• SURFACES

Getting Started• Clear the room, gather all of

your supplies, and lay out yourdrop cloth.

• Scrape off any loose paint, ifneeded.

• Remove any nails from the walland spackle any holes or imper-fections. Sand smooth.

• Clean the walls and trim, ifneeded. Dust along the base-boards, windows, and doorwayswith a damp cloth.

• Caulk along the trim, if needed.• Tape off the room if you like to

use painter’s tape.

Painting the Room• Prime. Pour your primer into a

small bowl and cut in (paint thecorners and edges of the room)with a brush first. If you’ll bepainting the trim, you can primeit now too. Clean your brushwhen you’re done.

• Grab your roller and a rollercover, and pour your primer intoa paint tray. Prime the walls.

• Paint. If you are painting thewalls and the trim, decidewhich you will do first. Here, I’llassume you’re doing the walls

first. Again, cut in first with abrush and then paint the wallswith a roller. Wrap your rollerand paint tray in plastic andclean your brush and paint bowlwhile you wait for the room todry, then do a second coat.

• Clean your brush, bowl, tray,roller, and roller cover (if youplan to reuse it).

• If you used painter’s tape,remove it as soon as the paintis dry to the touch.

• Wait for your paint to be com-pletely dry before taping offagain for the trim. You maywant to wait a day to be sure.

• Apply two coats of paint to thetrim, letting the paint dry inbetween. You can wrap yourbrush in plastic or clean it whileyou wait for the first coat todry, then clean everything upwhen you’re done.

• Again, if you used painter’stape, remove it as soon as thepaint is dry to the touch. If thepaint begins to peel, score theedge lightly with a razor.

• Clean up, put the room backtogether, and pat yourself onthe back. You’re finished!

2

STEP-BY-STEP GUIDETO PAINTING AROOM FOR THEHOLIDAYS

Akiela Hope

The Christmas lights, whichare strategically adorned onthe pillars, blink like a heartbeat to the sounds ofChristmas Parang emanatingfrom inside the home.

The smell of the freshlymowed lawn still lingered in theair and the wreath that is hungon the polished solid wood door,greet visitors with the word‘Welcome’ stretched across it.

Sounds delightful? Well, theseare some of the many decora-tions that you can see from yearto year at Christmas time. Whiletraditional looks are still popular;a lot of people are moving awayfrom the contemporary look andare starting to create their ownfeel of Christmas decor.

Sonia Telleria, InteriorDesigner of Caribbean DesignLtd, knows exactly how tochange it up and add her ownpersonality to the décor atChristmas, has provided a fewtips.

Decorative balls that are usedon the Christmas tree can beused to decorate your table. Theway it will be decorated howev-er, remains with the homeownerpreferences and choice of style.

If it is possible you can cut afew branches from a pine treeand strategically place them ona mantel or sideboard with can-dles creating that festive mood.

Believe it or not orange peelscan be used to add to the aromaof the festive time. You can usethe peel and bake them on avery low temperature. You donot want the peel to burnbecause it will dry up and losethe smell.

Another way to use orangesfor aroma is by boiling them. Inorder for it to work the orangeshas to equal the amount ofwater being used. For exampleone saucepan equals 2-3oranges.

Cut the oranges in four partsand put to boil, leave to simmer.The constant steam will gener-ate the fragrance. If this is oneof the aromas that you want totry it should be put to boil rightbefore your guests arrive. Thisscent usually last longer in air-conditioned homes.

Burning scented candles suchas cinnamon and evergreens isanother simple way of gettingthat festive experience.

Change the painting in yourhome and then replace themwhen the season is over. Youcan even use decorative wreathswhere the paintings wereinstead of putting it on the door,also removing them whenChristmas has passed.

You can also have an areawhere you can place all your kidscollectibles from school. The dif-ferent crafts and post cards forMother’s/Father’s day,Christmas day and other specialevents.

Buy inexpensive fabric such asorganza and use it as a cover oryour mantel. You should buybasic colours that can be utilisedover the years, so that it willblend with any theme youdecide upon.

