Colour in the home can be applied in a number of ways, almost like layers, onto walls, fabrics, furniture and floors, so fear not that your home will end up a bland white space, its just a question of how you want to introduce it.
Obviously different rooms have different uses so whilst one might be energetic (such as kitchens or studies), another may be relaxing (bathrooms), calming (lounges), or romantic (well bed rooms of course!). By understanding what each room needs, there are a variety of ways that colour can be used to help create the right mood.
• Pure brilliant white will give your home a fresh bright, minimal feel - if used with the right accents (smaller bursts of colour) white can be made to feel soft and romantic or even bold and retro. But beware, that white can be left feeling stark and bare, with grubby marks showing up at their worst. Worst of all for me is the harsh way that white reflects light at night from unshielded bulbs, leading to a feeling of snow blindness when lights are turned on. So if you’re going to do white, make sure all light bulbs shine more softly through shades or bounce off surfaces without being seen directly, cutting down on painful glare.
• For a contemporary graphic approach combine white walls and surfaces with blocks of vibrant colour to add impact and focus to spaces. This will create a strong energetic and urban feel to spaces, which has associations with the colour schemes of the early modernists such as Le Corbusier.
• Taking Inspiration from nature seems obvious for Eco Chic. So go for naturally muted shades of colour- think of the colour of sun bleached drift wood, the silver white of birch trees, the colour of soft moss or dry clay. These softly muted shades show up colour wonderfully, and can provide a perfect canvas for your life, making pictures, objects and other pieces come to life. Add to this with small bursts of colour by using stencils, soft furnishings or other pieces that will off set the background adding a splash of vibrancy and energy.
• Combine lighter colours with wallpapers – for a reflective and coordinated feel to a space. Use the background colour of your wallpaper and then use a lighter shade of that colour for the surrounding walls, if possible a lighter shade still around the windows, to reflect maximum light. This will allow you to create a strong textural focus to the space whilst keeping it essentially light, and reducing the amount of painting that you’ve got to do (although you will off set that with a bit of wall papering!)
Wednesday, 10 March 2010
Wednesday, 10 February 2010
What are the colours of Eco Chic?
As you would expect a style as important as Eco Chic has its own range of colours. Due to the combination of function and style, choice of colour can play a key role in the mood and atmosphere of your home and even energy conservation.
Its been known for hundreds of years that the orientation of a room will determine the sorts of colours that work well in a space. A room that faces south will get a good range of different light as the sun moves over head from east to west; from the warm reds and yellows of the morning to the harsher brighter midday light to the warm reds and oranges of the evening. A north facing room however will get no direct sunlight, and the reflected light into the room will be a cooler blue. In this way, through the ages rooms have been colour coordinated to compensate for the deficiencies or benefits of light to suit- with north facing rooms being painted warmer colours and so on.
In the world of eco design however, wall surface finish is critical to maximise the reflection of natural light, so some would argue that only pure brilliant white would be right through out the home- that’s walls, ceilings, and floors. OK so I can sympathise with this- the darker your walls, the less natural light gets reflected around the space, so the sooner you have to turn on the lights, thus wasting energy.
But this leaves me in a quandary – I enjoy using colour, it helps me to express feeling in a space, it can create drama and atmosphere, character and identity ….. need I go on?! Eco Chic needs to find a compromise where these emotional design aspects can be explored whilst creating functional light and reflective homes.
The answer may well be to introduce colour or darker shades in only certain selected areas. Think about using tonal shades of colour (the same colour just lighter and darker shades) on different walls – lightest on those walls surrounding the source of light such as the window and darker feature walls, further away. White details, (or very light colours) for window frames and sills will also help to bounce light as it falls through a window.
Its been known for hundreds of years that the orientation of a room will determine the sorts of colours that work well in a space. A room that faces south will get a good range of different light as the sun moves over head from east to west; from the warm reds and yellows of the morning to the harsher brighter midday light to the warm reds and oranges of the evening. A north facing room however will get no direct sunlight, and the reflected light into the room will be a cooler blue. In this way, through the ages rooms have been colour coordinated to compensate for the deficiencies or benefits of light to suit- with north facing rooms being painted warmer colours and so on.
