Preparing and Planning a Design Project Part I

Preparing and Planning a Design Project

Plan your Plan

There are many steps to designing a decorating project, if you want very good results. I have done projects with great planning and I got great results. I have done projects I threw together at the last minute and it looked like something the cat drug in. If you put the time and effort into creating something you can be proud of you will be proud of it. Paul “Bear” Bryant said, "It's not the will to win that matters—everyone has that. It's the will to prepare to win that matters." Planning and preparation is as important as actually executing the project, if not more so.

Design Book - First you have to get an idea of what you want to accomplish. I like to draw, clip pictures of the elements I want included etc. Some people keep these ides in a sketch book or folder. You need to see what your creation will look like when complete. Sometime we get an idea that in reality just won’t work, but it may give us inspiration to try something different. So we need to put our mental ideas into the real world by sketching just to get an idea of how it will appear. Don’t worry if you can’t draw very well, I can’t either but it helps me put my idea into the “Real World”. I start by collecting pictures of rooms or furniture, etc that are similar and have the same features of what I want to achieve. I clip pictures of individual elements that I want. I collect swatches of color, fabric, paint and wood chips and other elements depending on what kind of project it is.

Budget - Making a budget not only helps ensure that finances don’t get out of hand but that all elements are accounted for to complete the process. Too many projects end up unfinished or delayed because you run out of money.

 Time - Timelines need to be set. They need to be practical and adhered to as much as possible. It’s too easy to get frustrated by a decorating project and unrealistic expectations on the timeframe are one of the biggest frustrations. Eliminate that element by being reasonable while setting up the timeframe and then stick to it.

Priorities – If there are things that just HAVE to be included in the project put them on top of the priorities list, like a certain brand of paint or a certain material. These items may require more money and may be more luxurious than other items. Adjust the budget and the lower ranking items to fall in line with the priorities list.

Next time we will talk about my favorite thing, shopping, sticking to the plan, and having fun.

Simple Steps to a Greener Home Part 2

Simple Steps to a Greener Home: Continued.

As we we continue our discussion of ways to green your home I want to talk about some of the simplest ways to be Eco friendly in your home.

Houseplants:

Green your environment, literally, through the use of houseplants. Not only do houseplants provide natural beauty to our homes, but they also clean the toxins out of the air. A NASA study revealed that house plants can remove up to 87% of toxic indoor air within 24 hours, and can keep it at that level as long as you keep your plants.

Not all plants need to be placed near windows. Look for tropical plants to stick into dark corners and areas. They love the shade. Plants should not be placed in drafty areas because the draft prevents them from reducing toxins in the air.

If you are afraid of killing your plants because you might forget to water them or you travel a lot you can still have live plants in your home to help clean the air. Invest in plants known as succulents. They are arid plants and require very little water. They can go a couple of weeks and more between watering. My favorite succulents are Sedum, Red Succulents, and Aloe.

With so many indoor plant choices it is very easy to improve the air quality as well as the beauty of your home.

Here are some tips for caring for your houseplants:

·        When watering your plants use tepid water, not cold or hot.

·        Don’t over water your plants. More damage is done from over watering plants than under watering.

·        Read up on your plants to see what they need to thrive, light, fertilizer, etc..

Composting:

The average American household generates over 200 pounds of kitchen waste every year. I am talking about things like apple cores, lettuce, and pineapple peels. Most people throw this away. Instead of tossing this out make a compost pile. Think of the money you could save producing your own organic fertilizer instead of spending it on all that nasty toxic commercial fertilizer filled with unhealthy chemicals.

To make your own compost pile you will need a round plastic barrel shaped plastic container, that is open on both ends with holes cut or poked in the sides for aeration. You can just pile it on the ground if you don’t have a container but it will take longer to “cook” another way of saying turn into compost. It can be as elaborate or simple as you like, just o it! Remember to only place plant based scraps that are degradable in your compost bin. A good recipe to remember is to place items in your bin this way, brown, green, brown, and green. Brown being lawn refuse like leaves and grass clippings and green being kitchen refuse. Compost can provide nutrients to and improve the structure of soil. 

Next time we will talk about ways to Green up your bedroom, save energy around the house, and keep junk from ending up in landfills.

Until then remember to keep your Designs Courageous.

Simple Steps to a Greener Home Part 1

There are simple things you can do in and around your home right now to help reduce your carbon foot print. Simple things we take for granted. It just takes a little planning and your home will be greener and your pocket book and health will thank you.

Building or remodeling:

First I would like to talk about building or remodeling. If you are planning on building a home then you can start at the very beginning by letting your builder know to only choose supplies and materials that are Ecofriendly. These are products that are friendly to the environment. Products that are made from easily renewable sources, low toxins, organically produced or takes refuse out of our landfills by reusing or re-purposing them, such as used lumber, glass or stone. But if you are like most people you already have a house that was built with out any input from you. Don’t worry, because you can still green up your home.

Granite counter Tops

Granite counter tops are really beautiful. Granite is a naturally occurring material so it must be a green choice, right? Wrong! Because of the way that granite has to be dug out of the ground it is a very destructive (to the Earth) material to harvest. A better, greener choice would be recycled glass and stone counter tops. There are companies that take glass and crush it and mix it with crushed stone to make something that, in my opinion, looks just as beautiful as real granite.  A great place to buy this material is Vetrazzo Recycled Glass Surfaces. There are other places to buy it so shop around.The cost of these recycled glass materials is comparable if not cheaper than granite.

