Green Interior Design Newsletter: Easy Home Tips
Monday, March 1st, 2010
Are you interested in making your home more healthy for your family and the environment? Green building design focuses on 4 key components: Energy, Water, Indoor Air Quality, and Materials. Even if you aren’t remodeling or undergoing construction, here are 5 easy green improvements you can do today!
Seventh Generation discloses all ingredients in their cleaning products.
1. Use CFL Bulbs in Utility Areas. You can dramatically reduce your energy usage by simply replacing the incandescent bulbs in your hallways, laundry rooms, and garages with CFL bulbs. Compact fluorescent light bulbs typically consume 65% – 75% less electricity than regular light bulbs, and they last up to 10 times longer.
2. Use Non-Toxic Cleaning Products. Buy cleaning products that are biodegradable, phosphate and chlorine free, and derive their ingredients from plants (renewable sources) rather than petrochemicals like crude oil or natural gas (which are not renewable). There are a number of green cleaning lines, including companies such as Seventh Generation, Simple Green and Method. Always check the labels to ensure the ingredients are listed.
3. Buy Recycled Paper Products and Unbleached Coffee Filters. Standard white coffee filters require a bleaching process that unnecessarily pollutes the environment. Opt for brown unbleached filters and purchase paper products that have recycled content.
4. Improve Ventilation: Open a Window! The Big 3’s for indoor air quality are: Elimination, Ventilation, and Filtration. Elimination: Reduce the number of products that off-gas into your living space: Paints & finishes, Carpets and adhesives, Engineered wood products, and Cleaners. Ventilation: Open a window! This will reduce the impact of high concentrations of unhealthy gases.
5. Conserve Water. You can save water by simply paying attention to your habits and modifying them to use less. Turn off the faucet when you brush your teeth, use your dishwasher and clothes washer only for full loads, install water saving shower heads and low-flow faucet aerators. If you are in the market for new appliances, make sure to purchase EnergyStar® and WaterSense® rated models.
NEED PROFESSIONAL HELP? Green Interior Designer San Francisco – Providing interior design services to homes throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. Call today for a free in-home consultation!
Tags: easy green tips for the home, green interior design tips for the home, green interior designer bay area, green interior designer san francisco, green interior home design
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San Francisco Interior Design Newsletter: Bring on the Color!
Monday, February 1st, 2010
As an interior designer in San Francisco, selecting paint colors is one of the biggest challenges I face. The tone of a wall will change with every hour of the day, making it virtually impossible to show a client what a room will look like before it’s actually painted. While I can’t select the perfect paint color for you in a newsletter, I can offer some inspiring color combinations for various rooms in the home. Bust out those rollers and bring some color into your home! Also, check out our Paint & Wallcoverings blog posts for more ideas from a San Francisco color consultant.
Guest bedroom designed by Niche Interiors. Paint Color: Benjamin Moore Wales Green #2028-50
ENTRYWAY. More often than not, entryways are cluttered, overlooked and poorly lit. After installing good lighting (or adding a table lamp to your console), consider painting an accent wall in a bold hue. It will add some life to a small space, making you smile every time you come and go. Here are some great options:
Teal
Fuchsia
Bold stripes . Tape off wide vertical stripes with painters tape for a cheap alternative to wallpaper!
KITCHEN. Dining rooms and kitchens require a little more thought than other rooms of the house. Color theories suggest that certain hues are more appetizing than others, blue being the color least expected to inspire eating. Here are some surefire winners:
Yellow. A cheery and fun color. Best when tempered with white moldings and wood tones.
White. Classic, clean, crisp.
Soft green. Look for subtle tones similar to jade.
A yellow kitchen doesn’t have to be stuck in the 1950’s!
BEDROOM. Tone it down a bit in the bedroom. Restful, calming colors in soft hues are safe bets. My favorites are:
Dove grey
Taupe
Light blue
Ivory
Tip: Keep your home healthy – use low or zero VOC paints. You will notice the difference! Almost all paint lines offer this option.
NEED PROFESSIONAL HELP? Start 2010 off right with a more functional and beautiful home. From color consultations to remodeling, Niche Interiors will help turn your vision into reality. See our San Francisco Interior Design Services for more information. Call today for a free in-home consultation!
Tags: february interior design newsletter, interior paint colors, paint colors for every room in the house, san francisco interior design newsletter
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San Francisco Interior Design Newsletter: Get Organized!
Friday, January 1st, 2010
It’s a new year and the perfect time to address what has been nagging at you in your home. Is it that pile of clutter in the corner? Here are some tools to get you started on the path to an organized and comfortable home.
Storage baskets tucked under a bench help maintain an uncluttered feel.
ORGANIZE YOUR SPACE. We all have that friend whose living room is always pulled together – not a piece of clutter in sight. The secret to a clutter-free space is: every item in your home should belong somewhere, whether it’s a specific drawer, shelf, or cabinet. If you find that there just aren’t enough homes for your things, you should re-evaluate and pare down your possessions. If you can’t let go, then it’s time to introduce more storage solutions! The following pack the most punch.
Drawer organizers. Easy and affordable, these will prevent your drawers from becoming chaotic junk collectors.
Expandable acrylic drawer organize.The Container Store, $19.99 each.
