July at Hanna Antiques- The BIG sale month

January and July are always the big sale months at Hanna Antiques. Why is it so big? Because, literally everything is on sale. Every space has a percentage off with some items marked even lower. Now is the time to stop in... Frankly, more than once. And, bring your gift giving list, secret santa, "stock the gift closet" and all your other buying lists. Stop by now and then in a week and then again before the month is out, the merchandise changes that rapidly!

So, here we are... on the cusp of back to college shopping or maybe your first Thanksgiving dinner and need a few well priced furniture or accessory items. Or perhaps, just a Summer pick-me-up!

Here are my picks from this week as great items at Hanna Antiques. You can find them at 2500 7th Ave. South in Birmingham, AL!

Fantastic accessories for your wall!

Mid-century Delights!

Cute chairs, like the one above for $99!?!!?

Character pieces like this fab red chest of drawers

Scandinavian Modern Designs, like this chrome nesting table set. 

And, just plain ol' GROOVY things like this red metal cabinet for $150!

2015 Birmingham Decorator show house

Perspective. Copyright: Laurl Designs

I am super excited to be chosen as one of the designers to participate in the 2015 Decorator show house! I am, also, really excited about the space I have been chosen to design.

I designed two spaces for the bidding process and which ever design I was working on was the design I loved best. So, I could not be happier to bring you the coolest "back hall" you will have seen!

To the left is a composite image of the space with the orange desk, vintage metal ceiling tiles on the wall, Sweater carpet from FLOR and black and white art work above the desk. The chair is the lead singer in this band! With a mix of pink and orange fabrics on a vintage chair of soft olive, she is a standout.

I am calling the back hall "the nerve center of the house" beacuse it is where you chart everyone's activities, plan meals, and organize life. And, organizing life can be messy at times, so I am adding organization tools that are cool, industrial and vintage and combining them with a classic desk that you can close when you don't want to see all the papers. The space can be used as a sitting area, as well as function in the more mundane back hall aspects, like storing the dog's leash and your coats.

Board 1. Copyright: Laurl Designs
Fun colors in pink and orange plays well with white and cream... and always a little lucite!

Best of all this space is about green design and great design. Beside the great design of function, function and function ( by the way the FUN in function is the colors), this space is designed to be budget friendly and green with each piece made from recycled materials, vintage (i.e. second hand) pieces, or from plant based materials and most are source locally. This space shows that green design doesn't have to be sterile and boring... or earthy and dirt colored.

Board 2. Copyright Laurl Designs
Luxe flokati rug over white bench with silver dipped legs, cool industrial coat rack and a custom file cabinet for storage .

Speaking of color, this space is color theory at work with bright colors to energize whomever is working in the space on possibly less than exciting tasks. Of course, bring colors and me together means pink and orange... or should I say PINK and ORANGE.  It's bright and tempered at the same time. It is neutralized by a lovely light olive and lots of shades of white. The whites and creams brings a freshness, light and a sense of better organization to calm the mind. Welcome to the "Nerve Center" of the 2015 Decorator Show House!

Painted Chandelier- sprayed to coordinate DIY

The latest issue of Country Living features a home with the very hot trend of blue and white. In the bedroom, designer Emily Henderson sprayed a floral chandelier to a solid blue which completely updated the look of the piece. I would not recommend doing this to a chandelier of any value, or one who's fortune could change. But, a chipping, dented, chandelier that might have a bit of rust, perfect!  And, I have a collection of chandeliers for you to choose from, all are available from Hanna Antiques at a reasonable price!

Note the "bright idea" from Country Living May 2014

Now, DIY it! Good spray paint, something to hang it from outside, and some paper covering the candles and sockets and you are ready to go!

Here are some lamps for you to head over to Hanna's and pick up for your project.

I think all of these are under $200 many closer to $100! Head down to Hanna's and in the words of Jack Horkhiemer "keep looking up!"

Earth Day Celebration- City of Hoover Hazardous Waste Day

Sorted hazardous waste

A bin of paint cans

  

I am proud of my city for many reasons, mostly for their attention to the environment! I love that you can take your cooking oil to the fire stations so that it can be recycled into bio-diesel for the city's vehicles. I love that they provide generous recycle cans that reduce my garbage day needs to once a week, though two are offered. And most of all, I love that they provide a Hazardous Waste Day for the residence! It usually falls on the Saturday after Earth Day. 

