Many paints on the market right now contain no VOCs, which is a good thing, since they’re harmful to the environment, as well as your health. Of all of these, only Freshaire Choice is colored with VOC-free tints. Using any other VOC-free paint means either having white walls or no longer having a VOC-free paint by the time you get it home!

VOCs, or Volatile Organic Compounds, can cause eye, nose and throat irritation, headaches, loss of coordination, as well as organ and nerve damage. These are not things you want in your home! Fortunately, Freshaire Choice Paint is available at your local Home Depot, which means no going out of your way to buy it.

Get started repainting today with 3 free samples of the 65 premium colors! For more information, click any of the links on this page or watch this informative video!

How often do you hear people talk about how much you can lower your impact on the environment by spending a ton of money on some major home improvement or new appliances? They tell you how much it’ll lower your energy bills, as well; which is great, except that it can take up to 10 years just to break even. So, you ignore them and get on with your life, right? What if you didn’t have to wait quite so long to start seeing the financial, as well as environmental, impact of living greener?

From meters that tell you how much energy you’re currently using, to automatic composters that turn your leftovers into fertilizer, going green doesn’t have to cost a lot. In fact, there are many inexpensive ways to reduce your environmental impact, while holding on to more of your hard-earned income!

Take a look at this insightful and informative article at dvice.com, titled 7 Household Upgrades that Prove Going Green Isn’t so Hard (or Pricey).

“When it comes to furniture, are you a conformist?”

“Then have fun at Ethan Allen. But if you want wood furniture that’s a little more unique, look for artful pieces made from reclaimed (read: recycled) wood, you rebel-with-an-eco-cause, you.”

These are obviously not our words, being fans of Ethan Allen. These rebel, rebel words come from one of our favorite sources, Ideal Bite. Check out the full article here.

The 23rd Annual Kitchen and Bath Business Market Forecaster revealed its expectations for the industry in this rough economy based on consumer expectations from the last quarter of 2007. Both kitchen and bath remodeling project spending are expected to drop 14% which amounts to over a $118 billion drop. Parallel to this decrease in spending is the decrease in jobs in the bath sector of the industry, which is predicted to decrease around 14%. The kitchen industry expects only a 1% gain in jobs. With the threat of recession, lowered housing starts, and the weak real estate market, it is no surprise that consumers are spending less on interior design and home remodeling. In home staging we often see how reluctant homeowners are to remodel bathrooms, but notice that they are more likely to remodel kitchens. Bathrooms are private spaces and get little attention when it comes to home improvement. Kitchens on the other hand have become showy social places and the key selling feature of homes.

Figures from K+BB January 2008 issue

According to the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) and the International Federation of Interior Architects and Interior Designers (IFI) member, Rita Carson, FASID and a group of her peers at the IFI conference in New York, the core values needed to be a good interior designer are:

• Ability to translate needs, ideas, and desires into appropriate interiors
• An ability to understand human behavior
• An understanding and concern for sustainability
• Ability to be ethically responsible
• Must have empathy for human life
• Must have passion for design
• Must be technically competent
• Ability to provide usability and functionalty within pschologically enhancing space
• A sharp focus of needs of people
• An ability to know how to “do no harm”
• Must have the ability to communicate both verbally and visually
• Must have aesthetic understanding
• Must have respect for human life

Earth tones aren’t only the trend, but they are also psychologically comforting for homeowners and visitors. This is very important when putting a home on the market and having the entire house staged for sale. Interior designers use the colors based on color forecasts from the Color Marketing Group and what they see in popular magazines and catalogs such as Better Homes and Gardens or Pottery Barn. If you are selling your home consider hiring an interior redesigner or home staging professional to help select the colors that are most agreeable and appealing to the volumes of potential buyers. Not only do neutral colors bring a sense of warmth and comfort, they also bring in high offers when selling your home!

Did you know that cooking with your special someone can turn up the heat in your relationship? This spicy info came from a study done by Kenmore appliance’s high-end line, Kenmore PRO, and relationship expert Dr. John Gray. Gray is the author of the well known bestselling book Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus. 1,500 couples were polled and the results said that 82% of the couples who cook together described their relationships as “excellent.”  Only 25% of those who do not cook together could say the same.

“Can you help me choose colors and furniture?” is one of the most common requests that we get from clients, friends, and family seeking interior design advice. Our response is to find pictures of rooms that they like in magazines. Another option on how to select colors, furniture, fabrics, and flooring is to check out Adrienne Chinn’s Home Decorator’s Color & Texture Bible. Chinn believe’s in starting from the ground up, which we agree with considering most people would rather work with the floor that they have than reinstall brand new hardwood, tile, or carpet. This lovely reference showcases 180 different decorating and color schemes so you will be sure to find inspiration.

The wirebound hardcovered book is published by Firefly Books and sells for $29.95.

Habitat for Humanity of Summit County will be opening up a new store at 1020 Canton Road in Springfield which is set to open in mid-November. THe store will sell gently used building materials, appliances, and household items and will benefit everyone in the community including contractors, businesses, landlords, and do-it-yourslefers. Consumers save an average of 50-90% off retail prices! Items can also be donated and used as a tax deduction. We love that proceeds go to a good cause and that items are saved from landfills.

Is Black Friday really all it is cracked up to be? I personally shop all year round searching for (or just stumbling upon) great deals. Believe it or not, sales happen everyday, not just on the day after Thanksgiving. And I don’t have to stand in line for hours in the freezing cold rain and snow mix that is inevitable in Northeast Ohio in November.

Well I guess that’s just my opinion. Share your story. What are your Black Friday fabulous finds and exciting experiences?