Let's talk dirty...

Dirt dirty, not that kind of dirty. Gees. You know how we've learned that mulch = making your garden look neat and pretty? Well let's keep doing that, but let's add color and awesomeness! A company called EviroGLAS makes this awesome glass mulch! Can you believe it?! Instead of chopping down more trees they figured, why not use recycled glass? The glass comes from bottles, mirrors, and windows. They also have solid white made of porcelain which comes from recycled toilet bowls. Glasses and porcelain actually makes more sense then mulch anyways as far as water distribution goes. Since glass is well, glass, it doesn't soak up water the way mulch does. Therefore, the water goes to where it needs to go, to the plants. If you're excited like we are about this, email us and we'll let you know how you too can have a blue garden!

Babies....

it's cold outside! We know, we know, but we hardly had a summer! We're just as bummed about that as you. But! We won't let this slow us down. Time to strap on our bunny slippers, throw some tea in the kettle, and get ready for what's to come. While preparing for the winter you might be thinking about reinsulating or even first time insulating. Well, no more using that pink, fiber glass, bad for you and the environment non-sense that everyone seems to think is the only option. There are in fact other options out there! Great ones! Exhibit A, Bounded Logic. Bounded Logic is LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) approved, which is a voluntary national green building standard for developing high-performance, sustainable buildings. Their insulation is made of cotton, it's fire/smoke/mold/corrosion resistant, there's no harmful chemicals to work with (Heck, it's so safe they have kids hugging it on the packaging! See for yourself above!) and of course it works just as well as the pink stuff as far as insulation goes. So, check these guys out or ask us about helping you line your attic with some awesome cotton for the ceiling to wear.

Flush, Flush Brush, Brush

What's all the fuss? Bathrooms, that's what. Here's how you can make the home of your porcelain goddess, green. Speaking of which, let's start there. You ever sit there, doing your business and think "Gee, I bet there's gotta be a way to make a toilet without water, that doesn't smell, and maybe I could even use the out come in my garden." Ha Ha! Alas! There is! Sun-Mar makes a composting toilet that does just that, no water, no smell and the remains become compost for the garden!

What of sinks? Gore Design Co makes some crafty and earth friendly sinks that we'd be honored to call our own. Not only do they not use plastic, use a water based concealer, they cut down their need for new materials, and much more, but they also come in designs like we've never seen before! You can check them out above.

And shower heads? Shower heads come with a low flow option now too. Delta makes a great one called Fluidics H2OKinetics that lets you choose to low flow or not. From reviews we hear you can't tell the difference. So why not save some water, your hair won't mind, we promise.

So, there's a taste of some ways to design your bathroom with the you and the planet in mind. Have some ideas of your own? Let us know! Want more ideas? Let us know!

Sliding panels with a Punch!

Check these out! These panels are some of the coolest kids we know! They come in unique shapes, patterns, colors, and sizes. And of course, *dund didd dund!!*, it's made from recycled materials! They also come as sliding walls or doors! There are three types of recycled products that you can get in a sliding form. Varia, Chroma and 100 Percent are our three green players. Varia and Chroma are both made of 40% post-consumer recycled materials and 100 Percent is, you guessed it, made of 100% pre-consumer recycled materials. Not only that but 3Form, the geniuses that make these products, are on their way to zero materials (zero, zilch, none, nada, you heard it right) going to landfills, and they are doing amazing things to be energy efficient. For example, they car-pool or bike, have incentives for the employees who use hybrid vehicles, use renewable energy sources, and more. Swoon...our heros... If you want to hear more about 3Form or you would like to see some 3Form in your home, contact us and we'll help you get there.

Dollars-for-Dishware.

