Got Mildew?

I'm just one little back-yard farmer, plugging along, trying to grow my own food and maybe some to share when the weather permits. Which is, I must admit, pretty much year-round. There are however, some very climate specific issues around organic gardening around the Bay. We get aphids and white flies like no ones business and all my references say "Ladybugs". Then comes powdery mildew and all I hear is "baking soda and water" but the darn stuff just won't go away--unlike the Ladybugs who had decamped after a couple of days, leaving my broccoli and cabbages to the grotty little leaf eating critters!
So, research, pestering other gardeners, trial and error and --voila! I have, if not fool-proof solutions, then best practices for two common garden problems.

First bugs, Ladybugs will indeed happily devour aphids and white fly larvae, but they are migratory insects and must be released at night--otherwise their drive to head to the mountains for some reproductive endeavors outweighs their desire to eat aphids, and, well, you know the rest. I tried it and two weeks later I still have Lovely Ladies crawling around laying waste to unwanted brussel sprout eating nasties!

Second, powdery mildew, bane of zucchini, cucumbers, melons, roses and many other plants. Like I said, I've tried the baking soda and water (2tbs baking soda in a standard spray bottle of water, saturate infected areas during hot weather, repeat as necessary) to mixed results. Sad to say I don't have time for mixed results. On to bigger and better--and no, I don't mean chemicals.
It's milk, yep, milk. Dilute skim milk in water (10-30% milk but not more) and spray --and I mean saturate-- infected leaves, no need to rinse, just wait! The majority of my mildew was dead and gone within two days of treatment. I waited a week to see what else happened and gave a final spritz to any stubborn areas and now have a mildew free garden!!! Added benefits, cats don't seem to particularly like the smell and have been rethinking their "other" use for my raised beds!

Check out more info and scientific benefits at: http://www.appalachianfeet.com/2010/07/02/how-to-spray-milk-to-prevent-powdery-mildew-disease/
and
http://www.thefrugallife.com/mildew.html

Thanks for checking us out Paragon Kitchen and Bath Studio

Pumping Plastics

I was just speaking with an ex-Chevron employee who informed me that only 30% of oil pumped is used for gas or fuel--so where does the rest of it go? Plastic. Well, plastic and Vasoline but still. It's just another shocking reason to avoid single-use plastic products (water bottles, take out containers, plastic bags &c) here are a couple of sites with great info and tips to drinking and living a bit more sustainably--http://www.allaboutwater.org/environment.html, and, http://www.thedailygreen.com/environmental-news/latest/china-plastic-bags-47010907.

So, what else to do? If you don't have a stainless steel water bottle, get one. Reusable shopping bags, ditto--and bring them to pick up take-out at your favorite "to go" restaurant. Wax paper bags work just fine for sandwiches and snacks are recyclable. Suggest potato or corn starch utensils and cups to your local cafe--and be willing to find another "regular" spot if they won't switch! Also, you could post your suggestions here--the more the merrier--we can all use some new ideas!

Volunteering with Rebuilding Together

Had a great time on Sunday volunteering with Rebuilding Together. We scraped and painted this fence. The elderly homeowner was very happy and so were we.
Thanks to my friend Christy for getting me involved. That's me in the white and Christy in the red and our very clean fence!

Finally!

What you've been asking for, a durable, green counter surface in a matte finish - welcome to Squak Mountain A surface material composed of 49% post-industrial recycled content and 2.5% post-consumer recycled content.

As defined on the Squak Mountain site this product is: A Fibrous-cement material comprised of recycled paper, recycled glass, and low-carbon cement. Material is hand-cast into “slabs” as an alternative to natural or quarried stone. Resembles soapstone or limestone. And it's gorgeous! Has the look of nature – varied and irregular, just the thing for our new green kitchens!

