Thursday, March 31, 2011
Recent Paint Transformation
Check out this recent project we just started. The paint is our starting point. These rooms are going to start transforming a room at a time. We are starting with the breakfast and kitchen areas. Full “after pictures” coming soon.
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| Recent Paint Transformation |
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
"1000 I LOVE YOUs" Movie Project
I would like to thank my good friend Dr. Pieter Dewet for his nice note and for forwarding this video. Pieter was in my Leading Change course. Here is his note:
How many people have told you "I love you" lately - from the heart. And how many people have you had the opportunity to say this to lately - from the heart.
Remember - Love characterizes the ultimate healing force in our universe. God is Love!!
I love you
pdw
I agree Pieter. Thanks for sharing the love! RB
How many people have told you "I love you" lately - from the heart. And how many people have you had the opportunity to say this to lately - from the heart.
Remember - Love characterizes the ultimate healing force in our universe. God is Love!!
I love you
pdw
I agree Pieter. Thanks for sharing the love! RB
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Greune Flooring
Lisa Gaynor and I were in Greune this past weekend and I took photos of a couple of creative floor treatments that are interesting and environmentally friendly. What a creative way to recycle!
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
What a Wonderful Weekend!
Our family enjoyed a quick spring break get away to New Braunfels. We had the pleasure of taking the trip with our friends, the Gaynor’s. It was a low keyed weekend of shopping in Gruene, fishing, playing board games, watching movies and hanging out at the pool. One of the highlights of the trip was when we first arrived. Shortly after we got there, Dan Gaynor found a note on the door addressed to our boys. A couple of little girls wrote a note to them. See a picture of the note. We all got a good laugh out of it and found it hard to believe that our nine and eleven year old boys were being asked out by little girls around the same age.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Bamboo and Cork Flooring
For environmentally conscious homeowners looking for a "green" flooring option, you can't do much better than cork or bamboo. These two hip materials are made from tree-like tropical grasses that replenish themselves in the wild every few years.
Bamboo and cork floors are very flexible in terms of which rooms you can install them in: they can withstand the moisture issues in the kitchen and bath, and look warm and inviting in your living spaces. Bamboo floors look similar to traditional wood floors, but are naturally harder and more durable. Cork offers a soft, warm feel on bare feet. Both cork and bamboo are naturally resistant to mold, mildew and bacteria, and both naturally repel moisture. They also have similar price tags, at an average of about $6 to $8 per square foot. If you like variety, both types deliver, as they are available in a wide range of tones from light honey all the way to dark ebony.
Bamboo is a perennial evergreen plant that belongs to the true grass family Poaceae. It grows in diverse climates – from cold mountains to hot, tropical regions – and reaches heights of 125 feet or more. A very rapidly renewable resource, bamboo grows much faster than hardwood trees and is considered as the fastest growing woody plant, reaching full maturity in five to six years. Stalks of bamboo—which is technically a grass—are split and reformed into planks, and their natural striations create a beautiful texture. Through the years, bamboo has found many uses; from food preparation to construction, its thin and flimsy appearance contradicts its true value.
As a flooring product, the benefits of bamboo are unbelievable. Given its hardness, durability, beauty, and environmental friendliness, bamboo is a simple, sensible alternative. When you think about a thin bamboo cane, it might seem almost flimsy. But in comparison to Red Oak, the most commonly installed wood flooring, it is actually 25% harder and just as strong. Bamboo is even harder than Rock Maple, making it an incredibly durable, impact-resistant form of flooring. Better still, it expands and contracts 50% less than other hardwoods. As a result, bamboo can be used in homes and in climates where high humidity or temperature variations make hardwoods impractical.
There are two main colors of bamboo flooring to choose from. First is the natural blonde hue, which reflects bamboo’s true color along with its beautiful grain, growth patterns and joints. The second is a darker, amber tone that is achieved through smoking process. When bamboo is smoked, the carbonized grains take on a darker, caramel or amber tone all throughout.
Despite all the praise for bamboo, not all planks are created equal. Many manufacturers harvest the stalks before they are fully mature, resulting in a weaker product. Additionally, some use filler between the bamboo strips to cut costs and use binders that can emit toxic chemicals over time.
The cork tree is the only one whose bark can regenerate itself after harvest without damaging the tree or the environment. A variety of the oak, cork trees re-grow their bark quickly enough to be harvested every six years. The tree is never killed or cut down and can produce bark for centuries. Cork’s beauty, durability and additional benefits make it an ideal flooring choice for residential and commercial applications.
