Tag Archives: Home Design

Reuse, Reclaim, Recycle… The New 3 R’s

Posted on February 26, 2011 by Melinda| 3 Comments

With the controversy of Global Warming, whether you believe it or not, it certainly shouldn’t prevent you from reusing goods in the home. I recall in the eye popping book by Aldous Huxley, A Brave New World, one of the main concepts in the “New World” was to never recycle anything. It gives one the idea of a stratosphere of rubbish floating around in outer space, so much for starry nights…

I know I have said it before, but I always donate anything of value to a local charity rather than putting into the trash.

Recently, I started a design project for an office renovation and I discovered beautiful old wood behind walls that needed to be removed to make way for other things. My contractor and I, both having an eye for the art of reclamation put our heads together and decided to reuse some of that old timber.

We saved a substantial amount of wood from the early 1900′s. And the best part? We saved the client hundreds of dollars that he would have had to spend to get what we gave him out of his old walls!

I realized that there are things that don’t really get factored into reusing the old until you really look at it. So I thought I would give the savings of the reusable goods: the cost of wood, the cost of transporting the wood, the cost of the people to stock the wood, the cost of the drive to the store to procure the wood, the cost of the dump run to remove the wood from the property… I mean it goes on and on, not to mention the eco-footprint one saves in reclamation!

Also, the grade of wood from the early 1900′s is truly incomparable. It is magnificent to look at and feel! When it is all done I will post a picture.

It is a growing trend to use recycled materials, I hope it is a trend that lasts to the end of time! Not like big hair or neon t-shirts!

Make Pretty Happen!

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New Flooring

Posted on January 26, 2011 by Melinda| 4 Comments

After talking to multiple flooring experts, contractors, craftsmen etc., I have concluded simply one thing:

Hardwood flooring is hardwood flooring. While there are a multitude of different woods, and there are a number grades of quality, if you go with a nice quality it actually doesn’t much matter if it is engineered or conventional hardwood.

In fact, one of the kitchen experts I spoke to insists engineered is the way to go because it is more durable in that the finish is usually “fired on” or “baked on”, so it is a harder finish which means it will wear better.

So, what is “engineered flooring”? It is  several layers of wood glued and laminated together to form a wood plank. They range in thickness from 1/4″ to just over a half inch. One of the great things about engineered floors is that it can  be installed almost anywhere, including over concrete, and doesn’t require the plywood or other flex layer that traditional hardwood requires.

It is even suitable for kitchens and comes in beautiful finishes.

Another plus is that there are no harsh chemicals used inside the home to seal the flooring because it is pre-finished outside the home! The glue can be stinky that they use to adhere it though!

I would love some questions about finishes, grades of wood, types of wood, etc!

Make Pretty Happen!

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How to Keep the Perfect Home

Posted on December 6, 2010 by Melinda| 2 Comments

The other day a friend came over and said to me “How do you keep your house clean all the time?!”

I laughed. Then I pointed out that I have a three-year-old and there are only momentary points in any given day where there are no messes in my house. Generally there are Legos, Tonkas, and a variety of other big toys, and little, strewn from one end to the other!

She told me that every time she comes over, even unannounced, the house always looks orderly and put together.

Ahhh, I know why that is: because I have a place for everything I own. EVERYTHING. If I don’t have a place for it I know that the home God clearly did not want me to have it. That is why my house is always orderly. And, as a designer, I always bear this in mind when designing for a client. Does everything have a place? If no, do they need it? If yes, make a place for it!!

Let me ‘splain: I have a fetish for fabulous pitchers. Years ago I had the most beautiful pink Depression Glass pitcher with a very feminine shape and someone dropped it. Ever since I have been buying this one and that in hopes it will somehow make up for the broken one. Alas, it never does!

So I came to realize that the second to last pitcher I bought (which is a deep crimson, fat bottomed, round, dotted delight) at a yard sale was the last space I had in my pitcher cabinet… Sorrow owned me.

I then made an affirmation that IF I HAD to buy a new pitcher I would just have to give up an old one! Easy enough. Mostly.

In my mind, I have an inventory of my pitchers and I basically weigh the potential new candidate against the inventory. If it seems a good trade I take the plunge! And my house stays clutter free! I do this with most things in my house.

The great news is, my girlfriends’ have the joy of receiving my pitchers that have out grown the cabinet. Last week I gave away a celery toned Italian pitcher and my friend was in heaven because she could fill it with hydrangea! Oish – now I want it back!

Make Pretty Happen!

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The Quest for the Perfect Kitchen

Posted on November 29, 2010 by Melinda| 127 Comments

Recently I surveyed dozens of people about their kitchens, likes, loves, dislikes, hates, in my quest for the perfect kitchen for a design project I am doing.

