The Insider

Tips on creating the perfect scheme

2012-02-10T12:02:00.005Z

Too often I am called by clients who have tried to decorate a room, or even the full house on their own, and realise after they bought some expensive pieces of furniture that the end result is not the expected one, and that it simply doesn’t work at all. Why did they fail? And how can we simply avoid making the same mistakes?

Well, the answer is in one word: planning.

And planning is what every interior designer do. It does take time and effort and can be a frustrating process if we are impatient. But planning ahead is what prevents costly mistakes. It is no good to go in shops and buy furniture or other items because we like them. Every item has to be taken in consideration to make sure that they will look at their best, fit the space perfectly and be part of a whole.

Let start planning:
1. Draw on graphic paper the room you want to decorate, take the dimensions and draw a plan to scale. The plan is there for you to organise the room so that you will get the best furniture layout.

2. Draw (to scale) on paper the different pieces of furniture you would like to add to the room, cut them and play with them by placing them on the plan until you are happy with the layout. Check that there is a good traffic flow as well.

3. Now you can write a list with the different items you would like to go in the room, and you can start shopping for them. It is a good idea to look for the different items and gather all the photos and check that they make a harmonious ensemble.

4. Get paint sample as well.

5. When upholstery is involved, get also all the samples and look at them along with the furniture, paint sample and all other pieces that will go into the room.

By looking at everything together you will get a feeling of what it will look like when installed in the room. You can check the colours, dimensions, textures… and verify that everything is matching in the new décor. At this stage you might discover that there is a piece of the puzzle that you like very much, but simply doesn’t fit, and it is then the right moment to either remove the piece or change all the other pieces if you really can’t do without it! By doing this, you will just have avoided making a very costly mistake.

Now you understand better why we, interior designer, spend all this time taking a measured survey, drawing plans to scale, creating a furniture layout, sourcing the different items, creating a sample board, and creating some visuals to transmit our ideas to our clients.

Emmanuelle Lemoine

Stages of a project part 3

2012-01-30T12:04:00.008Z

In the second part, I have described the design process, and it is now time to show our work to the client so that the client gives us all the necessary feedback to create the best scheme according to the client's needs and tastes.

Second meeting with client

Now we have a first proposition to make to the client a new meeting is needed. This meeting is the occasion for the client to check the design solution we have in mind and give us their feedback. We usually come with two or three design solutions and the client select their favourite one or sometime a mixture of the different solutions. This meeting is very important to us as it is the occasion to rectify and improve the design according to the client’s response.

Sample boards and finished plan and furniture layout

When we have agreed with the client on a design solution, we can go back to the studio and amend the schemes, carry on more sourcing when necessary.

The design schemes are presented on sample boards, with visuals when necessary, along with a file containing all the specifications of the different selected items, without forgetting the budget.

Calling out relevant trade for quotes (I have a list of people that I trust and am happy to work with)

When the design schemes are ready, we can call the different trade people to give us quotes. I have a team of trusted people I am used to work with and who will meet the high standards I expect for all of my projects. I am happy to ask two or three quotes to make sure the client will get the best quote and the best people.

Updating budget

With the selected quotes, it is now possible to refine the budget. This is an important phase for the client to exactly know what is happening and at what cost.

Third meeting with client

With the refines budget and all the sample boards and specification, we meet the client again to check everything is according to the client’s expectation. We can now organise how the work is going to happen. We can book the different trade people in the relevant order (for example and as you already understood, the electrics have to go first!)

Ordering

The planning phase is now finished. You can see that interior design is really about planning ahead every little detail. We order the different items needed for the project, may it be fabrics, wall paper, paint, carpets, rugs…
I order the items for the client (with a trade discount) and send the invoices directly to the client to pay. The process is as transparent as can be; the client gets all the discounts.
When clients are very busy and would rather pay all the invoices in once, we set up a specific bank account where the project money is transferred and from where all the project invoices will be paid. This is a worry free process that can be checked by the client at any time.

Schedule of work and project co-ordination

After the schedule of work has been established, it can be put into action. The different trade are coming to do their job at a specific time. I co-ordinate the project and make sure everything is done according to the plan.
I am always available to go on site to answer questions and make sure that the work is done according to our high standards.
I take all the stress away from the client who just has to wait until it is all finished as I will resolve any arising problem. I always remember in one of my first project installing a new kitchen, being called by the plumber who was needed before the carpenter could do his job (the plumber was the equivalent of the first domino, if it fell, all the following ones would fall as well). On site the plumber told me (he was supposed to start his work two days later) that he couldn’t make it before another 3-4 weeks…. What a disaster! I couldn’t hold the whole project for an extra 4 weeks as my client was waiting to go back into her house). So I had to find a new good plumber in one day… the client wasn’t aware of this and my new plumber arrived on time and did a great job!

Installation

When the electrics (second fix), flooring, decorating and other work are finished, it is time to go to the penultimate stage, the installation. In here I include the curtains fitting. Curtains have to be fitted at the end when there is no more risk of damaging them in any way. And furniture is brought in and installed at their determined position. The different accessories also come into place.

Snagging

This is the last stage of a project, checking that everything is at the exact place, that everything is perfect (that no wall has been scratched during the installation of the furniture etc.). This is a detail phase where every square cm of the property is scrutinized before we can call the client in.

I hope this helps you to understand the design process and how it is to work with an interior designer, and more specifically Emmanuelle Lemoine Interiors. Our aim is to create beautiful interiors for people to enjoy their life in style in a painless process. In another word, we want happy clients only!

Emmanuelle Lemoine

Stages of a project part2

2012-01-30T11:59:00.009Z

This is the second part of what you can expect when working with ELI.

In the first part, I have described the first client meeting, the taking of the brief and the measured survey. This is a necessary and important stage on which the rest of the project will be based: the design solving.

We are now back in the design studio...

Design analysis

After the brief, I can digest all the given information and
analyse the design problem given by the client in order to solve it in the best
possible way. At this stage I also make any needed research; yes, every project
is different and if you want to address it properly you have to update your
knowledge. (This is also why I like the BIID so much, as the institute is also
behind you to remind you that you have to take a certain number of CPDs every
year! Interior design is a life-time learning process)

Plan drawing and furniture layout

Thanks to the measured survey the scaled plans can be drawn.
In every design solving stage, space planning is an important part, and having
accurate plans is necessary to plan the space efficiently.
With the plan we can also draw what we call a furniture
layout. It is a plan on which we indicate where the furniture goes. The
furniture is drawn to scale as well. This flat representation allows checking
the traffic flow and will be used later as a shopping list.

Lighting plans

This is a good occasion to mention my love for lightings. A
fantastic design scheme will only appear average if the lighting is not good,
whereas an average scheme will appear fantastic when the lighting is right. Too
often, lighting is forgotten or even worst left to the end, when it is too late
to rectify as you certainly don’t want the electrician to come and chase cables
in the walls after the decorator has done his job!

Lighting plans are created according to the furniture
layout. What is the point of creating a lighting plan if you don’t know there
is an art piece to light on a specific wall, or if you don’t know where the
dining table will need to be lit to create this intimate atmosphere while
allowing seeing what is in your plate?
Let say it again, lighting plans need to be made according
to the furniture layout and has to be considered from the beginning of the
project!

Window treatment

Curtains play a very important place in the design as they
give the overall atmosphere in a room. They can create a modern feel when kept
simple with modern fabric, or give a very luxurious feel when drape over poles
or swags and tails are used etc.
Curtains have to be designed for a specific room and
according to the wanted final result.

Sometimes a property can have some unusual windows placed in
a weird corner, and the owner simply doesn’t know what to do with them. If it
is the case, I am always happy to take the challenge and find a design solution
for awkward windows.

Sourcing

Now that we have a plan with the furniture layout, a
lighting plan and relevant curtains, the next stage can begin: sourcing.
Buying all new furniture is not always needed as sometimes
re-using furniture can be very effective and is an eco-friendly solution as
well. But there is always the need to select which furniture will be re-used
and what will need to be bought.
Sourcing is a time consuming stage as it is important to
find the right item for the project. We are not only designing for beauty but
also for comfort, good quality etc. and all this within a given budget.
The sourcing stage is also the perfect time to consider
eco-friendly materials and specifications. If you want to design without
hurting the planet, there is no need to go for the “hippy look”. Sourcing the
right products, that come from a renewable source and that can bio-degrade at
their end of life cycle is the solution. And here are more and more available
products that can be rated as eco-friendly or green on the market. It is only a
question of looking for them.

Budget writing

Yes, here is the time to talk about the budget. Every
project has a budget. The client decides what amount he/she is happy to spend
on a project and we work within the given amount. If, from the beginning we feel
that the budget is not realistic considering the amount of work that needs to
be done, we mention it to the client, so that either the scope of work or the
budget can be adjusted.
All the sourced items are recorded and included in the
budget. The budget is regularly presented to the client. The process is
transparent and there are no surprises.
As a professional interior designer, I charge a design fee.
I am not a retail shop so all the discount I am eligible for furniture, fabric,
light fitting etc. are passed directly to the client.

Emmanuelle Lemoine

Stages of a project

2012-01-30T11:46:00.004Z

In this serie of short posts, I am explaining what a client should expect if they choose to work with Emmanuelle Lemoine Interiors.
If you are geographically next to Anne Stuart, Anne works according to same patter also with one only aim: having a happy client.

This first part describes the first stage of a project, the first client meeting and what is needed before going back to the studio and start working on the design.

So, let's start to describe the stages of a project, or this could also be called “how do I work?”
If you hire me to help you with you design project this is what you should expect:

First meeting with potential client

It all starts with a design problem, and somebody calling me
to see if I can help. After a first phone conversation we have a first meeting,
free of charge, where the potential client and I talk about their project and
assess if we could work together. It is necessary for a potential client to
feel comfortable working with me as trust is the base of a relation between a
client end his/her interior designer.
It happens that both the potential client and I feel it will
be difficult to establish a good working relationship, and in this case I
always have another good interior design to recommend, that would suit them
better.
The important thing for me is to have happy clients only

Contract

After we have established that we are suited for each other,
the new client and I sign a contract. As a BIID Associate I follow the BIID directions
(the BIID Interior Design Job books) and use two contracts according to the
size of the project. For bigger projects I use the BIID agreement for interior
design CID11 (or for even bigger project the ID10). And of course, the fees are
explained in the contract

Taking the Brief

This meeting is the occasion to know more about the project
and the clients. It is important for me to fully understand the needs of the
clients, how they live, what they like and what they don’t like in order to
create the best scheme that will suit them perfectly.
I very often think that there should be a module in
psychology in the Interior Design school, as designing for people is so much
more than assembling colours and texture because it is about people’s life.
This is why I take it so seriously to understand my clients, their dreams and
how to help them transform their house into their beloved home.

Measured survey

This part is probably the part that requires the most
discipline and forbids you to be creative, as it aims to take and accurately
record every measure that will be used to draw an accurate plan and any needed
elevation drawings.
This can be considered as an extremely stressful task as you
are not allowed a mistake as the rest of the design work will be based on the
drawings that result from the survey. I sometimes have to indulge the paranoid
side of me and re-take some measurements just to be sure!
(In a previous project, I have measured the same wall at
least 5 times; just to make sure the ordered furniture will exactly fit in the
space… no need to say that the measurements were the same each time!)

To be continued...

Emmanuelle Lemoine

Why is planning so important?

2012-01-26T11:21:00.009Z

Too often people call me to help them with decorating their
house after they have started purchasing all sorts of furniture and other
items, to finally realise that once everything is in their home it just doesn’t give the expected result.

Recently again I was called in by a young couple wanting to get a modern look in their flat. They already had bought sofas and shelving and curtains and… to realise that not only they couldn’t fit all their books in the acquired storage but they couldn’t get the clean modern look they were after.
In a word they didn’t manage to solve their design problem and they didn't plan to.

Hiring an interior designer allow to avoid this sort of mistake and disappointment, and at the same time save you money!
What we, interior designer do, is planning ahead everything, so that before you even start emptying a room to prepare it for the decorating phase you already know what is going where and for what cost! Everything has been carefully thought of and planned, may it be the space, the colour, theatmosphere how to resolve any design issue…

The different stages of re-designing a home have to follow a specific order as you don’t want to start applying paint before you remember you wanted to change the lighting…

At the moment one of my projects is in a very exciting
phase: the lighting is being installed.

As you can see, we'll need all the knowledge of our decorator to make
all the walls good and ready for the decoration phase.

I will show you the next stages as they happen!

Emmanuelle Lemoine

Arabian Lights

2011-10-04T14:24:00.013+01:00

Just returned from holidaying in Muscat, Oman and I thought I would share with you the stunning lighting design in the hotel where we stayed. Getting the lighting right in a design is always a problem, get it wrong and it looks awful, get it right and it is magical. Apparently it took the lighting designers weeks just to plan these public areas.

Above is a photo of a restaurant. Notice the LED’s in the ceiling reflecting in the highly polished stone floor. This restaurant had a Moroccan theme.

The lights above are massive.To give an idea of size, there are doors to the outside at the bottom of the picture.

Above are photos of part of the public areas by day and night. All the lighting was recessed or up lit.

This is the front drop-off point by the reception by day and night. The lighting takes advantage of the architecture, giving a wonderful ambience.

Taken from the reception at night looking towards the drop-off point.

This is a photo of the ceiling in the reception, lit by day and then by night.

Hope these examples give you an idea of how to light areas both inside and out whilst taking advantage of any architectural features.

Anne Stuart

Decorex2011

2011-09-29T10:53:00.018+01:00

Going to decorex is always a feast for the Interior Designer, and this year was no exception. This is the extravagant entrance going to the show, it says it all!

Rugs, Rugs! Many floor covering were to be seen at Decorex this year, including this funky rug from the Custom Carpet Company (www.customcarpetcompany.co.uk).

The idea is to allow you to create the perfect rug to exactly match your project. I love this!

Kelvin Klein Home, also presented some beautiful rugs. We were not impressed with the impossibility to get a sample to match the colours with our scheme, which is really a shame as Interior Designers need samples to plan ahead the perfect scheme for their client. I hope the head office will change this quickly and answer positively to this request supported byt the sales person that tlked us through the collection.

There were many other rug company, but there isn't enough space to talk about all of them in here.

Lovely and lively colours were also present at Decorex, which is such an invigorating thing, looking at these colours simply make you feel better.

First this uplifting sofa by William Yeoward (www.williamyeoward.com)

And this beautiful Nina Campbell stand

I am not sure my photo makes it justice, but it really was a charming display.

What a lovely chair at Nina Campbel stand.

Another beautiful stand: Anna Barretto (www.anabarrettointeriors.com)

This takes us to the lighting section, which was magnificent. Serip (www.serip.com.pt) displayed absolute beauties. Here again, I had the feeling the Portugal was rising in the Interior Design world.

Going to Decorex is always a good opportunity to fill up our inspiration tanks, to last until next September.

Emmanuelle Lemoine

100% Design 2011

2011-09-29T09:44:00.021+01:00

Another year has gone by and it is time for the Exciting month of September with all the trade shows and excitments. 100% Design used to be my favourite show, but I must say that since the finncial crisi happened, the show seems to be shrinking every year and has been loosing too many of its avant-guarde exhibitors, and this year was no exception, uinfortunately.

Even though it was less spectacualr than other years, I still have found a few interesting products that I am going to share with you now.

The very first striking peice of furniture I saw was from a Portuguese company, Fertini (www.fertini.com), and at the end of both my visit to 100% Design and decorex, it became obvious that Portugual was rising as a new star for Interior Design.

This is a bed display from fertini, which is beautiful and subtle, and I must apologise for the bad quality of the colours on my photo which doesn't make any justice to the furniture, as it is the case again on this sofa, which has carved arm and would look just perfect in a intimate boudoir.

Lighting was the highlight of 100% Design this year.

Preciosa (www.preciosa.com) showed beautiful fittings such as the following ones:

The fittings are made of a set of light included on the ceiling lighting from above a seriy of crystals and glss shapes. Absolutely beautiful!

More lighting by this Italian company "Il Vetro Dei Dodge" (www.idogi.com)

Something a bit different with Axo light (www.axolight.it)

Even though lighting from above beautiful fitting is not far...

These light fitting from Original BTC (www.originalbtc.com) are simply beautiful and different:

There were certainly many other things at the show, but these are the ones that have attracted the most my attention. I hope you have enjoyed them as well!

Emmanuelle Lemoine

Icelandic white... and icelandic bathroom

2011-07-07T12:59:00.020+01:00

I am lucky enough to have Margret amongst my friends. Margret is an interior and cushion designer based in Iceland, her work is stunning, and I was ever so delighted when she accepted to write a post for The Insider!
Here Margret explains why she loves white so much and shows how she is using it as a background to design her beautiful bathroom. And you will see that in this example, white is far from being boring and cold!

It is not an overstatement to say that the summer here in Iceland has barely arrived! As I am sitting here in the north of Iceland and looking out of my window at the mountaintops covered with snow and ash on top of that, I begin to wonder about the colour white.

White is not technically a colour it is neutral but I will call it a colour here for ease of use.

I have always loved white rooms and thought of them as a symbol for holiness, purity, tranquility and balance and of course white is a sign of peace.

Here in Iceland we use white a lot indoors. It is very common to have both walls and ceiling white. It seems that we Icelanders are afraid of using many colours.

White can be very refreshing and cool in hot environments. Well, here we are not in need for more cool and fresh!

I think that our love for white comes from the fact that in the wintertime it can be dark for up to 20 hours a day so it is all about getting more light.
In my house I have white walls, ceiling and floors in the living room so everything else floats in a white space. White has the power to lighten up any structure so the white becomes like white canvas for every other object in the room to shine!
Everything goes with white and there is nothing more relaxing than a white room.

White reflects all light and makes spaces appear larger and that´s why I chose white tiles for a bathroom that I am going to show you. The brief was to have the room spacious, warm and with a spa feeling.

I decided to take one wall down and join two rooms into one big bathroom.

To make the room seem even bigger I decided to have the shower and bath combined and open. There is good ventilation in the room and it has two big windows.

The shower is laid with bricks and white glass mosaic-tiles. Walls are painted with lime-paint. There are brown tiles on the floormade from quartz and they also cover one big wall to make a warm feeling in the room and as contrast to the white glass tiles.

