dreaming of a sustainable summer… grilling green

Grilling

We’re prepping for the season with a series of posts – Dreaming of a Sustainable Summer. C’mon in, the water’s fine and the living is green!

The grilling controversy rages on. Which is better, charcoal, wood, gas or electric? Is grilling even good for you? Is it good for the environment? What’s the best way to grill? Cooking out is a staple of summer, and done right, it is indeed a very green choice. You’ll often use less energy, plus avoid heating up the house (and increasing your need for more AC) by cooking outside. How to grill green? Continue reading

balanced and beautiful…
a little feng shui for good design

Feng Shui

For some, feng shui is an easy roadmap to decorating their home; to others, it’s a mystical thing that makes no sense. For everyone in between, it’s easy to get confused by the often conflicting articles about using feng shui in your home. Literally translated, feng shui simply means “wind water” – more abstractly, it’s about balance, harmony and harnessing the positive. And who can’t use a little more of those things in their homes? Think of this as feng shui for the skeptic, incorporating the concepts of feng shui into the fundamentals of good design to create a livable home that is as balanced as it is beautiful. Continue reading

dreaming of a sustainable summer… patio prep

Patio Prep

We’re prepping for the season with a series of posts – Dreaming of a Sustainable Summer. C’mon in, the water’s fine and the living is green!

Memorial Day is almost upon us, that means the official start of the summer season. It’s time for backyard barbecues, pool parties and dining on the terrace. Is your outdoor space ready? Continue reading

banishing the boring…
out of the box decor

boxy rooms

If your home isn’t blessed with architecturally interesting rooms that include terrific angles, big windows, amazing ceilings and visually appealing features, are you stuck accepting the boring box? Nope. The fact is, most homes have at least one boxy room, and in many apartments and newer homes, the boxy look runs throughout the home. You know the kind, ho-hum ceilings, blah windows, no molding, standard everything. Continue reading