Sweet Home Blog

Spain Home Furniture Fair Expands

admin — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 23:44:10 +0000

The home furnishings tradeshow will feature manufacturers from Spain and beyond.

by Mairi Beautyman

Interior Design · March 26, 2008

For the first time, five major fairs will showcase home furnishings from Spain and beyond at one destination in Valencia this fall. The 2008 edition of home furnishings event Habitat Valencia — September 23-27 at the Feria Valencia — will include the International Furniture Fair of Valencia (FIM), the International Decorating and Accessories Fair (DE>CO), the International Home Textiles and Decorating Fair (TEXTILHOGAR), the International Lighting Fair (FIAM), and the International Modern and Contemporary Art Fair (FIART VALENCIA).

Manufacturers will offer products including furniture, lighting, home textiles, decorating, accessories and modern art throughout all of the Feria’s pavilions. Items will be on view in nine categories over two levels: Classic, High Décor, Accessories & Textures, Design & Avant-garde, Modern, Contemporary Nature, Rest & Relaxation, Avant-garde, and Upholstered Furniture.

This year, organizers are increasing the focus on the contract market. Several installations will be on view, designed to demonstrate contract use of the home products.

Awards programs include the National Window Design Championship and the 7th Salón NUDE: The International New Design Show, honoring emerging designers. Attendees can also take advantage of the Habitat Valencia Training Breakfasts, a series of educational lectures.

Visionary Lighting Honored in Frankfurt

admin — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 23:43:06 +0000

Thirty forward-thinking designs will be honored in a ceremony on April 7.

by Nicholas Tamarin

Interior Design · March 28, 2008

Who has the brightest crystal ball of all? Messe Frankfurt has announced the recipients of its Lights of the Future Award, recognizing visionary lamp and lighting designs. Winners will take to the stage in a ceremony during Light + Building, International Trade Fair for Architecture and Technology, a massive lighting show on the Messe Frankfurt fairgrounds in Frankfurt, Germany from April 6-11.

An international jury that included lighting innovators Ulrike Brandi and Uwe Fischer winnowed down 197 entries from 143 companies and 24 countries to select the 30 energy-saving lamps and energy-efficient lighting systems, which will also be on display throughout the fair.

Competing designers were divided between student and professional categories, then called upon to demonstrate both technological prowess and design ability. Of the 30 winning designs (pdf), 11 were selected in the student category, with Lars Dinter taking home two prizes for his Nola and Eine Art Von Kerzenlicht designs. Zumtobel Lighting and Tobias Grau each took home two awards in the professional category, which also featured winning designs by industry heavyweights Belux and Viabizzuno.

Light + Building will also play host to the 32 winners of the Design Plus Award, now in its 25th year, which honors ground-breaking lighting designs that are about to be introduced, or have been on the market for two years or less. Winning companies include Erco Leuchten, Nimbus Group, and Berker, each claiming two trophies.

Aside from all the prize giving, the fair will feature international exhibitors in four sectors. Light will focus on product development, design trends, and technical innovation. Electro-Technology tackles systems integration and security and network issues. Rounding out the show floor is Home and Building Automation, and Architectural Systems.

From top: The LEED lamp from Tobias Grau and the Disk lamp from Belux are among the winners of the Lights of the Future Award.

Life’s a Beach

admin — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 23:40:32 +0000

Life’s a beach for Foster + Partners when it comes to the proposed Abu Dhabi World Trade Center, the principal building at Al Raha Beach. The recently unveiled design strategy for Foster’s creation is a multi-use building combining offices, apartments, a hotel and retail outlets.

The design strategy is a specific response to the climate and topography of the coastal site. TThe site is in the precinct of Al Dana, forming the signature element of a new waterfront city east of Abu Dhabi. Located at the eastern end of the vast semi-circular marina of Al Raha Beach, the building extends into the center of the marina to create a peninsula that completes a waterside promenade.

The design scheme provides shade while also admitting light; is cooled by a natural flow of air but is buffered against the strong desert wind; and is asymmetrical and sculptural yet is environmentally and functionally coherent. Wrapped in a shimmering skin, the building’s sinuous form rises up to a tower at its eastern tip. This distinctive envelope is a reactive louvered shading system that is angled to minimize solar gain depending on orientation. The main entrance to the south connects to a central atrium, which is buffered from the climatic extremes by the apartments and offices that line the perimeter.

The form of the building is rooted in a sustainable environmental strategy that relies on a series of passive controls. To the south, the building is indented to reduce the external area most vulnerable to direct sunlight. The services and circulation cores occupy most of the remaining exposed areas. At ground level, the overhang of the roof creates a shaded walkway that wraps around the building, and the roof is streamlined according to the prevailing winds to encourage cooling air currents around and through the building.