Ethanol mini-fireplace to bring into the room the feeling of a spa.

Table and mirror are from solid teak wood.

The sink and the WC have soft lines to match the shower/bath.

White glass mosaic tiles on the wall.

The cabinet is from solid teak-wood and inside are Italian crochet baskets.ab

Margret Thorarensen

Interesting cushions

2011-07-05T19:09:00.016+01:00

Here is a concept in cushions, by Margret Thorarensen in Iceland, where you can change their look just by exchanging the centre ribbon. For example you can change the ribbon with a new picture or a new colour fabric (velvet, linen, leather, fur, etc. ) to suit the season. Some of the ribbons are hand painted and can be washed at mild temperature. The ribbons are all sewn, hand knitted, hand crochet and hand painted in Iceland. The fabrics are mainly linen, cotton, silk and Iceland wool which is famous and extremely soft. This winter they will be available in salmon skin.

The pillow cover is made of linen and the center ribbon is made of silk.

Here the cushion cover is made of silk and the ribbonsof linen but is also available in silk.

The following cushion have a pillow cover made of silk (also available in cotton or linen). The outline of Iceland is hand painted in black and is also available in silver. Other outlines of countries can be ordered.

Here the cushion is made of linen and the ribbons are made of silk. The woman and man signs are painted with silver paint but can be washed at mild temperature.

Hereafter the cushion is made from silk. The centre ribbon is hand knitted from Icelandic soft wool and is available in different colours.

These cushions are beautiful and wear sophistication in a simple way, and can clearly complete a scheme! And I would be tempted to say that they are a green alternative first of all because they are made of natural renewable material and secondly because they are versatile as they allow to change the decor by changing the ribbon instead of changing the whole cover!
I really like these cushions and I can't wait to use them for my clients.

You can see other works by Margret on her website - www.interior.is

Anne Stuart

Vote for us!

2011-07-04T17:28:00.006+01:00

We are participating to the "We love bloggers" competition orgfanised by Decorex.

Please vote for us, it is easy, you

Follow the link:

http://facebook.com/decorex#!/

And vote for "The Insider"

We really want to be shortlisted at the end of the week!

Yes, you only have until Thursday midnight!!!!

Thank you.

Juxtapositioning of unusual furniture

2011-06-14T14:27:00.015+01:00

Whilst sorting through my many photos recently trying to sort out some order from my chaos, I happened to find some examples of unusual furniture taken during a trip to Sri Lanka. All these examples of furniture and interiors are by Sri Lankan architect Geoffrey Bawa.

The hotel and furniture in which we stayed was designed by Mr Bawa, so I decided to have a prowl around and photograph various examples of his unusual take on hotel furniture.

Above is a barstool and in the same range are table and chairs in the reception area. These examples are from the same range with just the one chair at the table which has very different angles.

The photograph above is taken from the bar area. The furniture here although interesting to look at with the juxtapositioning of the wooden benches with metal chairs, the latter being extremely uncomfortable! Fortunately, cushions were provided if asked for.

At this point I must point out that the architecture of the hotel (Blue Water) is extremely stark, with not many curves. Even the gardens are very angular with not much to relieve the endless lawn and palm trees.

During my time in Sri Lanka having read about Mr Bawa, I asked if I could visit his house. All the photos below are taken on his estate. He died a few years ago, but his house is now lived in by caretakers. There are also apartments on the estate which are let to visitors, although I cannot guarantee the quality.

Above is a Bawa chair, did not get to try it out, but from looking at it, comfort was not a priority!

The above bench is interesting. Both the bench and window frame are made of wood, both have weathered at the same rate. The trees behind are actually jungle, the colours are so restful.

I found the monochrome colour scheme broken by the terracotta wall very interesting. The way the chairs have been painted on the black and white stone floor make a big impact. Again the window brings the green of the jungle into the room.

Here is an example of juxtapositioning of two ordinary settees with antique furniture. The two white settees sit opposite each other with the trunk used as a side table. The whole scheme is anchored down by a neutral mat. The flooring was highly polished hard wood.

Another hotel designed by Geoffrey Bawa was The Lighthouse near Galle, and I had heard that in this hotel there was the most amazing staircase.

Below are two photographs I took of the staircase. It depicts Dutch and Sinhalese warriors.

The staircase is spiral in construction and looks absolutely stunning. Unfortunately it was quite dark and as you can imagine large, so the flash of my camera made little impact! Again although an amazing staircase, I found it very difficult to walk down it avoiding a tumble whilst looking at the simulated ‘battle’ going on around me! You can see the scale by the photo of the man walking down the staircase in the photograph on the right.

Anne Stuart

Amazing South Korea

2011-05-31T21:11:00.011+01:00

Just returned from South Korea, what an amazing country!

Whilst there I visited The Galleria shopping centre, Cheonan, and I just could not believe the interior. Actually strictly speaking it is not just a department store, there also a library with lovely red settees to rest and read a book. On the top floor there are eateries and hairdressing. I ventured to have something done about my ‘poorly hair’. Luckily I was with a native Korean speaker so the fact that the stylists could not speak English did not matter too much. I was impressed though with the interior of the hairstylists – limestone walls, tinted backlit mirrors and beside all the chairs was a computer terminal to keep the children amused or if you needed to send a quick email.

The store has only been open for six months so it is truly bright and shiny. The interior colour scheme is essentially white, black and shiny chrome with splashes of red.

Here is the store:

The curvy shapes and recessed lighting make for a relaxing shopping experience, why can’t we have shopping centres designed with a little bit more imagination here in the UK?

Picture below standing in the middle of the ground floor, here is the view looking up.

I am always very curious about the ‘facilities’. The cubicles had all black walls and just a single down light. The toilets were ‘bidet style toilet’ with a little blue LED. All were absolutely spotless.

Here is another view of the ground floor.

I truly believe, with a little bit of imagination, we could also have shopping like this. This one took my breath away!

Anne Stuart

Office improvement: breath!

2011-05-24T13:45:00.013+01:00

Funnily enough, we still have this idea that the air inside our house/ office is cleaner and safer than the air in the street, and we are wrong! It has been demonstrated that the air inside our homes and offices is more polluted than the outside air. Worrying, isn’t it?!
The Indoor Air quality has become a real subject on its own and many studies have been made on the reason why and what we can do to improve our indoor atmosphere.
The why and how is not the subject in here, I would like to speak about what we can do to improve dramatically the indoor air quality just by the use of plants. Yes, this is really easy, just by adding some beautiful and decorative plants we can breath better and remove some indoor sickness syndrome.
Not only being surrounded by plants has a positive consequence on the way we feel, but it also silently fight all sorts of pollutants that have sneaked into our interiors. Some serious studies made by the NASA have shown how plants can remove some chemical substances and which ones are the best at doing this.

I have chosen to particularly speak about easy to grow plants that we can use in the office.
The same plants plus many others can also be used in the home environment, but I want to start with the easiest plants to grow and keep in the office, and that will benefit not only the health of the people working in the office but also their well-being and their efficiency.

The office environment is very often dry, with not a lot of natural light, and these conditions have to be taken into consideration when choosing plants so that they will survive and keep their look, as there is nothing more depressing than an office featuring half dead plants.... Even if a plant is robust, it will need to be looked after: being watered adequately and fed when needed. If the environment is really extremely dry, it is possible to create a micro-climate around the plant by having a tray filled with pebbles and water underneath the flower pot.
Studies have classified some plants according to their abilities to remove chemical substances, and I have chosen a few plants between the most efficient ones, and that can survive in an office.

Well, I can’t resist to first talk about the one rated as "the most eco-friendly" houseplant, Areca Palm (Chrisalidocarpus lutescens). It should be kept in a well lit area and sprayed regularly to keep its fresh look and prevent from insect infestation. It is constantly rated amongst the best houseplants for removing all indoor air toxins tested. It also has the unique ability to move salt accumulation to selected branches. When saturated, these branches die and should be removed quickly.

Another plant which is very good at removing chemical vapours and which was a favourite at Victorian times is the Rubber plant (Ficus robusta).
It can be place in semi-sun to semi-shade area and is known as very effective to remove formaldehyde.
Dracaena "Janet Craig" (Dracaena deremensis "Janet Craig") is a semi-shade plant that can tolerate dimly lit areas. It is well know for removing trichloroethylene.

This beautiful foliage and its white spathes, Peace Lily (Spathiphyllum sp) is a good addition to other green plants, and excels in removing alcohols, acetone, trichloroethylene, benzene and formaldehyde.

The Corn plant (Dracaena fragrans "Massangeana") is a good choice when a bigger space needs to be filled, and enjoys semi-shade conditions. It is an excellent choice to remove formaldehyde.
Golden Pothos (Epipremnum aureum) is said to be the easiest houseplant to grow, and therefore is a good choice for an office. It likes semi-shade to shade conditions.

If the office has a good light, you can choose Kimberley Queen (Nephrolepis obliterata) a beautiful fern know also as Boston Fern. It requires semi-sun to semi-shade lighting conditions, it is one of the best natural humidifier and a great remover of chemical vapours.

A way to bring colour in the office is by having the Florist’s Mum (Chrysantemum moriflurum). This plant does require a lot of light, but provides such a display of colour that there must be a suitable place for it I the office. After it has bloomed, it can be rotated. It is one of the best flowering or seasonal plant for removing formaldhyde, benzene and ammonia from the atmosphere.

The list of plant that can help to de-pollute indoor air is big, and can’t be treated exhaustively here. What I would say, is that whether or not the plant has been studied and recognised as an efficient mean of removing chemical vapours, the more plants are introduced in the office, the better the air quality.
This is all in favour of the green walls that can be used outside or inside a building, and add interest and improve quality of life.

Emmanuelle Lemoine

Kitchen bedroom Bahroom, my visit

2011-05-16T13:57:00.026+01:00

Kbb or Kitchen Bedroom Bathroom trade show was on at the Excel center. I have never been to this show before and thought I would like to give it a try and see if I could find some inspiration, especially for bathrooms. So, I went!

The show is not very big in size, which was good for me today as I didn't see myself walking around loos and bedroom cupboards the whole day long... It is always funny to enter the show welcome by a long line of loos, even if the flushing is said to be water saving, which is always good to know and to specify!

Here are a few things that have retained my interest or attention. First of all this bubbly bath (Koller) and its impressive machinery, that is normally hidden behind the bath panels. I was told that, normally the machinery is not as numerous as for this one, which was especially built for the show to show the machinery when all the options are installed together. I must admit that all these bubbles are quite attractive...

As always in such a show I find a product I didn't expect to find and that I fall in love with at first sight. Today it was this superb sink made out of bamboo. Yes, bamboo! A grass that grows quickly, and if treated well has all the attribute to enter into an eco-friendly home! Not only this one is beautiful, but according to the lady talking about it on the Stonearth stand it is made in a green way, and has less embodied energy than a ceramic sink.

I really like the pure lines of this sink, and would enjoy specifying it in a bathroom at the first occasion. And more surprinsingly it stays affordable (£800 for both the sink and stand, delivered plus VAT RRP).

The same company (Stonearth) has other beautiful sink and stand units, mixing wood or bamboo and stone, including the following ones.

Following this I saw other interesting baths (made by Aqua Lavo). At the first look, you could say that they are just "normal" bath, but they have an extra feature: they are sort of insulated so as to keep the water warm for longer! Don't we all complain that the bath temperature goes down too quickly when we are enjoying a relaxing soak?

Raditaors are a must have item, but we all agree that they are uggly, and make us wish we would have underfloor heating. I have seen today interesting radiators from Aeon that could make us regretting our underfloor heating:

This one is really sculptural and looks like a bench more than a radiator.

The following one looks like the surface of the moon

What a great idea to have a space where to store towels and keep them warm at the same time, very stylish!

And a last one in the shape of a bathroom unit, I really like this one! A radiator that is multi task and beautiful, something to lift any bathroom up.

In the kitchen section there was nothing to really attract my attention as it all looked "deja vu" to me, until I saw this italian kitchen by Aran Cucine. Yes, the Italian have this "je ne sais quoi" that make their designs always very recognisable and special. The flowing lines of this kitchen are beautiful and the contrary of a sterile and boring look.

To complete the design of the kitchen there was this magnificent painting of Sophia Loren, which was such a prefect complement to the curvy units. Really stylish.

Of course, I can never go to such a show without looking at the lighting, and I found these versatile LED strip system, that are so easy to install that they can be added even long after the design of a room as long as there is a plug nearby.

The idea is very simple, it is a kit of LED strip that are easily connectable (Flex Connect), either in a straight way or making a right angle. You have the choice between white and coloured LED, and again, I thought this was very affordable too.

And to finish my visit, mirror televisions. Yes, I must admit that I personally don't like the look of a television and always try to hide them. This is why I like so much the concept of miror television! The Mirrored TV feature here are provided by an italian company (Neod) which proposes different sort of framing solutions. Of course this is not a cheap solution, but it does look so much better than a normal screen!

This was my first visit to Kbb London.Of course there were many other things to be seen, including all sorts of cupboards for the bedroom... But as usual I only mentioned the one that attracted me the most. I cam back full of inspiration for projects to come!

Emmanuelle Lemoine

Case suty: Advice only on a living room

2011-05-10T11:52:00.016+01:00

Case study

What a great idea one of my client had. Make a surprise to her husband while he was on a working trip by redecorating the living room and dining area in his absence! To put her plan into action, this lovely lady asked me to create a design for her living room on a base of "advice only". So, we met at her place and discussed her needs and tastes. This lady leads a very busy life juggling between a job in the city, running her own business, and as if this was not enough, she is the proud mum of three lovely children.
All these parameters had to be taken into consideration when advising her on the design of the living room as it had to be comfortable, sophisticated with a contemporary feel but also suitable and practicle for family life. I tookthe brief incluing all the necessary measurements of the room so that I could draw a detailed plan of the room in question, and create a furniture layout 　
　
　
　 Furniture layout on scaled plan

Enough sitting had to be provided as well as an area for a large television set, with a place to hide a DVD player and other satellite accessories. Attached to this side of the house is a conservatory overlooking onto the garden that is used as a dining area. My client wanted people to feel more comfortable in the dining area. I decided the best way was to link both area by turning the living room toward the dining area, with an un-obstructive window treatment, and the seating turning their attention to the conservatory/garden area. The use of soft furnishing (cushions for the dining chairs in the same colour as the curtains) was another way to link the two spaces together.

Two sofas were used - a two and a three seaters- to provide enough sitting and use the space wisely as well as keeping the room opened/linked onto the conservatory. The sofas are covered in coloured leather, which is comfortable an easy to wipe and maintain with children.
As the living room is not a big one it was very important to use the space available wisely. Colours had to be chosen in order to get an equal/ balanced feeling of space and cosiness. As my client liked big patterns, I found a way to include some on the chimney breast by using a lovely wall paper with big parsley motives and lovely (lovely is a boring word!! change it, something more technical and professional) colours. The restricted use of big pattern on a small surface is a good way to add interest without adding a claustrophobic feeling.

Sample board

A TV bench is supporting the TV on the left side of the chimney breast and bespoke shelving are located on the other side of the chimney breast, where personal belongings can be displayed. All the boxes and controls can be hidden inside the TV bench, living a clean and tidy room.

As my client had decided to keep the lighting as it was, as you can see from the plans I have included in the scheme two floor lamps. One, standing next to one of the sofa, to provide task lighting and another one located on the right side of the smaller sofa, almost underneath the shelving to provide a very atmospheric lighting.

Axonometric drawing, to show how the furniture layout works... be aware that with a computerized drawing, colours are not always reliable, especially on this sort of drawing.

View as if you were standing by the door.

View from the three seater sofa

As the project was on a smaller budget and "advice only", I gave the satisfied lady all the plans, furniture layout, drawings and drawing boards needed to know how to implement the scheme. A detailed shopping list to allow her to find and buy all the components required and a technical leaflet, where all the furniture and lighting are described, was also included.

Now my client is free to implement the scheme at her own pace and make her own very special surprise to her husband.
I only wish I could see his espression when he enters the place!

Emmanuelle Lemoine

Bathroom make over

2011-05-04T12:27:00.008+01:00

Interior Designer’s nightmare – minute bathroom!

Here we go again, tiny bathroom, brief asks for storage, grab handles on the bath and a non slip surface to be suitable for an elderly couple who use it as a second home. Oh and I forgot, to cost as little as possible!
So here are is the before photo

In drastic need of updating and yes, that is the dreaded carpet on the floor! As you can see the bathroom is very much on the small side. The shower is on the wrong side of the bath and there was a stain on the carpet where water had come from the shower and dripped down the side of the bath. There was only one thing for it – gut the room completely including tiles off walls and start from scratch.

Here we have the ‘after’ photos.

I decided to move the shower pipe work to the other end of the bath. A false wall had to be installed together with a slightly shorter bath. This would then enable the fitting of a shower screen. The storage is fitted with a back to the wall toilet. The whole design was put together for ease of cleaning with no nooks and crannies to harbour dust and grime.
I had thought of putting a shade of fawn on the walls in order to bring a contrast to the tiles and roller blind. Once the tiles and blind were up, I decided it would look much crisper and cleaner with the greyish shaded tiles and white walls.

I think you will agree that this is a world of difference!

Anne Stuart

Very quick visit to Ideal Home show

2011-03-28T21:47:00.011+01:00

This is a show I normally don't go to, well it is difficult to go to every show, I have to do some work as well! But this year I wanted to have a look at conservatory blinds for a client. So, I took the opportunity to visit quickly the interiors section only, as visiting the whole show would have been far to much time consuming, and this week was already fully booked.

Apart from my blinds, I saw this interesting bed, especially designed for a compact space.

Oh, I can hear you from here "Ok, it is a bed... nothing special about it, so why do you say it is an interesting bed?"

Well, the bed is not only a bed, it also is a desk. Yes, a desk/bed.

This made me remember the studio flat of a friend of mine when I was a student at university (quite a long time ago!!!), which was a bed that you could hide into the wall during the day, freeing the rare space in the tiny flat. This is where I can see a great improvement of the concept, as this is a bed that is concealed into a recess, but at the same time uncovers a desk without upsetting whatever is on the desk. And this is the important point as I would, personally hate to have to fully tidy up my desk in order to go to bed (don't take me wrong,I am not messy only creative!)

