- 13 hours ago
Bea (@bea.copeland) just bought her first house, and it needs a lot of work! In this episode, Bea collaborates with an interior designer named Maria Lomanto (@designglxy) who helps her decide on healthy, non-toxic, and sustainable design choices for her kitchen nook. Tune in to see what Bea decides on and how she makes it happen!
Maria is an award-winning Interior Designer who specializes in built environments (commercial & residential) that are healthy, non-toxic, and enlivened by biophilic and sensory design principles. Follow and connect with her here: http://designglxy.com/
Bea’s Overalls can be found at Handyma'am: http://www.handymaamgoods.com
ECOS Paints specializes in non-toxic, zero VOC, and water-based paints. The paint Bea used on the Walls & Ceiling is in the color 1526 Creamery White and the Window Trim is in the color 1520 Met Grey from ECOS Paints: http://www.ecospaints.net
Light Fixture bought second hand from AptDeco: http://www.aptdeco.com
ABOUT SERIES
Join Bea Copeland, a designer and DIY-er with a passion for home improvement, as she gets to work on renovating her new home! From installing wainscoting to creating one of a kind concrete countertops, each episode features a different renovation project with tips on how you can do it too.
ABOUT REFINERY29
Refinery29 is a modern woman's destination for how to live a stylish, well-rounded life. http://refinery29.com/
RELATED CONTENT
DIY: Concrete Kitchen Countertops
https://youtu.be/78LsyLXTJc4
Wallpapering & Wainscoting
https://youtu.be/Gh40xcN6zyo
Upcycling An Old Oil Tank Into A Planter
https://youtu.be/vOlq6NnABII
SUBSCRIBE TO REFINERY29
Subscribe to the Refinery29 channel: http://bit.ly/subscribe-to-r29
Follow Refinery29 on Instagram: https://instagram.com/refinery29/
Follow Somos on Instagram: https://instagram.com/r29somos/
Follow Unbothered on Instagram: https://instagram.com/r29unbothered/
Maria is an award-winning Interior Designer who specializes in built environments (commercial & residential) that are healthy, non-toxic, and enlivened by biophilic and sensory design principles. Follow and connect with her here: http://designglxy.com/
Bea’s Overalls can be found at Handyma'am: http://www.handymaamgoods.com
ECOS Paints specializes in non-toxic, zero VOC, and water-based paints. The paint Bea used on the Walls & Ceiling is in the color 1526 Creamery White and the Window Trim is in the color 1520 Met Grey from ECOS Paints: http://www.ecospaints.net
Light Fixture bought second hand from AptDeco: http://www.aptdeco.com
ABOUT SERIES
Join Bea Copeland, a designer and DIY-er with a passion for home improvement, as she gets to work on renovating her new home! From installing wainscoting to creating one of a kind concrete countertops, each episode features a different renovation project with tips on how you can do it too.
ABOUT REFINERY29
Refinery29 is a modern woman's destination for how to live a stylish, well-rounded life. http://refinery29.com/
RELATED CONTENT
DIY: Concrete Kitchen Countertops
https://youtu.be/78LsyLXTJc4
Wallpapering & Wainscoting
https://youtu.be/Gh40xcN6zyo
Upcycling An Old Oil Tank Into A Planter
https://youtu.be/vOlq6NnABII
SUBSCRIBE TO REFINERY29
Subscribe to the Refinery29 channel: http://bit.ly/subscribe-to-r29
Follow Refinery29 on Instagram: https://instagram.com/refinery29/
Follow Somos on Instagram: https://instagram.com/r29somos/
Follow Unbothered on Instagram: https://instagram.com/r29unbothered/
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LifestyleTranscript
00:00You can't even read the names because then you start thinking that the name of the paint
00:03is important.
00:04I mean, who doesn't want Eskimo boot?
00:06Silky green?
00:08Like, sign me up.
00:09Sheepskin?
00:09I don't even care what the color is, I want it.
00:11Do not pick a paint by its name.
00:14I'm Bea, a designer and a DIYer with a passion for home improvement.
00:19Whoa!
00:20I just bought my first house and it needs a lot of work.
00:22A lot of vandalism.
00:23Rodent.
00:24Stripper pool here.
00:25Rat stage here.
00:26So it's time to put my skills to the test.
00:28I love learning from the pros, but sometimes I'm going to try things my way.
