Showing posts with label Green. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Green. Show all posts

Sunday, June 2, 2013

Top 10 Green Building Projects 2013 - Fast CoExist

Last month, Fast Company's CoExist featured 2013's Top 10 Green Building Projects. These projects include a kids day school, a planned community and the US Army Corps of Engineers Northwest District regional headquarters. These designs are full of earth friendly technology, innovation and are great examples of the direction that modern architecture is moving in.
(all photos from Fast CoExist)

The Norris Houses live in an affordable planned community in Norris, Tennessee. The homes consist of solar hot water panels and passive solar design to help control the interior climate. 

The Charles David Keeling Apartments are on the UC San Diego campus. These apartments feature a solar rooftop array and on-site wastewater recycling.

The Clock Shadow Building houses non-profit health care organizations, an ice cream store and an artisan cheesemaker. The building itself features a rooftop garden, a rainwater harvesting system and carbon neutral energy usage

 The US Army Corps of Engineers Northwest District regional headquarters was constructed on brownfield land in Seattle. You would expect the USACE to use lots of green technology in the design and construction of this building and they did - "a rainwater collection system that will harvest 430,000 gallons of water each year, a building envelope outfitted with high-performing glass, and materials derived from a decommissioned WWII warehouse that was formerly on the site."

 EHDD included student input and feedback when designing the Marin Country Day School Learning Resource Center and Courtyard. Students were involved from beginning to end, keeping track of the construction process and the end results. Now THAT'S a new idea!



The Merritt Crossing Senior Apartments were built by Leddy Maytum Stacy Architects (they were also responsible for the first housing community for autistic adults). Merritt Crossing was also built on brownfield land and features rooftop solar panels.

Pearl Brewery/Full Goods Warehouse was built on brownfield land in San Antonio, Texas. It features a 67,000 square foot LEED Gold Warehouse, beer vat rainwater tanks and Texas's largest roof-mounted solar array.

The goal behind San Francisco's Public Utilities Commission Headquarters was for it to be "the greenest urban building in the United States." The building features on-site grey and black water treatment, rooftop solar panels and an integrated wind turbine.
The Swenson Civil Engineering Building was made from local material and features an underground storm water retention system and occupancy and daylight sensor controls.

The Yin Yang House has almost net zero energy use and creates all of it's own energy on-site using a 12-kW solar system. The home also features a green roof and uses passive cooling






Monday, April 22, 2013

Happy Earth Day!



Approximately 4 million trees were lost in the destructive Texas wildfire in 2011.  High Fashion Home and Arbor Day Foundation will plant  34,864 trees in 2013 towards the Lost Pines Forest Recovery Campaign.  And we are hoping to plant considerably more.  Thanks to all of our wonderful customers for contributing to a meaningful cause. High Fashion Home might be just one store.  But when working together with caring people and incredible organizations, we can start making a difference.

As of March 31, 2013, High Fashion Home and the Arbor Day Foundation have committed to planting 50,604 trees around the world.


Here are some photos below that the Arbor Day Foundation was kind enough to share from their recent trip to the Bastrop State Park.


 A newly planted tree.


A landscape photo showing a strand of trees that have just been planted.  The little pink/red specks throughout the photo are flags identifying a new tree.

Friday, March 22, 2013

World Water Day Celebration!


Water is something that a lot of us take for granted.  Having clean, drinking water is akin to the sun rising every morning.  We assume both will just happen.

As it turns out, one out of every nine people in the world do not have access to clean water.   The impact from the global water crisis is 3.4 million people dying each year from water, sanitation, and hygiene-related causes.  Often times, the burden of water collection from remote wells falls upon women and children in developing countries.

Today is World Water Day.  Make a difference and stand up for a cause where small contributions can make a big impact.  Check out the folks over at Water.org.  They do a wonderful job working towards real solutions.  Let's help make the world a better home.


Other organizations addressing the water crisis:

OneDrop.org
CharityWater.org

Tuesday, January 8, 2013

Interior Design Trends for 2013!!

Wanna know some hot interior design trends for 2013?? Well, thanks to House Beautiful and Elle Decor, we have some idea! Here are their top design trends for this year.

BRASS!! That painting in the background is pretty fantastic too!
(House Beautiful)

 Elle Decor agrees with House Beautiful on BRASS!
(Elle Decor)

Elegant, graceful design

Homey Kitchens! More tile and wood accents.

