Archive for April, 2007

16
Apr
2007

The air in your home

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air purifierWe talk of air pollution everyday, but what we miss is WHERE is the air so polluted? Outside, because of the cars and industrial plants and the smoke they produce? Well, that’s toxic as well. But recent studies have shown that the air in our homes can be even more toxic. Not to worry though… unlike industrial pollution, this can be avoided more easily. Every day we hear of saving energy. That’s a good thing. That’s why we started building insulated homes for the heat to be retained and sealed doors and windows, for draft prevention. But what we don’t realize is that these technologies, besides being energy efficient and saving you a lot of money, can seriously damage your health. This is because once you wrap your home in a plastic bubble, harmful substances like CO2, tobacco smoke, freon, cleaning chemicals, are trapped in your living space. This means instead of leaking out with the heat, you breathe them in. This is where air conditioners come in handy for pulling out the polluted air, or air purifiers to help clean the inside air.

A few of the most dangerous substances in your home:

portable ACCO, or carbon monoxide, is the gas that comes from burning. For example furnaces, fireplaces, heaters and so on. Your car is a CO producer, too, so remember not to leave your car idling in the garage while you run back in for your wallet and leave the door open (you save up fuel also). The gas gets trapped in the house, an if there’s someone sleeping inside, they can even die. Be careful with your fuel-burning appliances.

Mold is a frequent problem in heavily insulated homes. It appears because the moisture is trapped inside and the walls do not “breathe”. Besides being dangerous for your health, it looks very ugly on your walls. You wouldn’t like that.

Radon. This was news for me, too. It is the product of decaying uranium in the soil beneath our homes and apparently it is sucked up by the walls of the basements or by the foundation. It is extremely harmful and it is recommended that we check th radon level in our homes every few years.

So, it is a good thing to save energy, but we must be careful not to do it in our healths’ disadvantage. It’s better to open a window now and then, even if we pay a few bucks extra for the heating.

Posted in Misc crib

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16
Apr
2007

Save room in your closet

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No matter how much stuff you have, you can never store them without crowding the closet. When you realize that there’s no hope and you get used to the situation, that’s when I come in and turn things around with a few tips:closet green

1. Make sure you clean up regularly in your closed. That means at least once a month. Keep only everyday things in your closet, because the closet is an everyday room which gives you everyday head-aches if you keep it messy. Find other places to store your wedding dress, prom suit or seasonal clothes. Make sure if it’s winter, you have only winter clothes, winter boots and hats in it. There’s no place for sandals, swimsuits and sunglasses during the cold season.

2. Try to use up every centimeter of your space. If you have a shelf only for hats, scarves and belts you’re doing it all wrong. Ever heard of a hook? It goes on the wall or even on the back of the closet door. You’ll be surprised how much space you can save.

3. Think vertical as much as horizontal. Usually, there’s a single rod for the clothes, in the top part of the closet. So if you want to hang a pair of trousers, it only hangs for half the height. Mount another rod, in the lower part, for shorter clothes.

over-the-door4. Have you seen those over-the-door shoe racks? They can save you lots of space. And if you don’t have so many shoes, you can use them to store other things, like ties, belts, scarves, hats, purses or whatever you keep in your closet. You can put one on the back of your bedroom door too, don’t forget, that is a good place for storing things, too.

5. When designing a closet, don’t choose the sliding or folding closet doors. They may look fancier, but the classical ones are more practical. Just make sure your furniture and room space allows them to open. You can also remove any doors and cover up the closet with a nice curtain.

6. Avoid keeping things on the floor. Especially shoes. Buy a couple of baskets and keep your stuff in them. It’s easier to clean and KEEP clean.

7. If all else fails, there’s always the “buy a wardrobe” method. Don’t be afraid, it doesn’t bite. Just find one (and it’s not impossible) that fits the room and the rest of the furniture. If you don’t have the space for it, consider buying a home with a larger bedroom, because it means you’re hopeless – just joking.

I hope some of these tips will help you. Good luck with your work!

Posted in Design Ideas, Interior design, Room design

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13
Apr
2007

Detour sleeper sofa

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detour

detour1

Another great sofa AND bed, with a modern but not “far-into-the-future” look. The colors are not classical, but they fit well in a modern home. You can choose between flashing and ordinary. The shape is just genius. What I like about it is that it’s so simple yet so round. It’s so simple that even a 5-year old understands it, but seems like only one designer had the inspiration to use it like this.

The best thing is, you can turn it into an ordinary bed any time, for a guest or if you have to “sleep on the couch”.

