The New Year – The Perfect Time For a Design Plan

Posted on 26. Jan, 2011 by Sesshu Design in Blog, home decoration, scottsdale interior design

The New Year is traditionally a time to reassess and make changes in your life. It is a perfect time to assess your home and maybe give it a facelift.  Think about ways you might want to change your home to be more beautiful and functional for the way you live now.  Often rooms that were once perfect no longer fit the way our lives have changed. If a space was furnished more than seven to ten years ago, it could probably use some updating.  This is the perfect time to create a design plan that will help you achieve a beautiful look that flows from room to room.

It doesn’t need to be a major overhaul of your entire home.  A simple update of color scheme, or re-upholstering your sofa and changing the pillows can instantly freshen a room. Often things like bedding, window treatments, or your favorite chair (or the dog’s favorite chair) can become shabby or dated without you really noticing – until something like a new year focuses your attention on freshening up your space.  Luckily, these things can be easily replaced, updated and refreshed.

If you want to redesign more than one room, an overall design plan is a good tool to help you implement changes in phases.  With a plan for each space that accounts for the entire design concept you will have a guide to work form when making buying decisions down the road.  Without a plan, the process of designing one room at a time tends to result in a home that is disjointed, and lacks flow and harmony. 

When creating your design plan, walk through your entire home one space or room at a time and make a note of what could use updating, what is in disrepair, and what you no longer like.  List each item, and then go back and prioritize the list.  Some things may suggest being completed at the same time, like if you need to replace counter-tops, maybe this is a good time to also redo the plumbing fixtures.

There a a lot of incentives still available if your update includes environmentally friendly changes like more efficient windows, water saving fixtures, or tankless water heaters.  A design plan can assist you in deciding what changes make the most sense to tackle now, and what can wait until later.  With the real estate market being what it is, this is a great time to invest in remodeling and updating your home.  Home improvements like kitchen and bath remodels are still a good return on your investment, especially if the change is something that you will use often and enjoy while you are in your home.  For instance, making-over the master bath into a personal spa retreat is one change that you will likely wonder why you didn’t do it sooner!

As experts in solving challenges with space, function and style, the designers at Sesshu Design Associates can work with you to create a design plan that fits your needs and budget.  Then you can execute it on your own, or use our purchasing services to create the total package.  Either way, you will be confident that your entire home will have a cohesive style and function beautifully for your life.

For a complimentary consultation to explore the possibilities in your home, contact us today.

Eco-Luxury Candles to Indulge In

Posted on 28. Dec, 2010 by Sesshu Design in Blog, eco-friendly design, gifts, glass, green design, home decoration, luxury design, repurposed, reuse

We believe that luxury and eco-friendly living are not exclusive of each other, and these wonderful candles showcase that philosophy perfectly.

Soothing aromatherapy candles make a wonderful gift for anyone you know who deserves some relaxing, but the glass containers they come in are not so eco-friendly. Until the introduction of EkoMiko candles. Created by actress and environmentalist Izabella Miko (of Coyote Ugly and Deadwood fame), the luxurious line of hand-poured candles are made from a luscious organic coconut butter wax and a repurposed glass bottle holder.  Even the special wick is organic, non-toxic and nearly smokeless.  Thinking through all the details, the biodegradable box can be planted to sprout wildflowers.

The 100% certified natural vegetable wax, created by Stone Candles, is a coconut blend made with luxurious biodegradable elements, which are  non-GMO, pesticide free, raw materials. This wax is primarily coconut based wax with some traces of palm wax, beeswax and essential oils which are fair-trade and organic.

The unique wooden wicks create a crackling wood fire sound while burning.  The wood wicks are 100% natural grown, 100% organic, and made with absolutely no chemical treatments. This special wick does not require trimming, there is little to no debris. and minimal carbon buildup. Wood Wicks efficiently burns all waxes and are grown, manufactured, and sold in the USA. They are surprisingly long lasting, too – expect about 40 hours of burn time.

