repurposing: the answer to over-consumption?

I recently read a very interesting book by Annie Leonard called The Story of Stuff. In it she describes our consumer society as "a system in crisis" and gives some frightening facts about how our materialistic values are now threatening our very being.

In a nutshell, the system is flawed throughout various stages :

1. Extraction- we are running out of our precious resources like trees, water and food.

2. Production- we use too much energy, add toxic chemicals that are harming us and polluting our atmosphere.

3. Distribution- we promote shopping and consumption by measuring our value based on the amount of stuff we own.

4. Dumpsites- we are filling up our landfills and releasing toxins into the air through incineration.

Leonard says that "1% of the stuff we buy is still in use 6 months later." Wow, 99% of the stuff we think we need gets tossed? That's a wake-up call.  Another disturbing fact: manufacturers are either intentionally making products that don't last, or they are creating perceptions that the products are outdated and useless, so that we must buy new all over again. Ever noticed that refrigerators don't last as long as they did when we were kids? And think about how many times we've upgraded our phones, computers and TV's in the last few years? Did we really need to?

It is definitely something to take pause over. I have been increasingly conscious of not buying things for my home just because they are so inexpensive. Yes, that cool retro clock may be a steal for $10 but I really don't need another clock. Don't get me wrong, I'm not against capitalism and I'm certainly not against decorating our homes to make them comfortable and stylish. I believe we are fortunate that our circumstances grant us the luxury to make our homes and our lives into a true reflection of who we are. But we should be able to do it in a responsible way that will be sustainable for our planet.

What's the answer to all of this? 

Maybe its reusing and repurposing. 

Think about how our grandparents used to live and the fantastic furniture they had. Many of those pieces are hanging around today and they are the best pieces in our homes. Hang onto and cherish them. Look for them at thrift stores and estate sales, or in your parents' attic. Use your crafty skills to repaint an old ugly lamp or picture frame instead of buying new. Cover your existing throw pillows in new fabric when you want to change with the seasons, instead of purchasing a  whole new pillow. Look for stuff outdoors. A couple of birch branches and some interesting rocks make for great conversation starters in your living room.

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The average house size in North America has doubled since the 1970's, and we still have more stuff than we can fit inside them. Let's take the time to sort out what we have. Let's try not to buy new when we don't have to. When we do, let's invest in quality pieces, hopefully locally made, that will last so that we can hand them down to our kids.

This is obviously a huge global problem that we cannot remedy individually. But the piece of this scary system that we can control is our own consumption. I'm going to try to be more mindful. Are you?

I'd love to hear your thoughts on over-consumption and what we might be able to do to help curb it. Please leave a comment! 

built-ins on a budget

I am working with two different clients right now who would like to have built-in shelving on the media walls in their living rooms. There is no better way to create a focal point in a room than by creating a spectacular wall of shelving around a fireplace and/or TV. In addition to the fantastic storage it provides, it allows our big modern TV sets to blend better into the room and it draws the eye to the whole wall and not just the big black box. 

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Custom built-ins, however, are expensive. But with a little creativity and a weekend of getting your hands dirty, you can do it yourself and create a custom look using inexpensive materials.

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First, figure out your storage needs, and whether you need room for junk that you want behind closed doors, or if all-open shelving will be ok.

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 Second, try reusing what you already have. Can you incorporate existing freestanding bookcases, dressers, or sideboards into the design? One of my clients is using an antique dresser/hutch as the centerpiece that the TV sits on, and will build shelving around it. 

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Third, measure your wall and sketch out what your shelving would look like. Then measure each section and use in-stock cabinetry and shelving units from the hardware store. Often these can work perfectly size-wise. 

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Finally, use trim to tie all of the pieces together to create a seamless and custom look.  

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Or, who says they need to be joined together? Freestanding bookshelves on either side can also look amazing. 

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For detailed instructions, check out this page at HGTV.com or this one from ehow.com.

Shelving around your media wall or fireplace adds warmth and functionality to the room. It takes some work, but I think it is worth it. Do you?

green idea: painting old kitchen cabinets

                                                                       Source: papernstitchblog.com via refresheddesigns. on Pinterest

One of the most economical and environmentally friendly ways of remodeling a kitchen is to paint your existing cabinets. And yes, you can achieve professional looking results yourself if you take the time to do it right. 

