With the available information about design and green building practices, homeowners are becoming increasingly aware of the different certification processes for Energy Star, Earth Advantage, and LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design.) While there is value in pursuing these certifications, there are everyday opportunities to incorporate green features into your home just by looking in your own backyard. These two success stories reveal easy ways to add sustainability to a home improvement or commercial project.

Treasure Hunting Tips As you go treasure hunting in your own home or neighborhood, consider the following design tips. Intend on filling a need or goal for your project; don’t just sporadically shop. • Keep the context of your design in mind; don’t purchase items without a grand scheme. • Find the unifying characteristic among the found items. • Find enough variety between the items to add interest to your project. • Be prepared to find more than you need. • Be prepared to downsize the unused items

We’ve all probably experienced the excitement of finding a forgotten treasure in the “bone yards” of our homes, such as storage units, unfinished basements, unused spare rooms, or garages.

Found: Forgotten Treasure
This happened to a single mother of two after she rediscovered her 15-year-old collection of various natural stone tiles in her basement, including granite, marble, limestone, and travertine. She inherited the “dumpster-bound” leftover tiles from her previous husband who worked in the construction business.

Prior to the start of her kitchen remodel, she decided to get professional help, and hired Paolo Design Group, a Portland, OR-based company known for its creativity and innovation. Once she consulted with the owner, Paul “Paolo” Scardina, they made the decision to incorporate these reclaimed tiles into her project as a “stone quilt backsplash.”

To start the process, the homeowner and her two children each chose two favorite tile pieces for prime locations on the backsplash. The rest of the tiles were incorporated into a grid pattern that spanned the entire kitchen backsplash. Even though the tiles range in color, texture, and type of stone, they were all the same size, making it easy to incorporate into the grid system.

Incorporating reclaimed materials into a home improvement project can also be achieved by conducting treasure hunts through yard sales and local retail old-house-parts showrooms. Visiting such showrooms and yard sales are a favorite pastime for many people; however, knowing how to successfully incorporate a collection into their project can be a perplexing task.

Hidden Treasure ‘Blossoms’
A success story was accomplished in a dental office with business owners who had a passion for sustainability: Mint Dental Works was the result. The project was located in a renovated tenant space that used to be an old grocery store. The business owners wanted to transform an empty shell into an environmentally friendly dental office, and called on Paolo to help.

A collection of reclaimed millwork rosettes was discovered during the hunt for unique design features. The randomness of the millwork rosettes became a designer’s dream challenge as Paolo and the owners saw the potential for something unique for the dental office. After several design sessions, the sensitive balance of unity and variety was achieved through selecting rosettes that ranged in color, texture, and antiquity, yet all shared the circular milling pattern and same approximate size.

The rosettes were then incorporated into a “wooden quilt backsplash” to add beauty and interest to the new reception area. Now Mint Dental Works clients can enjoy the aesthetics of the backsplash as they visit the beverage station for a cup of tea.

Ryan Gilson is the public relations manager for Paolo Design Group, a Portland, OR-based design service company that specializes in getting the high-performance house out of your head and into your life. For more information, call 503-222-1757 or visit www.paolodesigngroup.com.