H&H favourite Canadian Design Blogs!

Check it out! House & Home magazine shared with us their favourite Canadian Design Blogs!

http://www.desiretoinspire.net/

Kim Johnson, Ottawa. "Total looks from the world's top designers."

http://www.lakejane.blogspot.com/

Marie-Eve Best, Montreal. "Tips and trends for dressing, dining and decorating."

http://www.arrenwilliams.com/

Arren Williams, Toronto. " An insider's look at the Canadian design scene."

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http://www.poppytalk.blogspot.com/

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Jan Halvarson, B.C. " A mostly Canadian marketplace of fine design."

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Blogs are becoming a huge part of peoples lives and daily routine. Such a huge part that newspapers and other print material companies are suffering. Due to readers now turning to the web as a quick resource for great information on any specific topic of interest. The web allows them to collect information whenever they want and on whatever they want. There is so much information out there and it seems that print material just isn't cutting it anymore for our busy lives. Blogs are becoming more popular then ever due to this trend. There are new Blogs popping up every where, and I would love to know the Blogs that you are checking out??

You can never have to much information :)

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Until next time,

w&c designer girl!

2009 Home Improvement Tax Break- How does it Work?

Canadian Budget offers a tax break for Home Improvements in the year of 2009. So get your cheque book out, the tax man is helping with the bill!! If you have been thinking about refurbishing your kitchen or putting in an extra bathroom, etc and etc, this may be the year to achieve those home improvement projects that you have always wanted to tackle, because the tax man is helping out. Now how does this credit work? how to I apply? what items fall under this home improvement credit? So many questions regarding this program and so many of us can't seem to get answers. Well I found the information you need to get started and to educate yourself on this program. This is a program that you don't want to miss out on, lets be real its not very often that the Government actually gives back to us, so lets take advantage of it if we can!
The Home Renovation Tax Credit (HRTC) is a non-refundable tax credit for work performed or goods acquired in respect of an eligible dwelling.
What does that mean, eligible dwelling?
"An eligible dwelling is a housing unit that is eligible to be an individuals principal residence or that of one or more of their family members, at any time between January 27, 2009 and February 1, 2010. In general, a housing unit is considered eligible to be an individuals principal residence where it is owned by the individual and ordinarily inhabited by the individual, the individuals spouse or common-law partner, or their children. This means that any dwelling that you own and use personally could qualify, including your home or your cottage. "
What is the eligibility period?
"The credit will be based on eligible expenditures for work performed or goods acquired after January 27, 2009, and before February 1, 2010. Expenditures incurred pursuant to an agreement that was entered into before January 28, 2009, will not be eligible for the credit."
Who will be eligible for the credit?
"Eligibility for the HRTC will be family based. A family will generally be considered to consist of an individual or an individual and his or her spouse or common-law partner, including children who will be under 18 years of age, at the end of 2009. A family will be allowed a single credit that may be shared within the family.
If two or more families share the ownership of an eligible dwelling, each family will be eligible for their own separate credit (i.e. each up to $1,350) that will be calculated on their respective eligible expenditures. "
How will the credit be calculated?
"The credit will only be available for the 2009 tax year and applies to eligible expenditures of more than $1,000, but not more than $10,000, resulting in a maximum credit of $1,350 ($9,000 x 15%)."
What are eligible expenditures?
"To be eligible, expenditures incurred in relation to a renovation or alteration to an eligible dwelling (or the land that forms part of the eligible dwelling) must be of an enduring nature and integral to the dwelling, and includes the cost of labour and professional services, building materials, fixtures, rentals, and permits. Eligible expenditures must be supported by acceptable documentation."
Renovating a kitchen, bathroom or basement
New carpet or hardwood floors
Building an addition, garage, deck, garden/storage shed, fence
Re-shingling a roof
A new furnace, woodstove, boiler, fireplace, water softener or water heater
A new driveway or resurfacing a driveway
Painting of interior or exterior of a house
Window coverings directly attached to the window frame and whose removal would alter the nature of the dwelling
Laying new sod
Swimming Pools (Permanent - in ground and above ground)
Fixtures – lights, fans, etc.
Associated costs such as permits, professional services, equipment rentals and incidental expenses.
How will I claim the HRTC?
"A new line will be incorporated in the 2009 personal income tax return to allow you to claim the credit."
For more information on this Tax Credit please visit : http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/gncy/bdgt/2009/fqhmrnvtn-eng.html#q1

If anyone has more information on this topic please let us know!