                                                        Source: kitchenbacksplashes.blogspot.com via refresheddesigns. on Pinterest

1. Clean the cabinets. Preparation is the most important step in the process of painting your cabinets, and it is very important to make sure that all of the surfaces you are going to paint are completely free of all grease, grime, food residue and whatever else may be stuck to them.When doing this remove the doors and hardware and lay them out flat. Use an all purpose cleaner and a rag and then allow them to dry thoroughly.

2. Sand the cabinets. Once dry, use a piece of fine grit sandpaper - 150 or finer - and make a few passes over all the flat surfaces of the doors. Don't forget to do the thin facing pieces on the cabinet boxes themselves. The slightly sanded surface will allow the primer to better hold onto the surface and greatly increase longevity of the paint job. 

3. Apply primer. After sanding, it's time to prime the cabinets. Primer forms a better bond with the surface than paint alone would.  If your cabinets are already painted and you are re-painting them the same color, it is OK to skip this step and go ahead and apply the paint. If, however, your cabinets are stained and you are trying to cover up the natural wood grain with paint, you must prime them first. The paint will not stick to the varnished surface and the color of the stain will most likely bleed right through your paint.

There are several types of primer that you can use, and which one you choose is largely based on what kind of paint you want to use over the top. If you are using an oil-based paint, an interior oil based primer is recommended. These products tend to have a very strong odor and they are best used when you can properly ventilate the room. 

If you are planning to use a latex paint for your top coat, then a shellac based primer is recommended. This product tends to dry fairly quickly, so make sure that you are ready to go before you begin applying it. The shellac based primers, just like the oil based, carry a very strong odor and caution should be used.

4. Paint the cabinets. There are a couple of ways to apply the paint. A pneumatic sprayer is the best way to get a smooth and glossy finish. If you don't have access to one, however, you can still get a great finish by using a high quality paint brush - 2 1/2" to 3" would be ideal.

The key to achieving a professional finish with a brush is to use very thin coats. It may be tempting to try to coat the paint on as thick as possible just so you can be finished, but DON'T. The best and most durable paint jobs are built up by consecutive thin layers of paint.

5. Sand and add additional coats. In between coats, take some 320 grit sandpaper and very lightly sand the flat surfaces again so that you have the smoothest possible surface for your next coat. Use a tack cloth to wipe away all the dust, and go on to your next coat. You will likely need 2-4 coats. 

Let dry 24 hours and then hang the doors and install the hardware. Viola- new kitchen without consuming new materials.

                                                                            Source: google.ca via refresheddesigns. on Pinterest

                                                         Source: caitlinwilsondesign.blogspot.com via refresheddesigns. on Pinterest

                                                                           Source: google.ca via refresheddesigns. on Pinterest

                                                                    Source: housebeautiful.com via refresheddesigns. on Pinterest

Check out my posts on green backsplashes and countertops as well. 

friday favourites: ultra cool green products

My picks of the week are these are totally creative and cool eco-friendly designs.

recycled book desk

reclaimed courtside desk

iphone sustainably harvested wood clock dock

cardboard drink package light

Have you seen any other sustainable or green home design products to share?

repurposing at its best

I recently came across these inspiring adaptive re-uses of commercial space which prove that existing buildings and infrastructure can most definitely be used to accommodate new and growing needs.  Just like with homes, transforming a space into what you need for today is a sustainable option that also creates great character.

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 This shop occupies a vault beneath an old railway viaduct in Zurich.

 This fantastic gallery was transformed from a Swiss service station.

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green product roundup

It's becoming easier to find eco-friendly furniture and home products, especially online. I've recently come across some that are pretty interesting.

These "wall flats" from Inhabit are an interesting wall covering, and especially great to hide old panelled or wallpapered walls. They are made from a bi-product of sugar cane that would normally be sent to a landfill or burned as biomass. 

Mod Pieces offers vintage lighting that come in all kinds of wonderful shapes and colours. Both the bases and shades are refreshed vintage. 

The fantastic throw rugs from Fab Habitat are made from 100% recycled plastic - polypropylene straws to be exact. Makes for a great indoor or outdoor product. 

