Category: Decorating Guides

Painting Wrought Iron Storm Doors

The wonderful thing about wrought iron is that it’s heavy — when used as the stuff for a storm door, it provides a sense of safety against intruders and … storms. Painting the door a dark color can strengthen that solidity, while painting it light can give it an inviting sense that functions better at a friendly area. Either way, you’ll find spraying wrought iron simpler and neater than brushing it, but both will get the job done.

Selecting a Color

Since you can see the most important door behind the wrought iron storm door, then it’s important to contemplate how the colours of the 2 doors blend. Black, white and gray are neutral — if dull — choices that work with most other colours, but no one said wrought iron needs to be boring. You may try thinking about that the storm door as part of the general door display, and choose a color that complements, contrasts or harmonizes with the door color. Dramatic combinations are apt to attract lively visitors; should you would rather keep your house peaceful, then utilize harmonious colors that convey a soothing message.

Take the Door Down

Wrought iron doors are heavy, and you may need help to take yours down, but that’s actually the perfect way to paint it. You’ll be able to wash all the steel more extensively and apply primer and paint in difficult-to-reach areas. Remove the screen, if there’s one attached, by unscrewing it in the frame — it’s usually better to leave the screen unpainted. Lay the door out on a set of sawhorses. If it’s a brass doorknob and hinges or other components you don’t need to paint, cover them with painter’s tape.

Preparing the Metal for Painting

In any wrought iron structure, rust can develop in the areas where water moves, which is normally close to the junction of a vertical tine and a railing. Remove as much of the rust as you can by sanding or scrubbing with steel wool or a wire brush, then treat it with a rust-inhibiting item. Use a paint scraper or the wire brush to remove any peeling or flaking paint, scuff all old paint using 150-grit sandpaper to etch it. Before you perform any of this, you’ll probably need to wash the whole door using a hose to remove dirt. If the door is either oily or oily, wash it as opposed to a solution of trisodium phosphate and water.

Applying Primer and Paint

All rusty areas and areas with bare metal has to be secured with a coat of metal primerthat is readily available in aerosol cans. Utilize exterior metal paint for the topcoat; you’ll get the best results from an aerosol can, however if you can’t locate the color you need at a can, use a brushable item. After brushing, always stroke back toward the paint you have already implemented, then stroke over each section gently after all the paint was implemented to erase brush marks. Apply two coats to each side. Allow the paint dry for 24 hours, hang the door and perform final touch-ups.

See related

What Color Curtains Go having a Deep Burgandy Sofa and Recliner?

A surprising array of colors can be used in drapes to pair with a burgundy sofa and recliner. Whether you choose fresh cream, intimate rose or a complementary green or blue shade, the curtain and furniture colors will form a powerful colour dynamic. Along with wall colour, add accessories and trim to round out the room’s colour scheme. For best results, collect swatches and samples to evaluate in the room’s setting prior to making final colour selections.

Cream and Neutrals

Think cream and strawberries for a fresh color scheme which suits any decor design. Cream or off-white drapes and walls provide an airy background for the burgundy furniture, however when this looks too stark for you, deepen the curtain colors to shades of beige, tan or taupe. Accent colors which would enhance this plot include rose, olive green, sea foam, or colonial blue. Trim colors in dark neutrals such as walnut brown, ebony or charcoal grey will help balance the general appearance of the room.

Romantic Rose

Set your burgundy furniture using drapes in a medium rose tone, walls in a lighter pink along with a rug or rug slightly deeper than the curtain shade. Paint the trim in a really deep burgundy or charcoal grey to ground the setting. To enliven this monochromatic color scheme, choose a mixture of intriguing textures, such as linen-weave drapes, textured plaster walls and a sculptured pile rug. Accessories in off-white include a bright counterpoint. For a complex edgy look, mix in metallic accents in pewter, hammered silver or stainless steel.

