Taking that first step out of your comfort zone is always the most difficult. But once you do, a whole new world opens up. Spring is the best time to do it. Look outside, draw inspiration from nature and bring it indoors.

Challenge yourself to be creative. If you are one of those who would rather chew on tin foil than experiment with a home improvement project, start simple. Pick a room or two and give it a quick punch of color with a new accessory, piece of furniture or fresh coat of paint.

That is exactly what I did after a recent week at the High Point Home Furnishings Market in North Carolina. I was inspired to bring some of the bold colors I saw back home to defy Kansas City’s “Tan Town” image.

Our clients frequently ask about color and trends they see in Elle Décor, Veranda and other shelter magazines, but so often they are are unable to make the first step. I am a big believer in change, but not in trends — especially in home interiors, where colors should be a reflection of décor and personal attitude.

I repainted the showrooms in our furniture and design boutique with the vibrant Sassy Green by Sherwin-Williams. It felt strong and lifelike, picking up so many wonderful complements from nature, bringing what we love about the outdoors in. Clean, sharp whites, coppery browns, silver and even deep reds were enlivened against this strong new backdrop. Existing and new furniture and décor pieces took on fresh dimensions.

Afraid you can’t pull off vivid color in an entire room? Try painting an accent wall: A jolt of color can add drama and style to any ordinary space. With the neutral or tan shades that are prevalent in most homes, options for an accent wall are endless.

Try something fresh. Take your mind to South Beach and experiment with a citrus color, such as Sherwin-Williams’ Mango. I used this vibrant color on an accent wall to give the room an amazing new vibe. The artwork came to life, and the lamps and accessories took on an entirely different feel. Painting an accent wall not only gives the room new verve, it also offers a canvas for creative expression.

In addition to color inspiration, Mother Nature is a wonderful — and free — resource for reinvigorating your interiors. For example, I gathered fallen tree branches, spray-painted them white, tied them to small tacks with clear fishing wire and hung them against a lilac-colored wall to create an indoor forest. Artificial flowers added to the branches gave it color, texture and a softer appearance.

The indoor forest can be easily moved to other areas indoors or out on the patio, enhanced with fresh flowers or colorful votive candles for a summer dinner party. You might adapt it to a child’s room for a wonderful splash of fun. Play with putting lights woven in the branches or use colored clothespins to attach photographs to the branches. Involve your children in the process. It is so important for kids to be fed spoonfuls of creative opportunities. Let them feel the power of being creative.

Spring is the perfect time to check out of “Tan Town” and go for the bold. Crack open the window to the outdoors and let the creativity in during the most beautiful and transformative season.

Source: Kansascity.com

Reach Patrick Madden, a partner at Madden-McFarland Furniture & Design Boutique, 1903 W. 135th St. in Leawood, at pat@maddenmcfarland.com.

This mountain modern home located at the foot of the Gore Range in Three Peaks. Dubbed “Raven’s Nest” the home is a tight design collaboration between Mark Hogan at bhh Partners and Michael Rath at Trilogy Partners with plenty of insight and opportunity provided by the owners. Lots of glass on the south and west mountain facing sides, this 4000 square foot home is a legacy home for a young family that adores the outdoors. The home features a 30 foot high barrel vault ceiling at the entry, a custom water feature and massive chandeliers designed by Trilogy Partners. This was a BIM project, modeling, interiors, and materials selections by Trilogy Partners.

From the homeowner:  “It was while standing in a gallery in Hanoi one day last year that I learned to appreciate the true power of Trilogy’s 3D modeling technology. We had been searching for paintings for our new home in Summit County, but were having difficulty selecting individual pieces, uncertain how they would mesh with the planned design. The stress was increased by the fact that I was shopping alone, 8000 miles away from my wife in Colorado, and desperately afraid of making a mistake! Seeking advice, I sent a series of iPhone photos to Michael. Within hours, both of us received screenshots displaying the artwork as it would actually look in place, along with lighting, finishes, and furniture. This made our decision process so much easier, and it was amazing how closely the depictions in the model matched the finished product!