Changing you cushion coversto something sparkly just forthe season can help create thatatmosphere.

Put away ornaments fromthroughout the year and changethem into Christmas ornaments.

3

• Design & Decor

SPU Producer: Tracey Alonzo tracey.alonzo@guardian.co.ttHead of Design: Marketing/SPU Denise BaptisteAssociate Editors: Lisa Jessamy • Halcyon PierreDesign/Layout: Sean Simon • Nicolas Spencer • Psyche MitchellWriters: Akiela Hope • Shelton Alexis

Kaelanne Jordan • Christine Dalkan • Darrel DookooRandall Waddell • Nadaleen Singh

Contributors: Inex Consultants • Whan Tong AgenciesHomework Design Studio

Special Publications enquiries: spu1 @guardian.co.tt

SalesSales Manager: George Elias george.elias@guardian.co.ttAccount Executive: Bryan Saunders

Tel: 623-8870 Ext: 2702 M: 356-4331bryan.saunders@guardian.co.tt

E D I T O R ’ S N O T EThe holidays are here! It’s a won-

derful time of the year filled with,good cheer, good food and belovedfamily and friends. But more oftenthan not the good cheer can turn intonot-so-good stress when things startto go awry.

In this issue of @Home magazine,get your home in order this holidayseason with great tips and inspira-tional ideas that will fill your homewith comfort and joy..

Turn on some festive backgroundmusic, whistle while you clean, cookup a holiday feast, welcome yourappreciative guests and have a greattime in your own holiday home!

Cheers to all our readers, advertis-ers and the Guardian Media team,Merry Christmas and Happy Year!

Lisa Jessamy, Associate EditorSpecial Publications Unit

I N S I D EENTERTAININGWITH DARREL DOOKOO PG 5-6

DESIGN FOCUSWITH RANDALL WADDELL PG 7

GO BOLDWITH PATTERNS AND COLOURS PG 11

SAFETY TIPSDECORATING OUTDOORS PG 14

DIFFERENCEDÉCORAT CHRISTMAS

Special Publications Unit

Original designs by: Lisa Jessamy.

4

Shrimp & Crab Bruschetta• 1 pound cooked small shrimp, peeled,

deveined and chopped (reserve 16 wholefor garnish, optional)

• 1 pound cooked crab meat• 2 small tomatoes, cored and chopped (1

cup) • 2 tablespoons ketchup • 1 tablespoon packed dark brown sugar • 1 clove garlic, chopped • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley • 2 tablespoon of chopped fresh shadow

beni• 2 tablespoons olive oil • 1 1/2 tablespoons rice vinegar • Salt and pepper • 16 slices of French bread

•Mix shrimp and crab, tomatoes,ketchup, brown sugar, garlic, shadowbeni and parsley. Add oil and vinegar.Season with salt and pepper. Keep coveredand chilled.

•Prepare grill and set rack 6 inches fromheat. Lightly brush one side of each pieceof bread with oil. Grill bread, oiled side up,for 1 minute. Turn and grill other side untillightly browned, 1 to 2 minutes.

•Spoon a heaping tablespoon of shrimpmixture on top of oiled side of each breadslice. Garnish with whole shrimp, if desired

AppetizerApple Fried Rice• Boil and drain 4 cps Jasmine Rice

then set aside and cool• Small dice carrot, celery and onion • 1cup chopped fresh parsley or cilantro

and set aside• Wash, dry then small dice red apples

and set aside (4-5)• Heat 4tb of oil in pot and sautee veg-

etables, add salt & pepper to tast• Return rice to pot and toss• Finally add apples and fresh chopped

parsley or cilantro... Toss then serve

Oven Roasted Whole Citrus Duck• Whole duck cleaned and washed then

pat dry• Season with salt, smoked paprika,

minced garlic, minced ginger andminced shadow beni

• Marinade: 1cup of Orange juice, 1/2cup of Hoisin Sauce, 1/2 cup of brandyor Grand Marneir, dash a liberalamount of Orange Bitters over duck.Reserve a small amount of marinadeto baste duck throughout the roastingprocess.