If you've used this material in your remodel, send us a picture, we'd love to see it. If your interested in it for your upcoming remodel, you know where to find us, Paragon Kitchen and Bath Studio

Helping Others

It's said that what comes around goes around and I'm a firm believer that we should utilize the skills we have for the benefit of others at least some of the time. So when my friend asked if I would volunteer with Rebuilding Together, an organization that helps low income seniors with repairs and renovations on their homes, it took me about 2 seconds to say yes. If you'd like to lend a hand, whether or not your have professional skills, join us this weekend. Find out about volunteering in Oakland here.

If your not local, check out a chapter near you and tell us about your experience.

Wowza it's been awhile

Sorry for the long break folks, March turned out to be a doosey, but I'm back with some updates. Here's a peak at a project we just finished.





Our client was out of the country while we created this luxurious shower and bathroom for her. Wouldn't you like to come back from vacation to this!

Vetrazzo makes a spectacular guest bath

A client recently had Charisma Blue Vetrazzo installed in her guest bath and it looks amazing. We wanted to share how our clients have solved difficult spaces with the utmost creativity. The door swing in this guest bath dictated how the counter could be shaped. In the beginning the idea was to cut out the path of the door swing in the counter, but on final analysis that was a bit cumbersome. The final resolution was this banjo cut. Notice how the wall to wall counter with a depth change provides that necessary landing space while adding dimension to a really tight space.



AND this counter is a super green product, especially in our area where all the glass content is sourced from our county's waste stream. Ah, now doesn't that feel good?

Remodel: Replace and Reface!

There are so many options for remodeling it's almost ridiculous, but...it also means there are options for every budget. Do you think you can't update your kitchen or bath because it's just too much money? Or are you dreading the upheaval and mess in your home? Share your thoughts and questions on remodel nightmares here because I think we'll have some interesting answers for you.



Does your kitchen look a bit like this one?

Would you be happier if it looked more like the kitchen below? Read on...

For example Showplace Wood Products, an employee owned cabinet manufacturer, offers a refacing option called Renew. Get the quality and consistency of a manufactured cabinet, and the warranty, along with a huge selection of door styles and wood species in a fraction of the time a traditional remodel takes and at a savings.

If you like your layout and your cabinet boxes are in good shape, refacing may be a great option for you and it carries the benefit of a green halo. Your not removing oodles of old cabinets, so there is less to get rid of. Additionally, there is a lot of flexibility refacing with Renew. You have the creative freedom to add new elements that currently don't exist in your kitchen and do things like a different finish on the uppers than the lowers, a combination of replace and reface or whatever you can think of.



(Note the wood top on the island - pretty good lookin'! See post from yesterday on wood counter tops)

So what do you think, does that ease the stress of considering a remodel? Does that give you hope that you don't have to live with a kitchen that gets you down instead of getting you inspired? I mean let's face it, we spend a lot of time in our kitchens, aren't they worth investing in?

Wood Counter Tops

Just got our sample display of Craft Art Wood Counters and we are SO excited. Not only are they gorgeous (who doesn't love Zebra wood, yum!) but they also work with reclaimed woods for one of a kind counters that are kind to the environment and have their own story. They, and now we, offer a variety of green options including our favorites, Lyptus and Bamboo.

Wood makes a great addition to any kitchen island or counter inset don't you think? It's warm, quiet and beautiful. Granted it takes a little more up keep, sealing with Tung oil about every 6 months but it's worth it for the look and feel. Have you had experiences with wood tops? What are your thoughts on their look and durability?

Hatch: The Design Public® Blog

People People, check out this cool design oriented blog, Hatch: The Design Public® Blog especially the post on Feb. 9, Dream Loft Real Estate. It might make you a little depressed considering the Bay Area real estate market, but for those of you with an appetite for cool urban design it'll make your day!

