urban living

Randall Whitehead’s High-Tech Lighting Solutions Transform a Traditional Home

whitehead ext_trad — Exterior: Traditional homes reap benefits from energy conscious. Here, exterior lanterns use two 8 watt CCFL by Litetronics, providing 45 watts of light, lasting 25,000 hrs. Resembling standard household bulbs, they dim with a standard incandescent dimmer.

Our California-based lighting expert explains a remodeling project in dramatic before/after images that is both earth friendly and cost effective

People are constantly being hit over the head with green design. In these hard economic times homeowners are not moving into the next bigger house but are instead staying put and investing their hard-earned…if somewhat deflated…equity into upgrading their present residences. Energy efficient lighting plays a big role, especially here in California where Title 24 requires the use of high efficacy lighting in kitchens, bathrooms and outdoor areas.

Design magazines looking to remain current offer up contemporary architectural layouts and stark, eye-catching interiors. While it’s true that futuristic design and green design seem to go hand-in-hand, it’s not for everyone. How does the owner of a more traditionally styled house make use of today’s earth friendly lighting and interior design techniques? Can progressive lighting design be applied to non-cutting edge spaces to enhance the sense of warmth and comfort that these cozy interiors inspire? Absolutely!More

Oriental Rugs and ‘Green’ Design

As the movers and shakers of the handmade rug industry, the interior design trade plays a pivotal role in shaping the end consumers’ purchasing decisions. After focusing on the greenness of the handweaving process from the manufacturers’ standpoint (See “Special Green Report—Handmade Rugs—The Original Green Floor Coverings,” ARTES (Oct. 13, 2009), this article takes a hard look at what the country’s most reputed and green-attuned designers and other members of the design community are thinking. Do they view handmade rugs as an eco-friendly floor covering as compared to machine-made?

Noted New York-based interior designer Darren Henault of Darren Henault Interiors, says, “To me, the fact that handmade oriental and decorative rugs are green seems only logical and obvious.” However, for most members of the design trade, awareness of handmade rugs as being green is limited, if not virtually nonexistent. States Laura Bohn of Laura Bohn Design Associates, New York, NY whose work has been featured on CNN Style and HGTV: “I didn’t know that and never thought of it until now!” Adds Mary Douglas Drysdale of Drysdale Design Associates, Washington, DC: “As a group, the designers’ mission is to make things look good and is focused more on instant gratification which is not born out of long-term thinking.” Echoes designer Annette Stelmack of Stelmack & Associates III, Denver, CO and co-author of Residential Sustainable Interiors:1“ For [most] designers, the greenness of floor coverings is not a major preoccupation.”More

Oriental Rugs Have Always been ‘Green’

With the explosion of the green movement affecting everything from automobiles to furniture, rug importers and manufacturers are taking a fresh look at their production methods only to discover that their industry has essentially been green all along. Others are developing ways to enhance the green credentials of their handmade rugs in terms of dyeing, washing, and recycling the waste generated during the production process. While significant strides have been made by the machine-made carpet industry towards making it more eco-friendly, carpeting is still mainly produced from non-renewable petroleum products which ultimately account for up to an estimated 5 billion tons of discarded product—up to 1% of U.S. landfills—most of which is non-biodegradable.

The Verde Collection, Design, Ve-06 OAT. Courtesy of Momeni, Inc.

While nylon can be recycled, the availability of such facilities is still limited. [2]Moreover, from a health standpoint, carpeting would appear to incur a greater incidence of ‘outgassing’ due to their higher chemical components and irritants namely dust and molds. Most offensive from the green standpoint are carpeting’s chemical treatments and synthetic backing. As for handtufted products, they are dismissed by most industry experts from being green despite their wool content because of their latex backing. More

Paris Landmark Focuses on the Arts and Green Design

viaduc de arts — Le Viaduc de Arts, Paris, France

When in Paris last, I visited Le Viaduc des Art. My good friend, Amy, born in Paris some 89 years ago, had taken me there once, but I welcomed another opportunity to discover and explore some of its certain surprises. It is, ironically, one of the more hidden, yet quite public treasures of Paris, located at the southeast end the city, in the 12th Arrondissement. Le Viaduc is only a few blocks from the Bastille Opera House (built over the demolished Bastille prison, where the historic ‘storming’ set off the French Revolution). Nearby, Rue de Lyon leads to Avenue Daumesnil, where the viaduct begins, hugging the tree-lined avenue all the way east to Bois de Vincennes.

