If you’ve ever watched “Extreme Makeover Home Edition” on television you know that most of the homes they renovate or rebuild are for families with children. And most of the children end up with “theme rooms” based on questions from the crew of designers. For instance, if a child loves outer space, then he ends up with a bed that looks like a space capsule. A little over the top for sure, but it points out the importance of choosing “one thing” around which to build a room. You probably won’t be choosing “space” for your space, but certainly you can decide on something upon which to build.

Find something, anything, that reflects the chore characteristics of the “room to be.” Obviously, if you’re decorating a library, you might start with a desk. But you might also start with your library of books… line them up and study the colors as they blend together book after book. Maybe you have a favorite pillow, or an old coffee table. Once you find that one thing. Study it. Really study it for all it’s subtleties. Let it tell you how to decorate the rest of the room.

I recently helped a friend decorate a media room. He was at a loss. Should he go dark… light, bold, bright? He didn’t just want the room for watching movies he also wanted it to be a great place to hang out. He’d been spending months just looking at sofas unable to choose a color. My friend is also a collector of movie posters. He’s planning on hanging some of those posters in the media room. I asked him to choose his favorite poster, and he chose a vintage “Gone With The Wind” poster that was a cherished gift from his father-in-law. I asked him what he liked about the poster. He liked the movie he said. But he also liked the colors… the way they blended together.  “It’s got energy,” he said. Of course, he’s right. The entire background of reds and oranges is Atlanta in flames. But if you look at how Gable and Leigh stand out… the reds and whites in her dress and the greenish whites in his shirt, you end up with a pretty neat combination of colors. I suggested he concentrate on the colors worn by the two actors first. Suddenly a light went on in my friend’s eyes. Now he’s out shopping for couches and chairs and he’s decided on a wall color. I can’t wait to see what he comes up with.

I got to thinking the other day about whether we’ll be building very many bookshelves in the future. Seems most of the people I know are snatching up Kindles or iPads instead of real books. What would a home be like without books, bookshelves, and a comfy chair by the fire to settle into on a rainy day? I’ve got an electronic reader myself, but you know. There’s nothing like the feel, the smell, and the just plain look of a book. I love my e-reader. But I love my bookshelves as well and I don’t think a house is quite a home without real books on display.

With more than 500 people killed by tornadoes this year, officials in Missouri and elsewhere are expecting growing interest in building codes.

Storm shelters that were common in the 1930s and 1940s are no longer part of the landscape, and fewer homes have basements.

“If anything, we’re moving away from having a place to go during a storm,” said Steve Melman of the National Association of Home Builders.

In places like Joplin, many residents are taking a second look at storm security after Sunday’s tornado.

Melody Ward, her husband and five children took cover in a 3-foot-deep crawl space. Their home was leveled, and most of them were hospitalized.

In their next home, she said, “I will do without a gourmet kitchen so I can have a basement.”

Friends and family paid tribute to victims of the Joplin tornado Friday, beginning the grim task of burying the dead as officials said the death toll had risen to 132.

Some officials say changes are in order. In Iowa, where most communities require buildings to withstand at least 90-mph winds, experts want more.

“It’s not sufficient to withstand the kinds of storms we’ve been seeing,” said David Brown, a building official for Ames, Iowa.

Source: Star-telegram.com

About 6 months ago we at Trilogy Partners completed an 8000 square foot zero net energy home, a first for Breckenridge, Colorado. Beginning with design and until now I’ve been conducting an internal debate as to whether it’s even possible for a home that large to be considered “green,” zero net energy or not. The somewhat difficult conclusion I’ve reached is based on the philosophy of “early adoption.” What I refer to is the process by which new technologies get adopted into the mainstream marketplace. Early adopters are usually passionate individuals who are less price sensitive and are willing to invest in emerging technologies or ideas while they are still more expensive than alternative solutions. In the case of this ski in and out home on the slopes of the Breckenridge ski resort our owner was willing to put aside cost issues to create a platform that would in essence serve as a model for the future. Although the trend is toward building smaller homes, indeed for the foreseeable future larger homes will be built by those that can afford them. This experiment with a larger “green” home will hopefully provide a blueprint for sustainability and accountability.