It is so well organized and takes about 10 minutes! I keep a "hazardous waste day" box in the garage for old battery, florescent light bulbs, and other things to small to really keep up with.  Then on Saturday, I pack the trunk and head over.

So, City of Hoover, AL, I salute you for your commitment to the environment with logical steps that saves the city money, provides disposal from paints to old medicines, and protects the water ways!

All lined up and ready to deposit!

The Details:

Household Hazardous Waste Day
Saturday - April 26, 2014
8 AM - NOON
Hoover Metropolitan Stadium
100 Ben Chapman Dr
Hoover, AL   34244
The City of Hoover will hold our annual Household Hazardous Waste Day event on Saturday, April 26th. This is always such a great way for the residents of Hoover to safely dispose of household chemicals, pesticides, paints, batteries, automobile fluids, electronics, medications, guns, ammo and other hazardous items.

Additional Information:
ONLY HOOVER RESIDENTS ARE ALLOWED TO PARTCIPATE
Verification of residency required (Valid driver license, current photo id with address)
No businesses allowed

Household Hazardous Waste Day

ACCEPTED ITEMS AT THIS EVENT:

Automotive Fluids (motor oil, antifreeze, brake fluid, gas and/or mixed gas)

Batteries (automotive & alkaline)
Caulk/glue
Household Cleaners

Fluorescent Tubes/Light Bulbs

Oil & Latex Paint, Aerosol Paint, Paint Thinners/Paint Strippers/Paint Removers 

Pesticides, Herbicides, Fertilizer

Wood Preservative

Wall Paper Remover

Grease and Rust Solvents

Standard Vehicle Tires (No commercial or heavy equipment tires will be accepted) Preservatives

Lighter Fluid

Kerosene

Moth Balls

Insect Repellent 

Waste Cooking Oil

See list of items that will be accepted by Hoover Police which will include Prescription/Non-Prescription Medications, Ammunition and Guns.

Checking for proof of Hoover residency.

All images are from the City of Hoover website. Find more information about Hazardous Waste Day here and see the rest of their images for the event.

Green design- in common practice

I have been thinking a lot about green design today and how most people already practice the tenets of green living, even if we do not live it to the letter. And, probably do not see themselves as "environmentally-friendly" people. We call it other things like saving money, saving time, being crafty, shopping or helping local artists. Like many things, it all depends on the way you frame it.

More info about this image here.

If you choose to rearrange your furniture instead of throwing everything out and buying all new furniture, you are working in the tenets of green design. Same goes for painting furniture instead of tossing it!

My antique space at Hanna Antiques in Birmingham

If you are shopping for accessories in an antique mall, or to some extend TJ Maxx or Homegoods. You are buying recycled and saving items from the trash, that are not trash.





If you are choosing a paint that doesn't smell, then you are choosing low-VOC (volatile organic compounds) paints and helping the environment, as well as the respiratory health of your family.

Beautiful pottery from my friend, Tena Payne, found here.

If you buy ceramics or pottery from a local artist, or art gallery that represents locals, then you are buying regionally which is very green especially since many potters are able to get they clay locally.



Greener than you thought?  It is not just about sorting your trash for the recyclers or buying smelly sofas from the thrift store. Respecting the environment is not an all or nothing proposition, thankfully. It is steps toward a healthier world around you on a continuum.

This is the first post in a series of posts on green design and living. Next up is all about water! Please follow my blog for more info, or search green design in my search box on the right to see most ideas and ways to easily practice greener living.

UPDATE: lawn mower love

I am updating my original post from April 2012, because after 2 season of grass cutting, I still love this lawn mower! Though it is lightweight, think easy to maneuver, it still cuts all the grass evenly. Now, when I say "grass" I am really referring to a mixture of short green vegetation that grown in the space I call "yard". It is actually many varieties of grass and weeds and a bit of small hedge- resulting from an ill placed bird feeder. It will never be in a "turf-builder" commercial... unless it is the before shot.

The charge cord is really long, so the mower does not need to be near the power outlet, which are few and far between in a garage. I do not use the mulch bag and let everything compost, which is better for my area since the soil layer is thin. My yard, and most in my area, include natural rock outcroppings.

