Smaller houses will be in the spotlight this year

This probably won't be the last time you hear about smaller living spaces this year. The fact is, there's a portion of the population that wants or needs less. That's especially true for millennials, according to a report from the National Association of Home Builders.
Income, housing costs, busy schedules, retirement and concern for the environment are factors pushing this trend forward, so it’s not just limited to people who became adults at the turn of the century.
So if you’re moving to a smaller space or considering it, you might appreciate these online resources:

• Becoming Minimalist: The author of this blog, Joshua Becker, says the best things in life aren’t things. Becker writes about his family’s effort to change their focus from materialism. www.becomingminimalist.com
• National Association of Realtors: The association’s “Field Guide to the Small House Movement” is a compilation of links for those considering miniature homes. The association included a reminder that New Yorkers in Manhattan have lived in tiny spaces for decades. www.realtor.org
• Rightsizingyourlife.com: Topics range from housing to decorating, recycling, storage and moving. rightsizingyourlife.com
• Forbes: Its article called “Downsizing The Family Home: What To Do With All The Stuff?” gives practical advice that might be helpful as you plan and make a move. http://onforb.es/1z96Gyu
• Kyle Schuneman's "The First Apartment Book: Cool Design for Small Spaces" includes examples of decor for small spaces. One of his makeovers is shown in the picture above. (Photo by Joe Schmelzer) 

Karen’s blog: http://homelifeclt.blogspot.com; on Twitter @sullivan_kms

To look after Earth, start in your backyard

Make your backyard a better home for wildlife this year. That's one of the things we all can do for the environment, says Earnie McLaney. Planting trees is another.
But that's not enough, says McLaney, president of Charlotte Reconnecting Ourselves With Nature, or CROWN. We also need to make sure to look after the other natural resources that are special to us, including farms, waterways and parks.
McLaney sent out an email blast last week asking people to get involved in protecting the places we would want our grandchildren to enjoy one day.
His letter is a response to two bills on EPA policy that are moving through Congress.
McLaney’s views on those proposals – H.R.1422 and H.R.4012 – are not the subject here. He does want to remind us that we need a healthy ecosystem for our survival, just like the creatures outside. That means we need to pay attention as changes take place in the agencies we’ve put in charge of protecting it.
So devote some time to making your backyard more welcoming to wildlife. But save some time for working with your neighbors through environmental groups in our area.
He suggests the N.C. Conservation Network, N.C. Audubon, Catawba Riverkeeper and Catawba Land Conservancy. CROWN, the organization McLaney leads, is a local chapter for the N.C. Wildlife Federation.
Karen’s blog: http://homelifeclt.blogspot.com; on Twitter @sullivan_kms.

These apps help you stop junk mail, live "greener"

Your smartphone or tablet can become a tool for cutting household waste and making choices that are better for the environment and perhaps your health.
Apps for “green” living are becoming more popular and useful. These are worth a try:
PaperKarma makes it easier to stop junk mail from filling your mailbox, your home and ultimately the landfill. Take a photo of the pesky mailer you want to stop. PaperKarma goes to work to remove you from the mailing list.
Good Guide gives you ratings on eco-friendly products, including shampoos, cosmetics and cleaning products. Scan the bar code to see pros and cons for the contents.
iRecycle helps you find places and ways to recycle more than 350 materials. Batteries, construction waste, household items, and garden and hazardous waste are some of the items it can help with.
Go Green, shown at left, offers tips for a greener lifestyle, with a new idea popping up each time you open the app. Also get a “green” rating for yourself, based on your habits.
Sierra Club Trail Explorer has information on more than 40,000 trails in North America. Use the app to compile trail lists and write reviews. With an account on AllTrails.com, you can also sync to GPS.

Mark your calendar
The Greater Charlotte Home & Landscape Show will be Jan. 23-25 at Cabarrus Arena & Events Center, 4751 N.C. 49, Concord. Jason Cameron, host for DIY Network’s “Sledgehammer,” and “Desperate Landscapes,” will host free seminars. www.charlottehomeandlandscapeshow.com.
Karen’s blog: http://homelifeclt.blogspot.com; on Twitter: @sullivan_kms

This school is for learning about honeybees

The school run by the Mecklenburg County Beekeepers Association has been around at least 12 years, and Jodie Rierson is Bee School principal.
It takes a special person to aspire to that position. Rierson, who’ll welcome a new class of students Jan. 13, has been fascinated with honeybees since childhood. The honey she now harvests from her four backyard hives is one reason she continues to enjoy them. And she finds much more to admire about these communal creatures.
“It’s how smart they are,” said Rierson, 51, an association member for three years. “It’s incredible to me that they take the nectar from flowers and they cure the honey, they fan and evaporate the water out of it, they ripen it and cap it. How do they do all of that?”
Honeybees also pollinate plants that produce our food. Colonies have been declining, so Rierson was pleased to welcome more than 100 people – grade-schoolers to seniors – to the school last year to learn how to care for bees and manage hives of their own.
The class costs $70 and will take place 7-9 p.m. Tuesdays, Jan. 13-March 17, at Providence Baptist Church, 4921 Randolph Road. To sign up, register online at www.meckbees.org.
Build, Remodel and Landscape Expo has returned 
The 16th annual Build, Remodel and Landscape Expo continues Jan. 10 and 11 Saturday and Sunday at the Charlotte Convention Center, 501 S. College St. More than 10,000 people are expected to attend the show, which started Friday.
The show includes hundreds of exhibitors (remodelers, designers and landscapers), along with seminars and demonstrations. For more information, visit www.HomeShowCenter.com.

