A Visual History of Home Building

Posted on May 18, 2012 by Erin Clay

The National Building Museum in Washington D.C. just kicked off an ongoing exhibit called “House & Home.” This exhibit uses models, photographs, film and objects to document the changes in laws, culture and technology that have transformed the way homes have been built (and lived in) throughout history. Single family, multi-family, urban high-rises and suburban bungalows are all represented in this broad overview of the buildings that Americans call home.

The interactive displays show every aspect of the history of the American home, from collections of household objects:

to changes in building practices and materials demonstrated in full-scale models:

As Livable Design strives to change the way that homes are built, we find it fascinating to look back and see how far we have already come!

Get more information on this exciting exhibit here.

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Home Sweet Healthy Home

Posted on May 4, 2012 by Erin Clay

There’s no question that incorporating Livable Design features into your home can make your life easier, safer and more flexible. But what if you could add features to your home that would actually help you and your family stay healthy? Improving the quality of the air inside of your home is a good start.

Air pollution isn’t limited to the outdoors. The air inside your home can be contaminated with harmful pollutants that come from many sources. Mold, gases such as carbon monoxide, and chemicals found in household cleaners, pesticides and building materials can all contribute to poor indoor air quality, and they can make you sick. Luckily, there are steps you can take to minimize the concentrations of these pollutants within your home so that your whole family can breathe easier.

Install hard surface flooring instead of carpet in your home to reduce the accumulation of dust and allergens.
Use low or zero VOC paints and finishes.
Vent bathroom, kitchen and clothes dryer directly to the outdoors.
Run bathroom fan for 15 minutes after a shower to reduce moisture and mold growth.
Install an HVAC system that includes a de-humidifier and an upgraded air-filtration system.
Keep up on home maintenance by vacuuming floors and furniture often and changing your HVAC filter every 90 days (more often if you have pets.)
Install carbon monoxide and radon detectors.

In addition to improving indoor air quality, you can encourage healthy habits in your home by designating a place for indoor exercise and include storage areas for bicycles and other athletic equipment.

Posted in allergens, Blog, home environment, HVAC, indoor air quality, mold, Paint, pollution, safety | Leave a comment

Staying Cool in the Kitchen

Posted on April 27, 2012 by Erin Clay

As we all know, the majority of accidents occur in the home. The kitchen is one of the most dangerous rooms in the home because of the heat involved in cooking. Luckily, there are ways to design your kitchen that can help reduce your family’s risk of burns.

One great choice is an induction cooktop. This type of cooktop reacts with the iron in your cookware to heat the pan but not the surface of the cooktop. Some of these cooktops, like this one by General Electric that was used in our Demonstration Home, also incorporate dry-pot technology that will actually shut off the burner if all of the water boils out of the pot and it gets over-heated.

You can also choose a “cool touch” oven that remains cool outside even while food is being cooked on the inside. This one from Bertazzoni has a triple-glazed door, minimizing heat transfer to the outside.

bertazzoni.com

Another thing to consider is placing your microwave at a reachable height. Typically, to save space, microwaves are placed above the cooktop. This isn’t the safest option for several reasons. First, if the cooktop is in use, you have to lean over the hot surface to reach in and out of the microwave. Second, lifting over your head to remove cooked food or drinks from the microwave is an invitation for hot spills. Placing your microwave on the countertop or building it in to cabinetry at counter level is a safer solution.

Some thoughtful choices when designing your kitchen can result in a safer environment for your family and guests, making the time shared in the heart of the home less stressful. What safety features have you incorporated into the design of your kitchen?

Posted in appliances, Blog, children, entertaining, holidays, kitchen, safety | Leave a comment

Quick-Fix – Cabinet Hardware

Posted on April 20, 2012 by Erin Clay

One of the simplest and most affordable Livable Design features you can add to your home is the addition of hardware to your cabinetry. The cabinets in many production homes do not include handles or pulls of any kind, but adding them yourself is an easy project to tackle even if you’re not particularly handy. Whether you’re looking for more comfort and convenience, or just want to update the look of your kitchen, there are many options available.

Here are some benefits to adding hardware:

- The oils from food and your fingers can damage the wood surface of cabinet doors, shortening their life and making them hard to keep clean.

- Hardware makes opening cabinets more comfortable for those living with arthritis.

- Without hardware, it’s difficult to see which side of the cabinet is hinged, and therefore which is the side to pull. Adding hardware makes it a no-brainer and a lot less frustrating.