Let's talk performance, I use it on my back yard only and I have a pie-piece shaped yard that is nearly and acre, the bulk of the yard is the front. And, the back has garden areas, so not a giant space to cut, but oddly shaped and pieced out. Even with some back tracking, I can easily cut the yard on one change. I have even cut it once on a charge and half again a couple of weeks later on the same charge. If you are cutting thick or tall grass, it runs the battery down quicker. However, I found the solution after reading "the Grumpy Gardener" from Southern Living Magazine say on Facebook to cut your grass high to kill off weeds and encourage your grass without chemicals. I easily changed the wheel height, with one lever, and started cutting higher. Solved the problem of trying to cut the thick part of the yard, which was a foil for this mower... to be fair that part is a foil for every mower I have used. Still waiting on more grass and less weeds... But I trust you Steve (Grumpy Gardener), and I'll eventually get there.

So, two lawn season and still going strong. No gas, no lawn mower repair shop, no cord, no problems! No reason not to buy now and get an end of the season deal!

Post from April 2012:
I am in love... with my lawn mower! It's a new lawn season and I have a new mower. This year it is a cordless Black and Decker battery powered mower. It is so quiet, powerful, and can take on tall grass, um yeah, I put off cutting grass a while until I got the mower, and best of all no gas. It sounds like a big fan and I guess technically it is a big fan with very sharp blades.
Grass cutting always makes me think of summer at my grandmothers. She was a scheduled woman certain days were grocery days, then there was grass cutting days. The day before glass cutting days I was allowed to cut tracks into the grass with trimmers to play cars, runway, or whatever needs paths. Of course they were gone by the end of the next day. So, on grass cutting day, grandmother would put on capri length pants and her grasshopper shoes to head out to the lawn. To this day my sister and I refer to a certain length of pants-capris coming to mid-calf- as grass cutting length. Grass cutting length is not flattering, though functional, and the equivalent of shorts if you were born in the nineteen-teens!
Join me in the green revolution and try an electric lawn mower!

Fall pumpkins from recycled books

I love what people do with used and unwanted books. I played around with the idea of the pumpkin made from a book. And added my own methods and look.

It is perfect for Halloween, as well as Thanksgiving. I love a season craft that bridges two holidays.


I started with used books from the free bin in front of a local used book store.


My requirements included lots of pages, clean pages, and a good spine.

First I cut off the covers and spines... these maybe a future kindle covers! Then I began carving the pumpkins shape (half a pumpkin, actually) with an x-acto knife. A knife is easier than using scissors.









HINT: use the bottom of the book edge for the bottom of the pumpkin to add stability and save some cutting time.

Then I cut jute rope to a length that went the length of the spine. One end is hot glued, the other is wire- wrapped. The wire-wrapped end is the "view" end. The other end goes in the center of the pumpkin.











Next, using hot glue, attach the rope to the center of the spine and glue the book all the way around the rope. Then flex the book pages to make the page spaces as even as possible.

Lastly, I choose to add seam binding loops and Spanish moss at the top.

Cute, cute, cute and easy to make with, most likely, things you have around the house!

CEU credits- woefully behind

I am feeling woefully behind after I received an email from the US Green Building Council about my time running out on finishing my continuing education units to maintain my certification. Then after working on them for 1 day, I get an email from the Interior Design Continuing Education Council reminding me that I have 5 months left in the year to complete those hours. It is that time of year?

My take-away tonight from the LEED  videos are:

"The greenest buildings are the ones we already have." This is in reference to reusing and recycling materials

            

"Planning the work and working the plan." This was just a great phrase. Working my plan will be finding CEU's that can count for both programs! I feel it is time to start kills two birds with one stone!

Great Green Design- St. Patrick's day edition

In honor of St. Patrick's Day... which seems to me growing in popularity... I am curating a collection of great interior designs in a green color scheme. From high style modern to French inspired to living walls here is the best of the best I have found.

You can click HERE to find all the link backs and repins from Pinterest, as well as more green interior design images. Feel free to repin yourself or follow this, or any of my boards for daily design update and repins!

fretwork - recycling great pieces

Fretwork is an easy item to recycle into the home. It is lightweight, decorative, and adds depth to a space from the age or patina of the pieces. Below are some great uses for fretwork that has been re-imagined into more modern spaces.



hotel room screen screens bath from bed



Fretwork as "shutters" from Elle Decor

Fretwork mirror from http://circawho.com/category/mythoughts/

New "wood" floors- great ceramic tiles

I am in love with the versatility of the new floor tiles with the look of wood. They have come along way and the variety of patterns for each color way, as well as the size of the planks, enhances the look of real wood.

