Sustainable Design, Sustainable Living, Sustainable Everything
Wanna learn all about LED lightbulbs? No?! Okay, how about secondhand light fixtures? Maybe…? Okay, do you want a see our STUNNING cork-backed laminate floors? Now that’s more like it! It’s time for episode five of Our House in Trees.
As much fun as the foundation and framing stages are (for me at least), the REAL fun begins with the interior finishes. This is also the area where I feel – if I may toot my own horn – that
The build of our sustainable home forges onward! In fact, so much happened in month three that I had to split it into two. Episode three covers the last half of August and includes me fawning over sustainable building materials
While the second month of our sustainable home build still went relatively smooth, there were definitely some moments of high stress. The continuing uncooperative weather coupled with Devin spending nearly two weeks digging in services – from sunup to sundown
Ever dreamed of building a sustainable home? Well, I sure did. And now that dream is coming true! Because you know how it goes. You buy a piece of land and then eight years later… WHAM! You’re in full-on building
Whenever we tell people about our land one of the first questions they ask is, “How many acres do you have?” Now, 40 acres may not be a lot if you come from a farming family and own a quarter section (160 acres) or
I write a lot on Of Houses and Trees about eco-friendly interior design and decor, but those aspects are really only part of the sustainability package. Of course, what comes first is the building itself. I touched on this topic in my post 5 of Canada’s Most Sustainable Buildings, but one of the coolest things about sustainable design (other than it’s planet-saving powers) is that it’s constantly evolving. New technologies plus new ideas meet and mingle and suddenly an ingenious green product or practice is born. And with another year coming to an end, it’s always inspiring to take a look at current and upcoming innovative sustainable architecture trends. From showing off solar to filling walls with straw – here are 5 of the most innovative trends in sustainable design.
Now more than ever – it’s easy to be green. Companies are putting out more eco-friendly products. Businesses are turning to eco-friendly practices. Governments are bringing about change through incentive programs and new laws. However, for an individual or a family it can still feel pretty overwhelming. This becomes even more true when coupled with an already overwhelming situation like building a new home. So it’s understandable the first question someone asks when considering a green build is – can I afford it?
The answer is – yes!
Ah, yearend. A time to stop and reflect on the past 12 months… and reread (or read for the first time) the five most viewed Of Houses and Trees posts of 2017! The last year has been the biggest yet for growing this sustainability blog and I have so very many ideas for 2018… and beyond! I just want to say how much I appreciate every single view, comment, share and subscribe I receive. Truly.
From eco-friendly products and building materials, to healthy vegan eats – 2017 was a green year indeed!
Something I have been looking forward to doing since I started designing Our House in the Trees was the day when we could tape out a simple floor plan and explore how it felt in full scale. After having spent hours upon hours adjusting, aligning, deleting, nudging, massaging and just plain old staring blankly at our plans, you better believe I know every nook and cranny intimately. But I also know from my time spent working at an architect’s office that what you see on paper and what you see in real life can be very different, which is why laying out a floor plan – in full size – is so important.
