Monday, July 30, 2007

You're In The Lead - It's All About The "RE"

As the designer, you have a leadership opportunity. You can introduce hundreds of new products to your clients that can also make a significant difference in protecting the environment. Don't stop at Redesign - be sure to include the following:

• Use compact fluorescent bulbs in new lighting fixtures you have installed. Your clients will thank you when they save money on electric bills.
• When designing winter draperies, use heavier weight fabric with a lining for its insulating properties.
• Consider reusing vintage materials for lots of interest in your design.
• Include aerators with every fixture you recommend. These inexpensive additions save water at the sink and the shower.
• Look for smart renewable materials - hemp, grass, bamboo, cork, linoleum, and eucalyptus. Find these materials in floor, wall, and window products.
• Buy recycled products and support manufacturers with great recycling programs for the products they sell.
• Don't take it to the dump - give old furniture and fixtures a new life in your design. Recover, repurpose, reuse, and repaint.

You see - it is all about the "Re"!

© 2007, CanvasCorp LLC.
www.CanvasCorp.com

You're In The Lead - It's All About The "RE"
posted by CanvasCorp LLC on 12:26 PM

Saturday, July 28, 2007

You're Looking a Little Green

Even if you don't specialize in eco-friendly "green" design, you can't miss one of the most important shifts in the design industry. Everywhere you look; there is a focus on sustainable "green" design. Even more than just Reduce, Reuse, Recycle - as designers, we often add a fourth word to reflect what designers and DIYers have been doing to protect the environment - Redesign!

Green design practices require us to think and act differently. After all, we cannot say we are supporting the environment if we only focus on the completed design. Every aspect of how you operate your own interior design company should be reconsidered. From sourcing product to presenting your designs; and from advertising and marketing to product consumption within your own design firm. Do you use technology to reduce waste? Do you use recycled paper to render your designs? Do you carpool or use the internet to shop?

Here are some other green design ideas we should familiarize ourselves with:

• VOCs or volatile organic compounds, are gases which are released from things like paint, paint strippers, cleaning products, carpet, plastic, and wood preservatives. And when these products are used inside a home, they will contribute to poor indoor air quality. Make a point of using products with low VOCs.
• Energy Efficient - We are probably all familiar with the energy efficiency ratings on new appliances; but using energy wisely also includes sourcing materials locally from smaller suppliers who don't have large manufacturing plants which may be polluting the environment. Sourcing locally also means that we use less fuel by shipping goods across town instead of across country.
• Renewable - Sourcing renewable materials means looking for natural materials that grow quickly and will not deplete the source at harvest. Renewable also means that at the end of the product life; the product can be recycled or composted.

© 2007, CanvasCorp LLC.
www.CanvasCorp.com

You're Looking a Little Green
posted by CanvasCorp LLC on 12:05 PM