From the runway to your living room sofa! Computer generated fabrics!!
(House Beautiful)

 GREEN!!! Yes! We already knew this. : )
(Elle Decor)

GLOSS!! Lacquer! POLISH! The shinier the better?? What do you think?
(House Beautiful)

 Embellished Walls!
(Elle Decor)


Emphasis on ART!

Bright Paint Colors!

Sophisticated Man Caves!

Antique Furniture!

Friday, October 19, 2012

Making The World a Better Home


Approximately 4 million trees were lost in the destructive Texas wildfire in 2011.  High Fashion Home and Arbor Day Foundation  have thus far committed to planting 25,525 trees in 2013 towards the Lost Pines Forest Recovery Campaign.  And we are hoping to plant considerably more.  Thanks to all of our wonderful customers for contributing to such a worthwhile cause. High Fashion Home might be just one store.  But when working together with great people and incredible organizations, we can start making a difference.


http://www.arborday.org/takeAction/disasters/lost-pines.cfm
http://www.highfashionhome.com/green.html

Monday, July 16, 2012

More Trees and Counting!



 (photo courtesy of Earth Day Network)

Thanks to all our customers for joining High Fashion Home and the Arbor Day Foundation to help save our planet.  For every piece of furniture sold at High Fashion Home, one tree will be planted through the Arbor Day Foundation.  As of June 30, 2012, High Fashion Home and the Arbor Day Foundation have planted 36,601 trees.  

Here are some of the benefits one tree can make for years to come:
  • One tree can absorb more than a ton of carbon dioxide
  • Over the course of 50 years, a single tree can control $31,500 of soil erosion.
  • Trees help maintain clean water supplies.
  • One tree produces nearly 260 pounds of oxygen a year.
The trees planted through the Arbor Day Foundation will help produce 9,516,260 pounds of oxygen in the next year.  Thanks to all of our wonderful customers for helping the world breath a little bit easier.

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Explore the High Fashion Home Catalog Online!


Our High Fashion Home team put a considerable amount of blood, sweat, and tears into the High Fashion Home Summer 2012 catalog.  The catalog spans 52 pages and chronicles our best furniture and accent pieces.  We are incredibly proud of the work, and we hope you find inspiration with our shared journey in decorating the home.

You can download the Google Catalogs app and view the catalog through your iPad.  We also have an interactive version on our website at http://www.highfashionhome.com/catalog-summer-2012.html. With our catalog online, you can now peruse through our catalog in an environmentally friendly, easy to shop way that is right at your finger tips.

Sunday, April 22, 2012

Earth Day 2012: A Wonderland of Trees!


 (photo courtesy of Earth Day Network)

 (photo courtesy of Earth Day Network)

Thanks to all our customers for joining High Fashion Home and the Arbor Day Foundation to help save our planet.  For every piece of furniture sold at High Fashion Home, one tree will be planted through the Arbor Day Foundation.  As of March 31, 2012, we have helped plant 32,061 trees.  

Here are some of the benefits one tree can make for years to come:
  • One tree can absorb more than a ton of carbon dioxide
  • Over the course of 50 years, a single tree can control $31,500 of soil erosion.
  • Trees help maintain clean water supplies.
  • One tree produces nearly 260 pounds of oxygen a year.
The trees planted through the Arbor Day Foundation will help produce 8,335,860 pounds of oxygen in the next year.  Thanks to all of our wonderful customers for helping the world breath a little bit easier.

Friday, April 20, 2012

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle!!

In honor of Earth Day, which is this Sunday, April 22nd, I thought we should have a post dedicated to Earth friendly items and ways to lessen our carbon footprint. Whether it's re-doing a piece of furniture rather than buying a new one or using natural, non-toxic household cleaners, every little bit helps and each of us can make a difference. HAPPY EARLY EARTH DAY!!