In the world of eco design however, wall surface finish is critical to maximise the reflection of natural light, so some would argue that only pure brilliant white would be right through out the home- that’s walls, ceilings, and floors. OK so I can sympathise with this- the darker your walls, the less natural light gets reflected around the space, so the sooner you have to turn on the lights, thus wasting energy.
But this leaves me in a quandary – I enjoy using colour, it helps me to express feeling in a space, it can create drama and atmosphere, character and identity ….. need I go on?! Eco Chic needs to find a compromise where these emotional design aspects can be explored whilst creating functional light and reflective homes.
The answer may well be to introduce colour or darker shades in only certain selected areas. Think about using tonal shades of colour (the same colour just lighter and darker shades) on different walls – lightest on those walls surrounding the source of light such as the window and darker feature walls, further away. White details, (or very light colours) for window frames and sills will also help to bounce light as it falls through a window.
Tuesday, 2 February 2010
What is Ecochic?
There are 3 essential aspects to Eco Chic that need to be considered in order to interpret the functionality of Eco Design and the 3 R’s into a style that’s as good to live with as it is for the environment :
1. Technology
Technology is an exciting area that is constantly developing; becoming smaller, better, faster and importantly more efficient. Embracing all that technology has to offer will allow us to make our lives less wasteful, more efficient and to gather more of what occurs naturally around us – such as renewable energies from the sun, wind earth and sea.
Technology not only refers to high performing appliances but also to cutting edge materials, be they new low impact materials, natural or even recycled.
We must trust that developments in technology are key to helping us reduce our impact on the environment and to combat climate change.
2. Nature
Nature is an essential component to our lives and one we sometimes take for granted. It should be remembered that we are not master of nature but part of it.
Interaction with nature is a grounding force in our lives, it quite literally brings us back down to earth, and reminds us that we are still part of the natural world. Think about the vibrancy of the smell of freshly cut grass, the textural feel of the bark on a tree, the flicker of the flames in a log fire- these all raise simple but sensual primeval emotional responses in us, that are essentially very comforting. Like us, natural materials often improve with age and use, developing a sense of character unique to themselves and their experience, adding individuality and a certain richness to any home.
The use of natural materials not only brings textural sensuality to the home, but also allows us to choose sustainable and naturally renewable materials – ones whose impacts onto the environments, if responsibly managed will have a reduced impact on the environment. Better for for, better for the planet…………. brilliant!
3. Vintage
The term vintage is an umbrella term that opens us up to the glamorous worlds of the antique, the ingenuity of reuse, and even the excitement of flea market finds. It’s about making the most of what we already have produced, and finding new ways of using them – offering a new lease of life for an item that someone else may well have thrown away. The pleasure of vintage is all about invention - putting a new spin on an existing object – be that through repositioning, framing, grouping or remaking.
But more than just finding new ways of using old things its about using the sense of style that the object posses, about borrowing from its past to dd to your own. In this way vintage items have the potential to add a touch of glamour to our lives, which is no bad thing. After all why shouldn’t we live like kings just because we respect the environment? Surely a good king (or queen) has a vested interest in protecting the lands they posses?
Vintage items also have a softening quality - all those knocks, scratches, wear and tear are something that can’t be simply reproduced, they have the effect of taking the harder edge off a contemporary interior. This patina of age speaks of an experience, and uniqueness that money just cant buy. In this age of mass production we yearn for objects that posses individuality, and character- aspects that in some way wear off onto us, expressing our own identities and curiosities.
These 3 corner stones of Eco Chic; Technology, Nature, and Vintage can be interpreted in a number of different ways and can help you solve style and functional dilemmas when trying to create your own eco home and lifestyle.
What we will discover is that certain rooms of the home will have a certain bias towards one aspect rather than another, due to their function and status as a public /private space or one that uses more or less resources.