So, why would you want tile that looks like wood instead of wood? The are more durable that wood with insect resistance- including termites, resist staining, scratching and are easier to clean than wood. Additionally, they can go in places that traditionally are not recommended for wood, like bathrooms.

Granted the grout lines are a giveaway, however, you are not trying to deceive people that they are not tile, you are making an investment in durable construction!

Typically they come in a 6 inch by 24 inch length and can by cut like any ceramic tile. Lastly, some brands are 100% recycled content. So, no trees were harmed and waste was prevented from entering the landfills! Best of all no refinishing, no gassing off sealers, no warping or cupping!

Luxetile's porcelain wood grain plank tile in Chocolate



Historic preservation meet LEED-AP at the Montevallo hardware store

So, I was dovetailing my commitments to the University of Montevallo's alumni board meeting and doing my homework of documenting a historical interior for my research class. I decided to do lobby of the first school building, built in 1851, because that's where my meeting was. I remembered everything, but my measuring tape. So, I stopped into Holcombe's Lumber and Hardware, just across the RR tracks in Montevallo, to pick one up. And the man at the counter was asking questions of the two clerks about the smelly nature of oils or acrylics and which is less and getting no where, when I chime in... "I think you are looking for a low-VOC paint, it's really the volatile organic compounds that make the smell and are so bad for you, not the type of paint" Ummm, ladies are not supposed to chime into man-talk in a hardware store. The clerk informed me that he was looking for paint to seal a concrete wall. I didn't see that the use made a difference, so I just smiled and nodded. He then reluctantly agree that I was actually right and well... "concrete sealing paint doesn't come in low-VOC yet."

Mmm hmmm, that's what I thought, mister.

Green Countertops

PaperStone solid surface panels

PaperStone solid surface panels make beautiful countertops with a stone like finish. Additionally, they can mimic wood and patina over time, like wood, into a deep lustrous finish. According to their website, PaperStone is “is a sustainable composite material made from 100% post-
consumer recycled paper, our own PetroFree™ phenolic resins and natural pigments.” Since the 100%, recycled paper content is “certified to Forest Stewardship Council standards by the Smartwood program of The Rainforest Alliance,” the PaperStone panels can aid in achieving LEED points in Materials and Resources MC4.2 Recycled Content 20% (post consumer plus ½ pre-consumer) as well as a possible exemplary point for innovation in design for exceeding the Recycled content percentage. This product does not gas off making it a contributor to indoor environmental quality points, as well.  

my latest invention

I needed a rain cover for my seedling, a bad storm was a-brewin' late in the week. I ordered some protective garden cover/ row cover, but it wasn't getting here fast enough. So, I started "plan b-ing" and remember some old screens in the garage. A little copper wire and some landscape pins and I was in business with some screen tents for the garden. I love it when cheap meets ingenuity. They kept the garden neat from the rain, too!

planters from Home Depot

So, I got these raised beds from Home Depot, cedar, and super attractive. Shockingly, they were only $40 and I was stunned at how easy they were to put together. They are part of the eco-options collection and the cedar is FSC (forest stewardship council) certified wood. So, the wood was grown in a sustainable manner. The item was packaged beautifully, maybe even too good for a green product. They were thoughtfully designed for good looks and easy assembly. The pre-drilled holes were clean, the instructions were easy to follow, they even have cross bracing. I couldn't have asked for more and I couldn't have built them at that price. Great job Home Depot!
The seedlings are putting on their second set of leaves and we will be getting a cold spell this weekend, so I will be able to harvest the compost in cool weather and plant the garden on Sunday. Things are looking up for some very local produce!

indoor humidity

Temperature is the conditioning factor that we most often think about with indoor air comfort and quality, as well as those nasties that you air filter removes. However, indoor air humidity is one of the unseen forces that make our home comfortable. Humidity also affects the wood in your home, it can cause shrinking and cracking of floors and furniture.

Humidity, especially in the South, is an important element in our air. In the summer the humidity can make it oppressively hot and sticky. In the winter our skin and other systems, so used to the humidity, can revolt when the indoor humidity drops below 30%. According to ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 55-1995 Thermal Environmental Conditions for Human Occupancy, the optimal humidity for the indoors is a range between 30% and 60%. ( ANSI/ ASHRAE stands for American National Standards Institute and American Society of Heating Refrigeration and Air/Conditioning Engineers.) You will need a hygrometer to measure your humidity, but a zap from the door knob will let you know there is a problem. Many digital thermometers also measure the humidity.