• Roast uncovered on 400 degrees for1hour then reduce heat to 350 andcover with foil.  Continue to bake untildoneness...Depending on the size ofthe bird

Main Course

Christmas (Warm Apple Purse with Fresh Berries& White Chocolate Ganache)

• Peel and quarter granny smith apples(2-4)

• Carmelize apples in melted butter(1stick) and sugar (1cup)

• Add the juice of 1lemon in to the panof carmelized mixture, 2tsp of cinna-mon, 1tsp of nutmeg and zest of1lemon

• Let stand and cool • Use melted butter to brush filo dough

pastry sheets• Fill one corner of the sheet and fold

and brush with butter...repeat apply-ing butter as you fold until the purseis complete

• Fry or bake then let cool• Drizzle White Ganache over purse

and top with powdered sugar(optional) fresh berries and mint leaf

Dessert

8 ounces (227 grams) white chocolate, cut into small pieces 3/4 cup (180 ml) heavy whipping cream

2 tablespoons (28 grams) unsalted butter 1 tablespoons cognac or brandy (optional)

Place the chopped chocolatein a medium sized heatproofbowl. Set aside. Heat the creamand butter in a small saucepanover medium heat. (Can alsoheat the cream and butter inthe microwave.) Bring just to aboil. Immediately pour the boil-

ing cream over the chocolateand allow to stand, without stir-ring, for a few minutes. Stirgently (as you do not want toincorporate air into theganache) with a spoon or whiskuntil smooth. If desired, add theliqueur.

Hot Chocolate Martini:• Your Favorite Powder

Chocolate Mix• 2oz Baileys Mint Cream• 2oz Ponche Creme• 1/2 tsp of grated

nutmeg• 1tb of ground cinnamon• 1tb of vanilla essence

Combine all ingredients insmall pot and bring to slowsimmer.  Strain and pour intomartini glass. Salt the glasswith cinnamon sugar mixand garnish with fresh mintleaf and marshmallows.

Drink

White Chocolate Ganache

• IN THE KITCHEN

By Chef Shelton Alexis

Photo by Zurab Katamadze

9 Pole Carew Street, Woodbrook 622-8924Look for us on facebook

Sunday Openings Dec. 11th and 18th

1pm-4pm

Beautiful Planters in assortedstyles and colours

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• Entertaining5

Outdoors? WHY NOT...

Outdoor entertaining is a greatoption that people seem to overlook,but the benefits derived are reward-

ing. The mere fact that you have much

more space and natural God given

ambiance does not take much to trans-form a simple gathering into an awesomeevening. Now that Christmas is upon usand we have that tiresome routine of"You invite me and I invite you over" con-sider this time using outdoors.

Some people are blessed with having anoutdoor kitchen or back deck whichmakes outdoor entertaining a breeze. Ifyou don’t then use your garage or rent atent and you can still achieve the sameeffect.

continued on page 6

SeatingThis is one of the main aspects in

planning your function. Make sureyou have arranged seating accommo-dations to suit your guest list. Don’tforget extra tables for food and cut-lery. If there is enough seating andtables outside there is no need foranyone to be trampling on the inside.The trick is set up tables mimickingyour kitchen. One for cutlery, one forfood, and one for any odds and endsthat you will require. If this is doneyou can actually be there with yourguest while entertaining and servingat the same time.

