Green Living – Can History and Sustainability Live in Harmony?

With my practice located in San Diego’s Northpark neighborhood, one of the most common objections I hear to the sustainable movement relates to the integration of sustainable features into historic architecture.

I get the impression that a vast majority of the owners of these vintage Craftsman bungalows and late Victorian manses just aren’t aware of the plethora of options available to them.  In a round about kind of way, I can’t blame them for two simple reasons – There are a ton of sustainable options and they’re usually geared to newer homes in more contemporary styles.

Side note: I was talking to a vendor about adding a new window in my bathroom.  He suggested I replace ALL of my 100 year old wood frame casement windows (with their original glass I might add) with all new “state of the art” vinyl windows. I immediately hung up.

Anyway, the whole idea is that sustainability is a viable option for the owners of historic homes as well.  Even better, there are a slew of methods available that do not take away from the aesthetics of the original home, can meet State Department requirements (should your home be on the National Register), and can actually make your historic property more efficient than even new homes built today with Green principals in mind.

As an example, I ran across (via the great Mark Johnson over at Green Builder Magazine) a great example of just how far one can go.  Pay close attention because if you didn’t know this home was a prime example of energy efficiency, you’d have had no clue quite simply because from the outside (and even from the inside) it looks like nothing more than a 110 year old farmhouse.

You know what they say – the greenest house is the one already standing.

Mother Tested – Peta Approved

Once upon a time there was a cabin in the mountains.  It was a great cabin.  Two rooms with a giant stone fireplace and hardwood floors. I think the house might have been made of logs and looked like it would be more at home in a fairytale storybook than a clearing in the woods.  I’m sure you have a visual in your  mind now of this particular cabin.  There is probably a little plume of smoke coming from the tall stone chimney. A stack of cut logs tucked under one of the eaves. A no girls allowed sign on the door.  Wait?  That’s not part of your cabin?  Oh.

Anyway, in this cabin of yore there was probably hanging over the rough hewn mantle, the relic of someone’s hunting trip.  A full size souvenir of The Big Tale between a grandfather, an uncle, a dad and an eight-point elk.  Unfortunately this was not the one that got away.  It’s there.  Hanging in all it’s glory.  Dark beady eyes staring down from it’s permanent spot.  I swear the one my grandfather had was begging for food.

Let’s fast forward to now shall we.  To a PC time where we don’t eat meat, try not to get drunk (I said try), and our cabin is now off-grid with dual pane gas filled windows, a solar system and thermal heating.  Sure it might look like it’s made of logs but the reality is there is some serious insulation in those exterior walls. Let’s just say that the taxidermy of yore probably wouldn’t look so hot above the mantle in this particular modern marvel.  No no.  Some hairy, beady eyed beast just doesn’t work anymore.  You yearn for nostalgia but don’t want something that will give the kids the heebie jeebies.

Fear not!  Have I got a few heads currently on the chopping block for you. Wait, bad pun right?  I thought so. How about I just show you the goods.

Pink Young Buck by Rachel Denny

Not quite an eight-pointer but seriously, pink cable knit!  It’s like grandpa’s young buck has been hidden in a sweater. I’d recommend not trying to fit a real buck into a sweater. That might not go over so well.  Let Ms. Denny do it for you.

Contact the artist Rachel Denny

Polygon Double Deer #2 by Kohei Nawa

Don’t reach for your glasses.  This buck really is in two form.  The reason I love this is you have the very graphic qualities of the polygon portion of the deer juxtaposed with the real shape. And when you’ve been drinking too much they meet back in the middle.

Available through Artnet

Coney Island Deer Trophy by Mosstika Urban Greenery

You can’t get more natural than moss. Meant to be graffiti, this would replace the Banksy you currently have scribbled on your gallery wall.  I’m not sure if they do housecalls but I it would be great if they did.

For information contact Mosstika Urban Greenery

Origami’s Hunter by Sistudio

Who doesn’t love something that serves TWO purposes?  Nostalgia and a light source.  I’m officially hooked.

For information contact Sistudio

All Images Copyright the artists. Log Cabin Image via Pinterest. 

D.Coop received no compensation for this post.

Sunday Flashbacks – I’m out of Diet Coke. (so I’m late)

Ok so Sunday’s back.

So not really anymore since it’s really Monday now.  See what happens when I’ve no more Diet Coke?  Yeah.  I completely lose track of time.  Sue me.

