Land, Water, Sky Connection

My husband, Patrick, and I tightly packed our two dogs and luggage into the car and were off for a week's long adventure at the beaches of the Outer Banks. If you have never visited this area of the US, you may want to reconsider where to take your next vacation. Being from northeast Ohio and used to seeing green or white depending on the season we were in awe of the constantly shifting sandy dunes topped with sea oats against a backdrop of white-capped sea and blue sky.

The sandy landscape, crashing waves and big fluffy white drifting clouds sprinkled with magnificent soaring birds became a giant playground for all of us. The dogs enjoyed chasing seagulls and running from the big scary bath water that sometimes caught their toes. Xena bit at the foam that forms from strong waves coming to shore. She loved that foam! Reece just happy to be with his people, smiling wildly in the sun and wind. My husband most enjoyed renting a Jeep and taking it off road on the beach to a remote area where we saw the wild horses of the OBX. For me it is always the wildlife that brings me the most joy. Watching creatures able to live in their natural environments with little threat enables me to relax. Not to mention the phenomenal star activity at night. I saw two shooting stars the first night. The clear open sky without the added sky glow that we get in the city showered us with flickering stars at night.

It is easy to see why we flock to this landscape in order to relax, to unwind, to de-stress. This is a connection to the earth by land, water, and sky. Spirit has given us a giant playground for our very own. We need the connection of the earth to rejuvenate and ultimately to survive. Understanding this very needed two-way connection is the first step to understanding sustainability.

Love Thy Mother~Mother Earth

With the passing of Mother's Day, which was the first Mother's Day for me without my mom, I have reflected on what motherhood represents and how it relates to our Mother Earth.

Motherhood: nuturing, sustaining, giver of life, haven, provider
This list is short but it does show how the relationship between our mothers and Mother Earth can parallel. Interestingly enough Wikipedia writes: Mother Nature, a common metaphorical expression for the Earth and its biosphere as the giver and sustainer of life.

During my mother's life on Earth from time to time she needed help but especially at the end when she was weak did she need more care. There are signs that the Earth is becoming weaker and she needs our help.

Please reduce, reuse & recycle in honor of all of our Mothers.

KIMONO AS ART

HURRY AND FAST to see the Kimono As Art: The Landscapes of Itchiku Kubota exhibit at the Canton Museum of Art! This exhibit will end on April 26, 2009.

Standing next to my friend, Ellen, on my first visit looking at the 30 piece Symphony of Light kimono display, I said to her in a cracking voice "this is too much". Later Ellen commented "how often do we say this is too much beauty"? Can you remember the last time? I had to return to this exhibit to see and feel this beauty once again. I was not disappointed.

The exhibition is not large by many metropolitan museum standards but the quality, craftsmanship and beauty seen in these kimonos is unbelievable. There is a video and displays showing the dyeing techniques and the immense amount of work that goes into each kimono creation which I highly recommend if you are a textile nut.

Master Kubota's vision of the Symphony of Light originally consisted of a collection of 80 kimonos depicting the Four Seasons, a traditional Japanese theme. Unfortunately, Master Kubota did not complete the series for we saw only 30 kimonos. At the age of 60, the autumn of his life, Master Kubota started the collection and thus began with autumn and completed through to winter. The landscapes, colors and textures float from one kimono to the next in a subtle yet intricate design forming a giant masterpiece.

If you decide to take a few moments to see this exhibit you will not be disappointed. For more information go to: www.cantonart.org

Healing Art on Glass-BOTANICA

This is a follow-up with great color from yesterday's post with much detail about Botanica. The Botanica collection offers a peak into the many new technologies that Skyline Design has brought into their manufacturing. Skyline Design is the largest etcher of glass in North America. Looking for decorative glass for any project? Please visit www.skydesign.com.

HEALING POWER OF NATURE SHOWN ON GLASS

Skyline Design has deliberately brought together three inspirational artists to display their organic art onto glass for a new collection called Botanica. I had the pleasure of traveling with the very cool woman from Skyline that helped to compile this collection. The mission here is to aid interior designers and architects in designing spaces that motivate the healing process whether it be a scary hospital or a stressful corporate conference room. Please check out the artists below to see how their art inspires meditation, healing and stress relief in places that often create fear and stress.

