Switched on LED Lights

Check out these new LED lights available this fall from Switch Bulb Co., Inc.  Looks like a very serious effort to bring cost competitive and more sustainable lighting to the market including a 100W equivalent.

Rammed Earth Colour Samples

Here are the first batch of rammed earth colour samples we have made for Muskoka Sustainable Builders customers to view.

2D Proposal for House

Here are the 2D plans to follow up the 3D renderings below.  We really like the form the house is taking and are excited to refine the design over the next few weeks.  If you have any comments or questions please don't hesitate to ask.

Thanks,

James

Modern Rammed Earth Home

Below is the preliminary design for our rammed earth home in Huntsville, Ontario.  We will be discussing the plans with our architect on his blog about our house located at http://modernsustainable.blogspot.com
For more info on the construction of our home and my business partners rammed earth home visit www.muskokasustainablebuilders.ca

Please share your comments, I'd love to hear what you think.

Thanks,

James

Floor plans to follow soon...

Green Expresso???

I have had a bit of a "perfect" expresso quest ever since my trip to Italy.  I have combined this with a search for a good manual grinder and expresso machine.  Our local antique shop had a great old German grinder (Zassenhaus) which does a beautiful job and I think I may have found my new expresso press to replace my stove top version.  Presso appears to be a simple, well designed and manufactured machine that I will need to try soon...

Pashley Cycles

I came across these British hand built bicycles the other day.  Pashley has a huge range of bikes from work trikes to urban cruisers.  My personal favorite is the Guvnor.  I need to get out for a ride...

Bocci; Another Western Canadian Great

Here is another great design company located in Vancouver, Canada.  Bocci makes some amazing pendant lights as well as a few other cool products.  I especially love the Series 22 wall sockets.

Bensen Canyon

Bensen is a canadian manufacture of furniture located in British Columbia.  I'm a big fan of most of their designs but the Canyon series of sofa/chair combinations in particular.

Beautiful German Hinges

I have always had a lot of respect for German mechanical design and these door hinges take that to a  new level.  There are a few companies selling these in the US now, so they can officially be added to my wish list...

They are made by Simonswerk.

Cool Kitchen Cabinets

I'm sure most of you fans of modern architecture have heard of Henry Built.  They build some amazing kitchen cabinetry, however you may have missed (like I did) their new lower price lineup called Viola Park.

Both sites are a must visit if your looking for modern kitchen design ideas...

Images from Henry Built

Images from Viola Park.

All in the details

I'm a huge fan of simple design paired with exacting craftsmanship and these kayaks by Justin Charles are a fine example of this.  I would hang it on a wall in my house.

I have a bit of a thing for bright colours lately...

http://www.sagemcom.com/FR/hors-menus/sixty1.html

Cool Finnish Architects

Check out this Architecture firm in Finland - avanto arkkitehdit oy

My two favorite works are Kyly - a sauna built from logs and Four-cornered villa, both super cool...

Intro Post

Thanks for coming to check out this blog.  Let me know what you think.  I will be using this blog to supplement all the things that don't really belong on my website www.muskokasustainablebuilders.ca or on my architects blog on the design of our new home http://modernsustainable.blogspot.com 

Thanks,

James Blackman
Muskoka Sustainable Builders Inc