As we contemplated building our first custom home, we heard plenty of horror stories from friends and relatives. Our experience with Trilogy, however, belied all such expectations. Michael made the design process exciting and fun as we saw our ideas gradually take shape in the model. The computerized, online process made it easy to test out even small design changes and also allowed us to meet remotely when we didn’t have time to travel to Frisco. The software was incredibly detailed and powerful, allowing Michael to design even custom elements such as lighting fixtures and a water feature. Once we began construction, we found Trilogy to be good partners. They were transparent in their accounting and treated us with honesty and fairness at all times. When our home was finished we were dazzled, but not surprised, because it was just like the model! We found the build quality to be excellent; when problems have come up, Michael and our project manager Bill Ashley have been very responsive in addressing them, even long after the project was complete. They take great pride in their work and are not satisfied until everything is perfect. I have no reservations recommending Michael Rath and his team to anyone planning to build in the Colorado mountains, or anywhere else for that matter!”

Take the virtual tour of a Trilogy home in Silverthorne, Colorado.

Desktop Computer or Laptop– Click the link and allow the page to load. To start the Guided Tour, use your mouse to click the “play” button in the bottom left corner of the screen. You can pause the Guided Tour at any time by pressing the space bar, and resume the tour by again pressing play. To move through the space, use your arrow keys. To look up or down,  click & drag with your mouse. Moving up and down stairs is usually easier by clicking your mouse on one of the clear circles. Click on the dollhouse icon in the bottom right of the screen to view the entire space at once in either dollhouse or floorplan view.

On a phone, tablet or touchscreen– Once the page loads, press the play button for the Guided Tour, tap the screen to pause and explore the space, then press play again to resume tour. To move freely through the space, tap on the screen where you want to go. Drag your finger across the screen to look up, down, left or right. Tap the dollhouse icon in the bottom right to view the entire space at once in either dollhouse or floorplan view.

Going green doesn’t have to cost more. Experts at the NAHB Research Center have identified design and construction tactics that builders have used to minimize the cost premium for green.

Constructing a green home does come with some added costs, but a lot of builders find that green practices can actually reduce their construction costs and enhance the quality of the homes they build. Many green practices also result in operational and maintenance savings for homeowners.

Using a combination of input from builders participating in the National Green Building Certification Program and results from recent research we did for HUD on the costs and benefits of green affordable housing, the NAHB Research Center has identified seven beneficial practices to consider when building green for the affordable market.

1. Work closely with your suppliers

If you’re new to green building in general or to building green homes with a lower price point, you may want to start your journey by talking with your product suppliers.

Richmond, Va.-based First Richmond Associates has been building quality workforce housing for nearly two decades. Recently, the builder decided that going green with its homes would provide even greater value to customers and set its product apart from the competition. Susan Hadder, president of First Richmond, admits the company didn’t know much about green building, so she let her suppliers know about the new direction they were taking and asked for their help.

“A lot of them were as new to green as we were,” says Hadder, “but they were excited to help us find the best product options available from various manufacturers. It was kind of fun for everyone to discover something new.”

Hadder says she got very quick responses from all her product reps, along with some incentives, which helped her identify what the company needed to get its new green homes certified to the National Green Building Standard (ICC 700). She was pleasantly surprised to find that many of the green product options that would garner points for the home in the certification process were actually an even swap for her in terms of price.

Specifically with flooring options, she found that recycled-content carpet and padding, engineered hardwood flooring, and recycled tile for the bathrooms were all competitively priced with the products she traditionally used — some a few pennies more per unit, some a few pennies less. First Richmond now has two of their Earth-Friendly workforce homes (sales prices range from the $170,000’s to low $200,000’s) Green Certified to ICC 700 by the NAHB Research Center, and the company has plans for more.

