That’s News to Me

The New Year has not been too great for me. I was hit {then punched, slugged, and knocked down to the ground} by the flu on New Year’s Eve and 15 days later I am just beginning to feel better.  This year’s flu is a whopper!  In between grabbing tissues and gulping down hot tea I watched lots of television. I don’t really watch much TV, especially daytime TV and I have to say –  the term “boob tube” is especially resonating with me!!! Luckily one thing I really like this time of year is all the news stories about the “Top {whatever} of 2013”, albeit the good, the bad or the ugly.

Here are a few things that caught my attention and how it relates to interior design.

Make a Noise About Something

Zagat’s comes out with its annual survey on restaurants and one of the top “pet peeves” for diners is the amount of noise in restaurants. I couldn’t agree more. When we go out to dinner, we want to enjoy a great meal and chit chat all the gossip, but we can’t when we have to scream to hear each other.  We have even stop going to some restaurants because it is too loud, even if the food is great.

Step in Interior Designer. Interior designers are trained to design with acoustics in mind. You need the right balance of hard and soft surfaces on the floors, walls and ceiling. But what can a restaurateur do when the balance is “off?” Here is a quick and easy tip for restaurant owners, if you have too many hard surfaces, line the bottom of your tables with a thick felt fabric. This will lower those decibels at a very low cost.

Be Out Like a Light

Traditional 40 and 60 watt incandescent light bulbs will no longer be manufactured in the US.  {GASP} What to do!! Lead the way LED lights. Yes, LED bulbs are more expensive, but believe me, they will save you money in the long run. LED bulbs also provide a better light. Here are a few gorgeous low-voltage Luminaires (that is a techy term for a light fixture) by Tech Lighting.

Dead in the Water

Half of the U.S.A.  is in a polar freeze and the other half is facing a drought.  The new California Green Building Code went into effect on January 1, 2014 just as California reaches a record amount of days without rain. This code sets a new standard of compliance for residential water conservation {did the new code jinx the rain?} The old code required that you update the plumbing fixtures in any room that was being remodeled. NOW you have to update all non-compliant fixtures throughout the entire house (whether or not you are remodeling that room) when you do any permit required work!  This basically means any fixture over ten years old must be replaced.  This might “drain” your remodeling budget a bit, but with all the jazzy fixtures on the market you can feel a little better.  Here are a few snazzy faucets by Kohler and I love the Toto toilets (plus it sounds so cute).

I am feeling better and ready for some remodeling!!! Are you? {tweet this}