Until next time,
w&c designer girl!

How to Dress Eco-Friendly!

Okay so we are becoming more eco-friendly in our home decor and functionality of our houses, but have we thought about what we are putting on our bodies everyday? Our skin absorbs everything, from the pollution in the air to the creams we put on our skin, so are we aware of what our bodies are absorbing from the clothes we wear? There are more and more companies transforming their clothes to be more eco-friendly, right down to your footwear. "El Naturalista's Recyclus line uses recycled materials to create beautiful, sustainable footwear. According to Students for Sustainability (a partnership between The David Suzuki Foundation, The Sierra Youth Coalition and the Canadian Federation of Students) the environmental footprint of the shoe industry is sizable: North Americans throws out millions of pairs of shoes every year. Many of the adhesives used in shoe production contain the solvent toluene, highly toxic to the environment and the health of workers. And, the tanning process also uses several concerning chemicals including arsenic, mercury, lead and hexavalent chromium. (Not to mention the greenhouse gas emissions associated with livestock and international shipping) "

Did you know? "On average, North Americans throw away about 30 kilograms of clothing and textiles per year." So if we reduce the waste that we produce, our wardrobes are a great place to start. How do you create a environmentally friendly wardrobe? 1. "Buy local whenever possible Keep your carbon footprint in check by seeking out pieces that are locally designed and produced, that way your clothes don’t have to travel the globe to reach you." 2. "Watch for labels that are marked with a third-party certification to provide you with assurance that the garment was not produced in a sweatshop-free and safe environment, and with sustainable materials."
3. Asking stores to show you their lines of clothing and textiles made with organic cotton, bamboo or other sustainable fabrics." This might seem small but this will help send a message, , consumers are in demand for a more eco product. " Always ask whether the dye used as colouring was vegetable-based and non-toxic."

http://green.sympatico.msn.ca/green-living-online-article.aspx?cp-documentid=812885

Also don't forget about the cleaners you are using to wash your clothes in, make sure you read the labels of your detergents and protect your skin and your new eco-friendly wardrobe! Reading the labels on your clothes is very important and should be become a habit to make sure that we get the message across, we are here to save and protect our bodies and environment!

Until next time,
w&c designer girl!

Whats new with W&C!!

We are very proud to announce that we have changed and added new fabric's to our furniture collection, which makes the pieces even more GREEN! All fabrics have been certified as eco-friendly, under the logo of Oeko-Tex Standard 100. Which assures that textiles have been tested and awarded a certificate that state they are free of harmful substance. Textiles bearing this label are good for your well-being, using recycled or other environmentally friendly components. Also our new eco-friendly sofa line should be out soon! So there are some exciting times ahead for w&c! We are constantly learning about new eco-friendly materials and processes that we are adding to our pieces to make sure we can deliver a pure GREEN product. We are also excited to come out with our first catalogue which should be out at the end of April, displaying all of our pieces and more. So make sure to check us out and see what is happening in the stylish GREEN furniture industry. "Environmentally friendly furniture designed on the principle of quality" http://www.shop.whitewashco.ca/

Just thought I would give you a quick update on what is happening with w&c.

Until next time,

w&c designer girl!

What is BiOH polyols? And why is it important for us to know about it??

Okay I am still "green" excuse my pun, to all the eco-friendly products and materials out there and I am in the industry. There is just so much to learn and it is forever improving!! I had a question the other day, that I thought I would share with all of you. "Is your upholstery made with soy blend foam made with BiOH BRAND soy polyols?"Leslie. I knew the foam I used was made out of a soy blend and that it was an environmentally friendly product. But, I would have to do some research to truly find out the rest of the question, and I am glad I did! because the result was better then I thought it would be. "BiOH polyols are a soy-based ingredient for flexible foam used in upholstered furniture and bedding, carpet backing, and automotive seats . . . Current BiOH technology allows our customers to create foam products with typical levels of renewable content from 5 to 20%. Considering that only 3 years ago all of these products were 100% petroleum-based, we think this is a significant step! However, we’re not satisfied yet; the BiOH team is committed to developing new chemistries that create products with higher levels of renewable content." Very interesting, but how much crude oil (petrolem) does using BiOH polyols really save? "For every 1 million lbs of BiOH polyols that replace traditional petro polyols in foam cushioning, approximately 2200 barrels of crude petroleum is saved for other uses." Wow now if furniture companies and the consumer started requesting this foam and using this product, the impact would be significant to our environment! BiOH polyols did a study to show how they have a smaller carbon foot print then raw material manufactures who use traditional petrochemical polyols. "36% less global warming emissions -61% less non-renewable energy use, 23% less total energy demand." From my last blog on the carbon footprint, we all know now how important it is to lower our carbon foot print and here is another great way to start that movement. So, ask the question when purchasing a furniture piece or mattress, is BiHo polyols used??( http://www.bioh.com/index.html )

