a fun, simple inexpensive flooring option

faux leather flooring made of rubber

 “We can’t believe it’s not leather”! And you won’t either when you see this remarkably realistic Fauxleather sheeting available in four natural colors. Available in 39” x 39” sheets which are not square and MUST be trimmed by our factory or your installer, Fauxleather is ideal as a floor, tabletop or wall surface. Virtually maintenance free, Fauxleather may be adhered directly to a smooth surface similar to vinyl tile installation and seams butt-joined together. Fauxleather wears twice as well as real leather and is less than half the cost. Use anywhere that leather is desired but inappropriate due to cost, wear and maintenance concerns.

find faux leather 

slow home

slow home is a new design environment that will help you learn about modern residential design and how to start integrating the principles of good design into your daily life. Slow Home takes its name from the slow food movement which arose as a reaction to the processed food industry. In the same ways that slow food helps people learn how to become more familiar and involved with the food they eat, Slow Home provides design focused information to empower individuals to step beyond the too fast world of cookie cutter housing.

slow home ten steps

retreat in the 21st century home

 

We live in the 21st century, and our new homes should reflect that. We have multiple computers, high definition televisions, electronic games, sophisticated audio systems, and smart technology that lets us spy on our own houses! The speed of technological growth is unprecedented, and it is continuing to grow exponentially. Such fast-paced change, though, often leaves us feeling overwhelmed and isolated.

As a result, we crave relaxation and connections, we turn to yoga and meditation classes, mountain retreats, day spas and other venues that provide us with that periodic relief we seek from our high paced, high technology environment. In fact, creating venues for public meditation and retreat has become a mainstream commercial enterprise. Unfortunately, we are left with the feeling that we need to physically leave our homes or communities in order to find a state of peace, a retreat or place to recuperate. It used to be that our home was the place we found refuge, it was the place we went to rest and reinvigorate body and mind.

In order to meet needs of our current society, the new modern home must accommodate both technology and retreat. Living more simply and reconnecting with nature are a couple of the keys to regaining equilibrium over our technologically stress-filled lives. At one extreme—in reaction to technology overload—are those who decide to give up all technology, preferring a back-to-nature lifestyle off the “grid”. At the other end, a more modest approach includes those who chose to simply design meaningful spaces that address both practical and expressive lifestyle demands, merge with nature and incorporate technology judiciously as an accessory that enhances rather than dominates the home experience.

The size of a home should be determined by family size and lifestyle rather than as a display personal wealth or success. While there is nothing inherently wrong with a big house complete with high technology and power-driven toys, the important thing is to decide whether these things actually bring true joy and comfort into our everyday lives—or simply add to our stress and seclusion. When extra space, custom amenities and the latest technology are central to our amusement, relaxation and rejuvenation, then we should feel free to enjoy them!

If, on the other hand, we need a connection with nature and change of the seasons to refresh, the size of our house should be irrelevant. When we begin to notice the ways a room embraces its surroundings—the way it captures the changing light and breezes, and creates a microcosm of nature through use of materials and geometry—house size and amenities assume a secondary role in our daily experiences.

Retreat and revitalization are key requirements of a home, yet our interpretation of what is needed to achieve this state is completely personal. The resale rules advocated by many developers and realtors thwart any alternatives to the “build big, build high-tech” philosophy that has driven the housing market for at least two decades. The one-size-fits-all approach to American housing is not meeting our primal need to return to the cave—a place where private sanctuary, physical security, and emotional bonds come together to make a home.

music in every room- wirelessly

system components  MT-01Power Line Sound System by Pioneer

 

 

Pioneer has introduced a new system using household electricity lines- now you can get seamless room-to-room music without  speaker wires!

 

Plug up to six of these Power Line Network Speakers into an electric socket in multiple rooms and hear music played via the Sound Station, plugged into a socket in another room. The household electric circuit acts as a sound conduit, ‘piping’ music via the Sound Station from one electric socket to another, from one room to another.

The system has a stylish, unobtrusive look, so it can blend – even disappear – into your home interior, whatever the décor.
The Sound Station has 5 inputs: two USB terminals, one front audio input and two analogue inputs. You can connect your MP3 player, iPod, portable USB/flash memory stick, PC or even an existing audio system and hear the music in multiple rooms.

Custom Cheng Geocrete concrete countertops

Custom Cheng Geocrete concrete island countertop 
Fu-Tung Cheng Explains …

“Concrete is an extraordinary material that is practical, expressive, and aesthetic all at once. From a primal and formless slurry, you can transform it into virtually any shape that becomes a solid mass. The possibilities for creative expression are endless. You can grind, polish, stamp, or stain it. You can embed meaningful objects within it.” 

check it out at:   http://www.concreteexchange.com/