Stuff I did

• So do you remember those Douchebag doilies from last Sunday’s flashback post?  My awesome friends over at Badder Homes & Gardens (the name says it all) picked ‘em up and showed ‘em off in their Wednesday’s post.  Cause we’re good like that.
• Who doesn’t love big glossies?  Check out our ad in this month’s Angeleno Interiors. It’s big and it’s pretty!
  

Pour Another Drink and Watch What Happens Next

• Are you a DIYer and can make magic out of flea market finds?  (And you’re in the LA/SD/OC area?) You should audition for Candy & I’s upcoming pilot! Auditions are Tuesday October 4th.  Click here or email me for deets.
• After my momentary week long break, check out my weekly design guide on Momtrends.  You’re bound to find something new and interesting!

• Don’t forget.  If you want one of a kind chairs and have money, you’ll want to join me at Hold-it Home in San Diego for the 3rd annual Chairs for Chairity event benefiting the Make-a-Wish Foundation.  I picked one of the chairs up at the 1st annual event and let me tell you, there is some good stuff.

Awesomeness that Makes Me Happy (Don’t piddle K?)

• Last year we spent a crazy amount of time in Oregon working with BendBroadband on the creation of their BendBroadband Vault project, a 30,000 square foot data center.  Although we’re currently waiting to hear whether or not the project is being awarded a coveted LEED Gold Certification, we did learn that The Environmental Center of Central Oregon has awarded the project an Innovation in Sustainability award.  We’ll post more on the project later but many congrats!  To learn more about the award click here.

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Bacon Popcorn and Toothpaste.  ‘Nuff Said.

Done and Done.

Kneepads are Completely Unnecessary.

But available for an up-charge……

Tonight’s post is for the ladies. Well, that and the guys like me who rule our home with an iron fist and a June Cleaver-esque frilly apron from Anthropologie over an awesome pair of wonderfully fitted 7-even jeans.  Disclaimer: Yes I own a frilly apron from Anthropology (Seriously I only go in there for the vintage dishes… and of course my once a year drag get up for Halloween) and Yes, I love 7-even jeans for the simple fact that everything fits the way it should and that means without seeing the waistband of my high priced underwear (Guys – I assumed they were Calvin Klein to begin with but I really don’t need to see the band to know… reminds me of that Brendan Frazier moment in Blast from the Past in which he asked hot-esque ex-boyfriend why he was wearing someone else’s underpants.  Soooo brings back memories.  Nevermind).  By the way, it’s Sunday…on a holiday weekend, which means this post is not completely professional.

You knew this woman RULED that roost!

ANYWAY…. I swear you should know by now how bad I am at staying focu… SQUIRREL!

OK so really, back to the ladies (and my other housewife brethren).  I love furniture.  I’m pretty sure that since you’re reading this blog that there is a good chance you love furniture too.  And if you’ve really been paying attention to my rants (Pop Quiz… what makes me bitchy again?) then you know that I like ‘em a little green (and I don’t mean Benjamin Moore #2034-40… that’s Cedar Green to us designers).  But our house already looks like a storage facility for French hoarders and my other half is still questioning why I want an Eero Saarinen 72″ Tulip Dining Table with the “please lay on me naked” white marble top when we have a perfectly good dark wood table that we bought for our last house and just doesn’t quite work with the new decor (or the decor that is new this week…..).  The result is that getting a new piece of furniture takes either an act of Congress (we know how that is working out right now) or a favor. Kneepads… favor… ladies you know what I’m saying.

To be stereotypical, what do men like?  Or at least my man, the one who disappears when ESPN sends him a text?  SPORTS.  Epiphany!  How do you get a new piece of furniture into the house without the annoying rug burns?  Incorporate a sports theme!  I know, Shut up!  Even better… you don’t have to plaster NASCAR (personally I like Forumla 1 … hello Monaco Grand Prix!) or some uncoordinated sports team color combo (Orange + Green didn’t work the first time around) to get just what you want.

My gift to you ladies…. three REAL pieces of furniture that incorporate the best of both worlds.  You know, your need (yes it’s a need… like diamonds.  We CAN’T live without diamonds) for something that doesn’t scream out “pre-marriage bachelor pad” AND his incessant desire to be surrounded by high school locker room memories (or that one of the Hail Mary pass he threw when it was 23 to 22 and there were 10 seconds on the clock and…. ).

Super short shorts not included

Numero Uno – Baseline Cabinet by Søren Rose for Mater, $2,200 @ The Future Perfect

The Danes (I’m a 1/3rd) are always going a little batty for eco products and this one made of old high school gym floorboards is sure to bring back memories of having to climb the rope for some crazy of a gym teacher (we’ve all seen the TV show Coach… don’t lie, you know you did).