Entertaining withDarrel Dookoo

Inex Consultants…The Design Specialist

SPECIALISING IN:

- Pool Design & Installation - Rock Gardens - Indoor & Outdoor Water Features

Season’s Greetings from our Management and staff

Contact: Darrel Dookoo for appointment291-2326

1218029

• Entertaining

6

DecorDepending on the occasion you can incor-

porate coloured lights to balloons. But makesure that your tables are adorned with ele-gant centre pieces incorporating the sametheme that you have followed when deco-rating the interior of your house so thatthere is a smooth flow from inside out. Planning the Meal

Never try to do everything byyourself. If you insist on doingeverything you might find at theend of the party you haven’t had adecent conversation with anyone.Incorporate your guest in puttingthings together. As your peoplestart arriving start delegatingchores. "Hi Ann-Marie, so nice ofyou to come! Can you please helpme set the tables?" Let part ofyour meal be something that youare cooking outdoors, and let it bethe focal point or the conversationpiece of the lime. eg. Your big potof curry duck or your BBQ chickenon the grill. Chill your drinks aheadof time. The trick is you don’t needa cooler, all you need is ice in anycontainer and water filled to thebrim. The cold water chills thedrinks.

CutleryIt’s Christmas! And

anything to make theworkload easier iswelcomed. Go plasticdisposable from cups

to plates to napkins.Of course at this timeyou would want touse Christmas orient-ed stuff. All this elimi-nates the hours ofwashing dishes.

Clean upMake sure you

have garbage bagsin strategic posi-tions. Especially ifyou are using plas-tic cutlery. Youdon’t want youryard covered inwhite cups nextmorning. Againmake the cleaningup process part ofthe lime to lightenthe workload.Once it’s yourgood friends andfamily, nobodyminds chipping in.

If you entertainoutdoors you willnotice comeJanuary your houseis still spotlessbecause you havenot abused your liv-ing room or kitchen.Your friends andfamily had an awe-some time and youdidn’t even have toworry about spillson the carpet oranything expensivebeing broken. Therewas more space sothat people wereable to be them-selves and evenyou could laugh. Sothis season consid-er ringing in theNew Year outside.

Entertaining with Darrel Dookoo cont’d

• Design & Decor

Money is a lot harder to come bythese days, many people are afraidof losing their jobs, worried abouttheir financial future and less likelyto commit to making major changesto their home interiors, but thatdoesn't mean we have to sit backand do nothing. We can have funand change our interior spaces with-out having to spend a cent.

We just need to get a little creative!Here are some ideas on how you canmake your home feel like it has had amakeover without dipping into yourpocket.

• Shift furniture into differentrooms, it's amazing how achange of environment canmake a piece of furniture lookcompletely different.

• Rearrange your artwork on thewalls, reposition mirrors - thishelps change the light in yourroom and depending on whereyou place them, can make a

room feel larger.

• Clean your walls. I know thissounds too simple, but over timeall the little knocks and bumpsleave marks and the walls canlook like they have just beenrepainted if you give them agood scrub.

• Take down your curtains andclean them, they will look muchbrighter and look as good asnew.

• Talk to a good friend and see ifhe/she wants to exchange anyhome decor items for a fewmonths until you both tire ofthem again. This could be anarea rug, decorative pots, sculp-ture, artwork, vases, and cush-ions. Instead of storing it orthrowing it away, share it!

• Most local credit card compa-nies’ offer reward points. Think

about using those to get a fewnew decorative items for yourhome? An easy way to have thefeel good factor of somethingnew without having to part withany money.

• Sort your linen cupboard and pullout the towels that never getused, it will feel like you havebrand new towels for your bath-room.

• The same for sheets and bed-spreads. We often have morethan one but forget about themstuffed down the back of thecupboard, clean out the cup-boards and mix and match themin your different rooms and youhave a new look!

• Pack up current items in thehouse and swap them for thingsthat had been put away. Thesecould be floor standing lamps,side table lamps, a stack of vin-

tage suitcases that you didn'tknow what to do with, stackthem and use them as a sidetable.

• We all have paint lying around inour store-rooms, take it out andgive the outside a revamp. Useit to paint the outdoor pots a dif-ferent color or perhaps paint thefront door a new color, or eventhe mailbox.

• Paint a wall and make it a fea-ture in any room.

Those are just a few ideas to getyou started. I bet you will start tothink of more as you go along.

