interior design ideas: July 2009

Adorable Garden Stools

Ceramic garden stools are everywhere nowadays. We think the trend started with the boutique hotel chains like Mondrian, where they were using white garden stools everywhere. More often seen indoor as decorative items, they are actually meant to be used outdoor. Super easy to clean and versatile, decorative garden stools can be used as seating, side tables, or just for decoration.

We thought instead of the typical white ceramic garden stools, we show you some other ones that are more colorful and interesting.

These range between $200-$250 each. All are from Emissary USA and can be found on our garden stool section.

Pretty Rugs from Surya

We have a soft spot for dainty & pretty looking things. Like things with soft, muted colors; subdued patterns, delicate designs.

It's the reason why we really like this rug collection from Surya. It's full of all the things stated above.

Here are some of our favorites:

The rugs are really inexpensive. They run about $400 (for a 4 x6) to $1100 (for a 8 x 10). They are machine-made with wool/vicose. Purchasing information can be found on our modern rugs section. If you like to see more of Surya's products (they also make fantastic pillows and throws), visit their web site.

Modern Silk Flowers from NDI

Silk flowers have a bad rep, don't they? They are perceived as chinzy and cheap, but truly, they do not have to be. The quality of silk flowers has improved tremendously over the last few years. Now you can find very nice, high quality arrangements that look almost as good as the real ones.

We think the key to pick silk flowers is to find arrangements that are as simple as possible. The simpler they are the more realistic they look. Mixing them with fresh flowers or branches is an effective way of displaying them. Finally, buy the best quality that you can find. Cheap silk flowers are like cheap shoes--you can spot them miles away.

NDI just came out with a new catalog and we thought some of the arrangements are quite nice. Here are some that we like:

You can see the rest of the catalog at NDI. Purchasing and pricing information can be found in our silk flowers section.

Energy Efficient Homes & Appliances

According to the U.S. Department of Energy - Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, the Department of Energy recently announced the availability of nearly $300 million in funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act for rebate programs and consumer purchases of new ENERGY STAR qualified energy efficient appliances.

The new program underscores the Obama Administration's commitment to make American homes more energy efficient, while helping to support the nation's economic recovery.

"Appliances consume a huge amount of our electricity, so there's enormous potential to both save energy and save families money every month," said US Department of Energy Secretary Steven Chu. "These rebates will help families make the transition to more efficient appliances, making purchases that will directly stimulate the economy and create jobs."

The new funding will be awarded to states and territories, through their energy offices, using a formula set forth in the Energy Policy Act of 2005. Each state or territory is required to submit a plan that specifies which ENERGY STAR appliance categories will be included in their rebate program, the rebate level for each product type, how the rebates will be processed, and their plan for recycling old appliances. States and territories must first file an initial application expressing their intent to participate by August 15, 2009, followed by a full application by October 15, 2009. Approximately 10-25% of each award will be spent on administrative costs.

ENERGY STAR qualified appliance categories eligible for rebates include: central air conditioners, heat pumps (air source and geothermal), boilers, furnaces (oil and gas), room air conditioners, clothes washers, dishwashers, freezers, refrigerators, and water heaters.

The Recovery Act appropriated funds for the program to help achieve the national goals of spurring economic growth, creating jobs, saving energy, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. States and territories can use these funds to leverage the utility companies and energy efficiency program sponsors in their area.

If you are building an energy efficient home, work with a green architect who can help you choose energy efficient appliances, building materials, and systems that match your goals - and budget.

For more information on these and other Recovery Act related funding opportunities, visit the U.S. Department of Energy's Recovery and Reinvestment Web site.

Our new decorating blog launched today!

We are pleased to announce the launch of our new decorating blog , Digging Decor.

Our new blog will cover interior design much more extensively, including design products, design ideas and design news. Think of it as a huge addition to this web site, which will still be updated regularly by our staff.

We'll hope you'll come visit soon. It's a great looking site, we're very proud of it!

New London New Hampshire Office Relocation!

Bonin Architects is excited to announce the opening of our new office located at 209 Main Street, New London, New Hampshire, next to Ellie’s Café. Our new office is a two-story 1,449 square foot craftsman-style building, a signature facility which reflects our culture and the way we work with our clients.

The first floor has a large conference table to accommodate large project meetings with clients and builders, as well as a separate seating area around a gas fireplace for more informal client appointments. In addition to meeting space, the upstairs has plenty of room for our design and project management staff and will also allow us to grow.