- With the abundance of options out there, hardware can enhance any kitchen design, or just provide an easy and inexpensive update.

Whether your style is French country or ultra-modern, hardware can help you make the most of your cabinets.

Source: Sun Valley Bronze

Source: Pangaea Interior Design

: Source: ebuild.com

What other quick and easy projects have you done that have made a big impact in your home?

Posted in bathroom, Blog, Cabinets, ergonomics, kitchen, Livable Design | Leave a comment

Redefining the Front Porch

Posted on April 13, 2012 by Erin Clay

The front porch has been a defining piece of architectural and cultural heritage. In its heyday, the porch served as a kind of outdoor living room, a place where the family could relax in the cool evening air, enjoy nature, each other’s company, and socialize with the neighbors. Architecturally, most porches shared certain traits: steps leading up to it from the street level, extension of the roofline to provide over head covering, and railing around the perimeter to define the space. Whether grand and spacious, or humble and cozy, the porch was once an important part of American life.

Source: xroads.virginia.edu

Although romantic, the model of the traditional porch can at times be impractical. A porch with multiple steps leading up to the entry can make it difficult for friends and family to easily visit your home. Smaller lot sizes can make it tough for builders to incorporate a lot of outdoor space. But, if you’re nostalgic for the front porch lifestyle, there are many ways to create a comfortable and sociable space at the front of your home.

A covered entry is key. Having at least 48” of structural cover at your front door gives you shelter from the elements when you are coming and going, while also defining the entry. A bit of cover also provides a shady spot to sit back and enjoy a glass of lemonade.

Source: accessiblitydesign.com

By expanding the paved surface near your front door, you will have more room to add a chair for lounging and a table for drinks. This can be done by pouring concrete or adding brick or pavers. Get creative – but keep transitions between materials to a minimum to avoid an uneven surface.

Source: TimberPine Files

Railings around the perimeter of your porch will define the area while still keeping the space open for easy conversation and enjoyment of the natural surroundings.

Source: Lueck's Home Improvements

Creating a living space at the front of your home not only gives you an extra area for your family to enjoy, but also creates a more welcoming entrance and makes your home an integral part of your neighborhood.

Posted in Blog, entry, livable communities, Livable Design, outside your home | Leave a comment

Lighting for Vision and Health – Solutions to Make Any Home Safer and Healthier

Posted on April 6, 2012 by Erin Clay

The Livable Design team attended an outstanding presentation this week at the SMUD Energy and Technology Center in Sacramento, CA. Eunice Noell-Waggoner, LC, gave a talk about how to effectively design lighting for Senior Care Environments to optimize health and vision for the residents. As a subsidiary of Eskaton, Northern California’s premier nonprofit provider of community living and home support for older adults, we gleaned useful information to integrate within our care environments, but also, from our Livable Design perspective we couldn’t help but think how beneficial the information is for the general population as well. The presentation revolved around two specific goals when lighting a space: creating healthy sleep habits by using light to help restore circadian rhythm, and improving vision through light to avoid falls and other accidents. Here are some of the great ideas we came away with:

Get outside at least 15 minutes every day! We absorb Vitamin D through skin exposure to sunlight. Vitamin D deficiency can lead to weaker bones, so it’s important to soak up at least a few of those rays daily (but remember everything in moderation – you also want to avoid sunburns by prolonged exposure to the sun.)

Source: examiner.com

Use natural or cooler light during the day and warmer, amber light at night. By using lighting that more closely mimics the natural cycles of the day, you can help maintain your natural circadian rhythm, resulting in better sleep.

Cooler lighting for daytime:

Source: beach-backgrounds.com

Warmer light for evening and night-lights:

Source: reefnews.com

Select finishes with at least 60% light reflectance value to make the most of your lighting. Dark finishes on your walls soak up much of the light put off by your light fixtures, while lighter wall colors reflect the light back into the room.

Source: daydreamdecors.com

Layer your lighting to avoid glare and add flexibility. Don’t just rely on one fixture for all of your lighting needs. By using a combination of overhead lighting, pendants, sconces, and table lamps, you will have an evenly lit room, with fewer glare spots or shadows. You can also customize your light to any particular activity by using different fixtures for different tasks.

Source: illumination.com

Select finishes that provide high contrast. Most production home finishes are beige, beige and more beige. Update your home with multi-toned finishes that will provide the contrast necessary to easily navigate your space. A helpful tip is to always match your wall base to the wall, not the floor, so that the walking path is easy to distinguish.

