Last week Toronto hosted the Green Living Show, a consumer show featuring everything from greywater irrigation systems to renewable energy (solar, wind, water) to food made from organic ingredients. In other words, everything you need to live the eco existence, including a keynote address by none other than Bill Clinton, who headlined with top tips for living green.

Mixed in with the usual contenders—chemical-free cleaning supplies, organic sauces served up with pretzels (what show would be complete without these freebie stalls?), the seemingly un-ironic car companies touting their hybrid vehicles—was a single vendor selling a basic, low-tech idea: The Living Wall.

Like any wall system, The Living Wall acts as both a privacy screen and a noise dampener, except instead of being built out of synthetic materials (brick, steel, iron) this wall is made from willow shrubs that grow quickly, is easy to maintain (the stalks keep their shape and don’t require special watering) and are hardy enough to survive the both the heat of Houston and the frigid wrath of Winnipeg.

The concept behind The Living Wall is quite old, derived from the basic recipe of combining two-year-old willows with wooden posts, which provide stability and force the shoots to project upward and straight. The Wall can be as long as you want, planted as a single line or in rows for added privacy, or in combination with other organic wall systems (see more pictures here). Willows have a lifespan of about 30 to 40 years, so replanting is necessary; other than that, the only maintenance required is gentle trimming.

Completely organic and graffiti-proof, this carbon-dioxide absorber establishes itself quickly, blends in with nature and is cheap to build and maintain—clearly a winning combination when it comes to landscaping.

My father-in-law designed and built his own house a few years ago, a job that began with clearing and levelling the land. He did everything himself, with the exception of bringing someone in to help with the foundation pour. Not bad for a guy in his 50s.

I thought of him while reading a recent press release sent out by publisher John Wiley & Sons, creator of the iconic black-and-yellow For Dummies series of reference books. Pitched to “those frustrated and hardworking souls who know they’re not dumb” but lack technical knowledge, this hugely successful series of books—150 million in print; more than 1,000 topics—has ventured deeper into the realm of eco-building with Green Building and Remodelling for Dummies, written by Eric Corey Freed, a LEED-accredited architect.

This useful book helps navigate the reader through the onslaught of “green” building materials and systems, covering everything from water and heating to energy conservation to selecting “green financing experts.”

The timing couldn’t be better. Green building has gained a steady foothold among regular homeowners who see the value in energy and water efficiency. What’s more: not only are we renovating from a green perspective, we’re simply renovating more, period. According to statistics from the U.S. Census Bureau, Americans spent approximately $230 billion on remodelling in 2007; up in Canada, more than $17.3 billion was spent in 2007, with 39 per cent of all homeowners taking on a renovation project in 2007, according to Statistics Canada. Across North America, homeowners are staying put and fixing up, not moving on.

With all the greenwash out there, having a calm, even-toned tome written for the everyman is certainly appreciated. Add to this Wiley’s other eco-themed books—Solar Power Your Home For Dummies—and other home-reno titles such as Building Your Own Home For Dummies, Home Improvement All-in-One For Dummies, plus books on bathroom and painting—and you’ve got a well-rounded foundation for environmental building.

I say “foundation” because, really, would anybody be comfortable beginning such a huge project with only a few Dummies books as technical guides? Imagine your contractor showing up with one of these books. Staying put is one thing; deciding to build your own house after watching a few episodes of Flip This House and reading the For Dummies book … well, is this really a smart idea?

Like most people, my life is full of manageable stress—bills, work, family—so the last thing I need is another anxiety-inducing worry, especially for something as innocuous as kitchen countertops. Life’s too short, right? Well, yes and no. If you’re lying awake in a cold sweat at 3a.m. you’re taking things too seriously and may need a chill pill.

That said, homeowners do take kitchen renos very seriously, and for good reason; not only do we spend large chunks of time in them while cooking and eating, but kitchens—specifically counters and cabinets—are the first place realtors look to when it comes to resale value.

Unlike other remodelling choices, countertops present myriad choices, from classic hardwood to engineered and natural stone, tile, stainless steel and concrete. Each one comes with its own pros and cons, so here’s an across-the-board lowdown:

Engineered stone: made from granite, quartz or marble mixed with resin and pigments, this type of counter looks natural, comes in many colours and resists dents and scratches. However, unlike natural stone, engineered stone isn’t porous and doesn’t require a sealer, so once it’s installed, you’re ready to go. Cost: $40 to $125 per square foot.