Posted in Furniture

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13
Apr
2007

Hobby – Make use of your attic

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attic

Bought an old house and you need extra space? Or do you live in an old house and just want to do something with the attic that you usually use for storing junk? Check this out:

1. Access. Do I have to say it or did you already guess? STAIRS is the magic word, unless you want an elevator. But it’s not so simple as it seems. First of all, depending on the shape of your roof, you have to find a place for them. Usually, because of the roof slope, the only option is the center. This means that you take up some space from a room of your house. Choose wisely. Another option would be an outside access. I saw this once, on top of a garage (separate from the house). It was a great place for the kids. And they wouldn’t have to enter the house with their messy feet. It can be like a tree-house for the kids.

2. Make sure your ceiling joist support the weight that’s about to be applied on them. Not all homes come with resistant joists, as a matter of fact, most of them are made to support no more than an extra layer of insulation. No problem, you can change those, but it will probably cost you a little.

3. Use something light for the floor, whatever you like, only make it light. See no.2 for reason.

4. You can’t leave those sharp angles in the roof ending, so I suggest filling them up with a wall, it will look better. Also, it will provide good shelter for plumbing and electrical stuff. You can add an extra layer or insulation as well. Speaking of which, insulation is a must in the attic. Starting from the ceiling/floor and on the roof too. It can get pretty cold in the winter and hot-hot-HOT in the summer.

The decorating is up to your style, tastes and let’s not forget, the space provided. I advice consulting an engineer, though, because messing around with the attic can get you waking up to your kid falling on your head one night. This wouldn’t be a problem, but he’s bringing the bed too.

Posted in Flooring, Interior design, Room design

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12
Apr
2007

Living in a small bedroom? Read this!

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I live in a classic 2 bedroom apartment, but what else can I say? It Sucks! No place to store my stuff. It’s crowded and eerie. If you’re in my situation you are familiar with the feeling

What is the most important element of the bedroom? Oh yes…the bed. When they moved in our apartment, my parents had a king size bed with a huge frame. They had to give up the frame because it didn’t look good at all, and it made the room look tiny, like a pantry. The advice here would be that you should choose a small, simple bed. What do you need a king size for in a 4-by-4? You can use the bed as a dresser in the same time, to save up some space. You can’t afford crowding the room even more with lots of pieces of furniture. Keep the number and size to a minimum, enough for 1 or 2 persons. You can find furniture specially designed for small rooms, it’s called minimal design. Just like building a city in Japan, you have to think vertically, and have to use the height of the room in your advantage. Wall shelves are a must in a small room, don’t waste money and space on paintings to fill the gaps. Don’t block the windows. Natural light can add virtual space to your room so it feel larger. Mirrors are a good idea too if you have some free space on the walls. Because of the small place, it’s better to use an area rug instead of carpet. With all the furniture, you won’t see half of the carpet you placed. Be careful not to use many pieces, because you can get a chopped up floor. Choose the rug after you set up your room to fit best. Don’t let decorations take up your space. Make them useful. As I said, don’t buy paintings, statues, aquariums. You don’t afford it. Your room doesn’t afford it. You can do this and still avoid the kitsch phenomena. Look for new, innovation designs. A crafty little waste basket, an intelligent clock, a good looking, hi-tech telephone. Did I mention the paint? Hmmm, I don’t believe it’s that important, because again, you won’t see much of it. But for the record, keep it light and airy. You need all the brightness you can get in such a small space.

Now that you have your room running and ready, try not to make a mess. You hardly fitted your furniture and now you leave clutter? Keep it neat and tidy all the time, because two pairs of dirty socks can block your visual on the rug…

Posted in Decorating tips, Interior design, Room design

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12
Apr
2007

Kitchen Fun

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cobyThe kitchen must be the most boring room in the house. This is probably because all you do in there is work. That is why lately, people started putting televisions or jukeboxes in their kitchen. The disadvantage in these is that they take up precious space and we all know space is vital in the kitchen. This inconvenient is solved by the new Coby Electronics Player, an all-in-one TV, CD, MP3, DVD, radio player. Ordinarily this would take up more than half of your available space. This little toy occupies less than your microwave oven. And the best thing is: it doesn’t go on the counter, it goes under the cabinets, so you don’t even feel the change…in space that is. It has a movable 7″ LCD screen, for viewing form any angle and an easy to clean magnetic remote control, so you can keep in on the refrigerator door. Just make sure you don’t fall in love with it cause you risk never getting out of your kitchen.

