Today, however, the sheer energy-inefficiency of a traditional fireplace can make it a less-than-desirable fixture in one’s household.  Yet the allure of captive flame remains.  So, how to satisfy that ancient longing?

Why, bypass the fireplace, of course.

Enter Wall Flame I & II, the sleek brain-children of Michael Rösing, managing director of Radius Design, in Brühl, Germany.  Gone is the large, surrounding containment structure, gone the flue, gone the chimney.  In short, gone is the fireplace itself, and in its place is left a simplicity of flame.

All the romanticism, with none of the attendant mess.  Perfect.

Both versions offer a high-grade steel base – the Wall Flame I featuring a curved, one-piece mounting system, while the Wall Flame II’s rear piece is shielded in glass.  They’re available in a variety of different materials, including tinted glass and high-gloss, brushed, or powdered stainless steel.

Both styles can be installed in nearly any type of home.  They’re safe, user-friendly, and boast low fuel consumption.  The appliance’s combustion chamber houses a “ceramic sponge” that assures a stable, even, fully adjustable flame that will burn for up to four hours at a time.  In addition, the appliance is TÜV® approved, which attests to its quality.

Splendid… but why feature it on a blog for sustainable interior design?

Put simply, it burns clean.  Eschewing the conventional use of propane or natural gas, Wall Flame (like of all of Radius’ Home Flame Collection) runs on liquid bio-ethanol.  The fuel burns residue free and largely produces steam and carbon dioxide.

Visit Radius Design to find out more.

~ Emerald

Not that it’s ever actually gotten that bad.

Not exactly (ahem).

That (not so big and messy) pile of batteries is why I want one of these!  See, those “dead” batteries still have just a little life in them yet, and by combining the power of twelve of them at once, I could not only point out to my son that it is actually past his bedtime (and that I know he has a flashlight and a book under his covers), I would also have a place to store up to twelve batteries before making that trip to the hazardous waste center.  I love stuff that multi-tasks!

The clock will even tell you when a battery is REALLY dead.  As opposed to mostly dead.

Thanks for visiting!

Rachel

Seen on Yanko Design

Hear that?

You don’t?

Perfect!

Milano Wall

That sound you don’t hear is Zephyr’s new Next Generation Europa line of range hoods.

Napoli Island

The reason you hear hardly a thing isn’t because the hood is so loud it drowns out your smoke alarm when you set the bacon on fire (come on, it’s happened to all of us, right?).  No, it’s because these range hoods are equipped with Zephyr’s DCBL™ Suppression technology.

What’s that you ask?  Well, let’s take a look under the hood, shall we?

Modena Wall

By utilizing an on-board computer, and a DC, brushless motor (the industries first), Zephyr is able to generate precise wattage and more torque at lower RPMs.  This allows for both greater air movement, and a significantly quieter operation.  At its lowest setting – which is plenty strong enough for standard cooking needs – you might just forget it is even on!

Zephyr has another trick up their sleeve, which manages to make this hood as energy efficient as it is quiet.  If you look at the photo above, you will see four lights shining down from the canopy.  Those are ultra low energy Bloom™ LEDs, which are standard with the Next Generation Europa line.  Cool to the touch, but warm to the eye, these LEDs provide an evenly distributed light to the cook top below, without adding heat to the kitchen.  Best of all, they are also dimmable!

Verona Wall

Of course, speaking of LEDs, check out what the Verona range hood can do…  (cue theme from Close Encounters of the Third Kind)

Yep, it has an LED lighted edge that shifts from color to color while you cook.  Dang!

Napoli Island

Whether you like it or not, the range hood you select will have a significant impact on the overall look of your kitchen.  Isn’t it nice that you can now have an environmentally friendly option that is also friendly to your ears AND your eyes?

Visit the Zephyr website to learn more about the Next Generation Europa line of range hoods, or follow them on Facebook and Twitter to catch up with their latest news.

Thanks for visiting!

Rachel

Full disclosure – Although I was not paid for this post (I never am), I was invited to participate in a two day Discover Zephyr event in San Francisco, which is where I learned a lot I didn’t know about how these hoods work, and also where I found out just how quiet they can be!

Does anything feel as luxurious as a warm towel on a cold autumn morning?   Mmmmm….  Cozy!

With the Thermique Heated Glass Towel Warmer, you can have have that wonderful warm fuzzy towel without sacrificing style, or the environment. 

