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Dayle Laing’s Rugs 101 was enthusiastically received by the interior design professionals who came out to learn straightforward unbiased information on environmentally friendly rugs.

Clients want to protect their valuable rug investments with advice that goes beyond the simplicity of "vacuum regularly". Dayle shared her 21 years experience practicing and teaching design and her passion & research of sustainability issues in her exciting Rugs 101 professional development seminar. 

Dayle thanked her hosts: Owner Michael Pourvakil, of Weavers Art, Director of Marketing Catherine Shea, and showroom Manager Ron Moradi for kindly supplying the venue and refreshments on this cold night of February 17, 2009 in Vaughan Ontario.

Some of the comments participants made:

Fabulous – like an entire college course in one evening! Dayle is clear, organized, and an ‘excellent presenter’. I appreciate the fact that she is committed to educating design professionals about the best green practices in a time effective and enjoyable way.”

MaryLynne Meschino, Toronto, ON

The information in today’s seminar will certainly help me to better serve my customers; particularly of interest was sustainable design. I am very impressed by your care and concern with regards to the environment.”

Susan Diver, Midland, ON

You love to pour over design magazines, product catalogues, trade showrooms, retail stores and do internet searches for the perfect product for your design idea.

You attend to all the details of purchase, supply and install. Sometimes you agonize whether you have found the best solution to the design challenge. If this sounds like you, you may be a perfectionist!

During the 19 years I taught interior design courses at college, I noticed that perfectionism seemed to be the most common characteristic amongst the students.  After all, it is attention to detail that makes us successful in our jobs.

In my opinion,

Dayle's 26 year old Kitchen Time to select green interior design for my new kitchen countertop,

after 26 years my builder-supplied kitchen countertop was worn out, to say nothing of being very dated. I have designed many kitchens over the years and this was the first time I had the thrill of tackling my own! This was “finally -- about time” according to several of my more candid designer friends!

The surface of the plastic laminate counter was in remarkably good shape for a family that likes to cook, but the particle board underneath was disintegrating around the faucet and under the front edge. So, what would be the ‘coolest shade of green’ for my family’s requirements?

There are many considerations when going for green interior design. Lifestyle and practicality have to feature prominently because if the client is unhappy with the results, rapid replacement is even worse than not considering ‘green’ to start with! I really like the easy care and zero maintenance of the engineered quartz products and started to research which one to choose. I prefer the appearance of granite but rejected it on the basis of 40 – 50% waste of the stone from quarry to finished slab and the quantity of water needed to cut the slabs, and what happens to that water afterward. The worry about stains from red wine and the annual resealing also influenced my decision. What other factors should I consider?

You have a brick fireplace that has become dated and you want green interior design to solve the problem.

Although it is the focal point of the room, it dominates it and closes in the space. You have purchased a big screen TV, since high definition is soon to be the only option for television viewing. Drilling through the brick wall to hang the screen and hide the wires is difficult and impractical.

So, what should you do?

A while ago you installed a beautiful hardwood floor with a gorgeous environmentally friendly rug to anchor your well chosen furniture.

A few months have passed and suddenly you notice the wood floor next to the window has faded. You lift the rug back and your suspicions are confirmed!

What to do now?  Maybe this hasn’t happened to you yet.  Either way, refinishing the wood should be a last resort. It costs time, money, disruption, valuable energy resources, and unwanted dust in the home. Refinishing is to be avoided for as long as possible.

It is normal that...

 We are creatures of habit.

That can be a good thing when it gives stability to our lives. Do you ever feel you are in a rut with respect to your decorating? Do you enter a room and not really see it? Are you worried that if you focus, it will cost time and money?

First, look around your home for ‘silk’ flowers, plants or trees.  What kind of condition are they in? Are they dust collectors? Are they tired out? Do they simply ‘fill in the corners’ without really adding to the quality to the design?

If the answer to any of these questions is ‘yes’, then here is some advice:

You might well wonder what a world-famous German chemist and professor has to say about the sustainability of interior design products and the state of our environment. Is this more doom and gloom, or is this a refreshing message of hope?

Thankfully, it is the latter. Dayle had the opportunity to listen to Dr. Michael Braungart speak to designers about ‘Cradle to Cradle’ at IIDEX, (International Interior Design Exposition) held in Toronto, Sept. 2008 where his message was, “We see a world of abundance, not limits.”