Paints:

Did you know that you could buy recycled paint? Yes you can. Recycled paint is available at some retailers. You just have to look. The only drawback is you are limited to color choice because it is usually already mixed. Although as the technology for mixing recycled paint is getting better, so are the color choices. But what if you can’t find the color you want? Don’t worry there are more green choices to paint. You can use non-toxic natural paints. Non-toxic natural paints are plant-based paints. The good things about these paints are they are low odor and low VOCs.  Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are emitted as gases from certain solids or liquids. VOCs include a variety of chemicals, some of which may have short- and long-term adverse health effects. Concentrations of many VOCs are consistently higher indoors (up to ten times higher) than outdoors. VOCs are emitted by a wide array of products numbering in the thousands. Examples include: paints and lacquers, paint strippers, cleaning supplies, pesticides, building materials and furnishings, office equipment such as copiers and printers, correction fluids and carbonless copy paper, graphics and craft materials including glues and adhesives, permanent markers, and photographic solutions.

VOCs are a contributing factor to air pollution as well as a cancer-causing toxin. Low VOC Ecofriendly paint is not only a good choice for the environment but also if you are health sensitive. Natural paints are made with plant oils, plant extracts, and minerals. Always look for low VOC paint. One helpful hint I want to give you about paint is, to get rid of the paint smell add vanilla essence or extract. You can find recycled paint at Recycle Paint -Calibre Environmental Ltd.. You can find Eco friendly paint manufacturers here ECO Friendly Home Interior Paint Brands. Then go find the paint sellers who have these brands. Recycled paints are usually cheaper than regular paints and Natural Paints are comparable in price to those made with dangerous toxins.

Floor Coverings:

There are many choices for floor coverings now that are made from natural renewable sources or recycled materials.

·        Sisal – Made from the pulp of the agave plant, after they squeeze all the delicious juice out to make tequila.

·        Hemp – this is a great green material used to make many things. It is one and a half times stronger than cotton.

·        Old tires – these are being used to make doormats that will last forever.

·        Bamboo – the fibers from bamboo can be woven into rugs and carpets. This is also a great sustainable choice because bamboo grows prolifically.

·        Regular materials – you can buy carpets and rugs made from regular materials such as cotton and wool, but be sure to look for low VOC carpet. The VOCs in carpet is what gives it that new carpet smell.

A great low cost tip for changing the look of your floors is by using carpet tiles. They are also non-permanent. When you get a stain simply remove the stained tile or tiles and replace with a new tile. How easy is that? EcoFriendly Flooring Inc. is a great source for flooring that is truly green. They also have other surface covering products as well.

The rugs and carpeting choices listed above are comparable to regular carpeting containing toxic materials.

Ecofriendly fabrics and furniture:

When shopping for furniture, look for items that are made of natural or recycled materials. Use products that are made of 100% organically grown cotton. Non-organic cotton is responsible for 25% of the world’s pesticides. That’s right, I said ¼ of the entire world’s pesticides are used to grow non-organic cotton. Imagine if everyone started using fabrics and materials made from organic cotton. Imagine how many toxic chemicals would not get into our water supply and air. One company that uses 100% organic cotton is Q-Collection. They have a wonderful assortment of furniture and items that are Eco-friendly. Check them out here: Q-Collection

Look for furniture makers that use 100% Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) approved wood. The FSC is a non-profit organization devoted to responsible management of the world’s forests.

Textiles can also be made from Eco-friendly materials leathers, hemp, velvet, and silk.

Again the prices are comparable to regularly produced furniture.

Next time we will talk about using houseplants to detox your home.

Until next time be courageous in your designs.

Have A Nice Trip, See You Next Faux

I am really interested in Faux Finishes. I read and watch anything I can get my hands on relating to the subject. I recently watched a video from HGTV Called Finish it Faux. It was a great resource to learn about faux finishes. One of my favorites was "French Wash".

French Wash gives an old world look to whatever you paint this way. I would say it is french country style but it works with almost any style from Modern to traditional. I myself have a very eclectic style so it definitely would work in my house.

You can finish furniture with french wash or whole walls or floors, or even very small items. You are only limited by your imigination. The ingredients you need can be obtained from any hardware store (large items or walls) to craft stores (smaller items).

A French  wash is created by applying one or more semitransparent washes or glazes of paint over an opaque base in order to create a rich, subtle, multi-toned and aged effect. These days, the material of choice is usually latex paint that has been thinned with water and made more workable with paint additives, known as extenders, that slow the drying process and allow more time for the manipulation of paint to create the desired effects. The layers may be applied from dark to light, or light to dark depending on the look you hope to achieve. Some professionals create French washes with as many as five different hues.

What you will need:

• Latex paints
• Extender paint additive
• Paint roller
• Brushes
• Sponge
• Rags
• Fine-grade sandpaper

What you will do:

1 Apply French washes to walls, ceilings, doors, cabinets, lamps, tables or anywhere you would like to achieve an unusual mottled, shaded or weathered effect.
2 Experiment before beginning by doing a some tests on different surfaces such as foam board or poster board, available in any office supply or art supply store. Use various tools to manipulate the glazes allowing undercoatings to show through in the desired patterns. These tools may include brushes -- both to add and remove paint -- sponges and rags. Cheese cloth gives a very interesting effect.
3 Determine the color combination you want to use and begin by applying a base coat of latex paint to the entire surface using a brush for edges and a roller for the rest. Allow to dry for 24 hours so that the thin glazing you are about to apply does not soften the first coat and cause the colors to combine rather than layer.
4 Mix the second and subsequent colors and apply the glazes, allowing at least some of the undercoating to show through. Make an effort to keep your technique consistent so that the effect remains the same over the entire painted surface.
5 Wait at least 24 hours between coats regardless of how many different color glazes you choose to apply.

This is not that hard to do but does require patience because of the 24 hour drying time between coats. Have fun creating your Courageous Designs.