Dollars-for-dishware is the new Cash-for-clunkers! Cash-for-clunkers was such a success, the government thought they'd throw a bone to the appliance companies such as Whirlpool, Electrolux, and General Electric to name a few. The bill is new and little is known thus far about it, but no worries, more info is coming out Oct. 15th. What we do know is the following:

• It must be a high-efficiency household appliances, furnaces and air-conditioning systems
• Congress authorized $300 million for the program earlier this year as part of the federal economic-stimulus bill.
• Appliances covered by the program include dishwashers, washing machines and refrigerators. They must carry Energy Star ratings, to show they meet energy-efficiency standards set by the Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Energy.
• Best part, you don't have to trade in your old appliances, unlike the cash-for-clunkers program!

Well, that's all she wrote for now because, well, that's all we know. When more comes out we'll be sure and give you the heads up on what's up.

All that noise, noise noise!!

Love your home entertainment sounds system, but not exactly egger to hear Jurassic Park being played at full volume while you're reading in the study? Guess what...we have a secret.... Gather 'round children as we tell of wallpaper that is sound proof. Gasp! Can it be?? Yes, yes it can and it is!! This stuff is super thick, comes in five textures, AND can be painted over. No more "HEY KIDS, CAN YOU TURN THAT DOWN, I CAN HARDLY HEAR MYSELF THINK!" Just you time. It's called Sempatech and it's made by our buddies Roos. You know them, those cool guys that make the glass, eco-friendly wallpaper. Same dudes. Email us for further info on how you line some walls with this little wonder.

Mmm...Pizza, pizza!!

Shoooot, you're gonna wish you were in the Cleveland area after we tell you this (Heck, maybe you even are!) September 12th & 13th here at Villa we're giving away a patio pizza oven!! You can come hang out with us and meet us/me the lady behind the curtain. You'll find us here Saturday from 10-6pm and Sunday from 12-5pm. Bring the kids, bring your partners, and bring your hungry bellies because we're going to have pizza up the wazoo all for you! If lady luck is on your side, she's going to grant you with a free outdoor pizza oven. You enter, we hope you win! Remember we're located at:

30152 Detroit Rd.

Westlake,OH 44145

Avert your eyes, naked walls are afoot!

Hello again our little greenagins. Let's talk naked, shall we? Oh, oh my! Well, by all means please, make yourself comfortable, however, we're talking naked walls. Time to throw some color on those puppies, but not just any color. Great news! It can be green color! Yes, we are here to inform you of Roos. Roos is an environmentally friendly wallpaper, that's, get this, awesome! Yes! We love it and think you will too! It comes in awesome colors, awesome textures, awesome patterns, awesome, awesome, awesome!

What most people probably do not know is that wall paper typically uses a terrible and sometimes deadly chemical called PVC. PVC has been linked to immune system suppression, reproductive disorders, a variety of cancers and endometriosis in other words, bad news. You don't want that stuff near you or your kids, trust us. Let's just say this stuff is beyond your usual wallpaper coverings in design (like, um, the picture you see up top, yeah it's glass!) ALSO it's made of recycle materials AND it's made from rapidly renewable resources. So, check out Roos! We carry them, so if you're interested email us and let's talk.

Everything is coming up green.

All this talk of green and no action you say? Well, say no more! We've got your action *Pow! Pow!* We've got three action packed weekends in September that are going to blow your hemp socks off! Starting the weekend of September 10-13th Payne & Payne Builders in Bainbridge, Pepperwood Signature Homes in North Royalton and Richfield, and Coblentz Homes in Macedonia, Ohio are all having Green Home Tours. In these four cities you will find green homes with the latest and greatest green gear. You're going to find energy efficiency, sustainability practices, green interior design, green construction/remodeling, use of environmentally friendly materials and ways in reducing your carbon footprint! If that weekend doesn't work for you, these homes are also open the weekend of September 17-20 and 24-27. For more information check out www.hbacleveland.com.

The Government does it again!