Being a Scrooge can be fun as wellas rewarding as you can now affordto bring some comfort and joy tothose more in need!

Have a very Merry Christmas.HomeWork Design Studio

www.homeworktt.com

7

HOW TO HAVE FUN"Bah, humbug!…. I’m gonna be a

Scrooge this Christmas!

WITH YOUR

INTERIOR WITHOUT

SPENDING A CENT!

Sunday Guardian www.guardian.co.tt December, 2011 8

• Lifestyle

At American Stores, we arehelping to make your Christmasthe best ever this year. Our 12stores nationwide are opendaily with our friendly and effi-cient staff waiting to serve you.

Need kitchen appliances, furni-ture, exercise equipment, gardenequipment and other householdappliances, we are the place foryou. We have an exquisite selec-tion of furniture to provide bothfunctionality and aesthetic valueto your home – from living roomsets to dining room sets or evenbedroom collections.

American Stores is a familyowned business, serving thenation for 61 years. We havebecome a household nameacross the country, known forour exceptional service, qualityproducts and welcoming atmos-phere. Come in and browse anyof our branches and enjoy ourbest prices and friendly hire pur-chase terms. We offer financingto suit everyone’s needs. This isin keeping with our missionstatement to make quality livingaffordable. We also place utmostimportance on you the customer– and as such we guaranteevalue for money and over onemillion in prizes for lucky shop-pers this season!

Contact us at 624 – 9210. Fax624 – 7735 or email us at cus-tomerservice@americanstores.tt. Our website is www.ameri-canstores.tt. We can also befound on Facebook/AmericanStores.

9

AMERICAN STORES– QUALITY LIVING MADE AFFORDABLE

10

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AFFORDABLE DESIGNERS GRANITE & MARBLE

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Hall of Elegance Ltd. Pre Christmas Sale

• Granite & Marble Furniture • Kitchen Counter Tops

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Visit our showroom at #8 Macoya Industrial Estate

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Website: hallofelegance.com 1120051

• Design and Decor

Sitting PrettySectional

This modular seatingis configured from com-

ponents that includearmless sofas, as well

as end and corner units,ottomans, and some-times even recliners,

sleep sofas, or chaises. Itsstyle is usually clean-lined

and modern.

BridgewaterA Bridgewater

sofa has low, set-back arms and

an elegant pro-file. It is usually

skirted andsometimes has

a softly rolledback.

CabrioleThe back of this 18th-century

Louis XV–style sofa curves into thearms in a continuous line. It usuallyhas wood trim and carved woodlegs that may be curved. Thisexample is a more clean-lined takeon the classic form, which wouldhave more downswept, curvy arms.

CamelbackA more traditional, formal

style made by ThomasChippendale in the 18th century,the camelback sofa has a tight,serpentine back, high rolled arms,often a tight seat, and sometimes

exposed legs and stretchers.

English or Club This sofa has a slightly round-

ed arm set back from the front ofthe seat, often with a tight seatand slightly rolled back, no skirt,and low, turned legs on castors.

Knole Based on an early to mid-17th-

century sofa made for Knole, ahouse in Kent, England, and a clas-sic of English country houses, thissofa has a straight, high back andangled arms that can be adjustedto open out or stand up straight(once useful for keeping outdrafts). The back and arms tradi-tionally connect with finialswrapped in cords.

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• Decor

11

1.Mix in patternsthrough colourcontinuity. Choose

different patterns thatshare one colour, andanother that is similar totie it all in. For this spacethe blue is the dominantcolour and black is anaccent used sporadically totie in the colour scheme.

2.Try pattern layeringusing different geo-metric shapes.

Concentrate solely on geometricpatterns in varying sizes.

3.Leave visual "breath-ing room" betweentwo patterns. Its best

to use a solid fabric betweentwo different bold patterns. Inthis photo the white sham pil-lows are used as an importantvisual transition to the colourand patterns of the red throwpillows and duvet cover.

