Posted by kari on Sep 10, 2009 in
Guest Writers Good Morning,
We’re talking kitchens again today…
This is the one room in our homes that gets the most foot traffic, the most wear and tear, the most activity, the most dirt… and the most memories. Therefore, when renovating this space, or just simply updating it, much care needs to be taken. A fresh kitchen space can completely transform your home – helping you to fall in love all over again :)
We’re here to get the conversation going regarding all things ‘renovation’ and ‘interior design’ - and hopefully to provide some worth-while advice to all you readers wanting to update your kitchen.
“C” from Courtenay jumped on the chance to have us feature her home for one of our Thursday design advice features. She sent us some before pictures and described her ideas to us.
Kari has been dreaming up options for C’s kitchen. Here’s Kari with her thoughts…
BEFORE:
OUR INSPIRATION:
Via - Better Homes and Gardens
Read more…
Tags: Kitchen, Local Shopping, Painting, Projects + Ramblings, Q&A, Writing
Posted by bethany on Sep 9, 2009 in
Sustainability Cleaning is obviously an important part of Interior Design. Somehow floating dog hair on my floor and toothpaste splatters on the bathroom mirror just isn’t complimentary to the other accessories in my home.
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.
Tags: Guest Writers, Kitchen, Local Shopping
Posted by bethany on Sep 2, 2009 in
Writing I don’t think “Green” is going to go away anytime soon. Sure, a new word may emerge as the latest coined phrase, but I believe the concept is here to stay. Phew… thankfully we’re all becoming more environmentally aware.
I adore some of the new home products coming out with a “Green” focus. We’ve seen sustainable bamboo curtains, hemp sofas, and new furniture hand-crafted with reclaimed lumber.
But I’m also a fan of all things “used”. My neighbour put it right when she said, “I could buy my son every eco-toy imaginable, but often the best ’green’ toy I could buy him is a recycled one.” So.True.
Read more…
Tags: Home Tours, Local Shopping, Projects + Ramblings