The frosted green reclaimed vessel comes from reclaimed wine, water and other bottles rescued from the North American waste stream. The re-purposing process requires only a fraction of the energy needed to make glasses from recycled glass. Using a unique wine bottle-to-goblet conversion patent each glass thus retains the essence of the original bottle, preserving the artistic contour, vibrant color and design of the original bottle. The decoration of the glass is applied via silk screen printing process using an environmentally friendly, lead-free ink as a barrier for the frosting process. The frosting is achieved from sandblasting instead of the non-environmentally friendly method of acid etching. Sandblasting medium is aluminum oxide, which is totally inert and is re-used over and over again.

Continuing the philosophy of bringing new life to items no longer needed, the seeded box was a perfect choice for EkoMiko’s packaging material.  Planting the box in soil and watering it will allow the embedded seeds to sprout into beautiful wildflowers.

Designing with Light – Part 2, Choosing Fixtures

Posted on 30. Nov, 2010 by Sesshu Design in Blog, eco-friendly lighting, energy efficient lighting, home decoration, LED light

Last week we talked about the importance of lighting in creating the mood or ambience of a space and how it can be used to in different ways to enhance both.  Lighting can also be used to enhance the style or décor of a room, dressing it up or down, making it feel exciting and lively, or calm and soothing.

When it comes to creating a interior style with lighting design, the fixture is the most important element.  There are many general types of fixtures:

• Chandeliers
• Pendants
• Ceiling Mounted Fixtures
• Wall-mounted Sconces
• Bath/Vanity Fixtures
• Portable Lamps
• Track Lighting
• Recessed Lighting
• Under-cabinet Lighting

Each of these fixtures lends itself to delivering one or more of the types of lighting – ambient, task and accent- and come in a wide variety of shapes, sizes and styles.

Chandeliers add a decorative focal point to a space and help to define the style of almost any room of the house.  Traditionally used in the dining room, recent trends have included them in large living rooms, kitchens, foyers, and even bedrooms and bathrooms.

Some chandeliers are designed with both traditional up lights as well as down lights to accent table settings or provide task lighting.  Many are available with either fabric or glass shades which reduces glare and also adds an element of style in your interior lighting design.  They are available in a variety of light sources including incandescent, halogen and compact fluorescent.  Adding a dimmer gives you greater flexibility and control to suit different activities or moods.

Pendants are similar to chandeliers, but typically smaller and more compact- usually with just one element.  They can provide both task and ambient lighting, and are available in an unlimited range of styles, shapes and colors.  Pendants have become very popular in recent years, and can be suspended over kitchen islands, breakfast areas, game tables and other work areas.  When they are used over a bedside table in place of a lamp, they free up surface for other items.

Ceiling fixtures are excellent for ambient lighting, providing very practical illumination in hallways, foyers, bedrooms, kitchens, baths, laundry rooms and closets.  Also available in a variety of sizes and styles, they can be equipped with incandescent, fluorescent or halogen bulbs.

Wall-mounted fixtures or sconces can create a unique sense of sophistication and style in a room.  Many are designed to match chandeliers and other fixtures in sets to create a sense of continuity in adjoining areas.  They provide ambient and accent lighting in hallways, over dining buffets, and in entries.  In a powder room or bath they can also be a source of task lighting.

Bath/vanity fixtures supply task lighting while supplementing general lighting provided by ceiling fixtures.  It is critical to include both types of lighting in a bath where personal grooming will take place to avoid creating shadows. Vanity fixtures can be mounted either above or to the side of the mirror.  They can be found in a wide range of styles, colors, shapes and sizes to fit any room, some with glass or fabric shades.

Portable lamps provide task, general or accent lighting with the flexibility to move the light wherever you need it.  Table lamps, floor lamps and torchieres (floor lights with an uplight) are all types of portable lamps, and are unlimited in their variety to complement any design style.  They can use incandescent, halogen, compact fluorescent, and now LED bulbs.

Track lighting and rail lighting are very similar in both style and functionality.  Track lighting has changed dramatically in recent years, trending toward smaller fixtures or decorative pendants.  Track lighting provides very functional ambient, task or accent lighting in a flexible system.  You can swivel, rotate and aim the individual light fixtures in any direction, highlighting specific points with the versatility to change whenever the need arises.

Newer low-voltage  track lighting systems are very small and have many interesting shapes, sizes and colors with different pendants and decorative fixtures.

Rail lighting has addressed the increase in popularity by providing bendable, flexible and decorative systems that are easy to include as a decorative element in any space.