So the display you can see on the desk stays exactly as it is when the bed is pulled down. And there is a version for a double bed as well. This looks to me as an interesting solution when space is rare.

When the space is small, using transparent furniture help to keep a feeling of space as furniture doesn't obstruct the view. To carry on compact space I really liked this glass table and its tinted glass chairs.

I stopped to try this sofa which had attracted my eye to check if it was as comfortable as it was fancy. To my surprise the sofa and other easy chairs on the same style were extremely comfortable, the sort of settee you enjoy sinking in...

This was a very short visit that I enjoyed but had to rush because of the lack of time.

http://www.studybed.co.uk/

http://www.macandmacinteriors.com/

http://www.milners.com/

Emmanuelle Lemoine

Setting the style – dining

2011-03-15T10:02:00.003Z

The more I have researched into interior design the more involved it gets, much like a large tree, a central trunk, from which the branches grow, from which smaller branches grow…. I could go on and on. Part of this not so known aspect of interior design is table setting.

The trick with setting the table is not to try too hard. Too much in the way of candelabra’s and tall flower arrangements make conversation very difficult for the person sitting opposite. You should ensure that any centre piece is no higher than eye level. There is also the practical consideration of giving your guests enough room to eat comfortably and not having to knock elbows. If you have a lot of guests I would tend to go for a buffet.

I tend to go for the understated and let the food speak for itself – after all, the guests are there to eat!

Here is my place setting:

This is a very inexpensive, I made the napkin and holder myself, as it was Christmas and I wanted a festive feel, the sparkly part of this ring was a string of glass beads for a Christmas tree. Afterwards, I dismantled the napkin holder and made one with a spring-like feel. Homemade napkin rings can be made very easily and cheaply using oddments found around the house. Bits of wire entwined with beads or all those old buttons could be used - this will make your table look a little different to the norm! Pay a visit to a garden centre and get inspiration! Faux flowers are very lifelike; you could team them with an old napkin ring wrapped in ribbon or painted.

I see no shame in using paper napkins providing you keep an eye on the size and buy the more expensive ones. I bought some beautiful black and gold filigree design ones once but unfortunately they were only the size of a men’s handkerchief, which did not go down well with anybody sitting at the table! There are also lots of different ways of folding napkins, for some you need a degree in origami but others are simple and effective and can look stunning.

So much depends on the quality of your table top, if it is stained or had knocks, I would use a table cloth, but if it is not too bad I would use place mats. You could always cover up some stains with a table runner. Another idea, instead of place mats would be to use gold or silver chargers. These would frame your china and make it look very elegant. The rule of thumb – do not overcrowd your table. I also provide 2 coasters by the place setting, one for wine/port etc and the other for water.

Candles can give a lovely soft glow, where safety allows, should always be considered for your table. Some nice tea light holders at either end or a bowl filled with water for floating tea lights would create an intimate atmosphere. Placing a row of stemmed flowers in a long thin glass vase with glass beads can look stunning.

Simplicity is the key, don’t make your table look as though you have tried too hard. But, you could go completely the other way and go crazy with a ‘Great Expectations’ inspired table, whilst using edible flower displays, Heston Blumenthal comes to mind!

Anne Suart

My visit to Ecobuild 2011

2011-03-03T18:28:00.027Z

This was my third or fourth visit to Ecobuild, and I must admit I had to push myself to go. First of all, it was cold outside, a freezing wind, but more than that I had heard from twitter friends that there was so much green washing going on out there, that I was sighing in despair, reading them... Anyway, I had to go and I went!

Ecobuild, the name of such a show raises your expectations as you think you are going to see truly green, eco-friendly, environmentally responsible products... But I am not sure this is what I have seen there for the last few years. Of course, you can argue that I am a difficult customer and that always ask many questions, that one might call challenging, or say that I am going too far into the environmental philosophy. But, this is me and I like to make sure that I fully understand why and how a product is really, or not eco-friendly.

This first photograph was taken today at Ecobuild, and is far from summarizing the whole show.

One of the first things I stopped to look at were not all the solar panels that are taking a lot of space in the show, nor the different boiler and other energy efficient devices, but the green roofs and green walls.

I have to admit that I love the green roofs and other green walls that can be installed inside or outside the house. They both are hopefully going to take a bigger place in our landscape and interiors, and help us breathing better. All sorts of plants can be used in a very pretty way.

The passive house were also present at the show, which was a very good thing to see, as until recently the concept of passive house wasn't very well know in this country, even though well experienced in Germany and even France.

This model was at the Passivhaus design solution stand. Lovely house!

Other interesting objects were at Ecobuild, including this bicycle holder, or shall I say this bicycle stand where you can safely attach your bicycle, which leaves you to hope that the bike will still be there when you come back. Very interesting stand, I

must say, and probably a good use of plastic... It is said to be made of recycled material and to be recyclable as well. (www.cyclepods.com)

Now, I have a question: look at the following photo and try to guess what it is. Don't cheat!!

Did you guess? No. So look at the following one, it is the same thing.

Yes, I know, difficult. It took me a little while to understand what I had in front of me.

Yes, radiators! Funky, aren't they?! Yes, they are very nice and I can see how we can use them easily, instead of the old boring radiators that we have to hide behind a casing. Now my question, is why do they show such a design radiator to a show called EcoBuild... I am not sure. Well, we forgive them, just because the radiators are unusual and beautiful. (www.jaga.co.uk)

As you have understood, when I go to Ecobuild I am looking for the little gems that are hiding in the middle of the big green washing fair... and it is not an easy task. But I have found another interesting object, made in Latvia. You can say (and I hear you from here) that this is not locally sourced, I agree, but I loved this chair. It is made from an ancient model that was made more than 150 years ago, and is all in wood and plywood for the details on the seat. To go with the chair there was that lovely quilt made out of wool contained in a linen cover. It was light and very warm, a very comfortable and soothing warmth. (www.formatika.lv)

And I want to finish with two interesting product. One is made of recycled plastic and the other of coffee ground. Let's start with the plastic one. These sheets more or less rigid are made of recycled plastic. Some are made of wellington boots, other of household bottled, cds... They all have a story, which makes them all even more interesting.

I specially was attracted by the one featured on the following photo, made of car headlamps. It makes a lovely translucent material in which another waste was added: broken £10 note that were going to be burnt. So you can see (pieces of) the head of the queen here and there... (www.smile-plastics.co.uk)

This table is made of coffee ground, gathered from local cafes. You can use the coffee sheets in different way and have your very special coffee table made. (www.re-worked.co.uk)

This show is far too big to talk about it all, you probably need the full three days to have a complete visit. I have only talked about products that I found a bit different and liked, and I hope you have enjoyed my visit as well!

Emmanuelle Lemoine

Lighting a conservatory

2011-03-02T10:58:00.001Z

Properly lit, a conservatory can be a magical place.

For most people the colour of a conservatory is green, meaning that this is the colour of the garden, as seen through the glass. During the day natural light will be coming in from the outside creating a light and airy room. At night the situation is reversed.

A conservatory is ideal for low level lighting, illuminating what is needed, minimising reflections and reducing light pollution. A lighting ring can easily be used for lamps, with a number of points at low level switched as normal by the entrance, this saves having to walk across the conservatory to switch every light on. This gives all the advantages of low level lighting with the convenience of switched lights. A light can also be attached to the ceiling fan.

Recessed floor lighting particularly LED based lighting can turn a conservatory into a highly individual place. These are recessed into the floor and can be flush or slightly proud of the floor.

Low-level lamps are best for creating an atmospheric environment. If lighting is to be kept to a minimum, the natural light from the evening sky, the moon and the stars, can be the best illumination of all. Another option would be to produce ambient light the conservatory from the garden. Low level lights illuminating plants and wall uplighters and downlighters would make the garden part of the conservatory at night. These can take the form of individual solar garden lights to low-voltage systems. The main watch point is to avoid directing the light straight into the conservatory.

Another option is to install suspended wire fibre optic lights, this kind of lighting can look amazing if positioned correctly.

Anne Stuart

Start by being "green" in your children's room

2011-02-25T14:50:00.006Z

If there is one room that should be designed with an environmentally friendly mind, there is no doubt that this room should be the room we prepare for the arrival of a new born, or for any children.

Why is it so important? Simply because little baby and children are so tiny that even a level of toxicity that wouldn’t harm an adult is likely to harm them.Even if you are not convinced of the necessity to avoid any toxic molecules in your home, make sure that your baby’s room is safe.

Imagine the scene: A new baby is about to arrive, so the parents to be are all excited about this and want to prepare the most beautiful bedroom for the little treasure, and start decorating. If you use a paint containing Volatile Organic Compounds, also called VOCs, the VOCs will be released in the bedroom atmosphere for at least the following two years... meaning that for the first two years of his/her life, the child is going to inhale VOCs... not good!
Along with the VOCs contained in the paint, there can be other toxic molecules contained in the furniture (especially the glues used to make the furniture, the binding component of the MDF board used for the furniture etc.), maybe in the carpet, fabric and so on!
We must remember that, because our houses are airtight, whatever goes into the house is meant to stay there, unless there is a top ventilation system. And studies have shown that indoor air can be more polluted than outdoor!

Whenever you are preparing a bedroom for a new baby, a young child, check that the paint is VOCs free, the furniture doesn’t contained urea-formaldehyde glue or binder, check with what the carpet and fabric have been treated. And of course, there is an easy thing to do, to open the windows regularly and allow the change of air in the house.

And to be fully environmentally responsible, it is important to check where the materials come from (locally sourced, renewable source) and where do they go when discarded (are they bio-degradable...)

Emmanuelle Lemoine

Designer's tip on creating a feature wall - 1 The use of stickers

2011-02-19T10:27:00.005Z

The use of stickers

When you decorate on a budget, or when you have allocated most of your budget in a very special piece of furniture, it sometimes is not possible anymore to afford that very special wall paper you were dreaming of to create a feature wall. In this case we have to be creative and make a fantastic wall decor without the cost.

There are different ways of doing this, including the use of a big painting as a focal point, or use many smaller framed paintings or drawings together, and place them in an interesting shape, so that however small the unit, what will be seen is all the little frames together as a whole shape.

What I would like to talk about is another way of creating some interest on a wall, with the use of stickers: I was once asked to decorate a children’s room on a very tight budget. The room was painted in two different shades of green (using of course, zero VOCs paint), the darker green being applied on the chimney breast. As it is often the case, the mantel piece was not in the middle of the chimney breast, and did not look good as it was unbalanced.

There was an obvious empty space that needed to be filled in order to achieve the wanted balance. So I decided to fill up this space using a sticker. The shadow of a tree was perfect and . made a lovely focal point.
If you are reluctant to use a sticker, painting a shadow instead, is a great solution but in this particular case, a sticker was cost effective, and the result pleased the client very much.

Another good thing with this sort of sticker, is that if you are getting bored of it, they normally are easy to remove, and you can replace it with another one if you’d wanted to.

Emmanuelle Lemoine

My visit to the Surface Design Show

2011-02-17T10:04:00.022Z

February is such a better month to get out of the studio and go to trade show. So yesterday, I didn't have to force myself into visiting the Surface Design Show in the business Design Center.
Compared to previous years, I had the feeling the show had sort of shrunk, which has been a tendency for all the show I have visited recently. Anyway, quantity doesn't mean quality, and visiting a smaller show is less overwhelming.

There were many interesting and beautiful things to see there, and of course I can't speak about all of them in this post, as it would quickly become tedious. As usual, I visited the show with my "green" hat and spectacles, meaning that I couldn't look at everything with the same interest.

One of the first eye attracting stand I stopped by was a dutch company who told me they were the last compny in the Netherland to manufactured the very traditional dutch porcelaine, with its typical blue tiles. They had a lovely colorful display, that you can see herafter.

There is a stand I am always looking out for, because it features all sorts of new intriguing and beautiful material. It is the SCIN stand and here is a photo of some of the things they were showing.

I enjoyed the product presented by Studio Paname, which is a translucide film that you aplly on any surface (glass, wood, metal) to make orginal panels.

I know this photo is a bit strange, but it pictures the different use of the film, on walls or on glass...

And here is a detail of the film applied on glass.
It certainly is a versatile product...

My eyes were then attracted by a beautiful processed tile made of circles of sandstone:

I must admit that I don't consider myself as a "tile-person". Very often I find tiles boring, especially when badly used in a bathroom. This sandstone arrangement is really beautiful. All the veine create a natural beautiful pattern...

Looking at the sandston, I had entered the massive Porcelanosa stand.

On the same stand featured this massive white Krion surface, which I hardly looked at first as I thought... it is again another of this resin thing... But to my surprise I was told that this Krion surface wasn't really containing any bad material and that when you were tired of it, it could simply be reduced to "powder" in order to make a brand new product. Tha man presenting this product knew excatly how to speak to me. Of course, I have to research a bit more about the component of the Krion, but it really sounded very attractive.

There was also another exampleof the use of thinner pannels, when apperture are made, and it is all glued onto a panel of glass and light from behind. Beautiful effect!

Another product from the same company I was very happy to discover, is a tile made of all the left over of the tile manufacture. The company is zero waste, they collect the waste produced during the manufacture of their product and use it to manufacture another product, the tile (photo herafter) with earty colours, on which is printed a natural look of stone. It is quite an amazing product that really looks good!

I was really good to se that manufacturer are starting to produce in a different way, keeping in mind the planet and its resources.

During my visit I was, again, extremely happy to see C2C certified products, including ther sorts of tiles, wall covering... I have asked all the documentation concerning these products and can't wait to know more about them, and use them in my design...

Emmanuelle Lemoine

How to create a stylish environmentally friendly Interior - 3: natural and C2C products

2011-02-13T10:18:00.006Z

Of course products made out of natural ingredients are all a very good choice to create an environmentally responsible design, including wooden flooring, bamboo flooring (careful here again with the process to the finished product and the glues...) or wooden furniture (be aware of the type of glue used to the making, or the bonding agent when it is made of compressed wood), woollen products (carpets, fabrics...), cotton (organic as cotton is a very polluting crop and requires a lot of water in its process) and all the new natural ingredient to fabrics including hemp, bamboo...
Be also aware of all the protective treatment applied to the finished product as they can contain volatile toxic molecules which will degrade the indoor air quality.

There are also new very exciting products becoming available on the market. They have been manufactured according to a brand new way of making things (as in Cradle to cradle concept from Braungart and Mc Donough). These products (including carpets, tiles, office furniture and more to come) are not necessarily made 100% of natural products, but have been conceived so that when the product has reached its end of use, it can be completely dismantled and every component is re-used as raw material to make another brand new product.
I do believe this is the way to go and I am always looking up for new C2C certified products that I could use in my scheme.

Emmanuelle Lemoine

How to create a stylish environmentally friendly interior - 2: reading the labels

2011-02-13T10:17:00.005Z

Now you are wondering: "but how do we do this?"

We source the right products by reading all the labels, by asking the good questions to the manufacturers (who very often are not at ease with answering these sort of questions), we take note on where we found the right product and we research and research over and over again... and we use a lot of common sense as well.

Of course it is not easy to start a do a project which is going to be 100% "green". But I am confident that with all the new products appearing on the market, the task is going to become easier soon.

The first thing to do is using a 0 VOC (volatile organic compound) paint, which is becoming easier and easier as the manufacturers now propose more low or 0 VOCs products. Use your sense: if you can smell something, it means that there is something that might not be so good for you! And this is true not only for paint.

To check what a piece of furniture, flooring etc contain it is useful to ask for the MSDS, Material Safety Datasheet, which shows what the product is made of, and what is not written on the label. I must admit that to obtain these sheets is sometimes quite hard as the manufacturers don’t understand at first, why you are interested in such a paper, or are not really willing to pass them on to you. A lovely eco-friendly designer I met at a BIID conference, told me she was also facing the same difficulties and the only way to get the necessary information was by being "thick-skinned". I think she is so right! Surely the more people will ask for the MSDS, the easier it’ll be to get them.

Emmanuelle Lemoine

How to create a stylish environmentally friendly interior - 1

2011-02-13T09:46:00.009Z

You might wonder how can an interior designer propose environmentally responsible scheme, without getting the hippy look that stick with being "eco-friendly".

I must say that I have been irritated so many times when seeing in interior design shows, the "environment-friendly" design made out of rubbish stuck together, giving the wrong idea of what a "green" design can be.
I am not criticizing the re-use of objects here, I am just not sure that crushing flat cans of a famous drink to transform them into kitchen tiles is the best "green" design we can think of.

So the question is: how do you create an environmentally responsible scheme without compromising on style?
Well, I would say that it is all in the sourcing the components of the scheme. Instead of sourcing things following the criteria of beauty, style, and ergonomic, we have to add the following criteria:

1. Is it made out of material from a renewable source?
We don’t want to participate to the depletion of precious natural resources, and so have to choose carefully our products to be sure they are from a renewable source.

2. Will the product bio-degrade when disposed of?
What is going to happen when we have finished with the product, is it re-usable, is it recyclable, is it going to bio-degrade nicely to its natural component or will it finished into a landfill...

3. Is it possible to source locally?
By avoiding transport it is possible to keep our carbon footprint on a lower level, which is what we want to achieve.

4. Does it contain any toxic molecule
Yes, and this criteria is not the least. With our air tight houses, whatever we bring inside the house will stay there, and if any toxic molecules are contained into a new piece of furniture, into the paint... it will be released for a long period of time and be inhaled by the inhabitants.

As you can see, it has to do with common sense and a bit of science too, as we will see in the second part!

Emmanuelle Lemoine

How to give a new life to your kitchen 2

2011-02-09T12:42:00.007Z

So many people have asked to see the tired kitchen finished with new flooring, so here it is. The flooring is in a charcoal slate laminate, anything else would have looked very wishy washy. I was told that the client also got a quote from a kitchen designer who proposed a full redesign £25,000 or a reuse of all the carcasses for £8000, I was able to update this kitchen for a fraction of this cost so the client was happy to pay my design fees. This demonstrates that employing an interior designer can definitely save you money and create the WOW factor!

One happy client and one happy interior designer.

Hope you like it too.

Anne Stuart

Don’t move, improve!

2011-02-07T19:14:00.005Z

How often have you thought you needed to move, but that it isn't the best time to do so? Your house feels a bit cramped. The family has increased in size and you feel the need for more space. Before you decide to move think twice, as there might be an easy way to make your house suits your new needs.

