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Author Archives: Trudy Dujardin ASID Leed AP

Practical Green Remodeling

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Practical Green Remodeling: Down-to-Earth Solutions for Everyday Homes

Going green doesn’t have to be an all-or-nothing proposition.  It’s possible to make sustainable choices that result in a more energy-efficient home and healthier living spaces by incorporating ideas from Barry Katz’s new book Practical Green Remodeling: Down-to-Earth Solutions for Everyday Homes. (Published by The Taunton Press, 2010)

An architect and building professional who offers green building services for both residential and commercial projects, Barry has written a user-friendly book to guide novice and expert alike through ways to improve the home you live in.

Remodeling an existing house is always “greener” than building a new one: as Barry explains, “you are keeping significant amounts of material—lumber, hardwood flooring, copper tubing, cabinets—and continuing to use these resources rather than sending them to a landfill and replacing them with virgin material.”

He continues, “And you are continuing to live in a place where infrastructure—roads, sewers, utility lines—is already in place, rather than moving to a new sub-division where previously undeveloped land needs to be cleared, dug up, and paved over and where new water and sewer lines and electric, telephone and TV cables must be installed, all at great cost both financially and in the consumption of resources.”

This book covers the fundamentals of green remodeling and explains things in reader-friendly language that makes it a perfect guide for anyone updating or remodeling their home.

I’ve remodeled two waterfront homes and speak from experience: you can create the holistic house of your dreams without changing your address. This book can show you how.

Don’t Postpone Joy!

In my last blog post, I wrote about the renewal of mind, body and spirit that I experience at Canyon Ranch in Lenox, Massachusetts. One other thing that I always come away with is expressed in these three words: Don’t postpone joy!

It’s easy to feel stress in our daily lives. We all have to-do lists that seem to get longer as the day goes on. But we can’t live a healthy life without joy. So keep it on your calendar. Schedule time for the things, and the people, you love. Take a walk with your dad, catch a movie with your spouse, make time for a yoga class.

Do something joyful every day!

Canyon Ranch

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The beginning of the New Year has always meant a time of reflection, and for me, a time for renewal of body, mind and spirit as well.  I use the early weeks of January, when the holiday lights have been taken down and the cold weather has settled around us, for a trip to Canyon Ranch in Lenox, Massachusetts.

I know that it is important to keep myself in balance through the right nutrition for my body, good sleep in a healthy environment, and exercise that gently stretches me to new levels of fitness.  The experts at Canyon Ranch offer an innovative approach to health and wellness, and a passionate commitment to holistic care, all in beautiful and relaxing surroundings.

Canyon Ranch in Lenox, Massachusetts is housed in the former Bellefontaine Mansion, in the heart of the Berkshires.  Built in 1897, the building has been restored in a style harmonious with the surrounding countryside.  Architects worked with the local historic preservation board to be sure their restoration was fully authentic.  In recent years, the spa has embraced the concept of sustainable interiors, and has chosen to use low VOC paints and other non-toxic materials in their healthy and beautiful surroundings.

It’s a step forward for all of us (and for a healthy planet) whenever sustainable choices are made:  my enthusiasm for the good work done at Canyon Ranch is amplified by their conscious stewardship of the earth, and their dedication to the health of their guests.

The bottom line:  however we choose to honor and care for ourselves, we must never take our health for granted!

Please Join Me in Reading

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Anthill: A Novel E.O. Wilson

I’m reading a wonderful book:  Anthill: A Novel, by E.O. Wilson.  Join me!

Edward O. Wilson, a Pulitzer-prize winning author of 22 non-fiction books, has written a wonderful first novel.  Anthill tells the story of three parallel worlds:  the smallest is the world of ants, then there is the world of humans, and last, “thousands of times greater in space and time…the biosphere, the totality of all life, plastered like a membrane over all of earth.” (from the Prologue).

Wilson, a naturalist and ant expert, has become increasingly concerned about the declining health of planet Earth.  He has written deeply on topics of conservancy, including in 2006, The Creation—An Appeal to Save Life on Earth.

Anthill tells the inspirational story of a boy who grows up determined to save earth from her most fierce predator:  man himself. The novel follows the boy as he grows up, first witnessing through a child’s eyes the creation and destruction of four amazing anthills, and then later, his life as a legal gladiator in a fight to preserve the wilderness he loves.  It is a parable for our times, and can teach us all important lessons about survival in a world that we must learn to treat with more care.

Our Russian Christmas Fantasy

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Our Russian Christmas Fantasy

Once again, the end of November found the team at Dujardin Design Associates in full decorating mode at the Nantucket Whaling Museum. This year, we created a Russian Christmas Fantasy display for the Nantucket Historical Association’s 17th Annual Festival of Trees.