– Kitchens will have a heavier slant towards technology, and possibly nature- as this is an area where many resources (gas, water, electricity) are used so we need to be as efficient as possible, whilst retaining a sense of style that may align to our tastes for organic foods, hence the lean towards nature for materials.
– Bathrooms may have a heavier slant to nature, as this is a sensual space so using natural materials to create a spa like feel will be very relaxing whilst technology will help us to reduce our use of resources.
– Bedrooms, being a private space may have a greater leaning towards the Vintage which can carry associations of romantic and nostalgic styles, whilst nature will lend a sense of simplicity and purity.
– Lounges may well lean towards nature, vintage and then technology, being a public space – thus reflecting a variety of your interests and activities (such as books, music, ornaments, photos, music, or film
In this way Eco Chic is open to personal interpretation; it is a flexible style that can help you express your own tastes and experiences whilst upholding your passions for a cleaner, greener way of living.
1. Technology
Technology is an exciting area that is constantly developing; becoming smaller, better, faster and importantly more efficient. Embracing all that technology has to offer will allow us to make our lives less wasteful, more efficient and to gather more of what occurs naturally around us – such as renewable energies from the sun, wind earth and sea.
Technology not only refers to high performing appliances but also to cutting edge materials, be they new low impact materials, natural or even recycled.
We must trust that developments in technology are key to helping us reduce our impact on the environment and to combat climate change.
2. Nature
Nature is an essential component to our lives and one we sometimes take for granted. It should be remembered that we are not master of nature but part of it.
Interaction with nature is a grounding force in our lives, it quite literally brings us back down to earth, and reminds us that we are still part of the natural world. Think about the vibrancy of the smell of freshly cut grass, the textural feel of the bark on a tree, the flicker of the flames in a log fire- these all raise simple but sensual primeval emotional responses in us, that are essentially very comforting. Like us, natural materials often improve with age and use, developing a sense of character unique to themselves and their experience, adding individuality and a certain richness to any home.
The use of natural materials not only brings textural sensuality to the home, but also allows us to choose sustainable and naturally renewable materials – ones whose impacts onto the environments, if responsibly managed will have a reduced impact on the environment. Better for for, better for the planet…………. brilliant!
3. Vintage
The term vintage is an umbrella term that opens us up to the glamorous worlds of the antique, the ingenuity of reuse, and even the excitement of flea market finds. It’s about making the most of what we already have produced, and finding new ways of using them – offering a new lease of life for an item that someone else may well have thrown away. The pleasure of vintage is all about invention - putting a new spin on an existing object – be that through repositioning, framing, grouping or remaking.
But more than just finding new ways of using old things its about using the sense of style that the object posses, about borrowing from its past to dd to your own. In this way vintage items have the potential to add a touch of glamour to our lives, which is no bad thing. After all why shouldn’t we live like kings just because we respect the environment? Surely a good king (or queen) has a vested interest in protecting the lands they posses?
Vintage items also have a softening quality - all those knocks, scratches, wear and tear are something that can’t be simply reproduced, they have the effect of taking the harder edge off a contemporary interior. This patina of age speaks of an experience, and uniqueness that money just cant buy. In this age of mass production we yearn for objects that posses individuality, and character- aspects that in some way wear off onto us, expressing our own identities and curiosities.
These 3 corner stones of Eco Chic; Technology, Nature, and Vintage can be interpreted in a number of different ways and can help you solve style and functional dilemmas when trying to create your own eco home and lifestyle.
What we will discover is that certain rooms of the home will have a certain bias towards one aspect rather than another, due to their function and status as a public /private space or one that uses more or less resources.
– Kitchens will have a heavier slant towards technology, and possibly nature- as this is an area where many resources (gas, water, electricity) are used so we need to be as efficient as possible, whilst retaining a sense of style that may align to our tastes for organic foods, hence the lean towards nature for materials.
– Bathrooms may have a heavier slant to nature, as this is a sensual space so using natural materials to create a spa like feel will be very relaxing whilst technology will help us to reduce our use of resources.
– Bedrooms, being a private space may have a greater leaning towards the Vintage which can carry associations of romantic and nostalgic styles, whilst nature will lend a sense of simplicity and purity.