Complementary Green

Muted greens such as olive, sage and moss green complement the reddish tones from burgundy furniture. For a restful, nature-inspired motif, choose curtains in a medium shade of green with off-white or beige walls, natural or dark wood furnishings and fabric accessories which tie the burgundy, tan and green colors together. Then light up the colour scheme with warm or copper gold accents.

Colonial Blue

Colonial blue drapes with burgundy furniture, off-white walls with deep burgundy and navy blue accents and dark wood trim indicate an Americana decor motif. Tie it together with cushion covers, throw blankets and table runners in burgundy, blue and off-white stripes, stars or plaids. Finish with themed accessories, including weathered woods or metals. The exact same colour scheme can also indicate French country decor by shifting to toile or floral print fabrics, together with suitable accessories.

See related

Types of Floor Lampshades

When thinking about shade types for a floor lamp, then think functionality as well as style. The colour and shape of a lampshade affect the quantity of light the lamp emits. Furthermore, the shade should match the lamp base as well as the kind of the space.

Functional Factors

Floor lamps, which serve many functions, can be utilized for general or ambient lighting, task lighting and accent lighting. If you’re using a floor lamp for ambient light, select a bright, transparent shade in an off-white or cream shade to permit for maximum light output with soft diffusion. Torchiere hues, which direct the lighting up toward the ceiling, are also a fantastic selection for general lighting. A floor lamp used for reading should have a wide shade or a shade that messed on the bottom. In rooms with lots of further layered lighting, dark-colored shades are an alternative for floor lamps intended to offer a softer ambiance or accent lighting.

Hardback vs. Silk Colors

Fabric shades come in 2 types, hardback and silk. A hardback shade contains paper or fabric laminated on a plastic lining. Woven fabrics, including wool, silk, satin and muslin, or parchment paper is attached to a top and bottom ring and glued on one or more sides, with a formed seam. Over time, the inner plastic lining can yellow and also distort the quality of lighting beaming through. A silk shade is used for fabric shades constructed on a wire frame. The inner lining is made from fabric as well as the outer layer, which may consist of silk, satin, linen or other types of fabric. Silk sunglasses are washable and usually long-lasting, although the interior lining may deteriorate over time, demanding a replacement lining.

Shapes and Styles

Both hardback and silk shades come in many different styles, like drum, empire, coolie, square, rectangle and hexagon. However, the framework structure of silk shades enables more variation on styles and shapes, including curves, bells, V-notches and scallops. Drum hues have vertical or near vertical sides, since the cover of the shade is usually 1 or 2 inches smaller in diameter than the bottom. Drum shades work well in contemporary, modern, retro and vintage settings. Both empire and coolie shades have sloping sides and also look very similar. Empire-shade bottoms are approximately twice as big as the very best; whereas, coolie-shade seams are just three to four times larger than the very best. These shades complement traditional lights and lights. Square and rectangular shades complement bases of the exact same shape and provide a modern look.

Torchiere Shades

Typically made from glass, torchiere floor lampshades became popular during the Art Deco era. Vintage torchiere floor lamps manufactured during the 1940s and 1950s have hues with extended necks, measuring 2 3/4 inches in diameter and also use big mogul lights. The neck slides down into a bottom fitter. Other types of vintage floor lights include counterparts with screws and use IES glass shades, which also act as diffusers that support fabric shades. Newer torchiere shades have a neck-less or flat 1 5/8- to 1 7/8-inch opening. These hues are installed by placing the lighting socket through the opening of this shade. Some lights have a ring that screws around the outside of the socket to hold the glass in place.

See related

What Colour Shelves Match Light Blue Walls?

Reminiscent of organic elements like water and sky, the calming tones of blue produce a peaceful, nice atmosphere in any room of your house. When thinking about shelving on light blue wall, the room’s overall style, meant mood and additional accent colors can help lead you in picking out a color for shelves.

