CasaSugar

DIY: Make Your Own Eco Outdoor Fire

CasaSugar — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 07:00:51 -0700

As the nights get chillier, many of us crave the warmth of an outdoor fire, but might be concerned about the pollutants that a roaring wood fire produces. Leave it to green designer Michelle Kaufmann to create a solution to this problem. She's come up with a great, inexpensive, and very modern-looking way to create an outdoor fire on your patio, deck, or in your yard.

Here's What You'll Need

A few cans of Eco Fuel
A big metal or ceramic planter box
River rocks

To find out how to do it, read more.

Check out the video to learn how to make your eco outdoor fire.

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Good, Better, Best: Elegant Fire Pits

CasaSugar — Fri, 03 Aug 2007 13:25:11 -0700

It's already August, but that doesn't mean you have to stop entertaining in the backyard. All you need to transition from hot Summer days to cooling-off nights is a good outdoor fire pit. These have become incredibly popular in recent years, but some of them are a bit too tacky and down-home looking for my taste. Here, I've rounded up three sleek and elegant fire pits to fit any budget.

Good: The Frontgate 40" Copper Fire Pit ($299) keeps things simple and traditional, with a broad shallow bowl for firewood and a wrought-iron stand.

For two even better options, read more

Better: A bit more modern is the Blomus Stainless Steel Fire Basket ($638), which is about half the size of Frontgate's but twice as sassy.

Best: Finally, this Conmoto Outdoor Fire Pit ($1,000) is a design and outdoor-dining junkie's dream, with a 27-inch bowl perched atop geometric legs.

Crave Worthy: Beach Burner Recycled Steel Fire Pit

CasaSugar — Wed, 05 Sep 2007 07:37:32 -0700

Elegant fire pits are essential for outdoor entertaining at the end of summer, so I simply had to share this Beach Burner Recycled Steel Fire Pit ($449) from Etsy seller John T. Unger.

Each of Unger's one-of-a-kind bowls is made from 100 percent recycled materials, and the 24-inch basins are both sturdy and portable, so you could take yours to the beach or just move it around the backyard. And, as the Etsy page notes, the flame cut-outs would make great rests for marshmallow sticks.

via Hostess With the Mostess

Do You Have a Fire Pit?

CasaSugar — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 10:00:02 -0700

I've shown you several fire pits before, and you can find them at many home furnishing and hardware stores. For more of an investment, you can also have one built into your property. Regardless, they're great for entertaining on chilly Spring, Summer, and Fall evenings. Do you have one?

Coveted Crib: Echo Park Modern

CasaSugar — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 21:08:00 -0700

When a writer and an artist couple bought property in Los Angeles's happening Echo Park neighborhood, they wanted a home that would serve as an urban oasis in Los Angeles. Instead of constructing a home that jutted out from the Los Angeles hillside, they wanted something more discrete and comforting, and envisioned a home that nestled into the landscape.

After hiring architect Rachel Allen, they planned a home that would update the classic California ranch house, emphasizing indoor-outdoor living. The three-bedroom, two-bathroom house is a modest size, at 1700 square feet, and features ample outdoor space, including a bridge entrance, an outdoor deck, and outdoor seating spaces. Eco features include the home's small size, sustainably harvested walnut flooring, a radiant heating systems, and low-flow toilets and shower heads. A recent LA Times article about the home fawned over the outdoor spaces:

The terraced property is a symphony of citrus trees, yucca, bougainvillea, pine trees, and eucalyptus. The couple added a rock garden, organic vegetable beds and native plants and wildflowers. A potting area with a fire pit is not far from where the couple were married. Cozy wooden sitting areas, hand built by previous owners who lived here for more than 60 years, remain throughout the backyard like rustic diner booths.

Finches, doves, woodpeckers, skunks, squirrels, and other animals add to the rural feeling. Goats and chickens will be next, says the couple, who are aspiring urban farmers.

For a complete tour, read more.

View 8 Photos ›

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Casa Verde: Custom-Made Furniture From Beeken Parsons

CasaSugar — Wed, 13 May 2009 10:00:00 -0700

I recently had the opportunity to tour the wood shop of Beeken Parsons, a Vermont-based furniture maker that crafts exquisite, handmade furniture. The workshop was established in 1983 by Vermont furniture makers Bruce Beeken and Jeff Parsons, who first met as students in Boston University's Program in Artisanry. For over 20 years, the partners have crafted exceptionally beautiful, sustainable furniture out of their small shop in Shelburne, VT.

Using FSC-certified wood, this eco-minded company creates a number of products, including tables, chairs, lamps, beds, and office chairs, such as this one. The company has also made custom furniture for colleges such as Middlebury, using trees from the college’s own grounds. Using trees such as these results in something Beeken Parsons calls "character wood."

To find out more about "character wood," and for more examples of Beeken Parsons's work, read more.