– Lounges may well lean towards nature, vintage and then technology, being a public space – thus reflecting a variety of your interests and activities (such as books, music, ornaments, photos, music, or film
In this way Eco Chic is open to personal interpretation; it is a flexible style that can help you express your own tastes and experiences whilst upholding your passions for a cleaner, greener way of living.
Tuesday, 29 December 2009
The 3 R principle in sustainable interior design
This basic 3 R principle lies at the very heart of eco design. Its simplicity belies the complex nature of Eco Design when it is carried out in its strictest form.
When applied to the creation of housing, Eco Design becomes a fascinating but complex style. A well designed eco home will have a number of key features based around this principle:The real emphasis on any eco home is to reduce the amount of resources that it uses, making the most of the site that it sits on, having the following:
– A large amount of glazing on the south side of the building to take in the warmth from the sun.
– A reduced number of openings and windows on the north side to minimse heat loss
– Renewable energy sources such as solar water heating, photovoltaic panels, a wind turbine, located on the walls or roof
– Thick walls and heavily insulated roofs and floors
– A soild section of the building made of brick, concrete or stone, which will act as a heat sink to store the suns heat (known as thermal mass)
– Double or triple glazed windows
– An extremely efficient heating system.
– A minimal number of electrical lighting fittings
– A rated energy saving appliances such as fridges or freezers.
– Reduced flow water systems.
It may well contain a number of sustainable natural materials, such as :
– A timber construction, and external cladding and fittings (such as doors, window frames and banisters)
– Sheep’s wool insulation
– Natural flooring materials such as wood wool or cork
– Non toxic natural paints
– A green turfed roof to insulate and encourage wildlife
Lastly it will consider what resources can be reused and make the most of them:
– A grey (used) water recycling system, and water butts
– Heat pumps to recycle unused warm air
– Recycling bins
– A compost bin in the kitchen and wormery or compost heap in the garden
– Recyclable elements such as stainless steel, or wood surfaces
An eco house is a super functional and efficient piece of design; a building that performs at the highest possible level, putting as lighter possible impact onto the environment is at its very core of being. It places functional efficiency before all other choices, with “style” as a possible additional benefit. After all in the face of such an enormous issue such as global warming and destruction of our living habitat why would we even consider the trivialities of style as being important?
Eco design is a noble thing for architecture and design to work towards, striving to create a pure, efficient world for us to inhabit. It is a courageous ideal for the world of design to do battle with the very wastefulness of society.
When applied to the creation of housing, Eco Design becomes a fascinating but complex style. A well designed eco home will have a number of key features based around this principle:The real emphasis on any eco home is to reduce the amount of resources that it uses, making the most of the site that it sits on, having the following:
– A large amount of glazing on the south side of the building to take in the warmth from the sun.
– A reduced number of openings and windows on the north side to minimse heat loss
– Renewable energy sources such as solar water heating, photovoltaic panels, a wind turbine, located on the walls or roof
– Thick walls and heavily insulated roofs and floors
– A soild section of the building made of brick, concrete or stone, which will act as a heat sink to store the suns heat (known as thermal mass)
– Double or triple glazed windows
– An extremely efficient heating system.
– A minimal number of electrical lighting fittings
– A rated energy saving appliances such as fridges or freezers.
– Reduced flow water systems.
It may well contain a number of sustainable natural materials, such as :
– A timber construction, and external cladding and fittings (such as doors, window frames and banisters)
– Sheep’s wool insulation
– Natural flooring materials such as wood wool or cork
– Non toxic natural paints
– A green turfed roof to insulate and encourage wildlife
Lastly it will consider what resources can be reused and make the most of them:
– A grey (used) water recycling system, and water butts
– Heat pumps to recycle unused warm air
– Recycling bins
– A compost bin in the kitchen and wormery or compost heap in the garden
– Recyclable elements such as stainless steel, or wood surfaces
An eco house is a super functional and efficient piece of design; a building that performs at the highest possible level, putting as lighter possible impact onto the environment is at its very core of being. It places functional efficiency before all other choices, with “style” as a possible additional benefit. After all in the face of such an enormous issue such as global warming and destruction of our living habitat why would we even consider the trivialities of style as being important?
