A glimpse into our project

Sorry it has been so long since I have posted, been very busy on our current project, amongst other things, thought I would let you see the models we have just finished(albeit some small things). The 2 videos show our studio and 1 bedroom models. Enjoy!

Take a seat...and have a drink

I am posting "To do" Tuesday's a bit early. This week I thought it would be great to spotlight a new chair that only just made its debut last week in NYC, San Francisco and Atlanta. Made from 111 recycled plastic Coke bottles, the 111 Navy Chair is the result of a collaboration between Emeco and Coca-Cola.  I saw this today when I perused my DWR catalog. I love it, not only is it made from 65% recycled materials, it comes in 6 colors and is not badly priced. This took 4 years of research, design and testing, and an update to the original 111 Navy Chair out in 1944, that was made in aluminum(it is still sold today and made of 80% recycled aluminum) . You can only purchase from Design Within Reach, right now there is a 2-4 week lead time. 

Photo courtesy of dwr.com

Austin is lucky enough to be one of seven locations around the US to launch this chair. There are launch parties this Friday here and in Portland from 6-8pm, with a LA being last, next week. RSVP for the launch via www.111navychair.com/austin/     See you there!


Another chair with recycling in mind is the Adirondack Collection launched 2 years ago from Loll Designs, and is sold by their site and DWR. Another iconic chair, this is a new take on the classic Adirondack chair, typically made of wood, but in this case is now 100% recycled polyethylene. They estimate that 8 recycled milk jugs go into each pound of their chair, which in itself is recyclable. The material is fade-resistant, waterproof and maintenance free(which you can not say for the original). They also ship the chair flat to save on packaging materials, and the plant sends 90% of their waste to a recycling plant. Now thats taking recycling to a whole new level. The chair comes in 7 fresh colors. 

Photo courtesy of lolldesigns.com

**Take a peek at Loll Designs website, they have many awesome designs, all made of recycled materials.** Have a super Tuesday!!

Gavin & Stacey

They make me laugh and smile as much as Glee. I have a love affair with Glee, along with millions, but many may never have heard of Gavin & Stacey on BBC America. I am an anglophile, probably helps my mum is from over the pond and my family is there. Season 3 is now airing and has only 4 episodes left(darn them and their small amount of episodes, a true season in the US is like 21.) Basic premise is this...

Gavin is a guy from Essex who falls for Stacey a girl from Wales on the internet and talk for months before they meet (technically 2 different countries within the UK, both have different accents, different families,etc.) Its a sweet, but funny story about just that, everyday living with their bffs(Smithy and Nessa) and families in the mix. I can get the humor most of the time, but even I have had to look up some jokes and references that most Americans would not get. Its award winning and are each half hour in length. Watch them all when you have some time...

I LOVE this show, sadly they ended it after 3 seasons, and have tried twice to make a US version, but nothing has stuck. The writers James Cordon and Ruth Jones, play Smithy and Nessa, and they are brilliant!! You should rent season 1 or watch online, they are really great and put a smile on my face.

p.s. -Dot or "Doh" as she is called, is the elderly neighbor lady to Stacey and she has some of the best lines, and then I can't say enough about Stacey's Uncle Bryn..

Have a great rest of the weekend!!

Zen...

Here is the photo of the bathroom we did utilizing the Delta Brizo Vesi widespread lavatory faucet. Hope you like it, we were privileged enough to win an ASID Legacy Award for this design. My other favorite part of this bathroom was the glass tiles installed in a vertical "broken joint" design. The white carrera marble top had a pearlescent glass backsplash also. 

             Photography Courtesy of Robert McGee

A day late....

Sorry for my delay in posting my "To Do" Tuesday on a Wednesday. We were gearing up for our install in Belton, for it to get pushed a week at the last minute, so I have had no time. So I am actually posting a 2 page article from a green issue of Western Interiors by Bruce Greenlaw, published in "gasp" 2008. One reason is laziness, and I had no time to prepare,and the other is that we used the Delta Brizo "Vesi" Channel faucet in a project we did actually a few years ago, it was the same year that Delta starting selling the Brizo line, which was in 2006. 

I believe these are great water saving tips that we can still use today. 

I will post pictures of the Brizo faucet in the bathroom we designed in the next day or two. 

~~~Have a great rest of the week~~~

"To Do" Tuesday-Rebates and Incentives

I spent some time this afternoon attending a webinar to understand(or at least start my education on) the ROI(return on investment) of green purchasing practices. WOW, is all I can say. There are so many acronyms and steps to this..man it will be a lot to learn, but I plan to do so... if I learn anything interesting along the way, I will share.

So for today's post, I am focusing locally on Austin, Texas. If you are fortunate to live within the city limits, as part of the Power Saver™ program, there are residential rebates for certain products or improvements to your home. There are even rebates for commercial buildings/businesses. If the home is over 10 years old, and you replace an old air conditioner(with a 14 seer/11.4 EER or greater unit), do duct repair and sealing, add insulation to attic, or add radiant barrier/reflective materials,you can apply for a rebate that will cover up to 20% or $1575 of the total. Other items such as solar screens, window film or low-e glass replacements(most new windows are low-e standard) are covered, as well as little things like caulking, additional weather stripping are listed.
For the purchase of solar photovoltaic(or solar panels/energy systems) or solar water heaters, there are rebates also.

There are also programs to help those with lower to moderate incomes that may find it more difficult to afford these updates. These are via Austin Energy and they will provide materials and installation for things like attic insulation, duct repairs/sealing, caulking around plumbing penetrations, weather stripping and solar screens. There are qualifications to be met, but spread the word, these are things that can help  a great deal.

Remember three "R"s reduce, reuse and recycle. :)

Its the week's end.....

TGIF!! Hope everyone made it thru the week unscathed and not too stressed. I had a great week, we had a ball looking around antique stores looking for those vintage items needed for a project we will be installing in the next 2 weeks(fingers crossed). So that would be the highlight of my week, I forgot how fun it can be looking at items from childhood,etc. Well its HOT outside, this week began our start of summer(it just officially was the start of spring) but its Texas. It got me to thinking where I would not mind being this weekend and I thought of another "desert-like" locale, Palm Springs...

I would stay at The Parker. Gene Autry lived here in his heyday(you can even stay in the house on the property), and was opened in 2004. The interiors were designed by one of my fav's, Jonathan Alder. His quirky style along with the very cool modern touches, make it onto my list of "have to stay at least once" places. Hey, its meant to be when they have a restaurant named "Norma's"(my aunt's name). The area has so many outdoor activities,  and the architecture of the area alone would be a reason to visit, but I could stand just sitting by the pool with a book or having a drink on the patio.

 Photo via latimes.com

Photo via latimes.com 

Photo via latimes.com 

What a view, reminds me of 1960's Doris Day movies.

Photo via  theparkerpalmsprings.com

A fruity drink, my book,ipod, and sunscreen, that's a great weekend!

Photo via  theparkerpalmsprings.com

Have a great weekend!!