Smaller homes are big these days, according to Build Direct. Studies show that Americans no longer want or need large floor plans and more square footage than necessary. These days, homeowners and buyers are downsizing for four main reasons:

  1. Economic/financial reasons
  2. People want to live simpler lives, partly because of the struggling economy
  3. Parents have become empty nesters and no longer need the extra space
  4. Increasing desire for energy efficiency

 

Are you looking for a design-build firm to help you build just the right size home in the Breckinridge area? Trilogy Partners can help you do just that by formulating a space that will meet your current and evolving needs. We are known to have built and designed some of the most energy efficient homes in the entire country. Call Trilogy Partners at 970-453-2230.

Image provided by Trilogy Partners

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Aluminum Cube Jigger, RISD Works, 20 North Main St., Providence

Cocktails are having a moment.

Many restaurants and bars are crafting drinks with fresh and out-of-the-ordinary ingredients; they’re a recurring character on TV shows like “Mad Men;” and the cocktail’s influence on fashion and design is the focus of a new exhibit at the RISD Museum.

Making and serving drinks at home is also a big part of the tradition, whether you sip them solo after a long work day or with the whole neighborhood at a cocktail party.

It’s not difficult to create high quality cocktails in the comfort of your own kitchen or living room, but investing in the proper ingredients, tools and glassware makes it a lot easier. Here’s a guide to everything you need (plus some extras you might want) to create a home bar.

INGREDIENTS

The possibilities are limitless, but you’ll want to have certain basics on hand, says Eric Taylor, general manager of Bottles liquor store in Providence.

To get started stocking a home bar, pick up one bottle each of vodka, gin, dark rum, light rum, tequila and two different types of whiskey, he recommends. Mid-priced brands are fine, he adds, saying it’s not necessary to spend a lot of money on premium spirits.

“I think a bottle in the mid-teens is perfectly acceptable, especially if you’re going to be mixing it,” he says.

If you want to make classic cocktails such as the Old Fashioned or Sazerac, you’ll also need bitters.

“Bitters are the salt and pepper of cocktails,” Taylor says. “A little goes a long way. They come in a rainbow of flavors, from orange to celery to rhubarb, and add depth and complexity.”

Jesse Hedberg, a bartender at Providence restaurant Cook & Brown Public House, says every home bar should have three types of bitters: Angostura, Peychaud’s and another flavor such as orange.

From there, depending on what you want to make, you can get creative with add-ons such as liqueurs — think St. Germain, Amaretto, Triple Sec — and fortified wines including vermouth and sherry.

Fresh citrus and herbs, plus sweeteners such as honey, simple syrup and agave, are also important components of high-quality cocktails.

“Seasonal, fresh ingredients are almost every bartender’s secret,” says Bottles owner Gil MacLean.

In the spring and summer, they might be available right in your backyard.

“Go out and pick stuff from your garden,” Taylor says. “Basil, rosemary, lavender, the possibilities are endless. I grow chamomile and have made a chamomile cocktail.”

While there are many stylish ways to display bottles, including carts, cabinets and built-in bars, it’s not necessary to store spirits in any particular conditions, Taylor says. Just be sure to keep caps sealed tight.

“One of the nice things about spirits is they don’t go bad,” Taylor says. “A bottle of whiskey or gin will last indefinitely. You can use a little bit of it, set it aside and come back to it whenever you want. You can build your library of ingredients over time. ”

TOOLS

Start by investing in a shaker, cocktail spoon and a jigger for measuring, MacLean recommends.

The Cobbler Shaker, with a metal base and a cap with a built in strainer, is the type most commonly found in home and department stores.

Hedberg prefers the Boston Shaker, a two-piece tool consisting of a pint glass and metal bottom that fit into each other. The glass part can also function as a container for stirring drinks that do not require shaking, he said.

Boston Shaker users will also want to have a strainer on hand to separate ice and/or unwanted pieces of citrus or herbs from the liquid.

If you plan to use fresh herbs and citrus, a hand juicer, muddler, cutting board and pairing knife are also good to have around, MacLean says.