Natural stone: perhaps the most popular “upgrade” these days, granite, marble and slate counters bring nature inside, at a cost. These counters stand up well to heat and daily abuse but unlike engineered stone, they require twice-yearly sealing (in the case of granite) to protect against stains. Because these counters come direct from nature, the surface can appear slightly jagged and varied, which fits in perfectly with the organic, enviro-minded homeowner. Cost: $50 to $200 per square foot.

Tile: nothing says “olde tyme” quite like tiled countertops, perhaps because tiles (ceramic, porcelain, natural stone or mosaic) add a feeling of warmth and antiquity. Because tiles are often painted, colour choice is unlimited, as is texture and pattern. The downside: these puppies chip and break easily and grout requires yearly resealing to protect against mould and remove stains. Cost: $20 to $100 per square foot.

Stainless steel: stainless steel counters exude a professional, don’t mess with me, Gordon Ramsay is a personal friend attitude. The industrial-looking surface stands up well to heat, is easy to clean and requires virtually no maintenance; the fact that it easily scratches is the point here—sort of like “never trust a skinny chef.” Cost: $75 to $150 per square foot.

Hardwood: similar to tiles, hardwood gives off a rustic, Kim Robinson-esque look that harkens back to rustic living. Depending on where you live, hardwood countertops are often made from pieces of maple, yellow birch or white oak. While they stain easily, the surface is easy to repair (a light sanding and regular oiling are all that’s required). Look for products made from certified lumber. Cost: $50 to $200 per square foot.

Plastic laminate: here’s the basic, everyday material most cookie-cutter kitchens come equipped with. Easily damaged, this surface isn’t exactly durable compared with other choices. But wait, it’s not all bad; plastic laminate comes in a bevy of colours, is inexpensive and can be installed very quickly, which is key if you’re looking to sell and want a fast fix-up that still looks good. Cost: $10 to $10 per square foot.

For more about kitchen countertop choices, click here.

Most of us know the benefits of using compact fluorescent light bulbs instead of traditional, less-efficient incandescent bulbs. Compact fluorescents last up to 10 times as long as incandescent bulbs and use far less energy, making them the right choice for the earth and your pocketbook.

Compact fluorescents work by passing a current through a tube filled with a trace amount of mercury and argon gas, an inert, colourless, odourless and nontoxic gas. If you’ve ever purchased windows, you know the benefits of argon gas: reduced heat loss in winter and decreased heat gain in summer.

When I was a kid I thought argon gas was some sort of Superman-strength fume that protected against, I don’t even know, aliens? Turns out I was partly right; the gas does have superhero strength, as in light force.

Luxim, a company that specializes in developing high-efficiency lighting, recently revealed its newest project: a Tic-Tac-sized bulb that gives off as much light as a street lamp but is ultra-efficient thanks to, you guessed it, argon gas, as well as a component called a “puck.” When electrical energy is delivered to the puck, the puck acts like an electrical lens, heating up the argon to a temperature of 6000 degrees Kelvin, and turning the gas into a plasma that gives off light.

Conventional light bulbs and high-end LEDs get around 15 and 70 lumens per watt, respectively. By comparison, the plasma bulb uses 250 watts, and achieves around 140 lumens per watt, making it incredibly bright and highly efficient in its light distribution.

So while you might not need such bright lighting in your home, this tiny bulb offers a brilliant glimpse into the future.

You spend an entire month sourcing out a qualified, professional contractor to build and install new kitchen cabinets in your house. Finally you’ve found your guy: impeccable references, stunning portfolio, reasonable pricing—time to get building.

He pulls into your driveway in his Sprinter van bearing his company logo. Wearing Carhartt overalls and sporting a pencil behind his ear, he’s all class, baby. And then something happens that you weren’t expecting. While pulling out his tools—the usual heavy-duty suspects—out springs a Hello Kitty Power Sander.

