Posts Tagged ‘sustainable style’
Portland Interior Designer Shares: Leftover Paint Recycling News!
Friday, July 2nd, 2010
Today in the news there’s something GOOD for a change! Oregon has a new law and program to help recycle leftover paint. Read the full article on the new Paint Stewardship Law here.
I know that after painting rooms I always end up with paint left over. And I love to change paint colors in my house every so often because it’s such an easy way to change the look. So all that paint adds up. Here’s a great tip on the best way to properly store paint for later use (from the article).
Place plastic wrap on the tops of paint cans before fitting lids on snugly, and store upside down at a moderate temperature.
It’s great to have touch-up paint for the occasional dings we get in our walls. But once you change colors in your house and no longer need the old color on hand, it’s great that you now have a much easier way to get your paint into a recycling center.
This is also good news if you’ve ever bought a gallon of paint and begun painting – only to realize you really blew it on the color! Now you have a whole gallon of paint you won’t be using! Of course, this wouldn’t be happening to you if you had hired me to give you the best paint color consultation you’ll ever have! 
And when you are choosing your paint in the first place – be sure to ask for zero VOC paint. I’m using a Benjamin Moore low VOC paint for my kitchen cabinets in my current project. Almost all of the paint brands now have a zero VOC option. Just ask!
You may also like:
Painting Kitchen Cabinets: What Color Would You Choose?
Paint Color To Sell Your Home: It Isn’t White!
Tags: Benjamin Moore, color, color consultation, paint color, recycling, sustainable style
Posted in Colors, DIY, Interior Design, Mistakes: Avoiding & Fixing, Sustainable style, Trends | No Comments »
Serving Up Sustainable Style: Eco-Friendly Serving Trays
Thursday, December 3rd, 2009
During the holidays, if you are the type who loves to entertain, serve up your refreshments on sustainable and stylish serving trays. Whether you use serving trays to place on an ottoman in your living room in lieu of a coffee table, or you want a convenient way to get your hors d’oeuvres (yes, I had to look up the spelling) from the kitchen to your dining table or buffet, these trays will make a design statement while being kind to the environment. I hope you see one that will work with your decor. I’m a fanatic about detail and color coordination, so I have different trays to complement my color palette and design style for the living room, family room, dining room and my bedroom. One of my personal indulgences is to have coffee in bed every morning. It’s enticing to have a beautifully set tray and an inexpensive way to add a little elegance and style to your entertaining.
This first tray will complement even the most minimal modern decor. The Enos serving tray produced by Staach is hand made in the USA out of solid maple from domestic wood from certified sources . The bottom is lacquered in clear, white or red and the top is finished with food safe mineral oil. I think it is destined to be a classic design icon. Found at 2modern.com.
The Ibride Tray is made from reclaimed wood and totally rocks in an eclectic decor. Hang this up on your wall as art in between use. Found at Clio-Home.
And for you DIY types, here’s a fun project. Find an old cupboard door and use paint, handles and a little creativity to make your own serving tray in any color or style you like. This one is from Craftynest. It would be very fun to do a collage on one of these if you don’t have painting skills. A great way to recycle and re-purpose. Remember to use zero VOC paints, adhesives and finishes.
| Free Design Tips Sign Up |
Tags: 2modern, Art, color, Dining Room, DIY, do it yourself, entertaining, environmentally friendly, green design, modern design, portland interior design, serving tray, sustainable, sustainable materials, sustainable style
Posted in Art, Bedroom, Cool Ideas, Cool Stuff, DIY, Dining Room, Kitchen, Living Room, Sustainable style, Uncategorized | No Comments »
Baby It’s Cold Outside! Pangaea’s Picks: Top Ten Fireplaces
Monday, October 26th, 2009
As the rain has started to come down in sheets and the nights have turned COLD, my fireplace has been put into use in a big way. Many years ago, urban living in lofts, condos and apartments meant living without a fireplace. But technology has changed all of that. One potential client who recently contacted me said his one concession in buying a condo in the John Ross Condomiums in the South Waterfront district was to forego a fireplace — but we have a solution for him. Another client in The Wyatt high rise apartments in the Pearl District had a fireplace listed as one of her first items to add to her decor. I was also in the 937 Condominiums in the Pearl District last week and felt sad that for almost half a million dollars, you end up with no fireplace! So, this post is for you! Whether you have a condo in the Pearl or South Waterfront, or a house where there is no built-in fireplace, with today’s technology, there is now a fireplace for everyone, every room, and just about every budget!