Recessed lighting is the least sexy of all the fixtures because it is usually designed to disappear in the background of a room.  Newer recessed cans are smaller, while still providing very good general light.  They are used in any area of the home, including outdoors on porches, patios and under eaves.  Ideal for any type of ceiling, they are often used in the kitchen, hallways, and other high traffic areas.  Available in incandescent, compact fluorescent, halogen and now LED bulbs.

Under-cabinet fixtures offer both task and accent lighting in places like kitchens or laundry rooms.  They are also used in display cabinets to highlight collections, three-dimensional art and sculptures.  The latest options are super slim LED strips that emit no heat and provide a nice bright and long lasting light.

In addition to the various types of fixtures, you also should consider installing dimmers and lighting control systems throughout the home or at least in key areas,  Dimmers provide manual control over the brightness of almost any type of fixture, which allows you to create a mood appropriate for the activities happening at any given time.  Lighting control systems allow you to set scenes that are commonly used over and over again at the touch of a button.  A favorite option for many people is the “all off” button which lets you turn off all lights throughout the house with one touch, rather than going room to room.

Next week, we will look at the various options of lighting sources and the reasons for using each.

Nuts About These Colorful Bowls

Posted on 09. Nov, 2010 by Sesshu Design in Blog, eco-friendly design, eco-friendly interior design, gifts, home decoration, locally made, recycled, sustainable, sustainable design, sustainable interior design

A room is never quite finished until it is accessorized – and a touch of whimsy or personality is exactly what is called for.  I just love these fun and functional bowls made from Macadamia nut husks because they provide both.  Each one is unique, and still contains bits of the original shell that show through in the colorful interior coating.  The wood-like outer shell contrasts with the vibrant colored hand-polished lining, created though a process of grinding, polishing and waxing.

Designed and crafted by Marc Harrison in his native Australia, he hopes these bowls create an emotional connection between the product and the end-user.  Hand-crafted with local materials and manufactured using low-impact processes these Husque bowls are a great example of artistic and sustainable design.  Each one arrives packaged with the story of the design’s origin and the history of the macadamia nut.

Available in an array of bright colors, these bowls would add a nice accent to any room.  Used to serve nuts, display fruit, or just as a piece of art they are sure to grab attention and the story of their creation makes a great conversation starter. In addition to the bowls which come in two shapes, the Husque collection includes a tray and vase in the same colorful options.

DONGHIA President on Design Trends

Posted on 26. Oct, 2010 by Sesshu Design in Blog, fabrics, furnishings, home decoration, luxury design, scottsdale interior design, Uncategorized, wallcoverings, wallpaper

DONGHIA

Last week I had the pleasure of meeting Crans Baldwin, President of Donghia and Bergamo – two very beautiful fabric lines that I always enjoy using on my client’s projects.  He was at the John Brooks showroom in Scottsdale, presenting an exclusive sneak peek at the new Fall collections from both lines, as well as the new collection from Armani Casa textiles.  The fabrics were stunning, as always, but what I found even more intriguing were his comments on what he sees as interior design trends happening right now.

In these tough economic times, people have turned back to value and quality in the items they purchase.  People have begun to do those interior design or redecorating projects again, but they are very conscous of using products that are of high quality.  They want things that will last, that are authentic.  Understanding this, the Rubelli company (which is the parent company of Donghia, Bergamo and Armani Casa) have created interior textiles that use beautiful and luxurious fibers which are authentic.  Durability, known in the interior design industry as “double-rubs” or “rub count”, is a key design factor in the new collections.  The pricing is also kept in a very reasonable range, allowing interior designers to use these very special fabrics in more areas.

Another feature that has become more important to many people in these uncertain times is buying things that are made in America.  Donghia has a fabric mill in Pennsylvania which produces amazing textiles, and all of their furniture is hand made in America.  (They still make some furniture in Europe, but that is only sold to customers in Europe.)

Color palettes are always a big interior design trend people are curious about.  This season colors are darker, bolder and saturated with deep aubergine, navy, chocolate, and gray mixed with crimson, copper and brights.  One color scheme even combined orange and purple in varying degrees – from Phoenix Suns team colors, to a slightly more subdued copper paired with dusty plum.  Black is also big this season, sometimes mixed with white or cream, sometimes alone as in a luscious, rich, patterned velvet.