The three featured artists:
Henry Domke was a physician for 25 years before he decided to focus solely on nature photography that inspires healing. Skyline Design purchased three of his nature photographs that can be manipulated in innumerable ways to create new designs. To view his creations, learn about the artist, see the land that he is preserving and feel his passion for nature visit his website at http://www.henrydomke.com/.

Zeva Oelbaum is a New York-based still-life photographer and executive producer for an award winning documentary film. For the Botanica collection she demonstrates the Victorian era's photographic cataloguing technique called cyanotype. It appears much like a blueprint of organic items. To see the three cyanotype images go to Skyline's website at http://www.skydesign.com/. To learn more about Zeva, her crisp still-life photos, or the documentary visit http://www.zevaphoto.com/.

Steven Meyers spent 30 years as a medical x-ray technologist and is a native resident of Washington state. He now uses radiographs to expose organic life forms such as flowers and leaves. The translation of his photographs onto glass can look like soft, flowing fabric. Please visit Steven's website to investigate an interesting and creative new art form at http://www.xray-art.com/.

Skyline Design has truly brought together an amazing tool for architects and designers through Botanica. They can now use glass as art to inspire calm, stress free areas .

greenplay sustainable children's furniture

LOOKING FOR INNOVATIVE CHILDREN'S FURNITURE?

How about furniture that is healthy for the little buggers? Check out Skyline Design's new line appropriately titled GREENPLAY. Get it? GREEN because it is sustainable and PLAY because it is children's furniture. I think it is a brilliant name.

The line encompasses sustainable products such as FSC wood, recycled, renewable and low impact materials. The coatings have low VOC or no VOC emissions. The products are shipped flat and packaged in recyclable packaging.

GREENPLAY will even re purpose the components at the end of its life and then donated to a charity.

If you are looking for sustainable children's furniture for any space be it residential or commercial, please consider GREENPLAY! Just the name says it all.

Earthy Greens Collection

As an architectural sales rep for Sina Pearson Textiles I am very impressed by the use of sustainable practices for many of Sina's fabrics.

One of the newest "green" textiles collections is the Earthy Greens Collection consisting of Big Dots and Eco-Pile.

Big Dots is Crypton Green and is third party certified by MBDC Cradle to Cradle silver. The fabric boasts post consumer recycled polyester fiber content. Being a Crypton the upholstery fabric may be used in many applications from healthcare to hospitality to home use. The use of large circles along with horizontal stripes gives this fabric a hip, modern flair.

Eco-Pile is a chunky chenille and the second fabric in the Earthy Greens Collection. This chenille is woven with biodegradable and recylced fibers. With high durability(100,000 double rubs) and its soft hand Eco-Pile is sure to fit into any design.

For a glimpse of more beautiful earth-friendly textiles, please visit Sina Pearson Textiles' website at http://www.sinapearson.com/.

SURPRISE! Check out LEED certified buildings in OH

The excitement of the first LEED Platinum residence in Ohio has tripped my curiosity for what other types of facilities are LEED certified here in our own backyard in Ohio. To my surprise the list is quite long and includes a medical center, a zoo, grocery stores, universities and a church.

Curious? Take a look at what I found to be LEED certified, silver, gold or platinum:

Metro Parks Ranger Station, Metro Parks Serving Summit County, Akron, OH-PLATINUM
Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of WC, Wooster, OH-GOLD
Key Bank-Tiedman LEED EB, Brooklyn, OH-CERTIFIED
Dayton Children's Medical Center, South Campus, Phase I, Springboro, OH-CERTIFIED
Giant Eagle New Albany, New Albany, OH-GOLD
Giant Eagle Market #229, Brunswick, OH-CERTIFIED
JM Smucker Company Renewal Building, Orrville, OH-SILVER
Akron Zoological Park Education Center, Akron, OH-CERTIFIED
Cleveland State University, Rec Center, Cleveland, OH
University of Cincinnati Student Life Center & Campus Life Rec Center
Ohio State-Ohio 4-H Center
Lorain Community College
Wright State
Hiram

This long incomplete list shows the commitment for a better tomorrow made by many companies and government agencies in Ohio. Many other facilities are not listed but may be committed to healthy buildings.