Posted in Decorating tips, Furniture, Kitchen Design

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11
Apr
2007

A new piece of furniture

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wine coolerThis is a new kind of furniture you should definitely try in your home, especially if you’re a wine amateur. It isn’t a cabinet, but it isn’t a refrigerator neither. It’s both. You don’t have to worry about squeezing you wine bottles in the already packed fridge on holidays. This little gizmo is silent like an oak wood cabinet, doesn’t use freon, doesn’t make a sound and doesn’t vibrate. You can even tell it whether you’re storing red wine or white, so it keeps it at the proper temperature. Did I mention in looks great in the dining-room?

Posted in Furniture, Room design

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11
Apr
2007

An office in your bedroom. Or is it a bedroom in your office?

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bed-downMultitasking furniture and rooms became more and more appreciated lately, and as you browse the stores or catalogues, you find yourself amazed at all the neat ideas you see. As I was browsing the internet, I came upon this modern, stylish little desk/work station, the Wyman Office Sleeper. When I saw the price, I realized that there’s something tricky about it. Then I saw the description: it was an two-in-one. A work station that can be converted into a one person bed.

bed-upThe first thought that passed my mind was “my girlfriend needs one of these in her dorm room”. And that’s the most efficient way to use it. It’s also applicable in a teenagers room, or in a basement office, when you do your weird, late-night experiments.

Posted in Design Ideas, Furniture, Interior design, Kids room, Room design

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10
Apr
2007

Watch out for your head!

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chandelierheightI’ve been in a few places, where the owners had a beautiful chandelier over the table, but due to negligence they hung it so low that every time I got up from the table I hit my head. This can become pretty annoying so I hereby write down a few rules for hanging the chandelier (or any kind of light).

Usually the standard necessary space between the table top an the chandelier bottom is between 70 and 80 centimeters. This is for standard homes. However, after this rule you can calculate the height you need for a taller or for a smaller room. If you have a taller room, the distance between the light and the table has to be greater as well. The standard height for a room is 2.5 meters, or 250 cm. This is where you have the 70-80 centimeters standard height. Proportionate to this, in case of a 270 cm ceiling, you have to go further up, to 90 cm from the table top. In case that the light is not over the table, you need it to be at least 200 cm from the floor so you can walk under it. We all agree that people over 2 meters are rare. So, you measure the ceiling height, you measure the table height, you subtract it from the ceiling height. You calculate the height where you must put the light, subtract that also, and you get the length of the chandelier chain that you must use.

So…that’s it. Good luck and don’t worry about your head.

Posted in Interior design, Lamps/Lighting

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10
Apr
2007

Kitchen redesign scenario

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Let’s do a little scenario, based on my kitchen, on redecorating. The furniture remains the same, except for the sink, the fridge and other appliances. Walls will be repainted, but no tile change is being made. How to do this clean, cheap and stylish?

kitchen1I have no children at home, we’re all adults here, so there’s no problem with mess (so we would like to believe). But keep in mind, where there are children, there is mess, stains and a lot of cleaning to do. For one, stainless still is not a good choice for appliances, sink, fridge, because fingerprints are an issue. You know how it gets… Anyway, I was going to go with the classical white appliances, because all my cabinets and furniture is white. I have a rule in sinks: I don’t care what style or what color it is, as long as it is BIG! I have a rather small sink now and I said to myself that I won’t make that mistake again. My mother likes to bake a lot so she needs the cookie sheets, which are practically impossible to clean in our sink. Not to mention there is water everywhere after a wash (we do not own a dishwasher).

I suggest the same thing for a fridge. Mine’s only problem is that it’s old and doesn’t work very well. So I’m changing it for a newer one, but I keep the design. I went for the fridge-on-top style, because it’s more spacious and doesn’t occupy the space of a side-by-side model. It’s true, it doesn’t look that trendy, but it fits perfectly in my kitchen space and appearance.

I’m thinking of adding a little spice to my kitchen, as it has been a boring white all there past years. What goes with white? Let me think… Oh! Anything! That’s it, anything goes with white. So it is up to my choice, if I like red, red it shall be. Yellow? No problem. Anything I like. I thing I’ll go for blue, as this is my favorite color.

Because I have an eat-in kitchen, and pretty little space, I have to be careful with the seating. Choose simple, small-surface chairs which can easily be put away when no-one’s eating.

My mother has a problem: she like’s to have curtains and shades on every window for privacy. This is especially a problem for me, as my kitchen window is facing north so I barely get any natural light. This is very important in a kitchens because natural light gives you appetite. You wouldn’t like eating at a neon light all-day-long, would you? It would be like prison. Make sure you have all the natural light you can get in your kitchen, you’ll feel the difference on a nice sunny morning, I assure you.

Enough written, I’d better get to work, on planning that is!

Posted in Interior design, Kitchen Design

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