Going Light

Colours interact with each other when they are viewed side-by-side. Pure, bright white wall shelves and white with undertones of blue, green or violet bring from the cool tone of mild blue walls. White shelves with undertones of yellow, yellow or orange crimson make a mild blue wall appear marginally hotter. Pure white shelving makes light blue walls appear sharp and clean and looks the very best in southern neighborhoods, rooms with ample natural light or ocean views. In rooms with limited natural lighting, pure white may appear gray. Creamy whites with yellow undertones could have more appeal in rooms with low natural lighting. Keep a cohesive appearance in rooms with white trim by painting the shelves exactly the exact same color as the trim.

Organic Tones

The earthy tones of pure wood shelves produce an ideal complement to light blue walls. The gold yellow hues of pine, birch and bamboo shelves and the orange or amber tones of pine, maple and fir stick out in vivid contrast to the wall color. Produce a beach-inspired texture with the brown tones of walnut or teak shelves. Balance the coolness of a mild blue wall with the fiery hues of red-toned woods like cherry, mahogany and red cedar. Wood shelves with a pure finish provide an organic, welcoming feel in a room with light blue walls.

Shades of Blue

Painting wall shelves in varying hues of blue retains a cohesive, monochromatic appearance to the room. Consider an ombre effect by painting multiple vertical wall shelves in graduating shades of blue from dark to light. Make the shelves stick out by painting them navy blue or turquoise. Should you would rather the shelves to virtually disappear, bringing more focus to what is being displayed on top, paint the shelves exactly the exact same color as the wall. Produce a light and airy texture by painting the shelves a lighter shade of blue than the walls.

Complementary Contrast

If you’re searching for a bit more excitement, utilize a complementary orange colour for shelves which pop against light blue walls. Bright orange shelves in a child’s bedroom produce a visually stimulating accent. Light peach or apricot shelves add just a little warmth and contrast. For a more delicate, sophisticated approach, utilize a muted burnt orange or orange pumpkin color on wall shelves. An orange colour on the rear wall of built-in a bookcase painted white supplies an unexpected hint of warmth in the serene coolness of a mild blue room.

See related

What Is a Split Bedroom Design?

When bedrooms have been grouped together side by side or over a hall at the same end of the house, complaints often arise. In a split-bedroom design, also called a split-bedroom house, the master suite is split or “split” off from another sleeping zone or region. This design has pros and cons to consider prior to making your move.

Sleeping Arrangements

If you have young children, having them nearby in adjoining or adjoining rooms may be reassuring in case of a crisis — or a bad dream. When they get old, however, you might enjoy the privacy — and the decrease in sound from their most recent pop-artist fad — gained by means of a split-bedroom design. When guests frequent a master bedroom, the separation means fewer disturbances.

Consider the Windows

With bedrooms absorbing each end of a split-bedroom home, living-area windows may be a problem. Should you like a lit kitchen flooding with morning sunlight, for instance, it’s best-situated in a east- or southeast-facing corner, so that sunlight comes from from windows on two sides. This is still possible in a split-bedroom house if the bedrooms aren’t located on each end. Improved lighting comes with an open concept design and windows on either side, or skylights above.

Split and Ample

Frequently, the master bedroom consumes one end of the house in a split-bedroom design. The spaciousness created by such a layout can enable for a generous-sized walk-in cupboard and en bathroom. Without the typical hallway required for decorated bedrooms, split-bedroom homes can have more square footage to the middle kitchen and living room or even the bedrooms. Bigger rooms usually mean higher overall price.

Open Up to Split Bedrooms

A hallway resulting from sliding bedrooms to the kitchen or living room offers visual separation. In a split-bedroom design, with no hallway, you might look directly into the bedrooms in the home’s central places. With less hallway space, this home’s kitchen and living room are usually available and airy. If you don’t want to appear directly into the bedrooms from these regions, make partial “walls” with bookcases, room dividers or rows of potted plants hanging planters and around the ground or stands.

See related

The way to Pick out Paint Colors from Oriental Rugs

A oriental carpet won’t disappear in any room. It is highly visible no matter how much furniture you stack on it, and also the rug represents an investment you’re unlikely to jettison any time soon. So make full use of it when you choose your decor. The carpet has a dominant shade together with any number of contrasting or accent colors that will assist you narrow down color picks, suggest wall colours you may not have thought of, and even serve as a colour guide for painting adjoining spaces.