Texture is important – soft and luxurious velvets or chenille-like wovens, fil coupe’ (literally ‘cut yarn’) sheers, nubby terry cloth for outdoors, and a super heavy cotton sateen that will outlast many commercial grade fabrics.

The patterns are unique, and often hand made by artisans all over the world.  Many new patterns are recreated from old “documents” – fabrics that are in the company archives from the past – now done in fresh modern color palettes, or maybe at a different scale, but still the authentic old pattern.  This was especially true in the Armani Casa collection, which uses European and French Art Deco patterns, fabrics and even a dress form the 1920’s and 30’s as inspiration.

Some of the latest patterns take a traditional design and then enlarge it to a giant scale, weave it in contemporary color schemes, and create a very fresh and modern new look.  Damasks, stripes and tapestry patterns all receive this fresh treatment to great effect. 

An interesting use of an authentic material is the horsehair sheer and wall covering shown in natural colors which is quite beautiful in its subtle shading of browns, blacks, creams and taupes.  Horsehair was often used as stuffing in upholstery and as a stiffener in the 19th century.  It is slightly scratchy, and somewhat stiff, but in the right application is stunning.  Donghia is the only manufacturer to create a wall covering by paper backing the horsehair fabric.  It looks similar to a grasscloth, but more unusual and refined.

I am personally looking forward to helping my clients find the stunning statement fabric or wall covering they love which will make their home incredible.  With the new direction taken by the Rubelli’s, I know it will be a joy.

Clean the Air Inside Your Home with Green Plants

Posted on 19. Oct, 2010 by Sesshu Design in bamboo, Blog, eco-friendly design, eco-friendly interior design, environmentally friendly tips, green living tips, healthy homes, home decoration, indoor air quality, innovation, local companies, nontoxic cleaning, scottsdale interior design, zero-VOC

The air quality inside your home is one of the most important yet overlooked areas of green interior design.  The range of remedies can range from rather expensive options like replacing carpeting or serious HVAC systems for moving air, to one of the least costly and also aesthetically pleasing – adding live plants to every room.

A NASA study shows that live indoor plants do indeed help to create a healthier environment inside your home.  The study shows that

• indoor plants not only absorb CO2, they also release oxygen
• living plants scrub the air of pollutants commonly found indoors from our carpeting, paints, and cleaning products.

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are gases that pollute indoor air quality.  They can be found in many common household products, including paint, paint strippers, cleaning supplies, glues and adhesives. Breathing these compounds causes symptoms that range from allergic reactions to respiratory tract irritation to more serious conditions like asthma and cancer.

There are now paints, carpeting products, and indoor cleaners that have low or zero VOCs. Regardless, NASA found that a house plant for every 50 feet will help reduce VOCs and improve home air quality.

Even the act of living and breathing inside your home adds to the problems for healthy air because human respiration removes oxygen, and emits carbon dioxide.  If your home is extremely air-tight, over time the levels of CO2 can rise quite dramatically without some form of air transfer or cleaning.

Although all live plants take in CO2 and create oxygen, some are more efficient than others.  Many of the best are very common and easy to find.  The top indoor air scrubbing plants found by NASA are listed below (this plant list came from Zone10.com):

• Bamboo palm, Chamaedorea seifritzii
• Chinese evergreen, Aglaonema modestum
• English ivy, Hedera helix
• Gerbera daisy, Gerbera jamesonii
• Janet Craig, Dracaena “Janet Craig”
• Marginata, Dracaena marginata
• Mass cane/Corn plant, Dracaena massangeana
• Mother-in-Law’s Tongue, Sansevieria laurentii
• Pot mum, Chrysantheium morifolium
• Peace lily, Spathiphyllum
• Warneckii, Dracaena “Warneckii”

In Scottsdale, my favorite source for incredible indoor plants and creative plantscape design is Plant Solutions.  They are passionate about green design, and have even developed an innovative solution called the living wall- a vertical installation of live plants which takes up very little floor space while adding multitudes of living plants to improve your indoor air quality.  Green interior design addresses many areas, and it can sometimes be costly to implement, but live plants are easy to add and inexpensive.