I would suggest that you 're-visit' your house as if it were the first time you were viewing it. Alternatively ask a friend to help you see it with a different pair of eyes.

Try to answer the following questions: do I make the best use of this or that room? Do I need to keep a dining room that is only used twice a year for special occasions? Do I need better organised storage? Are the rooms cluttered with object that haven't used for months or even years?...

Try removing all the clutter which has crept in the house and which is taking valuable space. See if you could make better use of each room by interchanging their function. Would a built in storage improve your space?

Opening up the available space frees some under-used areas, and increase your living space.

There are many tricks used to create a feeling of space in a room including the use of transparent furniture, mirrors, a good lighting scheme etc.

If little changes are not enough, you can add a room by extending it, either on a side going into the garden, or upward with a loft conversion or even downward by digging a new room under the current house.Very often just by re-thinking the general organisation of the house, it is possible to free space and use it in a much more efficient way.

Emmanuelle Lemoine

Visit to the Arc show - 2

2011-01-13T15:43:00.029Z

This year, I finally visited the Arc show in Islington. I was meant to visit many times the past years, but always had a reason not to go. Lighting is very important in interiors, and is one of my special interest, so I really couldn’t go on and on finding excuses not to go!

As I mentioned already, LED lights are at the front of the stage. More and more manufacturers propose all sorts of LED lights. Of course, LED has an easy application for outside lighting as well as in retail where a strong white light can be used. For residentail application, it wasn’t so easy to use LEDs, and manufacturers have been working hard on warming up the light provided by the LEDs.
A first example is shown on the following photos, the four boxes are different LED lights and give a quite different result from the coldest (bottom left) to the warmest (top left). The best would have been to have a LED next to another sort of light such as a halogen for example.

Here is another example of different warmth of LED lights

It looks like warm LEDs can now be used in a domestic place without making us look too scary.
Of course, there are some application with no risk at all including stair lights, cupboard lights, under cupboard light, floor light and lighting all the other places which are not the main living areas. But it looks like we are now going to be able to use LEDs in the main living areas, if we use the best warm LEDs sources.
LEDs are wonderful to create atmospheric lighting, using coloured lights for example onto a structured surface as see on the following examples.

Another very interesting application of tube lighting I have discovered is to incorprate the light directly on the rails, holding your clothes. I really liked the idea that the clothes would be directly light making it much easier to select our clothes in the cupbaord.

I also have enjoyed looking at glittery light fittings. The light source is a very simple down lighter that direct a source of light onto crystals that glitters and on which the light bounces all around. This sort of fitting is quite spectacular and would suite every house. Szwarosky crystal was used in the following ones:

Glass was used to create this interesting bubbly "tiles" that can be used to create a light fitting, or can be light from underneath or just as a mirror frame. The vendor told me it was used by one of their clients as the tiles in the bottom of a swimming pool! How fantastic!

Emmanuelle Lemoine

Products from the following ompanies are featured in this blog
Ecoled

Lumentube

Crystal caviar s.r.o.

Windfall

Occhio

Visit to the Arc show-1

2011-01-13T14:43:00.010Z

It is funny how the weather can influence my ability to do things. During the nice season, I am extremely happy to go to trade shows, and I still am in October, but from November I find it harder to leave the comfort of the practice, I suspect the limited amount of day light to be part of the cause for this.

So, this morning was no exception, it was hard to motivate myself to go to the Arc Show, a show I had never been to, but which sounded extremely interesting as it is about lighting, and I love lighting and lighting schemes. For me, a wonderful design scheme badly lit is only going to look average, whereas an average scheme well lit will look fantsatic.

I finally managed to push myself outside and went to the business centre in Islington. Of course, as soon as I arrived there, I completely forgot about the weather and light-bathe under all the shiny light spots.

LED lights are all over the place and have been presented as extremely powerful and economic, the remaining problem being their very cold colour, making them difficult to use in residential interiors, unless you were attracted to the ghost look. In the last few years, LEDs have evolved dramatically and are now offering a full range of light temperature from the coldest to the warm range, willing to compete with the halogens lamps.

I remember back in September (100% Design) a manufacturer displaying the same vase of flowers lit by a halogen source and a LED and challenging you to find which one was which. I was surprised to see that both lights were similar, but I still could identify quickly the LED and the Halogen one.
Today, LED lighting had again the first place in the show, but I couldn’t find any exhibitor displaying both the LED and halogen together.
Let me sort all my photos out and I will show you my findings very soon.

Emmanuelle Lemoine

How to give a new life to your kitchen

2011-01-11T14:49:00.008Z

Tired kitchen?

Is your kitchen suffering from fatigue? Are the units sound but the doors are tired and outdated? It might be time to call in an interior designer who can advise you on the best way to update your kitchen with the minimal amount of cost.

Below is a ‘Before’ photo of a kitchen. The unit doors were pine and battered, obviously in need to an update as were the walls. Cost was an issue here and there was no Plan B if anything went wrong. No pressure then!
I decided to keep the white tiles on the walls, the white worktop and clean up the stainless steel cooker hood. As the wall tiles and worktops were white, the customer did not want to give the kitchen a ‘dental surgery’ feel, but did want to introduce subtle colour. The only other replacements were the tired roller blind was replaced by a fresh new one and the cupboard handles. The flooring is in the process of being replaced by easy to clean tiles in black.

Colour of unit doors. This was a south facing kitchen; therefore, cool clean colours could be used without the room feeling cold. In the brief, the client wanted a restful space so the designer chose the sage colour, it immediately made the kitchen feel much larger and cleaner. If you choose to attempt this yourself, do seek advice. Quality of paint is very important as is preparation of the surface. Cutting corners with the preparation, will give a disappointing outcome as will colour of primer and whether a roller or brush is used. When the newly painted doors were fitted it immediately became obvious that new handles would add to the update. Brushed stainless steel handles were chosen which brightened the green colour. If you are planning to go this route, do not skimp on handle quality – this can make or break the scheme.

There was no problem with the lighting, so it was decided to keep it as it is, any change would have incurred additional cost.
The walls originally had wallpaper, which was getting rather shabby and greasy. This was stripped, uncovering a dark orange wall. As the scheme called for light grey walls, this needed three coats of emulsion to cover the awful orange. The outcome has been a fresh feeling kitchen.

As you can see the outcome has been very successful. The scheme did require lots of tester pots and viewing the colours in different lights. Light green can look very grey in certain lights so care had to be taken when choosing the right shade as there was light grey on the walls, it would have looked very ordinary with two shades of grey

As you can see, a dramatic makeover in your kitchen needn't cost the earth. All it needs is just a few inexpensive touches!

Anne Stuart

What is it all about: environment and interior Design???

2010-12-13T11:26:00.005Z

“So, you are an interior designer! Oh, this must be fun...”

Well, yes, it is! Designing interiors for people and making their life more enjoyable is a lot of fun!Very often the perception of our profession stops at this remark “it must be fun”, but designing an interior implies a lot of responsibilities such as the most obvious ones: to comply with all the building and regulation. More than that, it is our duty to design not only a beautiful, sophisticated and ergonomic space, but we have to make sure that the end result is going to be a healthy place for our clients to live in and won't have any negative impact on our environment.

When researching and reading all the labels carefully, it is amazing to see how many toxic molecules are still included in many furnitures, finishes, glues...For example, the glues and bonding materials used in wood product can contain molecules such as urea-formaldehyde, which is a recognized carcinogen. Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) contained in paints are slowly released in the air for more than two years...As designers we have to check whatever is going to enter our client's house to make sure that when we have left, the house will be a safe place to live in.Another responsibility is to make sure that we only use materials that come from a renewable source, as we don't want to participate to the depletion of precious natural resources.Local sourcing is also important as it helps us to reduce our carbon footprint with minimizing the transport of materials.And of course, we shall make sure that the products we use are not going to finish in a landfill or pollute when discarded. For example the use of vinyls such as vinyl floorings which are a petroleum based products that won't degrade and are pilling up in landfills should be avoided. In most of the cases, it is possible to use an alternative flooring which won't have a negative impact on our planet.

It is now our responsibility as interior designer not only to create a fantastic and personalized scheme for your client, but also to check all the components and make sure they are healthy and environmentally friendly. This can be done by all of us, by educating ourself and become environmentally friendly, so that we will be used to check the components of products and know how to read the labels. We shall always research new environmentally friendly products, and source as locally as possible.

To start with we can include the following questions when designing: where does it come from? And where does it go? In this way we will integrate the concept of environmentally friendly into Interior Design.

Emmanuelle Lemoine

Designer's tips on wall displays

2010-10-24T11:26:00.004+01:00

Pictures

The first consideration when deciding what to display on a wall is to stand back and study the dimensions of the wall with furniture in situ. This will then give a rough idea of the dimensions of what is to be displayed. If it is a large wall, the mistake a lot of people make is to hang two small pictures, miles apart at either end, this will not look good! If there are many small pictures to be displayed (say 8) then hanging together in a symmetrical manner would make the group look as a visual square or oblong. For example, if there are two large pictures and four small, the large pictures could be hung at either end with the small arranged symmetrically in the middle – it is all about balance.

If there are an odd number in different shapes and sizes then setting them out on the floor would be an option. This way the pictures could be rearranged to suit without knocking unwanted holes in the wall or make templates of the pictures and stick them to the wall with a mounting putty (available from Stationery shops) rearranging and stepping back until you have an arrangement you can live with. Keep them as close together as possible, that way they will be looked on as one unit from afar. Remember, do not place large pictures on top of small, if will make the arrangement look very top heavy.

With these kinds of displays, continuity is the key. If the room has a traditional theme, then use wooden or possibly gold carved frames, for a more up to date look either black or brushed or polished stainless steel. Also, keep a theme going about one subject matter or pick out the dominant colour in the room, whether it is the colour of framing or colours within the pictures.

If there is a large picture to be displayed, a very effective way of displaying would be to hang it behind but slightly above the settee, but make sure the settee is positioned slightly away from the wall, that way the picture won’t get knocked. By placing a carefully angled down light pointing at the picture, this would make a wonderful focal point in the room. Be careful though, not to position the light so that it dazzles the person sitting on the settee.

If there is a tall narrow bit of wall and all the frames are the same size why not hang them in a row down the wall but do be careful to balance the amount of wall showing either side of the pictures. Too little and the pictures will look too big for the wall, too much and the pictures will look lost.

Also, try not to have all the displays assembled on one wall, try to balance it out with something else on the other side of the room, whether it is a mirror or a vase of flowers.

Collections

Are you a collection addict? Whether it is holiday memorabilia such as pebbles, boarding cards, beer mats etc., they will all end up in a box at the back of the cupboard or collecting dust. Well, one way of displaying these bits and bobs would be to buy shadow box frames. This way the three dimensional items could be made into a design within the frame, stuck with glue then displayed on the wall without fear of having to dust them every now and again, always a plus for me! Buy more than one frame, then tickets could be in one, pebbles in another etc,.

Another way of displaying a collection for example, plates, would be to buy a large piece of hardboard and paint or cover it in the desired colour then display the plates on the hardboard. This way the display is visually ‘anchored’ to square or rectangle of hardboard. Be very careful to use strong hangers, this kind of display can become very heavy. This way of displaying items would become the focal point of the room and look very attractive.

I hope I have given you some ideas with wall display. Check out Emmanuelle’s recent photos of recent trade shows, there are some good examples of unusual displays for mirrors.

One last thought, please be careful to avoid electrical cables when knocking nails into walls.

Anne Stuart

The sparkle of Decorex

2010-09-30T09:55:00.027+01:00

Along with going to 100% Design, I love going to Decorex. The good thing about these two trade shows is that they are complementary, and Decorex is fantastic to see up to date home furnishing, furniture, lighting.... Decorex is my other favourite show to go to, and this year again, it kept all its promises. Once again, it would be impossible to make an exhaustive list of all the interesting things I have seen there, and I had the (very) difficult task of choosing only a few beautiful and interesting products I wanted to talk about after my visit there.

I am going to start with a way to accommodate antiques in a different way. The pieces are crated by "Antiques by design" and could bring humour and style to a classic interior. (I asked before taking the photo, and the lady sitting there was completely fine with it!)

To carry on the same sort of line, "The general book works" proposes to decorate your walls with false books (new or old), and even if I would rather have real books, I liked the secret style door, hidden by the books.

To stay in the "bizarre" style, look at Boca do Lobo strange and weird furniture. beautifully original.

This seat made by Christopher Guy, won't have its place in every house, but it certainly has a grand style, and is extremely comfortable!

Less grand, but beautiful in the detail is the armchair by Helen Amy Murray and its sculptural upholstery. A thin layer of foam gives the three dimension of the cut flowers. The result is a really lovely piece of furniture that you are sure not to see everywhere.

If you would like a something very special for your walls, it is now possible to design from scratch your wall covering using tiles, wall paper and other panels, as proposed by Surface View, I really liked the colourful tiles and their retro motif as well as the beautiful retro canvass. This opens up a world of possibilities to create a fully original interior.

This settee made by Pinch is less spectacular than others seen at Decorex this year, but I loved its delicate simplicity and the unhidden influence from the Arts and Craft movement. Maybe the covering used in here wouldn't be my first choice, but there is something in this little sofa that really attracted me... Lovely!

There we many lights presented at Decorex, and to choice only one or two to show in here was a difficult choice to make!

First I would like to show these two fittings by Serip, spectacular and delicate.

This is at the same time a sculpture and a light, with the particularity to descend from the ceiling instead or growing from the floor.

And the last but not the least, this incredible fitting from Illuminati S.R.L. in its golden or white covering with one or two levels, simply stunning.

Once again, I so much enjoyed my visit to Decorex that my eyes are still full with all the sparkles and beauty I have seen. There would be many other pieces of furniture, lights, flooring, fabrics to talk about, but this post is not aim to be a catalogue of what happened there, but more a way to share what I enjoyed the most.

Thanks to these two shows, my batteries are now fully recharged with an incredible sort of energetic inspiration tickling me with the urge to create something beautiful......hum... I have to go now!!!

http://www.antiquesbydesign.co.uk/

http://www.originalbooks.net/

http://www.bocadolobo.com/

http://www.christopherguy.com/catalogue.php

http://www.helenamymurray.com/flash_content.html

http://www.surfaceview.co.uk/

http://www.pinchdesign.com/

http://www.serip.com.pt/

http://www.illuminati-lighting.com/main.html

Emmanuelle Lemoine

Visit to 100% Design 2010

2010-09-28T12:01:00.021+01:00

100% Design is one of my favourite show, it is always full of new and intriguing things for interior designers. As usual, I came back from the show with new inspiration, my eyes full of sparkles, and I have decided to talk about the products I have found the most striking, as it would be difficult and too long to talk about all the very interesting things one can see out there.

Whatever I do, I am always influenced by my scientific background, and it was no surprise that I found myself naturally attracted by the work of a young artist who mixes scientific observation and art. The result is intriguing sculptures using gravity, light... His name is Balint Bolygo

Lighting is one of my favourite subject in interior design, as I strongly believe that a fabulous scheme can appear to be only medium if badly light, whereas an average scheme can appear fantastic under the right lights. During this visit I was happy to see that LED are now offering a warmer range of colour and might be used inside the house in a living room. before I use it, I would like to see it on site first, as I wouldn't like my clients to look like ghosts while saving money under a brand new LED lighting installation (there is more about lighting to finish the visit!).

Accent lighting is a powerful tool to create a special atmosphere for your home, and when I saw penelope Batley's work, I had to stay and have a chat with her about her fabulous "light humour"! Her big necklace and earing lights are just stunning, and I can't wait to use one of Penelope's creation for a future client!

I recently wrote about the benefits of having plants inside the house, not only are they a beautiful addition to the decor, they also actively participate to the quality of the air inside the house. Even though I had already seen some green walls, I couldn't resist taking picture of this one, which can be installed inside your house. The whole system is entirely automated, so the plants will happily prosper. I can easily imagine such a wall in a bathroom, or why not a big living room.

A wall not well established and a wall fully established

When we live in a flat where our unique link to the outside is a terrace or a balcony, what a beautiful way to decorate it or create privacy using the screen and decorations presented by logical space.

If you have backaches or difficulties to keep the best posture while seating, you might find the Wooridul chair very helpful. I couldn't resist trying it when I saw its funny shape, and wondered if it would do what it said... And I must say I was positively impressed by its comfort while keeping your posture the way it should be!

I will now finish with sparkle of the incredible light fitting I have seen at the show.

First this clever (and "green") way of illuminating your room with natural light, with the sun tunnel. Natural light is very important for our biological clock to work at its best, this tunnel is an elegant way to bring natural light in any room.

If you like grand lights sparkling and shining... then you will like the lights made by La Murrina, absolutely stunning.

Of course,this is a very short tour of what I have seen at 100% Design. The variety of products is as always very big and so enjoyable to look at. The sad thing is that I now have a full year to wait before the next 100% Design show!

References:

http://picapoint.com/balintbolygo/

http://www.penelopebatley.co.uk/index2.html

http://www.biotecture.uk.com/

http://www.logicalspace.com/vegdesign/index.php?prog=prog1

http://www.wooridulchair.com/eng/

http://www.lamurrina.com/home_en.html

Emmanuelle Lemoine

Designer's tips on home staging

2010-09-10T13:22:00.003+01:00

Thinking of selling up?

So you are thinking of selling your property. In these difficult times of falling house prices how can you get offers as close as possible to the asking price? Well, initially you need to mentally ‘move on’. One suggestion would be to take a walk around and look at every room objectively. Think of yourself as a prospective purchaser. Here are some pointers which could help:

Does this room feel light and airy? Open dark curtains as far as possible let the light in. If you have dark colours on the walls (I know it is fashionable!) consider painting them in a lighter colour, a pot of paint is not that expensive in the great scheme of things

How about clutter? Are you a collecter/hoarder? Start packing some of it away. Sideboards stacked with various ‘collections’ and magazine racks stuffed full, are going to prevent prospective purchasers seeing ‘the wood for the trees’! It is nice to see some items on display, just thin it out.

Are there lots of personal items like family photos? If so, get them packed up. Mentally, when prospective purchasers view your home, too many personal photos means this is your own personal area and they are intruding.