By utilizing a thin conductive film, sandwiched between two layers of tempered glass, the Thermique warmer manages to avoid the use of oil or other liquids to circulate heat through the system.  Once turned on, the warmer will run for 2 hours before automatically shutting itself off to conserve energy, and because warmers enable a quicker drying time for towels once they have been used, towels stay fresh longer, and don’t require washing as often.   Having a young son, who requires FREQUENT trips to the shower to wash off various mud and muck, I am SO on board with the idea of washing fewer towels!

Thermique makes both a freestanding, plug in unit, and a wall mounted unit.  Both are available in a variety of finishes.  My vote is for the freestanding unit, as it could also be used in a mudroom to dry out coats in the afternoon, or a laundry room to dry out delicates during the day.  I’m all about multipurpose!

To find out more, visit the Thermique website, or their online store.

Thanks for visiting!

Rachel

Here is the information:

Guided Tour and Open House
Saturday, October 22nd, from 10am to 12pm

Tour a LEED for Homes registered custom home in Newport Beach while it’s still under construction with exposed studs. Builder John Steed of Maverick Home Builders, Project Manager Laura Sanders of Jeannette Architects in Long Beach, Interior Designer Rachel Hulan of Path Design, Consultant Evan Little of Permaculture Properties and other design team members as well as USGBC-OC volunteers will be on hand to answer questions and lead two scheduled tours through this cutting edge home. Targeted certification level is Platinum. Targeted certification level is Platinum. Light refreshments will be served.

10:15am – 1st guided tour begins
11:15am – 2nd guided tour begins

Parking:
Street parking is limited. Try parking at Grant Howard Park off Heliotrope and 5th.

Cost:
$5 Students
$5 USGBC-OC Members
$15 Non-Members

Registration:
Tickets are limited, so make sure to reserve your spot early. Contact the USGBC-OC chapter at 714-832-3616 for more information or go to our website at www.usgbc-oc.org to register.

Thanks for visiting, and hope to see you there!

Rachel

From Dutch design company Ecoreminders, this cute little guy is actually a PVC free vinyl decal that seeks to remind you of the wasteful water monster lurking in every toilet.

They also have some slightly more serious decals intended to remind you of what it takes to create the energy you use every time you flip the light switch.

OK.  Maybe they aren’t really all that serious!  Actually, the tongue in cheek aspect is why I think they are so appealing.  A gentle, humorous way to remind yourself to conserve energy and water.

Unfortunately, our friends in the Netherlands are the only folks able to get these at the moment.  I’m hoping they make there way across the Atlantic soon, because my house definitely needs a few extra monsters and hamsters – doesn’t yours?

Dear Readers,

I have a confession.  I have a bad case of summeritis.  You know, that disease caused by warm, summer mornings spent sleeping in a bit later than you meant to.  Afternoons where the only thing busy are the bees humming around the copious flowers in your backyard.  Days where you try to figure out how to look at least semi-professional in a tank top, and all you want to eat is ice cold watermelon for breakfast, lunch and dinner.  A disease characterized by distraction, lethargy and hair gone wild with humidity.  Yeah, THAT summeritis.

So, I apologize for the infrequency of my postings of late.  I’ll see what I can do to catch up once the weather starts to cool again next week.  Meanwhile, here are a few energy efficient tips to cool your house down when the weather warms.

1.  Ceiling fans – For areas that you and your family tend to occupy during the day and early evening, a ceiling fan is a great way to cool off.  In fact, the evaporative effect of the increased air flow can make the air feel 4ºF cooler, providing for a big difference in your comfort level.  Just remember fans are useless in an empty room, since they don’t actually cool air, just people, so turn them off when no one is around.

2.  Close your drapes and shutters – Direct sunlight coming in a window really heats things up quickly, so make sure to block it out with drapery, shades or shutters until the sunlight is out of range.

3.  Plant a shade tree – This one won’t really help for a few years, but what a difference that tree will make!  Deciduous trees are ideal for this, as they allow the fleeting warmth of a winter sun in, but keep the hot summer sun out.

4.  Turn your lights off! – This is especially critical if the lights are incandescent, as those bulbs give off over 90% of the energy they use as heat.  Even CFLs give off some heat, so be extra careful to turn off any unnecessary lights around the house.

5.  Same goes for electronics - Turning electronics, especially computers, off when not in use will not only save you the energy cost of running them, but also the cost of running your A/C to cool them.  Bonus!