The USGBC(United States Green Building Council) compiles a list of the LEED certified projects in each state on it's website. To see the list for Ohio visit: http://www.usgbc.org/LEED/Project/CertifiedProjectList.aspx?CMSPageID=247.

Please send me a story about the green practices you have incorporated into your home or business.

First LEED Platinum Home in Ohio

Jetson Green is one of my favorite daily updates. Please link to them to see the first LEED Platinum Home in Ohio. A community open house is scheduled for May 20, 2009 please contact Columbus Housing Partnership for more information.

To see other LEED certified projects in Ohio go to: United States Green Building Council.

Green Ohio? Who knew?

Since the early '90's I have aspired to be a socially responsible member of Ohio by recycling, minimizing my water intake, walking when driving is not necessary and turning off lights when leaving a room. The Ohio University liberal college experience as well as the interior design program awakened me to many other ways to become a sustainability advocate. Then in my early 20's I assumed Washington, Oregon and California would be the only places to find like-minded green folks. Lacking money due to an interior designer's salary and my family kept me grounded to Ohio since those heavenly days at OU. Little did I know about the quiet green movement creeping throughout Ohio.

Ohio is now a hot bed of green activity including green building organizations, sustainable agriculture groups and alternative energy businesses. Don't believe me then check out the following links for green building organizations:
Cleveland Green Building Coalition
Northwest Ohio Green Building Council
Columbus Green Building Forum
Green Energy Ohio

Recently the Cleveland Green Building Coalition became a charter member of the USGBC(United States Green Building Council) and has formed a strategic planning committee to evaluate the green building needs of Northeast Ohio. This is very exciting to me, an interior designer/sustainability consultant focusing on helping small businesses and residences become healthier and more socially conscious all while saving money on operational costs.

Because the topic of a Green Ohio is so large and has many hats, I plan on blogging about this topic often. There is a fantastic organization called Entrepreneurs for Sustainability(E4S) that can help small businesses in any area of sustainablity. E4S is a regional organization with a list of thousands of members in Northeast Ohio. Check it out!

UNHEALTHY home or office?

Are you concerned that your home or office is causing harm to you? Do you even care if the products in your home or office are full of chemicals? Did you know that some carpet manufacturers do not recommend putting your baby on the new carpet for months after installation? Do you believe that consumers are educated on these scary facts? Do they even care? Please respond if you have insights.

For more information: http://www.healthyhousing.org/clearinghouse/index.cfm

GREENGUARD & LEATHER

GARRETT LEATHER
Garrett Leather Receives GREENGUARD Certification!
Garrett Leather has received GREENGUARD certification for 15 different product lines, including Garrett’s popular Woven Collection. Following strict chemical emissions testing, all products (totaling more than 360 leather colors) have been certified by GREENGUARD Environmental Institute™ (GEI).

Please visit their website at: http://www.garrettleather.com.

RECYCLED GLASS FOR FLOORING & COUNTERTOPS

Fact: 50% of paper and nearly 38% of metal is recycled but over 75% of glass still goes to landfills(EPA report: http://epa.gov/msw/msw99.htm)

Tim Whaley met a challenge to make something of the incredible amount of glass being dumped into landfills in Texas. His solution~EnviroGLAS products. The reclaimed glass from windshields, plate glass windows, consumer bottles and now toilets & porcelain sinks is chipped into aggregate and then mixed with epoxy to form terrazzo flooring, countertops, plank flooring and landscaping aggregate. The look is unique. Please check it out at:
http://www.enviroglasproducts.com

Consider this unique, beautiful product for your home or office today. Consider EnviroGLAS! Go GREEN!

The Rudolph Bathroom

Rudolph bathroom staring Emily & Chloe!

