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Post by Faith Sheridan Visit Faith’s Blog
Watch a video about Squak Mountain.
Recently I met Amee Quiriconi at the Green Peer table lunch I attend monthly with other Seattle designers. But I was already familiar with her unique countertop product as I used it in the shared bathroom of the Seattle Street of Dreams 2006 home I designed, Casa Montecito.
Vanity Counter in Latte
From graduate school paper to reality, the story of how Squak Mountain Stone™ came to be is an exciting story. Working to complete her masters degree in 2003, she prepared an economics paper requiring the students to develop a product or service that would could benefit their local economy. Specifically, find something in their community that is purchased from someone outside of that community and then develop a “substitute” for that item that could be made and sold within the local economy.
Employing her knowledge in engineering, construction and research, Amee created a unique new product called Squak Mountain Stone™.
Closeup view of Squak Mountain
Amee started with paper that couldn’t be recycled because it was crosscut by shredders, then added portland cement, crushed glass and coal fly ash from an electric plant in her home state of Washington. After stirring, grinding and polishing samples for 18 months, she hit upon a way to make the hand-cast slabs rock hard. “It’s a recycled material that replaces real stones that have to be quarried out of mountains.” Squak Mountain Stone resembles soapstone or limestones. Learn more about it here.
Post by Faith Sheridan Visit Faith’s Blog
I discovered Paperstone in early 2006 as I began my design of Casa Montecito for the 2006 Seattle Street of Dreams. I loved the touch of the product and decided to use it in the main floor laundry and catering prep area. One of the goals of this project was to introduce green products that would entice potential users. Hopefully by seeing them used consumers and contractors would be motivated to integrate them into projects. Recently I completed another home that used Paperstone on the perimeter kitchen counters and granite on the islands.
In 2006 Paperstone was selected as a top 10 product by the editors of GreenSpec® and Environmental Building News™. PaperStone Certified is a beautiful and heavy-duty solid surface known for its performance, its warm touch, its contemporary appearance and its environmental sustainability. It is made from 100% post-consumer recycled paper and a proprietary, petroleum-free resin. It is the only solid surface material certified by the Forest Stewardship Council, Smartwood and the Rainforest Alliance. Specifying PaperStone can earn up to five LEED points. PaperStone is durable and is recommended for residential kitchen and bath and commercial uses, indoor and out.
It is extremely hard and is practically impervious to water. It is scratch resistant and used for cutting boards. It is also highly resistant to staining and can bear temperatures to 350º making it an excellent choice for kitchens. PaperStone’s color comes from the natural color of the paper and the pigments and dyes used in the manufacturing process. The color is not a surface treatment.
It is all the way through the product. PaperStone will develop a seasoned appearance that is an inherent characteristic of the material. The aging process takes time and there will be deeper luster in areas of heavier use. Overall, it will appear softer and deeper in tone.
Key points about Paperstone. I enjoy your questions and comments and visits to my blog. For additional design tips, sign up here.
Watch this interview with Robin Wilson in NY about using bamboo flooring and the bamboo line of Robin Wilson Home custom cabinetry.
Check out the video here!
Photo by Cheryl Muhr
The Today Show talks with Sarah Susanka about “Not So Big” and downsizing.
Thank you to all of the designers that attend the complimentary call this morning with Rise Against rock star Brandon Barnes, his wife Tara, and their interior designer, Laurel Quint of Q Design.
Many of the designers on the call requested pictures and more information about the project. So here it is…
The Barnes Residence & Our Official Transfer to Green Design
by, Laurel Quint – Interior Designer, Q Interior Design
I think green design is really interesting. So interesting that I read a ton about it, and then more, and then even more, and was so overwhelmed I didn’t know where to begin to transform my firm’s projects to encompass even the smallest iota of environmental consciousness. I stopped thinking about it for a while, which is what I usually do when I don’t know what to do, and somehow, most of often, I will slowly find a new way to do something I didn’t know how to do before.
I have a small, exclusive, typical residential design firm. I consider it my first child, as I do have three of the living, breathing, school attending kind as well. I had the firm before I had the kids and somehow I have managed my business success in conjunction with child rearing successes (at least to this point, and there are some really tough days in there!). As the kids have grown up, and especially in the last several years (they are 12, 10, and 7) they have been coming home with some interesting new plans to implement, one of which is recycling. They got our household started on the task of pulling paper, plastic (1-7’s) and glass into a separate bin. At first this seemed daunting, however within months it was a game; how much could our trash be cut down, who can collect the most, and by the end of the year we were requesting an additional bin from the city to collect our recycling. Soon enough household lights were getting turned off regularly as we left a room, and then changed to LED bulbs. We started buying more locally grown vegetables and meats to reduce our carbon footprint and we went organic when we could afford to do so.
This was the starting point for my firms transition as well, then it started to coalesce. As a firm that mostly works in the residential arena; new construction, remodel and redecorating, we started by focusing our finish and furnishing specifications on renewable or sustainable products. I had hired a new associate who had done large scale hospitality projects that were LEED certified, we started looking at products that were LEED certified or green, or at least greener than most other options. When we did our presentations we were only showing the most environmentally sound products available for that situation. We were not in a position to have our client’s projects certified, however we did want to be responsible. Suddenly all the reading and absorbing started to converge into a useful plan. I liked the idea that I was able to change more than my own household when it came to our environment. I could influence everyone of my clients choices to be more environmentally conscious without them having to worry about it! I was in a position that gave me greater impact on our earth, our country, our local environment without becoming a berated, mistrusted, annoying politician, how great is that!