6.  Keep your refrigerator and freezer full – It may seem odd that filling your refrigerator and freezer can save you money, but all that stuff in there actually helps hold onto the cold, making the refrigerator run less frequently, saving you money, and reducing the amount of heat it gives off as it tries to cool the interior.

Have any favorite tips you would like to share?  Add them in the comments below.

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

These beautiful fixtures are from Liquid Light.  The creations of Venice, CA based artist Tanya Clarke, they are formed from salvaged plumbing fixtures, hand formed glass drops, and LED lights.

Although lovely as sculpture in their own right, these fixtures really come into their own when you flip the switch.

Intended as a visual reminder of how precious a commodity water is, and our need to protect it as a natural resource, these fixtures glow with an environmental consciousness.

In addition, Liquid Light donates 5% of the purchase price for each fixture to the Polaris Institute, an organization involved in social change and global water issues.

The set of three fixtures above would look amazing over a bathtub, don’t you think?  Of course, they would look equally at home in the midst of a collection of modern art.

By the way, I originally saw these fixtures on Steampunk Home, which is a great site for those, like myself, who enjoy adding a little industrial edge to their interiors.

I think it’s a bit sad that Marquez never saw these pieces.  They seemed as though they stepped right out of his imagination…

“On Wednesday night, as they did every Wednesday, the parents went to the movies. The boys, lords and masters of the house, closed the doors and windows and broke the glowing bulb in one of the living room lamps. A jet of golden light as cool as water began to pour out of the broken bulb, and they let it run to a depth of almost three feet. Then they turned off the electricity, took out the rowboat, and navigated at will among the islands in the house.

This fabulous adventure was the result of a frivolous remark I made while taking part in a seminar on the poetry of household objects. Toto asked me why the light went on with just a touch of a switch, and I did not have the courage to think about it twice.

“Light is like water,” I answered. “You turn the tap and out it comes.”" – Gabriel Garcia Marquez

they usually look like this. Hmmm…  not the most inspiring look for a room, is it?

Now this is a bit more like it!  Designed by European firm Tell Me First, these Art Glass Radiators are fully customizable with any image you provide.

The image is enclosed in glass, which then provides an effective screen for the thin line radiator concealed behind it.

They also make a clear glass floor and wall mounted radiator, which looks like it would work beautifully in a bathroom.

Since radiators are still pretty rare in Southern California (although my 1925 Spanish Revival house looks like it was originally plumbed for them), I don’t have enough knowledge to say whether these are a great solution or not.  If any of my Europe based readers have seen these, I’d love to get you opinion in the comments below!

The DIY Channel’s new show, “This New House” premieres tonight, July 29th, at 8PM/7C.  If the trailer for the series is any indication, it should be chock full of innovative, high tech products, many of them geared towards energy savings and other aspects of green living.

One of the projects highlighted in the first three episodes is the Cleantech Teaching Center, a state of the art showcase home located in Beverly, MA.  This house features an entirely LED lighting system, rainwater recovery system, geothermal energy, and solar photovoltaic panels.  Sustainable materials were used throughout the interior, including Trend USA’s lovely Trend Q recycled glass tile.  Cleantech Homes, LLC has applied for LEED PLatinum status for the home.

Here is a synopsis of the first episode of the show, titled “Folding Houses” -

This episode is set at the Cleantech House in Beverly, Mass., a showcase of the latest in energy-saving design. Host Kevin O’Connor visits Blu-Homes, a Waltham, Mass., company that’s trying to deliver on the promise of prefab housing by making buildings that fold up for shipping. Licensed contractor and host Amy Matthews goes to Las Vegas, Nev., to see a Department of Energy project that brings a 1960s home up to net-zero modern standards. Kevin explains energy-recovery ventilators and Amy discovers Accoya, a treated wood that lasts for 50 years without needing paint or stain. Kevin goes to the NuCedar factory in Chicopee, Mass., to sees how PVC siding is made. At the International Builders’ Show in Las Vegas, Amy is off to see a P-trap sink drain that never clogs.

Sounds pretty cool.  I’m familiar with the treated Accoya wood, which is a pretty nifty product, and I’m really curious to find out more about the folding pre-fab houses.  Unfortunately, the DIY Channel is a premium channel on our system, and we’ve never bothered to upgrade since we don’t watch a ton of TV (Yeah, I know that’s kinda green living of us, but in truth, it’s as much about being too busy with work as it is anything more noble).  In any case, if you have a chance to watch it, please let us know what you think in the comments below.  Meanwhile, I’ll see if I can catch up with it some other way.