Thought you might find this interesting too, it explains how foam is made:

http://www.bioh.com/bioh_how_its_made.html

Keep up the good work with making your life more GREEN! A movement might start with just a small step but as you move, the steps get bigger and stronger and before you know it the world is moving with you!

Until next time,

w&c designer girl!

What is a Carbon Footprint?

The Carbon Footprint is a big issue now a days and it should be. But how many of us truly know what a carbon footprint is? "A carbon footprint is the total amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gases emitted over the full life cycle of a product or service." Each of us has a carbon footprint, it is our impression in this world, its our clue of who we are and where we are headed. It measures, in terms of our contribution as an individual, our impact on the global climate. "Measured in carbon emissions, it's become an increasingly useful and popular tool to help contextualize global warming in our daily routines and lives." Once we understand what a carbon footprint is, the next question is, what can I do? It is important to realize your carbon footprint because from there you can start to reduce it; what goes up, must come down! and it is the same with the footprint you have created. You can reduce it in many ways, by simply being aware! It is in the food we eat the products we buy. Where has the food come from? Does it have chemicals in it? What is the furniture piece made of? What materials are used within it? Is is locally made? These are simple questions that we should be able to ask and get an answer for. If for some reason the company/retailer cannot give us an anwser a consumer should be very wary and second guess their purchase. A simple way to start lowering your carbon footprint is by thinking about things in terms of, how much gas was used to get a product to where it is today. If one product was flown in from China and the other product was made within your city, the product that was flown in has a way bigger footprint then the locally made product. Sounds damn simple eh! Well it is and it can be; if we start to think this way it will become easier and easier to lower our carbon footprint! What can be more important then making a difference in our life and in our environment! Remember it is only Kermit the Frog that can say "it isn't easy being green."

Until next time,

w&c designer girl!

Stainless or Plastic, what do you drink out of??

You know the saying at a food store "Paper or Plastic" well the new saying is "Stainless or Plastic"!! What do you drink out of? If it is still plastic this information might change your mind. Do you know that 40 million plastic water bottles per day are dumped into our landfills!! That is crazy. What is even more crazier is they say it takes 30 years for the plastic to break down. That is more then along time, just think what you have done in 30 years! The scary thing is Plastic water bottles was only a clever marketing scam. "40 percent of bottled water starts out as tap water"!! I can't believe this, why didn't I think of this, we could all be rich off of this scam. "Companies, like Coca Cola and Pepsi, take the water for free, running it through some filters, pour it into a bottle with a fancy name and then sell it back to us at a price 240 to 10,000 times higher than tap water." WOW. The marketing companies have tricked us into believing that bottled water is the healthier choice and made us believe it is better for you then regular tap water. They created a image that bottled water means a healthy life/person. But " a four year study by the Natural Resources Defence Council (NRDC) found plenty of bacteria and chemicals in the bottles water. Since there are currently no regulations in place for bottled water it's hard to know exactly what you are buying." Check out this site for great information on this topic http://www.greenlivingonline.com/article/get-rid-plastic-water-bottles
Now some of us are up to date on this plastic matter and have switched to stainless steel water bottles, which really is the healthier choice! Because most stainless steel water bottle companies guarantee that they are BPA FREE and use non-toxic inks, so no off gassing or leachin of chemicals are going into your body. http://www.ewanbottles.com/ I am sure there are probably a hand full of celebrities that have jumped on this bang wagon and issue. And you know if they are supporting this, soon everyone else will! Which is a very good thing because this issue is something that people should know more about and start making the change to the stainless bottles to protect themselves and their loved ones. This is definitely a movement that should not be ignored and something that we should all be doing right away!

Until next time,
w&c designer girl!

Do you know how many GREEN Celebrities there are??