The project is due to start on site this summer.

Renderings courtesy of Foster + Partners

Perfect Climate Control

admin — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 23:38:55 +0000

Perfect Climate Control Puts Money in the Pocket and Heat in the Home

NEW YORK, N.Y. - Jan. 23 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — With oil prices spiraling out of control, people are seeking ways to save money while still staying warm this winter. Perfect Climate Control, a smart energy green company, has the answer. On January 2, 2008, oil broke the $100 mark. As of December 31, 2007, home heating oil cost $3.54 per gallon in New York City.

So, what can people do to save money? Perfect Climate Control can prove that the Fujitsu Halcyon heating system is not only super efficient, but will also lower oil bills and heat homes and businesses safely.

At current oil prices, Fujitsu heating systems cost 20 percent less to operate than an oil-fired boiler which operates at 70 percent efficiency (U.S. Dept. of Energy).

Individual room control and a ductless design also contribute to the Fujitsu efficiency and cost-saving model - up to 50 percent. Why heat the whole floor when heat is only needed in one room? Multi-zone capability, wireless remotes, digital controls, and timers make this easy to do. In addition, according to the U.S. Dept. of Energy, energy loss due to ductwork averages 27 percent.

David Fletcher of Perfect Climate Control shares some success stories:

One client in Arlington, Virginia was able to lower her gas heating bill from $1,100 to $300 a month during one of the coldest winters on record; in Washington, D.C., a customer lowered his gas bill to $5. The utility company actually refunded him money.

“Fujitsus were installed in 350 condominiums outside of Philadelphia,” Bill Hick, Northeast Regional Sales Manager for Fujitsu recalled. “When the temperature was 10 degrees and windy, it was toasty inside. In three years, the primary heat source, baseboard heating, had never been turned on.”

Fujitsu systems not only heat, they also cool. Year-round comfort is provided by the same super-efficient unit. It can also be a cost-effective solution for heating and cooling areas such as extensions, basements, and attics. Other benefits include humidity control and indoor air quality.

Centrally located in New York City, Perfect Climate Control is operated by licensed refrigeration engineers and teachers. They serve the tri-state area and offer free energy consultations.

For more information, visit: www.PerfectClimateControl.com.

Earth-Minded at Hotel Terra

admin — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 23:37:30 +0000

Jackson Hole vacationers can now immerse themselves in the great outdoors while staying in a boutique hotel that reduces its impact on the environment, with the opening of Hotel Terra.

Designed by Callison, the six-story, 72-room condominium-hotel property is the first LEED-registered hotel in Wyoming. Callison partnered with the Terra Resort Group, which owns and operates Hotel Terra, to create a unique experience reflective of its guests. “We design for the user, so it is important to understand who the guest is—someone who is sophisticated, environmentally conscious and appreciates the outdoors,” says Robin Holt, Callison principal. “With these traits in mind, we gave Hotel Terra a more contemporary design with a lightness and simplicity not often associated with mountain lodges. We created a destination that has a ‘modern mountain’ design aesthetic with sustainable sensibility.”

Located at the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort in Teton Village, Wyo., the 54,700-sq.-ft. resort will be the first LEED certified hotel in the state. By aligning sustainable strategies with Terra Resort Group’s values, Hotel Terra features sustainable building and operating practices that meet guests’ needs while striving to preserve the environment.

Some of Hotel Terra’s sustainable features include:
- 100 percent recycled “Eco Shake” roof shingles
- Recycled and reclaimed building materials such as metal, stone and wood for both the interior and exterior of the building
- State-of-the art energy efficient heating and cooling systems, designed to customize temperature by individual zones in each guest room or suite, limiting use to specific need
- Low VOC carpets and pads, sealants, paint and adhesives
- Low flow water fixtures, dual flush toilets and waterless urinals in the men’s public restrooms
- Earth friendly fabrics, accessories and finish materials
- Large, operable windows that allow for natural light and fresh air
- Native landscaping to eliminate the need for irrigation
- Exterior and interior light fixtures that reduce light pollution projecting from the building
- Bicycle racks and showers for employees to support alternative transportation

Hotel Terra features historical building materials used in a modern way. The exterior design maintains a regional feel with natural materials such as stone, wood and metal detailings that mirror the context. Reclaimed, hand-hewn lumber is juxtaposed with recycled steel beams and granite. The large, glass windows are designed to maximize natural light—90 percent of Hotel Terra’s interior spaces capture natural daylight—while showcasing the surrounding views of the Teton mountains and Jackson Hole valley.