Get two and you can start a League

Le Deuxieme – Kingpin Bench by CounterEvolution, $1,295 and up @ CounterEV

I don’t know if we ever determined whether bowling was a sport or not but since the professional bowlers wear uncoordinated shirts with their names on them and Kingpin actually made it to the theaters BEFORE it went to DVD, we’ll let this bench, made entirely of recycled bowling alleys, into the mix.  Buy it and you won’t strike out. (we’re here all…, never mind, I’m here until I crash out for the night)

Put on your Livestrong bracelet!

Last One – Blackrocks Pub Table by Andy Gregg @ Bike Furniture

Admit it… ever since Armstrong won his 270th Tour de France you can’t resist yelling “Go Lance” every time someone rides by on their Schwinn.  At least I do.  Look… the table doubles as art, contains parts from what could be your neighbor’s stolen huffy, and was probably rode on (in part) by guys in very very tight short pants with corporate logos and water bottles.  And, seriously, what is a sport without guys in short tight pants (oops… gave away the only reason I watch football)?

So there it is.  You can take your divorce attorney off speed dial. Don’t worry… I’ll invoice you later.

Being Green Makes me Bitchy – Why Beige isn’t Green

If it Looks and Acts Like an Elephant, you can’t call it a Turtle.

So did you get my color reference in there? Yeah… I learned all my primary colors in Kindergarten. Well most of them anyway, still not a fan of mauve and what the hell is greige? Anyway, lets not get too off topic today.

I figured something this size would be hurled at me. Courtesy of http://www.cepolina.com

First, I have to say I’m so glad the post from this morning (remember, me being bitchy?) took off like a storm and got a few of you to actually think about sustainable design. Personally I thought that I might be akin to a stoning whereby you all took sustainably harvested pebbles and aimed for my head (or my typing fingers… whichever you prefer).

So far the post has been up about 9 hours and I’ve only gotten one stone.  I’m OK with that.  I expected that I’d get at least one.  Luckily it is a stone from someone I respect in the Twitter-sphere so I’m good. No bruises or concussions just yet. (Though I may still need a morning vodka & soda to get this post going)

The stone related to whether or not I’m trying to force feed sustainable design to my clients and whether or not you as designers should do the same.  Let me preface by saying that I would never force feed  my clients (most of them are hungry enough because their kitchens have been in a state of disarray for a month and they’ve been eating take out for waaaay too long!).  Should you be telling them to use the Vetrazzo recycled glass slab in lieu of the totally awesome Onxy they’ve been swooning over since they saw it in AD three months ago?  NO.  Not at all.  Give your clients what they want.

HOWEVER, I can assure you that your clients are not telling you they don’t want recycled cotton denim insulation, drywall made of natural materials, or a caulking material that is low in VOC.  I can also say that unless your client is a Sheik or Lord of something or other they’re probably not telling that they don’t want to save a few dollars on their energy bills and maybe might want to get that Federal tax rebate and stick it to the Proverbial Man (Wanna hear my JFK conspiracy theory?).  And if you do have clients telling you no then more power to them because they actually pay attention to details and give a damn about something more than aesthetics. I praise you for finding them.

What's in your wall?

So here’s the 411. I happened to mention in a tweet that first, you as a designer must define what it means to be green. Simple enough right?  But here’s the deal… if you do nothing more than recycle the cardboard from your appliance shipment and you repurpose a couch you’re about as green as I am Canadian.  (The point there was that I’ve tracked my heritage to the 1400′s and still no Canadian in my blood as much as I’d love be distantly related to one Ms. Meredith Heron @meredithheron, she’s awesomeness x 10) So therein lies my title.  You can’t design for beige and call it green. It just doesn’t work that way.

Remember that saying from yore that God is in the Details? So is green.  Big Time. Seriously. HUGE. I’m not kidding you.  As designers you have to question your decisions.  Show of hands: how many of you have picked a freight company because their trucks ran on bio-diesel?  How many of you thought to ask? (FYI: use of biodiesel in lieu of Petroleum results in a 78.5% reduction in CO2 emissions; source: US Department of Energy) Ok so that’s a hard one and I won’t fault you for asking.  So an easy one then.  When working on a remodel and a new wall goes up… where is the wood harvested and is it FSC certified?  Better yet, did you look at cold rolled steel studs as an alternative?  Did you know that steel studs typically contain a minimum of 25% recycled content and that there are actually mills that can reach 50 to 60% recycled content?  I know it’s boring stuff. I doesn’t relate to what kind of marble on the counter or the cool hardware or the awesomesauce light fixture. BUT THIS IS REAL. This is what I’m talking about.  It’s about applying sustainable tactics in areas where it isn’t necessarily visible. About asking questions and making real time determinations based on the whole story and not just what has been advertised.  It’s about integrating eco-friendly practices into your designs wherever and whenever you can.  It’s about making green beige.