Ice is a key ingredient in many drinks. While not essential, an ice bucket with tongs or a scoop is nice for presentation, Hedberg says. If you want to get really fancy, there are new silicone trays that create ice cubes perfectly sized for particular drinks, he adds.

Hedberg says every home bar should also have a couple of good mixology books, such as Dale DeGroff’s “The Craft of the Cocktail” and “The Essential Cocktail.”

GLASSWARE

“Having the right glasses to serve in adds to the look and celebration of the drink,” says Evan Larson, director of the RISD Museum’s shop RISD Works and a former bar manager at Waterman Grille.

The basic glasses you’ll want to have on hand include the lowball glass, typically used for drinks served on the rocks or stronger cocktails such as Old Fashioned; the taller and thinner highball glass, suited for mixed drinks including gin and tonic; and the martini glass, a cone shaped bowl on top of a stem and flat base.

“Glassware is really important, and there’s no getting around it,” Taylor says. “But you can spend as much or as little as you want. You can go to Target and get some basic everyday glasses or go all out with nice crystal.”

Champagne coupes — small, round bowls on a stem — have recently become another popular way to serve craft cocktails, Hedberg says.

“If you want to go old school, try a coupe,” he says. “They have great visual impact and are a fun, elegant way to present a drink.”

Glass martini sets, with matching pitcher, stirrer and glasses, are another striking way to present cocktails. RISD Works is stocking a few high-end blown glass versions to tie-in with the exhibition, and antique shops such as the Rhode Island Antiques Mall in Pawtucket frequently carry vintage sets.

“A set with a pitcher is good to have because, remember, a martini is meant to be stirred, not shaken,” Larson says.

Source: projo.com jpelletier@projo.com

 
Retailers are collaborating with rising-star and established home-décor designers for special collections they sell in their stores under the designers’ names in hopes of drawing consumers to the name as much as the housewares.

Bernard Brucha of Mash Studios designed a dresser for CB2 and is featured on its blog. (Just Ries, Just Ries / April 22, 2011)

As one of the many vendors who sell designs to CB2, the affordable modern offshoot of Crate & Barrel, Bernard Brucha was used to working anonymously. Last year, one phone call changed all that.

“They asked if they could use my name and likeness on the website,” said Brucha, founder of the Venice, Calif., furniture firm Mash Studios, who now appears in a designer profile on the CB2 blog.

Brucha is not the first American designer to be promoted as a rising star by a retailer. Nor will he likely be the last. A quick flip through catalogs and visits to stores over the last few months has revealed a growing trend: In a recession-rocked economy, home décor manufacturers are using established brands and building home-grown designer-name franchises to entice increasingly savvy customers and hoist up the bottom line.

“As manufacturers swallow each other up, design becomes the differentiator,” said Grant Kirkpatrick of KAA Design, an architecture interior and landscape design firm that recently launched the Rusa outdoor furniture collection for Design Within Reach.

“Corporate America used to think beauty was frivolous,” he added, “but the great revolution has been that design sells because people want beauty in their lives.”

And home décor manufacturers, which, contrary to popular belief, are staffed by product developers and buyers but rarely maintain in-house design departments, are happy to oblige. In addition to Brucha’s Mash Studios, CB2 offers goods by some two dozen young designers and artists. Williams-Sonoma‘s West Elm hypes its ongoing collaboration with event designer David Stark and 24 others in the “We Love” page on its website. On a more upscale note, Garnet Hill has exclusive bed and bath linens by fashion designer Eileen Fisher. And Ballard Designs recently paired with Atlanta interior decorator Suzanne Kasler, a designer for Hickory Chair furniture and Safavieh rugs.

“Working with Ballard Designs has been a way for me to share my design aesthetic and bring some of my ideas to products that are affordable,” says Kasler, who is known for high-end interiors.

“Connecting with a designer is a great way to inject a fresh perspective to your assortment in an increasingly noisy and crowded marketplace,” said Ryan McKelvey, president of Ballard, which launched more than 100 Suzanne Kasler items last August. It was the first such collaboration in the company’s 27-year history and is showcased in 37 million catalogs mailed out each year.