The most outstanding dislike was: Not enough storage space!! Resoundingly the number one complaint about kitchens, no doubt! Whether the cabinets are too high, not deep enough, not wide enough, or just plainly – not enough!

The least wanted item: A second dishwasher for entertaining, even those who would have entertaining as one of the priorities in their life would rather have more storage than a second dishwasher!

I found that pot racks are a MUST! Those who didn’t have them wanted them, those who had them love them! A tiny percentage felt they were untidy… Not mine!

So, here is some of my own advice about the perfect kitchen.

1. Be innovative, almost no one had a compost container and no one had a built-in composting bin, which is a small circular bin with a carbon filter, like one you would get at a Fish Store, cut out and shoved into the top of the bin which has tiny holes to let the food waste “breathe”. It should be used like a built in rubbish bin. I like this one for counter top: http://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/ceramic-countertop-compost-pail/?pkey=ctrash-recycling|hkgtrsrcy and they have replacement filters.

Composting, which is to say, collecting food waste (no animal products, please) separately from other waste and either having a composter somewhere out of the house or putting the food waste into your “green waste” bin provided in many cities, by the city, will cut down on land fill waste anywhere from 35% to 85%.

2. Build in a recycling bin for bottles, cans and plastics, it will force you to recycle. I am not trying to be too granola girl here, but it is about the planet for our children and future generations and it makes a HUGE difference! The movie Idiocracy (which isn’t a word- which is even funnier) shows these massive trash heaps everywhere, and truly, it could happen!! So recycle!

3. When thinking of a new kitchen, the counter top is the MOST USED space in the kitchen, if you are going to splurge on anything, splurge on a solid stone counter top. It is more cost effective in the long run than tile and it is far easier to keep clean which cuts down on illness causing bacteria growth in grout lines. There are multiple choices for solid surfaces in a variety of budgets, go to your local hardware store and peruse! You will undoubtedly find something you love!

4. Attend a Kitchen and Bath Expo, they are held in major cities several times a year, this is where you can get FANTASTIC ideas that are ingenious, innovative and totally new! A designer or contractor can help to locate shows for you and arrange for purchases after the show!

Make Pretty Happen!

XXOOMB

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Home Beauty on a Budget

Posted on October 12, 2010 by Melinda| 1 Comment

In today’s society our home reflects our personal style almost as much as the clothing we wear.

As a designer I have worked on twenty million dollar homes and six hundred dollar a month rentals and they all have one thing in common – style!

Style doesn’t actually cost a thing!

Did you see the movie Pretty in Pink? Do you remember her fabulous room? Her unusual and comfortable stylish clothing? And the character was DIRT POOR.

That movie was a great inspiration to me as a young girl, because my parents were not wealthy by any means and yet I too wanted style.

And so, I learned the art of the “thrifting” and “junking” as my mother would call it.

One of the greatest gold mines in home décor is that which someone else has gotten bored with and either donated to a Goodwill or Salvation Army or has put out on a hot Saturday morning to pawn on their own.

I have gotten furniture, accessories, art work, lamps – you name it – at yard sales and thrift stores and all for a fraction of what they would cost in a store.

What’s the trick? How do you know when a piece is right or just cheap?

First, invest in some great magazines, Elle Décor, Veranda, etc., then get on mailing lists- I know, I know, who wants more junk mail? But sincerely, a great Pottery barn catalogue or a Napa Style could have spectacular inspiration and design ideas.

Once you’ve collected your magazines together, get a decent 3 ring binder and some plastic sleeves from an office supply store.

Now, the real fun begins! Start ripping the pages out of the various magazines/catalogues and use a Sharpie marker to write notes on the pages about what on the page you like.

Once you have a big pile of pictures put them into the plastic sleeves (if you want to get really anal like me you can group them into categories and P-touch tabs for each category) and stick them into your binder.

Now, whenever you go out for your thrifting excursions or junking take your big book with you and look for things that are similar to the items you’ve ripped out of the magazines and catalogues. You don’t have to have exact matches to things, what is important is that whatever you find is reminiscent of the style you’ve found in the magazines.

I like to keep a book that I call my “Dreality Home” which is a little play on the words “dream” and “reality” so that I can keep working at making my dream home a reality!

Some of my “rips” include architectural ideas, some are furnishings, others are just some color inspiration or something I liked the idea of for somewhere in my house.

Most recently I happened upon an “estate sale” and I found a spectacular fire place screen that is a 3 panel screen from the 1920’s – a solid wrought iron screen – it is probably worth about $600.00.

How much did I pay? $25.00! It was ridiculous!

Make Pretty Happen!

Melinda Brownstone 2010©

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