2. Look for two-for-one green product benefits

To maximize green benefits while keeping construction costs low, use products or practices with multiple green features. For example, when specifying cabinets or cabinet materials, look for those that have low- or no-formaldehyde content and are made of recycled material. That way, you may be able to gain green certification points for both indoor environmental quality and resource efficiency. While most green rating systems won’t allow for “double dipping” on points (i.e., claiming points in more than one area for the same green attribute in the same product or practice), most will allow for multiple green attributes in the same product to be counted across multiple point categories.

3. Don’t forget about water efficiency

In our work with HUD, we found that water efficiency improvements for both new and renovated affordable projects are commonly overlooked even though they offer a quantifiable benefit to homeowners for little to no additional construction cost. Be sure not to discount the cost benefits for affordable clients of low-flow faucets, toilets, and showerheads, as well as rated water-saving appliances.

As for finding the products at an affordable price, there is a much wider array of low-flow toilets, faucets, and showerheads on the market today than even five years ago, and the most basic models are cost neutral with comparable non-low-flow fixtures. Most major plumbing product manufacturers now offer these products, eliminating the need for costly special orders, in most cases. With bathroom sink faucets, even if your manufacturer of choice doesn’t make a low-flow version, you can buy replacement aerators that satisfy the requirements of most national green rating systems for around $2 a piece.

New construction on the Goose Pasture Tarn in Blue River, Colorado outside of Breckenridge.

 

4. Consider alternative framing techniques

Some changes in your framing materials or techniques might provide both cost/time savings and a means to an end in securing points toward green certification. For instance, consider using panels or trusses in lieu of site-built systems. These techniques are labor and resource efficient, resulting in less on-site waste and possibly lower labor and materials cost overall. Fabricated systems often create greater thermal efficiency over stick frames. Many green rating systems, including the National Green Building Standard, also award points for use of panels and trusses.

If you want to continue framing totally on site, there are several optimum value engineering (OVE) techniques that can save on material or labor costs, and can generate green points at the same time. Look into options like:

• Ladder blocking — uses less wood; provides more room for insulation; gets green points
• Two-stud corners — at least one less stud at each corner; allows for more fully insulated corner; gets green points
• Switch from 2x4s at 16 inches on center to 2x6s at 24 inches on center — may result in small increase in incremental cost initially, but gets a lot of green bang for your buck.

5. Explore low-cost strategies with design

Green, at any price point, is not accomplished through product selection alone. Many of the other “ingredients” for a green home involve strategies that can cost very little or nothing at all. For example, depending on the orientation and size of your lot, flipping a house plan is a very low-cost, low-effort activity that can result in green benefits like positioning the majority of windows on the south side of a home for passive solar and natural lighting gains.

6. Pay attention to placement and sizing of hvac and plumbing systems

Optimize your duct runs and centrally locate your mechanical room for material cost savings and increased energy efficiency. Even for smaller homes, be sure not to have more ducts or longer duct runs than you need in any part of the house. Using a central return also reduces material costs and is a simple system that can provide adequate circulation and cost savings to both you and your buyers.

Placing all your HVAC equipment, including ducts, in conditioned space within the home is also beneficial. In addition to creating significant energy savings for homeowners, this practice may also allow you to spec smaller, less-expensive HVAC equipment and limit or eliminate the need for additional insulation for the duct system. Many homes today, even those that may be otherwise energy and resource efficient, have oversized HVAC equipment. As the building envelope of your homes becomes tighter and more energy efficient, the HVAC burden is significantly reduced. A smaller system obviously costs less and could offset other green upgrades you’re making in your homes.

For your plumbing system, make sure you have chosen the most efficient design for your purposes. For multi-story homes, consider a stacked system, which will probably require shorter plumbing runs, less piping, and possibly less labor time from your plumbing contractor. Also consider centrally locating your water heater, as a central location makes the average of every run shorter, thereby reducing material costs.

7. Rely on green design professionals

Green homes often require a higher degree of precision in their design and construction to ensure that the finished product works the way it was designed to work, as a whole house relying on interdependent systems for its optimum efficiency and homeowner comfort. Having experts well versed in green products, practices, and protocols can save you thousands of dollars in trial-and-error and callbacks in the long run.