This marketing approach is certainly not without precedent. Ikea and Design Within Reach have built reputations by cashing in on designer currency, often providing headshots and biographies of creators on catalogs, websites and in-store displays.

In the 1990s, Target pioneered the idea of designer exclusives, teaming with architect Michael Gravesto produce modernist housewares, and the chain continues to partner with of-the-moment international designers such as Philippe Starck, Tord Boontje and Marcel Wanders for limited-run collections. The retailer also has an ongoing line of home accessories created by interior decorator Victoria Hagan.

Crate & Barrel has a 4-decades-old relationship with the Finnish textiles and table wares company Marimekko, which has produced exclusive designs that account for 5% of the store’s merchandise, and in mid-May will open the first of a string of Marimekko store-within-a-store boutiques at its store at the Grove in Los Angeles.

“Marimekko had to come to us and say you need to use the name more,” said Raymond Arenson, executive vice president of merchandising and design at Crate & Barrel. “We do tend to be shy of using the name. We’ve always thought to shout another brand within our brand seemed odd. Once you become a vehicle for brands you are a department store and not a brand yourself.”

If the business model of the 2000s was brand building, it might be said that, for many home décor companies, the 20-tween years will be about strategic alliances — using other brands to survive and evolve.

“In today’s flattened market, the ability to have product that is not available anywhere else is a significant competitive advantage,” said Russ Gatskill, chief executive of Garnet Hill. Not every venture has been a hit, he conceded. The catalog company tried to sell the trendy Indian block print bedding of John Robshaw, but Gatskill said, “It did not resonate with our customer.”

Many in the home décor industry find less risk in heritage brands: In addition to Marimekko, Crate & Barrel reissued Classic Century, a 1952 collection by modern dishware designer Eva Zeisel. TheSundance catalog carries reissued pottery from Los Angeles-based Bauer; Garnet Hill carries Pendleton blankets and Frette sheets as well as exclusives from glassmaker Simon Pearce and linens and bath goods featuring licensed designs from the archives of preppy prints queen Lilly Pulitzer.

Such licensing arrangements, Gatskill said, “allow us to expand into new product categories where we may not have perceived expertise.”

Other retailers, particularly young modernist-oriented CB2 and West Elm, which don’t have designers on staff, forge relationships with lesser-known names.

“We’re building our brand on the shoulders of all the new fresh designers,” said CB2 director Marta Calle. “We don’t know how many people actually know who they are, but we think people deserve to know.”

Working directly with a designer instead of buying already manufactured goods from a factory is a more arduous process. It requires finding resources and materials, creating prototypes and getting designer approvals before products can reach the shelves. According to Calle, it is well worth the effort.

“Having merchandise that doesn’t look like cookie-cutter products churned out by a computer brings credibility to a brand,” she added. “And there is no greater joy than seeing a young designer who thinks there is no way in hell he can get his product made and then we do it and get him a royalty check.”

Having collaborated with some 25 designers and artists in the last few years in a design scene she compares to indie music and film, West Elm Creative Director Alex Bates calls the trend a celebration of individual talents in a world of mass-produced goods.

“Consumers are romantic. They care about how they spend their money and love the stories behind the things they buy,” she said. “I mean, who really needs a vase? But if you buy one that you love and it supports a new artist, it’s a win-win.”

Ceramist Sarah Cihat, who became a darling of the DIY décor set with her Rehabilitated Dishware, agreed. “Design has become more accessible and people actually seem to care about it,” said Cihat, who worked with West Elm on a June collection based on her over-glazed vintage plates. “They are interested in the person behind the piece that they put into their homes and ultimately their lives.”

For everyone involved, this wave of designer décor is a tide that lifts all boats.

“Companies are getting a product specifically for them, and are able to charge a little bit more if it has an association with a designer,” said Mash Studio’s Brucha, who created one of CB2’s hottest sellers, the lobster red Shop chest.

Designers who license their creations get to see their visions realized by companies with the resources to manufacture and sell products.