WOW! I am blown away on the number of celebrities that support the GREEN or alternative energy movement! Usually domestic environmental issues are always getting attention, many environmentalists are focusing on international issues as their main priority now, such as "global warming, populations growth, deforestation, and the continued loss of many species of plants and animals have reached increasing prominence on the environmental agenda." As mentioned in a previous BLOG when a celebrity jumps on the bang wagon so does everyone else, and this theory has been proven with an endless list of celebrities and the movement they are promoting on this site I found. http://www.allamericanspeakers.com/Green_Celebrities_&_Green_Speakers.php
Top 5 on their "Leading Green Celebrity Players" are Dave Matthews Band, Cate Blanchett, Richard Branson, Pierce Brosnan and Warn Burton, plus many many more. It even lists the celebrities with electric or hybrid cars, Solar Neighbours Program and many more categories. I am just so impressed on how many celebrities are making our environment that much better! And we know it will only takes time before everyone else is on the same playing field. So keep up the good GREEN work and remember it is only Kermit the frog that is aloud to use the line "it isn't easy being green" NO one else has an excuse!

More Celebrity Links!
http://www.thedailygreen.com/living-green/blogs/celebrities/7249
http://www.grist.org/news/maindish/2007/06/01/celebs/
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2008/07/seven-celebrities-needing-eco-education.php

Until next time,
w&c designer girl!

Your Dream Kitchen is Closer then you THINK!

This is the perfect year to tackle that dated kitchen, with the new Home Improvement Bill that was passed, the tax man will help with the renovation cost!! Jan/Feb Better Home and Garden Special - Kitchen and Bath ideas, is just the magazine that you need to start this project. It covers everything, from floor layouts, appliances, new materials and most important how to work out a kitchen budget. It has great tips on where to spend your money and where to save it, along with other helpful idea's. "Simple Kitchen Updates - Refinish or reface cabinets, change hardware, replace appliances, install a tile back splash, upgrade counter tops, improve lighting, put in a new drop-in sink." There are a ton of things that you can do to update your kitchen without spending a lot of money, paint goes along way! So for cost effective purposes, paint out your cupboards to a colour you like until you can afford the real ones. There are a lot of paint techniques that can be applied to give a rich look. Changing your hardware makes a huge impact immediately and it is a task that can be done in an hour or so. When it actually comes to the big things, plan ahead, figure out how you truly need the space to function for you. Also, literally plan ahead, will there be children in the near future, if so there will be different needs. To keep cost down, hiring a designer does save you in the long run. Why hire a designer? 1. Can help you plan ahead and keep the project organized "a designer can ease the burden of remodeling by coordinating all the details." 2. They can offer storage solutions, layout ideas and more, making sure that you achieve the kitchen that will work for you. 3. Knowledge, "Professional designers know where to get high-quality products and have connections with wholesalers, dealers and contractors to give you the best products you can afford." Why hire a designer? It will help you come out ahead! Your new kitchen is a bigger investment than ever, so make sure you find the right designer! I read somewhere, "choose your kitchen designer as you would a doctor. Is this a person you want doing heart surgery on the heart of the home?" Quick tip, Build 10% cushion into your budget for unexpected costs.

Until next time,
w&c designer girl!

Why is it that we need a celebrity to make a movement real?

Celebrities are jumping on the band wagon when it comes to protecting our environment. From Leonardo DiCaprio, George Clooney, Ed Norton, Robert Redford, Pearl Jam and more!! Why is it that we need celebrities to make a movement real? Brad Pitt's Green Rebuild in New Orlean's is more then a powerful message, the participation from multiple levels of companies and donations are just the start but when Brad Pitt is there in the trenches of these new homes, people pay attention and get involved. So why is it that we need celebrities to make a movement real? The 11th hour, which is narrated by Leonardo DiCaprio, "this captivating documentary explores the perilous state of our planet, and the means by which we can change our course." This DVD is popular not just because of the message but because of the name that is standing behind it and delivering the message. For some reason adding a celebrity to a movement makes us feel like we are connected some how. Because our favorite actor or actress is preaching it, it must be a good cause, and because they are involved I must be involved. I don't know why this works or why it hits us more when there is a face to the cause, but it works! And it will keep on working!! Support your favorite movements even if it is just because of the face that is attached to it. Make sure you start making your life a bit more Eco-friendly everyday and don't be afraid of change, embrace it, you are saving yourself with these actions!!

Celebrity Links:

http://www.makeitrightnola.org/

http://wip.warnerbros.com/11thhour/mainsite/site.html

http://webecoist.com/2009/02/14/green-celebrities-activism/

http://www.greenlivingonline.com/article/daryl-hannah-biodiesel-star

Until next time,

w&c designer girl!