Coat hooks. Often overlooked, these are great for narrow entryways to hang coats, or in your bedroom to keep handbags, belts, or anything off the floor.
Anthropologie Wild Kingdom Deer hook, $20 each.
Attractive boxes to hide clutter. With technology comes cords, remotes, and clutter. Use boxes on your coffee table, desk, and bookshelves to hide unsightly gadgets when they are not in use.
West Elm wood boxes with lacquered lids, $16-29 each.
* Check out our Professional Services: Interior Designer San Francisco *
Tags: Design newsletter 2010, interior design newsletter, interior design tips, interior designer san francisco, organizing tips for home, san francisco interior design advice
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San Francisco Interior Design Newsletter: Looking Ahead
Tuesday, December 1st, 2009
Trends come and go, and my philosophy as an interior designer in San Francisco corresponds with my fashion philosophy: Wear what you love. Interiors follow suit: Invest in high quality basics and opt for low-cost accessories that can be easily changed with passing trends. Read on for tips on dressing a home that will always be in style.
Grey acts as a great neutral for upholstery.
Invest in timeless pieces. While there may be the occasional instance when I would approve a pink sofa, typically investing in high-quality upholstery in neutral fabrics is the way to go. Think of your sofa as a little black dress; you don’t want anything too trendy that would make it feel dated in 2 years. Look for clean-lined pieces from reputable manufacturers such as Lee furniture or Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams. Quality is worth paying for, and that additional $500 may prevent you from having to purchase a new sofa in 3 years.
Accessorize with trends. Accessories such as accent pillows, throw blankets, and vases will add just the right dose of color or pattern and can be easily changed when the mood strikes you. If you aren’t sure you will love fuchsia in 5 years, opt for throw pillows rather than wallpaper.
Current trends: Purple and violet, Moroccan poufs (above is from Tazi Designs in SF), metallics, shag, houndstooth, grasscloth, black and white. For the full scoop on emerging trends, check out my Houzz article on Interior Design Trends 2010!
Stick to your concept. This is one of the hardest things to remember when decorating your home. While there will be many sofas, accessories, rugs, tables, and lamps that you love, not all of them will be right for your space. Consider the concept and look you want to achieve for the room and write it down. Keep this little blurb with you while shopping for furniture and ask yourself if the item in question fits with the scheme. If it doesn’t, then put it down and walk away. Impulse purchases rarely pay off.
Mix it up. Mix up your furniture pieces rather than sticking to one time period or theme, which can feel dated. Consider what feelings and emotions you want to invoke in each room of your home. If you want a soothing, relaxing, and airy master bedroom retreat choose muted cool paint colors, natural materials, and glass. You can easily mix high-end and low-end pieces to achieve the desired effect. Stodgy design rules and period decorating is so 1900’s. Happy New Year everyone!
Tags: decorating in style, how to decorate with trends, interior design tips, interior design trends 2009, interior design trends 2010, interior designers san francisco
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Bay Area Interior Design Newsletter: Holiday Home Guide
Monday, November 2nd, 2009
It’s hard to believe that the holidays are here already. Many people struggle with buying home gifts for family and friends due to their personal nature. As someone who loves receiving anything for the home, I can attest that it’s the small things that help create a cozier and more comfortable abode. I’ve compiled a list of surefire winners for those interior design lovers on your list. Happy Holidays!
Sferra Linen's Celine throw, $79
Throw Blankets in Neutral Shades. Quality throws in natural fibers and soft colors will never go out of style. Cotton, hemp and wool are all good options. Sferra Linen’s Celine throw is a sophisticated steal at $79 and comes in a variety of subtle colors: www.sferralinens.com. West Elm’s Organic cotton knit throw is good for the environment and your pocketbook: On sale for $39: www.westelm.com.
Coffee Table Books for Design Lovers. Who doesn’t need an inspiring book for their guests to admire? For the city dweller, try “Terence Conran Small Spaces: Inspiring Ideas and Creative Solutions.” “Axel Vervoordt: Timeless Interiors” is perfect for the traditionalist, while “Mid-Century Modern: Interiors, Furniture, Design Details” by Bradley Quinn will thrill your modernist friends.
Mistral shea butter soap from Anthropologie, $7-$8 each
Scented Candles and Soaps. Most people don’t buy scented candles and luxury soaps for themselves but love receiving them as gifts! Archipelago offers a wide variety of scents at the affordable price of $24. Diptyque is the most recognized luxury candle maker out of Paris. A 6.5 ounce candle will set you back $60. Both of these lines can be found at www.candledelirium.com.You can find an assortment of beautifully packaged and fragrant soaps at Anthropologie stores or online at www.anthropologie.com.
Essential Kitchen Accessories. Everyone needs a stylish cocktail shaker and a juicer! Check out Design Within Reach’s Tools for Living accessories store for modern utilitarian items (www.dwr.com) or Williams Sonoma Home (www.wshome.com) for classic kitchen accessories.
Serving Pieces in Wonderful White. Play it safe when purchasing dinnerware or serveware for friends by sticking to a white motif. This increases the likelihood that it will coordinate with their existing pieces. Shop Crate & Barrel for simple, affordable pieces, or Heath Ceramics for something handcrafted: www.heathceramics.com.
Tags: holiday gift guide interior design, interior design accessories, interior design gifts
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