So, how do we achieve a humidity level in the optimal range? A common suggestion is to leave to bowls of water sitting around the house, which is the slow boat method. And, your pets might be drinking the water instead of letting it evaporate. I prefer a less passive methods, check out my list below!


Top 7 ways to increase humidity in your home
** denotes Eco-friendly ideas

1. Use a humidifier. Place it in the room you are occupying and near the heat vent. The vent will aid in distribution.
2. **Hang your clothes to dry indoors. Purchase a rack or two to hang sheets, towels, or all you clothes to dry. Not only will this add humidity, it will save on you energy bill.
3. Misting. This only might seem a bit odd, but I like to mist my face, I have very dry skin, with a hydrosol or rose water. It's very hydrating and smells nice.
4.**Steaming, instead of ironing, is a great way to remove wrinkles in your clothing, increase you air quality, and save on energy. Irons eat electricity!
5. **Winterize your home. Make sure windows and doors are not bring in cold dry air.
6. Make soup and hot teas. Not only does this nourish your body and soul, stave off a cold and stock the freezer, but boiling liquid adds steam to the air.
7. ** Add plants. Plants are the lungs of the earth as we all know, but they can also be the lungs of the home, taking in carbon dioxide and giving back oxygen and humidity.

winter colors

This morning I was watching my bird feeder and thinking about the colors of the little songbirds visiting me. The yard in winter is mostly taupe to ivory, with dried grasses and bare tree limbs. Winter yards are like the color palette of a common "model home" in a new subdivision... all neutrals and a "pop of color". In the model home the pop of color is the pillows, in the yards the pop of color is usually the berries on evergreen bushes. But if you are lucky, you will get the treat of the songbirds at the feeder.
Today's color palette at the feeder included a new bird, a fabulously ostentatious yellow bird. And like many of the birds who visit my feeder, when the sun hits his feathers they change color, sometimes brightening, sometimes a change in hue. This little bird went from yellow to chartreuse, not a color normally found in nature. But reflecting on the colors of these breakfasting birds, you can see how the color palette around you can change too with different lighting. You can look upon these birds for your next color inspiration, too. My favorite winter bird is taupe with a reddish head. When the sun strikes this bird, his head and back go from dull red to cerise. He glows.
So, how can we make our world glow again, change your lights. Next time you find a sale on CFL light bulbs, buy two packs. One pack should be a cool color temperature, about 5000K, sometimes referred to as "daylight". The other should be warm, around 2700K, sometimes referred to as "soft". Now, replace all the bulbs in a room with one color of bulbs and turn on all the lights. Look around sit down and spend a few minutes doing what you would normally do in the room. Then, replace all the bulbs with the other and do the same test. Which light temperature makes you room sing like a bird? Different rooms will benefit from different lighting at different times of the day. So you might want to try this experiment more than once. So environmentally friendly, you will not be replacing these bulbs anytime soon wih CFL's!
Enjoy your brighter new room.

stylish storage- external hard drive

I have been on the hunt for a hard drive... a stylish hard drive. I know the considerations should be size and price, but if I spending the money, I want something that looks good as well.

I narrowed it down to two brands, one speaks to my green side, the other on purely aesthetics and the parameters of around $100 and a terabyte of space. My green option was the [re]drive by Simpletech from Hitachi. the exterior is made from bamboo and recycled aluminum and it is energy star rated boasting a USB drive which is 25% faster than USB2.0.

Pretty snazzy!

LaCie was my other brand of choice, they have produced some of the coolest electronic gadgets with reasonable prices. I was first smitten with the LaCie Golden Disk designed by Ora-Ito. It looks like water reflecting a sunset or a morphed Chanel quilting bag. And, I what other beauties do they offer... Who knew the beauties I would behold! The Lacie Grand Disk with the subtle face reminding me of a Paloma Picasso design from Tiffany's, it's as if the hand drive could really have a brain.

Golden Disk on the left and the grand Disk on the right.

Then I found the one, the one that makes your heart sing, well is anything Phillippe Starck makes your hear sing... which it does mine! Below is the LaCie hard drive designer by Starck.

It contrasts the smooth front of the Grand Disk with the aluminum hard case of the [re]drive and adds a lighted orange Starck logo as the"on" indicator. And, features a touch sensitive front. I had to have it! All are available on Amazon.com.