Beeken Parsons describes character wood as "dovetail[ing] beautifully with our design instincts, our love of the outdoors and our environmental sensibilities. Character wood tells the story of a tree, of dry summers, wet springs, storms, fires, wildlife activity, rich soils, or difficult growing sites. Grain textures reveal a history of growing conditions. Knots found near the center of the tree are the beginnings of branches formed when the tree was a sapling. Mineral streaks spring from injuries, insect or animal activity. Occasionally, we find spile holes in maple boards, an indication that the tree was tapped for sap to make maple syrup. Wood changes color around those holes. Knots and their surrounding grain have a deep, soft radiance when sanded and finished properly. Character wood has a remarkable range of color, from cream and salmon to auburn and chocolate. The beauty of nature is found, not in its regularity, but in its rich variety of shapes, textures and colors. This array of character lends a richness and vitality to the simple forms found in our furniture."

While some people may prefer "flawless" wood, I prefer the idea of telling a story within a piece of furniture, especially if this furniture is sourced from your own property. It doesn't get much more local or personal than that. Would you ever use character wood for custom-made furniture? Have you already done so?

View 5 Photos ›

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How-To: Make Your Fireplace More Efficient

CasaSugar — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 10:00:45 -0800

With energy costs going through the roof these days, many of us will be resorting to our fireplaces to keep us warm, in addition to offering up ambient lighting. But unfortunately, it's very likely that your fireplace hasn't been honest with you. In addition to radiating heat while it's burning, it has also been seeing someone else: generating a current that can send conditioned air out the chimney, and effectively out of your room. And, when those logs aren't burning, your fireplace's damper should block inside air from heading outside, and vice versa. Unfortunately, modern technology has not worked in favor of the damper, and it's actually quite inefficient. So, you'll need to follow a few tips to maximize your fireplace's efficiency . . . otherwise you'll be turning up that thermostat. And we all know that's not budget beautiful. To hear my fireplace efficiency tips, read more.

Ditch the throat damper on your fireplace in favor of a top sealing damper. It'll keep indoor air from escaping and outdoor air from entering, year-round.
Although the look of fireplace glass doors is not everyone's style, they really maximize your fireplace's efficiency. By creating a barrier between the chimney and your room, they will cut back the amount of area that your furnace has to heat. They also create a safety barrier between yourselves (especially children and pets) and the flames.
Install a fireback on the back of your fireplace. It absorbs the fire's heat and sends it back into the room, and it prevents the back wall from damage from the fire.
Pick up a fireplace heater, which will heat the room's fresh air by pulling it in and sending it through a fire-heated chamber, without creating smoke.

Hope that helps keep you warm this season!
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Casa Capsule: The Week That Was

CasaSugar — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 10:30:16 -0700

Got some time to spare? Why not make your own eco outdoor fire?
One Craftster made an amazing political mosaic out of beans!
I showed you how to make quick and easy apple votives.
A before and after buffet got styled.
Got a pet that likes to gnaw at your furniture? Here's a quick fix.
Having a fab dinner party? Here's how you should set the table.
I interviewed crafty and inventive Yale architecture student Tyler Velten.
Missed Top Design this week? Read my recap.

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Casa Query: What's Your Favorite Outdoor Spot?

CasaSugar — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 08:30:15 -0700

The beautiful Spring weather recently here in San Francisco has had me aching to be outdoors all day long. Be it unwinding with a glass (or two) of wine on my back porch, working in my garden, socializing on a friend's city rooftop, or playing with my dog in the backyard, when the sun is shining, I can't bear to be indoors. I know that not everyone has the pleasure of having rooftop or balcony access, but even enjoying a small patch of grass in your front yard is better than sitting inside on a beautiful day!
What's your favorite spot at home (or a friend's home) to be outdoors? Do you live in your front porch rocker? Read on your fire escape? Dip in your pool? Absorb the sunlight on your rooftop? Give me the lowdown in the comments below!
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Casa Verde: Greening Your Heating

CasaSugar — Sun, 07 Oct 2007 10:35:00 -0700

Casa reader and TeamSugar member Tdamji writes an excellent green living blog called Minimal Harm. She tells me that she'll be officially launching a new version of the blog in early 2008, which I'm very excited about. Tdamji recently posted about greening your heating, which she adapted from a Treehugger post. Since it's starting to get chilly in many parts of the northern hemisphere, I thought everyone might like some tips on keeping their energy bills lower and their homes cozier. Thanks Tdamji and Treehugger!

1. Seal the leaks!
Sounds dull I know, but heat loss is one of the biggest obstacles on the road to a comfortable home in the winter. Good thing that sealing those darn leaks -- or draft-proofing, to get technical -- is a breeze. Plus, come summer time, good insulation will make it harder for heat to beat a path way into your home. All you need is a tube of exterior silicone caulk or insulation strips, which you can attach to your windows, plumbing and wiring holes, doors and fireplace dampers.

To find the leaks, light a stick of incense or a candle on a breezy day, close all the windows and doors, and wander around your rooms searching for places toward which the incense smoke drifts. Those are your target zones. For the space between your doors and the floor, consider installing a nifty, cheap door sweep on the bottom of the door.

