Cedar Key Interiors - Designs for Life

"Green" construction is booming - Supply can't meet demand!

2008-11-18T08:48:00.000-08:00

Environmentally friendly construction leaves a so-called "green gap."
The Wall Street Journal (11/18, Krieger) reports, "As environmentally friendly construction takes off, a question looms: Who's going to do all the work? Demand is booming for environmentally friendly construction. But it's booming so fast that there aren't enough skilled professionals to do the work." Kristen Bacorn, a green-building consultant in New York, commented, "Green is such a new and developing field that professionals don't necessarily know it, and they're craving education." For many builders, "the stakes are potentially huge. Rising consumer interest and a raft of new government regulations are driving green building forward, even as the larger real-estate industry craters." Experts say that "builders who aren't familiar with eco-friendly construction methods may be at a big disadvantage in this new market."

New drive for "green" construction - demand is booming!

2008-11-18T08:46:00.001-08:00

New drive for "green" construction - demand is booming!

2008-11-18T08:46:00.000-08:00

Industrial Chic seen as new home design trend.

2008-11-18T08:43:00.000-08:00

Industrial chic seen as new home design trend.
The Salt Lake Tribune /AP (11/18, Cook) reports, "When high-tech entrepreneur Matthew Hill designed his condo in Lansing, Mich., he wanted decor to reflect his personality and 'pretty wild lifestyle.' ... Hill opted for a coffee table devised from a section of a C-119 cargo plane." The Tribune continues, "Call it industrial chic. Furniture and accessories this year are flaunting their rivets, welds and obvious mechanical origins. Rooms already dressed in midcentury furniture seem the most receptive to these elements, which require the balancing effect of more masculine silhouettes, heftier textures." The trend "is advancing throughout the home furnishings marketplace. A wave of commercial-grade trash bins, bread boxes, toasters and other kitchen accouterments has come ashore, at pricepoints high and low."

Tips for Fall Maintenance

2008-11-02T21:02:00.001-08:00

1. Check your heating system including filters, pilot lights and burners. Have the system serviced by a qualified professional. Cleaning and servicing now can save you money later. Learn steps to boost your furnace's efficiency and how to replace your furnace filter.
2. Clean and vacuum dust from vents, baseboard heaters and cold-air returns. Dust build-up in ducts is a major cause of indoor pollutants and can increase incidences of cold-weather illnesses. Consider hiring a pro to clean hard-to-reach ductwork.
3. Paint interior rooms while it's still warm enough to leave windows open. Ditto for shampooing or replacing carpets. Give a fresh start to your interiors just in time for fall and winter parties and family gatherings. Learn painting steps to success -- how to choose the right paint, how to solve paint problems and more.
4. Caulk exterior joints around windows and doors. Caulking helps keep your house weather-tight and lowers heating and cooling bills. It can also help keep insects and other "critters" out of your house. When you caulk before painting, it eliminates edges where the paint may start to peel.
5. Protect your home from uninvited critters. As urban limits expand, more and more homeowners have to contend with wildlife in their yards and houses. Installing grates, securing trash containers, even humane traps may help.
6. Start to put away tools and equipment left outdoors during the summer such as play equipment, lawn mowers, barbeques, gardening tools and hoses. It may be time to winterize your pool, too.
7. It's time to think about the condition of your roof. Be proactive and prevent emergency -- and expensive --repairs. Find out about common trouble spots and how to locate a leak from inside.
8. Next to checking your roof, insulating your home is one of the most important tasks to accomplish before the onslaught of winter. Insulation goes beyond simple weatherstripping and caulking (see #4) and may be a job for professionals. The money and energy you'll save will make the job worth it. Learn more about insulation...
9. You insulate and weatherstrip and think that you have your home all sealed up for winter. But there are some inconspicuous spots through which heat can escape. Learn how to seal these gaps too.
10. Inspect and clean your storm windows to get them ready for installation. Storm windows can help you save energy during the cold months and are significantly less expensive than putting in new double- or triple-glazed windows.
Provided by move.com

View Interior Design TV Online

2008-10-27T18:44:00.001-07:00

Check out Interior Design TV online!!!

Click on the link below:

http://www.interiordesign.net/BCVideo.html?bcpid=1630415432

2008-10-27T18:44:00.000-07:00

Check out Interior Design TV!!!!

Click on the link below:
http://www.interiordesign.net/BCVideo.html?bcpid=1630415432

National Trend Towards Green High-Rises

2008-10-27T07:01:00.000-07:00

Blog reviews national trend towards green high-rises.
Inhabitat (10/23) reports on the "rise of the Green High-Rises" across the U.S. If you "look skyward in any major American city...you're likely to see a soaring new green high-rise. With scarce land in urban areas, the cost of housing skyrocketing, and increasing demand for better communities, high-density development is experiencing a renaissance in the U.S." And as "consumers look for long-term savings and seek to live in healthier environments, more big developers have grasped onto the fact that the green in the building can lead to green in the bank." The article profiles a number of new high-rise projects in urban areas nationwide, with photographs.

ASID Design Daily 10/23

ASID Christmas Party Dec 5th

2008-10-22T06:52:00.000-07:00

The Contract Taskforce is thrilled to announce the Michigan Chapter Holiday Event!

Location: Motor City Casino/Hotel
Event: Tour and Reception Date: Friday, December 5th Details to follow very soon!

Good Design seen as Helping Elderly Avoid Falls

2008-10-22T06:43:00.000-07:00

California's Palo Alto Online (10/22) reports, "Eighty-six-year old Violette Bragg is losing her eyesight to glaucoma. She has lived in the same Palo Alto house for the past 47 years and feels fortunate that she is so accustomed to the space and that she lives with her son and daughter." Still, Ms. Bragg falls in her home often... an experience that is typical for older adults. Studies "show that more than one-third of all adults over 65 suffer a fall each year." But "many of these accidents could be avoided by taking pre-emptive remodeling action at home." Among the changes made by the Vista Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired in Ms. Bragg's home were removing all the scatter rugs, adding "grab bars in the bathroom, a mat in the tub...and a hand-held shower hose." Also, "for seniors who have to deal with staircases, suggestions include putting a light switch at both the bottom and top, securing rails and installing non-slip skids."
ASID Design Daily Newsletter 22Oct08

My First Post!

2008-10-09T07:34:00.001-07:00

Hi everyone! It has been a busy week but all's well in the world of Cedar Key Interiors (CKI for short!) Fall is in the air! There is a scent of autumn and the vivid colors are just beginning to pop. I just started teaching the new term at IADT Detroit so things are starting to get busy. Not so busy that I wasn't able to FINALLY start my new blog. My hope is to use this as a sounding board to those of you out there who are interested in design - both residential and commercial. New advancements in the field are introduced every day so stay in-touch and come back to visit often!