Does the idea of living with prickly pink fiberglass above your head and in your walls make you cringe? Does that nasty attic stuffer make your skin crawl thinking about having to go store your old photos in that itchy pink blanket of awfulness? There are other options out there, and when Rod Francis met with his contractor to figure out what his options were, he was delighted to find UltraTouch Cotton Insulation.
Success can be elusive for the little guy in the construction world, especially as a material supplier. When there are huge players like Lowe’s and Home Depot slinging the cheapest of the cheap and offering everything from nails, drywall, crown molding, design, and installation, how can a new entrant slog their way into the space?
It really comes down to a value proposition, which most would agree with. Really, the hardest part of that is finding a place that needs that value. Value is often associated with “lower cost” which is not necessarily achievable by a small player who has start-up costs, product development costs, or sales & marketing costs to absorb over a small volume of products. So, if you can’t be the lowest priced, or more competitively priced, where do you compete as a building product?
There has been a massive movement to get rid of straws. McDonald’s, Starbucks, and many other take-out and dining establishments have jumped on the bandwagon. Save the straws, save the planet. We think the Straw is a token symbol of the move to get rid of the copious amounts of unneeded plastic that we mindlessly toss away every day.
Pullen Memorial Baptist Church Summer Camp coming to learn about Sustainability and rocking their new reusable straws!
Read more to learn six easy ways to go beyond the straw and really make an impact.
Call it your Man Cave. It works for women too.
A dark, cigar smoke-filled basement with dorm sized refrigerators filled with microbrews really does not appeal to women. A slightly stained poker table with some AC/DC rockin’ in the background and a Snap-On Tools pin-up poster doesn't really evoke a lot of positive reinforcement either. These are the man caves of old.
The new man cave is the outdoor kitchen, and have at it fellas because this works for us ladies too! You want to spend 12 hours outside tipping back some frosty local IPAs and uber-sours with the neighbors all in the name of a delicious meal? Have at it!
You can never have too much gray in a space. Gray is the color that goes with everything and is always timeless.
As HGTV says it best, “If you long for serenity, using the color gray in your home decor is a great place to start. Gray has an inherent calmness and sophistication. You can choose a solid gray that symbolizes strength, or go for a softer gray that offers a more delicate feel. While some find gray murky and depressing, others respond to gray's ability to make other colors sing. A favorite neutral of designers, many use it as a background color, or mix different tones and shades of gray together to create a feel of simple glamour. Gray can also soften a loud sofa or provide the perfect backdrop that allows wood accents to shine. While some consider gray too serious for a playful space like a child's bedroom or relaxed family room, many shades and tones of gray are ideal for masculine spaces like a den.”
This month's vignette is inspired by the color GRAY. Read more to see what materials we chose!
The word green may have seen its luster fade, since everyone started using it to describe sometimes commendable and sometimes laughable efforts to help the environment. But if green means healthy for you and healthy for the planet, than it is still very relevant.
“Going Green” is basically a term for the little (or big) things that you can do to make an impact.
The just-in-time and just-what-you need concepts pioneered by companies like Uber and AirBnB have made their way into the workplace. Co-working spaces are popping up everywhere and they are exactly what they sound like: your office is only the space you need and the common areas are all shared by multiple tenants. These companies cater to entrepreneurs and many young professionals just starting out. Eco-friendly, natural and healthy materials can be found throughout.
Enter the new co-working space CoCoTiv.
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What can three billion years of evolution teach us? We are so reliant on our ability to innovate and research new ways to do things based on technology, that we often forget to consider the most innovative research of all: time.
Read more to learn about Biomimicry in the Built Environment.
Still using Quartz as your surface? Learn what the next big thing in surfacing is and WHY YOU NEED IT!!
Hint: Induction top friendly?
A big piece of news hit the surfacing market recently: Quartz manufacturers got served in court via an anti-dumping lawsuit. OMG. Wow, I can’t believe that. This could be bad… or good….or wait, what is dumping? Let’s back up and see what happened.
Memorial Day Weekend has passed us and now we're dreaming about sunny blue skies and sandy beaches.
Read more to learn what products we used for inspiration in this Monthly Vignette.
The Top 10 Products Made out of Recycled Ocean Plastic
We have seen some horrific images lately that highlight the oceanic crisis of discarded plastic culminating into giant masses in twice the size of Texas in our precious blue waters. We have seen rivers full of waste flowing through villages. But just visualizing the problem and bringing it to the forefront, does not solve the problem or offer a solution. The real solution is in our age-old slogan of Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.
Read more to learn about CaraGreen's list of Top Products Made from Recycled Plastic!
