Incandescent Light Bulbs Out? Not so Fast

In 2007 Congress passed a law, H.R. 6 Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, aimed, in part, at making manufacturers of light bulbs increase the energy efficiency of the standard incandescent bulb. While other countries such as Australia have outlawed the bulbs altogether, the incandescents has not been 'banned' in the US. The law mandates that all light bulbs must use 25 percent to 30 percent less energy by 2014 and by 2020, bulbs must be 70 percent more efficient than they were in 2007.

Sounds like a great goal to me and I'm on board. But I have a problem the free market hasn't solved yet.  My only real option in the market place today is the CFL or compact fluorescent lamp  and I hate the CFL for so many reasons a few of which are coloring, mercury, and timing. 

There is no way to tell an interior designer that a CFL is going to give pretty lighting. It cannot.  It can't be easily dimmed. It's harsh no matter how you slice it.  I realize that I'm outing myself as non-green in this instance but until CFL technology catches up, incandescent lighting is always going to be prettier.

The mercury in CFL bulbs is an issue I don't think is debated and discussed enough. Mercury exposure can cause damage to our brains, spines, kidneys and livers.  I have small children at home.  I don't give my children flu shots because of the trace amounts of mercury contained in the vaccine and they don't eat fish I deem to have mercury in it.  Accidents happen and these bulbs have broken in my home.  Incandescent bulbs have also broken in my home.  Which allows me to sleep better at night? 

Experts in the field of CFL's say there isn't a risk of exposure to the mercury as long as the glass is not broken.  Well, good luck with that best case scenario.  Also, we need to look ahead 10 and 15 years and assume that not all Americans took their old CFL's to a Home Depot or an IKEA for proper disposal and these ended up in landfills, broke, and now we have exposed our landfills to more mercury and did more environmental harm than the current status quo. 

I am also not a fan of the 'light on but still warming up' aspect of the CFL.  The hum, the glare, the price....the list goes on.  

I am an avid recycler but I will stick with my Edison inspired incandescent bulb until they pry it from my hand in the dark and force me into the harsh glare of the CFL future.  Perhaps by that time, the free market will have saved me with a solution.  A safe affordable energy efficient soft dimmable pretty bulb.

"The ultimate test of man's conscience may be his willingness to sacrifice something today for future generations whose words of thanks will not be heard."

— Gaylord Nelson
former governor of Wisconsin, co-founder of Earth Day

Georgetown Kitchen Remodel Moving Along

This week the most beautiful granite in the world was installed by Tileworks of Austin. The granite is called CD Beauty. (Yep, never heard of it before, either.) Tileworks has a showroom in Austin which showcases natural stone, Corion, Zodiac, custom architectural cut stone columns, fireplaces, glass tiles, decorative tiles, porcelain, ceramic tiles, just about any hard surface.  They have a $5 million fabricating facility and a trained staff to assist clients with information on product and installation.   YoungStone is next door and is a world importer, wholesaler, and distributor of first quality granite, marble, and travertine. 

YoungStone is where we found the granite for the the project I've been raving about. The granite has been installed and is every bit as exciting installed as it was sitting out there in the dirty slab yard. Here's your first peek....

CD Beauty Granite

Everybody has their thing.  Some people love motorcycles and notice every one on the road. Some people really really love rims on a truck. I wouldn't notice if mine were stolen right off my own SUV.  My thing? This. I love interiors. I love finishes.  Some may see this photo and see unfinished cabinets, an ungrouted backsplash, unfinished electrical.  I see a piece of stone that is a true miracle in its majesty. It's millions of years old. The coloring is stunning. It's a modern day miracle just to get it quarried, put on a boat, and brought the thousands of miles it had to travel to end up here in Georgetown, TX. That was its own miracle. So I see that granite and I appreciate it for being so much more than just a pretty counter top.

It is also why we chose a very neutral backsplash.  You can't see it in these photos, but the client has wonderful existing saltillo floors throughout the house (which look amazing with  the granite BTW!) So with the very strong colors of the saltillo and the granite we chose a neutral splash with an offset pattern. I also suggested to the client that we not put deco's or liners running through the splash for the same reason.  The granite is the focal point, the saltillo is a close second, and there doesn't need to be a third runner up.

We did however put one piece of art, above the cooktop.  We had some onsite discussions about the inset.  In the end, we ended up with the perfect installation.

Discussion

Final Decision

 Appliances went into today.  The light fixtures also went in today but I didn't get a photo of those.  Next time.  We are in the final push. Cabinet doors next week and then the client has some furniture to get and a few detail items but we're just about finished. 
       

Currant Designs Joins NARI

This month Currant Designs joined the National Association of the Remodeling Industry, Austin Chapter. NARI is a non profit organization dedicated to serving the professional remodeling industry and working as an ally for homeowners.  Members include professional  remodelers, product manufacturers, distributors, wholesalers, lenders, others in related fields, and of course, interior designers like me.

NARI hosts ongoing education for its members, monthly meetings,  networking opportunity, and support for homeowners looking to hire qualified professionals for their projects. 

The next general meeting will be September 16.  The 8th Annual “No Place Like Home” Tour of Remodeled Homes is October 16 - 17, in Georgetown, TX.

SANDRA RENAUX, of Special Requests Catering said, "Motivated minds networking together can be a powerful force creating desirable outcomes, so surround yourself with the best possible influences while you strive to bring out the best of each other on your quest for constant and never ending improvement."