*
Pangaea’s Picks: Top Ten Fireplaces:
1. Harry Leenders – Hands down, my fave for a suspended, rotating fireplace. Love the sleek lines.
*
2. EcoSmart’s Denatured Ethanol burning fireplaces can be set into a built in display or they have many free-standing styles. Environmentally friendly and renewable fuel is a plus.
*
*
3. This Eurofocus has nice clean lines and is angled to look great in a corner.
*
*
4. Rais is just simple and lovely.
*
*
5. What top ten list would be complete without the modern classic Fireorb?
*
*
6. Schulte Design has inset this little beauty into a modern coffee table. Open to use the fire and push the two sides together to conceal it and just use the coffee table. Brilliant!
*
*
7. Sparkfires has this wonderful 6 foot long Ribbon Fire. It really makes a great statement in a big room.
*
*
8. Of all the wall hung, ventless, flueless fireplaces, I love this one by Superior Fires called Scandium.
*
*
9. This is probably the most unique style I’ve seen for free standing ventless, flueless fireplaces. It’s minimal and beautiful. Wonder if I can just roll it along with me wherever I go?
*
*
10. I love fireplaces that incorporate a place to store the firewood. What a great idea! This Wittus Cubic wood burning stove stores plenty of wood and is large enough to feel like a built-in architectural feature.
*
*
1 Harry Leenders Suspended, Rotating Fireplace
2 EcoSmart Denatured Ethanol Burning Fireplace
3 Eurofocus Angled Corner Fireplace
4 Rais
5 Fireorb
6 Schulte Design Fire Furniture
7 Sparkfires Fire Ribbon
8 Superior Fires Scandium Wall Hung Fireplace
9 Conmoto Roll Fire
10 Wittus Cubic Fireplace
Related Posts:
The Warmth of Cool: Adding Visual Warmth With Accessories
Tags: 937 Condominiums, denatured ethanol, environmentally friendly, Fireplace, flueless fireplace, John Ross Condominiums, Pearl District, penthouse, South Waterfront District, sustainable style, The Wyatt, Top Ten, ventless fireplace, wood burning stove
Posted in Cool Stuff, Design Tips, Fireplace, Interior Design, Pearl District, South Waterfront, Sustainable style, Top Ten, Uncategorized | No Comments »
The Warmth of Cool
Saturday, October 10th, 2009
Although I am looking at a bright blue, sunny sky as I write this … I am eyeing the rapidly rising pile of leaves on my deck that tell me gray skies and cooler weather are coming up fast. Brrrrrr! Soon we will be looking for ways to be warmer. Lighting the fireplace is the first thing that pops into my mind, and I suppose I could rake those leaves to warm myself up. But there are plenty of easy ways to turn up the heat without ….. well ……… actually turning up the heat! Adding elements to your home that provide “visual warmth” can make you feel warmer without ever striking a match.
photo courtesy of Burke Decor
Here are Portland Interior Designer, Pangaea’s tips for some very cool ways to add warmth to any space without touching your thermostat:
Colors are referred to as “cool” or “warm” for a reason. All white rooms, or rooms that are decorated in cool colors like pale blues & greens, literally feel warmer when colors like red, golden yellow, brick, rust, burgundy & plum are added.
These throw pillows by Koko are a great mix of cool & warm colors. The wool felt fabric is warm to the touch and they are like little works of art to boot!
When I feel goosebumps coming on I reach for a luxurious faux fur throw. This one by PreFurs in Lynx is absolutely amazing! The look of fur is warm and inviting, and on the practical side, it keeps you toasty on the coldest of evenings.
The addition of an area rug in a super deep tufted wool or sheepskin is a great way to add warm texture in a large way and feels great on bare feet. I love this giant multiple sheepskin rug in the top photo from Burke Decor.
No fireplace to light up? No problem. Candles are an easy way to add the primal comfort of fire. Instead of slim tapers, use the larger pillars in pale colors so the fire glows through the wax giving a larger visual impact. If you position your candles near mirrors you’ll get reflected light as well, doubling the effect.
If you really want the look of a larger fire though, these new flueless fireplaces by EcoSmart can be used even in condos and apartments. With styles that are free standing or that can be mounted on a wall, there is a style suitable for any home and you can have one in any room. They burn denatured alcohol, a renewable resource, so they are environmentally friendly.