If you’ve somehow managed to avoid Hello Kitty thus far, she’s that iconic Japanese character you see fixed onto everything from clothing to backpacks to jewelry, electronics …

Yes, literally everything. So why not construction equipment? Well, the obvious question is, how safe could a pink-hued, animated character-enhanced sander be? Unfortunately, exhaustive Internet searches led to zero product reviews, neither from amateurs nor professional builders. While we can’t provide a review, we can give these words of advice: if your contractor pulls out this device, kindly ask him to put it back into his Hello Kitty tool box; playtime is over.

Has anyone used this sander? Or can possibly suggest a reason for its existence?

A few weeks ago, my friend was helping renovate the inside of an old house. Tearing up the flooring, they came across old newspapers from 1965. It reminded me of author Daniel Handler, better known as Lemony Snicket, who discovered during a basement flood that his San Francisco home was built entirely on newspapers. Less harmlessly (relatively speaking) was the Toronto contractor that found himself involved in a Nancy Drew-style investigation after finding a mummified baby from 1925 when renovating a home.

These cases aside, most of us delight in finding old, antiquated “stuff” when renovating, especially if it was left behind by a long-gone homeowner. Mental Floss magazine ran a story on this very subject in their blog, asking readers to send in stories of things they found while renovating their homes. One person found a bag of empty beer cans sealed into a wall, perhaps leftovers from the bygone era of contracting.

Time capsules offer us a glimpse of yesteryear but, if you’ve got the luck of the Irish, you might dig up something worth more than sentimental value.

Sometimes retro finds can alter your project’s design, leading you down a new path based on what you found. Which leads me to wonder: if a renovator left a magazine or newspaper from today inside a wall, what would the future homeowner 70 years from now read about?

In a follow-up to Jay’s previous post, I was incredibly excited to hear the announcement today that Sony Canada is trying to divert 100% of its products from landfills by offering customers various options for disposal. According to their press release, you can do it one of three ways: drop your “end of life” (a fantastic term that calls to mind a yellow ’80s-style Walkman grinding out the final notes of a Hall & Oates cassette) products at a pre-approved recycling centre; bring them to a Sony Style store; or mail them in to the company.

Probably the best part about this is that the offer extends to any Sony product, so that old-school TV that you’ve kept for years in the hopes that it’ll be of use again someday can finally stop taking up space in the basement. Now it’s just a question of where to recycle all of those cassettes …

Put down the paint brush, sit on the couch and talk to me…

In the 1989 movie When Harry Met Sally, Carrie Fisher and Bruno Kirby play Mary and Jess (the side story to the title characters’ drama), your typical young couple struggling with cohabitation. At issue: a wagon wheel coffee table that Jess can’t live without and Carrie can’t live with. She even goes so far as to call it “this stupid, Roy Rogers, garage-sale coffee table!” Ouch … sounds like somebody needs some design therapy.

Wait a minute, design therapy? I can live with TV reno shows weaning me off wallpaper, and glossy magazines zoning in on what’s trendy. I can even handle the idea of color therapy (how certain colors resonate with our bodies and affect mood, health, emotions, etc.—it’s actually kind of cool). Hey, I like psychedelic music. But design therapy?

I’m sorry to be the one to tell you this, but it exists. But before anyone (me) writes it off as New Agey renovation excess, perhaps there’s some merit to it. After all, if feng shui has earned a place in home renovations, then maybe design therapy can, too.

We all know how stressful a home renovation can be, especially when there are two head chefs: the couple, the Mary and Jess. Disagreements and blowups can happen over light fixtures, let alone overall design. Design therapists, or “coaches” as they’re known in the biz, help clients work through the decision-making process, negotiate with contractors and architects, set a budget and timeline and mediate conflicts, between the clients themselves and the people they hire.

Former This Old House TV show executive producer-turned-therapist Bruce Irving helped a Boston couple negotiate changes with their architect, something they were struggling with. After all, who were they to argue with years of architectural education? Dealing with experts can be terrifying, and if help is available these days for everything from walking your dog to personal shopping, why not hire a professional to mediate your home’s future?

But design therapists don’t just help with conflicts; they also guide overall design so that it’s in line with your personality, which is especially critical when it comes to wagon wheel tables, beer can collections and (ladies, you’re not exempt here) a drift toward floral and (gasp!) mauve.

Design therapy: it’s only a matter of time before Woody discovers it.