4.Mix two differentpattern scales. Forexample a big bold

floral pattern with a geomet-ric pattern in this photo, thatalso matches the artworkabove the headboards.Again, take note of the pil-lows, as a visual transitionbetween the patterns.

Choose one dominant pat-tern to highlight, and mix intwo other patterns, givingthem smaller parts, like inthis bedroom setting.

Its best to use asolid fabricbetween twodifferent boldpatterns.

Go Bold A guide on how to mix patterns and colours

5.Considerthe colourintensity

of the patternedfabric. Use similarlystrong hues likewarm colourstogether, and brightcolours together. Apastel patternedfabric and warmcolour patternedfabric may not gowell together.

• Fabrics and Furnishings

•Home History

12

LaventilleLaventille has probably more sites of historic interest

per square mile than anywhere else in Trinidad andTobago and one of the most important relative to the dis-covery of the New World.

In 1792, Don Cosmo Damien Churruca, a Spanish Officerand well known as a scientific navigator, was appointed tolead the expedition to fix the longitudinal points in the NewWorld relative to Cadiz, Spain.

He arrived in Trinidad on the 21st July 1792 and with thepermission of the Spanish Governor Don Jose Maria Chacon,proceeded to establish an observatory at Laventille. Theobservatory is situated adjacent to the Roman CatholicChurch. A plaque incorrectly identifies the ancient structureas "Fort Chacon".

On the 2nd January 1793, Churruca made geographical andastronomical history by observing with great precision theimmersion of the third satellite of Jupiter in the disc of themoon and also that of the first satellite. From his observa-tions he fixed, for the first time, an accurate meridian in theNew World. On 28th January 1793 Churruca dismantled hisobservatory and sailed to Grenada and then back to Spain.

On 21st October 1793 in Cadiz, Churruca accurately assim-ilated his observations enabling him to link the New Worldwith the Old and fix an absolute longitude of theObservatory at Laventille. These were later confirmed by fur-ther observations at Havana, Cuba.

Churruca married Dona Maria Dolores Ruiz de Apodaca, aniece of Don Sebastien de Apodaca, Admiral of the Spanishfleet which was anchored at Chaguaramas and scuttled,when General Abercrombie invaded Trinidad in 1797.

Observatory Street in Laventille was named for theChurruca Observatory.

Fort Picton was built after the Spanish defeat bythe British in 1797. Governor Thomas Picton was leftwith a very small garrison to hold Trinidad againstthe Spaniards and Republican French who belatedlyrealised that they had lost a strategic prize inTrinidad.   Picton's problem was how to effectivelydefend his capital without building a multitude offorts around it and to do this he looked at theLaventille Hills overlooking Port of Spain. Impressedwith the performance against them of Cape Mortellain Corsica and the resistance by its tiny thirty-eightman garrison, the British copied its design, corruptingthe name to Mortello.

The Martello Tower was forty feet high, com-manding not only the route along the Laventille Hills,but also the vital road to the former capital St.Joseph and the town of Port of Spain. It could alsocommand the inner harbour in support of Fort SanAndres. On the upper level of what was effectivelythe roof, Picton mounted an 18 pounder and a 6pounder cannon en barbette.   The floor below theguns was the living quarters for the garrison as inconventional Martello Towers, while in the lowerground floor were the storerooms, magazine andwater supply.

In keeping with the idea that the major threatwould come along the Laventille ridge where anenemy could bring up cannon fairly close to the posi-tion, the northwest facing wall was built of store justover six feet thick, effectively making it cannonproof.   On the southern side where attackers wouldbe below the level of the fort and cannon could notget that close, the walls were only four feet threeinches thick.   The Tower was built with a diameter ofover thirty feet of stone, with white lime mixed withmolasses and the white of eggs to provide thecement.  Inside old baked bricks completed the inte-rior, making the whole structure extremelystrong.  The entrance was placed on the eastern sideso that the fort could be reinforced while underattacked from the south, the west or even thenorth.  It was completed with wooden floors and wasoperational on the 18th November 1798.

