Anyone artistic probably knows this feeling. It’s the feeling where you’re so exposed to what your industry standards are, that you begin to feel as if you need to adopt them to be taken seriously.

In my opinion, true artistic or creative success comes from a limited pallet. If we possess every tool, every how-to book, and every bit of knowledge – what is left for creativity?

One of my favourite artists, Allan Sapp, developed his creative process with 4 tubes of paint: Brown, Black, Red, White. From this limited pallet, he draws out memories onto canvas.

www.AllenSapp.com

I think that the Design-Build process is a lot like this. There is a limited pallet. That pallet consists of the Budget, the Needs, the Wants, and the Rules (city bylaws, codes etc).

…and the Artist is responsible for bringing the vision to life using the pallet available.

There are a lot of people out there who can give a customer their dream home using a loaded pallet. However, there are few Artists who can bring a clients vision to life using the pallet available.

Add ethics and sustainability to the pallet - and the Artist must become a master.

We’re off to the Cowichan Valley today to peek in the home of John Lore – president of Live Edge Design.

I’ve mentioned this company before because I like the look of reclaimed and can get pretty excited when I find it locally. Live Edge Design has a noteworthy talent for design and a focus on quality workmanship. I’m cheering this Vancouver Island company on for chasing their dream of stylish sustainability.

Let’s take a peek…

I love this mid-century inspired reclaimed bed frame. The perfectly mitered corners on the side-table are a beautiful contrast to the textured edge of the headboard.

A well-made solid wood highboy is always a good investment. This piece works hard providing ample storage. The sophisticated button-like knobs gives this practical piece a very grown-up look.

• Thanks John, for sharing your home with us!

• Want to see more? Live Edge Design has an incredible portfolio on their website.

• For other HOME TOURS featured on ComoxValleyDwellings.com, click HERE.

 If you know of a local home we should tour on this website, please let us know!

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-b

In the months of exploring the Comox Valley for our next place, we kept a keen eye on Forbidden Plateau. We looked at a couple places, and even put an offer on one. The offer was rejected – since we offered much lower than what they were asking. (This is another story entirely and has something to do with the fact that the building “inspector” who looked at the house reported it as having a full foundation – which it did not.)

The house that we bid on could be described as a “gingerbread swiss-inspired ski chalet”. It looked a lot like this:

We never did purchase a home on Forbidden Plateau. But the idea hasn’t left our minds…

This week our instructor at the NIC Drafting program introduced us to our next project. We’ll be learning about architectural drafting - while incorporating studies in building design, site orientation, bc building code, interior detailing (millwork etc.), amonst other areas.

After much begging, he allowed us to choose our own house plans out of various old plan magazines. At first I wanted to choose a clasic Craftman home, but I changed my mind when I spied a 1987 plan for a swiss-inspired gingerbread vacation chalet. The gears started turning…

For my project I’m going to take this vintage plan and attempt to modernize it while infusing some classic design to help it become more timeless. I’m one for dreaming, and today I’ve been dreaming about how satisfying it would be to take the history of Forbidden Plateau and incorporate it into a home that pays tribute to the area and looks after the land it sits on.

It’s going to be a major challenge to the the “kitch” out of this type of architecture – but I’m game!

If you want to read a great post about Forbidden Plateau head over to Keira-Anne.com. She wrote about it back in September…

Some Inspirational Photos:

Via: www.vacationrentalpeople.com

Via: www.dgspc.co.uk 

Via: www.ofis-a.si

Unfortunately, little attention has been paid to this simple energy saving detail in recent years. Homes and subdivisions have been designed with resale value being the main focus and little effort has gone into situating roads and homes so that the sun can play it’s helpful role. There was a time when people paid great attention to Passive Solar Design…

My home was built in the 1940’s. My Grandmother loaned me a book on home design circa 1948 and it features a home very much like my own. In this book, there is one entire chapter dedicated to the importance of building a home so that it takes advantage of the sun’s path. This book even suggests the best place to build a “drying yard” for laundry. Ahhh… the good ol’ days.

The very first owners of our litte home may have owned this book, as our home is true South facing. I didn’t even notice this when we first bought it, but during the first winter we lived there I fell in love with the sunshine that poured in our living room window each morning. I felt a lot like a cat – curled up in the sunshine dozing off.

My little vintage house may be south facing to take advantage of the winter sunshine, but this also creates problems during the hot season…

In the summer months, both the front and back of the house get really warm. Most of the main windows in our home are South and West facing. This means we get sunshine spilling through our home right up until sunset during the summer.

To remedy this, I have come up with a simple Passive Solar Design plan for our renovation:

1. Install an arbour along our front living room window. Plant a eco-friendly vine (not on the noxious weed list…) next to the arbour that will climb. It will loose it’s leaves in the winter to allow for maximum sunlight. In the summer, the full foliage should provide good shade for our window from the high, hot sun.