Such a cool idea: exhibiting photos and artwork on sustainably grown and harvested plywood panels from Plywerk. 

Room & Board makes these great indoor/outdoor end and coffee tables from 100% post-industrial and post-consumer recycled plastic. 

Finally, count on good old West Elm to give us eco-friendly bedding choices. This Organic Rice Pintuck duvet cover is 100% organic cotton certified by GOTS. 

Got any other green products to share? 

spotlight on...slow home design

What is slow home design? Basically, it is the principle of slowing down to design homes and spaces that are sustainable, practical and functional.

The slow home movement began in 2006 when John Brown, Matthew North, and Carina van Olm wanted to create a "critical response to the poor design practices that pervade the mass housing industry. Our intent is to advocate for a more thoughtful approach to residential design that improves the quality of our daily lives and reduces our impact on the environment".  Slow Home Studio, founded by principals John Brown and Matthew North in Calgary, Alberta, strives for a more “considered, calm and intuitive” approach to residential design. The concept is to use well-considered design principles to create smaller homes that will be both environmentally sustainable and literally so, in the sense of being built to endure.  The practice also includes remodels of existing, appropriately sized older homes that need updating.

Brown says in an interview with The Chicago Tribune  that a slow home is:

"reasonably sized and carefully designed to support its occupants. It might have an entry where family members can easily take off their boots, stash their keys and store their backpacks, for example. It might have a living space that encourages people to talk or read, not just watch television or surf the Internet. It's energy efficient, filled with natural light and designed for easy flow among rooms and access to the outside."

North, in this interview with The Calgary Herald says:

"I think the boom of the big-house era is coming to an end. So those houses will be less desirable and valuable as time goes on," North says . . . Expect a shift to smaller, more energy-efficient homes, North says, and a move away from homes on the fringes of cities. A decade ago, a 5,000-sq.-ft. home sounded like a dream to some. These days, that much square footage "sounds like a noose around your neck. There's uncertainty about the energy cost to heat your house."

Slow Home Studio offers "12 Steps to a Slow Home.",  very interesting how-to to get started on your own home.  And they offer weekend in-studio courses on slow home design, which I am excited to be participating in this Fall.

I'm a big fan of the slow home movement, especially since my focus is on redesign instead of consuming new. Where possible, I encourage clients to look at redesigning their home to make it work better for them, instead of starting from scratch. I also try to use existing furniture, whether it is already in the home, or found on Craig's List or at a thrift or antique store. Even better is hand-me-down family furniture - the stuff our grandparents had was so well-made! 

Slowing down to design a space that is functional, long-lasting, meets the needs of the family now and later, and is, of course, stylish and comfortable - that's the aim with every project I tackle. Watch for more posts as I continue to study and learn about sustainable and slow home design. 

What do you think of slow home design? What is your take on the concept and do you incorporate it into your home?

master bedroom refresh

Well I"m back in Calgary after two fantastic weeks on the East Coast at "home" visiting family and friends. I was busy while there, and one of the projects was refreshing my mom and dad's bedroom. The budget was slim to nil on this one, so I had to get the creative juices flowing. I started with wallpapered walls and a lovely wood floor, a bed with black iron-look head and foot board, and two tired old dressers. And it was quite dark, with only one window facing east.

I was very excited to see what was possible by using the sustainable design concept of reusing and re-purposing. Here is the before picture...

And after...

I wanted to create a brighter, lighter feeling country bedroom. The dresser below was painted a dark sage green (see my previous post on painting the dressers in this room). The curtains were an old shower curtain cut in two to make panels.

Everything on the walls and shelves was either something already in the house or from the yard outside. Birch branches are leaned against the wall as a point of interest and to cover up a bad crack in the wall underneath the wallpaper.

This is the second painted dresser with matching grey-green paint on the back of the existing shelves.

Jewellery is displayed on an old picture frame with a ribbon tied across the back.

The head and foot boards were painted with white semi-gloss trim paint and then distressed with sandpaper.

This bench was an old deacon's bench. We sawed off the back spindles and side arms, painted it out white, and made a foam cushion for the top.

The side table is a block of firewood sawed and sanded with a Varathane finish. 

Snowshoes complete the country feel and were found in the basement, so again, no extra cost for decoration.