And for the consumer, the product has cachet, because it’s not something that the company just bought off the floor at a trade show in Shanghai, Brucha added. “People who buy my furniture at CB2 think, ‘Oh he’s an L.A. designer who lived in Brooklyn. He’s one of us.'”

Source: LA Times


NAHB Green: HGTV

Mike Holmes

Mike Holmes is on a mission — a mission to teach people about green homes and high-quality homebuilding.

Holmes, host of Holmes on Homes and Holmes Inspection on HGTV, talked about his drive to create a ripple effect in the homebuilding industry that makes top-quality, energy-efficient green homes the norm when he delivered the opening keynote session Monday at the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) National Green Building Conference & Expo in Salt Lake City. The conference was at the Salt Palace Convention Center May 1-3.

Holmes began by talking about his childhood in Canada and how as a young kid he watched his dad, Jim Holmes, a self-proclaimed “jack of all trades” working on homes.

“I thought he was superman. He took down walls,” Holmes said. “He cared and I think that was the difference. Every family on the street said, “hire Jim, hire Jim.”

Holmes began working with his dad early on.

“I was six when I rewired the entire second floor of the house under his supervision. I was 12 when I finished the entire basement,” he said.

At age 19, he started his own contracting company and, at age 21, founded his own renovation company. During that time, he kept finding mold in the walls that he tore down and wanted to know why.

Holmes told the audience of about 200 people, the majority home builders, along with some architects, that he is determined to educate people about green homebuilding because he’s seen so many homes built so badly. Going back to some of the old ways and combining them with new technology is the way to build a home.

In discussing passive solar in response to a question from the audience, he said, “this is old technology, this is not new technology.”

He compared it to canopies used over windows in the past and how people used the canopies in the appropriate seasons to either block or allow the sun to shine into their homes.

Education is the key to making green homebuilding widespread, he said.

“How can we incorporate old technology with new technology? Using solar passive, this is old stuff. But we threw it out the window a long time ago and I don’t know why. Solar passive design is brilliant, and we should be using it more.

“We’re all seeing green. We’re all talking green. I was talking to the [Canadian] prime minister a few years ago and I said, ‘but who’s teaching green?’ It’s not being taught. We’re still teaching the same things in school – minimum code and minimum code sucks.’ What I said to him was, ‘we need to start changing the education.'”

As a result of his need to create homes that meet more than the minimum building codes, Holmes’ company, The Holmes Group, launched a quality-control program in Canada called Holmes Approved Homes that gives approvals to builders who go beyond industry standards. Calgary is the first Holmes community.

By creating his own program and working on high-profile projects such as reconstruction in Haiti, New Orleans and other locations where disaster has struck, Holmes said he hopes to create a ripple effect by throwing the first pebble into the pond. He said he’s already looking to Japan in the aftermath of the earthquake and tsunami and Alabama, the site of where tornados plowed through the state.

“Tornados wipe out Alabama. This is opportunity, isn’t it? I know, people got killed and that’s a shame. But this is an opportunity for people to get together and say, ‘we can build tornado proof homes that tornadoes can’t tear down. Round homes that winds go around,'” Holmes said.

Holmes talked about struggles he’s had with city governments in trying to get homebuilding codes to change.

“I’m not going to give up,” Holmes said. “Let’s work together, let’s make this great together and let’s not give up.”

Source: ProudGreenHome.com

Are you thinking about remodeling your home in the near future? If so, now is a great time to begin making your plans since the National Association of Home Builders designates the month of May as Remodeling Month! There couldn’t be a more perfect time to start the plans that will help make your home a more comfortable and functional place to live.

Remodeling can be both exciting and intimidating, but the good news is that the entire process doesn’t have to be stressful if you have planned carefully. The National Association of Home Builders and the National Association of the Remodeling Industry have lots of resources on their websites that are helpful for every step of the remodeling process, covering topics like hiring a contractor, green remodeling, budgeting, and more!

Trilogy Partners can help you with your remodeling plans, too. Contact us to learn how we can assist you with your remodeling needs. Also, check out our posts on remodeling topics for great information and inspiration, and be sure to subscribe to our blog for the latest updates!

Images Courtesy of Nahb.org and Nari.org.

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