Painting your house is always a big job. Anna Sova created a line of home paints, texture and stucco that are made from 90% food materials! The paints are low VOC (VOC = Volatile Organic Compounds) or no VOC. Your lungs will thank you and so will the atmosphere!
(here's a 2011 Apartment Therapy article covering non-toxic paints)

Homemade household cleaners are so easy to make and MUCH gentler on the environment than most of the stuff you find in stores. A little water and vinegar makes for an EXCELLENT tile floor cleaner!
(photo from Young House Love. plus they have a great post covering homemade cleaners! Or this article from The Daily Green reviewing store bought natural cleaners)
 Eco-friendly furniture, such as our Leblon Coffee Table, uses reclaimed wood, sustainable and/or recycled material to create one of kind pieces. Items made from bamboo are also great to keep an eye open for! 
(here's a great Tree Hugger article regarding going green with furniture)

 Reusable totes are great for ANY kind of shopping. This one is made from a recycled poultry feed bag by Recycled and Resewn. Also, reusing any plastic or paper bags you may already have is still helpful!

As we have covered before, organic cotton anything is much better for the environment than traditional, non-organic cotton items. Silk, hemp, jute and bamboo are more eco-friendly fabric options as well.
(photo from Coyuchi. And, here is a great Natural Environment article covering more eco-friendly fabrics)

Look for items that are upcycled, recycled or repurposed, like this Upcycle Pendant Lamp from CB2!
Need some upcycle inspriation? Check out this article from Top Online Engineering Degree. And, we all know how Real Simple gives us HUNDREDS of ideas for repurposing things!

And, of course driving a Hybrid car, car pooling, riding our bikes and just good old recycling of our paper, plastic and glass items are all great ways to be more green! HAPPY EARTH DAY!!







Friday, September 30, 2011

Go Green and Gold!

I so love this space. I'm not sure what site the picture originally came from but I found it while pinning like a maniac on Pinterest. I love everything about this! The mirror is excellent, the cabinet is a beautiful color and I love that the lamps have the simple, clear base because it allows the space to not look too busy. Just wanted to share. Happy weekend all!!

Monday, September 26, 2011

Green Envy!

Green is my favorite color! My bathroom walls are a fantastic Kelly Green, I love wearing green... my eyes are green. You get the picture. I have recently come across some great pics of people using green in the decor and wanted to share them.

LOVE the green cabinets!
(photo from Apartment Therapy)

Green walls AND a little green chandelier! 
(photo from More Design Please and room design by The Novogratz)

How about a green stove?? Love that color.
(photo from More Design Please)
AHHHH! Love it!
(photo from Apartment Therapy)

 This room has green everywhere! Green wall (with a great print), green sofa and chair and green cabinet! AND they have LOST on the TV!! YES!
(photo from ArchZine)


Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Digital-Only Textbook for Kids


Let me start of by professing my love for the Kindle.  E-readers are definitely the future, and it looks like the future is finally about to descend upon our public school systems.  McGraw-Hill just launched it's first digital only textbook.

There are numerous advantages of the digital only format.  When publishers need to make minor updates, they won't have to print thousands of these heavy text books to schools around the country.  It saves paper, saves gas, and most importantly, saves money.  Each paper book costs roughly $50-80 dollars to our school systems (Let's not talk about the budget shortfalls that most public entities are facing).  Now they can send a quick update so that students will have instant access to the right information.

With the price of e-readers dropping quickly, our kids might be able to get their hands on one sooner than later.  Worst case, parents should buy their kids an e-reader instead of a phone or video game system.

I love my Kindle!


Tuesday, July 5, 2011

Broccoli Tree House


A father's love for his son knows no bounds.  If you feel that you can't build a real world-sized tree house, try the broccoli tree house.  All you need is broccoli, balsa wood, a craft knife, and glue.  It's healthy, eco-friendly, and won't give your kid any splinters.

Friday, May 6, 2011

What's New at High Fashion Home

The High Fashion Home website has recently been updated with new amazing products. There are some great pieces that will compliment anyone's home. If you need color, some upholstery pieces will be perfect for you. Are you green? If so, there are beautiful reclaimed tables and accent tables. Let me give you a sneak peek of some of the pieces that I love.
The Luxe sofa is in a radiant bold color that looks amazing.

The Stefano is in an off-white fabric that makes it stand out in a good way.

The Haven daybed looks comfy and stylish.

The Annie chair comes in navy as well!

The Jaden console is done with reclaimed wood and an iron base that looks stunning.

The Prague coffee table is blazing with shine.

The Baltic dining table is elegant with it's reclaimed hardwood design.

The Sanctuary Clarice chair is charming with the delicate printed fabric. 

The Bentley bed has a beautiful tall headboard with tufts and refined chrome legs.