Handcrafted Furniture from Reclaimed Teak Creates Sweet Dreams

Posted on 13. Apr, 2010 by Sesshu Design in Blog, eco-friendly design, home decoration, local companies, luxury design, recycled, scottsdale interior design, sustainable design, sustainable interior design, woods

A hand carved chest from Jason Scott Collection

The Jason Scott Collection line of reclaimed teak wood furnishings has options that are rustic or refined, in traditional or contemporary styles.  All are beautifully hand-carved by craftsmen who have honed their skill for many years.

All the teak is reclaimed from architectural structures from Java, and then created by Javanise craftsmen who have been woodworkers for generations.

Headquartered in Phoenix since 1995, the Jason Scott Collection has become well known for the beauty the carvers find in each piece of wood and the history they preserve in each piece of furniture they create.

For more photos and examples of their work, visit their website: http://jasonscottcollection.com or contact us to commission your very own piece.

Intuitive Home Decor

Posted on 03. Feb, 2010 by Sesshu Design in Blog, home decoration

A mindfulness newsletter I subscribe to, The DailyOM, sent this today on the subject of designing your home and space. I thought it was very insightful and useful for anyone beginning the process of creating a personal space- even before they contact a designer.

Intuit Your Home’s Decor
Working with Space

Treat your home decor in a mindful way, honoring each room as they all come together like a symphony orchestra. When we decide the time has come to change the look or feel of our personal spaces, it is the spaces themselves that can provide us with the most useful guidance. Working with a single room, an apartment, or an entire house allows us to unearth the innate potential of these spaces and also better understand how we want to relate to them. To be conscious of the possibilities of a space, we need to listen to, look at, and bond with that space in a deep and personal way. Just as no two people are alike, no two rooms, however similar, are identical. The more we know about the spaces we wish to change, the better equipped we are to make them both beautiful and functional.

Read the entire article here

Sleek, cool styling from recycled seatbelts

Posted on 10. Nov, 2009 by Sesshu Design in Blog, eco-friendly interior design, home decoration

I saw this over at Inhabitat.com, and loved it! I have long admired the handbags made from recycled seat belts, and definitely think this is a fantastic use in the furnishings industry. The webbed material is super strong, and comes in many colors. The possibilities allowed by weaving two or more colors together could be quite attractive.

Designed by Peter Danko, these pieces are stylish and sleek contemporary seating that could be used in many settings.

Certified Eco-friendly Outdoor Fabrics

Posted on 13. Aug, 2009 by Sesshu Design in Blog, home decoration, luxury design, recycled

Here in Arizona our outdoor living season is just getting under way when most people are thinking about bundling up for winter. Which means that the latest introduction into the sun-resistant fabric selection from Mokum is very welcome right about now. Mokum’s latest outdoor collection, Australian Botanicals Outdoor, is made from 100% Post Consumer Recycled textiles. The fabrics are inherently and permanently stain resistant, antimicrobial, anti-fungal, bleach cleanable and machine washable. The collection is also extremely durable, adding to its environmental desirability…

The fabrics are 100% solution dyed olefin with a soil resistant finish and all yarns used in the Australian Botanicals Outdoor collection are:

• Made from post industrial waste
• Produced using environmental friendly manufacturing processes
• Fully recyclable
• Certified Cradle-To-Cradle

These are not just your everyday, ho-hum, designs, either. Vibrant colors and bold patterns enliven any backyard or patio living space. Available through your interior designer.

Hand-crafted Hardware with Sustainable Style

Posted on 15. Jun, 2009 by Sesshu Design in Blog, home decoration, LEED, luxury design, recycled

Hand-cast bronze door hardware by Rocky Mountain Hardware has been a long-time favorite in our studio for quality, dependable and beautiful door pulls, latches, hinges and decorative details. I am proud to use them on any of my projects, and the sustainability of their product is a big plus. They have a very organic, comforting feel which appeals to the senses- you just love to touch and handle these pulls.

Rocky Mountain Hardware uses the highest-quality (suitable for art), recycled material to create all of their bronze products. The factory and company headquarters are in Idaho, and they are a family owned and operated company proud to still be in their home state. Love for preserving the beauty of the natural environment in taken very seriously by the company -the corporate headquarters is even housed in a LEED Gold certified building!