00:33Join me for the adventure.
00:43Hey, I'm Bea and on today's episode I'm finishing my dining nook.
00:48This dining nook is the only addition that I made to the house.
00:52I knew from the beginning I wanted this room to have windows on three sides.
00:56This idea that this would almost be a sunroom.
01:00This room is a completely blank canvas.
01:03The windows are in and now I'm kind of at a loss of what to do.
01:08There's so many decisions to make.
01:10I mean, there's no light fixture.
01:11There's no paint on the walls.
01:13There's not even a floor.
01:15I have an idea.
01:17I want to talk to an interior designer.
01:21Hi Bea.
01:22Hi Maria.
01:22You're here.
01:23I am here and I am so excited.
01:25I see you've brought goodies.
01:27Oh yes.
01:27Now Maria, you're an interior designer, but you actually work a little more specifically.
01:33Tell me about that.
01:33I basically focus on health, wellness, and sustainability.
01:38Very cool.
01:39What does that mean?
01:41It means that I am looking to make sure that any space that I design is as non-toxic as
01:48possible.
01:49Because a lot of the materials that end up getting used are, I hate to say it, either carcinogens or
01:55endocrine disruptors.
01:57Some manufacturers are working to remove these things or they are creating new products.
02:02So I am constantly looking for the things that are the healthiest for people and for you.
02:09One of my goals is to be more sustainable in this room, in this house.
02:15Like, where do I start?
02:17You start with your own values and priorities.
02:21Okay.
02:21When you're talking about trying to be sustainable when it comes to the home, it can be overwhelming.
02:27So you have to break it down into what you value and then take it a step at a time.
02:33Let me gather all my materials, my committed design choices.
02:37And then I'm going to maybe try to...
02:39You're going to mess it up.
02:40I'm going to mess it up.
02:40It's going to get messy.
02:41I'm totally going to mess it up.
02:44So here's what I got.
02:47This is the floor.
02:48This is the parquet that was in the house.
02:50Oh yeah.
02:51So this is a reuse.
02:52Yes.
02:53Very sustainable.
02:54Yay!
02:54Okay.
02:55This is a sample, just a little cutting of these old beams that I have.
03:01My dad actually salvaged them from a house he was working on.
03:04We love salvaged material.
03:06Yeah.
03:07I love the kind of life on them.
03:10These are like little nail holes.
03:12That would be the most sustainable thing to do.
03:15Okay.
03:15Is just to use them as is.
03:17Great.
03:17Because then you're not adding any varnishes or sealers.
03:20Yep.
03:20Which get filled with all sorts of toxins.
03:23So that's fantastic.
03:24Great.
03:24Looking and seeing what you like.
03:26I start to see an aesthetic.
03:28You know, sort of very natural.
03:30I forgot something.
03:32Very important.
03:33Oh my goodness.
03:36Okay.
03:36So.
03:37Wow.
03:39Fabulous.
03:40I found this on App Deco.
03:42Yes.
03:42That's second hand.
03:44Amazing.
03:44Amazing resource for second hand goods.
03:46Second hand is really important to me.
03:48One way that you can be sustainable is to reduce your waste.
03:51So you can buy things that are second hand.
03:55You're not using virgin materials in the finishes that you put into your home.
03:59I do feel like second hand, low waste, that is very high for me.
04:03Because in my experience, it's just a very actionable thing I can do every single day.
04:09I have color wheels so that we can look at the colors and how they relate to one another.
04:15I mean, I'll just admit, I'm very afraid of color.
04:18That's kind of what I need to for.
04:20I am just totally overwhelmed.
04:22So when we create color harmonies in a space with complementary colors, our brains just kind of go, ah.
04:32Wellness takes into account neuroscience and how that affects us because there are ways that you can build spaces incorporating
04:39biophilic design.
04:41Sorry.
04:42Yes.
04:43Biophilic design basically taps into humans' innate connection to nature.
04:49You know, you have these amazing windows.
04:51You, maybe without even knowing, incorporated biophilic design because you brought nature in by allowing yourself the view.
04:59Our brains love to chew on the patterns of nature, the shifts in light.
05:05Whoa.
05:05It will reduce cortisol levels.
05:08It'll calm people.
05:09It can help people to focus.
05:11I love that idea because this whole house for me is calming.