Bring on da money!! The IRS is given it to ya, again! Winter is coming and that means the cold is coming. When it's cold, we want to hibernate and eat lots of home cooked meals, do we not? In order to do that you need a little diddy you may know as, a stove. Well, that clunky one that blows black smoke all through the house and just looks like it's on it's last leg, it just won't do. You probably should buy and instal a new one. In that case, this money is all for you! As of June 1, 2009, the IRS is giving a 30% consumer tax credit (up to $1500) for the purchase and installation of a 75-percent efficient biomass-burning stove. As we learned before, there are of course rules and regulations. So, here's what we got:

§ To be considered, a stove must use the burning of biomass fuel to heat a dwelling unit or to heat water for use in such a dwelling unit, and have a thermal efficiency rating of at least 75% as measured using a lower heating value;

§ Installation is covered, as long as it is a requirement for the stove's proper and safe functioning;

§ This consumer tax credit is 30% (up to $1500) for the purchase and installation of a 75% efficient stove, and is available in both 2009 and 2010;

§ The tax credit is an aggregate, i.e., the total $1500 can include other energy efficient items. For instance, if a consumer claims $900 on a new stove, then he will have $600 to purchase additional energy saving products in the same tax year;

§ If a taxpayer uses the entire $1500 tax credit on a competing product then they cannot use it for a biomass stove in that same tax year;

§ This credit applies only to existing principle residences;

§ Manufacturers must provide a certificate of qualification for each product as required in the guidance which can be obtained for the customer to use;

§ Taxpayers must retain the certification statement for tax recordkeeping purposes, but the certification is not required to be attached to the tax return;

§ Prior purchases made between January 1, 2009, and June 1, 2009 are covered if the manufacturer offers a certificate of qualification for the product;

§ If a manufacturer has documentation that a stove has already achieved the required efficiency rating, no further testing is required;

§ The IRS has not stated that inserts are covered, or are not covered, but based on EPA's practice of treating inserts and freestanding biomass stoves in a similar fashion, manufacturers may choose to include inserts.

So, there it is folks. Now go out and find a nice fine oven to roast up some tattor totts and boil up some hot (veggie?) dogs. Mmm...mm.

Bamboo

Bamboo, it’s not just for panda’s anymore. Now, it’s for you too! Bamboo flooring is a big hit right now in the design market. Like Shaws products, this stuff is perfect for you tree-huggers, because well, it’s not tree, it’s bamboo! You might be thinking “I’m no fool, I know I’m still cutting down a plant. Still not environmental.” Think of bamboo like you would your kids, they just seemed to sprout up over night. Unlike, say an oak tree, which might take 120 years to get to it’s full size. Additionally, most bamboo is grown on controlled farms in China, which means the entire rainforest isn't being wiped out. Yea!, like Bambie, Toucan Sam get’s to keep his home too!

If you're worried about style, fear not. This stuff looks and feels no different then woods you know and love. You might even go as far to say it is, "Bambootiful?" Too much? Unlike most woods, which get their color by staining, bamboo gets it's color by heating. That being said, the more heat it's given the darker and softer it gets. So, a dark bamboo might be compared to a Black Walnut and a light bamboo might be compared to a maple. To clarify, bamboo is not any more or less durable then the average wood floor. It's still going to get dents and scratches just the same, but not worse.

We bet you are in love now you. You are soooo in love with bamboo that you want to make your entire home bamboo! Are we close? Do you feel that way?? Well, you're in luck, you can in fact make virtually your entire house bamboo! Are you not so excited you can hardly stand it!? We are!! Let's give you a little run down on what exactly you can have made out of bamboo:

Flooring

Cabinets

Counter Tops

Plates

Bowls

Kitchen Carts (Cart on wheels for wine and cheese parties)

Sinks

Cutting Boards

Mirrors

Chairs

Lamps

Heck, you can even wear bamboo clothes while you type on your bamboo computer! Yes! Bamboo computer!

The opportunities are nearly endless when it comes to bamboo and if you're looking to furnish your house in it, we are the people to come to. Email us if you are interested and would like further information on how you too can live like a panda and surround yourself in this awesome plant!

