Category — Cool Homes

It is common these days for architects to build with the element of light being the key ingredient in their design. However, arhitect Marcio Kogan of Studio MK27, decided to build his home with the key element being – breeze. He wanted a home that would breathe together with him in harmony .

Combining modern contemporary with traditional Bahian elements, Kogan produced a landmark home which would be the envy of other home owners. In Bahia, Brazil, the climate is humid and warm all year round hence efficient ventilation becomes paramount to the comfort of its inhabitants.

The living/dining space is essential walled by glass panels which can slide completely out of the way, has floor to ceiling accordion mesh screens which can be hidden away also to create a very expansive look which allows the living/dining space to meet the courtyard unimpeded. The living space is adorned with beautiful wood ceiling planes and stone walls to add a clear separation of distinct spaces. Classic mole chairs fill up the central living space, optimized by modernist Brazilian art to add colour and overall depth

image source: architectural record

Add up the amount of time you spend washing up (not to mention the damage it does to your hands if you run out of rubber gloves!) and it becomes an increasingly appealing option. You don’t need to break the bank either, there are some perfectly good models available for just over £200.

The most obvious place to start is the size you want. You can buy standard size or integrated dishwashers so that your kitchen is made to fit, but there are also slimline and compact models available if you don’t have the biggest kitchen. Full-size models can the washing up generated by up to 12 people – great if you have a large family or entertain often. Slimline models can take almost as much, up to nine place settings in most cases. There are even table-top models for the tiniest space, which are placed on a work surface and take four place settings.

The amount of settings vary between dishwashers but there will be at least three as well as a rinse only programme. Hotter settings are better for stubborn dried on food, while you can opt for economy or half-wash programmes. Some of the high-end models even have ‘fuzzy logic’, which will automatically assess how dirty the load is and adjust the programme accordingly. The drying programme will then dry the pots using heat from the wash or heated air.

The more you spend, the more options you have. Some have a baby cycle which removes bacteria from blows and spoons, others have a programme specifically for delicates or glass. The timer delay is a useful option as it can be set to come on during the night when off-peak energy prices may apply – but check those noise levels as well which are measured in decibels, or dB.

And remember energy efficiency, they’re rated from A+ to G. Go for at least an A and you can put your feet up in the knowledge you’re being kind to the environment as well as yourself.

If you think about it, this is not a question we ask very often. I know I pretty much always anticipate the answer rather than asking first – and sometimes I get it really rather wrong!

Take their bedrooms for example, here’s me thinking that my 12 year old daughter would really like the girlie whirley romantic bedroom style I picked out to show her in a fancy magazine, only to be turned on with a look of distaste and told it is ‘naff’. Thanks! So what do you like then, I ask – a sofa bed she says, sofa beds are just the thing apparently: ‘all my friends have got one’! I doubt it, but still… why, I ask? You, know, just for hanging out and stuff. Hmmmmm…. not planning on sleeping at all then. I decide not to pursue this conversation further.

What else is going on in her head though I wonder? What happened to the little girl who loved ballet, Hello Kitty and all things pink? Time for me to wake up and smell the teenager obviously… what a horrible thought. I am sure I will have to get used to it pretty quickly though as music, hair styles and clothes are already creeping higher up the priorities list. Peer pressure is definitely full on, and her world is expanding all the time.

It does make me stop and think: when did our teenagers become sophisticated consumers at such an early age? They are easily influenced by buying trends and seasons, not to mention the endless exposure to celebrity endorsement. It seems that single beds and somewhere to do your homework will no longer cut it on the bedroom front. I’m keeping quiet in case she decides to push it in regard to the sofa bed and see if I will actually buy into her vision of what she absolutely ‘needs’. Wish me luck!

One of the rooms in the house which we sometimes neglect when it comes to wall art and ornaments has got to be the kitchen. Bathrooms often get left out too, and the effect can be that the room is more sterile and less welcoming than it needs to be. There is no reason not to complement your fixtures and fittings in these rooms with carefully chosen pictures, photographs and accessories as you would anywhere else in your home.

In the kitchen you may want to consider dividing up your kitchen worktops into zones by use of items displayed in groups: this could be practical gadgets for food preparation displayed cleverly in interesting containers, or even simply a vase of flowers placed at a strategic point. Used well the eye will be drawn around the room and the effect will be very pleasing.

With pictures, or wall art, a clock is always a great feature in the kitchen and can be an ideal centerpiece for a space in between wall mounted kitchen units. Go for an oversized style or something quirky which is a conversation piece – a clock is always practical in the kitchen too. Paintings or photos which inspire your culinary creations can be fun too – whether it’s an haute cuisine creation to aspire to or a family shot of the latest Christmas lunch, it will be something to think about when you are preparing a meal.

In the bathroom, especially if your suite is white, you may decide to lead the decorating theme by picking a highlight colour which is echoed in all the pictures and accessories. This will create a very co-ordinated look with ease, and if you match the towels in to you will complete the room perfectly. Don’t be afraid of colour and making a personal statement. And don’t forget – art goes everywhere!

• The friggin cool book rack on the left – this is something that any carpenter can get done for you and will not cost you heaps. Yet, it provides an absolute positive aesthetic feel to the room. Oozes elegance
• Clever spatial planning – despite the room being large, the owners did not try to fit in a king size bed but opted to use a double bed with an oversize bean bag and a throw rug. The implementation is so nice and clean it creates a very open feeling as you enter the room
• Good lighting – downlights at the edges throw a nice curved shadow, adding ambience. May be subtle but definitely contributes to adding warmth to the space
• 27″ iMac – who can doubt its coolnes?

imagesource: freshome

It’s not always easy to be green and now in modern times when we try to be as green as possible we have multiple things to remember about recycling and composting etc.