05:16You brought this healthy paint.
05:18The ECOS paint deck.
05:21Okay.
05:21And I know that we had sort of pre-selected some colors that are all in the neutrals for your
05:27walls.
05:28They have very low VOCs, so they reach a standard.
05:32And I think it's one of the California standards for VOC emissions.
05:37Which California has high standards.
05:39Yes, they do.
05:40One of the things that you want to avoid when looking for paints is alkylphenol ethyl oxalates.
05:47And I think I just said that wrong.
05:49Okay.
05:49They are carcinogens.
05:52This is a paint sample, right?
05:54Put it up on the wall and look at it.
05:56Because paint will change with the light.
05:58I already see the difference of like the light hitting it here.
06:01Completely.
06:01Versus it going up on the ceiling.
06:03So that's how you would sample kind of any paint color.
06:06Yep.
06:06I'm unpacking the fire clay tiles.
06:09Fire clay set goals for themselves of zero waste.
06:13They are a B corporation.
06:16They reuse a lot of their materials to remake their clay tiles.
06:21Is there anything that jumps at you?
06:23Jumps out?
06:24Yep.
06:24These two do.
06:26This blue picks up the orange undertones in all of these things.
06:31Interesting.
06:31I mean, yeah.
06:32That is exactly across from each other on the color wheel.
06:36Blue.
06:37And orange.
06:38And color is fascinating.
06:39You can also put certain colors together next to each other and they'll literally vibrate.
06:44There's so much to play with.
06:45You could bring things in in different ways.
06:47All of these brands you're bringing in here are vetted by like your criteria of what's health,
06:53wellness, sustainability in the home.
06:55Yes.
06:55And they all have some certification.
06:58And certifications are important.
07:00Because what you have to be careful of is greenwashing and marketing.
07:04It's rampant.
07:06And companies will use terms like sustainable or they'll say, oh, recycled content.
07:12You have to be very careful to understand what that means.
07:16The GOTS standard is the global organic textile standard.
07:21It's something to look for, whether you're looking for sheets, bedding, clothing.
07:26It means that from start to finish, from growing the fibers, the plant to the finished product,
07:33it is organic.
07:34So it's truly non-toxic.
07:36But ultimately, you have to go with something that your gut says you like.
07:40It's your home.
07:41The best way to do that is by sampling, right?
07:44Yes.
07:44Sample, sample, sample.
07:46Looking at them all together, you know, it's kind of like a happy family.
07:49You want to make sure that they all get along.
07:51Oh my gosh.
07:52It's a lot to think about.
07:54It is.
07:54We're never going to make decisions in one sitting.
07:57No, you should never make decisions in one sitting.
08:01Would you like to sit at the table?
08:02Oh, yes.
08:04We're doing this in a completely unconventional way, but this works.
08:08Okay.
08:08So, I've got 52 inches.
08:10Okay.
08:11It's a pretty wide table.
08:12And is that a standard size?
08:14No.
08:15Okay.
08:15But at least we know what the limits are.
08:18You need to know what else needs to be in here.
08:20Yeah.
08:20We're going to see how big your space is.
08:2210 feet, 5 inches.
08:24Let's mark a few things out.
08:25And then we've got to decide how many people do you want to seat?
08:28How much space are you comfortable allowing yourself, your guests, whoever's going to be here to get by?
08:35Is it a round table?
08:37Is it a square table?
08:38Is it a longer rectangle?
08:41Thank you so much, Maria.
08:43There's so much to think about.
08:44And you are this like wealth of knowledge on the health, wellness, sustainability in the home.
08:49And I find it so fascinating.
08:51And I feel very lucky that you shared so much of it today.
08:55I'm really happy to help.
08:57Hopefully that niche will not be niche for too much longer as more people are doing what you're doing.
09:03But before that happens, you've got your work cut out for you.
09:07You've got homework.
09:07I know.
09:08You've got to pick a paint color.
09:10You have to pick a tile color.
09:12And you have to source a table.
09:14I'm looking forward to seeing what you land on.
09:17Yeah.
09:17And I'm wishing you tons of luck.
09:19And you can always call.
09:20Good luck.
09:21Thank you so much, Maria.
09:23I guess it's time to do some homework.
09:27Maria gave me a lot to think about.
09:29And now it's time to hone in on what materials I want in this space and what I want it
09:33to look like.