Inspired by my Russian heritage, the tree is a splendor in red and gold, with red glass balls, golden ribbons and over 50 handmade Russian ornaments. There are Russian Cossacks, snowflakes, Faberge eggs and matryoshka dolls (the traditional nesting dolls), all delicately hand painted in festive fashion.

We created the illusion of snow covered branches by wrapping the tree in hundreds of little white lights, and tucking fresh baby’s breath into the boughs. A silk tree skirt embroidered in red glass beads in a snowflake design is a work of art in itself, crafted for us by the same people who did the Christmas tree skirts for the White House.

A Nod to Antiquity Required Special Handling:

The museum is home to rare artifacts and aged documents such as original ships’ whaling logs, so the ornaments, although they appear to be cookies, are not made with any edible products. Likewise, the fabulous faux “gingerbread” cathedral, depicting St. Basil’s in Moscow, is a meticulously molded and painted replica.

St. Basil’s Gingerbread Cathedral

Accompanies the Tree:

Standing next to the tree on a red plaid skirted table is a replica of the famous St. Basil’s Cathedral in Moscow. Approximately two feet wide and three feet high, its creation required over 200 man hours by the skilled craftspeople at Colette’s Cakes of New York.

St. Basil’s was commissioned by Ivan the Terrible in 1555. The building’s shape was designed to mimic the flame of a bonfire rising into the sky. Its full name is the Cathedral of Intercession of Most Holy Theotokos on the Moat, Temple of Basil the Blessed, but it has been referred to as St. Basil’s for centuries. It comprises nine individual chapels, each topped with a unique onion dome.

The Story of BabushkaIf you would like a copy of this delightful Russian Christmas Legend please send us your contact information.Seven Simple Steps for a Sustainable Holiday Season

  • A gift is a thoughtful gesture and the same sentiment can be shown in sustainable ways. Consider exchanging time instead of gifts with the elderly or lonely during the holiday season, or making a sustainable donation to a local charity with the money you save. Put your money to work helping others and the planet with a “life-changing gift”, such as Heifer International, www.heifer.org or ChildFund International, www.childfund.org.
  • Be socially conscious with gifts that promote fair trade.
  • Use energy efficient LED holiday lights to add sparkle. (Install a timer!)
  • Give locally made products, help reduce the impact of transportation.
  • Purchase greeting cards printed on recycled materials with vegetable based non-toxic inks, or send email greetings.
  • Give gifts such as gift certificates or theater tickets – they don’t require a lot of gift wrapping. Avoid wrapping with glossy or metallic paper. Colorful fabric or reusable gift bags are an environmentally friendly alternative.
  • Choose toys that do not require batteries. Instead choose gifts that stimulate a child’s imagination without impacting the environment.

For more on sustainable ideas for your home, visit our website at www.dujardindesign.com.

The Q Collection

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The Q Collection

I often talk to my clients about the importance of indoor air quality. Our super-insulated, warm homes can generate a poor air exchange system, so that chemicals that are introduced unknowingly build up and can cause allergies, asthma, and auto immune disorders.

Producing upholstered furniture and dyed fabrics requires the use of many chemical products, some of which may be harmful to us. The list includes things such as formaldehyde and polyurethane, flame retardants and volatile organic compounds (VOCs), all sources of noxious indoor vapors.

The Q Collection was one of the first fabric and furniture companies dedicated to eco-safe home furnishings. Their materials are free of chemicals that can pollute your home, such as toxic glues, finishes and dyes. Their residential fabric line includes biodegradable, environmentally-safe products made with natural materials such as alpaca, bamboo, Oeko-Tex certified cotton, hemp, leather, linen, viscose and wool.

I’ve used the Q Collection fabrics and upholstered pieces in several of my “green” designs, and recommend them as one more thing you can do to help make all of our lives a little healthier, and the earth a little cleaner, as well as more beautiful!

 

I’m Dreaming of a Green Christmas: Gifts, Decorations, and Recipes that Use Less and Mean More, by Anna Getty.

Another thing I love is a book entitled, I’m Dreaming of a Green Christmas:  Gifts, Decorations, and Recipes that Use Less and Mean More, by Anna Getty. This charming paperback by a chef, mother, organic living expert and environmental advocate offers advice on everything from choosing the best tree (real or fake?) to homemade craft ideas, recipes and entertaining friends and family. She offers tips like The Ten Easiest Things You Can Do to Save Energy during the Holidays, and chapters on Nesting, Trimming and Giving.

A statistic from the book states that Americans throw away an additional five million tons of trash between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Eve. This little book may be the start of a more sustainable holiday for you and your family.

Available from Chronicle Books. ISBN-10:  0811867676
List Price $24.95

If you’re on Nantucket, you can find this book at Parchment, Eleven Washington Street. 508-228-4110 www.parchmentnantucket.com. Heidi, Parchment’s gracious storekeeper, will be delighted to help you.