2. Cover your glass
Installing clear plastic barriers or storm windows on your existing windows can cut heat loss by 25% to 50% by creating an insulating dead-air space inside the window. Storm windows cost about $7.50 to $12.50 per square foot. Exterior storm windows will increase the temperature of the inside window by as much as 30°F on a cold day, keeping you more comfortable.

3. Stay ventilated
The better you draft-proof and insulate your home, the more you’ll need good ventilation. Pollutants (especially from unflued heaters) can accumulate and excess condensation can cause mould and mildew to grow. Open some windows for a few minutes several times a day (cross-ventilate, if possible), rather than leaving a window partly open all the time.

4. Spread the heat
Who knew a fan could be useful for heating your home? Turns out that a well-positioned and slow-rotating fan can help ensure that heat from your radiator or heater doesn’t just drift up to your ceiling but spreads throughout your room, warming you toe to head. One great option is a heater fan, which sits atop woodstoves or gas room heaters and relies on a thermodynamic module to keep them running on heat alone (look ma, no batteries!).

For six more smart heating tips, just read more

5. Heating wisely
Heating the rooms to tropical temperatures isn’t just unnecessary, but uncomfortable. Throw on your most comfortable sweater and turn your thermostat down a few degrees. Each degree Celsius less will save about 10% on your energy use. And don’t forget to close doors to keep the heat contained in the rooms you’re actually using. Also, reduce temperatures at night, when you’re under the blankets. A programmable thermostat might be your most effective weapon.

6. Peel a drape
Since most heat loss in your home occurs through and around the windows, draw your drapes, especially at night. During the day, leave north-facing windows uncovered in order to take advantage of the winter sun. If you can line your drapes with old bed sheets or other material, they’ll prove even more effective in cutting down on your heating costs. You can also buy insulating drapes, which incorporate layers of insulating material, a radiant barrier, and a moisture-resistant layer to prevent condensation.

7. Start a fire (but not like a caveman)
What are fireplaces good for? Gathering the family around, hanging stockings on, putting photographs on top of. And what are they not good for? Entering the house (unless of course you’re Santa), throwing trash into, and heating. Yes, heating. On average, fireplaces are only about 10% efficient. That is, about 90% of their energy is lost through the chimney, along with loads of your home’s warm air and energy dollars.

But if you can’t resist the crackle and the glow, lower your thermostat to about between 50° and 55°F so your system doesn't keep trying to replace the warm air being lost through the chimney. Also, open the window nearest the fireplace slightly and close nearby doors so the fireplace won’t easily draw heated air out of the house. Installing glass doors on the fireplace, which can be closed when the fire’s dying or out, will prevent indoor heated air from escaping through the chimney, as will closing the chimney damper when the fireplace is not in use.

Consider using EcoBrics, which, made of compressed sawdust, have the same energy value as brown coal equivalents, with one-third the water content and a fraction of the ash and sulfur emissions.

Some upgrades to consider are the EcoFire Super-Grate, which increases burning efficiency, an outdoor air intake, which cuts down on heat loss from your home, or a high-efficiency fireplace insert, offering stricter air control.

If you don’t use your fireplace at all, plug and seal the chimney flue. You can keep your family photos where they are.

8. Get into (cheaper) hot water
Water heating is the third largest energy expense in an American home, typically accounting for about 13% of your utility bill. There are four ways to cut your water heating bills: use less hot water, turn down the thermostat on your water heater, insulate your water heater, or buy a new, more efficient water heater.

To use less, consider aerating faucets, which enhance spray while minimizing water usage, repair leaky faucets, and opt for showers over baths. To insulate your heater, you’ll need blankets that shouldn’t cost more than $20 and will save you around 4-9% in heating costs. Remember not to cover the thermostat; if insulating your hot-water storage tank, don’t cover the thermostat, top, bottom, or burner compartment.

9. Be passive
So-called “passive” techniques earn their name from being unobtrusive, requiring little tending or cost. But they’re anything but passive when it comes to heating your home. Installing larger, insulated windows on south-facing walls and locating thermal mass, such as a concrete slab floor or a heat-absorbing wall, close to the windows, will help your home absorb solar heat with a minimum loss of inside heat.

Keep in mind that for passive solar heating, the optimal window-to-wall area ratio is 25-35 percent. Ensure also that your south-facing windows are clean, and that objects do not block the sunlight from hitting concrete floors or other heat-absorbing materials. If you’re constructing a new home, make sure the longest walls run from east to west, allowing the sun’s rays to enter the home in winter, while allowing in as little sun as possible during summer.

10. Cuddle up
Or throw a get-together, and tell everyone to wear their coolest (no pun intended) sweaters. The more people in your home (or bed!) the hotter it is. Gather around the fireplace -- but if you’re cold, think twice before actually lighting it up. No matter what, sweeten the deal with some hot cider or cocoa!