luminous  adj.  1. radiating or emitting light.  2. reflecting or  diffusing light.  3. intellectually brilliant

Sometimes an object is so stunning it can’t be properly caught on camera, and that is surely the case with Pietre Preziose, the latest surfacing material produced by the family-owned Italian firm, OKITE.  Pictures just don’t it justice.  As it is composed of natural quartz and resin, the translucent Pietre Preziose fills with ambient light from its environment and becomes truly luminous.  How brilliant is that?

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Image via Pinterest

Gray is the perfect neutral, but it can feel cold and lifeless on it’s own.  Yellow is cheerful and bright, but it can also seem like you decorated with your kids crayons when paired with other bight colors.  However, combine the two and you have a perfectly simple, yet strikingly sophisticated, color scheme.

Image via Sow Kindness, Gather Love

See what I mean?  That room is nothing but gray, except for two yellow pillows, a vase, and a few bright yellow chrysanthemums.  Imagine how blah that room would be without them! Read the rest of this entry »

I’m excited to announce that Emerald Atkins is joining The InterioREvolution as a regular contributor!  She has been writing occasional posts on artisan makers.  Now she is going to help me keep up with telling you about all the exciting products out there.  Twice a week!  Welcome Emerald!

These are luscious floors.

How often does one get the chance to say that about something under one’s feet?   Luscious.   Yet the creations of DuChateau Floors evoke that word, and in addition serve as a reminder that an environmentally-friendly room does not necessarily preclude classical beauty and – dare we say it? – a gentle opulence.

The secret is in the polish.  While polyurethane, acrylic, and aluminum finished floors are prevalent in the United States, DeChateau offers a refreshing alternative: a floor crafted of new FSC-certified European wood that is distressed, finished with hard wax oil, smoked, and brushed to reproduce that wonderful age-old, worn, antique patina that speaks of history. Read the rest of this entry »

Shhhh…

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?

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Thought I would give you a peak at the LEED Home Tour I participated in last Saturday.

This is the first tour for the Newport Beach Green Home.

As you can see, this project is still in the early stages of construction.

Man, have you ever seen more beautiful framing?  Seriously, this stuff is a work of art.  Almost a shame to cover it up with drywall.  Of course, if we didn’t, I sorta wouldn’t have a job, would I?

Lots of people showed up. Read the rest of this entry »

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.  Read the rest of this entry »

If you are in the Southern California area this Saturday, stop by and say “Hi!”.

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

For me, colder weather brings thoughts of cozy mornings by the fire, wool sweaters, and hot cups of tea.

This little stool fits into my daydream perfectly.  Created by Etsy seller Hogenbirk Knitwear, this handmade stool, with its knitted wool cover is the epitome of simple, stylish Dutch design.

Sweet, no? Read the rest of this entry »

In the world of green design, everybody brings something to the table.  Some people arrive with a primary concern about chemicals and other pollutants in our homes and workplaces.  Others are motivated by a love of the natural world and a desire to preserve it.  Still others hope to find a spiritual and life changing aspect to sustainability, which is where the book “EcoChi: Designing the Human Experience” fits in.

Guided by changes in her own life, Debra Duneier has created a business – and now a book – around her idea of EcoChi, a marriage of sustainable design and Feng Shui principles.  Starting with how she found herself in business as a Feng Shui consultant, and began integrating aspects of an eco-friendly lifestyle in her design, Duneier then takes us through a series of illustrative examples of clients and how she arrived at beneficial solutions to their design problems, using her trademarked EcoChi system.  Chock full of information on things as varied as tips to make your hotel room feel more like home, and how to use EcoChi to improve your family and romantic relationships, this book attempts to illustrate the correlation between Feng Shui, sustainable living, and environmental psychology.

This slim, but information packed volume is the perfect fit for those looking to combine an interest in sustainable living with Feng Shui.  Although this book does not contain images of the design work described, I’ve heard there will be a follow-up book, and I’m hoping that they will be included there.  It would definitely be an added benefit to see a spacial representation of the solutions described in the text.

Since I am not a practitioner of Feng Shui, I can’t attest to the authenticity of the advice she gives, but she does make many good points about sustainable design that could prove useful.  I’ve had several clients over the years that have been concerned with finding a balance between their desire for a “good flow of energy” in their homes, and the wish for environmentally friendly design.  I wish I had had this book to loan them at the time.

Visit the EcoChi website to find out more about the book, including how to purchase either the hardcover version, or the eBook.

As a young(er) woman, I often thought of someday running off to France to live in an old chateau for a year or so.  I’m not sure what I thought I would actually do once I was there – probably eat a lot of pain au chocolat – but I always dreamed of dancing around in a room amidst crumbling plaster and ancient wooden floors.

Ah, let the dancing commence!   This lustrous oak herringbone parquet, which might have been reclaimed from a Parisian apartment, country dwelling, or even – be still my heart – a creaky old chateau, is now available in the U.S.!

Imported by Exquisite Surfaces, this antique French oak flooring is not only beautiful and steeped in history, it is also FSC certified!

I love the juxtaposition of centuries old oak boards with sleek, modern walls.  Each element enhances the other so well, creating a harmonious whole, don’t you think?

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