Dan Thomsen, The Building Doctors, Building Performance
Brion Jeannette, Architect, Brion Jeannette Architecture
Dean Hill, Landscape Architect, Green Screen

Cathy Baranger (LEED-AP Consultant and Residential Green Building Advocate) will moderate.

And (drumroll please),… there are PRIZES!  All attendees will be entered into drawings for both a $500 gift certificate to Room & Board, and a Toto Soiree toilet.

For more information, please check the USGBC Orange County website

Hope to see some of you there!

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”.

Many thanks to Lianna Kong, Lea Oliver and Mia Naik for inviting me!

Please stop by and say hi!  We’d love to see you there!

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.

TIR just keeps rockin along!  After only 3 short months, we made it to the final voting for Apartment Therapy’s Homies Award in the Green Home Category!  And I have to say, although we didn’t win this year, we had a great time!  Congratulations to maya*made, and all the other great winners!

This week, we’ve been running a series “Let’s Get Organized” where we’ve looked at all sorts of sustainable solutions to desks, storage, and even iPhone apps!  Tomorrow we wrap up the series with “The Paperless Office”.  Come check it out!

And while you’re there, please take a minute to fill out our quick survey.  We are trying to determine what people are most interested in reading about.  There is even a space for your own suggestions, so come and make theinterioRevolution.com the blog you’ve been looking for!

Please check out my review of “Downtown Chic” on theinteriorevolution.com

And while you’re there, look on the latest Friday Wrap-up to see some truly tiny living spaces!

Enjoy!

In the world of interior design there is really nothing so revered as the chair. Whenever there is a design retrospective, a clever contest, or a new furniture line released, you can bet a chair is front and center. The requirements for being a chair are pretty basic. All you need are a horizontal surface to rest your bum, and a vertical surface to lean back against. Voila! You have chair.

It should be no surprise then that sustainable design has given birth to a host of chairs of all shapes, sizes and materials. Although most are fairly mainstream in style, some take an entirely different approach, creating unique and fun seating out of unexpected materials.

via Hugh Hayden Design

Tennis anyone? Created by Hugh Hayden Design from re-purposed, used indoor court tennis balls, this chair is just plain fun.

via Boris Bally

This dynamic, colorful chair is created by Boris Bally from re-used street signs. Champagne corks form the padded feet. Let’s see… four legs at one cork per leg equals… four bottles of champagne per chair. Bet those are fun chairs to make!

via Voos Furniture

Of course, if you really want to get into used corks, look no farther than the 100% recycled cork Tilter chair from Voos Furniture. By utilizing small cutouts at the base of the backrest, the Tilter is able to tilt and spring, providing additional comfort to the sitter.

via Grain

Grain’s Cafe America chair may not look that comfortable, but the makers swear that all that used chain link fence cradles your tush in metal mesh coziness. Whether it does or not, kudos to Grain for designing their chair with removable spacers, thus enabling it to be shipped flat pack, as well as easily stored.

via Osian Batyka-Williams

Constructed of discarded restaurant flatware, the Cutlery Chair by Osian Batyka-Williams looks the love child of Frank Gehry and a food fight.

via Bike Furniture

How cool is this chair made almost entirely from repurposed bicycle parts? Especially when you add in the flame motif?! The best part of all though is that old -fashioned horn on the side. Can’t you just picture lazing back in this chair, giving that horn a honk and yelling “Honey – would you get me another cocktail please”?

via Studio Lo Design

And last, but certainly not least, we have the Pano Chair which has taken the efficient use of material very seriously, with beautiful results. Designed in France by Studio Lo Design and cut from a single piece of plywood, this chair is put together like a 3D puzzle, without the use of nails, screws or glue. Truly a singular approach to the common problem of how to keep things simple and sustainable. Personally, I think Ikea should try to get Studio Lo to replicate this for them. Talk about your ultimate flat pack!

I will be teaching Green Interior Design at CSULB, starting Tuesday, October 20th!

Go green without compromising style…

The demand to use products and practices that are both eco-friendly and promote better health in our homes and the workplace is becoming increasingly important.

This course presents an in-depth introduction to “green” interior design practices and will equip you with knowledge to “Go Green” without compromising style.

Combine your passion for interior design with a working knowledge of sustainable principles and collaborate with architects, interior designers and contractors to produce projects that meet the highest level of green building standards

Topics Include:

* Understanding the core differences between a standard interior design project and a green project
* Acquiring the ability to research and identify appropriate material solutions for project requirements
* Understanding IAQ issues, and how to solve them using green materials and products
* Differentiating between the key product and building certification systems, and how they apply to project goals and needs

Learn more…