Is there a lot of furniture in the room? If so put some into storage. Too much furniture can make a room look deceptively small. It is very difficult when viewing a home to see beyond the furniture in situ . Make it easier for the prospective purchaser to get a mental idea of what their furniture would look like in the room.

Are there lots of appliances cluttering our kitchen work surfaces? Try to find storage for some of them. If every surface has a mixer/toaster/set of weighing scales etc, purchasers will think there is no room to work. Also, try to keep the drainer free of washing up.

If you are fortunate enough to have a utility room, keep it clear of wet/drying washing.

Tempting as it may be, try not to overdress beds with throws and lots of cushions. Bedrooms in relatively new houses can be small, they will look even smaller with the bed overloaded with soft furnishings. Also, keep dressing tables as clear as possible. I am afraid I am a culprit in dressing table clutter! The same applies to cushions and throws in the living area, too many can be over facing.

Outdoor clothing. Hanging outdoor clothing in the hall will make the area look untidy and also if the hall is long and narrow, navigating past coats will make it seem even narrower. First impressions count.

Keep pets outside.

Try and keep bathrooms and kitchens clean and tidy, although I know it is difficult with children and busy work lives.

Tidy the front of the house, sweep and weed. Keep any hanging baskets well watered with no dead flowers. Also, consider getting some large plant pots to show that the house is well looked after.

I hope these few suggestions will aid the sale of your house and hopefully you will get as near to the asking price as possible.

Anne Stuart

They are not just beautiful....

2010-08-25T15:06:00.004+01:00

Improve the indoor air quality with plants in your house

Including a few plants in an interior can add the little extra touch that will make the room look finished and sophisticated. One can play with colourful flowers and textured foliage, everything is allowed.
The very interesting thing is that not only will a plant add the aesthetic of the interior, but it will also have a beneficial result on the indoor air quality.

Surveys have shown that our indoor air quality can be worst than the outside air quality. Isn’t it worrying to imagine that it would actually be better to get on the pavement and breath the air behind the street traffic? With our houses getting more and more air-tight, if a good ventilation system is not in place, then whatever enters the house, will stay. This is where plants can help as they reduce the amount of certain pollutants present in our houses. It is advised to keep one plant per 10 .square metres of floor space (assuming the ceiling has an average height of 2.3-2.6 m)

Here are some useful plants to have in the house:

Dracaena absorbs formaldehyde products that often found in wooden glues. It doesn’t like when the temperature goes below 15C. Perfect for a bedroom or any room with agglomerated furniture.

Peace lily absorbs ammonia ( present in may cleaning products) and xylene. It needs a temperature from 18 to 22C. A good plant for a bathroom.

Kimberley queen is a number one fighter against formaldehyde, toluene, xylene, benzene and trichloroethylene. Its best temperature is around 15C or a little bit more. It is a good plant for a kitchen or a bathroom where there is a lot of moisture.

Spider plant is very efficient to absorb toluene mono-carbon oxide, benzene, formaldehyde and xylene, and is a good choice for a bathroom or any room with an extra heating system.

The leaves absorb the chemical component, so the bigger the foliage the most efficient the plant is in fighting indoor pollution. When the leaves are small but present in quantity, they represent a big surface to absorb substances.

This list is not exhaustive, and there probably are many other beneficial plants that haven't been studied yest as such. It certainly is a good idea to have plants at home, enjoy them for their beauty and let them help us breath a cleaner air!

Note:
Dr Wolverton’s research has shown the following plants to be the most effective all-rounder in counteracting off-gassed chemicals and contributing to balanced internal humidity. Most are easy to maintain.
Areca palm (Chrysalidocarpus lutescens)
Bamboo palm ( Chamaedora seifrizii)
Dwarf date plant (Phoenix roebelenii)
Boston fern (Nephrolepis exaltata bostoniensis)
Dracaena "Janet Craig" ( Dracaena deremensis "Janet Craig")
English Ivy (Hedera helix)
Kimberley queen (Nephrolepis oblirata)
Peace lily (Spathiphyllum wallisii)
Rubber plant (Ficus robusta)
Spider plant Chlorophytum comosum variegatum)

Bibliography: The healthy home handbook - Alan Berman
Maison revue verte - aout-septembre-octobre 2010 Lafont presse

Emmanuelle Lemoine

Why shall we be environmentally responsible in the house?

2010-08-02T17:27:00.004+01:00

We all have heard about environmental issues that need to be considered right now. I do believe, that each of us can do their little things in order to tackle this huge environmental problem. In the interior design world, we also can also act positively and reduce the waste issue, stop depleting natural resources and take care of our health, while still living in beautiful houses.
In this post, I am reviewing some of the environmental issues we are facing and then will discuss and present some of the directions we can take in order to be more environmentally responsible. The list is far from being exhaustive, but a starting point for further discussions.

　
In 2005, 1360 scientists ( The millennium Ecosystem Assessment, MEA) concluded:
Human activity is putting such a strain on natural functions of the Earth that th ability of the planet to sustain future generations can no longer be taken for granted.

Global warming

Even though some sceptical people claim the contrary, it is scientifically demonstrated that the continuation of historical trends of greenhouse gas emission will result in additional warming over the 21st century. Current projections point a global increase of 2F to11.5F (1.1C to 6.4C) by 2100. The consequences are:
sea-level rise that will gradually inundate coastal areas and increase beach erosion and flooding from coastal storms,
changes in precipitation patterns,
increased risk of droughts and floods,
threats to bio diversity,
and a number of challenges for public health.
(http://www.pewclimate.org/)

Another worry is all the wastes created by human activity.

Solid waste

Material resulting from human and animal activities that are useless, unwanted, or hazardous are considered solid waste. They can be classified as garbage (decomposable waste from food) or rubbish (non decomposable)

- Landfills
Each year 111million tonnes of controlled waste (household, commercial and industrial estate) are disposed off in the UK in landfill sites. Some waste from sewage sludge is also placed in landfill sites, along with waste from mining and quarrying. There are over 4000 landfill sites in the UK. As landfill site decomposes, methane is released in considerable quantities (over 1.5million tonnes in the UK each year) Methane in the UK is 3% of greenhouse gas emission UK.
Furthermore the leachate fluids formed from decomposing waste can permeate through the underlying and surrounding geological strata, polluting ground water which may be used for drinking water supplies.

- Incineration
Incineration is the second largest waste disposal method in most countries. In the UK, approximately 5% of household waste, 7.5% of commercial waste and 2% of industrial waste is disposed off by incineration. When burning waste, a large part of energy, CO2 and other potentially hazardous pollutant is given off. Modern incinerator, however can use this waste energy to generate electricity. Toxic molecules are also released in the atmosphere, including Sulfur, nitrogen oxide, ash, unburned residues...

- Anaerobic digestion
Anaerobic digestion is a more sustainable way of getting rid of wastes. It produces a big quantity of methane which is used to generate electricity. Liquid and solid fertiliser are formed and can be sold to cover the operating costs. In the UK small number of anaerobic plant.
　　
- Recycling
in 2003-2004 in he UK households gave 30.5 million of waste to recycling which represents about 17% of waste collected for recycling. (The UK can still do better if we compare it with other countries who collect 50% of waste for recycling).

Some more interesting figures:

In the US 4billion pounds of carpets are being sent to landfill every year!
32 load trucks of waste are created for every load truck o goods produced
Within a year, 90% of everything made in the US is thrown "away"
In the US Buildings produce 30 to 40% of atmosphere emissions and 9% of CO2 worldwide.
If everyone in the world were to live like an average person in the minority high income countries, an additional 2.5 planets would be required (Global footprint network, using united nation statistics 2007)

The example of PVC

Unwanted material are not alway in solid or liquid form, they may also be gases.
Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) is an example of a material that is associated with toxic gases at each stage of its life cycle: production, use and end of life. Common household products such as vinyl flooring and shower curtains, are made of material produced from a manufacturing process that includes chlorine gas, hydrochloric acid, vinyl chloride, vinyl acetate, and dioxin. These substances are separately or collectively carcinogenic, explosive, deadly or outlawed as weapons. Thought meant to be a closed system of production, manufacturing facilities of PVC rank among the top polluter in the US.
Yet, the toxicity of PVC is not limited to its production. Once in use in seemingly benign everyday product such as garden hose and phone cords, PVC off gases the substances of which it is made causing at best respiratory illness and at worst cancer.
The problems with PVC persists at the end of its useful life. When PVC is discarded in a landfill, it leaches substances that degrade air, soil and water quality. PVC has also been incinerated routinely, heated PVC releases hydrochloric acid and dioxin into the air, gases that threaten human health at very low level (Acherman and Massey 2003). And PVC is only one of the many products that manifest the toxic effect of material from its component part through its manufacture and use to the end of its useful life.

What are the solutions? What can we do?

It is interesting to say again what issues we are facing with the way we live in the rich countries, but this wouldn’t be so interesting if we were not talking about what can be done!
W Mc Donough and M Braungart 2002 "Cradle to cradle: remaking the way we make things" propose a brand new way of manufacturing things and of living. Far from making us feel guilty about what we consume, they propose a constructive way of making things. They propose a new industrial revolution that would be responsible and clean.
　
So far, we have seen the Cradle to grave concept:
Produce something that end up into landfill... it is wasted.

Recycling

Recycling is meant to recover valuable material in existing products, preparing them for another useful life. Yet much recycling is actually down cycling, which causes the material value to fall over time (Mac Donough and Braungart 2002) Melting plastics from beverage containers such as milk or water, often mixes a variety of different polymers. The consequence is a lower quality material that can only be used in a product of lower quality such as plank for decking or park benches. When this product has reached the end of its useful life, even down cycling to a less valuable material is not probable and the product, nd the material ultimately is discarded in a material crave.

Cradle to Cradle

Braungart and Mc Donough: "Cradle to cradle design, in contrast with cradle to grave design, does not use nature as a tool but rather as a model. (...) The key is not to make human industries and system smaller, but to design them to get bigger and better in a way that replenishes, restores and nourishes the rest of the world".
Contrary to down cycling which reduced the value of the material in a cradle to grave scenario, "up-cycling" is a process in a cradle to cradle design that makes materials more valuable.
A particular nylon fiber used in carpet, for example may be retrieved and transformed into a more valuable material, a fibre that is inherently stain resistant, inherently colour fast, and indefinitely recyclable. (McD and B) In this way the fibre is not de- but re-materialized, bringing with it the time, energy, money and materials used to generate it initially, and providing a raw material that is fully prepared for re-manufacturing. Because the materials in (such) a technical metabolism are never consumed, products of a technical metabolism are meant to continuously circulate.
　
Application to Interior Design

When it comes to design our interiors, we should keep in mind the planet, as it is our interest to. More and more manufacturer are taking the planet into consideration and we must source products that are made by responsible manufacturers. Cradle to cradle carpets are now on the market, as well as pieces of furniture.
It is important to source product locally as this will reduce their carbon footprint and help the local economy. Material should come from a renewable source. We should try to re-use whenever it is possible, be creative and make sure that whatever we include in a scheme won’t end up in a landfill and risk polluting the soil, air and water by releasing toxic materials. It is important to check all the components of a product to make sure that it will easily and cleanly bio-degrade.
　

Emmanuelle Lemoine

Bibliographie:
Environmantally responsible design , Dr Louise Jones, Wiley 2008
Cradle to cradle Braungart and Mc Donough, Vintage 2009
(http://www.pewclimate.org)/

Designer's tip to put the whole scheme together

2010-07-25T08:52:00.005+01:00

If working from scratch, this is often a daunting task, deciding on the colour scheme then which soft furnishings, furniture, flooring and lighting. It is so easy to get it wrong by misjudging colour or size of furniture.

The first consideration is what ‘look’ is to be achieved especially if there is usually some furniture which needs to be retained. Ideally each room needs to flow from one to another within the home with the same basic scheme but perhaps with accents of the chosen colour. If the windows for instance have got Art Deco patterned glass, the scheme can echo the colours within the panes of glass. No point in fighting it, use it as inspiration and it will work out much less expensive than ripping everything out.
The second consideration is which way the room is facing. It is not a good idea to decorate a room facing north in cold colours, this will give the room a very cold dark feel and be most uninviting. Likewise if the room is south facing, warm colours of yellows, orange or red would give the illusion of being uncomfortably hot. Also, if the room is small it will become even smaller if large patterned wallpaper is put on a wall.

So where to start. Buy some A4 card in a ‘snow white’ this is a good shade which does not clash with anything. This is what you will build your scheme on and can be carried around shops. It does tend to be much easier to have a neutral base and then build on that. Some department stores give out free carpet samples and they can also send off for soft furnishing samples. DIY stores have tester pots of paint and also samples of wallpaper. It is so important collect these together and then they can be mixed matched in your own light at home on this piece of card.

It is also very important to be aware that the size of furniture can look a lot smaller in the showroom. Obtain the measurements and see how they look, rooms can be overwhelmed when the furniture is too large. I have some friends who bought a three seater settee and two armchairs and ended up sawing out the central ‘seat’ in the middle of the settee to make it look smaller because the room was full of seating with no room to move. They also made the mistake of buying it in yellow leather, having not obtained a sample, which looked unbelievably ‘yellow’ in the room. By that time the mistake had unfortunately been made, no turning back. In this instance, employing an interior designer who would suggest alternatives and have saved them thousands of pounds would have been well worth the investment.

Once the wall colour has been decided upon, paint a square of card in the chosen paint colour then stick it on the A4 card, then this can form part of the scheme. Soft furnishing samples can then be matched up. Play around with different patterns and colours, this can be fun, don’t be afraid.

By having this approach, it will save money in the long run, by avoiding unnecessary mistakes.

Anne Stuart

Thoughts on Asian Architecture and Furnishings

2010-06-07T14:56:00.017+01:00

As I have just returned from journeying from the north to the south of Vietnam, staying in many hotels and flying from various airports I thought I would share some photos with you.

Ever wondered when you walk into a hotel room about the furniture and furnishings? This area is covered by much more legislation than the domestic market. For instance, the furniture needs to be of contract quality, normal domestic furniture would not take the wear and tear. Also, all the fabrics and carpets needs to be fire resistant and contract standard. This is why any soft furnishings tend to be of a heavier quality than you would have at home.

This is the view from one of the rooms of the balcony on the 18th floor. It was very private as the slats on the right hand side were angled so very cleverly that we were not aware of a balcony next to us. This hotel was owned by a French chain and only 2 years old in Nha Trang central Vietnam.

Same hotel room but with two views of a composite marble sunken bath/shower. Luckily the shower head was a hopper style therefore the towels at the end of the bath did not get wet. This was not the case in some of the hotel bathrooms. In at least 3 other hotels the towels were damp from the shower before use because the shower head was angled towards the towel rail at the end of the bath.

The most common design fault especially in bathrooms in Asia is the highly polished marble/granite flooring. Although it can look wonderful especially with down-lights reflected, when wet this type of flooring can be it can be very slippery and dangerous. It would be much better to install a non-slip flooring.

Another hotel room in Dalat in the Highlands. This hotel had been newly renovated and had a cool lilac and neutral colour scheme. The seating was upholstered in a faux suede and the flooring was wood.

The lighting was also very clever with up-lighting behind the false wall which combined with the nice colours made it a lovely room to stay in. The screen between the seating and sleeping area was lit from below the etched glass, giving the illusion of two separate areas.

This idea could be used at home to provide screening in a large room. Self-adhesive rolls of faux etching can be bought and cut to any design; this can then be stuck on to safety glass.

Last but not least is my favourite airport of all time – Kuala Lumpur or KLIA as it is locally known. This is were we get polished marble with reflected downlights overload! This airport also has an enclosed jungle area in the centre, which has grown considerably from when I was there 10 years ago and it even has a waterfall now.

Now, why can’t they design airports here like this as opposed to the glorified hanger called T5 Heathrow?

Anne Stuart

Green tips on plasters

2010-06-02T14:14:00.003+01:00

When deciding about what sort of wall covering we would like to have in our interiors, it is important to review and understand the different options and possibilities we have. I am not talking about wall paper or paint, but about what is underneath and what could be the feature, the plaster.

I am going to refer to one of my favourite book "Sustainable Residential Interiors" by Kari Foster, Annette Stelmack and Debbie Hindman.

Do we think about plaster as a finish? Not very often, which is a sad thing as Venetian plaster is just a wonderful finish that will give a particular identity to a home. But, we’ll talk about venetian plaster later. When we hear "plaster" what comes in mind is the finish we need to make our walls smooth so that we can add a coat of paint, wall paper or any other sort of wall covering. The role of plaster is an important one as it participate to the structure of the wall, it has thermal properties and is fireproof. A mineral based plaster with no additive is basically inert and dry and will particularly suit people with chemical sensitivities. Walls made out of plaster breath and adapt to climate changes and allows water vapours in and out, improving indoor air quality. Because plaster can breath, it is important not to add any toxic chemical additive in the plaster as these would be exhaled.

Gypsum plaster

The most known plaster is gypsum plaster. Its main component is hydrous calcium sulfate, an abundant mineral dehydrated at about 300F into powdery substance, then remixed with water for application on walls. Gypsum has to be mined and transported, which is one drawback.
There also are available synthetic gypsum or by-product gypsum. This recovered gypsum fills an eco-niche by reducing waste and landscape destruction.Gypsum plaster is only used indoor as the rain and weather would erode it.
Other minerals, including lime, can be added. Many gypsum plasters today contain harmful fungicides, setting agents and other chemicals. Specify natural gypsum plaster with no or low-VOC additive, if possible. The mineral gypsum in the plaster is not considered harmful to the environment, but chemical additivies could leach into land or water upon disposal.

Portland cement plaster

Cement plaster is made from portland cement, sand lime, and water. The most likely place to use cement plasters indoor are basements, fireplaces and masonry walls. It is not often used indoor.

Lime plaster

This is an ancient building material. Lime derives from mined limestone, crushed and fired at very high temperature (1600 to 2100F) to make quicklime which becomes with water lime putty, the main ingredient of lime plaster. Dehydrated lime putty is combined with sand and water to form the plaster. This process is lengthy and energy intensive. The positive aspect is that it will completely degrade back into limestone.
Lime plaster is inert and is a healthy option for a green home. It is the hardest and most durable of all interior finishes and can be used in very humid climates. If marble dust is added to plaster and the finish is polished it is called Venetian plaster. Natural pigment can be added to add colour. You should specify lime without synthetic additives and natural/mineral pigments. Avoid wall coverings or traditional paints on lime plaster.