Despite the declining economy over the past year, Bonin Architects has continued to stay busy. Asked what has contributed to our growth, Principal Partner and Executive Project Manager Kimberly Bonin explains, “We offer home design and full architectural services, as well as project management to clients who want us to manage the construction of their new home. Our Principal Architect, Jeremy Bonin, is licensed in eight states (ME, NH, VT, NY, MA, RI, CT, and PA) and is a member of the AIA with a diverse background in commercial and residential design. He is also a LEED accredited professional and an expert in the green building industry. Our priority is listening to our clients’ wants and needs, including their goals for energy efficiency, and then working with them to design a home that fits their lifestyle – and their budgets.”

The new office is located in Baynham’s Square, the “gathering place” of New London. Other businesses in Baynham’s Square besides Ellie’s Café and Bonin Architects are Vessels & Jewels and The Banks Gallery. “Many of the locals have already stopped in to welcome us to the neighborhood. We’re definitely looking forward to having our client and project meetings in our new space and are already enjoying having our business in such a friendly community,” Kim adds.

Stop by to say hello the next time you are traveling through New London!

White Decor-So Refreshing

Did you see the latest issue of Elle Decor? It features the home of Monelle Totah, vice president of design for Williams Sonoma. We thought it's worth a feature post because it's such a refreshing style that is so achievable. By that, we mean you can find everything in the home quite easily. Not like those features where the owners alway tell us they brought home these chandeliers from some Paris fleamarket on their backs, you know? For some reasons a Paris fleamarket always sounds more glamorous. What's wrong with a flea market in, say, San Jose?

Anyway, you can find most of the items in the feature (from Williams Sonoma, of course, but other sources as well).

Here is a picture of it:

To see the rest, click here...

The Five Most Tiresome Decorating Trends

You know how when you get too much of something, it becomes tiresome really fast?

Take reality TV for example, how many permutations of it can we take? Does anyone care about Jon and Kate, or the Real Housewives of whatever?

Sidenote: Eventhough this has nothing to do with home decor, here is an interesting article from the NY Times about reality TV.

Home decorating is kinda like that too. Once a trend is caught on it spreads like a virus and next thing you know, everyone is doing it.

Which leads us to the most tiresome decorating trends ever (in our humble opinion)...

Here they are:

1) The Faux Tuscany look. We see this in almost 50% of the household we go to. Usually they are McMansions. The kind that you see in Real Housewives of Atlanta or Orange County, for example. Lots of faux-finished walls, heavy Tuscany-inspired brown wood furniture, lots of fringe, lots of big rooms no one ever uses, lots of heavy drapes in jewel tones, lots of pillows on the bed, lots of granite counter. It's so dated!

2) The faux Hollywood Regency look-this trend was started by Kelly Wearstler & Jonathan Adler a few years back and now it's everywhere. Once you see it in Z-Gallerie, you know it's time to NOT get into it. This looks consists of a lot of fake white lacquer, lots of bright colors, lots of funky patterns. It could be fun (but only for a minute and a half).

3) The W-Hotel look-do you know this look? All the furniture looks like it's from the W-Hotel, and if you've been to one W-Hotel you've been in all of them. They are all brown and white and straight-edged and black and white and boring.

4) The faux-loft look-everybody is building "lofts" nowadays. But instead of authentic lofts that were converted from old buildings, the new lofts are cheap condos built without walls. It usually goes with the mandatory minimalist furniture that looks absolutely cold and uncomfortable.

5) The faux-Asian look. We were at this gorgeous, 7-million dollar home the other day and we swear, there was a Budha in every room. What is up with the Budha? One or two is okay, but lots of it, combined with everything Asian is an overkill. Like lots of red color, lots of bamboo, lots of elephants and horses! It just looks kitschy...

What do you think? What trend do you think is tiresome?

Place for towel wrap and preschool Nap Mats

Place for towel wrap and preschool nap mats.

Are you looking for a wonderful place for buying wonderful gifts? Are looking for some amazing fun things to buy? Then Posy lane is the site for you. They have the most fun amazing things for your kids also. The towel wrap, laundry bag, kindergarten nap mats preschool nap mats are available in this site. They will definitely love the things in the Posy lane website. You might have been faced with the tough job for finding the right place for buying things for your kids. You don't have to think any longer, because Posy lane is here for you. It has the most wonderful stuff for your kids; they will surely love you for the things that you buy for them from Posy lane. The Posy lane site provides you with the most fun stuff which you won't find any where else. These items are also low priced; they will certainly not hurt your wallet much.

Home Renovating

Consumer Reports magazine recently polled subscribers on their home renovating trends (yes, they do more than just review products), and the results are interesting!

