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.