Selecting Wood Floors: What You Need To Know

Anjie Cho June 24, 2015

Hardwood floors bring character, warmth and comfort to a room. From species to finish, you have a lot of choices to mull over. And there’s more than just the look to consider. In fact, before you start to narrow down your style choices, you’ll want to consider these things:

What type of wood flooring?

When it comes to wood flooring, you have two primary choices: solid hardwood and engineered hardwood. The first is just what it sounds like. The second is a veneer layer sitting on a core of plywood. Before you decide which type of wood floor is best for you, however, you need to consider several of the following factors:

What will be underneath?

Your sub-flooring is likely one of three things: concrete slab, plywood or particle board. This will help determine whether you use solid hardwood or engineered hardwood. For example, if you have a concrete slab, you’re going to want to focus on engineered hardwood.

What level of your house are you flooring?

If you’re looking to put a wood floor in a finished basement, go with the engineered wood. It will hold up better with the moisture. Similarly, stick with the engineered wood floor if you’re planning on using it for a bathroom or other area of the house where moisture may be higher than normal. Otherwise, solid hardwood is a viable option.

How hard are you on your floors?

High-traffic rooms and homes with kids and pets are better suited to harder wood species. Red Oak is considered the ‘hard’ hardwood floor of choice for its durability and cost. Among other popular wood species choices, hickory and maple are harder than oak, while walnut is softer. When selecting your flooring, do your research and understand how well your desired wood type will hold up to the wear and tear of your lifestyle.

What’s your style?

Now’s the time to look at the big picture. Consider the other elements in your room. What color are the trim, cabinets, and wood furniture? Will the room’s natural light be enough to balance dark wood floors? Is your preferred style more modern or traditional? Do you prefer exotic wood varieties? Is your eco-friendly side interested in exploring reclaimed wood or bamboo? Armed with the facts about your subfloor and room use, you’ll be able to pick the right look for your style and budget.

by Anjie Cho

Visit the Holistic Spaces Store

Decoding the Temperatures and Colors of Lighting

Anjie Cho June 14, 2015

Have you ever wondered what the numbers and color descriptions on your light bulb packaging mean? Not only is there a legitimate reason for describing lights in terms of color, there is a science to determining what color lights your home or work space need.

The light that we use for our spaces, referred to as white light, actually is not simply white at all. Instead, the color of our light ranges from red to bright white, almost blue, depending on how much electricity it uses. The more electricity, the brighter and more whitish-blue a light will appear.

A British scientist named William Kelvin discovered this characteristic in the late 19th century using carbon and heat, so we currently measure these temperatures in Kelvin, or K, a concept generally called correlated color temperature (CCT).

For the most part, a light source is either on the “warmer” or “cooler” end of the Kelvin scale, though this can be somewhat confusing. When you think of a red color, do you imagine warmth or cold? Warmth, right? For this reason, even though red lights register at a cooler temperature on the Kelvin scale, they are referred to as “warm.” The same goes for “cool” blue lights, which are actually the hottest on the scale.

What does this mean in terms of numbers? A warm bulb, one that gives off red light, typically measures at about 2000K-2800K, at the lower end of the Kelvin scale. For cooler bulbs, like the blue bulbs I mentioned earlier, the temperature averages around 5000K-6000K. The lower the number on the Kelvin scale, the “warmer” the white light color will be.

So what can we do with this knowledge? Studies have been conducted that show the shades and temperatures of lighting in a room actually affect the ability of the people in that room to accomplish certain tasks. For example, reading under a “warm” light is not a good idea, as this lighting is essentially the same as reading by candlelight. Instead, studies show that brighter, cooler lights, sometimes up to 6000K, are best for reading or completing work tasks. On packaging, this light is sometimes referred to as “Day White,” as it puts off a brighter light, more similar to the light we see during the day. At the same time, using a cool light in your family room might not provide the most relaxing atmosphere.

You can see why it is important to use the right lighting for each room in your home, depending on what that room is primarily used for. Each temperature in Kelvin is best for a specific set of activities.

For office work, or any room or area that requires a high level of detail and precision, it is best to use colder lights, or those ranging from about 5000K to 10000K. This lighting is also ideal for rooms like bathrooms, where you may put on makeup or do other everyday tasks that require good lighting.

For more relaxing spaces, like the bedroom, living room or even the dining room, it’s acceptable to use a much warmer bulb, even as low as 2700K. This is ideal lighting for maintaining calm, watching television, meditating and a variety of other casual activities.

Ideally, for most average rooms where you may do a variety of things, aim for lighting somewhere in the middle of these two. It isn’t necessary to have an extraordinarily bright light for all activities, but sometimes dimmer lighting can cause problems, for instance when reading or studying. A medium temperature bulb, around 3500K, provides a balance for a wide range of everyday tasks without creating strain.

Not only does proper lighting save energy in areas where bright light is unnecessary, it can go a long way toward holistic living and wellness, from preventing depression to enhancing eyesight to promoting relaxation or focus. When you shop for lighting, whether for your home, office, outdoor areas or even home offices, be aware of what temperature and color bulbs you are buying to ensure that you properly light each area of your life.

by Anjie Cho

If you’d like to learn more about feng shui, check out Mindful Design Feng Shui School at: www.mindfuldesignschool.com

eHow.com Video: Eco-Friendly Home Decorating

Anjie Cho June 18, 2014

Low VOC paints provide an eco-friendly way to change the look and feel of your space. Donate extra supplies and buy locally to prevent waste and support local eco-systems.

see more eHow.com videos here

Video Transcript:

Hi, my name is Anjie Cho, and this is a video about eco-friendly home decorating.

There are many simple ways to decorate your home in an eco-friendly way. Something that many of my clients want to change when it comes to home decorating is the color of the paint on the wall. This is a fairly easy and inexpensive way to change up the way your home looks and feels. But, no matter what color you choose, the type of paint you go with can make a difference.

The green option is to go for a low or Zero VOC paint. VOC stands for Volatile Organic Compound. Toxins are released into the air by traditional VOC paints, and sadly VOC paints release toxins into the air for years after the paint is applied. There are so many different paint companies now that offer low or Zero VOC options.

The other plus is that they have minimal odor when wet. There are even Zero VOC food-based paints available made with milk casein. Benjamin Moore, which is one of the most commonly found paint companies, has a Zero VOC product called Natura. Other companies that offer high performance Zero VOC paints are Yolo Interior Paints, Ivy Coatings, they're local to me and made in Brooklyn, New York. They are also a true Zero VOC premium quality non-toxic paint. Finally, SafeCoat is also a premium quality Zero VOC paint. The Zero VOCs are really easy to find.

Next, look for low VOCs in your polyurethane. We use polyurethane to finish wood floors and other wood furnishings. Another alternative to finishing wood is to use tung oil or linseed oil. Those are also naturally occurring.

Other considerations when it comes to eco-friendly home decorating are to incorporate as many reclaimed materials as possible. These can be purchasing vintage furniture items or reusing and re-purposing something that you already have instead of buying something new. And the other end of this is to be sure to donate anything you don't need or use anymore rather, rather than throwing it out.

Finally, buy local. This can be as simple as purchasing from a local mom and pop store even if the item is manufactured elsewhere. You can even get more local and research furniture materials that are manufactured near your home. Local manufacturing is more eco-friendly because there's less transportation and gas emissions involved. And also buying local strengthens your community.

This is Anjie Cho and I'm a Green Interior Architect with Anjie Cho Architect and Founder of Holistic Spaces. And this has been eco-friendly home decorating.

by Anjie Cho