Many folks, instead of adding a bumpout or home addition, are cutting costs by renovating their kitchen, bathrooms, and outdoor spaces to make better use of the space, open up sight lines, and make the areas more livable. Quality, not quantity, “is the new standard”, according to CR.

According to CR’s poll, two-thirds of homeowners have changed their remodeling plans and given up appliances, specialized features, and extravagances that will not add to the home’s value. Sensible doesn’t mean boring, though – many of CR’s top performing appliances are in stainless, which consumers still crave. Bamboo flooring beats oak, and plastic laminates look like real stone for a fraction of the cost. Instead of adding deluxe whirlpool tubs, homeowners are opting to add luxury by way of handheld body sprays with powerful jets and pulsating massage settings to conventional tubs and shower stalls.

Homeowner trends are leaning toward spending more on products they interact with every day – namely, appliances. (Interestingly: “subscribers who scrimped on cabinets, countertops, and showers wished they had spent more” while at the same time “almost 60% of readers opted for ceramic tile over pricier stone.”)

Almost two-thirds of homeowners plan to do the renovating themselves. Working with an architect has advantages, though. CR recommends using professionals and adds a warning: “Remember that local building codes will probably require an architect's or engineer's sign-off.”

Top renovations include increasing energy and water efficiency. Eighty-four percent of those polled bought energy –efficient appliances, 43 percent picked out water-efficient appliances, and 38 percent chose fluorescent lighting for their kitchens. Water-saving toilets and low-flow showerheads were installed in 62 percent of bath remodels. Paints with low levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are popular, as well.

If you’re planning a home renovating project in the near future, consider the benefits of working with a green architect to design your home.

NH Events

If you are looking for things to do in New Hampshire this weekend, head over to the Lakeside Living Expo at Gunstock Mountain Resort in Gilford! The Expo, in its second year, is located near beautiful Lake Winnipesaukee, less than 90 minutes from Boston and the NH seacoast. The Expo will feature over 200 companies featuring 300 exhibits from around the NH Lakes Region, including manufacturers of log and timber frame homes, suppliers of building products, rustic Adirondack home decor, furniture, artists, boating equipment, and indoor and outdoor cottage accessories.

Exhibit booths will be located in several tents surrounding the property. Bonin Architects & Associates will be located in the Lake Winnesquam tent in Booth #144.

2nd Annual Lakeside Living ExpoGunstock Mountain Resort, Gilford, NH
July 17-19, 2009
Friday Noon-8PM * Saturday 10AM – 8PM * Sunday 10AM – 4PM

If you’re planning to build a green home – whether it is timber frame, post and beam, structural insulated panels (SIPs or stress skin panels) or a conventional green home, make Bonin Architects’ booth your first stop! While you’re there, plan to attend a FREE SEMINAR on Green Homes by Jeremy Bonin, AIA NCARB LEED AP.

Free Seminar on Green Homes
Friday & Saturday 4:00 PM – 4:30 PM * Sunday 1:15 PM – 1:45 PM

Looking for discounted admission tickets? Check out our website!

Los Angeles Taste Makers

The Los Angeles Time Magazine today has an excellent feature on the up-and-coming taste makers in Los Angeles, primarily in the field of fashion, interior design, architecture, arts and entertainment.

We find it so inspiring...It's so nice to read about people who are so incredibly creative. It's also nice to discover people & names we never heard of.

Featured here is Sally McQuillan:

"She doesn’t like to drop names—McQuillan prefers to let her résumé do the talking. But ask any number of decorating heavyweights, and they’ll tell you the fiercely inventive fabric designer, known for setting trends in color and pattern, is a home-furnishings sensation."-LA Times Magazine

Read on...

Smith & Hawken Closing All Stores

One of our favorite garden stores, Smith + Hawken, announced that it will close all of its 56 stores by the end of the year.

Another victim of this horrible economy....

Sales starts this week at all stores. The online store has been shut down.

Very Modern Lighting from Nuevo

We just saw some very cool lighting fixtures from Nuevo that we thought you might want to check out. This is a Canadian-based company and they make amazing barstools, modern furniture and lighting. We like their lighting collection quite a bit. It's are not too expensive and they are very unique. If you have a modern theme for your home decor, it'll be a great fit.

Here are some samples:

Now, because these are not too expensive they are not made of Murano glass or crystal or anything like that. They are made of acrylic, actually. They do look pretty cool though, and if you are in the mood for something fun but you don't want to spend a lot of money, it might be a good choice.

http://www.nuevoliving.com/ (this is a trade site only and you'll need a password to get in).

