Small Space Living Embraces Urban Agriculture

  I love the idea of bringing the outside inside. For so many of us living in spaces where we have no access to an outdoor area can feel so limiting at times. Wouldn't it be nice if you could grow your own ingredients for a salad or herbs to season your food with all year round? In your own home at that?

Shipping Containers as Homes, say what?

OK, I know I may be a bit late with the idea of turning a shipping container into a livable, workable space, but I think it's a grand idea. My husband James (he's recently jumped on the sustainable lifestyle bandwagon, so you'll be hearing more of him), recently started reading about shipping containers being made into homes and presented me with the idea for us to consider this for ourselves. We have been doing some house shopping, and liking not loving what we have been seeing, have decided that maybe for folks like ourselves, it would be best to start thinking outside of the box.

1.

The Manifesto House by Infiniski. Made of shipping
containers and pallets.

These days the housing market seems to be headed in the direction of less is more. So the idea of purchasing a lot of land and building what we can handle sounds more feasible than jumping into something that could eventually get out of hand. What is attractive about these shipping container homes is that you can start off small and then eventually add on without it being a huge cost or a big deal. Also you can custom design what fits your needs, again, without spending the big bucks.

Live plant walls inside your space.

In the past few years there has been a fascination with live plant walls. It's a big hit in urban cities all over the world where nature is scarce. You may have seen them on roofs of buildings or crawling up the side of  brick walls. What's amazing about these plants are they can be created to live on the inside as well. How nice would it be to see plant walls in your doctors office, school, health club, or maybe even somewhere in your home.

Not only are they beautiful, it's wonderful to bring a little nature inside. These green wall installations work as great air purifiers and are fantastic eye candy. 



Bamboo Flooring: Eco- Hot or Eco- Not?

Everywhere you turn, it seems to be all about Bamboo when it comes to environmentaly friendly products.

Bamboo clothes, bamboo bags, bamboo floors... what's the deal? Is Bamboo the best alternative for flooring or is it just a lot of hype? Bamboo has peaked my curioustiy because I want to make sure I am giving my clients the best solution when it comes to green alternatives.

So, what are the pros and cons of bammboo flooring?

Cork, a sustainable choice for flooring.

Recently I was contacted by a client who inquired about flooring options for a room that may occasionally experience some flooding. They were thinking of using tile but immediately I thought of cork because of its' sustainability and its recommended use in basements.

The materials that make up cork are taken from the bark of Oak trees. The Cork Oak tree can be harvested every 9 years. Subelin, a waxy, natural substance makes it fire resistant as well as having a resistance to damp areas where there can be mold and mildew. Cork is antimicrobial and resistant to insects. My goodness, why doesn't everyone get cork? It can be installed in kitchens, bathrooms, bedrooms, and basements. Basically anywhere.

Floating Houses: Embracing a Brave New "Water" World.

Recently, the East Coast endured weather extremities that left flooding devastation for many. Hurricane "Irene" was called the "Perfect Storm" that only comes around every 100 years. OK, so this storm that left some with out electricity, under water, and some even homeless, comes around once in a blue moon and is just one of those things we put up with, occasionally; or is it? There are people who live and work  in areas where they never experienced flooding until recently. In the past few years I watched as some of these individuals gradually watched as there buildings became submerged in water from torrential rains. First year, it was 4 inches, next 8 inches, then 1 foot and after Irene, straight to an entire basement (7 feet) under water. Maybe it's time to rethink design.



Dura Vermeer

Well, the Dutch have already been on top of this. Places like Holland, which is located in low lying areas have had to deal with rising sea levels due to climate change. Architects like Dura Vermeer and Koen Olthuis of Waterstudio have already begun designing floating houses a.k.a. amphibious homes. It makes perfect sense instead of throwing their hands up to an inevitable doom, they have reinvented the boat house.

Michelle Brand

Thoughts that come to mind when looking at some of the beautiful designs of Michelle Brand are "Wow", "Amazing", "So delicate". These items made from recycled bottles are intriguing and well executed.

Michelle Brand is an Ecological Designer living in the UK. Michelle was determined to take garbage which is considered useless and turn it into something functional and beautiful at the same time. She was extremely successful in doing that by creating room dividers, lamps, and window shades.

Not only are these creations brilliant and dazzling, but they are also very functional. This is what Up Cycling is about. Turning something useless into something you can hold on to for a lifetime.