Eco design is a noble thing for architecture and design to work towards, striving to create a pure, efficient world for us to inhabit. It is a courageous ideal for the world of design to do battle with the very wastefulness of society.
Tuesday, 22 December 2009
What is sustainable interior design?
Good design for the home has traditionally been about bringing a number of different aspects together to create the ideal living space; location, cost, function and style all have to be juggled (with a touch of inspiration of course!) for the perfect home.
However a new issue has landed at our doorsteps, one that now must be considered alongside the rest. Environmental concerns mean that our homes need to go beyond our personal requirements to become more conscious of the planet at a wider scale. We now need to consider the impact our homes are having on the environment, and consider our lives on a wider scale.
In the past “eco design” has been the reserve of what many believed to be tree hugging hippies – but who’s ideas are now becoming ever more relevant. Their approach to design could be summed up as less is more, or simply to tread lightly on the earth.
Society has been quick to ridicule these ideas, largely as they reject the conventional notions of consumerism – with a functional bare aesthetic intertwined with an alternative spiritual belief system. But if you were to drop the latter, there are actually many practical lessons that we can learn from this way of living.
Eco Designs fundamental “mantra” (ok I know that word does sound a little hippy, but stick with me) is known as the 3 R’s, that’s:
Reduce
Reuse
Recycle
Reduce is as the name suggests, about reducing your consumption of resources- be it the basics that you use in your home (such as gas, water, or electricity), or more general consumable goods such as packaging, clothes, furniture, petrol, cosmetics and foodstuffs. Being realistic it doesn’t mean living a totally minimal life, rather a more efficient, and thoughtful one.
Reuse refers to the sustainable method that the products we buy and use are made. We should ensure that they come from a well managed and sustainable source, one that is naturally replenished, this includes natural materials such as wood, wool, cork, and rubber. The Reuse of products also refers to items that are re-appropriated; this can be as simple as a chair that is given a new lease of life with a lick of paint or a recovered armchair. In addition it includes fabrics and foods and products that come from a fair-trade/ organic source – ensuring that we are not unnecessarily depleting or damaging the earths resources, or putting others lives in misery, starvation and poverty. Ensuring that the lives of others are in a balance as a result of the way that we live our lives.
Recycle differs from “reuse” in that the it refers to materials that would generally be totally broken down before being reassembled in another form, such as the recycling of cardboard, glass or paper. Recycling ensures that materials are not taken out of their useful lifecycle loop by being cast into land fill or being incinerated. Clearly the planet does not possess limitless supplies of raw materials, so its essential that we make the most of what we have. You can now recycle nearly 70% of what goes into your home - glass, tin, paper, plastics, clothes/ fabrics, paints almost everything can go somewhere if you simply take the time to think about it.
The 3 Rs sit in a logical hierarchy whereby it’s better to use less in the first place ( ie reduce). So be efficient with what you have and use, and try not to take it for granted.
If you can t use less then make sure that what you do use comes from a well managed renewable, and sustainable source (ie reuse).
Lastly, we should make sure that what we do use or consume, doesn’t just leave the loop by being put into land fill or being incinerated, but recycle it to be reused in another form. Recycling is at the bottom of the 3 R hierarchy as it takes energy to collect materials, chop them up and then reform them into new products - still it plays a vital role in our new sustainable world and life style.
For more eco interior design ideas visit OliverHeath website.
However a new issue has landed at our doorsteps, one that now must be considered alongside the rest. Environmental concerns mean that our homes need to go beyond our personal requirements to become more conscious of the planet at a wider scale. We now need to consider the impact our homes are having on the environment, and consider our lives on a wider scale.
In the past “eco design” has been the reserve of what many believed to be tree hugging hippies – but who’s ideas are now becoming ever more relevant. Their approach to design could be summed up as less is more, or simply to tread lightly on the earth.
