Does anyone appreciate the outdoors more than the person who lives in a northern climate?
We suffer through what seem like endless months of sleet, snow or pounding rain, so and when the sun finally shines and the land turns green, we want to fling our doors and windows open and sip cooling beverages out of frosty glasses while sprawled on our decks or patios.
Today, more than ever, we can make our outdoor living spaces so inviting and welcoming that they literally extend our living rooms and blur the line between indoors and out. A properly designed outdoor living room can also stretch the al - fresco season considerably.
I recently visited a small cottage in Tofino. The owners had replaced one wall of their living room with a dark stained garage door. A garage door? Yes. And how glorious it was to roll it up on a warm May morning. Instantly the living room extends out to include a multi - level deck surrounded by fragrant gardens busy with buzzing hummingbirds.
DO CLIENTS TRULY UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF LEED CERTIFICATES AND DO THEY REALLY CARE ABOUT DESIGNERS INCORPORATING SUSTAINABLE ELEMENTS INTO THEIR PROJECTS. Over the years, the buzz of the "Green" trend has gotten louder. Its been streamlined in the media, conferences, and coffee table discussions. But on a deeper level, how does all this translate into design operations. Are interior designers willing to embrace it as a challenge or a reality that should be met with serious measures? Has the trend been reduced to plain old propaganda and in turn, is it being misused as a marketing tool for businesses?
According to Christian Merieau, managing director, Samuel Creations, Dubai, in consultation with Melden Francia, the masses are weary of the push to be more environmentally responsible, hence the term "green fatigue". The overwhelming information of green products has led to speculations on the adequacy of the efforts of "saving the earth" strategies. This could be brought about by the escalating attitude of society that everything is fast tracked.
There are two types of mixing techniques you can use, either by hand or by using a concrete mixer. Concrete mixers can be purchased and if you intend on working on more than one project using concrete over time, then it may pay to invest in this labour - saving machine. However, for small projects, mixing by hand is perfectly acceptable.
Hand mixing
If you need to mix a small amount of concrete, this is a perfect technique and not too difficult. Rustle up a shovel and a couple of buckets, plus a hose and a hard surface on which to work. Measure out the sand and the gravel into a heap on your hard surface and make a crater in the centre of the heap. Into the crater, add your cement and then turn the whole pile with your spade until the colour becomes uniform. Once you have completed this, make another crate in this mixed pile and add water. Begin to turn the material into the centre from the edge of the pile and keep adding water as required. The mixture is ready when its neither too crumbly nor sloppy; it needs to be pliable and easy to work.
Written by Builder
Making the MOST
Green fatigue