Co-author of “Cradle to Cradle”, and co-founder of MBDC (McDonough Braungart Design Chemistry), Dr. Braungart regaled us with uplifting stories and amid some dire warnings. Most encouraging is his premise that simply going after zero growth, zero emissions and stopping all consumption is the most efficient, but not the most efficacious answer.  He cited the example of bringing flowers to your sweetheart not being efficient, but certainly it is effective!

Dr. Braungart said...

We are inundated with information about the environment, reducing our carbon footprint, about saving the planet, about what to do and what not to do.  How does one sort through all the conflicting advice? 

Here are 7 simple tips to help you select interior fabrics for your home that are beautiful and sustainable.

1. Determine your expectation for how long the fabric should last, based on your lifestyle and how many years you will live in your home.

2. Save the current, hot looks and colours for items that can easily be changed, like the accessories, the paint, or the wallpaper on the feature wall.  Select styles and colours that have enduring appeal for the big ticket items.  No one wants the inconvenience of a sofa out of fashion in 6 months regardless of the initial cost.

(For tips 3-7, click on 'Read more'.)

Do you feel like you are alone in your efforts to choose green interior design? 

Actually you are in good company and you are not a round peg in a square hole!

It is estimated that 1/3 of the population of North America  is a ‘conscious consumer’ and wants to select the most sustainable products and to make their carbon footprint more beneficial.

Fortunately, there are an increasing number of beautiful alternatives for sustainable design, many of which do not cost more, and some of which are a small premium. As we demand more sustainable, recycled and organic products, manufacturers will be inspired to fill the demand.  Innovations on the possibilities are endless!

To learn how you can make a difference by booking a one-hour seminar, a day or a half-day workshop, please contact the office to reserve your date. info@daylelaing.com

Green --- sustainable --- eco --- recycling --- carbon footprint… This list seems endless and the cacophony of sound we are hearing about the environment, certainly gives us pause for concern, maybe even fear, but what is one to do about all this?  What can one do? Can we actually make a difference?

I think there is something we can do. That is why I have chosen a journey toward beautiful interior design that is sustainable and I want to share this journey with others. I think people are waiting for someone to explain solutions in simple terms so that everyone can make a difference easily, practically in their everyday lives.

I have practiced interior decorating and design for 22 years with some amazingly wonderful residential and contract clients. For 19 of those years I also taught interior design at Sheridan College. I had the opportunity to develop courses in Textiles, Interior Finishes, Historic Textile Design and Business Practices. Teaching has taught me to take complex ideas and explain them in simple terms; a valuable skill for researching sustainable design and then getting the message out, especially when there is conflicting information and much of it technical in nature.

I encouraged the students to...

Celebrating its 2nd anniversary, the Green Living Show came to Toronto, Canada in April, 2008.

 

Dayle endorses using cloth shopping bags instead of plastic bags that end up in landfill The huge challenge in this business of beautiful sustainable interior design is to learn about all the fabulous new products on the market. This field is changing so quickly that information becomes obsolete in the blink of an eye!

Here was an ideal opportunity with so many manufacturers and distributors in one place. We were not disappointed as we put on our most comfortable walking shoes, took public transit to the Exhibition grounds and started up and down the aisles of displays.

When I first started...

Many design professionals are either not using interior design contracts or are unhappy with the ones they are using. Dayle received numerous questions from colleagues about using contracts. Some had expressed concern after situations with clients had soured when there was discord over verbal agreements. After 15 years teaching Business Practices for Interior Designers at college, Dayle was excited to prepare a seminar to share her experiences and expertise.

Dayle presented “The Joy of Residential Contracts – How to Make the Experience Win-Win for you & your Clients” at the annual CDECA Professional Development Day in Toronto, Canada on October 29, 2007 to a packed audience of over 100 enthusiastic members.

Professional interior design and interior decoration require...

"There is a symbiosis between individuals and the earth. The better we feel about ourselves, the more we are able to help the environment. The healthier the environment, the better we feel."

When our corporate logo was being designed, I chose symbols to represent this philosophy...

In November 2007, Mark Victor Hansen, the co-author of “Chicken Soup for the Soul”, organized a MEGA Speaking Empire conference in Los Angeles, California. 

My friend and fellow Canadian Decorators Association colleague, Irene Turnbull and I attended the 3 day event.  This was an amazing opportunity for professional development and to network with some of the foremost professional speakers in North America.

The range and quality of seminars were...