Society has been quick to ridicule these ideas, largely as they reject the conventional notions of consumerism – with a functional bare aesthetic intertwined with an alternative spiritual belief system. But if you were to drop the latter, there are actually many practical lessons that we can learn from this way of living.
Eco Designs fundamental “mantra” (ok I know that word does sound a little hippy, but stick with me) is known as the 3 R’s, that’s:
Reduce
Reuse
Recycle
Reduce is as the name suggests, about reducing your consumption of resources- be it the basics that you use in your home (such as gas, water, or electricity), or more general consumable goods such as packaging, clothes, furniture, petrol, cosmetics and foodstuffs. Being realistic it doesn’t mean living a totally minimal life, rather a more efficient, and thoughtful one.
Reuse refers to the sustainable method that the products we buy and use are made. We should ensure that they come from a well managed and sustainable source, one that is naturally replenished, this includes natural materials such as wood, wool, cork, and rubber. The Reuse of products also refers to items that are re-appropriated; this can be as simple as a chair that is given a new lease of life with a lick of paint or a recovered armchair. In addition it includes fabrics and foods and products that come from a fair-trade/ organic source – ensuring that we are not unnecessarily depleting or damaging the earths resources, or putting others lives in misery, starvation and poverty. Ensuring that the lives of others are in a balance as a result of the way that we live our lives.
Recycle differs from “reuse” in that the it refers to materials that would generally be totally broken down before being reassembled in another form, such as the recycling of cardboard, glass or paper. Recycling ensures that materials are not taken out of their useful lifecycle loop by being cast into land fill or being incinerated. Clearly the planet does not possess limitless supplies of raw materials, so its essential that we make the most of what we have. You can now recycle nearly 70% of what goes into your home - glass, tin, paper, plastics, clothes/ fabrics, paints almost everything can go somewhere if you simply take the time to think about it.
The 3 Rs sit in a logical hierarchy whereby it’s better to use less in the first place ( ie reduce). So be efficient with what you have and use, and try not to take it for granted.
If you can t use less then make sure that what you do use comes from a well managed renewable, and sustainable source (ie reuse).
Lastly, we should make sure that what we do use or consume, doesn’t just leave the loop by being put into land fill or being incinerated, but recycle it to be reused in another form. Recycling is at the bottom of the 3 R hierarchy as it takes energy to collect materials, chop them up and then reform them into new products - still it plays a vital role in our new sustainable world and life style.
For more eco interior design ideas visit OliverHeath website.
Friday, 18 December 2009
Eco furniture from a Dublin based furniture store
All our beautiful handcrafted bedroom furniture is manufactured in Southern Ireland from the finest range of woods. Not only is it beautifully designed and elegant, but it is functional and purpose-built giving you bags of space for everything that you need to store in your bedroom.
Here at our Dublin furniture online store we also bring you some eco friendly alternatives in a variety of different and styles to satisfy all tastes. So if you’re looking for fine top quality bedroom furniture lovingly made in the Irish tradition in your favourite wood you will just love this site!
Wednesday, 16 December 2009
Why Eco for our homes?
It was one of the fathers of Modern Design Le Corbusier, that once said “a house is a machine for living in”
Perhaps now more than ever, this quote is appropriate to our age. From a technical point of view our homes are under ever closer scrutiny, to use less energy and out put less waste- to become more efficient. That’s not surprising when we consider that the average home produces 6 tonnes of Carbon Dioxide emissions every year – a figure that could simply be reduced by one third (that’s 2 tonnes less!!) if we applied some simple principles to it.
Not only will this reduce the impact that our homes are having on the environment but also save us a money into the bargain.
Perhaps now more than ever, this quote is appropriate to our age. From a technical point of view our homes are under ever closer scrutiny, to use less energy and out put less waste- to become more efficient. That’s not surprising when we consider that the average home produces 6 tonnes of Carbon Dioxide emissions every year – a figure that could simply be reduced by one third (that’s 2 tonnes less!!) if we applied some simple principles to it.
Not only will this reduce the impact that our homes are having on the environment but also save us a money into the bargain.
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