Notes

Interior Design Trends
When I believe about decorating trends today, several things come to mind. I see more and more people residing in their homes longer and buying upgrading what they have and to make their home adjust to their changing lifestyle. Clients are replacing windows, trim, baseboards and adding cove moldings to the ceiling. They're removing carpet and exposing or installing hardwood floors. Faux paint finishes on the walls are replacing wallpapers, especially in bathrooms.

In past times most clients were decidedly traditional: Queen Ann, cherry wood, polished and purposeful or very contemporary: modern, clean lines, austere or country collectible: cluttered, cutesy and charming. Now I enjoy working with clients wanting to mix the best of most these styles. Antiques, collectables and mid-century modern working together and creating an eclectic look can be enjoyed in a timeless and less trendy way.

Today's biggest trend is more a passing fad. The buzz of building green, eco friendly, sustainable design is everywhere you turn. T V programs, newspapers, magazines, books, conferences and expo centers are all devoting time, energy and space to the idea: You possibly can make a difference in how to live your everyday life and how it impacts the earth your home is on. As you feel more aware of the environment, look around your house, can you see areas that need attention? Exactly what will be the next remodeling project? How will you proceed, knowing that when you upgrade, it will produce waste and things you no longer require? Where will the debris go? And the things you select to displace the worn out, no longer needed, where will they result from? How are they made? What resources are used to produce the item? Here is the first step to being green. That is: To become aware.

For example: You have grown tired of your dated 1970's kitchen. The hardware is pitted; there exists a build-up of scum or missing finish on the cabinets, a number of the drawers are don't close properly, the counter tops are scratched and stained. Cabinets can easily be re-purposed. Meaning they might become extra storage in the basement, garage or craft room. Another option would be to add wood veneers to existing "boxes" along with new doors, drawers, and hardware to generate an updated choose a fraction of the cost of new cabinets. Local non-profits, such as for example Building Hope, will need your unwanted, but salvageable cabinets (and other building materials). You do your part to keep your cabinets out of your land fill, helping a non-profit and obtaining a tax write off for doing it!

Recycled content paper, glass or granite chips incorporated right into a concrete like binder, are popular choices for counter tops. Use low or no VOC (volatile organic compounds-bad for your health) paints and finishes. Renewable or sustainable flooring: cork, bamboo, or linoleum have become more available and priced competitively with traditional vinyl options. Replace inefficient appliances with Energy Star Appliances, standards set by the US Department of Energy. "If just one in 10 homes used Energy Star qualified appliances, the change will be like planting 1.7 million new acres of trees". WOW!

BE SURE YOU: REUSE, REDUCE AND RECYCLE

Consider: "Could someone else need this or uses this?" Before you throw it away
Purchase quality, resilient, durable products and appliances
Look for recycled or sustainable content products: flooring, countertops, fabrics, wallpaper
Request FSC-Forest Stewardship Council wood and paper products, That is a nonprofit organization that certifies the products produced are from responsibly managed forests
Buy locally. How much fossil fuel can be used to obtain the product to you?
Consider adaptive reuse - Antiques, re-upholster furniture, repurposed items
Use lighting and natural light better. Turn lights off when you aren't using them. Use compact fluorescent bulbs, LED (light emitting diodes), dimmer switches on incandescent bulbs or install light tubes
Use low or no VOC paints and finishes
Turn off and/or unplug appliances and computers when not in use. They're phantom energy eaters
Use earth friendly /non-toxic cleaning products
Bring oxygen into your home or business
Buy carbon offsets, contribute to groups that plant trees or invest in renewable energy-a voluntary tax to make up for the fossil fuels we consume
Home design trends today are often incorporated into our everyday living. Weather it really is to re-purpose an existing piece of furniture or even to bring fresh air and day light into your house. By becoming more eco-friendly, you do your part to reduce energy consumption as well as your carbon footprint. This in turn reduces global warming, conserves our finite natural resources and saves your money through the use of less energy. When choosing to work with Erin O'Brien and Erin Designs, LLC, together you can create beautiful, healthier, greener places to call home and work.

By Erin O'Brien
Allied Member - American Society of HOME DESIGN

Erin O'Brien, Allied Person in ASID-American Society of Interior Designers and owner of Erin Designs LLC, is committed to understanding the environmental impact of most her home design projects. By incorporating read more .

Creating healthy, beautiful interiors
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