We were choosing renewable fabric sources like wool and linen. We were choosing veneers cut from sustainable forests. We were selecting
porcelain tile and concrete countertops. Then, we began to integrate where the finishes were coming from, could we source things locally to
reduce our carbon footprint? As we started to integrate these tiny elements into our world it became natural and easy to take the next
step.
We were brought in by Brandon & Tara Barnes to revamp their family’s kitchen. They are vegetarian and he has a sponsorship from PETA in his business life. They requested that finishes follow the course of appropriateness for their standards as well as adhering to an appropriate budget, which was not high end! So after months of specifying green product, without really making it our major selling point, we now had to overtly choose and sell based on these categories alone. So, here are a couple of snap shots as well as explanations of what we chose and why….
The strongest green practice at a core level for this project was to recycle or down cycle all the old materials including cabinetry, the kitchen faucet and sink lighting.
Concrete Counter tops – Concrete Habitat uses 25% post industrial byproduct of reinforcement fiberglass called VCAS Pozzolans to create their counter tops, which replaces 25% of the normal cement powders. This glass product is unique because the alkali content is lower than 95% of other recycled glass. This lower alkali content actually helps in keeping the concrete more stable over a longer period of time. Concrete Habitat also creates voids in the concrete forms so their overall use of cement is dropped by at least a third. Using concrete with this additive can contribute to the points necessary to achieving LEED certification for sustainable structures. Using the VCA additive reduces CO2 admission, conserves limestone and other natural resources, plus it saves space in landfills.We asked our design community for blog posts about green design, and Deborah Flate with www.dialogue-consulting.com submitted this information about bamboo’s properties:
Bamboo possesses a property called “Bamboo Kun” which means that it is naturally anti-microbial. Even though processing into fabric and after fifty washes, bamboo fabrics retain their anti-bacterial nature, according to research by Japan Textile Inspection Association. This makes it suitable for those sensitive to allergens.
Bamboo takes in five times the volume of greenhouse gasses as an equivalent stand of timber trees and releases 35% more oxygen. It needs no replanting, pesticides or fertilizers, and its roots retain water in the watershed, sustaining riverbanks and reducing water pollution.
It has many of the qualities sought in “performance” and “easy care” fabrics without the drawbacks of synthetic material and it has many of the fashionable qualities of silk, while being sturdy and vegan.
Thank you for sharing, Deborah. If any of you would like to share your favorite products or green practices with us, please send your information to info@designsuccessu.com.
Mosaic Portraits by S A Schimmel Gold
Sandhi is an Arizona artist, an avid recycler, a composter, who shops local and thinks global.
About six years ago, she finalized a process of discovery – she developed a style of eco-friendly mixed media art that marries her love of painting with mosaic – and allows her to use non-toxic materials and upcycle paper that would otherwise go to waste.
“I’ve been an artist all of my life and have always been fascinated by mosaics. As a painter, my style leans more towards Pop art, clean lines & color.
I have always painted faces. I peruse magazines, books, etc. to find inspiration.
I studied painting in art schools in NY, CA & AZ and studied mosaics in the Mediterranean.
For several years, I tried to create “mosaic” portraits with paint but was never satisfied… then, a number of years ago I was awed by a glass mosaic portrait I saw in Venice. I came home and tried to create the same thing, but the lack of tiny glass tiles in a myriad of colors frustrated
me [when it practically rains glass in Venice!]… and I didn’t want to cut glass, so I using old greeting card “tiles” on a pop art portrait.
It was a good start!
I have been creating and selling portraits in this new medium for several years now, I have collectors in the US, Europe and Asia.
I also create custom portraits from photos.
My work has been in museums and fine art galleries from NY to CA. It has been featured in a number of national magazines. That said, I’m still
pretty much unknown.
I start by painting the portrait on canvas and then cover the entire image with the “tiles” that are made out of advertising ephemera… postcards,
greeting cards, calendars, packaging…junk mail. Everything is hand done – no computers, no tools, VERY low-tech… everything is cut and affixed by hand. Each portrait is made up of hundreds if not thousands of individual pieces. Yes, it is tedious and time consuming – isn’t that what
art is all about? Every piece is one-of-a-kind.”
All of the materials used are acid-free, water-based and non-toxic.
To visit Sandhi’s website, click on http://www.schimmelart.com.
As the economy batters our businesses as interior designers and architects, we have to survive and thrive, our practices must start addressing the growing consumer demand for sustainable design.
Find out why one rock star couple, Brandon & Tara Barnes, decided to go green and hire Denver Interior Designer, Laurel Quint of Q Interior Design. You’ll hear straight from the client and the designer why this trend is becoming mainstream, and that for you to be competitive, you need to learn as much as you can to grow your business. Brandon Barnes is a Colorado native and is the drummer for the band Rise Against.
82% of Americans surveyed believe it is “important for companies to implement environmentally friendly practices,” according to McGraw Hill.
We are providing a series of *FREE* teleseminars leading up to our Green Design Summit June 29 & 30 for architects and designers. We’ll share how green can help your practices grow especially during the recession. In fact, we’ll discuss the tax benefits for consumers and how our industry can educate and encourage our clients to make environmentally-friendly choices and save money at the same time.
Sign up for this *FREE*recording below.