More of a fantastic Thing

If you adore the colours in your rug, share the love throughout the rest of the room. Pick an unexpected accent thread in the rug for upholstery fabric or wall paint. The carpet’s faded peach with pale blue tracings can inspire washed-out peach brocade on the Louis XV fitting seats. Upholster the sofa in a whisper of light blue linen, and punctuate the graceful shade palette with peacock blue drapes that pool on the hardwood flooring, edging the rug. A camel-colored Bidjar carpet with alternating cream and red medallions from the bedroom gives you permit to “antique” the walls with camel color-wash or faux Venetian stucco. Red and cream striped taffeta drapes and lotion Fabric with red accents on a quilt border or throw pillows create a room as beautiful as your carpeting.

Color-Free Complement

The gorgeous old Kashan silk carpet would sit alone by its stunning self in the room if you and your guests did not need to sit somewhere too. Show it off to the max with monochrome room decor that won’t compete with the knotted silk lotions, roses and rich greens. Match the carpet’s sheen with buff or ivory silk upholstery on the antique wood-framed sofa and chairs. Opt for a toast or ivory leather sectional in a modern living room. Cover the walls with natural grass-cloth in a wheat or straw color, or paint them the exact same creamy ivory as the layout in the rug.

Alchemical Colors

Make a little magic in your room by playing with the colours in the oriental rug to determine the decor. A blue-dominant carpet is an exciting complement to pumpkin walls, more subdued but no less interesting against paler apricot paint. A red-dominant carpet is vibrant in a room with a triadic color scheme — shimmery light whipped butter paint on the walls, medium blue or purple raw silk drapes along with a blue velvet love seat. Serenity rules when the room and carpeting share an analogous color scheme. An emerald carpet with touches of peacock and lime gleams jewel-like in a mint room with stained wood or glossy white trim. Utilize color theory when selecting out a oriental, and when designing the room around it.

Old and Overdyed

Handmade oriental carpets that are stained, faded or otherwise color-worn beyond repair have years of life left in them when they’re overdyed. Overdyeing immerses a rug in a vibrant shade bath that turns the fibers a uniform shade but doesn’t disguise the first woven design and texture. Tones, patterns and hints of the first color glimmer during the new colour; you can treat the carpet like a solid-color rug, but its foundation is still there, enriching your decor. A bright purple oriental in a room with apartment turquoise walls and distressed oyster trim is intense and just plain fabulous. A brilliant chartreuse runner with the ruby outlines of its rose-patterned border barely peeping throughout the overdyed yellow-green attracts a coral hall with cream trim alive. Don’t be bashful about using dramatic shade blocks with your reclaimed, overdyed oriental.

See related

The Advantages of a High-Gloss Interior Paint

High-gloss interior paint has one key advantage over its less-shiny options — durability. The glossier the paint, the more durable it is, meaning that even under constant exposure to dirty fingerprints or cooking grease, you can clean the paint without worrying if the paint is going to be washed away.

High-Gloss Strength

High-gloss paint stands to scrubbing, which makes it an optimal selection for places near the stove, or in areas where children work on craft projects, resulting in handprints of who-knows-what on the door or door trim. Paint at the other end of the spectrum — either flat or flat paint — isn’t washable; in fact, washing it’s likely to rub some of this paint away, resulting in a discolored spot.

Moisture Resistance

High-gloss paint resists moisture much superior than paints with less sheen. The paint holds up well in a bathroom in which steam from a shower or bathtub results in condensation on the ceilings and walls. Flat paint is likely to reveal water spots and a bit of discoloration when it becomes moist.