The Masonic Lodge, or the Lodge United Brothers,was the first Freemason’s Lodge established inTrinidad. Les Frères Unis was warranted by theGrand Orient of France in 1787. In 1795, Benoit Dertset up the Trinidad Lodge on the Corner of UpperPrince Street and Duncan Street.

The latter acquired the name Rue Trois Chandelles from thethree lamps that could be seen, and still can be seen, on meet-ing nights at the entrance to the lodge. When Trinidad becameBritish, the Freemasons prospered and the old building wasreplaced with the present building in 1805. This would makethis building one of the oldest in Port of Spain.

In the early nineteenth century, lepers were confined toLaventille. In 1845 they were transferred to a Leprosarium thatwas prepared for them in Cocorite. The stigma of leprosy haddeterred visitors and hampered the development of the area.Laventille Hill, however, was seen to be a symbol of Calgary andCatholics began making the Stations of the Cross at Laventilleevery Friday in Lent. Beginning at the foot of the hill, on the out-skirts of Port of Spain opposite Duke Street, they climbed thesteep incline and made the fourteen prescribed stops to medi-tate on the passion of Christ.

By 1865 Stations of the Cross in brick and limestone hadbeen erected in upper Laventille. The structures were com-pletely re-done in 1905. The devotion of the Stations thenbegan at Calvary Chapel near the foot of the hill, led by theArchbishop and Priests, and ended at the top of Laventille Hillwhere mass would be celebrated at a temporary chapel.

Construction of a permanent chapel was commenced in 1865dedicated to St. Thomas Aquinas. Considered too small for thedevotions, construction of a larger chapel in wood began in1879. In 1886 construction of a stone chapel was commencedwhat was to become the Church of Our Lady of Laventille.

Geoffrey MacLeanof Citzens for ConservationWith thanks to Olga Mavrogordato and Anthony de Verteuil C.S.Sp.

Curruca's Observatory Fort Picton

Masonic Lodge

Our Lady of Laventille Station of the Cross

Laventille has probably moresites of historic interest per

square mile than anywhere elsein Trinidad and Tobago...

• Design & Decor Trends 2012

Green building is not only great forthe environment; it can be easy onyour wallet as well. What used to beconsidered an expensive buildingoption reserved for homeowners will-ing to sacrifice comfort and aestheticappeal is now becoming a logical andeconomical choice for any lifestyle.

A green-built bathroom can savemoney by cutting water, energy andproduct replacement costs. Here aresome tips on how to make your bath-room friendly to the environment, aswell as to your bank account.

WATER SAVING FIXTURES: Installlow-flow showerheads, faucets orfaucet aerators, and toilets that use lesswater. "Also, more and more bathroomsare getting urinals, which I think is afabulous solution to waste water," saysPurdy.

FLOORS: Natural linoleum, made froma blend of resins, oils, chalk and cork, isboth water-resistant and eco-friendly. Ifyou want wood flooring, bamboo andcork look great and are rapidly renew-able.

COUNTERTOPS AND TILES: Considerusing recycled materials like glass, rub-ber, paper and linoleum. Durable materi-als like concrete are another greatoption for countertops--treat themright, and odds are you'll never need toreplace them.

WINDOWS: Heaters and air condi-tioners use a lot of energy. Strategicallyplaced windows can help reduce costsby letting the sun in or increasing airflow.

PAINT: Use low- or no-VOC (VolatileOrganic Compound) paints to maintainindoor air quality.

LIGHTING: Buy CFL (CompactFluorescent Lamp) or LED bulbs. Bothuse less energy and last much longerthan incandescent bulbs.

SUSTAINABILITY: Use durable mate-rials to save product replacement costsand reduce waste. Materials like con-crete and slate are extremely durableand versatile. If you're remodelling, tryto reuse as many materials as possible.