That being said, there are different ways to go about creating your design team. One way is to seek out experts in areas such as mechanical systems, plumbing design, and landscape architecture, with specific expertise in green building practices. Another tactic is to rally those with whom you already work to the pursuit of greener, more efficient homes. Similar to the enthusiasm and excitement Susan Hadder generated with her suppliers when First Richmond began seeking green solutions, you may generate the same kind of interest with your existing construction partners to learn all they can and contribute. Either way, it’s important to get everyone in your construction chain on the same page with what you’re trying to accomplish. Contractors and suppliers that are not informed can create inadvertent barriers to your ultimate success.

More information and technical detail about these techniques can be found on the Research Center’s technical website,www.ToolBase.org.

Created in 1964, the NAHB Research Center (www.nahbrc.com) is a full-service product commercialization company that strives to make housing more durable, affordable, and efficient. The Research Center provides public and private clients with an unrivaled depth of understanding of the housing industry and access to its business leaders.

Source : Professional Builder

Extreme remodel on the Goose Pasture Tarn in Blue River, Colorado

Silverthorne Colorado home

Green has been a buzzword in design for at least 25 years (I am going off of my Earth Day 1992 tote bag that was just unearthed from my parents home). What are some creative ways that you can use renewable materials in your home design?

Smart light bulbs, eco-mattresses, and a Tesla Powerwall that can run a 2 bedroom home on solar are some of the more obvious products available in the sustainable design market. For something less expected, you can also purchase a mushroom mycelium lamp that is painted with non-toxic paint that is grown instead of manufactured. Another unusual selection is

MushLume Trumpet Pendant (Photo credit: Nix + Gerber Studio)

When designing your new construction or remodel, here are some easy choices to make your home a little more green and a little more sustainable with items that you already need:

Trex Decking: made from 95% recycled wood and plastic. This company also employs practices right in their manufacturing facility like eliminating the use of harmful chemicals and reclaiming factory waste.

Milk Paint: “green paint” refers to any paint that is an alternative to petroleum based paints. Milk Paint contains no VOC’s (volatile organic compounds) or additives that can be harmful to the environment. So you can breathe easy knowing that your walls, cabinets or outdoor spaces are working with you and the Earth.

Bio-glass backspash: recycled glass takes just 30% of the energy that would be required to produce it from raw materials. And there are stunning options to choose from!

LEED Certified Windows: these ensure energy efficiency is not compromised when embracing the views from your house.

Virtual Reality and 3D modeling: architect Michelle Kaufman has said “The most green material you can use is one that you never use.” With employing 3D modeling that allows you to go inside of your remodel or new construction, space planning is at a premium and every inch is accounted for. You can experience your home through VR and feel the space rather than just trusting or guessing what it the finished product will be like. Find a design team that will allow you to go inside your house and see your design selections well before purchasing or installation.

For more information on defining renewable vs nonrenewable materials, check out Karen S. Garvin’s article via LIVESTRONG.

Have you incorporated any green design selections in your house?

Did you know that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency claims about 40 to 50 percent of wood from demolished buildings can be reused in new construction? While in the past there were limited ways to recycle wood in the United States, it’s becoming a more common practice because there are so many ways recycled wood can be used by builders.

One of our favorite reclaimed timber projects was Trey Parker’s Steamboat Springs home. In his home, we used timbers that had been salvaged from a railroad bridge that had at one time covered a part of the Great Salt Lake, much to the delight of local wildlife who thought the salted timbers were dessert. Using reclaimed timber was a great choice to create the look that was desired for this home, as well as a way to continue in our efforts of creating an environmentally friendly home.

Reclaimed timber beams are also a great choice because aged wood is seasoned, which means it is more stable than newly cut wood. Along with using reclaimed timber beams, wood that has is historic, recycled, or reclaimed can also be used for flooring and walls in new construction. Recycled wood can also be useful as garden or yard art, or to create new furniture. Using reclaimed and recycled wood doesn’t have to stop at the framing of a home.