Karen’s blog: http://homelifeclt.blogspot.com; Twitter: @sullivan_kms

2014's top podcasts on design and architecture

Usually we find conversations about interior design in visual spaces – television and blogs, for example. The art of building and decorating compelling settings is also a topic to explore in your car or while wearing headphones, thanks to the podcast.
The top design and architecture podcasts, as ranked recently by Interior Design magazine, explore 3D modeling, marketing and the business side of design. The next time you’ve got some downtime, download an episode, most of which are available on iTunes:
99% Invisible: Hear discussions about design, architecture and “the 99% invisible activity that shapes our world.” Fast Company listed creator Roman Mars among its 100 Most Creative People of 2013. 99percentinvisible.org.
Archispeak: Listen to architects and those in related fields discuss life in the profession. Recent episodes looked at the challenge with recruiting younger talent and critiques of building projects. archispeakpodcast.com.
The Chaise Lounge: Successful interior designers share business and design tips. Guests include Malibu, Calif., designer Barrie Livingstone; Berkeley, Calif., designer Fu-Tung Cheng and Sue Moss, who works in Hawaii. www.thechaiseloungepodcast.com.
Design Pro Success Stories with Jeff Wortham: A forum for tips on building a business in interior design, architecture or landscape architecture. designprosuccessstories.com.
Spotlight on Design: Podcasts are from the lecture series presented by the National Building Museum. The series presents international architects and designers of distinction. www.nbm.org.

Karen’s blog: http://homelifeclt.blogspot.com; on Twitter @sullivan_kms

There's a market for home automation that can multitask

One of my good friends does plenty of things well, but she has trouble keeping up with her keys. Apparently, that happens to a lot of us.
Twenty-five percent of the people in a recent survey said they spend three minutes or more each day looking for their keys. And 62 percent of those same people said they believe we ultimately will live in a keyless society, thanks to home automation technology such as electronic locks.
Technology is a wonderful thing, but I’m worried. I’m not sure I can afford automation for the long list of issues that are hacking off chunks of my time.
I’ll need a system to find my comb every morning. My husband could use some help locating his glasses whenever we’re ready to walk out the door. Will there be an app for that?
When I do find digital workarounds for these and other setbacks, I would rather not end up with a longer list of passwords and security codes that need to be changed every 90 days. If I did, I might need to figure out a way to keep up with that, too.
So I’m ready to make a prediction now that we’re becoming more open to having home automation in our lives:
Once we’ve collected a few of these gadgets, I think we will begin to judge them much like we rate kitchen gadgets. Ultimately, tools that are versatile, multifunctional and durable are likely to be favorites. Single-use items can be harder to justify in many of our homes.

Karen’s blog: http://homelifeclt.blogspot.com; on Twitter @sullivan_kms

Holiday waste is not a memory we want to live with

Maybe we should call it the season of misgivings. Certainly, this is not the holiday memory we intended.
We’re throwing away 25 percent more trash during the holidays in this country and 33 percent more food, by one estimate. That’s about 25 million extra tons of garbage.
You’re probably too focused on wrapping gifts to consider where all the paper and cardboard will end up. But this is the right time to think about it – and to look for alternatives.
“A lot of that waste can be prevented by thinking ahead,” said Meg Fencil, education and outreach director for Sustain Charlotte, a nonprofit focused on sustainable living.
Reconsider the wrapping paper and cardboard boxes, Fencil said. Gift bags are a smart choice because you don’t need a box and you can – and should – reuse them.
Pinecones and other natural decorations can substitute for ribbons and bows.
Hide smaller gifts inside larger ones. Pinterest is a good online resource for other ideas.
In the kitchen, try not to buy more than you will need, and compost kitchen scraps.
Fencil has taken up a tradition started by her grandmother: a holiday treasure hunt. Gifts don’t have to be wrapped for this game.
The younger children go first and get five clues that led them to their toys. The older children can help, and then they get clues of their own.
“I think it was even more fun” than finding gifts under a tree, Fencil recalled. “There was a challenge to it.”
Find more tips for reducing holiday waste at www.epa.gov. Type “reduce holiday waste” in the search field.

Karen’s blog: http://homelifeclt.blogspot.com; on Twitter @sullivan_kms