The interior spaces combine rich textures with sustainable materials to convey a contemporary feel. The entry area features reclaimed woods, and the use of cut white-pebble surfaces cues the guests to the reception desk and provides a foil to the earthier colors throughout. The main lobby includes a reception area and a library with a fireplace that harkens to a mountain aesthetic while using modernist details of steel and horizontally-stacked regional flagstone.

The guest journey to the units starts in an elevator wrapped in red leather then progresses to the lobbies and corridors that showcase contemporary art based on the natural world. Welcoming red doors greet guests in the unit entryways that also feature reclaimed cedar, steel detailings and warm lighting. Overall, the color palette consists of a range of shades derived from the Wyoming landscape such as sage, espresso and flax with accents of terra cotta. Callison provided the site planning, architectural and interior design and purchasing for Hotel Terra.

Antigua and Barbuda Flag Conch Fritters

admin — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 20:56:49 +0000

INGREDIENTS:

* 1lb. prepared conch meat, chopped
* 2 stalks celery
* 2 eggs, beaten
* 1 cup flour
* 4 cloves garlic
* 1 tsp. baking powder
* 1 green pepper, seeded
* 1 tsp. salt
* 1 white onion
* 1/4 cup milk
* 1 carrot
* 2 Tbs. Jerk Sauce

METHOD / DIRECTIONS:

Put conch in batches through a food processor until it is finely chopped. Transfer to large bowl and stir in the eggs. Place the garlic, green pepper, onion, and carrot and celery stalks through food processor until finely chopped. Drain the vegetables in a sieve lined with cheesecloth, and then add to the conch in the mixing bowl. Stir to combine the ingredients. Stir the flour and baking powder together, and then mix in with the other ingredients. Add the salt, milk and jerk sauce. Fold everything together to form a thick dough. Cover and refrigerate at least one hour. Preheat deep fryer to 400 degrees F. Remove the dough and let it stand for 15 to 20 min. Drop by the tablespoonful into hot oil and fry until golden brown. Be careful not to make the spoonfuls of butter too large or the dough may not cook in the center. Drain the fritters on paper towels and serve immediately. Garnish with fresh lemon or lime wedges and serve with Caribbean Tartar Sauce (see below).

SERVING SUGGESTIONS:

Caribbean Tartar Sauce

Pork Stew and Peas Recipe

admin — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 20:48:04 +0000

This is a very good recipe:

1 to 1and 1/2 lbs. of cubed pork butt
1 large onion, Sliced
1 small can of tomato sauce
1/2 cup of water
1 package of frozen peas
Salt and pepper to taste

Brown the pork with salt and pepper. Add onion. Cook until pork is brown. Add the tomato sauce cook for 10 minutes. Add the water if it dries out to much. Now add the peas and boil until they are tender. Stir constantly to prevent burning. Remove from burner and serve hot over steamed rice.

Special Marinade For Pork Recipe

admin — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 20:45:45 +0000

Makes 6 cups:

2 cups of wine vinegar
4 cups of water
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 chili peppers, crushed
1 tbsp. of salt

1 tsp. Portuguese allspice ( If you do not have Portuguese allspice add a quick shake of cinnamon to regular allspice)

Stir all ingredients together to blend. Use for pork chops or pork meat. Place meat in marinade and refrigerate over night longer is better, stir once and awhile.

This is my recipe, have the courtesy to ask before you copy it to your website. Of course, you can print them to use the recipe.

Great Chili Recipe

admin — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 20:43:47 +0000

Ingredients;1- lb. of ground beef
1-small onion, chopped
1-tsp. of salt
1 or 2 tsp. of chili powder
1-tsp. of dried crushed bay leaves
1-tsp. of Worcestshire sauce
1- ( 16 oz) can of tomato sauce
2- cans of whatever beans you like

Brown the meat and drain off any fat. Add to a crock-pot with the rest of the ingredients. Cook on low for
2 to 3 hours.

Fava Bean Recipe

admin — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 20:39:37 +0000

I must put in a word of caution here.

Some people of Mediterranean descent may have a reaction to fava beans.
Although it’s mainly uncooked beans, some people can be allergic to cook ones also.

Fava Beans ( delicious)

1/4 cup of olive oil
2 or 3 large onions
2 or 3 garlic cloves
2 tablespoons of red pepper flake
1/4 cup of tomato sauce
2 cups hot water
3 or so tablespoons of parsley fresh or dried
1/2 teaspoon of black pepper
2 teaspoons of paprika
2 cans of fava beans ( large cans, I think there is only one size)

Directions
Heat oil over med. heat.
Sauté onion and garlic until brown.
Stir in all the rest except the fava beans.
Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 1/2 hour.
Carefully incorporate the fava beans.
Remove from the heat and let it sit there to let the flavors blend.

Good stuff