2. At the back of the house (where our future addition will go) I want to install “Low-E” windows. These windows are designed to limit the amount of heat that is transmitted through the glass. They are more expensive, but they are extremely effective.

In my humble opinion, it is not a wise idea to install these new Low-E windows around the entire house because a home can actually gain heat from the low winter sun on the side that faces South.  However, it IS wise to install these windows on the west side of the home, as that side usually gets the very hot sun hitting it during the long summer afternoons and in the winter the sun is barely up long enough to provide that side of the house with any significant warmth.

 If you need some extra help in planning a renovation with Passive Solar Design elements, I would suggest hiring local home and renovation designer Jennifer Charles. She has a genuine interest in green renovating and a lot of valuable experience. When you’re ready to purchase windows, Van Isle Windows can help you select the right ones. Most importantly, do your own research – I found that my doing my own research I began to feel quite passionate about the idea of Passive Solar Design, and fell more in love with my home too.

He laughed and said that there’s going be a lot of unhappy naked sheep out there soon…

He is, of course, referring to WOOL insulation which is making a huge comeback. The benefits seem to be totally legit – and the common sense involved is also hard to avoid. (Which naturally seems better for you and your family? Fiberglass or Wool?)

Here are a few quick points regarding WOOL insulation:

1. It does not cause respitory problems
2. It actually works to trap harmful chemicals and prevent them from being distributed in your home.
3. It is naturally fire-resistant
4. Has high R value and in most cases exceeds that of fibreglass batts at the same thickness.
5. Is renewable and evironmentally friendly :)
6. You can snuggle it! (try doing that with fiberglass insulation!)

Via – Good Shepherd Wool Insulation

I would absolutely LOVE to do this in a home one day.

Links:
www.GoodShepherdWool.com
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wool_insulation
www.goldenfleeceinsulation.com.au

Anyone have a link to a Vancouver Island company offering Wool insulation?

___________________________________

speaking of Green…

The gals over at The Green Room are having a sale.
It’s their 1st Anniversary!

The sale is from today (23rd) through the 29th.

Today, we talking “green” again. We’re going to show you how to mix your own powerful and safe cleaning solutions right in your own home using stuff you can purchase right here in the Comox Valley.

(hehe… we were arguing about who’s legs we would say these belong to. Kari? Bethany? Nolan? Joe? We decided to come clean and say these cute legs belong to Kari’s daughter – and we wish they belonged to us!)

Now, we are both martha-ish, so we suggest purchasing just the right vessels for the task. I stopped by Samson’s Eco-Clean on the top of 5th street  and talked to Trevor. He suggested we use a bottle which is reusable and commercial quality – meaning it’s going to last a really long time! Long lasting means better for the environment… let’s keep cleaning product vessels out of the landfills, shall we?

The next stop took me down the block and around the corner to see Iola at Marigold Natural Pharmacy located on the corner of 6th Street and England Ave.   I asked for her tips on ingredients for powerful natural cleaning and she provided me with these recipes:

W – *windows*

In a 1-litre spray bottle:
1/4 cup vinegar
20 drops lavender oil
20 drops tea tree oil

M – *multi-purpose*

In a 1-litre spray bottle:
2 tbls “NISHO” shampoo (Marigold Natural Pharmacy’s own mix)
1 1/2 tbls baking soda
20 drops lavender oil
20 drops tea tree oil

After I gathered up our ingredients and vessels I met up with Kari at the lab – Kari’s kitchen!

Then we mixed up our lovely smelling cleaning solutions!

Then we added some personal touches…

Cute eh?

My house looks much better when it’s clean. It also seems to look much better when it smells nice too! I love using these mixtures because it makes me love my home more :)

GIVEAWAY ALERT! We made some extra and now we want to share. Leave us a comment on this post and we’ll draw a name next Wednesday. Winner will receive this lovely little care package courtesy of ComoxValleyDwellings.com, Marigold Natural Pharmacy, and Samson’s Eco Clean.

We want to give an extra *thanks* to Samson’s Eco-Clean for providing us with a commercial-grade Rubbermaid micro-fibre cloth to give-away to one of you! This cloth is amazing (I have one… and I love it!). It will clean mirrors and windows with just water – streak-free! If you don’t end up winning this one – stop in a buy one. They last forever, and they really do work – great domestic investment!

Alright – now it’s up to you :) Leave a comment and we’ll draw a name next Wednesday :) We’d love to hear about your own recipes for home-made cleaning solutions!

*we have to cover our bases and say: “we do not profess to be experts in natural cleaning product mixing. please follow this advice at your own risk. if you end up winning this cleaning solution, you will use it at your own risk. ComoxValleyDwellings.com is not responsible for any damage or injury associated with using these natural cleaning products.”

phew.