Paperstone at Paragon

The folks from Paperstone paid us a visit today, they've got some new items in the hopper that I'm not at liberty to discuss, except to say WOW! Paperstone is a truly unique material made of...you got it super high-pressure, compressed recycled paper and a non-petroleum phenolic resin derived in part from the shells of cashews - super green. What's so interesting about it is its texture and sheen, super matte and a texture almost like leather. It can be used indoors or out, in showers and on counters and so much more. Keep an eye out here for product updates, and if you'd like to see this stuff in person, you know where to find us!

Top 10 Signs Your Kitchen is Ready for a Remodel

It's a fact, everyone is budget conscious these days, but let's face it- an outdated, poorly functioning kitchen is a drag and certainly doesn't inspire saving money by cooking at home. So we put our heads together with our favorite kitchen designer Toshie Lim of WACWORKS to compose this Top 10 list. On Tuesday we'll take you through tips on how to bring back the sizzle in your kitchen without burning a hole in your pocket!

Top 10 Signs Your Kitchen is Ready for a Remodel

10. The closest you get to cooking is making a sandwich.

9. You've moved your coffee pot into your office and switched to powdered creamer.

8. Your 80 year old mother is always commenting on how lovely your mustard colored appliances are.

7. "Eating in" has become code for ordering out.

6. Your kids don't know where toast comes from.

5. Your friends are certain you're laundering money in your kitchen and that's why they've never been in it.

4. Your oven has been converted into extra filing space for your paper work.

3. You are certain there are items in your pantry that could qualify for the "oldest food ever" in the Guiness Book of World Records.

2. Your finger tips are calloused from opening doors and drawers with no handles.

1. Your kids friends have cast your kitchen as "the dark cavern of doom" in their make believe world.

Remember Paragon Kitchen & Bath Studio is here to help, and believe me we've seen it all, so put the embarrassment and the procrastination behind you and come see how we can help.

Cabinet recommendations from the Sierra Club

The Sierra Club offers their perspective on what to look for when searching for cabinets that won't harm your home, or your health. Included in their list are such things as using Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)-certified wood. We'd like to introduce you to Lyptus, a featured wood of Showplace Wood Products. Lyptus is a fully sustainable hardwood with "the beauty of mahogany,(and) the durability of maple." Lyptus takes both light and dark stains well and displays a lovely grain finish. Our clients love it and so do we. Here it is in our studio display.

Other Sierra Club recommendations include: Cabinet "interiors made of healthy composite wood," as opposed to solid woods. Interiors of MDF, (Medium Density Fiberboard), enveloped in a hardwood veneer is a great alternative to solid wood and Columbia Cabinets offers a urea formaldehyde-free version. Learn about SkyBlend here.

In fact many cabinet manufacturers have responded to both consumer concern and California's strict environmental standards and offer a variety of green options.

Sierra also recommends refacing as a green option and while refacing old cabinets takes less time it does not necessarily take less money. In fact the cost is often comparable for new cabinets as the majority of the expense of new cabinets is in the doors and drawers, all of which are replaced in the refacing process. However if your old cabinet boxes are in good shape and you're happy with your kitchen layout, refacing is a great option with a "green" halo. Showplace Wood Products now offers "Renew". Learn more about it here, and don't worry,they offer lots of contemporary styles not just the country look.

Getting better connected in the New Year

Hi and Welcome to the Paragon Blog

We hope you enjoyed a wonderful New Year and that the heavy rains here in the Bay Area aren't putting a damper on any of your new year resolutions.

We made a resolution this year to get to know our customers better and thereby be able to better respond to their needs. To that end we spent the last days of 2009 building a new website www.paragonKBstudio.com and starting this blog. We think our new site is a great upgrade from the old one and would like to send a big thank you out to Laura Bowlyfor all her help.

We were especially keen to make sure the site offered the new remodeler information they can put to use. If this is your first remodel, or even if your a pro, take a look at our Remodeling Project Workbook and let us know what you think.

We also put together this blog so we can speak directly to members of our industry and homeowners alike. We'll be covering a variety of topics here including green products and processes, design insights and of course anything you, our readers bring to the forum.

So with that offer, I bid you adieu until next time.