Besides beautiful surface flooring, cork underlayment is also available for use under laminate and hardwood floating floors to reduce sound transfer. Because it has such outstanding insulating properties, cork can help pay for itself by reducing heating and cooling costs. Not only is it warm to the touch, even without underfloor heating, cork flooring has low thermal conductivity which insulates against heat and cold. These properties make it ideal over cold, cement subflooring. Cork is also a non-slip surface that's highly resistant to liquid penetration. These qualities make it an option for kitchen or bathroom floors, as well as high profile dining and living rooms. If cork snap flooring is installed in a kitchen or bath, the seams should be sealed. Cork is not only naturally hypoallergenic (resists the growth of mold and mildew), it is also antistatic (won't attract and hold dust and pollen particles). Essential to people with respiratory problems, a cork floor is easy to maintain and does not emit toxic or shed fiber of any kind.
You might think that because cork is elastic and can be compressed, it couldn't be considered a durable flooring choice. However, it is considered as resilient flooring with the ability to give generations of beautiful reliable service to your home. In fact, there are still many "past century" estates in Europe with cork flooring in active use. Cork flooring, like wood flooring, is capable of many, many years of service when properly maintained.
Ultimately, your flooring decision comes down to personal taste or lifestyle. If you prefer a material similar to traditional wood flooring, bamboo might be right for you. Or if comfort is your priority, nothing beats cork. Both bamboo and cork are praise-worthy flooring choices for many reasons beyond their eco-friendly statuses.
Bamboo and cork floors are very flexible in terms of which rooms you can install them in: they can withstand the moisture issues in the kitchen and bath, and look warm and inviting in your living spaces. Bamboo floors look similar to traditional wood floors, but are naturally harder and more durable. Cork offers a soft, warm feel on bare feet. Both cork and bamboo are naturally resistant to mold, mildew and bacteria, and both naturally repel moisture. They also have similar price tags, at an average of about $6 to $8 per square foot. If you like variety, both types deliver, as they are available in a wide range of tones from light honey all the way to dark ebony.
BAMBOO
Bamboo is a perennial evergreen plant that belongs to the true grass family Poaceae. It grows in diverse climates – from cold mountains to hot, tropical regions – and reaches heights of 125 feet or more. A very rapidly renewable resource, bamboo grows much faster than hardwood trees and is considered as the fastest growing woody plant, reaching full maturity in five to six years. Stalks of bamboo—which is technically a grass—are split and reformed into planks, and their natural striations create a beautiful texture. Through the years, bamboo has found many uses; from food preparation to construction, its thin and flimsy appearance contradicts its true value.
As a flooring product, the benefits of bamboo are unbelievable. Given its hardness, durability, beauty, and environmental friendliness, bamboo is a simple, sensible alternative. When you think about a thin bamboo cane, it might seem almost flimsy. But in comparison to Red Oak, the most commonly installed wood flooring, it is actually 25% harder and just as strong. Bamboo is even harder than Rock Maple, making it an incredibly durable, impact-resistant form of flooring. Better still, it expands and contracts 50% less than other hardwoods. As a result, bamboo can be used in homes and in climates where high humidity or temperature variations make hardwoods impractical.
There are two main colors of bamboo flooring to choose from. First is the natural blonde hue, which reflects bamboo’s true color along with its beautiful grain, growth patterns and joints. The second is a darker, amber tone that is achieved through smoking process. When bamboo is smoked, the carbonized grains take on a darker, caramel or amber tone all throughout.
Despite all the praise for bamboo, not all planks are created equal. Many manufacturers harvest the stalks before they are fully mature, resulting in a weaker product. Additionally, some use filler between the bamboo strips to cut costs and use binders that can emit toxic chemicals over time.
CORK
The cork tree is the only one whose bark can regenerate itself after harvest without damaging the tree or the environment. A variety of the oak, cork trees re-grow their bark quickly enough to be harvested every six years. The tree is never killed or cut down and can produce bark for centuries. Cork’s beauty, durability and additional benefits make it an ideal flooring choice for residential and commercial applications.
Besides beautiful surface flooring, cork underlayment is also available for use under laminate and hardwood floating floors to reduce sound transfer. Because it has such outstanding insulating properties, cork can help pay for itself by reducing heating and cooling costs. Not only is it warm to the touch, even without underfloor heating, cork flooring has low thermal conductivity which insulates against heat and cold. These properties make it ideal over cold, cement subflooring. Cork is also a non-slip surface that's highly resistant to liquid penetration. These qualities make it an option for kitchen or bathroom floors, as well as high profile dining and living rooms. If cork snap flooring is installed in a kitchen or bath, the seams should be sealed. Cork is not only naturally hypoallergenic (resists the growth of mold and mildew), it is also antistatic (won't attract and hold dust and pollen particles). Essential to people with respiratory problems, a cork floor is easy to maintain and does not emit toxic or shed fiber of any kind.