Rocky Mountain Hardware is certified by Scientific Certification Systems (SCS) to contain a minimum of 90% recycled content, with at least 50% post-consumer recycled content and the balance (40%) pre-consumer recycled content thus qualifying for up to 2 LEED points. SCS is the leading third party provider of auditing and certification for green building products.

Featuring multiple metal and patina options, in rustic or refined styles, there is likely to be a door set that suits almost any home. They also make custom lighting, bathroom accessories and decorative tiles.  Available only through your designer, architect or builder.

Japanese Inspired Paper Lamps

Posted on 18. May, 2009 by Sesshu Design in Blog, green design, home decoration, innovation, luxury design

These beautifully patterned cut paper lamps from Brooklyn based Levent & Romme shown at this year’s BKLYN Designs really caught my eye. Imagined first as pen and ink illustrations, the designers then cut the patterns into a single sheet of thick watercolor paper. Watercolor paper is softly textured and just opaque enough to make the designs pop, and the heavy weight paper lends itself perfectly to the shades’ delicate cuts. The shade fits together using a tabbed design so that it forms a tube without any fasteners or adhesives, increasing the lamps’ sustainability.  Available in four patterns, the fixture uses a compact fluorescent lamp for illumination.

Designers Anne Romme & Fiyel Levent have been working together for the past two years on furniture, installations, and interior designs. They add a twist to their designs by focusing on technology in their fabrication methods, while basing them around traditional materials and craftsmanship. The patterns used for the floor lamps were inspired by the work of Japanese American artist Ruth Asawa, and other Japanese designs- such as Isama Noguchi’s paper lights.

Wastepaper Basket from Waste Paper

Posted on 20. Apr, 2009 by Sesshu Design in Blog, green design, green living tips, home decoration, recyclable

Here’s an innovative idea for you- a container for trash that reduces the amount of trash in landfills. CHUCKâ„¢ is the world’s first modern wastepaper basket constructed of 100% recycled cardboard and printed with low VOC water-based soy inks.

Inspired by walking past a pile of trash, these fun waste baskets are available in a variety of printed patterns and designs. Perfect for guest rooms, dorms, playrooms, etc. Take your recycling to the next level- not only is Chuck made from recycled material, it is 100% recyclable when it’s useful life is over.

Eco-friendly Wallpaper goes Mod

Posted on 13. Apr, 2009 by Sesshu Design in Blog, healthy homes, home decoration, indoor air quality

Many traditional wall coverings often use PVC, a harmful and toxic material (VOC)that has been known to off-gas into the air. Buying toxin-free textiles is an important health consideration that can’t be ignored, especially for homes with infants or people who suffer from respiratory illnesses. One company, Mod Green Pod was founded by Lisa and Nancy Mims as a means to offer safer and fashionable alternatives to conventional textile prints. Their products are not just graphically gorgeous, but completely green too. They are completely free of vinyl, and use water-based inks on 100% certified organic cotton-based fabric.

In addition to these wonderfully playful yet sophisticated wallpapers, Mod Green Pod offers organic, eco-friendly fabrics in coordinating patterns and colors.
Mod Green Fabrics
Who says being Green has to mean “earthy”?

Vintage and Repurposed Furniture

Posted on 01. Apr, 2009 by Sesshu Design in Blog, home decoration, recycled

Restoration Hardware has gone back to their roots and introduced a limited edition line of furniture pieces that use antique and vintage elements to create unique combinations of eco-friendly style and function.

Included in the collection is a coffee table created from a repurposed antique factory cart- an early American 1900s industrial original once used to transport furniture, fabric and supplies across the factory floor. Each cart has been restored by a Northern California craftsman. Tops have been cleaned and oiled but still bear the marks of its history and may have nicks and imperfections and the carts still have their original cast iron wheels, bolts and plates. Each cart is a vintage original and no two are exactly alike; variations in distressing, cracks, finish and wheel construction are to be expected and add to the charm and character.

A more simple, clean-lined and very usable piece is the Brick maker’s Pallet Table. A limited number of one-of-a-kind brick maker’s tables found with the help of European antiques dealers. Originally a pallet used to cut, cool and transport bricks 100 years ago in a Belgian brick works, the table top’s bolted planks are rugged Northern European azobe wood. The rough-hewn pallet top has been cleaned, yet bears the nicks of time, the patina of use and is true to its masonry origins. The base is hand-welded steel with a distressed finish.