Bold and Smart

Glossy paint looks considerably bolder and brighter compared to the exact same tone in a low-gloss finish. A high-sheen paint reflects light, much like a mirror, so which makes the shade seem more vibrant and glowing. This result is helpful when you’re using a shade such as medium to dark brown or blue on a wall, though a flat version of the same shade may seem to absorb light and make the room feel darker. Leaving stripes or chevrons employing a matte and high-gloss paint of the same shade adds delicate richness and warmth to the space without requiring two different colors of paint.

Gloss Paint Drawbacks

The sheen of a high-gloss paint might be a drawback in some circumstances. Even the smallest imperfection on a wall or ceiling is magnified under a glossy paint, as the reflective qualities emphasize variations in the wall, creating shadows. Touching up a high-gloss paint following a length of time may make an obvious variation in paint sheen, since the new paint will be glossier. A touch-up in a less glossy area is not as obvious as the paint finish is not as reflective.

See related

What Color Should I Paint My Kitchen With White Cabinets and Blue Countertops?

Blue counters in the kitchen may be a distinctive design also — or a daunting challenge. When the cupboards are white and your principal decor initiative is wall paint, then explore a few alternatives and try color swatches on the walls to save yourself time and expense of a less-than-stellar alternative to a potentially dull layout. The white and blue mixture could inspire icy or bright walls to get a cool or a hot kitchen.

Fresh Kitchen

Cobalt counters on the kitchen island and below the white cupboards are a strong color statement. Soften the plain shades with a different hue from nature’s garden palette and then paint the walls pale mint green. The mixture works with terra cotta, wood or bamboo flooring and brushed white or stainless appliances. Touches of brushed copper or copper are elegant in this kitchen a metallic sink at the blue counter with stainless stove and refrigerator, a copper beam behind a white enamel stove.

Gray Shades

White cabinets with a bit of gray would be the color of bleached stones, and light blue marble countertops are a mixture of grays, whites and blue veining. Stay cool in this low-key kitchen with walls painted flat dove gray to enlarge a little space. The delicate shade is complex and clean against the variegated slate colour and chalky white. It seems urban and high-tech with black stone or tile flooring, or ebony-stained hardwood shiny under clear, shiny polyurethane. Canvas Roman shades to coordinate with the walls and a breakfast nook equipped with a white Saarinen tulip table keep it timeless and contemporary.

A Bowl of Oranges

Burnt sienna or rust walls, textured or color-washed next to white cupboards, contrast with countertops of vivid electric blue tile in a kitchen that takes no prisoners. The daring complements of deep blue and orange are vibrant but harmonious; place a monkey-wood bowl filled with bananas on the blue countertop and varnish the wide plank flooring. Or cover the flooring in plain white vinyl to match the shiny white cupboards and bounce more light around the room. Utilizing a faux paint technique on the strong orange walls gives them more depth and also prevents the colour from appearing too heavy and solid.

Kitchen at the Sky

The cabinets are white laminate, along with the counters are sky-blue. This kitchen may be a washout if you are not careful, so receive the walls exactly perfect. Match wall paint into the counters just and include trim and touches of butcher block as a accent which picks up the tone of the hardwood flooring. Or paint the walls white but create a deep beam behind all the counters and the stove with sky-blue glass subway tile in slight variations on the hue to boost kitchen energy. Real slate flooring or huge white ceramic tile flooring function with this raised palette.

See related

Can I Mix Woods in My Kitchen Cabinets and Floors?

Your home is your castle, so in the event that you would like tigerwood flooring and cabinets made of birds-eye maple in the kitchen, then the one thing stopping you is your budget. Even if you’re a hardwood aficionado, however, a lot of shade — or even inconsistent colours or timber grains — can make the space look awkward. On the flip side, a tasteful mixture of hardwoods that harmonizes with the rest of the decor can certainly form up your kitchen.

Managing Visual Information

The materials you use to your floor and cabinets need to procrastinate, not just with each other, but with the walls and appliances. Hardwoods tend toward warm colours, and a tendency of the rest of the decor toward warmth gives you more latitude when blending them. If you are using the hardwood for a counterpoint in a kitchen with cool walls, lots of chrome or enameled appliances, then the combination of two distinct hardwoods may provide more visual information than the eye could comfortably handle. It is possible, however, to make a virtue from info overload and efficiently combine a number of hardwoods in the kitchen and throughout the house, as California designer Debbie Nassetta recommends.

