Designers’ Forum, May 2012

May 17, 2012

Camp Joy puts hopes, dreams and sustainable design into action

Under the green roofs, behind the red doors, the owners of Camp Joy in Clarksville, OH, wanted to remodel in a way that better served the needs of their visitors and the planet Earth.

This meant all of today’s usual energy-efficient upgrades – but also some not-so-usual interior design elements, courtesy of design team Heather Curless, architect, and interior designer A. Maris Bernard.

Dining hall counter tops made of Forbo Marmoleum flooring, for example.

“The linoleum, which is an all-natural product made from linseed oil, is remarkable when used this way,” Bernard says. (more…)

Oil on Wood, Part III

May 11, 2012

Natural oil that bonds gets thumbs up

 The oil hardwood flooring finish we are testing in this blog works differently than those we’ve already shown you.

It does not soak into the wood like the others. Instead, it forms a molecular bond with the first microns of the wood surface. It is spot-repairable like the others, but that works differently, too. Only the scratch or abraded area will bond with the oil when it is spread over the damaged area.

“After 10 minutes, you just wipe away the excess, and you are done,” says Roy Young, quality control manager at Schumacher & Co. Custom Hardwood Floors in Milford, OH. In just a few weeks, the company will be launching its Natural Interiors® Floor Finishing Program. (more…)

Natural Housewife Contest 2012: Question 4

May 10, 2012

What does the “green” label on your paint can mean?

A quick reminder: Many of you have sent in answers, but not to all of the questions. You can still catch up.

The more you answer, the better your chances of winning a $600 organic comforter from Vivetique Sleep Systems or a room’s worth of Earthpaint. So don’t delay.

Here is Question No. 4: Of the following the “green” certifications available to test paint, which prohibit any level of an ingredient this is a known carcinogen, mutagen, reproductive toxin, hazardous air pollutant (HAP) or ozone-depleting compound? (more…)

Installation Matters

May 8, 2012

Experience and training of flooring installation crew should never be a question mark for consumers

We talk about product quality. We talk about price, which in today’s economy means we bypass some higher-quality products. But except in the instance of installing Marmoleum from Forbo, we have not talked much about installer training.

States like Oregon that have mandatory contractor licensing, which means continuing education credits that include some training in flooring installation, might tout their efforts to protect consumers. Some manufacturers, like Forbo, also require that their sheet products be installed by a contractor the company has certified in order for the product warranty to be valid.

But flooring distributors – that stock and supply products to flooring dealers – and the dealers themselves are not doing a reputable job unless they routinely provide training for flooring installers, says Victoria Haugen, marketing manager for Wanke Cascade, a Forbo distributor, headquartered in Portland, OR. (more…)

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Natural Housewife 2012 Sets Sail

 Contest winners to receive organic comforters from Vivetique or a room of Earthpaint

The theme of this year’s Natural Housewife Contest takes hold during a vacation on the Gulf of Mexico, where The Natural Housewife tells us it’s time to take actions that are better for people or better for the planet. Part of doing that means knowing which products are better for people, better for the planet, both, or none of the above. If it sounds like a multiple-choice quiz, it is. And with the “green” certifications available today, it isn’t difficult. It just takes a little practice, which this contest will give you, along with a chance to win. Get the details here.

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The Stylish Composter

April 24, 2012

Proper kitchen design includes hidden collection bin for food waste that prevents clutter and odor

Dishwasher on the right, compost collection bin on the left, or maybe on either side of the sink in the center island – hidden in the counter top. It’s one of the latest trends in kitchen design as the number of people who compost their food waste increases.

No one wants to see or smell a container of food scraps sitting out in plain view, or crammed into the cabinet under the sink, says Jessica Allison, kitchen designer and owner of Essence Design Studios in West Chester, OH. Nor is it always convenient to take scraps immediately outside to the composter.

So, Allison is designing kitchens that have an air-tight compost collection bin hidden in the counter top. (more…)

Cork 2012 Style, Part II

April 10, 2012

Why do you harp on Indoor Air Quality Certifications?

Q. If cork flooring is a natural material, why do you put so much emphasis on whether the manufacturer has gotten the flooring certified through chemical emissions testing?

A. There are many natural flooring products on the market. But very few of them are made without chemicals and additives. Cork flooring is beautifully natural and sustainable. But it cannot be made without some extra ingredients – like adhesive.

After wine bottle stoppers are punched out of the bark of the Cork Oak Trees in and around Portugal, cork that will be made into flooring is ground up, mixed with pigments, and adhesive. Fortunately, cork producers in the Mediterranean region are known for their attention to environmentally sound adhesives and additives.

Once the sheets of cork are produced, more materials are introduced. If the cork will be used for engineered flooring, which is made in layers, the core of the floor with be HDF (High Density Fiber Board). And if the flooring – engineered or solid – will be prefinished, anything from a simple water-based polyurethane to a proprietary aluminum oxide or ceramic finish, to a high-tech nano finish, will be applied to the surface. (more…)

Cork 2012 Style

April 5, 2012

New looks, including stone, wood and textiles, expand uses for cork flooring

What is that? Just when we thought we had seen every style and color of cork flooring available today, Wicanders has thrown us a curve.

Some of it looks like stone. Some of it looks like marble, granite, wood and textiles. But it is an illusion, enabled by the latest digital optic technology that embosses these patterns directly onto the cork.

“You cannot tell its cork until you touch it,” says Tim Tompkins, national marketing director for Wicanders. “We are able to print these patterns directly on our cork veneers. The texture of the cork veneer beneath it adds more texture and realism to the finished product, and each floor is a fingerprint of itself as no two planks, panels or tiles are identical.  It’s very amazing technology.” (more…)

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