Here at Trilogy Partners, we strive to be as environmentally responsible as possible in our building practices. Using reclaimed timber and recycled wood is just one way we achieve that goal.

Reclaimed Timber Frame house

Source: Better Homes and Gardens bhg.com

A mantle can be the centerpiece of your holiday decorations and a chance to showcase traditional holiday decorations, or customize it to show off your own personal style.

Use these tips to create a mantel masterpiece for the holidays:

• Sometimes, a subtle touch is better than something that stands out. Consider using a combination of muted colors and minimalist elements to make the seasonal decorations blend in with their normal counterparts. This saves you the trouble of having to remove your normal decorations, making the transformation both easier and less time-consuming.
• Rustic elements are a time-tested method with which to decorate your mantel for the holidays. However, if you want a touch of sophistication, consider using glass and a little metallic trim.
• Boldly colored candles can make a powerful statement if you are interested in something more artistic. For safety purposes you may want to use electronic candles.
• Think out of the box and repurpose items around the house (such as the martini glasses below or simple ornaments in similar shades of color) to be the centerpieces of your mantle.
• Festive boughs and wreathes are always popular.

Happy holidays to you and yours from Trilogy Partners!

MELISSA RAYWORTH, For The Associated Press | It’s a design opportunity that’s easily missed: Even the most stylishly decorated rooms often have bland wooden doors with cheap hardware.High-end designers have always made doors a priority, says Brian Patrick Flynn, an interior designer and founder of FlynnsideOut. “If you look at any Fifth Avenue apartment” in New York City, he says, “you’ll probably fall in love with their doors because they blend architecture with decorating and make it really special.”

But many of us ignore the doors in our homes, not realizing what a difference they can make to the look of a room. Whether your style is traditional or modern, subtle or bold, improving your doors can give your rooms an easy facelift.

Interior designer Emily Henderson, host of HGTV’s “Secrets from a Stylist,” uses doors as a canvas for anything from wallpaper or stenciling to textured paint or artfully applied gold leaf. Decorated doors can “bring a bit of surprise glamour,” she says, and highlight architectural elements.

But know what sort of change you’re looking for. “Sometimes you want your door to be disguised” and blend quietly into the space, Henderson says. Other times, you’re seeking a burst of color or texture to draw attention.

INFUSING STYLE

Painting with bold or contrasting colors can quickly make a door the star of a space, Flynn says. Try painting an entire door white and letting it dry for at least one day. Then put painters’ tape over the areas you’d like to keep as white accents, and paint the entire door another color (glossy black is great, he says). After removing the tape, touch up any imperfect spots with a tiny brush.

Another option that Flynn loves: Have doors upholstered with leather or geometric print fabric to add softness and style. Leather is easy to wipe clean, he says, and “if it ages over time, that only adds to the look.”

Bring the door to an upholsterer or do it yourself by wrapping the door in cotton batting and attaching fabric with a staple gun along the sides. Tap the staples with a hammer to recess them, then paint over them in a color that matches the fabric. You can also glue ribbon over the staples to hide them.

BRINGING THE LOOK OF YOUR HOME TOGETHER

“Look at your doors,” says Los Angeles-based designer Betsy Burnham. “Do they all match?” If you want a cohesive style throughout the home, try painting every door the same color and accessorizing each with the same stylish hardware.

Burnham usually chooses white or off-white paint for doors and door frames, “but in one house I did all the doors sort of a khaki,” she says, “which was more modern.” If you want a bolder statement, she suggests painting all the doors a dark shade of charcoal and using oil-rubbed bronze doorknobs.

Henderson and Flynn agree that consistency is important for doors that all face the same hallway. On the sides facing into rooms, you can indulge your imagination. But for the sides facing a hallway, “it could look unintentionally messy” rather than creative if the hardware and paint colors don’t match.

EXPRESSING YOURSELF

Doors are a great way to personalize a space, Burnham says. A classic six-panel door has a very different feeling than a heavy wooden plank door with lots of dramatic hardware.

