My sustainable design blog – The InterioREvolution – is getting more and more fun every day -  and more and more work too.  Right now I’m running a series of posts reviewing different no-VOC paints.  Quite the education so far.

I’ve also been lucky enough to be asked to contribute to HomePortfolio.com, which is a large site devoted to interior design.  I am currently contributing blog posts and am in the midst of writing my first full article for the site on choosing carpet.  Again, quite the education.

I’m focusing more and more on teaching, writing, speaking and consulting, and getting away from doing as many full service design projects as I once did.  There are so many great designers out there who need the work, and I feel that training others to design sustainably should be my bigger focus for now.  It’s a bit of a leap of faith, but so far, it’s been going wonderfully.

As a side note, my thoughts go out to all the families in middle Tennessee who have lost so much to the terrible flooding of the last week.  I spent all my childhood summers there, staying with my grandparents and learning the joys of catfish and hush puppies.  I will always hold that part of the world dear, and I hope the good people there will recover soon.

I’ll fill you in more on what Path Design is up to soon.  Meanwhile, take care, and in the words of my hero Cameron Sinclair, “Let’s make the world a better place”.

Everybody knows that a more energy and water efficient home is a good thing, but how many of us really have the time to figure out how to make it all happen?  Wouldn’t it be nice if you could just pick up the phone and call someone, have them come out and evaluate your home, give you a customized list of recommendations, and then sell and install all of the items you need to accomplish your goals?

Well, if you are in the U.S., now you can*.  For $99, New Leaf America will come to your home and do an efficiency audit.  When they are done, they will give you a customized report, as well as a DVD full of  helpful home efficiency tips.  They also give you a customized list of recommended products, including things such a bulbs, smart power strips and low-flow faucet adapters.  Best of all?  They provide free** installation for anything you purchase through them.

They also have a free online lighting energy calculator that helps you determine how much you will save from switching from incandescent to high efficiency bulbs.  Even if you’re not looking to switch your bulbs out yet, it’s fun to play with just to see what a difference a little wattage can do!

If you are in a country outside of the United States, and know of a similar service, please let us know in the comments section.  We are always interested in finding out what is available world wide.

*Currently New Leaf America has service available in California, Arizona and Utah, but they will continue to train new auditors and expand into additional states soon.  Contact them for more information.

** Sorry!  That was my error.  There is a charge for installation, although it is quite reasonable.  Pricing varies by project.

So exhausted in fact, that it has taken me over a week to get up the energy to post some images!  But all the time and effort expended were worth it, and the Teen Choice 2009, Bop-it Celebrity Retreat was a great success.

We went with an artist’s loft theme this year, complete with paint splattered drop clothes and quirky accessories.  We stuck to a black, white and red color palette, to provide a good back drop for the retreat’s main sponsor, Bop-it.  If you haven’t ever played with a Bop-it, I can tell you that the celebrities were really getting into it.  I was too busy chatting with people to try it myself, but those who did said it was addictive fun.

We had the support of some terrific companies this year, as we pulled everything together.  The elegant, yet super comfy sofa from Eco-Luxury by D’Bodinus that you see in the image above was much larger (and heavier!) than it looks!  The seat cushion was so full of cushy goodness that it weighed almost as much as the frame!

Idea Paint provided some great interactive boards, which many folks took a turn at signing or drawing on.

Between Miss J reminding us all to stand up straight, and George Lopez’s crazy face drawing, the boards were a hit.  Jordan Sparks actually wrote “Whoa!”, which was her reaction after I told her that Idea Paint can be applied to any smooth surface, such as walls, doors, chairs, refrigerators, etc.

This “cabinet of curiosities”, was generously provided by Cleveland Art, one of my favorite sources for one of a kind, repurposed furniture.  The amazing (and amazingly heavy) coffee table, as well as some other terrific pieces just out of camera range, were all created from items found in old factories and recreated into functional furniture.  The birds were provided by the wonderful people at Stray Dog Designs, who make terrific lamps and accessories out of recycled tin and paper mache, amongst other methods.

Here’s a close up of one of Stray Dog Designs adorable, funky paper mache birds, next to the beautiful tulip and rose centerpiece from The Spiraled Stem, who specialize in eco-friendly floral arrangements and events.

Here’s another shot of the lounge, where you can see the bright red birdcage chandelier, also from Stray Dog Designs.  Everyone loved it!

The beautiful black and white print organic cotton fabric was generously provided by Harmony Art, long my favorite source for fun and creative prints.  I’ll write a little more about the story behind the pillow this week, but it too is a design by Harmony Art.

All in all, things went great.  Celebrities and press enjoyed the space and many nice things were said.  Although I’m a little past my swooning teenage years, I had fun meeting all the up and coming young talent, such as Ashley Greene, Abigail Breslin, and Keke Palmer, who all stood out for their genuine charm and sweet natures.  And while some, such as Britney Spears, looked pretty much as you expected in person, others, like Will.I.Am from the Black Eyed Peas, were even more handsome up close.

Many thanks again to all the wonderful companies who participated in the lounge – Idea Paint, Eco-Luxury by D’Bodinus, Cleveland Art, Stray Dog Designs, and Harmony Art!  Many thanks too to Linsi Brownson for her terrific illustrations, helping me wrestle things up and down ladders and in and out of delivery trucks, and mostly for being a terrific assistant under pressure!  And of course, a big thank you to Karen Wood of Backstage Creations, the retreat’s production company – You make this more fun than work!

Now back to my regularly scheduled programming…

Excuse me while I take a moment to give a little shout out to the wonderful folks at ASID who developed the STEP study program.  Don’t take the NCIDQ without it!

Of course, now that I am fully accredited, I find myself more frustrated than ever with the ongoing battle between those who want interior designers to be qualified, and those who don’t.  Unfortunately, despite the level of education now required to receive a degree in Interior Design, and the stringent qualifying exams at both a national and, in some cases, a state level, there are many who feel that ANYONE, should be able to call themselves an interior designer.  I have nothing against people who want to work as “decorators”, and in fact think there is a real need in the marketplace for the lower fees they can charge for color advice, window treatments, accessories and the like.  However, I think that interior designers (or interior architects if you will) NEED to be tested and certified, because they affect life safety issues.  Would you want someone with a “flair” for color designing a staircase for a retail store?  What if they didn’t know code regulations and put slippery flooring in a gym bathroom?  While some have argued that nobody would hire an interior designer without knowing if they were familiar or qualified to work on a project, I’m here to tell you that that is simply not true.  I have often seen completely unqualified designers, fresh out of design school, hired for projects way over their head because the client wanted to get a cheaper price.  Without safeguards in place, anything can and will happen.  That is, unless designers are no longer allowed to work on projects which involve knowledge of building codes and accessibility.  Interestingly enough, efforts to prevent or reverse the creation of state certification programs for designers are frequently supported and financed by the AIA.  Politics.

Anyhoo, I’m looking forward to completing my application process for CID status with the State of California soon.  That will give me the ability to stamp construction documents for any project not involving load bearing walls or seismic changes.  I don’t know how quickly I will be receiving my plan stamp, but once I do, expect some serious construction to take place!  Staircase to nowhere anyone???