Venetian plaster

It was developed in the 1500s to imitate the polish beauty of marble. It is made of lime and marble dust , applied in several thin layers then burnished, sanded or polished. In this way, the beauty of natural stone, without the weight or expense of real marble, was achieved. Traditional Venetian plaster is an earth-friendly, mineral-based option that dries to an inert, no VOC, non allergenic surface. Synthetic acrylic resins or pigments are often added, but all natural products are preferred for green homes. Avoid any binders that out gas high level of VOCs.

Earthen plaster

Earthen plaster or mud plaster is as ancient as human kind, has the permanence of rock, and yet the modern look of suede. Although more traditionally used on homes built from staw bales, cob, adobe, or rammed earth, it can also be applied over drywall.
Earthen plaster has the least embodied energy of any building material. The best recipe for durability lies in the regional soil. If the home site has suitable clay available the earthen paster can be made with it. (Before proceeding, check for any toxic contaminant). Traditional earth plaster recipe include some of the following ingredient: clay dirt, sand, straw and cooked flour paste or manure.
Commercial clay plaster may be purchased, with as primary ingredient, earth (clay) mineral pigments, and borax. Primers and sealants available from the clay mix suppliers, are specifically designed for eco-friendly homes and will usually be nontoxic, solvent free, and low or no-VOC.
Unfinished earth plasters is best suited for dry ecosystems and well-ventilated home environments, as humidity will compromise the plaster integrity. Commercial sealents sole most moisture-related problems for the purchased clay plaster veneers. As earthen plaster will completely biodegrade to its original component it is a very good example of cradle to cradle building material!

Gypsum boards

They are the prefabricated boards (plaster sandwiched between paper) that are now widely used. One of the problem these boards create is the amount of wasted boards. As the board come in sheet, it has to be cut and a lot of unused waste are piling up into landfill. The paper onto the boards are known to attract mold that contribute to a bad Indoor Air Quality. To fight against this, manufacturers use fungicides and chemicals, which are not desirable environmentally speaking, but needed to avoid the growth of molds.
When using boards, always measure precisely to avoid wastes, specify a high gypsum content, high natural material content, recycled paper sheating or no paper sheating with minimal additives, Low VOC joint compound. Avoid joint compounds with antifreeze, vinyl preservatives, biocides, or that outgas VOCs, avoid chemical additives to wallboards and wasteful drywall purchase or installation method.

Even for plaster it is important to check the ingredients and avoid the potential VOCs out gassing additives. Platers have a high embodied energy, but can be a long lasting solution and participate to the healthy indoor quality of the house. I hope that recycling solutions and habits will come into place soon, especilly for plaster boards.
I personally like Venetian plaster when used in the right setting. They really are beautiful, long lasting, a artwork piece.

Emmanuelle Lemoine

Sustainable Residential interiors - AssociatesIII - Wiley

Top tips on clutter, or how to get rid of it, for good!

2010-05-25T12:04:00.003+01:00

A few weeks back I was called by a lady to help her with her hallway. The visit didn’t exactly turned out the way I thought. Clutter had invaded the house in such a way that there was not even enough space to push the front door fully to let people in. The living room, a small sized room was completely blocked with different sort of furniture making it impossible to walk around the room, unless you were willing to walk on the furniture. The only advise I could give to the poor lady was to get rid of a few things so that she could live in her house.

This was an extreme case, but if you look closely around you, you will be able to spot quite a lot of clutter, that has appeared without you noticing. If we are not careful, clutter will invade our living space and leave us stressed out and miserable.

Having clutter is not a always related to not having a useful and well organized storage space (even if this can help a lot), or not living a big house. In fact clutter can arise everywhere, if we are not vigilant.
If you are not convinced by the benefit of getting rid of clutter, you can read Karen Kingston book "Clear your clutter with feng shui" where she explains what is clutter, how it affects us and how to get rid of clutter for a better life.

Why do we keep so many things?
According to Karen Kingston, there a few reason keep clutter:

keeping things "just in case"
Identity
Status
Security
Territorialism
Inherited clutteritis
A belief that more is better
Scroogeness
Using clutter to suppress emotions
Obsessive-Compulsive disorders
　
In Feng Shui, clutter is not good as it breaks the free flow of energy in the house, and create stagnant energy, and therefore, Feng Shui recommends to get rid of clutter. Even if you are not a Feng shui person, it makes sens that clutter is not good and create a lot of stress around us.

Karen Kingston divide clutter into four categories:

- things you don’t love or use
- things which are untidy or disorganised
- too many things in a small place
- anything unfisnished

In the western guide to Feng shui, Terah Kathryn Collins advise to get rid of all the extra belongings that we don’t love and recommend that we should only live surrounded by loved objects. She gives 7 questions we should ask ourselves once we have decided to de-clutter our house:

1. Do I love it?
2. Do I need it?
3. Does it support who I am now in my life?
4. Does it act as en environmental affirmation for me?
5. What positive and/or negative thoughts, memories, or emotions do I associate with it?
6. Does it need to be fixed or repaired, and am I willing to do so?
7. If it’s time to let it go, am I going to sell, lend, or give it away, and when?

I think it really make sense to only keep object that we love and use. As always, the most difficult step towards clutter clearing is the start. Choose a good time for you to start de-cluttering and set up a small size goal (even just one cupboard, one room), so that you can reach it, and be happy enough to carry on onto a new goal.

Karen Kingston recommends that you should have four basic box when you start your clutter hunt:

A rubbish box
a repair box (only for item that you are clearly determined to fix)
a recycling box (for things to be sold, exchanged, recycled...)
A transit box (for things which are changing location insode the house)
a dilemma box (when you are unsure about keeping an item or not, you will keep the items in the dilemma box for a determined period of time. If after this period of time you haven’t used or needed the item, it probably means you can safely let them go!)

An important thing is, once the different items have found their location into their box, to process the box immediately. Don’t allow yourself to live with four boxes full of clutter instead of taking them to the bin, recycling or any other location!
Karen Kingston also mentioned that it is good to have a drawer (on each floor of your house) where you can leave things, that might be clutter, and that you sort out this cluttter nest regularly. This allows to keep all the clutter in a restrained area.

When you have finally de-clutter your house, it is important to carry on checking that clutter is not coming back, and carry on sorting out your belongings regularly.
Having a clutter free house makes such a big difference. Happy de-cluttering!

Karen Kingston - Clear your clutter with Feng Shui - Piatkus
Terah Kathryn Collins - The western guide to Feng Shui Room by room - Hay house

E. Lemoine

Designer tips on soft furnishings

2010-05-13T14:12:00.003+01:00

The most obvious progression from window treatments is to soft furnishings. There is nothing more welcoming when walking into a room, (apart from a roaring log fire!) than textures thoughtfully placed together and soft furnishings of character. This is where a sample board becomes really useful. It does not need to be very big - A4 is fine, but do include a square of your wall colour/colours, any existing samples of fabric and a piece of the flooring. This will save a lot of time and effort. Getting it wrong can be very costly.

It is with soft furnishings that the fun starts with interior design. I shall go through room by room making suggestions which will hopefully whet your appetite!

Living room

This room is where there is a real need for comfort. Cushions to lean against, settees to lounge in, throws to hide an unsightly sofa, footstools to prop tired feet – the list goes on. When choosing the larger items of furniture for a living room, namely the settee, the texture and colour of the upholstery will influence the selection of soft furnishings. If the settees are in a colour which does not ‘shout,’ any additional chairs can be upholstered in an accent fabric which tones with the cushions.
There are lots of cushion covers which can be bought ‘off the peg’, but with a little imagination the room can be made to look stunning by combining different colours and textures. For example, the combination of chenille with silk, or linen with leather and the addition of a button or a strip of contrasting fabric, can make a plain cushion into something special. This is where colour comes into play. Make a statement with a vibrant burst of primary colours, or have black as a contrast combined with a mint green, or jewel like violet together with blue or green. Neutral textures can be relied upon to create a relaxing feel but they need to be punctuated by one or two contrast colours. I always find that a little black goes a long way - it’s a bit like outlining a picture, in terms of making a statement.

There are also the practicalities, for example children who like to snuggle up to cushions whilst watching TV. There is no point in having beautiful cushions which cannot be washed. If the cushions are prone to wear and tear, have one washable set of linen in light colours for summer, and another set in richer colours for winter.

If a piece of fabric appeals but it is very expensive, obtain the minimum amount and use it as a contrast. This can then be combined, to great effect, with a more affordable fabric on cushions.

Dining Room

If the dining chairs have seen better days but are still sound, update them with a loose cover, which can be secured by a loop or a tie at the back. The chairs can either all be covered in one colour, or in the same fabric but in different colour ways.
If the dining chairs have an upholstered back and seat, mixing and matching with different textures and colours could be an option. One suggestion would be to use wipeable leather for the seat, and a luxurious fabric for the seat back. This fabric would be all the same pattern but in different combinations of colour ways, for example purple, turquoise and black or a wine red, deep green and navy blue. The colour of the leather seating would tone with the seat back fabric.
For plain wooden chairs, tie on chair cushions can add comfort to an otherwise hard seat. This also introduces softness to a room and can be of the same fabric as the table cloth or mats.

Dining tables can be dressed to suit the occasion or season. Clean crisp linens for summer lunches in the sun, and gorgeous rich warm shades lit by candlelight on dark winter nights. Consider the style and colour of the crockery when choosing napkins and place mats. Table linen should consist of washable fabrics. Even dress fabric can be used, which is very practical. Try to mix the fabrics, plain for the place mats and patterned for the napkins. This is a good ploy especially if the napkins acquire fruit stains which are notoriously difficult to remove.
A central runner with placemats can also make a statement and is a stylish way of disguising a table top which has seen better days.

Bedroom

This is the room where luxury comes into play. The bed is the focal point of the bedroom, but care must be taken if some of the fabrics are dry clean only. One case in point is if the bed head is padded and upholstered. Far better to have a faux fabric which can be wiped if you like to sit up in bed watching TV or reading, rather than a fabric such as silk which will look shabby in no time!

Throws and cushions can make a bed appear absolutely stunning if the desired look is masculine, feminine or tailored, and the contrasting fabrics are chosen wisely. A faux fur throw edged with leather; a luxurious purple velvet; or cashmere with a smooth fabric will bring the interior to life if the colours are chosen wisely. Nothing must vie for attention. Try to limit cushions to one design combined with some in a plain fabric – less is more. I tend to use no more than four cushions per double bed.

Ultimately it is essential that you pick the right texture and colour of fabric to suit your own lifestyle. Once this has been decided, other elements will follow in the form of pictures or ornaments. These are the items which turn a house into a home.

Anne Stuart

Why You Should Automate Your Home

2010-05-04T19:40:00.002+01:00

http://www.techtipspro.com/
Home automation is an up-and-coming practice of increased automation of household appliances and features in residential dwellings. This is done mainly through electronic means and allows for things considered unfeasible, too expensive or simply impossible in recent past decades to be carried out. Some people choose to simply automate their home’s lighting. Others may choose to automate everything in their home that can be automated. No matter which way you choose to go, there are some definite benefits from home automation.
Saving energy is major benefit to home automation. Smart home appliances and other products will soon be able to respond automatically to changing energy-rate information. This means that instead of running your dishwasher during mid-day when electricity rates are higher, a service application will automatically postpone running the machine until a time when rates are lower. Overall, automating makes it so that appliances in your house will only run when they are being used, saving energy and money.
Another major benefit to home automation is security. If an intruder tries to breach your home, you can set your security system to set an alarm that will also turn on all the lights and make the front lighting of your home flash. In the event of an emergency like a fire, your home automation system can turn off the air and heating system to keep it from spreading and light a path for you to escape. You can even look in on your house or control the security system from the internet when you are away.
The final (and probably most obvious) benefit of home automation is convenience. Let’s say you have a home theater system in your house. With home automation, you can push one button that will close the window shades, dim the lights, start up the TV and DVD player and even mute the phone so you won’t be disturbed during the movie. Maybe you have a lot of windows in your house and it takes an unnecessary amount of time to cover them all at night. Home automation allows you to motorize your window treatments and close all of them with the push of one button.
Automating your entire home is something that may only be an option if you have a lot of money to work with, but you can always just automate the one or two things in your home that you use the most. Either way, home automation can save you energy, make your home more secure and make doing things around the house a lot more convenient.

Written by guest Richard Moyle

Window Treatments fads and fancies part 2

2010-04-19T14:30:00.003+01:00

In this section I shall move on to window treatments combined with fixtures.

I used to love dressing up a window with swags, tails, tie backs all edged with a contrasting fabric. These days I like to let the light in and not make the window the focal point of the room. Therefore, I personally would use the base neutral colour of the scheme for the curtains and if necessary edge them with the accent colour of the soft furnishings.

The choice of poles and finials is vast and they can remind me of the finishing touches of jewellery on a tailored item of clothing. If bling is your thing, there is a finial to suit or if you like look understated there are clear Perspex ones which almost disappear. All these suggestions are for the minimalist interior, but if you have an interior with original period fixtures; it is well worth spending time researching the history, your interior will look so much better for it.
The choice of curtain headings is also vast. If you are using a pole the best heading is a pencil pleat, or if the curtains need to remain closed at the top, a ‘fixed’ heading would be best, this is where the whole curtain is cased on the pole, then the curtains can be held or tied back. Other headings are:-
French pleat where a row of hand sewn pleats in groups of three are separated by flat areas.
Goblet pleat which are calculated and formed in the same way as French pleats but only one cup is formed. This cup is then stuffed with wadding to pad it out.
Flemish heading this is the same as the Goblet pleat but threaded with decorative cord which is tied at the base of the pleat. Best used with a ‘fixed’ heading.
Smocked heading the smocked area on the front of the curtain needs plotting first on paper then it is transferred to the curtain. It requires a lot of time and careful sewing – personally this kind of heading suits a ‘fixed’ heading best.

When it comes to tie back curtains the options are limitless. Italian stringing where the curtain is held back by threading the stringing (also called Reefing) is a technique used in curtains that have fixed tops, but allow the bottom and middle to open and spread as in Theatre curtains can look classy.
There are lots of hold backs and tie backs on the market, but how about making your own? They can be elegant, funky, bohemian, classy, country, or earthy with a minimum of fuss and maximum style. They can be beads threaded onto wire, leather, raffia, faux fur or even silk flowers – let your imagination run riot!

Considerations for blinds versus curtains or have both!
The style of a blind has a more architectural quality and suit a contemporary room. Curtains have more fluidity and give a softer feel.
Blinds can be made in all sorts of materials from lace to paper, metal or leather. Depending the look you want to achieve, the fabric could echo other soft furnishings within the room. There is also the option to have blackout blinds.
Blinds and versatile and are the better option for an awkwardly shaped window where curtains would be a bit more difficult to hang.

Blinds take up less material but are more complicated to make which can make them more expensive. You could of course make your own roller or Roman blind, the savings made by home made could be taken up by buying a slightly more expensive fabric.
Blinds and curtains combined can make a very sophisticated window treatment if say for instance the blind is made of a contrasting fabric to the curtains. If the window does not a particularly good outlook then sheer panels behind either a Roman blind or to add a little softness an Austrian blind.

The Asian influence is very much coming into the fore with Shoji blinds made of paper which allows light to filter in while also ensuring privacy. Other ideas would be to hang lots of fine chainmail (fringe like) against the window; this would also ensure privacy and have a twinkling effect when the sun is reflected from it.

Roman blinds give an extremely sophisticated look but care must be taken not to make them in fabrics such as velvet , I think one of the best fabrics is linen. They are particularly useful if a window is an unusual shape or proportion, but for very large windows, the mechanism can get very heavy.

If the windows/patio doors are really large and wide, consider vertical blinds, they come in all sorts of widths, for the Asian influence get the very wide variety, these can be ‘stacked’ back to one side of the door.

For my next blog I shall move from curtains to soft furnishings, which will include ‘tenting’ and what to do with those old chairs which have seen better days.

A. Stuart

Something to think about when choosing a paint.

2010-04-07T14:43:00.005+01:00

To change a room quickly and easily, nothing is better than a new coat of paint. A change of colour can have dramatic effects such as creating a cosy atmosphere when using a darker tone or an impression of space when using a light colour.
Paint was designed to protect the wall or the material it is applied on. Paint can last for a long time with a minimal maintenance, which gives it a green essence as it will protect the home.
We have all heard about paint containing lead, and the danger linked to this sort of paint. Lead and other toxic component including mercury are not allowed anymore in the composition of paint. Unfortunately, this doesn’t mean that there are no more toxic component in paints.

Conventional paints

There are different sorts of paint, which we can choose from to decorate our homes. The first one to come in mind are the conventional paints, which use petro-chemical products. These paints are creating pollution during their manufacture and can also off gas Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC), which can cause headaches, dizziness and nausea, breathing difficulties and allergic reactions, as well as participating to the ozone production (low altitude).
When choosing a conventional paint, it is important to consider the VOCs, but also all the other chemical additives and a water based paint versus an oil based paint.
Water based paint seems to be the best choice as it is water based, and therefore renewable and easy to clean. Water-based paint outgas less compared to solvent-based paints (which needs also to be clean with an offgassing solvent). The drawback of water-based paint is the chemical additive they can contain including drying agents, preservatives, fungicides etc.
Both for water or oil-based paint, the higher gloss paint contains elements that raises VOCs levels, and if the colorent is solvent based, deep colours will increase VOCs emission slightly.
The typical binder for a conventional paint is an acrylic, which is a petroleum-based product, energy intensive and generally non renewable. (Not to mention its poor degradation upon disposal and the abundance of waste and by-products)
Formaldehyde-based resin is still found in some paints, and should be avoided. Formaldehyde also appears as a biocide, along with copper, arsenic, phenol and ammonium compounds. These components are introduced in the paint to prevent the growth of mildew, but have been associated with numerous health risks and can trigger reactions in those with chemical sensitivities.

Casein or milk paint

Casein was used as a binding agent in the prehistoric paintings that were found in caves. It is a very green choice as it is made out of natural and renewable component. The paint is a powder that can be prepared on site, only preparing the required amount, preventing spoilage. The powder can be kept for a very long time.
Casein paints give a special finish that is not suitable for wet areas as it is porous and prone to water spotting and stains.
When using casein paint specify a dry milk powder made from casein, lime, clay and natural pigments.