Ohio Tax Credits for Sustainable Homes

To keep you all current on sustainable design for residences in Ohio, please know that Ohio is providing tax benefits for certain remodeling projects due to Bush signing the Energy Tax Incentives Act of 2005. You may be able to use some of these benefits if you are considering doing ANY remodeling this year. A business contact that is a local accountant, Marie Cutlip, provided the following information. If you have any questions regarding how this can help you with your taxes, I would be happy to pass your name along to Marie. Please read on:

What the New Energy Bill Means for You

PRESIDENT BUSH signed the Energy Tax Incentives Act of 2005. While the law was described by some in the media as a giveaway to huge energy companies, it also contains some generous new tax incentives for consumers.
The best part: They all come in the form of tax credits, the very best kind of tax break. A credit lowers your federal income tax bill dollar for dollar. In contrast, a deduction lowers only the amount on which you're taxed, so your bill is reduced only by a percentage of the write-off.
Here's what the 2005 Energy Act has in store for you.


New Tax Credit for Residential Energy ImprovementsThis personal tax credit has a $500 lifetime limit, but it's broad enough that many folks will benefit even though the numbers won't be very big. The credit applies only to energy-saving items you put to use in your main residence after 2005 and before 2008 (vacation homes don't count). The credit amount equals the sum of 10% of your expenditures for a qualified energy efficiency improvements to an existing home plus 100% of your expenditures for qualified residential energy property.
The 10% part of the credit for qualified energy efficiency improvements covers outlays for the following items:
Metal roofs coated with heat-reduction pigments.
Exterior doors.
Exterior windows including skylights (the lifetime credit for windows is limited to $200).
Insulation materials designed to reduce heat loss or gain.

The 100% part of the credit for qualified residential energy property covers money spent on these things:
Qualified electric heat pumps, electric heat pump water heaters, geothermal heat pumps,andcentral air conditioners. The credit for these can't exceed $300.

Qualified natural gas, propane and oil furnaces, and qualified hot-water boilers. The credit for these can't exceed $150.
Advanced main air circulating fans. The credit for these can't exceed $50.

Please use this information wisely!

Is your home making you sick?

Sick Building Syndrome is recognized by the EPA. SBS is normally a term we use for commercial interiors but often times we use the same products in residential use- more specifically YOUR HOME.

The EPA's white sheet includes possible reasons for Sick Building Syndrome. I have attached this part of the white sheet for your information:

Chemical contaminants from indoor sources: Most indoor air pollution comes from sources inside the building. For example, adhesives, carpeting, upholstery, manufactured wood products, copy machines, pesticides, and cleaning agents may emit volatile organic compounds (VOCs), including formaldehyde. Environmental tobacco smoke contributes high levels of VOCs, other toxic compounds, and respirable particulate matter. Research shows that some VOCs can cause chronic and acute health effects at high concentrations, and some are known carcinogens. Low to moderate levels of multiple VOCs may also produce acute reactions. Combustion products such as carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, as well as respirable particles, can come from unvented kerosene and gas space heaters, woodstoves, fireplaces and gas stoves. For more information, see VOCs; Carbon Monoxide; Formaldehyde; Nitrogen Dioxide; Respirable Particles.

As you can see chemical contaminants include adhesives, carpeting, upholstery, manufactured wood products and cleaning agents. Do you use these in your home? The place that you think is safe for your family? If you would like to know more please click on the link at the bottom of the site entitled EPA white sheet.

Green Building Coalition in Ohio

For those of you interested in green building, remodeling or redecorating in Ohio there is actually an organization called the Green Building Coalition located in Cleveland. The web page is www.clevelandgbc.org. Upon joining this organization I received a lovely newsletter printed on recycled paper(of course!) indicating up coming events and seminars. Please check out and support this important organization in our area and let us know your opinion.

Kitchen & Bathroom Design

If you are currently investigating ways to remodel or build your kitchen or bathroom with products that will not harm you, your family or your pets, please contact Inspiring Spaces. We specialize in sustainable kitchen & bathroom design. There are many products that you can use to create a beautiful, functional, earth & people friendly kitchens.

Remodeling or Building a Healthy Home

When you decided to remodel or build a new home did you think about what harmful chemicals might be in the new products you are placing in your home? Do you or anyone in your family have allergies? Are you sensitive to chemicals? Do you value products that are "environmentally friendly?" These are questions that you should ask as well as address when you decide to remodel or build a home.

Inspiring Spaces Design can help you plan a healthy space with products that are not harmful to you or the environment. With over 13 years of interior design expertise we can create a space that is not only healthy but inventive and comfortable for many years to come. Please contact us if you would like further information.