.

3. Create a greater sense of space of light. By adding mirrors in strategic locations around a room, you can quickly increase the perception of space and light in a room. This is a well known trick used in many interiors to open out a room and give it a lighter feel. Don’t go too overboard however, so mix mirrors with paintings and artwork for maximum effect.

4. Get your floor coverings sorted – A high quality rug or floor covering can add depth and texture to a room, which can be missed in many homes, especially ones with wooden flooring.

Depending on the room, go for something neutral in colour so that it does not detract too much from the existing furniture in the room.

With a few of these tips to hand, let’s hope you can improve your home with ease.

Those who know colour schemes well use that to their advantage to create stunning homes without having to buy the best furnishing or the most expensive accents.Most people know that dark colours usually make a space look smaller while pale colours have the opposite effect. But knowing this alone isn’t enough to help you aptly choose the right colour scheme for your home.

What colour should my walls be? Let’s look at the main colour contributor in any home — the walls. Ever been in a room and immediately get a headache but didn’t know why? Exit the room and instantly feel better? You’ve just been affected by the colour scheme! While I can’t say for sure what colours you should avoid, there are guidelines to select apt colours for your walls. As most people can’t mentally visualise the outcome, they find that the colour charts provided by paint companies usually turn out a different shade. If you want to have bold colours in your living room or bedroom, the rule of thumb is, choose three or four colours that you would like for a room — you will apply these colours to your walls and furnishing.

One colour must be the dominant colour while another colour should be used half as much as the dominant colour. The third and fourth colours are used sparingly as accents. If you already have furniture in the room, select a shade that is similar or complements the fabric colours on your sofa. Note that contrasting colours will accentuate the structural details of your room, but extreme contrasts will leave your guests too distracted to fully enjoy the effort you’ve put into the room. How do I choose colours? Before even deciding on the colours, know what your room is to be used for, and how much natural light usually gets let in. Colours have characteristics that are augmented differently in natural or artificial light.

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An unclean living environment can prove to be an unpleasant backdrop for our day to day lives. But getting your elbows dirty doesn’t have to be as stressful as it first appears, and below are some handy tips to help you on your way.

Let’s start small. We have all been a little too enthusiastic when dunking a biscuit into cup of coffee at some point, but it can go wrong! Cleaning coffee spillages is really simple. For carpets, sponge the spill with cold water and blot dry. If the stain is stubborn, reach for the shampoo. For your upholstery, sponge the stain with cold water then dab at the mark with laundry detergent solution. Rinse and blot dry.

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Designed by Lee WonKook, the Roly Poly iron has a unique weight shifting mechanism to stand on it’s own with the heating element off your ironing board when not in use, to prevent accidental fires.

The iron itself has a very futuristic minimalist design which appeals to me. Its design was meant to address two issues:

1) chiefly, to prevent burning your clothes (or your home down) due to carelessness

2) it claims that the conventional iron creates immoderate wrist movements having to stand up the iron everytime it’s not in use during your ironing sessions

So how does this iron work exactly by being able to stand itself up? Here’s a diagram that explains it (in rather poor English – but hey, it doesnt really matter when it’s explaining cool tech)

imagesource: Yankodesign

Crazy about football like I am? Then this is the PERFECT rug for you. Karin Materstal’s football field rug is a hand-tufted wool rug with white markings to denote the lines of a football pitch. Sold at scandinaviandesigncenter for hefty price of USD208.

While the design is brilliant, the price is not. But who’s to say what a diehard fan of the sport might do?

Imagesource: scandinaviandesigncenter

The Basics of Garden Design Accessories
As part of your garden design you may want to incorporate various types of
garden accessories. Garden accessories can complement the theme of your
garden and show off your unique sense of style.

They can help you create a whimsical, playful environment or they can be
used to create a romantic, charming ambiance. Whatever mood or atmosphere
you desire to create, you can do so by using garden accessories.

Garden Design Must-Haves
The following are the top 10 garden design accessories that you should
consider.

1. Bird Baths – every garden that can fit a bird bath needs one. Not only are bird baths
beautiful, but they also attract numerous types of birds. Birds will enjoy
the water as well as the insects in your garden.

2. Garden Cart – a garden cart can be a functional or non-functional
accessory. You can place your watering can, gloves, and tools in the cart
or you can put a planter in the cart and use it as decoration.

3. Water feature – a waterfall or fountain will provide water movement in
your garden. The splashing and trickling sounds will attract wildlife such
as birds. These soothing sounds will also be a delight to both you and
other visitors to your garden.

4. Statues – while not very functional, statues can aid an air of mystery,
intrigue, and elegance to your garden.

5. Arches – these structures add a special appeal to your garden,
especially when covered in ivy or some other type of flowering vine.
Butterflies are quite fond of ivy.

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With kitchen trends changing all the time, It is not easy to choose. You will need all the advice you can get.

First, you need to know whether you want a fitted kitchen or a pick-and-choose. Most people go for the former (also known as the built-in kitchen) as it maximises the available space you have, even weird or difficult corners by turning them into storage areas.

Don’t be fooled into trying to get the most minimalist kitchen because every practical household will end up having loads more items to store. The kitchens you see at showhouses don’t exactly exist — perfect for photos, never ideal for real living. A pick-and-choose, or freestanding, kitchen has a unique look and feel from each individual piece that makes up the area. When not done well, it ends up looking more of a mess than an appealing assortment of items sitting in harmony.

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