Being Green Makes Me Bitchy

Alternate Title: Why Green Really Should Be Called Beige

So once a week I put my vodka and soda down (within reach of course) and set out to create some sort of educational blog posting that will be one part Sesame Street (minus the big yellow bird and the ambiguously gay duo), one part Mad Money, and a little dash of the Playboy Channel (I know you’re not watching it for the stories).

Warning: I’m probably going to piss off a few of you with today’s post.

Anyway, (sips vodka & soda…. crap, dropped my lime)…. if you haven’t figured out, I’m a pretty vocal sort on Twitter. I participate in way more Twitter chats than most humans should ever participate and can be a bit catty if I haven’t had my second Diet Coke.  Usually the premise behind all of these chats is to Twat/Tweet/Chitter with fellow designers and industry peeps and banter about a topic that quite frequently was pulled out a hat.  Even more frequently, someone asks the question “What are you doing/incorporating to be an eco-conscious designer?”.  Let me be frank,  if I hear “I reuse furniture” I’m going to stab myself in the eye with a moderately sharp object (which isn’t easy considering that keeping sharp objects in the house is a violation of my parole).   This answer is attune to saying “I recycle….sometimes”.

Ok, sure.  The whole idea of incorporating eco-sensibilities has been violated by the likes of many an advertising agency and PR guru by calling it a movement and plastering “Eco-Friendly!” in Comic Sans (odd font reference, sorry) all over any product that even remotely appears green.  And sure, there are a sh**load of vendors out there promoting green products that are about as earth friendly as Weinerschnitzel is German.  Let me tell you that after working on two LEED projects and spending more time researching the flush rates of low-flow toilets then most people spend on college dissertations, I get it. Really, I totally understand this whole ambivalence to jumping on the Green bandwagon let alone actually understanding its premise.  It’s time consuming, it’s troublesome and it takes nerves of steel to make it through the battlefields of green design.

But here’s the problem.  There are way too many in our industry that view sustainable design as an option, like choosing between an English muffin or sourdough toast at breakfast (I’d like free-range, salt free butter please).  The result is that we get plagued with objections like “My client didn’t ask for it”, “It’s too expensive” or my personal favorite, “I’m no damn hippie”.   It is objections like these that caused the forehead sized dent in the wall of my office and to have had to purchase my third Magic Keyboard (Magic Mice just aren’t as much fun to throw).

So enough of the rant and on to the solution.  It’s an easy enough solution really. Are you ready?  I mean seriously, this is some crazy crap that you’re going to think I need to be institutionalized for.  Ok… here it is…..

Stop selling Green as Green.

Simple right? It comes down to designing with standards that incorporate sustainable features and treating them as nothing but a part of the typical design. That’s it guys. Seriously.  What I’m saying is to design your projects with eight watt LED downlights instead of designing around 60 watt incandescent and giving your clients the option for LEDs after-the-fact.  Or by telling your contractor to use recycled cotton denim insulation instead of just “whatever”. Heaven forbid you give your electrical guy an actual spec for the actual dimmer switch instead of just “Decora style, white”.

Oops... How did that get here?

By the way, did you know that dimming isn’t just for ambiance?  That by dimming your lighting by an indiscernible 10% you are not only adding 10% to the life of the lamp but also reducing its power usage by 10%? This doesn’t mean that much to those with incandescents since they tend to last 750, maybe 1,000 hours to which 10% means only 7.5 to 10 additional hours. But to LED users with say a 25,000 to 50,000 hour life span we’re talking an extra 2,500 to 5,000 hours of light (not to mention, if using 8 watt fixtures you’d be saving 22 to 44 kilowatts (yes kids that’s 22,000 to 44,000 watts) of power over the life of the lamp.  That’s like money in your pocket.  AND, guess what? There are actually dimmers on the market that will automatically make this reduction without you even knowing.  Mind blowing isn’t it?

Sorry about that… I get off on tangents.

So this post today was not meant to be scolding or beat up on you guys out there.  I just want you all to treat sustainable design as if it were no big deal, as if it were part of the daily grind. Like it was ordering your daily triple roast, non-fat, caramel macchiatto with a single, no make that double shot of espresso. It doesn’t need a pedestal (heck, it doesn’t even need mowing) and believe me, Mother Earth will appreciate your hard work.

K, I need a refill now.