Front doors can be a great place to express your style. A custom-designed door with expensive hardware can have a huge impact and be worth the investment, Burnham says. One option is to “keep the house sort of neutral and do a pop of color at the front door,” she says. “We’ve seen red doors used really well. You could even do a bright teal.”

Inside your home, you can use doorknobs and other hardware “like jewelry,” Burnham says. Try crystal or chinoiserie knobs, oiled bronze metal hardware or shiny chrome, depending on your style. Lately, Flynn has merged fun and function by putting elaborate door knockers on bedroom doors.

If you want to highlight your home’s history or just bring a vintage look to the rooms, consider using doors reclaimed from older buildings. Flea markets and antique shops may have great doors for low prices. They can be accessorized with vintage hardware or new pieces in a vintage style.

But Henderson cautions that installation can be tough. “I’ve tried replacing knobs,” she says, “and it’s actually turned into a bit of a nightmare.”

Another nontraditional option: Use shiny, metallic paint or cover the back of a door with chalkboard paint so you can leave quick notes, scrawl grocery lists or let kids get creative.

ADDING SQUARE FOOTAGE

If closet doors swing out into a small room, consider replacing them with bi-fold doors or pocket doors. Or remove closet doors entirely and turn the area into open shelving. To give it a finished look, wallpaper the closet interior and hang tieback draperies where the doors were.

Burnham loves this idea, but says it only works if you’re someone who will keep storage areas neat. Many clients ask to have doors removed to expose open shelving, she says, “but it’s a really special client who can keep that looking great.”

One last bit of advice: If you do remove bi-fold doors, don’t get rid of them. They make great freestanding room dividers, Flynn says, especially if you paint or upholster them. In a bedroom that doubles as an office, “it’s a great way to delineate work space from sleep space.”

Source: TheDailyNewsOnline.com

To see more of Trilogy’s unique designs and doors, visit our Instagram page.

by Leo Wolfson| brought to you by Breckenridge Building Center

Fall is a time of transition and preparation in the High Country. As the leaves change color so turn the thoughts of Summit County residents to the winter (for better or worse) and six months of snowfall to come. This arctic onslaught is tough on almost any home and a few precautions need to be taken to ensure that yours is ready for winter’s grip.

Pipes: Preventing your pipes from freezing is an extremely important, cost-saving measure that must be taken before winter hits. Surrounding them with insulation or heat tape does the trick, as will heating the crawl space where the pipes are located. Jason Kompf of Antique Design Carpentry & Remodeling sees his fair share of poor winter prep in the High Country. “Wouldn’t be uncommon to have 20-something houses and (they are) flooded from         frozen pipes every winter,” he chuckled. Kompf recommends taking care of pipes no later than Thanksgiving.

Heating Systems & Furnaces: The last thing you’d ever want is to discover is that your furnace has given out when that first cold snap rolls around. Test your furnace now to make sure that it’s running effectively, which also helps with the frozen pipe issue. Often second-home owners will find out that their heating system has given out upon arrival, making for an inauspicious start to their vacation.

Close-up surfaces: Make sure all exposed wood is sealed up or caulked, which includes keeping paint up to date. “People neglect to paint up here. Every house should be painted on a three- to five-year cycle due to the UV rays and the sun and the weather,” explained Kompf. The extreme High Country elements do a number on the exterior of a house and the longer you wait to get it repainted the greater chance there’ll be wood damage. “I see that a lot — people calling me, they want (me to) repair siding or fix something. They haven’t painted in 15 years and it’s sunned,” said Kompf with a chuckle.

Keeping windows properly sealed is also important. This eliminates drafts and helps save on energy bills.

Gutters and other drainage fixtures: Make sure all leaves and other debris are cleaned out of your gutters. If you wait till spring it will likely be a muddy, moldy mess and could be harmful due to the weight that’s built up.

Decks: Kompf advises using a clear deck sealer on wood decks in the fall. The sealer protects from water damage and will help keep the color longer. Clean a deck frequently before applying the sealer and voilá! You’ll have a protected wood deck that even Old Man Winter can’t touch. If thinking of building a deck for your home this fall, consider a composite material, as it’s cheaper and less sensitive to nature’s elements.