Finally, just for fun, this is my favorite CD to listen to when I’m snuggled up in my faux fur throw with my candles lit drinking a cup of hot mulled cider. And, it just happens to be the inspiration for the title of this article. It’s a compilation CD called “Warmth of Cool: Interlude”. You can click on the album image to find out where to buy it. Enjoy!
Related Posts:
Perk Up Your Place: The Power of Throw Pillows
Baby It’s Cold Outside! Pangaea’s Picks: Top Ten Fireplaces
Tags: area rug, Autumn, color, EcoSmart, environmentally friendly, Fireplace, flueless fireplace, interior design portland, Koko, portland interior design, PreFurs, sustainable style, visual warmth
Posted in Cool Stuff, Design Tips, Interior Design, Sustainable style, Uncategorized | 2 Comments »
Sustainable Style: The Feel of Felt
Monday, July 27th, 2009
Felt may be the oldest form of fabric, dating back over 5000 years, but there’s nothing ‘old’ about Mickus Projects’ futuristic take on this sustainable fabric. Their Relief Chair is made from medium density wool felt sheets adhered to each other with non-toxic, water based adhesives and sleeved over an internal steel frame. Part of their Solid/Surface/Series collection, the digitally cut, sleek contours are sculptural, while the wool felt lends tactile and visual warmth.
The Peacock Chair by Cappellini is about as sensual as a chair can be, made from a softly ruffled single sheet of wool felt. I can imagine curling up in this beautiful soft chair. Felt is such a wonderful, tactile fabric, soft against your skin.
And who can resist the classic style of the Bertoia Bird Lounge chair? It is available in Knoll Wool Felt. All KnollStudio seating is GREENGUARD Indoor Air Quality Certified® for low emitting products.
So, there you have three wonderful, eco-friendly options for modern design choices with incomparable style!
| Subscribe to Free Design Tips |
Tags: cappellini, chair, felt, Greenguard, Interior Design, knoll, Knoll Felt, knollstudio, mickus projects, modern design, Pangaea, peacock chair, relief chair, Seating, sustainable materials, sustainable style, upholstery, wool felt
Posted in Cool Stuff, Interior Design, Seating, Sustainable style, Uncategorized | No Comments »
Two Cool Ways to Go Green: Sustainable Options for Outdoor Furniture
Wednesday, July 1st, 2009
Ever searching for cool ways to GO GREEN, I have come across two options for you to relax in style while being sustainable at the same time.
This classic Adirondack style chair is being made in a totally new and sustainable way by Loll. Made from 100% recycled post consumer “high density polyethylene” which is a plastic resin made from recycled items such as milk jugs, margarine tubs, detergent bottles and so on. I am pretty impressed with the sustainable practices of this company. They send 90% of their manufacturing waste to recycling plants. All of the furniture they make is 100% recyclable — not that it’s likely to wear out any time soon, and with these classic styles they won’t ever look out of date. Their line includes many other chair styles, chaises and tables.
While I love the leaf green shown here, they make these in seven gorgeous colors shown in the thumbnails below. It’s made in the USA and also comes as a rocker … now that really ROCKS!!
Even your DOG can have sustainable options with the products from Loll. Look at this great raised dog bowl set made from the same recycled material! Too cool!
This gets a “4-Paws-Up” rating from Shirley and Izzy! They want the Apple Red.
Loll products can be found locally at Design Within Reach and the Adirondack chair is currently on sale as of this writing — July 1, 2009. They can also be ordered directly from Loll on their website at Loll Designs.
If you prefer wood to plastic, it’s tough to beat this combination of reclaimed wood and manufacture within 15 miles of Portland, Oregon. I found a local craftsman making classic Adirondack chairs out of 100% reclaimed wood from industrial construction pallets. If you request it he will seal it with a non-toxic sealer. At $239 for a pair of chairs with a small side table, it is definitely an affordable choice.
His email is jessealvey@yahoo.com. I found him on Craigslist and have not purchased from him myself, so you’ll need to do your own due diligence as with all Craigslist vendors.
Tags: adirondack chairs, green design, Interior Design, Loll, modern design, Outdoor Furniture, Seating, sustainable style
Posted in Interior Design, Outdoor Furniture, Sustainable style, Uncategorized | No Comments »