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act

The Government. It seems like they are always take, take, taking our money with their food tax, their property tax, their federal tax, their "what ever the heck we feel like" tax. Well, good news folks! Times are a changin' and the government, well they want to pay YOU, yes YOU, for your new windows and doors (with some minor terms and conditions of course...it IS the government after all, they aren't going to give it up THAT easy.) So, here's what we've found about this little gem of a rebate:

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 includes a Federal Tax Credit for up to 30% of the cost on qualifying home improvements. Now, you will not only add value to your home and save on your energy bills, but you will also save money on your taxes by installing Windsor Windows & Doors.

Program Qualifications:

• Product must be installed from January 1, 2009 - December 31, 2010
• This tax credit applies to non-business properties only
• Product must be installed in taxpayer's principal residence
• Windows and doors meeting the following criteria are eligible
  A U-Factor of less than or equal to 0.30
  A Solar Heat Gain Coefficient of less than or equal to 0.30
• If you are building a new home, you can qualify for the tax credit for geothermal heat pumps, photovoltaics, solar water heaters, small wind systems and fuel cells, but you will not qualify for the tax credits for windows, doors, insulation, roofs, HVAC, or non-solar water heaters

Rebate Amount:

• The amount of the rebate is calculated by determining 30% of the homeowners cost
• The maximum credit amount is $1,500

Claim Procedure:

• All claims must be submitted with your taxes for the year that the products were installed
• Manufacturer's Certification Statement for products purchased between January 1 - June 1, 2009
• Manufacturer's Certification Statement for products purchased after June 1, 2009
• Improvements made in 2009 will be claimed on your 2009 taxes - filed by April 15, 2010
• All claims will be submitted using your IRS Tax Form 5695 available in late 2009 or early 2010

For More Information visit
http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=windows_doors.pr_taxcredits

If you're reading this and thinking to yourself "Now what in the heck does some of this mumbo jumbo mean to me?" Well have no fear! Just email us with your questions and we will help put it into Bob Terms for you (because honestly, who is Layman anyway?)

The Lacey Act

So, you're thinking you want to lay down some new floor board, but you're torn because you love the environment. In fact, you love the environment so much that you don't want to destroy sweet little Bambie's home, all so you can furnish your floors. So, what do you do? How can you be sure the wood you're investing in isn't the same wood that cute little woodland creatures used to call home?

Say hello to Shaw (Hello Shaw! *wave wave*) Shaw is a flooring company that guarantees their wood flooring is legitimate and legally verifiable. So, the following is The Lacey Act:

"The Lacey Act, first enacted in 1900 and significantly amended several times, is the United States' oldest national wildlife protection statue. The Combat Illegal Logging Act attached to the 2008 Farm Bill amends The Lacey Act to make it a crime to purchase or sell certain illegally logged timber products in the U.S.

In April, 2009, it will be unlawful to import any wood or wood product unless a customs declaration is filled, that includes the scientific name of the wood being imported, its value and quantity, and the name of the country from which it was harvested.

The Lacey Act makes it unlawful to "import, export, transport, sell, receive, acquire, or purchase in interstate or foreign commerce any plant (including wood products) taken in violation of the law of a U.S. State, or any foreign law that protects plants." Also, anyone in the chain of custody may be criminally liable and products outlawed under the Act may be seized or forfeited even if the owner had no knowledge of a violation."

All that being said, this goes both ways. Just the same that we don't want to see you not only getting into legal trouble, but feeling like you've compromised your morals, we don't want that for us either. Thanks to Shaw, neither us have to worry about that happening. Please feel free to email us if you have any other questions about this little lady Lacey.

Welcome to Villa Collections Design Blog!

If you're having a hard time with wanting to reinvent your space without reinventing your wallet, you've come to the right place! We want to help you with your interior design questions by giving you the answers. We have a one, two, punch of a team with so many awards and recognitions we had to build ourselves a new closet. We're going to give you up to date information about the newest design ideas, the lowest prices with the highest quality lines, ways to cut corners without actually "cutting corners," and whatever else we come across that we think you should know! We want you to be in the know about what we know. So come along with us on our blogging journey as we make our way through these tough finical times without breaking a lamp er...sweat.

Don't forget to email any of our team members with questions! You can find us on the right hand side under "Meet Our Staff."