The roof: As winter begins to ramp up, keep an eye out for the amount of snow that collects on your roof. Colorado powder may be light and dry but that hardly matters when 2 feet or more collects, often causing ice dams and structural damage. Kompf recommends shoveling a roof at least once a winter, but if Old Man Winter strikes with an early fury, a trip up to the top deck might be necessary in December.

“No matter how well your roof was done, water can get in there,” said Kompf. Before winter arrives look for loose or broken shingles. These small trouble spots can become large problems during the winter. On the interior, look for stains or damp spots in the crawlspace or top ceiling of your house which can lead to mold and roof damage if not taken care of.

Beware of the south: The south side of a structure may receive the most sun during the winter but this doesn’t mean it’s less exposed to the elements. The location actually creates a vicious melt/freeze cycle that chips away at paint and deteriorates the wood. Extra attention should be paid to this side regarding all previous preparations listed.

Article from Summit Daily courtesy of Breckenridge Building Center | 13445 Hwy. 9, Breckenridge (970) 453-2372 |http://www.breckenridgebuildingcenter.com

Red is a color that has the ability to convey complex emotions, including feelings of vibrancy and warmth. When it comes to using red in home decor, we can turn to nature colors for inspiration.

In the fall, leaves on trees begin to turn red. Generally, this is a warm shade of red with a touch of orange undertones. These red leaves look most stunning against overcast skies that are grayish blue in color. We can pair these two contrasting colors — orange-red and blue-gray — together in home decor to create a vivid, yet warming atmosphere.

Artwork selected in Vietnam by the homeowner brings vibrant colors into the design.

Throughout spring and summer, red appears in nature as the color of flowers. From roses to petunias, red blooms tend to be brighter shades. They convey a sense of youth and creativity, especially when enjoyed next to other bright shades such as the bright green of fresh grass. In the same way, pairing bright shades of red with fresh, grass green and even the bright blue of a summer sky creates a home design that awakens the mind.

When it comes to using red in the home, Trilogy designers love replicating color combinations as seen in nature. It is the perfect way to create beautiful spaces and bring the outside in.

Explore some of our projects where red was incorporated into the design:

Asian Modern Fusion in Silverthorne Three Peaks

Riverhouse in Breckenridge Warrior Mark

Preston Way in the Breckenridge Highlands 

Written by John-David Hutchison

An environmentally friendly building product should cover three essential elements to make it green:

Where does it come from? – Is it a readily renewable resource? Is it local?

Does it have a high percentage of recycled content? How is it made? – What are the ingredients in the manufacturing process?

Is there fair trade involved? How much energy does it take to produce? How does it affect the environment after it is used? – Does the material off gas? What is its care and life span? Is it recyclable at the end of its initial use?

Caleb’s Journey Reclaimed Oak Floor

I live in Chelsea, which is built on a sea of clay. If I were to dig up the clay from my back yard, install it as a floor and polish it with beeswax from my friends at Berg en Dal Honey in Wakefield, I would probably qualify in having the greenest floor. Leaving aside such pure and perfect ambitions, let’s consider more realistic possibilities for the average consumer choices:

Bamboo

Often thought of (and definitely marketed as) the greenest floor on the market, bamboo has probably the longest list of pros and cons. In order for bamboo to meet high environmental standards there are a number of hurdles to consider/overcome.

Bamboo grows incredibly fast, takes very little energy to cultivate, and makes for a very hard floor, around 14-17% harder than maple. If produced and harvested properly the farming of bamboo has a very low environmental impact. To achieve this, the bamboo must be harvested no earlier than every 7 years and cut 6 to 12 inches from the ground, so that the plant can grow back without replanting. The problems are that wild bamboo is used and a lot of the farmed bamboo is harvested at three years, making for a lower quality product.