Fresh & Clean- White Home Accessories from Zodax

We just got back from Mexico lately and for some reasons, we are just so into white! Maybe it was because it was so hot in Tulum, the only appropriate thing to wear is white linen. And the only thing that looks good in a home is white furniture and white accessories.

So we were thrilled when we saw these home accessories from Zodax at the LA Home Show this week. This is a small home accessories company based in the LA area. They have very cute stuff!

Here are some samples:

This stool is adorable. It comes in blue/white and yellow/white...

This set of box is perfect for storing jewelry...

This lamp is adorable, don't you think?

We like this side table for setting down a drink or a book...

For some reasons this set is really pricey (like $750!), but we like the way it looks..

This mirror is adorable. The elephant is actually a table...

We'll be loading these items up on our site shortly...

Energy Efficient Mortgage

By now, most people building a new home know enough about green building to know they want their home to be energy efficient for several reasons. Energy efficient homes are better for the ecosystem, eliminate toxins and allergens creating a healthy environment for your family, and reduce costs (energy costs, health care expenses, maintenance and repairs).

High performance insulation such as SIP panels, better windows, and energy efficient appliances and equipment costs can be higher in an energy efficient home, as many of the systems and materials carry a higher price tag than their non-green counterparts. Unlike standard non-green items, though, the energy efficient choice gives you a return on your investment by paying for itself over time. With an Energy Efficient Mortgage (EEM), your investment pays off right away.

If you are planning to build a new home and think you can’t afford to add energy efficient products and features because they cost too much, as your local banker about an Energy Efficient Mortgage.

Here are the facts about Energy Efficient Mortgages:

Regular home mortgages do not take energy costs into account, even though energy is a major household expense. In a typical home, energy consumes about 10% of the household budget. Energy Efficient Mortgages recognize energy costs along with recurring payments, such as principal, interest, taxes, and insurance. By investing in energy saving features, homeowners will save money every month. By financing the cost of the energy efficient building materials, the monthly savings is greater than the additional monthly payment, and in most cases, the homeowners enjoy positive cash flow in the first month!

The Energy Efficient Mortgage rewards homeowners with up to a 5% instant equity credit. That means if you are building an energy efficient home and it originally appraises at $300,000, it would be immediately worth $315,000.

The New Construction Energy Efficient Mortgage can be combined with both fixed-rate and adjustable-rate mortgages. We can also to construction to permanent financing (or single-close mortgages) so that you don't need to pay two sets of closing costs. A positive aspect of energy efficient homes (other than lower utility bills) is that they have a good impact on the environment. The average home that goes through an Energy Efficient Mortgage will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 2-4 TONS per year.

Talk to your local banker today about an Energy Efficient Mortgage to finance your new energy efficient home!

Bringing Smart Energy Home

Most of our clients are interested in how much energy their new green home will use. Wireless energy monitors are the answer. Here's an article I read recently in Business Week:

Bringing Smart Energy Home: Wireless energy dashboards to monitor usage are coming to many U.S. homes starting this year, fueled by the stimulus package, by Katie Fehrenbacher

Thanks to funds from the stimulus package and renewed attention to energy savings, 2009 is the year companies are planning to launch wireless energy dashboards that will sit in your home, monitor energy data from your electricity meter, and let you know if you're being an energy hog. While tech firms have been trying to sell you on the "digital home" for years—complete with wireless networks that can do everything from control your entertainment equipment to operate high-tech security systems and roast a chicken—the new energy-management companies are keeping it simple by using low-cost hardware and open standards to monitor energy data.

This year is particularly important to these mostly young companies, as President Barack Obama has pledged to help utilities install 40 million smart meters, which are basically digital meters that create a two-way connection with the power grid and the utility. Smart meters installed in homes can unleash data about the fluctuating price of electricity throughout the day, enabling consumers that have energy-management tools to shift energy consumption to the time of day when power is cheapest. For utilities, that can mean better management of the power grid, eliminating the need to build out expensive power generating systems.

In the U.S., 6% have smart meters
A half-dozen companies are launching their first energy dashboards this year and a few others are starting to gain traction with already available online tools. One of the biggest differences between these firms is whether companies will sell directly to the consumer or to utility partners for upcoming smart meter rollouts. Several of the already available options for consumers bypass smart meters and utilities and just help the interested consumer with a standard electricity meter. They're cheap and available online, but they provide less detailed data.

The utility-focused tools use smart meter information to provide deeper energy analysis and can even control smart appliances, enabling utilities to implement demand-response events. But the drawback of such tools is that you'll need a lot of patience and a little luck. To get hooked up via one, you'll need to be in the footprint of a utility that's rolling out smart meters. At this point fewer than 6% of the U.S. population has a smart meter.