While not technically an antique, the Steamer Trunks in Vintage Cigar Leather are each handmade and no two are alike. The reproduction trunks use vintage cigar leather over a solid wood frame and 3000 hand-hammered nailheads. Using trunks as coffee tables is a smart balance of storage and surface and has been very popular for years. Restoration Hardware’s steamer trunks are available in two sizes that will be functional in many rooms.

Save Energy with Technology and Convenience

Posted on 21. Mar, 2009 by Sesshu Design in Blog, energy saving, green design, home decoration, innovation, LEED, new technology, scottsdale interior design

A new partner that I am working with to create integrated home theater, lighting and security systems for clients who want to enjoy ultimate convenience and cutting edge technology in their homes, Digital Home Lifestyles, is helping them to save money and energy as well. That may seem unlikely – after all adding more electronics to your home must add to the electricity required, right?

The difference is being made in the amount of energy needed to illuminate the home – something every home requires. The amazing thing is that it works with all the standard lights and bulbs you already know and use. The savings comes from the lighting control system and how it works. In addition to providing ease of pre-set lighting scenes for specific activities and time of day, a lighting control system like the one used by Digital Home Lifestyles can be programmed to limit the level of light. As explained by Chad Hollander, design consultant of Digital Home Lifestyles, by setting all fixtures to only come on at 80% of maximum, you are also using only 80% of the electricity needed to power that fixture, but there is no visible difference to your eye in the amount of light. Limiting the maximum wattage output of bulbs also extends the life of the bulb, resulting in lower replacement costs.

United under a single control system, independent “subsystems” can also monitor and conserve energy throughout the house with a simple touch of a screen, or programmed to suit your lifestyle. From the touch of a button you can open or close window shades according to the sun, adjust thermostats and be alerted to doors or windows that have been left ajar. It can be operated remotely from any computer anywhere in the world. You can even answer the front door while you are in another part of the country via the monitors in your security system and the Internet, instructing UPS to leave the package you were expecting.

Several control system products including lighting systems, thermostats, and shade controls are designed to operate efficiently, replacing several products and drawing less power. Integration solutions offer significant energy savings by providing daylight harvesting and automating lights, drapes, thermostats and sprinklers/fountains based on daylight, time, motion, occupancy, temperature, humidity and other conditions. By integrating the disparate environmental systems, efficiencies are increased exponentially and may contribute toward LEED Certification. Many options are available to suit your needs.

To truly experience the benefits of a home control system, the interface has to be easy to understand and simple to use. Infinitely customizable, the sky is the limit with how your home can be adapted to your lifestyle. The system can turn music on or off, preheat the pool or spa just in time for your arrival and can be set for individual preferences for each member of your family. When you arrive home, and enter your code to change security alarm settings, it can automatically turn on your favorite music or television channel and the lights for your path from garage to bedroom.

Digital Home Lifestyles is my choice for installing home theaters and entertainment systems that are unparalleled in Arizona. Their technology partners are the top of the line and systems can be designed specifically for you and your home – whether you have a dedicated theater space or want to conceal it within a living room, family room or outdoor area. They professionally design a media system according to your desires, and can present you with a budget in minutes, making changes in real time until you are satisfied with both the technology features and price. Then they work with your designer and builder to install it seamlessly into your home. As a designer, I appreciate that speakers and controls can be easily matched to be nearly invisible and integrate into your decor, no matter what the color or style.

For more information about integrating your home and lifestyle, anywhere in the world, contact Sesshu Design Associates or Digital Home Lifestyles directly.

Re-using unexpected materials in luxury pillows

Posted on 12. Feb, 2008 by Sesshu Design in home decoration, resources, reuse

African-born, London-based designer Bridget West crafts gorgeous housewares, pillows, and throws, from vintage labels and tags that critique the throw-away nature of our consumer existence in a really beautiful way. Her Handle With Care pillow is made from clothing tags, while the Delicate Cube and Made in Cube pillows are quirky and comfy.
I love how she has taken something we barely notice and turned it into a unique and useful piece for decorating our homes. The pillows are not only gorgeous and graphic, but provide an interesting critique on consumer culture- here are beautiful pieces made from remnants of other garments, reminding us that we’re consumers while doing it in a way that celebrates pieces of the old.