twin cities design scene

In honor of spring cleaning week, I wanted to share this picture of the ultimate spring cleaning in Minneapolis. I got it from radrobot.org

I got these Green tips from Wendy Gabriel at examiner.com:

Here are some of my favorite green cleaning tips:

Tub and tile cleaner: Use half a lemon with a sprinkle of baking soda on it to scrub your tub and tiles. I also clean my kitchen sink and counter tops using this method.

Oven cleaner: Sprinkle baking soda in your oven and spray it with water (making it into a paste). Let it sit, periodically spraying it when it dries. Then wipe off. Your oven will be sparkling clean. It’s like magic!

Window cleaner: Fill a spray bottle with water and ¼ cup white vinegar. Use a micro-fiber cloth or newspaper to wipe.

Here are some of my favorite green cleaning tip sites:

The Green Guide has some great DIY Household Cleaners including this great tip: spraying hydrogen peroxide and vinegar right after one another is just as effective at killing germs as lung-irritating, stream-polluting chlorine bleach.

Tiny Choices. They hosted the Green Mom’s Carnival: Green Spring Cleaning this month and have a lineup of excellent bloggers with amazing cleaning tips.

Green Seal is an independent non-profit organization dedicated to safe guarding the environment and transforming the market place by promoting the manufacture, purchase and use of environmentally responsible products and services.

Let’s face it. We all have crap that we hold on to for some reason or another. It could be because we did not even realize we still had something (one should REALLY get rid of this stuff when one finds it!) It could also be because we have convinced ourselves that we could not live without this stuff. Or, it could be because we have sentimental attachment to things which makes it hard to let go (do you really need all of those childhood books now that you are in your 20′s?)

Now, I am not advocating chucking everything in the garbage that does not have a place or a purpose, but I am saying you should donate the items to the Salvation Army, or Goodwill drop off sites as to not end up in the giant landfills. De-cluttering and sorting your home may seem overwhelming, but there are a few tricks that can help:

1) Start off by organizing one room at a time. Plan your attack. Start on one side of the room and go through each and every item and think to yourself, do I need this? Do I love this? If not, toss it in a donate bag.

2) Some might say that one needs to keep a rule that for every thing you get, you should get rid of one thing. I don’t think this is necessary. I think by going into your home annually, or bi-annually and de-cluttering is the best solution. Or, even before you take something to the cash register, think to yourself if you have a place to put this item, if you love it or even need it. Don’t get stuff for the sake of getting stuff. Your home AND your pocketbook will love you more for it.

3)Sort through things like books, magazines, and other periodicals and ask yourself if you will really pick up that fiction book again, or if you could donate it to someone who would want to read it. There are online book swap clubs, so you can get rid of your books and reward yourself by getting books you have been meaning to read. The Paperback Swap is a perfect way to exchange your books. As long as you are getting rid of some of your books to get new ones, your space won’t be as likely to get cluttered.

4)If you are fortunate to have a storage locker or room in your home, use it! If it is full, you should start there and make sure you need everything in there. Bring down extra cooking tools or dishes and plates that you pull out only if you have tons of extra company.

5)Organize! Living in the Twin Cities, we have lots of great resources to get our homes in shape, but my two favorites are Storables, and The Container Store in Edina. They have storage solutions that you would not have even thought you needed, but once you see them, you will never go back to your old ways.

While doing all this de-cluttering, above all, limit yourself to one room at a time, or the amount of time you do each room. And reward yourself when you are done! Nothing screams of accomplishment more than going out to get an all fruit smoothie and enjoying it in your newly organized room.

One of my favorite design blogs, Apartment Therapy, shared this story about how we often overlook cleaning window and door frames. This is so true. We use these so much ,but often do we even think about their cleanliness. I thought you might enjoy the article about how much of a difference these can make in creating a welcoming home: http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/ny/cleaning/cleaning-tip-dont-forget-this-oftenoverlooked-detail-084957

Winters in Minnesota means it is time for hibernation. We start collecting things to occupy our time inside so we don’t have to go brave the cold to find entertainment. Perhaps due to the tumultuous economic climate and the long, extremely cold spells we endured, it seems that we have big collections of stuff lying around to keep ourselves amused. Where have we gotten this stuff? With a combination of the winter holidays, the dollar aisle at Target, and advertisers showing us tons of products at reduced products, we start to think that we need this stuff while the prices are still low. When springtime rolls around, what are we left with? A house or apartment filled to the brim with stuff we think we need but we really don’t.

I am going to dedicate this week to spring cleaning because it is something that we all hate to do, but it is necessary to get done. With some tips and lists on how to get your home organized, then perhaps the job can go quicker and won’t be as much of a pain.

To start things off, I am going to post some links to some other websites that give tips as to how to get the job done.