Watch That Grain

Each hardwood species has a different grain pattern, and some are far more exaggerated than many others. Two hardwoods with notable grains, like hickory and pine, can readily clash when you used them in the exact same space. A few other hardwoods, like mahogany and clear walnut, are popular partly because they don’t have marked grains — those are usually safe to mix with different woods, provided the colours harmonize. Oak has a fairly notable grain and isn’t the easiest material to combine with other individuals. The hardwoods that function best with it are the ones that don’t compete for attention. Rather than tigerwood, for example, combine oak with yellow cherry or birch.

Visual Perspective

The floor and cabinets provide the majority of the shade in the kitchen, and they combine with the walls and ceiling to create a space which can be relaxing, sumptuous or conducive to function. Whatever your predilections for kitchen layout, keeping colors close to the floor darker than those higher up could be grounding, based on layout consultant Laurie March. If you are more into visual comparison, however, you might prefer to follow Nassetta’s information and make the flooring shade lighter than the cabinets. One advantage of this strategy is that light wood flooring are easier to keep clean than dark ones.

Layout Tips

Regardless of that hardwoods you pair in your kitchen, they will highlight each other, and it is a fantastic idea to store additional visual information into a minimum. If the kitchen includes unpainted wood trim, it should be the exact same material as the cabinets — not a third material. Rather than making a statement with flowery window coverings, then use a monochromatic or subtle pattern that is happy to remain in the background. The wall and ceiling colours may also fade in the background, or they could be daring, but they need to be uncomplicated. Utilizing the exact same colour for both is better than your two-tone strategy.

See related

5 Things LEED Interior Designers Want You to Know

If you are interested in going greener in your home, you’ve likely encounter the expression “LEED” or even “LEED Certified.” LEED, which stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, is an application created by the U.S. Green Building Council that offers third party verification of green buildings. Buildings can earn LEED points in several of distinct regions; the goal is to make spaces that are more sustainable for the planet and fitter for the people living inside them. Among those groups of professionals that can help you navigate the tricky waters of the certificate process is LEED interior designers.

We talked with Philadelphia-area interior designer and LEED accredited professional (AP) Amy Cuker of Down2Earth Interior Design, and 2 specialists from San Francisco Bay Area’s Niche Interiors: interior designer and certified green building professional Jennifer Jones, along with junior designer and LEED AP Lynn Trinh. Here are five explanations about what they’re doing.

Amy Cuker, MBA, LEED AP

1. Just because LEED designers are green doesn’t mean they forfeit fashion. Recall a LEED interior designer was an interior designer initially and chose to further her or his training to become a LEED accredited professional — so you can expect the identical level of taste and professionalism as from another design expert.

“I like to point out to my clients that first and foremost, you need to make design decisions that are practical for you and your loved ones,” states Cuker. “Reuse or repurpose items that are still workable, and if purchasing new items, buy items that are top quality and timeless. If something is not practical or falls apart or goes out of fashion, I don’t care what percentage of its contents were recycled, or if it came from a certified forest. It is still heading for a landfill a good deal earlier than a one-piece bit whose design is lasting. In this manner being a fantastic LEED designer does not really differ from only being a really good, thoughtful interior designer, period.”

Niche Interiors

2. LEED designers look beyond the labels to locate truly sustainable products and materials. It is all too easy for the average user to get fooled by “greenwashing” — claims that a commodity is ecofriendlier than it truly is. A fantastic LEED designer can steer you on the real deal.

“LEED designers are educated about the sort of materials and finishes used in residential interiors — we now use this knowledge to assist our clients create homes that are healthy for their own families and the environment” says Jones. “We decrease carbon footprint by sourcing locally, define responsibly and sustainable harvested timber, and source and repurpose vintage furniture to decrease waste.”