Natural or Organic paints

These paints use ingredients found in nature. They are usually oil-based, with natural oils, minerals or plant pigments and plants resins. According to the manufacturer the organic paints can be completely made out of natural ingredient or include some of the conventional paint manufacturing process.
As the composition of the different organic paints varies enormously, it is important to check their ingredients and make sure they are not toxic. Remember that lead is a natural component, which doesn’t mean it is not toxic.
Organic paint manufacturing is less intensive compared to conventional paints, uses less chemicals and manufactured compounds and generally less processing. The risks listed on the MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet) may also be more straightforward, and less numerous. As these paints are made with natural products, they will also degrade better at the end of their lives.
　
Silicate dispersion paints

Silicate Dispersion Paint is also known as Inorganic Mineral Paint. It was developed in Germany in the late 1800s. Since then this type of paint has evolved into a first-class interior and exterior decorative, protective coating with out-standing technical quality features. It is made from liquefied potassium silicate, which naturally reacts and binds with calcium salts, silica, ceramics, and some metals, forming a permanent coating on a variety of surfaces. Because of its very resistant properties, this paint is mostly used in exterior, but is also suitable for interior use.
The paint is completely noncombustible, odourless, VOC-free, non toxic and the mineral based colours are virtually fadeproof. It is a perfect paint for a green home, and escpecially for clients with chemical sensitivities.
The major drawback to the silicate paint is the energy-intensive manufacturing.

Before choosing which paint to apply to our homes, it is important to closely look at the different ingredients making the paint. When painting a room, it is important to remove all furniture and upholstery as, if there is any VOC released in the room, they could sink into the furniture or fabrics and be released long after the painting is finished and dry.
Think about the quantity required to paint the room, in order to avoid spoilage of paint, and if there are leftover, consider donate it to an organisation that would make good use of it, give it to recycle... Due to its resistant nature, paint doesn’t degrade easily and unused paint is going to fill up landfill.

E Lemoine
　
Bibliography:
Sustainable residential interiors - Associates III - Kari Foster, Annette Stelmack, Debbie Hindman
Environmentally responsible design - Wiley - Dr Louise Jones
Urban Ecochic - Quadrille - Oliver Heath

Window treatments fads and fancies

2010-03-27T09:41:00.005Z

Before the invention of glass, houses (or huts!) had a hole in the wall to let in daylight. This was known as a ‘wind hole’ which in time became what we know of today as ‘window’. Windows have always made a fashion statement, from a simple piece of cloth hung on a pole to the amazingly embellished Edwardian and Victorian curtains and swags.

So, where to start?

The first consideration is to look at the window, does it open inwards or outwards, what shape is it, which room is it in and is it floor to ceiling or a normal blocked up at the bottom window?
Another consideration is whether it has secondary glazing; many older houses still do not have double glazing which can lose a lot of heat in the winter. In this instance heavy curtains and a blind is probably the best option, but care must be taken to buy a strong pole suitable for heavy fabric.

If the window does not have a good aspect but you still need to allow light in, then a roll up blind could be the answer. This will block the unsightly view, allow privacy and still allow light in at the top.

Getting the shape right

What shape is the window? Arched, round, square, tall and narrow, wide and shallow – these are all shapes which articles on window treatments seem to avoid – too difficult? The trend at the moment is to keep it simple, the frills of festoon blinds are long since been relegated to the history books.

I had a big problem in my own living room, having 2, 2.00x0.40m windows, a large sliding patio door 3.00m wide and a 4 paned window. Now, the general rule is no more then 2 window treatments per room. The most troublesome windows were the 2.00mx0.40m ones. I looked in every book written on curtains, none addressed the problem! I tried Roman Blinds, they did not work, but they needed some kind of dressing otherwise they looked like what you would find in a public convenience! Eventually, I settled on black-out faux suede vertical blinds on all the windows and patio door. The 4 paned window I also hung short curtains on a pole. It looks good and is also cosy in the winter.

I have listed below some unusual shaped windows with suggestions for treatments:

Arched window

Whenever possible this should remain an architectural feature. One option could be to insert a fixed heading within the curve of the arch and then hang a Roman or plain roller blind behind. Another suggestion would be to insert a flexible curtain rail just inside the window reveal and tie the curtains back either half way or higher up. Lambrequins can look stunning following the shape of the arch and bringing the sides to half way down the window. I know tie backs are not very fashionable at the moment, but I do think they finish off a window both from the inside and outside looking in.

Wide shallow window

Failing blocking the window up completely, which is what I wanted to do, some people have hung curtains on these windows, which reminds me of a Punch and Judy show – not good! I would suggest a blind of some sort hung within the reveal. (See above) Another thought if you want to hide it and don’t need the light to hang a tapestry or oriental rug to hide it.

Patio doors and large windows

Above is a photo of how they addressed the window treatment in our hotel room in Bali. The two sliding shutters which closed in the middle opened onto the outside, but this idea could be adapted to slide either side of the doors inside if you have the room. Curtains if dark in colour can be a bit over facing, much better in a lighter shade. Roller blinds divided into the same number of door panes can look attractive from the outside at different heights. If direct sunlight is a problem as I have then vertical black out blinds are one of the best options.

Small windows

Small windows can be taken as they are and treated with the minimum amount of fuss with a Roman blind, roller blind or if you want to bring a softer edge a single scoop Austrian blind. Another option if you want the window to look bigger is to mount a lambrequin on the outside of the window this will give the illusion that the window behind is larger.

Tall narrow windows

These are probably my favourite window. They can be made to look wider by extending the full length curtain at the sides and using hold backs. If using a pelmet do not make it too deep otherwise it will look top heavy. If it contains an inward opening door, care must be taken not to let any fabric get in the way of the door opening. This type of window can be made to look sumptuous or dressed down.

Shuttered windows

This type of window can be used as a barrier against the cold and noise and also as a form of security. Shutters can be used without the distraction of fabric, but consideration must be given to the acoustics within the room. This can be solved by having a rug on the floor and lots of soft furnishings (cushions, settees) to absorb the noise. If you do decide to use curtains, positioning the curtain rail or pole in such a way that the action of the shutters will not be obstructed requires care. The track will need to be extended from the architrave to allow movement of the shutters.

This is just a snapshot of various ideas for windows which are different from the norm. As this subject is quite vast and includes of soft furnishings I shall post the second part next time.

Anne Stuart

Green tips on flooring part 2: Resilient and hard flooring

2010-03-16T10:15:00.012Z

Before installing a new flooring, look carefully at the existing one, it might be worth restoring it and keeping it. Maybe the old tiles, stones, bricks, slates, floorboard only need attention to bring back their glory.
If you don’t want to keep the original flooring, contact an architectural salvage to take the flooring and restore it. This flooring might exactly be what other people are looking for.
Hard flooring include flooring such as brick, concrete, marble, stone, slate, ceramic tiles, glass, wood, plywood.
Resilient flooring are an alternative to hard and soft flooring and can be defined as semi-permanent include metal, cork, linoleum, rubber, leather and other synthetic material such as vinyl.
　
Tiles

Tiles are made from widely available natural material including clay, sand, stone. They can also contain less desirable materials such as synthetics, recycled post-industrial or post-consumer compounds of questionable origin etc. All the negative characteristic considered, it still make sense to use tiles in a green design as they are healthy for the inhabitants (no off gassing and not a reservoir for unhealthy contaminants).

When choosing tiles, consider carefully the tile content, the manufacturing processes used, the distance shipped and the methods and substances needed for installation.

Bamboo flooring

Bamboo is an attractive choice for a green scheme as it can be cut and regrown in five to ten years. However, when deciding to use bamboo flooring be careful about the way the bamboo was grown as pesticides, fungicides and fireproof chemical might have been used. Many manufacturers employ urea-formaldehyde as the binder, which is know as carcinogen for humans. Formaldehyde free bamboo flooring is the best option, so it is important to check the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) for details.

Bamboo with minimal amount of binding adhesive, contaminants in the top coat, or chemical treatment will biodegrade safely and quickly, much like wood. Engineered bamboo with chemical binders, will not do as well. Bamboo can also be reclaimed, refinished and re-used on other applications.

Cork flooring

Cork is one of the best example of cradle to cradle of a resource. Cork is the bark of tree that can be harvested every ten years. The processing is simple and green, slabs of bark from the tree, cleaned and boiled. Binder is added and the cork is baked into a sheet. The composition of the binder depends on the manufacturer and should be formaldehyde free binder specified.

Avoid cork with vinyl or styrene backings.
Always make sure that a low VOC adhesive backing or adhesive is used to apply on the subfloor. Ask for unfinished or factory-finished surface with low VOC polyurethane, resin-oil primer and/or beeswax-based finish.

Always avoid PVC-vinyl blends or backing, VOC and solvent in adhesive and finishes, synthetic rubber blended into cork flooring

Wood flooring

Wood is a natural flooring that obviously come into mind when greening an interior. This said, the origin of the wood has to be checked as we must avoid using any exotic endangered species. Even if wood is a renewable resource, it takes time for a tree to be grown enough and be used in our houses. This is why it certainly is a good idea to try to use reclaim wood that is locally found and won’t need to be cut again. Always investigate the origin of reclaim wood to make sure it can be used inside the house. You don’t want to use wood that was previously exposed to industrial chemicals or agricultural pesticides etc.
When using wood in the house, check that the wood is locally harvested, or at least is FSC-certified and is rapidly renewable.

Make sure that all the finishes and stains are water based, made of natural oils, resins, pigments, and waxes, are low VOC, formaldehyde free, free of metallic or drying agents, solvent free.
Always avoid reclaimed wood of uncertain origin, chemically tainted wood, uncertified wood, rare or threatened species, solvent-based finishes, formaldehyde and other preservatives in the wood or finish, metal based drying agents in the finish, engineered wood unless certified.

Linoleum

Linoleum, (or lino), is made from natural, renewable materials including linseed oil, wood or cork flour and flax, laid onto a natural backing such as canvas or hessian. Do not mistake linoleum with vinyl which is a petroleum based product.
Linoleum is not suitable for a wet environment. A good subfloor is necessary. Follow the manufacturer specification for the adhesives, using a low-VOC, water based type is best.
Linoleum with the exception of the thin acrylic coating and adhesive is fully biodegradable.
When choosing linoleum, specify true linoleum made from natural material (and not vinyl) A smooth and dry subfloor low-VOC, water based, formaldehyde-free adhesives.

Rubber flooring

Rubber flooring is not made from natural product, natural rubber from rubber trees but from recycled tyre chips.
Even if manufacturers claim that recycled rubber is safe, there is style a question about the possibility of off gassing toxic component and polluting the indoor air quality.
Tyres are manufactured from synthetic rubber, a petroleum based product. Rubber flooring may contain traces of heavy metals, chemicals and other elements from its former life on the road. It may be possible to recycle again this rubberlike compound but it will not break down in a landfill for a very long time. Incineration of tyres is highly controversial and may pose a serious health hazard.
Because of its questionable content, recycled tyre rubber is not a healthy choice for a home, even if it prevents land filling.

Concrete flooring

To be short, concrete is made of nonrenewable resources and require a lot of energy and has a high CO2 emission. However, concrete pays off some of its environmental debts by virtue of its amazing durability, longevity and low need for maintenance. It is perfect for people with allergies or chemical sensibility as it won’t become a reservoir for allergens and irritants.
Concrete flooring can be colored, polished etc. In some places, rugs can be added to define a space or make it softer spot.
When deciding to go for a concrete floor you should specify that the concrete (and cement mix) are made without admixtures, the aggregates and cement are from all-natural materials or from verified-safe recycled materials; when adding pigments they should be natural; use of potable water for curing; Low-VOC, water based or water reducible, low solvent, no formaldehyde stains, sealants and finishes; Silicate dispersion paint.

Always avoid aggregates or recycled ingredients that may introduce environmental contaminants or health hazard, admixtures, chemical pigments or paints with chromium, aniline or heavy metals, acid stains, seeding with manufactured, possibly hazardous materials such as computer chips.

I didn’t try to create an exhaustive list, but I have chosen some of the flooring one can choose for his/her house. This short review shows again that we need to ask three important questions before choosing a new product for our house: Where does it come from, what does it contain, where does it go? The answers will help us in our choices.

Bibliography:
Sustainable residential interiors - Associates III - Kari Foster, Annette Stelmack, Debbie Hindman
Environmentally responsible design - - Dr Louise Jones

Emmanuelle Lemoine

The Secret of Successful Storage

2010-03-10T11:34:00.002Z

How often have you heard the cry “this house does not have enough storage”! Storage is so important, but it depends upon what kind of storage. It is necessary to differentiate between storage meaning to store items away out of sight and storage combined with display, or to merely hide the walls. We also have the freestanding variety or bespoke built in, the latter requiring a high degree of carpentry specialist skills. It also depends on the room in which the storage is to be placed.

Whatever the storage freestanding or build-in the most important pieces of equipment are a tape measure and graph paper. For freestanding initially measure the room and draw the outline to scale on the graph paper. Then measure the footprint of the furniture already in the room and the footprint of the item of furniture, these will then need to be traced onto card and then cut out. You then have the shape of the room and the furniture all to scale. You can then start to position the furniture taking into consideration cupboard door swings.

For built-in bespoke furniture, it is really better to leave it to the specialists, they know what they are doing and if you want a minimalist bank of storage, cutting corners is just not the answer. Although if there is too much built in storage the house can end up looking like the interior of a caravan!

Below are creative ways to find storage space in the home:

Hall

Freestanding furniture in a hall could be a low level chest of drawers or a console table with drawers. Many halls are just laid out with the stairs facing and a long passage leaving not much option for any furniture at all. One of the best ideas I have found if you have conventional stairs (not open) is to have cupboards built into the ‘triangle’ part which slide out. These cupboards can be 50cm wide and saves going on hands and knees searching for items which have been shoved to the back and not seen the light of day for donkey’s years.

Kitchen

To my mind, the only cupboards in a kitchen should be wall cupboards the interiors of which should have the capacity to ‘slide down’ making the top shelf accessible to people who are shorter than 6 foot tall! The base cupboards should be made up of drawers, these can be full height storage, or within unit 3 drawers deep, some of which can be refrigerated and also conventional, again saving going on hands and knees to the back of the cupboard. There are now all sorts of storage mechanisms for corner cupboards which ‘fold out’ which again solve the problem of almost climbing into a corner cupboard! As you can see I am not a fan of conventional cupboards in a kitchen.

Living Room

Really this is not the place for much storage apart from media and books. There are many storage units for media on the market. Media are not the prettiest of electrical appliances, therefore in my opinion, they are best kept out of sight in a well ventilated, easy to access unit and left to the experts. Book storage on the other hand can look absolutely beautiful if given a little imagination. Books could be stored by a ‘curly’ shelf mounted on the wall or even in ‘diamond’ shaped built-in bookshelves. Books should be displayed behind glass to keep them from getting dusty but not too close fitting to give them ventilation. Other storage in the living room could be in the coffee table where the top is split into 2, 3 or 4 segments which can be lifted up revealing storage within.

Bathroom

Some modern bathrooms can be very small and this is where a little imagination comes into play. Even if there is only a 12cm gap between the door architrave and the wall, built-in storage can be put in with shelving to house bottles shampoo, hair conditioner, shower gel etc. Get inspiration from 5* hotel websites, look for images of the bathrooms. If a bathroom cabinet is the only answer, do your research and choose carefully, some of them look awful! If you have a wall hanging wash basin, rolled up bath towels look attractive on a shelf beneath or even if you don’t have a shelf, a shallow basket on the floor with the rolled up towels piled in a triangle shape look most attractive – but not in a wet room!

Bedroom

If you have space for a separate dressing room or closet, perhaps an adjoining boxroom, I can recommend it. Consider building a wardrobe into an alcove or if there is room a bank of wardrobes along the whole length of a wall. Within these wardrobes think of slide-out drawers, built in shelving with the clothes hung at the height which is within your reach above. Also, I find that the ‘ottoman’ style beds, meaning the ones which the whole base of the bed is given over to storage and the mattress lifts on cantilevers are the best.

For freestanding storage, think wardrobes, 5 drawer chests side by side and bedside drawers. For the more unusual try shipping trunks say small, medium and large piled on each other, these can look very attractive.

I hope you have found this information on storage helpful. It has been suggested that I write my next blog on window treatments, so if anyone has any queries please let me know.

Anne Stuart

Green tips on Flooring - Part1 on Soft flooring

2010-02-25T14:13:00.006Z

Before you choose a flooring

Flooring are a very important part of a decor as they influence the style of a room or area. When possible, it would be worth choosing the flooring first and work around it to create the full scheme of the room. The visual aspect given by the flooring determines the overall aspect of the room. Flooring can be used to give a sense of proportion to a room making it feel more or less spacious, rich, simple etc.

Along with the visual aspect, other important factors are to be taken into consideration when choosing a flooring, including the maintenance (is it easy to clean), the safety (can it become slippery, is the rug going to be a tripping hazard etc.), the warm/cold effect under the feet, the noise (will it convey the noise etc.)

Flooring and its constituent material is the one to take the most punishment and it is therefore important to choose the material keeping in mind the sort of the usage and the wear and tear it will receive, to give it a chance to age gracefully.
A good flooring depends on a sound sub-floor, and the sub-floor should always be in its best condition before installing any new flooring.

There are two main groups of flooring, those called soft and natural flooring and the hard and resilient flooring.

Soft and natural flooring

As its names states, it is soft to walk on and is usually laid on top of an underlay. Carpets and rugs are in this category as well as sisal, coirs, hemp, rush and sea grass mattings also sometimes called natural floorings. Paper and plastic that appear to be woven are also part of the soft floorings.

Environmental impact

Where does it come from and where does it go are the questions to answer when considering the environmental impact of a carpet.

Carpets are mostly made out of non natural materials that won’t decompose easily at the end of their relatively short life. Most carpets are made with non renewable petroleum products and can’t be recycled.

The carpet industry was confronted when people began to complain of multiple chemical sensitivities or sick building syndromes. Carpet chemical treatment plus the constituents of the carpets were thought to be out gassing. Some green labels have been implemented in order to assure the low VOC (Volatile Organic Compound) emission.