Le Viaduc is a 19th century structure, originally used as an elevated rail line. Its path is supported by a series of supporting arches and the city has cleverly converted it into a long green walkway– ‘la coulee verte’. The promenade on top is planted with a profusion of plants, trees and luscious flowers–becoming a kilometer-long strip of verdant park ideal for long leisurely strolls. And underneath, the high vaulted spaces of the viaduct are now home to dozens of active studios, workshops, galleries displaying the work of artists and artisans and chic cafes. Le Viaduc itself and its series of arches, framed by sand-colored stone and dark red brick, take on the appearance of an elongated Romanesque-style structure.More

Tough Economic Times Put Power in Hands of Museum-Goers

Interpretation of Monet’s, Nymphia. Classic Impressionism and the retail tie-ins would bring out the crowds to museums in record numbers

In a 1999 New York Times report on museum attendance for the previous decade, increases of 20% were reported in the U.S., Europe and Australia. Based on a survey by The Art Newspaper, blockbuster exhibits by the likes of Monet, van Gogh, Gauguin and Winslow Homer’s private collection drew thousands of eyes and millions of dollars to some of the most established museums in the world. Shows featuring the ever-popular Impressionists (both French and American) appeared to be a can’t-miss formula for art institutions, both large and small. One spokesperson interviewed for the piece proclaimed that, The museum plays an incredible role in American cities: it’s a focal point, a place for entertainment, for shopping [my italics].”More

Country French Kitchens in American Homes

‘Country French Kitchens add color and style to the American Home’

left: A touch of eclecticism, whimsy and a touch of joie de vivre for a home’s most important room

We Americans possess an enduring fascination with French culinary arts, French design, and indeed, the French art of livin g. Joie de vivre tugs at our heartstrings and continues to pull us, inspire us and motivate us to infuse it into our own living spaces, lifestyles and families.

This chandelier shows off the homeowner’s prized copper collection, illuminating the counter sitting area

No singular room in the home moves us towards joie as does the kitchen. It is the heartbeat of the home, the room where roasts are basted and hearts repaired, where recipes are filed and homework checked. The kitchen serves purposes as varied as our family members’ personalities, yet requires our earnest attempts at infusing joie de vivre—the cheerful enjoyment of life—into those human beings whose lives we are nurturing.

The French have always embraced this notion of infusing joy into everyday routines and personal spaces. They have long recognized the value of nurturing: with nurturing meals and conversations; with loving preparations and presentations. And we desire to impart this to our home and families, regardless of how far we live from authentic French culture.

Color Consultation is Key to Future Product Success

Bringing color to life and life to color in the fascinating world of color planning

Leslie Harrington wants you to believe.

As a color expert, she sees the difficulties people have in putting color into their lives. “It’s a risk to move in the direction of bold or lively colors,” she says, “because color can be intimidating. Many couples come to my studio having reached an impasse—particularly older couples. Because they can’t agree, they reach a compromise—a non-color for the walls or fabrics in a room.”

Leslie observes that younger couples and individuals (under 40) have less difficulty making color choices. “They see color commitment like so many other aspects of their lives—dealing with constant flux in their careers and living situations means they are more comfortable with a risky color choice because it can always be replaced. Twenty-to-forty percent of all paint is purchased to cover a mistake,” she explains.More

New York City Penthouse Designed for Optimum Space Use

A knife-edged January wind, with temperatures hovering near zero, turned the short hike from Grand Central Station to East 35th Street into a gauntlet. A bright, sun-filled dome of blue hung over the city, making the towering buildings along the way appear like massive stalagmites rising with stony determination from an icy concrete floor. Multitudes of huddled figures, dressed in black and gray, with an occasional shock of color in a scarf or knitted hat rushed by, head-bowed. They sought more refuge than destination in the darkened doorways that bordered the streets, the winter-sun’s rays too weak to offer life-affirming warmth to those, like me, far below.More