You might think that because cork is elastic and can be compressed, it couldn't be considered a durable flooring choice. However, it is considered as resilient flooring with the ability to give generations of beautiful reliable service to your home. In fact, there are still many "past century" estates in Europe with cork flooring in active use. Cork flooring, like wood flooring, is capable of many, many years of service when properly maintained.
Ultimately, your flooring decision comes down to personal taste or lifestyle. If you prefer a material similar to traditional wood flooring, bamboo might be right for you. Or if comfort is your priority, nothing beats cork. Both bamboo and cork are praise-worthy flooring choices for many reasons beyond their eco-friendly statuses.
RBI would like to welcome Nancy G and Expressive Living as our newest business assiociate! http://ping.fm/FQl7i
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Interior Design Society Meeting Tomorrow
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Thursday, March 10, 2011
Get the 2011 Blues
“Classic, rich, and full bodied” best describes the blues of 2011. Blue is easily paired with white and pops of bright accent colors to get a striking and sporty look. Blue can also be used as either a color or a neutral. Since blue can be found in the natural world, any time you put a color against it, it’s complimentary. Designers are partial to it for its ability to soften the apprehensions of clients who fear intense colors in their homes. With darker hues, a high gloss finish can make the walls glisten and keep them from looking drab.
Sherwin Williams Dignified: The intense nuances of this rich color make it perfect for occasions with candle light in the dining room.
Benjamin Moore Stratford Blue: Packs an unexpected punch in a large-scale space like a great room with this blue that is not quite light 
Sherwin Williams Honorable Blue: This deep shade makes a statement especially when paired with natural wood tones. Good for a gentleman’s office. 
Benjamin Moore Starry Night Blue: Use this handsome tone with old brass fixtures, gray tiles, and stark white porcelain in the bathroom.
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Global Colors: India
The artistic sensibilities of Indian fine art and folk art arise from thousands or years of cultural upheaval. The country's design themes show influences of their Asian neighbors, periods of control by Greeks, Islamic conquerors, and English colonists, and the iconic religious motifs of Hinduism. All of these disparate influences come together to create a dynamic, vibrant and extraordinary design palette.
A room with decor inspired by India must be alive with vibrant color. The walls should be the color of a bright orchid or a sultry spice like curry. Pinks, purples, fuchsias, warm reds, oranges and yellows are all appropriate for Indian bedroom design. A wild play of color is welcome in India design; use any colors you find pleasing to your eye.
Robin Bond Interiors would like to welcome Nicole and Adam S. as the newest clients to our firm! http://ping.fm/7en5a
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Modern Wallpaper
Wallpaper went through a period of disfavor in the mid-1980s when designers started to go for the cleaner, more minimalist look of paint. The decline of wallpaper continued as the more subtle style of the 1990s moved in with neutral colors like beige and taupe. Then, faux finishing became the rage. Manufacturers incorporated the faux craze into paper designs and after several years, faux finish wallpaper is now still the most popular and enduring trend in wall coverings.
While wallpaper may have been unpopular- due largely to tacky borders, boring patterns and a lack of color - it has begun to regain popularity. Why? Because wallpaper adds life to a room and it also helps bring together a color scheme. The key is choosing an attractive pattern, and then bring out colors from the wallpaper to use in decorating the surrounding space.
Today’s wallpaper patterns are more contemporary than what you are used to seeing in your grandmother’s kitchen. Many stores carry countless designs in both simple and complex patterns. Manufacturers are even incorporating material such as grass cloth, reed, sand, faux fur, beads, and glass into their wallpapers. Textures are widely available now, where in the past they could only be found in high end boutiques. Textures are making an important contribution to the renewed wallpaper industry, providing patterns and colors not available in paint. Even neutrals are complex, with layers of color or tone-on-tone effects.
Chef Ryan's Z Tequila Tasting Party
Chef Ryan Abitz of Cielo Su Terra hosted a tequila tasting and food pairing party featuring Z Tequila. Tablescape by Robin Bond of Robin Bond Interiors.
http://www.cielosuterra.net/
http://www.robinbondinteriors.com/
http://www.cielosuterra.net/
http://www.robinbondinteriors.com/
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
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