Even when selecting a 100% wool carpet, the carpets are still chemically treated and natural backing are still not very common.

When choosing to go green inside the home, it is better to go for a 100% natural type. Source carpet locally made to avoid transportation and pesticides that are mandated with imports. Wool is stain-repellent, fire-resistant, and very durable without any treatment. Always check the composition of the backing of the carpet, and select natural backings.

Jute coir and plant materials are not as long lasting as wool and stain more easily but are fully biodegradable.

Next to all-natural carpets with no additives, all-wool carpets with minimal chemical treatment is a second best choice. Avoid synthetic dyes. Conventional carpet dyes are chemicals, the color choices for an eco-friendly home will be limited to nature’s palette of subtle hues. Look for the Green Label plus certification and avoid additional stain repellents or mothproofings.

Another good choice is carpet tiles made of natural fibers. If a stain or damage arise, it is easy to change only one tile instead of the whole carpet.

When possible, it is better to use a rug instead of a wall to wall carpet, as it uses less material and produces less waste also. Rugs can easily be cleaned and changed or moved around to create a brand new atmosphere in the room.

New products are now manufactured with the view of being completely re-used and re-cycled. It is now possible to find in the market some carpet that are Cradle to Cradle certified. The manufacturer when selling a carpet commit to take it back at the end of its use. The carpet will then be dismantled and be re-used as "raw" material to fabric a brand new carpet. This avoids to send the carpet to landfill and provides new raw material for the manufacturer.

My next post will talk about hard and resistant flooring.

　
Written by E.Lemoine

Furniture positioning and the influence of Feng Shui

2010-02-18T16:03:00.007Z

I do not pretend to be an expert in Feng Shui but I do try whenever possible to bear in mind the principles whenever I am designing an interior.

To many, home is, whenever possible a refuge from the madness of the outside world. A few simple adjustments can make life so much more comfortable. Some adjustments cost nothing, others are more expensive. It is also worth bearing in mind furniture positioning when coming to sell a house, buyers subliminally are put off by for instance, the way the door opens into a room or the amount/position of the furniture within that room.

Firstly, the less furniture/clutter within a room, makes the area look much larger. Below is a snapshot of things to bear in mind when designing an interior.

Hallway/stairs

Any clutter needs to be cleared out of the hallway and, if necessary, install a good coat stand or cupboard for all the family’s coat, jackets and umbrellas. A lot of hallways are very narrow so place a mirror on a side wall to expand the space. Never place a mirror opposite the front door, or opposite the stairs. Placing a mirror opposite the stairs can be extremely dangerous. Think about having a side table under the mirror with a letter rack or tray for your post and a key holder to store keys. Make sure you have good lighting to illuminate the stairs . Think about putting pictures on the walls, nothing too personal, just to bring a little personality.

Living room

A well designed living room will provide your guests with distinct feelings of security about you and them spending time inside your house. The first aspect to consider is whether or not the door into the room needs rehanging. When entering the room does the way the door opens create a vista into the room or does it bang into some furniture and does it have a focal point? Also, in past times, the tendency was to place all the furniture against the walls, this can create a ‘waiting room’ feel. If you have the space, a modular settee placed in the middle of the room with space to move around the sides. This will give the illusion of space. But do not place any seating where the person has their back directly onto the door, this can make them feel uncomfortable. Also, try not to place in the room items which barely get used, for example the odd chair or spare coffee table or nick nacks, these only add to make the room look smaller.

Bedroom

A bedroom needs some planning in order to amplify certain aspects of your life including love, romance, relaxation, and rejuvenation both mental and physical. A bedroom is a personal retreat -- an escape from the real world and its problems. I know it goes without saying, but some do tend to forget that placing bookshelves and pictures directly above the head of the bed is both uncomfortable and dangerous! Much better to place the bed in front of any bookshelving.
Do not place the bed on the wall beside the door where you cannot see how is entering the room until they are almost inside, or in the middle facing the door, this is too exposed.
Have bedside tables and lamps, directional as you don’t want to disturb the person next to you.

Kitchen

Functionality of the kitchen is of the utmost importance, the basic kitchen layout should be based on a triangle. Tables, chairs, stools, and cabinets should be placed in such a way that allows for an easy flow of movement while working your way around the kitchen. Clutter and poorly placed furnishings can reduce the functionality of a kitchen.

It is very important for the cook to be in a “commanding position" when at the stove. The cook should be able to clearly see the doorway without turning away from the stove. Feng Shui-inspired kitchen design combines with the contemporary trend toward cooking together. Instead of isolating the cook, families and guests often gather in the kitchen and participate in the meal preparation. Also, busy working couples use dinner preparation as an important time to unwind together.

Bathroom

In the past very little attention has been given to the design of a bathroom. Things are changing as bathrooms become places of relaxation and sanctuary. My main annoyance is toilets placed opposite the door, placing the toilet next to the bath and… carpet!

I hope my suggestions make for easier and happy living within your home. As with all considerations don’t try to come up with the perfect solution as there is no such concept in Feng Shui. Just take as many aspects into account as possible and try to decide which are the most important then see what you can do to accommodate them harmoniously.

Written by Anne Stuart

What should we consider when creating a greener design?

2010-02-12T10:51:00.005Z

"To waste, to destroy our natural resources, to skin and exhaust the land instead of using it to increase its usefulness, will result in undermining the days of our children the very prosperity which we ought by right to hand down to them amplified and developed" Theodore Roosevelt, seventh annual message, Dec 3rd 1907

What should we consider when creating a greener design?

In the previous post, I have shown how beneficial it is to live in a green interior. When we want to create a green scheme, there are three questions we should always ask:

Where does it come from?
What does it contain?
Where does it go?

These questions relate to the materials used in the products, furnishing, furniture etc we want to utilise for our decor. They should be at the same time green (i.e. protect people’s health and well being) and sustainable (i.e. protect Earth’s health and well being).

　
1. Where does it come from?

Is it from sustainable resources? It is important not to participate to the depletion of the earth’s resources and, for example always use wood coming from a certified source, or use easily renewable products.
Is it produce locally or does it come from far away? We should always source local products or locally made products in order to reduce the transport factor and so the carbon footprint of our design.

2. Where does it go?

It is important to know where the product will eventually finish, will it participate to fill up landfills? Could it be used for the making of another product and therefore be recycled? Can it degrade by itself, and be used as food for other organisms to grow? The product’s life cycle has to be considered as a whole.

As W.McDonough and M Braungart said:
"Think about it: you may be referred to as a consumer, but there is very little that you actually consume - some food, some liquids. Everything else is designed for you to throw away when you are finished with it. But where is "away"? Of course "away" doesn’t exist. "Away" has gone away (1).
More and more products are now designed to be dismantled at the end of their life and re-used as raw material to make a brand new product. M Braungart and W. McDonough have brought to life this extraordinary new way to produce things, following the "cradle to cradle" concept (see 1)
　

3. What does it contain?

It is important to check the different components of the product, the presence of any harmful molecule that could be released in the air, and spoil our indoor air quality.
See in Annexe 1 the 20 top hazardous substance list. It is amazing to see how many of these toxic molecules are present in materials used throughout the house, as also are many more including formaldehyde (see link about formaldehyde for more information). This is why we must check the components of any new products to go into the house. Not only these materials can directly affect our health, they can also participate to the contamination of the ground when finishing in a landfill, and therefore jeopardize water resources.
A material safety data sheet (MSDS) can be asked to the manufacturer, and will show the general composition of the product, as well as a wide variety of data such as the known health effects, proper handling, and recommended storage of the material.
We can also answer other questions when designing our home, such as:
Will this item make the house more energy efficient, more comfortable? Is it durable? Does it contain recycled element? Is it produced in an environment friendly way? What is not sustainable about this product?
By creating a better environment in our homes, for ourselves, we take into consideration our planet, and participate to its protection and this is our children’s heritage.
　
　
　
Footpage notes and annexe:
　
1. Michael Braungart and William McDonough - Cradle to Cradle - Vintage

What you should know about formaldehyde: http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/drywall/docs/WhatYouShouldKnowaboutFormaldehyde.pdf

Annexe1
Top 20 Hazardous Substance list
Source: Agency for toxic substances and disease registry (ATDSR)
http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/cercla/07list.html

Substance
Examples of some common products
1 ARSENIC
Wood preservatives
2 LEAD
Batteries, metal products
3 MERCURY
Light bulbs
4 VINYL CHLORIDE (PVC)
PVC piping, PVC siding, packaging
5 POLYCHLORINATED BIPHENYLS (PCB)
Coolants, insulation for electrical equipment
6 BENZENE
Dyes, rubber, detergents
7 CADMIUM
Batteries, pigments, plastics, metal coating
8 POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS
Dyes, plastics, roofing tar
9 BENZO(A)PYRENE (PAH)
Incomplete combustion from coal, oil and wood-burning stoves and furnaces
10 BENZO(B)FLUORANTHENE (PAH
11 CHLOROFORM
Swimming pools, plant growth chemicals
12 DDT, P,P'
Pesticides
13 AROCLOR 1254
Rubber and synthetic resin plastecizers, adhesives, sealant, caulks
14 AROCLOR 1260
PCB waste materials and products in ladfills
15 DIBENZO(A,H)ANTHRACENE (DbahA)
Product of incomplete combustion
16 TRICHLOROETHYLENE (TCE)
Adhesives, paints, paint removers
17 DIELDRIN
Insecticides
18 CHROMIUM, HEXAVALENT
Leather tanning, wood preserving, dyes, pigment
19 PHOSPHORUS, WHITE
Pesticides, fireworks
20 CHLORDANE
Pesticides

Written by Emmanuelle Lemoine

Colour in Interior Design

2010-02-04T18:04:00.002Z

Colour in interior Design. I could write a book about colour. We are hard wired to utilise one third of our senses to sight. A misconception is that because colour is a physical process through the eyes it is a purely visual phenomenon. However colour is light and light is the source of life. As Faber Birren who was an American colourist observed in 1950:
“Its role in all forms of life is too evident to be either denied or ignored.”
Colour can make us depressed, happy, calm, and stimulated. Interior designers use colour to create all sorts of illusions within a space. In America a prison even painted the cells of violent inmates pink to calm them down with great effect.
When combining colours to make a scheme there are options which need to be considered before making a decision. The three most basic options for an overall scheme are monochromatic, harmonious and contrasting.
For a monochromatic scheme you are using a single colour and is the easiest to handle. This will require well arranged tones, patterns and textures. Strictly speaking any colour can be used in a monochromatic scheme although the addition of a neutral would emphasise the colour details. I have a monochromatic scheme in my home. The colour is a neutral beige with black and a small amount of green as accents and that is it. When it came to wall colour imagine my utter dismay when having spent a fortune on tester pots and the wall looking as though it had an ugly rash, the only colour which did not look too bluish, greenish, pinkish or greyish was…. Magnolia! Me an interior Designer having Magnolia walls? Well, I did give all the others a fair go!
Harmonious schemes combine two or three colours that are adjacent to each other on the colour wheel. These can be blue, blue/green and green. This scheme is soothing to the eye but is a bit more interesting than a monochromatic scheme.
The third option is the contrasting scheme. This is a dramatic combination using two colours which have opposite characteristics. These can be red against green, blue against orange and yellow against purple. In their purest form these colours can have a vibrating effect. This scheme works best by having a neutral base and toning down the colours and using them as accents. All these colours in textures, tones and hues need to be viewed in different lights, but natural light varies dramatically with latitude but is not always the rule.
Muted colours with natural textures tend to be favoured in mid-northern Europe, Japan, North America. The exceptions to this are Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore which are all on or near the equator! Having visited all three of these countries, the interiors have a very soothing minimalism. They rely on natural textures and tones, black being used as an accent to delineate the space. In Japan, the interior schemes are on much the same lines but in warmer colours with controlled splashes of colour in the form of a ‘tokonoma’ which is a shallow alcove for display purposes. I like this way of thinking, no clutter, everything behind cupboard doors, just the tokonoma where the display can be all colours and changed at whim.
People who live further north for example Scandinavia, as in their winter they barely see any daylight, they favour light woods, again neutral shades but with accents of clear green and strong pink and red.
In the Mediterranean, Caribbean, California and Florida the strong mellow light makes clear pastels, strong hues and rich colour much more acceptable.
However no matter what the favoured interior colour is in a particular country, there is no getting away from the fact that some rooms need a lot of help, if they are too small, too tall, too wide or too narrow. Colour in this instance can be used to great effect. If a room is large, in order to bring the walls in, a warm advancing colour could be painted on the walls. Personally, I am not a fan of wallpaper with large patterns or small patterns for that matter. I think it is a hangover from the heady days of mainstream interior design shows on TV where if the room ended up looking like an explosion in a paint factory it pulled in the audiences, good taste would surely never do!
Interior colour schemes especially in ‘boutique’ style hotels seem to be pushing the boundaries and trying to divorce themselves from the neutral, easy on the eye interiors. Instead they are combining for instance shocking pink with lime green, initially this could be seen as ‘quirky’, perhaps not in these days of austerity, because goodness knows, we all need cheering up and let us not forget that the colour for 2010 is – turquoise, I wonder who dreamed that one up!

Written by Anne Stuart

Three good reasons to go "Green" inside the house

2010-01-19T16:08:00.005Z

　
Green is the colour associated with balance and harmony. It is the colour of kindness, compassion, caring and sharing. Green is comforting and stress relieving and is also the colour of nature.
Creating a greener environment inside the house is about respecting the environment and ourselves by creating a healthier home.
An environmentally responsible design, is a concept that embraces a design that is both caring about nature (sustainable) and that addresses safety and welfare of the people in the building.
What we do individually in our homes is the beginning of a change at a bigger scale.
Amongst all the benefits we get by going green inside the house, I have chosen to talk about the following three: our health, the environment and adding value to our home
　
1. Our health

It is commun to associate pollution with the proximity of a plant releasing heavy smokes or a busy road;but it has been shown that Indoor Air Quality is very often worse compared to the quality of the air outside the house.
Some diseases and syndromes are clearly associated with a poor indoor air quality, such as the sick building syndrome (1) or building related illness (2). The most obvious polluting sources of the air in our houses include tobacco or wood smoke, malfunctioning stoves, radon pollution, dust, etc.

To these sources, we can add many materials used in our homes and which, were once consider healthy, have proved to be a real threat to our health (asbestos, lead pipe and paint). It is difficult to identify these unseen harmful component inside goods that are part of our daily life (a new piece of furniture for example) and thought to be safe. For instance carpets and furniture adhesives can contain some toxic ingredient that will emit gassious toxic molecules for a long time after they have been introduced into the house. Formaldehyde is often contained in furnishing and building products and is considered to be a possible human carcinogen.
This problem is exacerbated by the fact that our houses are more and more air tight. A good ventilation system will renew the air inside the house and helps to keep our environment safe. And of course common sense dictates us keeping all these toxic component out of the house.
　
2.The environment.

Since the first industrial revolution started in the mid1800s, our impact on the environment has increased a lot, leading to the extensive use of the planet resources, deforestation, the loss of bio-diversity, pollution of the air, water and the ground, climate change, to mention only a few.
The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MEA), a comprehensive analysis produced by 1360 scientists in 2005, concluded that the health of the world’s ecosystems was at significant risk: "Human activity is putting such strain on natural functions of Earth that the ability of the planet’s ecosystems to sustain future generations can no longer be taken for granted"
The industrial production of household goods, the energy used to build houses, the energy used in the houses, the use of water, increasing amount of waste production are contributing to the overall environmental decline.

The Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change (IPCC) the most authoritative international voice on the science impacts of climate change, produces a report every 5 years reflecting the state of knowledge on climate change. This research review of scientific literature represents international consensus among the more than 2000 scientists involved in preparing the report. The summary report, Climate change 2007, provided solid, scientific evidence that human activity is affecting climate change through global warming.

We must not forget about waste management. At the end of their use, products are either thrown into landfills or burnt. In each case it results in either air, ground or water pollution. To reduce the amount sent to landfill, recycling has been introduce for paper, glass, plastics... Recycling is a solution to resource depletion, but improvement must be made as materials are unfortunately too often down-cycled (3), with the result of ending up in a landfill a bit later anyway.

By going green inside the house, we accept this environmental problem and take the responsibility for reducing our use of energy and of the plane’st resources. This doesn’t mean that our houses will have to adopt a "Hippy" look or that we will have to remove all the modernity. It only means that we have to think a bit further and use the resources differently.
For example, McDonough and Braungart (4) propose a new vision and model in which products are manufactured according to their life cycle as a whole, with control on each ingredient, and in a clean manufacturing context. No toxicity is released in the environment or during the product’s production life. When the product’s use is over, it is dismantled and each part re-used as a raw material. This is when waste becomes food, food for the production line, waste is no more waste, but used for the fabrication of a brand new product, over and over.
Insulation, light, responsible use of water, energy saving... are all part of a green home.

3. Adding value to the home

When we go green inside the house, we decide to create a healthier environment, free of toxic components, full of light, with a good ventilation and insulation systems, using energy efficient appliances. We have therefore created a healthy and comfortable house, a safe home where it is easy to feel good and relax. We also have dramatically improved the Energy rating of the house. This beauty, comfort and efficiency have added value to the house demonstrating that there is also an economic reason to go green. Not only the house will sell or rent better, but your energy bills will dramatically be cut down.
　
　
As a Navajo proverb says "We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children".
It is our responsibility to take care of our environment whether it be on a global scale (our planet) or on a smaller scale (our house), raise our children in a safe place and give them back what belongs to them and their future.
In a next post I will guide you as what to consider when we want to go green in your house.

written by Emmanuelle Lemoine

Footnotes

1 Sick building syndrom: A building whose occupants experience acute health and/or comfort affects that appear to be linked to time spent therein but where no specific illness or cause can be identified.
2 building related illness: A diagnosable disease or health problem whose cause and smptoms can be directly attributed to a specific pollutant source within a building (e.g. Legionnaire’s disease) Symptoms do not diminish or abate when living th building.
3 Down-cycling: recycling a material for use in the production of a different product that will not be recyclable (i.e. extends the period of useful life, thereby delaying relegation to a landfill or incineration).
4 Braungart and McDonnough "Cradle to cradle re-making the way we make things" Vintage