To stay green it doesn’t just have to be your way of that you change. Simple one time decisions on what materials and features you use around your home could make a difference and the perfect place to start is redesigning our kitchens.

A few small changes around the kitchen will make a big difference.

A slow flow tap would not only help the planet but will also lower your water bill at the end of the month. This style of tap use 30% less water and the only sacrifice you have to make is waiting a few seconds longer to fill a container but by doing this it will reduce the water you waste.

Using recycled materials around the kitchen is another way to do your bit for the planet. Recycled glass or ceramic is an excellent alternative to kitchen worktops.

Not only are they durable, easy to clean and resistant to heat, they are great for an alternative look and cheaper than your classic granite or marble worktops.

When looking at a new floor for your kitchen to be at the front of modern design and very eco friendly consider cork. It is fast becoming a favourite amongst environmentally conscious consumers for a number of reasons.

Firstly cork is a great insulator so will keep your house warm and reduce energy costs and it is also a renewable source. As cork is made from bark, harvested responsibly meaning each tree does not suffer or need to be cut down and is only harvested every 10 years or so, which gives time for new bark to grow.

Cork can also be manufactured to go with any style of kitchen cabinets you have using dies and polishing methods so it would not matter what material or colours you have used for your kitchen, cork can always be made to go with the design.

While cork a green choice, it is extremely durable and can be compressed to 40% its natural size before returning to its original form which is great for coping with heavy kitchen appliances like dishwashers and tumble dryers.

If that was not enough, it will also save you money on your energy bills as cork is a good retainer of heat.

So the choices of vinyl siding are driving you nuts? Is that window installation giving you fits? Are you pulling your hair out over the prospect of those new front entry doors? It could be worse. You could be back in ancient times, trying to figure out how to make that massive pyramid in the sands of Egypt.

Seeing the pyramids is an experience no traveler to Egypt will want to miss. The sheer size of the pyramids is awe-inspiring, but when it sinks in that this incredible work was done by the hands of workers who didn’t have access to our modern building supplies, equipment, or techniques, the awe inspired by the towering works of art will get a whole lot deeper.

Not only was the work done in ways we still don’t quite understand, perhaps the most amazing thing is the longevity. Even the sturdiest modern home starts to show weaknesses and problems after a few decades, and after a few hundred years, the structure can need some serious renovation and overhaul to keep it sturdy. The pyramids have stood strong for thousands of years and show no signs of turning to dust anytime soon.

The theories on building techniques for the pyramid are wide and varied. Some experts say the top of the pyramids were built first, and then raised as the lower levels were added. Others suggest levering techniques that allowed men to carry stones up the tiers of the pyramid, and still others suggest a series of ramps with lubricating materials were used. Those ramps might have been external or internal, depending upon the expert you ask.

What is absolutely certain is this: the workforce used to build the pyramids was huge, probably at least tens of thousands of men, possibly hundreds of thousands in the decades it took to complete the projects. Their tools were very basic, which means their creativity in planning and implementing the building of the pyramids had to be impressive.

When you consider that the pyramids were built at a time when the basics of modern building equipment–pulleys, iron tools, and even the wheel–were not at their disposal, the sheer magnitude of what the Egyptians built is staggering.

How does that equate to today’s modern techniques and achievements? It puts them to shame, quite frankly. So the next time you get frustrated with that contractor or wish your hardwood flooring was easier to install, remember the Egyptians and the tons of bricks they moved by hand over the decades. It certainly puts the woes of home renovation in perspective!

How apt it is to design your home in the shape of a toilet? Not very, unless you are the Chairman of the Inaugural Assembly of the World Toilet Association. His name is Kim Jae Duck and this is his house

The house is equipped with 4 premium toilets which come with misting capabilities (why?) and electronic toilet lids.

Does your veggie peeler have a taste for blood? Do you have sixteen partial sets of wine glasses? Do your most ambitious meals involve a trip to urgent care? If you’re a kitchen klutz, you might want to include a cork floor in your green kitchen remodeling.

Kitchen Renovation for Klutzes: Include Cork Flooring

The cellular composition of cork floor is made of millions of air sacs–you are literally walking on air! This cellular structure also makes cork flooring a natural insulator. Cork floors are sustainably harvested, good for the earth. Unlike other natural wood flooring products, cork is obtained from the bark of oak trees and can be harvested every nine years without causing any damage to the trees or the environment.

Cork flooring looks nice and feels warm and soft under your bare feet when you mosey into the kitchen for your morning java. For the kitchen klutz, however, cork provides cushioning, which minimizes breakage. Due to the resilient nature of cork, if, oops, when you drop an object onto it, the floor will absorb the fall and then return to its original state.

Put a Cork in It!

Cork floors come in rolls or in one-by-three-foot tongue-and-groove tiles. Cork flooring costs $3 to $10 per square foot, comparable to ceramic or wood flooring. Installing cork in the kitchen does not require a subfloor. It can be rolled right over your existing flooring. Cork tiles and planks are available in many colors and patterns. Cork flooring can be stained or painted or left warm and natural. Almost any color can be found to suit your needs.

Cork is extremely versatile for those who want to get creative and sexy with their floor. Choose several colors and personally design your own pattern for your kitchen. Cork flooring installation is best left for professional kitchen contractors because potential contact with moisture makes it challenging for DIYers.

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Photo courtesy of ReliableRemodeler.com

Multiple layered window treatments provide numerous benefits. You will save more energy easily. You even get to block out the light better, so that you can enjoy a peaceful, dark room when the mood fits. Although having a sweeping sheer drape can be nice from time to time, investing in shutters or blackout shades or other types of products can work well to give you warmth and added comfort. In addition, it creates a complete framing of the window. You get as much privacy as you want to have with this multiple layered look.

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