Source: houzz.com

Thanks to SMUD and Eunice Noell-Waggoner for the great information! What are some lighting solutions you’ve used to make your home more livable? Share them with us!

Posted in ageless, Blog, LED lighting, light, lighting, lighting and your home, Livable Design, Paint, SMUD | Leave a comment

Thinking Outside of the Cabinet

Posted on March 30, 2012 by Erin Clay

Not everyone can afford a custom kitchen, but there are many ways to personalize your kitchen without breaking the bank. The addition of after-market products such as open shelving, mug hooks, and utensil racks all help to create a space that’s all your own. These accessories can be mounted at a lower height, below your cabinets, keeping regularly-used items within reach. They also provide a great opportunity to display your favorite objects.

Source: Henry Road

Source: Coastal Living

Source: kitchenbuilding.com

If you like a more streamlined look, you can choose pull down shelving or a lazy susan to make the items inside of your cabinets much easier to access, while still being able to close the doors on clutter. Either way, there are plenty of options bring the kitchen of your dreams within reach!

What custom feature would you most like to have in your kitchen?

Posted in Blog, Cabinets, kitchen, Livable Design, Storage | Leave a comment

It’s Hip to be Round

Posted on March 23, 2012 by Erin Clay

We’ve all done it … banged our shin on the corner of the coffee table or run into the edge of the kitchen counter. Ouch! Wouldn’t it be nice to have some softer edges in your home? If you have small children, limited vision, or are just a little clumsy, rounding off corners on counters and replacing your square tables with round ones will help avoid some bumps and bruises. Round furnishings can also give you a few extra inches of valuable circulation space. Here are some options to make it easier to get around the house.

Source: decorpad

Source: flooringcenteranddesign

Source: bellainspirations

Is there an item in your home that you wish had rounded corners?

Posted in Blog, children, entertaining, home environment, kids, kitchen, Livable Design, round ottoman | Leave a comment

Livable Design – Not Just for Homes Anymore

Posted on March 16, 2012 by Erin Clay

Here at Livable Design, we spend a lot of time thinking about new ways to make home environments more livable for everyone. But shouldn’t the time you spend away from home be more livable too? If you sometimes feel like you live in your car, you’re not alone. According to the U.S. Census Community Survey, Americans now spend an average of 100 hours per year driving! What if that time could be made more comfortable, safe, and enjoyable for all? Thanks to innovations in the auto industry, we may be seeing big changes to our car environments very soon.

Source: radials.com

One manufacturer leading the way in developing designs to fit all types of drivers is Ford. Ford’s ergonomic team uses special suits to help them develop a ride that is comfortable for everyone. One suit simulates the driving experience of an older adult, or any driver who may have limited mobility due to an injury. The suit includes extra bulk to restrict movement and goggles to simulate cataracts. Another suit mimics the limitations felt by a pregnant woman. They also strive to make controls and features intuitive and easy to use, which is great if your eyesight is not what it used to be, or if you’re trying to turn on the air-conditioner while dealing with arguing kids in the backseat.

Source: ford.com

Another innovation that is on the horizon is self-driving cars. This idea sounds like something out of The Jestson’s, but research and development is bringing the concept closer every day. These cars can see more than the human eye – through the big rig that’s blocking your view, or into your blind spot – to react to whatever hazards may cross your path before you ever see them. Also, in a world of ever growing distractions, imagine being able to safely kick back and check your email or enjoy your coffee while on your morning commute, and let your car do all the work!

Source: geekologie.com

We’re excited to learn that Livable Design concepts can transcend the home environment to make all the spaces we spend time in more comfortable. Is there a place that you spend a lot of time that is desperate for a re-design?

Posted in ageless, Blog, car, commute, ergonomics, Livable Design | Leave a comment

From High-Tech to High-Style – Decorative Options in LED Lighting

Posted on March 9, 2012 by Erin Clay

When you think of LED lighting, many things come to mind: long bulb life, energy efficiency, and slick, modern fixtures.

: Source: ylighting.com

But while many of us would love to reap the benefits of this energy-sipping light source, we can’t imagine how the techie-looking fixtures will blend in with our existing home décor. Luckily, as LED lighting becomes more popular, there are many new styles of fixtures available. Whether you’re looking for something classic and understated, or a bit of eye-candy, there’s an LED fixture out there for you!