The manufacturing process also needs to be evaluated. The raw bamboo is stripped, steamed, baked, and dried. It is then compressed using glues and is usually prefinished. Ideally the glues and finishes used are non-toxic with a low VOC content and manufactured in an ISO certified facility. Unfortunately, too often this is not the case; very few of these glues and finishes have a low VOC content and most of the work is done in ramshackle factories with no concern for the health and safety of workers. I have seen pictures of buildings in the deep forests where the workers are wearing nothing but shorts and making their own glues in a large toxic vat over a fire. (This is the $.99/sq. ft bamboo sold at Uncle Joe’s Flooring emporium.)

Bamboo floors take a lot of energy to manufacture and, as it all comes from China, a considerable amount of embedded energy to transport.

Wood

Ah wood, the classic and still most popular choice. Some say you can’t do much better than a locally produced farmed wood product in a solid format (low energy) with a natural oil and wax finish. In Ontario and Quebec you can now find FSC certified solid maple flooring at a fairly reasonable cost.

The opposite end of the spectrum is imported clear-cut Merbau covered in a heavy coating of toxic off gassing Varathane. The devastation of the Merbau forests prompted Greenpeace to produce a hefty volume dedicated to documenting the destruction of the forests. The scary fact is there are many species of endangered trees readily available at your local flooring store.

Engineered wood flooring is manufactured by bonding a veneer of solid wood on top of two to three layers of other, less valuable products. In the greenest examples these secondary layers are made of recycled or waste materials. This manufacturing method results in a more efficient use of the best / most valued wood, stretching out the resource use while still satisfying the consumer need for an abundant variety of options.

Reclaimed wood – On the outset this seems to be the ultimate in environmental choice. There are two main types of reclaimed wood:

1. Flooring made from wood reclaimed from barns or old farmhouses, planed down and reinstalled for your walking pleasure. Unfortunately, due to the intense labour involved in reclaiming the wood, and the limited supply of the product, it is an expensive option. Reclaimed wood also generally needs to be finished onsite, which is a general pitfall for most consumers.
2. River Run Reclaimed flooring is manufactured from logs dredged from the bottom of rivers. It’s a great concept to create quality flooring and it is generally less expensive than reclaimed barn board. The argument against this practice is that no one is quite sure of the long-term impact of pulling up the silt and possible toxins from rivers such as the Ottawa and the Fraser. Impact studies will take some time to finish to before we can really know the environmental consequences.

Cork

I’ll be honest; I have a personal preference for cork. It is warm, soft, and beautiful. The tree is harvested every seven years by shaving the bark from the trunk, not by cutting the whole tree down. Cork flooring is made from the scraps of the manufacturing of wine corks. (In turn, pin boards and gaskets are made from the scraps of making the floors.) Cork trees are highly prized and protected in Spain and Portugal. But as with Bamboo, on the flip side cork flooring is an engineered product from abroad. What’s worse, currently a large portion of cork is shipped to China for manufacturing and then hauled back to Europe and North America for sale. On top of the embedded energy debate, one needs to make sure that the cork is manufactured using low VOC glues and finishes.

Carpet

Carpet is not very fashionable at this time, being looked down upon as a cheap, short-term product that over time will provide a breeding ground for mold and bacteria as the toxic chemical protection wears off. But there is a bright green future in carpet, especially in commercial applications. Up and coming companies are using recycled and recyclable content. (If you haven’t seen “The Corporation”, Interface Carpet’s Ray Anderson is a truly inspirational businessman-come-environmentalist.) Kraus is manufacturing such a product in Ontario.

There are also similar pros and cons for Linoleum, ceramic tile, and cement, but I am running out of room.

In the end, making a decision on the most environmentally friendly floor will involve a lot of tomato, tomato, potato, potato; it can come down to personal priorities. Regardless of your choice there are always trade offs.

If you are really stuck…. I have an acre of clay, send me an e-mail.

About the Author
John-David is currently working as a Sustainability Consultant with CSV Architects in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, specializing in the coordination of the process and submission for LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Green Building Certification by The Canadian Green Building Council (CaGBC). He also makes the best veggie burger in the Outaouais. hutchison@csv.ca

Source: GreenbuildingPro