Ah, springtime. The melting of snow, the sprouting of tulips, the return to life for many of us … and when I say “us,” I’m not just talking human beings. Spring cleaning can unearth unwanted house guests such as termites and carpenter ants that have been sleeping—that is, burrowing, building nests—in your walls and floors.

According to the Termite Institute, termites are a $5 billion problem for homeowners. Perhaps an even bigger problem, ants—not just carpenter but 10 different species that can threaten homes—are capable of infesting and multiplying at rapid rates. You know what I mean if you’ve ever left a can of pop open outside in summertime, or dropped fruit scraps in the kitchen; in mere hours, ants are at the scene like paparazzi on Britney (another unwanted, gross house guest).

Besides entomologists and Gary Larson fans, nobody wants to talk about pests unless you’re already facing an infestation; however, because termites and ants can strike without warning, even the best-kept homes are at risk.

The Termite Institute and the Ant Institute are trying to change all this by speaking out to homeowners about these pesky pests, providing homeowners with identification, prevention and eradication information. Especially interesting, both websites offer live web cameras that vividly simulate what it would be like if either bug moved in.

If you’ve read this far, you’re either worried about infestation or already dealing with one. Horror stories certainly abound across the Web, from those dealing with ongoing struggles that want to share their knowledge, to notification of goings on Down Under, where admittedly, the bugs look a whole lot scarier. For elimination of termites, the University of Kentucky’s Department of Entomology has a straightforward guide for homeowners, including how to deal with the problem and how to prevent it from happening in the first place.

The University has a similar site for ants, again directed right at homeowners. Why so generous, Kentucky? Maybe it’s all that tasty blue grass.

By now, you can tell how much we at HRG love watching home renovation shows, be it on TV or online. So when a casting call notice for a couple of home-focused TV shows crossed my in-box today, it was hard to resist putting it up here. And so I didn’t. For all those interested in televising their renovation in all of its glory, for the amusement of family, friends and the general public, look no further than the posting below. Good luck!

Casting for Save Us From Our House on the W Network & The Reno Show on HGTV

For Save Us From Our House:

We’re looking for couples & families of all sorts living in the Greater Toronto Area who are struggling to get along with each other and their space. Families with conflicts arising from, or made worse by aspects of the physical space they share will be considered.

Selected recipients will receive family sessions with our Relationship Counselor, and a full renovation of a problem area in their home by our Contractor and Designer.

Please Note:
-Homeowners need to have a solid reno/design budget of at least $5000
-Your situation must have a strong story involving family relationships strains caused or intensified by the state of your living space
-Renovations are approximately 15 days, 10 days for the renovation and 5 for the design
- We are currently NOT doing Kitchens and bathrooms

For The Reno Show:

Do you cringe every time you walk into a certain space in your home? Do you feel as though you just don’t know what to do with it? Bedrooms, living rooms,
dens. HGTV is interested in transforming your space! AT NO COST
Let our contracting and design team help you. Applicants must be outgoing, exuberant and have a great sense of humour. Must live in the TORONTO area. RIGHT NOW WE ARE DOING MINOR RENOVATIONS ONLY!
Applicants must own their home. We are currently not doing kitchens, bathrooms, yards or any unfinished space like a basement, or any children’s rooms.

Tell us about you and your housemates, whether they be family, spouse, roommate, companion, and why you all want to be a part of the show.

How to Apply

For Save Us From Our House or The Reno Show

Please provide us with:
1)Your contact information (phone, cell and e-mail)
2)Your story, including the names and ages of all your family members, and a description of your home
3)A family photograph, and a few of your home (especially the problem areas)

DEADLINE: FRIDAY APRIL 4th 2008
Rate: For SAVE US FROM OUR HOUSE There is a minimum requirement of $5000.
Total renovations provided by design team are valued between $20,000 and $25,000 depending on project size. FOR THE RENO SHOW, THERE IS NO PAYMENT BUT YOU WILL RECEIVE A ROOM MAKEOVER FROM 2 WELL SOUGHT-AFTER DESIGNERS.
Those that we are interested in we will arrange to come to your home for a 30-minute interview. We will also view the room that you want to be renovated.

Please send applications to: Larissa Mair and Lisa Campbell
SAVE US FROM OUR HOUSE: saveusfromourhouse@gmail.com
THE RENO SHOW: designpeople07@gmail.com