This project cost only $100 dollars - for paint and fabric for the cushions. The rest was all re-purposed and reused.  I'm pleased with it, and so are my parents. What do you think?

Stay tuned for more budget-friendly refreshed rooms- including the bathroom and kitchen.

green idea: eco-friendly countertops

Countertops are an important element in a home, since they make a huge impact aesthetically and add value. They are also an easy way for homeowners to start incorporating eco-friendly elements into their space. There are more and more choices these days, and although most options cost more than the standard laminate, I recommend making the upgrade- it will pay off both for the environment and for your pocketbook due to the durability and impact.

Let's start with what is NOT eco-friendly: laminate and stone, the two most popular choices for countertops today. Laminates are made of plastic-coated synthetics, and most include urea formaldehyde.  If you need to go with laminate because of the low price, look for ones without the formaldehyde. 

Stone options are not good for the environment because they are not renewable, and they are a massively energy and water- intensive product to produce. Yes, use of stone countertops gains some LEED points for the indoor air quality, but they are still not a responsible option when thinking of the planet. Along that same thinking, while solid surface countertops such as Corian, Swanstone and Avonite could be considered slightly more friendly than stone, because they don't require sealants, they still don't have the same kind of low-impact manufacturing process as the choices below. 

So what are good options?

1. Composite and recycled materials - fantastic countertops made from recycled paper or glass mixed with resins or concrete to form a hard surface. They come in many colour variations, have a long life span and are heat and scratch resistant. Products include:

PaperStone - an alternative to laminate in that it looks similar but better. Made of paper, but hard as stone.

Richlite- another paper-based alternative made from both FSC certified pulp and post-consumer paper waste products. 

Ecotop - the next step from the PaperStone people. Made of 50% recycled wood & paper, and 50% bamboo.    The resin that binds the wood, paper, and bamboo is 100% water based, and VOC and petroleum free.

Vetrazzo^® - a recycled glass surface comprised of 100% recycled glass. As their website says, "A high glass content ( 85% by volume), expansive color palette, and story in every surface make this material sparkle." 

IceStone - manufactured with 100% recycled glass in a cement matrix. "It is the only durable surface in the world to receive the Cradle to Cradle™ Gold certification, which assesses products on a number of criteria, such as the use of safe and healthy materials, design for material reuse and recycling, efficient use of energy and water throughout production, and the instituting of strategies for social responsibility."  

EnviroGLAS - 100% recycled glass and porcelain terrazzo. 

Squak Mountain Stone - a fibrous-cement material made of recycled paper, glass and low-carbon cement. Resembles soapstone or limestone.

Environite - 90% composed of recycled glass, refractory and other commonly discarded post consumer and post industrial materials.  

Fuez Glass - 100% curbside recycled glass, low-carbon cement, natural aggregate 

3Form - transforms 100 percent post-consumer HDPE (high density polyethylene) into elegantly designed engineered panels

2. Recycled ceramic tile- recycled ceramics are biodegradable, inexpensive and durable. 

3. Recycled stainless steel and aluminium - again, because it is a product that avoids going to the landfill, it gets the green thumbs up. Check out Alkemi, which make a countertop made of post-industrial scrap waste of the fine flakes left over from aluminium milling.

4. Bamboo - rapidly renewable, water resistant and naturally bacteria resistant. Teragren has a few different bamboo countertops to choose from that are durable and up to 154% harder than red oak. 

5. Wood or butcher block - hardwoods such as maple or oak with FSC certification and use of low-VOC sealants and water-based finishes are a great choice and have a beautiful warm look. 

6. Glass - Glass countertops can be as simple as a transparent sheet of glass or they can be designed into translucent sheets with smooth, etched, sandblasted, patterned or grooved finishing. Most glass countertops are made of recycled glass that includes mirrors and windows. Great for a modern look. 

7. Concrete, but only if recycled - concrete manufacturing is one of the most energy and water-intensive practices around, but lately some companies are coming out with recycled concrete products, replacing 80-90% of the cement with recycled cement materials. Once such company is Concrete Elegance, which uses an interesting process and makes beautiful finished counters. 

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I hope this helps clarify some of the green options for countertops, and I hope you consider making the switch! I would love to hear your thoughts on sustainable countertops and if you think they are worth the investment.