send me your photos!

Hey everyone - sorry for the blogging hiatus. I'm back now and ready to start showcasing Ottawa interiors! (Okay, I won't say no to interiors from other parts of the world, but my emphasis is going to be Ottawa homes). So...that said, I have a few friends who are going to be receiving phone calls from me with requests to photo-document their living spaces and post them online for all to see, but the handful of apartments I already have in mind...

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Its the Energy Stupid!

I ran across this criticism of Architects and the green movement the other day.  http://www.buildingscience.com/documents/insights/bsi-007-prioritizing-green2014it-s-the-energy-stupid/?full_view=1It was written by Joseph Lstiburek; a renowned building science expert and royal smart ass.  Many Architects and Engineers do not like Mr. Lstiburek because of his criticisms.  I think mostly because he is all too often right; and he always has facts to back his claims up.Lstiburek's basic criticism is this.  Architects and Engineers...

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A Sample Kerala Home Design Entry

House Exterior House InteriorHouse Floor P...

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Green Links

I just wanted to pass on an FYI that I have now posted links for various green resources along the sidebar of the Simply Elegant Home Designs Blog.  Over the next weeks I will be refining the listings.  Since there are so many green resources available to us I want to try to edit the list down to provide useful "common sense green" information, and to eliminate as much redundancy as possible.  I will also be adding a links page to my Simply Elegant Home Designs website.Again, you can see the links along the right sidebar of the Simply...

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Architect vs. Builder

Architects and Home Builders seem to have a bit of a dysfunctional relationship.  Looking through my lens as an Architect it seems that many builders look at us as a necessary evil; and something to be avoided.  Most builders today still utilize their own in house staff or an outside house plan drafting service in lieu or working with an Architect.  The result is a lack of creativity and variety.  The evidence? ...

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Tips for Redesigning a Small Space

When dealing with small spaces, sometimes people are at a loss as to which direction to take when pondering a redesign. Transforming a small space can be challenging endeavor, but it is certainly not a impossible one. What follows is a list of a few tips that can help you rise to the challenge when it comes to redesigning your small space. Windows are Your FriendsWindows are a great source of natural light and can really help open up a small room.Try...

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View your home in Google Earth

Simply Elegant Home Designs is offering a new service to help potential plan purchasers visualize their house plan within the context of their own site.  For a nominal fee they can provide images of the desired house plan at their site address.  The images below provide an example of how this can work.  They depict various google earth views which increasingly zoom in on a specific site address in which a 3d house plan model has been...

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Ok I Really Like These Kitchens

I love these kitchens! They are small (ok the first one perhaps not small) but they all prove that you can have GREAT style in a small space. So inspiri...

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dinner jacket looks inside

Dinner Jacket is a new(ish) online fashion magazine in Ottawa that has had a pretty impressive start up. If the rumors are true (and I heard them from an inside source), the mag will soon be available in print copies as well which is just fantastic. The online version is beautiful, so I can only imagine how pretty it would be in a hands-on glossy. Besides fashion, the magazine touches on other creative endeavors which, in their november issue, included...

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blue!

I totally love this blue bike - I want it! Seriously loving this cycle blog - it's become one of my favorite daily blog sto...

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seriously modern tubs

Check them all out here: http://ow.ly/7W0. I really like the one above (althought not so sure about the tv(?) screen), but most of them are even more modern and space-agey looking. Pretty co...

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