It seems that Martha always has something to say about everything home related, including cleaning tips. Here is a link to her website that has a ton of tips to make your home looking fresher: http://www.marthastewart.com/spring-cleaning?xsc=msn_fall

Reader’s Digest also has a great article on the 8 major hot sports you should not miss: http://www.rd.com/advice-and-know-how/8-spring-cleaning-tips/article26207.html

About.com breaks it up by room: http://housekeeping.about.com/cs/cleaning101/a/springclnngguid.htm

I also came across this site that offers some great tips:http://www.debra4homes.com/f/spring_cleaning_tips.htm

I can’t cover everything this week, but hopefully these links will provide some great ideas to get the ball rolling.

I ran across this great idea on LOOMstudio’s flickr website: mechanical walls! It is a creative way to separate rooms in some of the open loft spaces for those wanting to create individual spaces. On their webpage, LOOMstudios describes their inspiration:

“Seven doors were designed for four openings in a loft overlooking the Mississippi River on the north edge of downtown Minneapolis. Each set of these doors takes advantage of a different mechanical operation. Four shoji inspired doors are suspended by rollers on a wide flange, separating the master bedroom from a sitting room. The various orientations of these doors transform the relationship and circulation between the two spaces they define. A monumental pivoting door/wall provides entry into the master suite. In its open position, the door disappears and only comes into view obliquely as one approaches it down a long corridor. Two sets of doors allow the space of the kitchen to be closed off from the dining and living spaces of the loft. One door, employing hidden sliding mechanics that counter balances the forces on the door, cantilevers in two directions, one in the open position and one in the closed position. The final door, situated over the countertop of the kitchen, utilizes a series of pulleys, shaft collars, hinges, cables and a gear reducer, to transform a curved place into a three dimensional sculpture that is best described as the open mouth of a whale shark.”

To check out more of LOOMstudio’s work, go to http://www.loomstudio.com/index.html.

For those looking for a great event this weekend, check out Art-A-Whirl this weekend in Northeast Minneapolis. Art-A-Whirl is a weekend long open studio and gallery tour that brings together local and regional artists. More than 500 artists participate in the tours and there are a ton of events going on throughout the entire weekend. You can check them out at Art-A-Whirl’s event page. The event is going on Friday May 15, from 5-10pm, Saturday May 16, from noon-8pm, and Sunday May 17, from noon-5pm. It is a great place to explore some artwork and pick up something unique to adorn your home.

The ASID showcase home is coming up and the latest home to be renovated is an Edina residence on East Sunnyslope Road. The tours start on Saturday, May 16 and will run through June 14th. I recommend getting discounted tickets from the participating outlet dealers. Information on the tour runs as follows from the Minneapolis Style Examiner’s website:

ASID and MPLS ST Paul Magazine are co-producers of the 2009 ASID Showcase Home Tour to feature. Check out mspmag.com for before and afters of this home renovation.

• Mid-Century Modern
• Green Renovation
• Sunnyslope Neighborhood in Edina

Dates: May 16-June 14
Open: Wednesdays-Sundays
Hours: 10am-4pm

Location:
4904 East Sunnyslope Road
Edina, MN 55424

Audio Tours
Again this year, the Showcase Home will feature complimentary audio tours. Access this information system from a hand-held device and hear detailed room information at your own pace.

Tickets:
$20 per person – at the door

$15 per person –purchase discounted tickets at participating ticket outlets (Available April 15)
ASID Office at IMS
Bachman’s Floral, Home & Garden Centers
The Bibelot Shops
D’Amico & Sons
Galleria
Hirshfields
International Market Square
Jerry’s Food-Edina and Eden Prairie Locations
Macys-Southdale & Rosedale Home Stores
Patina Stores

Casa Verde is a relatively new face in the local design scene. Opening in November 2008, Casa Verde is the invention of Rosemary Merrill, Susan Brunn, and Susan Jacobs. While focusing on sustainable kitchen and bath design, the designers use the showroom to show that sustainable design can still have a luxurious look by using local resources, eco-friendly materials, and energy-efficient appliances. The showroom located at W 50th St and Bryant Avenue also sells furniture that is under a Casa Verde label that is manufactured in Chicago. The showroom is also a great place to pick up artwork, linens, and other kitchen furnishings. My favorite piece of furniture of the entire showroom was this chair:


Walking into the showroom, the first impression is how light and airy everything in. One’s attention is immediately drawn to the giant ceiling fan, from the manufacturer appropriately named, Big Ass Fans. When rotating, the fan pushes air not just under the fan, but it also quietly covers the space around the fan, up to 20,000 square feet. The fans provide a very industrial feeling to a room, but they can take on different looks after applying a coat of your favorite Benjamin Moore paint color.

Using kitchen and bath vignettes that feature cabinetry by Minnesota craftsmen provides an opportunity to show some local pride to the space. The design team shows an array of contemporary to classic contemporary styles.

One particularly gorgeous vignette includes a farm style table made entirely out of wood that was reclaimed from a 150 year old Finnish cabin. To see the transformation from the original pieces of wood on the cabin to the rich red hue of the table is stunning.

The showroom is open at 911 W 50th Street in Minneapolis from 10am to 6pm Monday-Friday and 10am to 4 pm on Saturday. Take some time to stop by whether for inspiration, or to talk with the friendly staff about how to think about starting your next kitchen or bath remodeling project.

All images from the Casa Verde website