Amy Cuker, MBA, LEED AP

Cuker adds, “Often when designing a kitchen, as an example, I will have a conversation with a client about sustainable materials. Sure, you can find solid-surface countertops with a great deal of recycled quartz mixed in, or you may use bamboo timber, which regrows super fast, so these are billed as sustainable options. However, when you have a closer look, these products almost always come from abroad. If your stuff have to journey across the world to get to youpersonally, is your carbon footprint still low enough to call these options sustainable?”

She’s “I must admit I don’t always know the answer, but I always raise the question, so that if there’s a choice that’s sustainable and local, and functional and beautiful, we can have more optimism regarding the sustainability of our design decisions.”

Niche Interiors

3. LEED designers can help you have a healthy home. Families that have or are anticipating children could be especially interested in moving greener at home for health reasons, and a LEED designer can help you accomplish that goal.

“Indoor air quality is one of our main concerns when selecting paint, furniture, cabinets and carpeting,” states Jones. “As designers we educate our clients on which goods off-gas harmful compounds, and we eliminate or decrease the usage of them as much as you can.”

Niche Interiors

Jones continues, “For example, we define zero-VOC paints, which emit no harmful chemicals and are safe to use while clients are still living in their property. We also design custom eco-friendly upholstery that contain no flame retardants, which are linked to a wide variety of medical complications, such as impaired fertility and IQ.”

Amy Cuker, MBA, LEED AP

4. LEED designers are not terrified of hand-me-downs. “If your parents or grandparents were thrifty, so they were also kind of green. If they’re willing to pass something old down to you, don’t dismiss it out of hand. Just take a close look and see if there’s any way it may be used or displayed in your modern life,” states Cuker.

“Our layout landscape may look homogenized if you source all of your inner accoutrements from chain stores,” she adds. “However, something that has been passed down will have personal history. And if it stuck around this long, it is very likely to be of better quality than many objects currently being generated. By way of example, these are my parents’ 40-year-old orange crushed-velvet couches [revealed], which have now taken up residence in my living room”

Amy Cuker, MBA, LEED AP

5. Not every job is a great candidate for LEED certification, but LEED designers may still help your home. Some variables may be outside your control when it comes to green home design, especially if you already own your home and aren’t starting from scratch. However, you can still use a LEED designer that will assist you make your home as green as you can — and that’s a fantastic thing.

“There are many reasons why homeowners may want a LEED certification,” Cuker states. “Perhaps they believe sticking to the LEED standard will guarantee a certain level of indoor air quality and health for those occupants, or maybe they believe they’ll get better resale value within their home, or maybe they simply believe that by having a home that is certified, they are setting a fantastic public example for others to follow”

She’s “But homeowners should know that it takes a large amount of administrative effort, and related professional fees, to acquire the official certification. A nonrated home could be every bit as green as long as it employs sustainable plans. Do not let the hassle of going through the certification process stand in the way of making the healthiest design decisions possible. Do what is right for your home and the entire world, whether or not you opt to take part in the LEED certification process.”

Amy Cuker, MBA, LEED AP

“As an interior designer, I’m frequently brought into a job after the site has been chosen,” Cuker elaborates. “Once chosen, the site and its characteristics — like its proximity to public transportation, how water runoff is managed, what percentage is paved etc. — are pretty far outside of an interior designer’s control, and those things depend when opting for LEED credits. If you can not do much about the site, don’t let it prevent you from employing sustainable strategies where you are able to.”

She offers this guidance: “LEED gets got the most widely recognized brand name for green building certification, as a result of the hard work of the U.S. Green Building Council. However, LEED is only 1 tool to assess the sustainability of a home. There are many others out there as well, and homeowners may want to explore alternatives and decide what is right for them.”

Niche Interiors

Inform us Would you consider working toward LEED certification? Curious about anything else LEED interior designers do? Share your ideas and questions in the Remarks section.

More: What Is LEED All About, Anyway?

See related