Template for Granite Counters

Currant Designs is currently in the middle of total kitchen remodel in Georgetown, TX in conjunction with Ken Kahanek Custom Builder, Inc.  Ken was named remodeler of the year in 2004 and has years of experience in the Austin area. I am having a lot of fun working with him but also learning while watching him solve challenges on site.

Two weeks ago, Ken took my dimensions for lighting  in the new study area which were given in 'ish'es on purpose and he and I, along with his lighting contractor figured out the best plan of attack while our client was blissfully unaware and on vacation. The 'ish' I'm talking about was not a bold "62'ish measurement you figure out the rest". But meant to let Ken know that I was aware that we'd run into ceiling joists and other infrastructure and that I would be okay within a few inches either way as long as we had symmetry with the four recessed lights. We got it ironed out with all three of us on site working through the obstacles.

Last week was exciting as the homeowner and I met with the folks from YoungStone Inc. and Tileworks to template the amazing granite call CD Beauty we've selected for the kitchen. In my 20 plus years in interior design, I have to say there has not been a granite that has made me tell a client, "Let's blow the budget is, this is the granite." Never. But I did it this time. This granite kept me awake the night we found it. I searched the internet the week we found it looking for it cheaper for her. I called my contacts in Oregon looking to see if we could ship it. I know the client felt the same way because here we are, 6 weeks later, templating this gorgeous hunk rock.

We started with this piece because it is the focal point of the kitchen.
It will be the peninsula and getting all the colors in the granite in this piece was important.

Templating starts on site where the fabricator makes a pattern of the counters once the cabinet bases have been installed.  The fabricator makes notations on the templates for where the cooktop, sink, finished edges, finished window sills, back splashes if appropriate, etc. will be.  Once these are done, the templates can be taped to the granite and the granite can be cut out and fabricated.  With some granites such as Uba Tuba or Black Galaxy, where the granite doesn't vary much, the client can allow the fabricator to move forward with the fabrication at this point.

However, with this particular gem the client, the fabricator, the retailor and I all agreed that we all needed to Pow Wow on the layout so that we could be assured of the best possible outcome.  Once the granite is cut there is no uncutting it.  It is so important that this stage is done right. Everybody agreed that a little extra time and TLC was going to prove to make this kitchen one for the books. 

Debi from Tileworks helps layout a portion of the cooktop and sink
This granite is called CD Beauty. The pictures here can't begin to show how beautiful it is.

Nature never goes out of style. ~Author Unknown

Follow Your Passion

We've all heard Oprah and Tony Robbins tell us to follow our passions. And for some of us, maybe we are in the industry we want to be in and we're doing basically what we want.  For others, maybe there are a host of reasons why the road to our personal fulfillment needs to be postponed. Economics, family, and education can all be scapegoat reasons for putting our dreams on hold indefinitely.

Nancy Coey said, "When work, commitment, and pleasure all become one and you reach that deep well where passion lives, nothing is impossible." 

During the past year my days and nights have started to be defined by this little sentence.  Work and commitment to the long term goals of Currant Designs are tedious and unending but exciting, as the rewards of accomplishing small tasks build upon one another and lead to new opportunities and contacts.

As I have worked to 'find my passion' I have discovered that it has been here all along. I am incredibly excited as I feel all the stars aligning finally for Currant Designs.  We are hiring a full time sales associate for home staging very shortly who will be taking control of our home staging and I will be concentrating solely on interior design.  Though home staging is fun and has its challenges and I love my Realtors, I adore custom interior design and model homes.

Currant Design staging clients, Realtors, builders, and investors have no reason to fear this transition as I am not going anywhere, however, our intended staging associate is dynamic and enthusiastic in her passion for home staging.  She comes to Currant Designs with a background...well let's just wait and see before we make any promises, we're still negotiating! Suffice it to say that having someone dedicated full time to home staging, rather than split between the needs of our custom clients, will benefit everyone.

As a previous boss mine said many many times, "a Jack of all trades and a master of none...." You could almost see the bubble over her head with the dot, dot, dot. Of course, what she meant and how it relates to me and my young company is that, as the owner, I have worn all the hats; the home stager, the interior designer, the accountant, the janitor, etc.  And as the company grows and the client list grows bigger being the 'Jack' is not going to continue to work - well.  The silver lining is this amazing opportunity for the company to grow and for me to follow my passion which has been here for months and months but never clear until a good talking to with my accountant and business partner aka husband.

Thus the little budding interior designer who ordered a custom made picnic bench from Santa to go in her bedroom when she was six years, always knew her passion but even still has to take stock ever now and then to refocus her passion  and rediscover the industry she loves so much by joining organizations like the Home Builders Association of Greater Austin and the National Association of the Remodeling Industry. Professional organizations like these have helped to network with other people who are as passionate about the building industry and design as I am. 

New Website Launched

Currant Designs launched our new website  at www.currantdesigns.net in August of 2010 with the help of David Sweetland from Serende Web Design Studio.  Though the process took longer than anticipated, the results were better than expected.  The new site is clean, sleek, precise and easy to navigate.  In the coming weeks and months, Currant Designs will add our Facebook and Blog links, exciting news we have to announce and project that are in the installation phases now and just about ready for photographs.

It is an exiting time for Currant Designs. Our new website was just the first step, and with it comes a renewed energy and great faith that the future holds unlimited opportunities.


“The future is not a result of choices among alternative paths offered by the present, but a place that is created--created first in the mind and will, created next in activity. The future is not some place we are going to, but one we are creating.”