09:35Maria was telling me to always take your paint samples around the room, see it in different light, see it
09:40in artificial light.
09:41Because that will impact or change the way that you see the color.
09:45It's one thing to see your paint up close, but it's a totally different thing to step back and see
09:52it from afar.
09:54This is another tip I heard about.
09:56Walk out of the room.
09:58And then you come back in with fresh eyes.
10:02It looks cool.
10:04Yeah, it's just like a little subtle touch that I think does make a huge difference, especially because of the
10:10view.
10:11You get the blue skies and they just kind of continue inside the house, which is kind of cool.
10:16That biophilic design that Maria was talking about.
10:19I see how it's important to have all of your materials together so that you can make decisions at the
10:25same time with everything present instead of, you know, one thing at a time.
10:37Liam and I are cutting down these salvage beams.
10:41We've only got one shot.
10:43This is a 200 year old beam.
10:45It's a measure twice, cut once moment.
10:47We've only got one shot.
11:09Thinking about Maria's criteria for tiles, I was shocked to find a handmade and sun-dried Cetillo tile at a
11:17main site.
11:17It's a major hardware store.
11:18I had to look through all of the boxes to find enough tiles that weren't damaged.
11:22But after a lot of digging, I found them.
11:2599 tiles for my dining nook.
11:30This is only my second time tiling.
11:32Let's see how it goes.
11:42The dining nook is complete and I'm very, very happy with it.
11:46I think it's just serene and inviting and it has this kind of old world feel to it that I
11:56love because it's actually the newest part of the house but it looks just like a perfect fit.
12:01It's become this elevated sunroom that I think I only kind of dreamt about.
12:06Choosing paint was very hard.
12:08As we all know, I'm a little bit color averse so I finally landed on a great white.
12:15What Maria talked about was bringing in the warm tones into this room and I found this really beautiful creamy
12:22white that I love from Ecos paints.
12:24And I matched that with a, it's called Met Gray and it's another Ecos paint color and that was one
12:32of their suggested pairings.
12:34And I am just thrilled with the way it came out.
12:36I think it frames the windows so beautifully and softens them so that the nature outside really steals the show.
12:47The beams that I used, those were salvaged from a home to frame this nook.
12:53It gives it this little threshold framing.
12:55I think the beams help make this space a little bit cozier.
13:00And it also ages this house in a way.
13:02It makes it look like this house is actually much older than it is.
13:06In a good way.
13:07I love how the App Deco chandelier fills the ceiling.
13:12It has these long curved spindly arms that I think soften some of the harder edges of this room.
13:20I knew I wanted to go with a matte finish for my tile.
13:24There's so much light bouncing around this room already that I didn't want any glossiness on the floor.
13:29So that's why I went searching for a different floor tile.
13:33Not only were they handmade in North America, but they were also very affordable.
13:40And that was kind of shocking to me because I think part of me thought that to be sustainable,
13:46to be eco-friendly, meant that there would be a big price tag.
13:50They brought in that color, I think, that Maria was kind of pointing me to.
13:54So when I found these red Sotillo tiles with kind of red and yellow and orange hues,
14:01they are a little loud for me, but I trusted the conversation that Maria had about color.
14:07So these tiles were just such a good find and I'm so happy with how they turned out.
14:13I went on a big search for my dining room table.
14:17And ultimately, I found this table for free on a Facebook group.
14:23So while it may not have been the table I would have picked out at a store,
14:27the fact that it is second-hand and it was free makes me love this table even more.
14:32I was so overwhelmed with this room because it was such a blank slate
14:37and I couldn't be happier with where it is now.
14:41I think it really is a representation of me, my style, and my responsibility to the earth,
14:47my strive for eco-friendly and sustainable choices.
14:51What really stuck with me from my time with Maria was that bringing sustainability into your home
14:56doesn't need to be this overwhelming overhaul of your space.
15:02She was able to unpack it for me in a way that I think will carry through to the rest
15:07of the house.
15:08It's not just about a carbon footprint of a product or a material.
15:11It's also about the health and the wellness that it brings to your home.
15:15What might be seen as a limitation as far as low carbon footprint or low emission materials
15:23can also open a door to a different kind of design or look than you thought was possible.
15:35Thanks for stopping by. See you next time.
15:45See you next time.
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