WATER HEATER: According to Purdy,an instant hot water heater is the bestchoice, because it limits the amount ofenergy being used to keep water hot.Gas water heaters save more energythan electric, and can be engineered toheat both the building and the water. Ifyour water heater is warm to the touch,it could use insulation. Pre-cut jackets orblankets are relatively cheap, and cansave up to 9 per cent in water heatingcosts.

MAINTENANCE: Clean your bath-room often, with natural cleaners.Vinegar, salt, and baking soda help fightgrime and deodorize, and are not nearlyas harmful when flushed down the drainas typical household cleaners.

While building green can save moneyin the short term, living green is whatreally makes a difference. The mostimportant change we can make as con-sumers is to our habits. Don't leave yourfaucet running, recycle as much as pos-sible, and only flush the toilet when nec-essary. www.kohler.com

13

THE GREEN

With water shortages becoming more common, numerous companies are designing products for thehome that conserve water. The efforts have centred primarily on water efficiency — ways to meetour needs using the least amount of water. One popular approach is the installation of high-efficiencytoilets to replace old, water-intensive ones, which consume as much as 7 gallons per flush.

Natural elements in the home always give the space a timeless appeal. Natural materials provides arenewed appreciation for the beauty of nature or an increased environmental awareness, homeown-ers are showing strong interest in soothing and comfortable materials, particularly in the bathroom.This is one trend to look out for in 2012.

BATHROOM

We don’t have snow around Christmastime locally, but we do have rain. Electricityand water aren’t good friends, so whenhanging lights around your home this sea-son, be extra careful and follow these safe-ty tips advised by the Consumer AffairsDivision (CAD) of the Ministry of LegalAffairs:

• Use only outdoor lights that have beentested for safety by a recognised testinglaboratory.

• Check lights for bare wires and loose con-nections. Throw out damaged sets. Placelights on a nonflammable surface andplug in for 10 minutes to see that lightsdon’t melt or smoke. Shut electricalpower off when replacing bulbs and whileputting up the lights as well.

• Use no more than three standard sizesets of lights per single extension cord.Use extension cord with a three-prongedplug approved for outdoor use. Do notuse indoor extension cords outdoors.

• Do not stand in water while handlingelectrical wiring.

• Use a dry, wooden ladder when hanginglights.

• Waterproof all electrical connections andkeep elevated to prevent short circuit orshock. Point individual bulb socketsdownward to avoid moisture buildup.

• Plug outdoor electric lights into circuitsprotected by ground fault circuit inter-rupters (GFCIs). You can purchase aportable outdoor GFCI from an electricalsupplies store. Then get a licensed electri-

cian to install it permanently into yourhousehold circuit.

• Fasten outdoor lights securely to firmsupports to protect lights from winddamage. Use insulated staples to holdlight strings in place. Do not use nails ortacks to do this.

• Do not cover lamps with decorations notsupplied with the light set. The set maynot be designed to handle the increasedheating and can melt, leaving live partsexposed.

• Do not allow bulbs to touch combustiblematerials, such as plastics, pine needles,leaves and grass.

• Turn all lights off when going to bed orleaving home.

‘Do notstand inwaterwhile

handlingelectricalwiring’

• House Buzz

14

Christine Dalkan

• Design & Decor Trends 2012

Reflectivity and light: What’s the num-ber one interior design trick of all times?The presence of light. Light makes a roomfeel larger, more comfortable, and morenatural. Glass brings in light naturally toyour home and it can be used to obscure,brighten, and enhance views. Windowsthat have mullions or expansive glass thattakes advantage of picturesque views,glass is a miracle worker for reflectinglight and illuminating surfaces.

GLASS FURNITURE: Tables, chairs, mir-rors… the list goes on and on of glass fur-nishings that we use daily and love. Glasstable tops in dining rooms and home officesgive a sophisticated and executive styling toyour interiors. Pair glass with wood, leather,and metals for an urban industrial aestheticor use traditional and ornate lines to bringthe materials together beautifully in yourfurniture.

UNIQUE APPLICATIONS: Ever thought ofinstalling a glass counter top in your kitchen,or a glass wall in your bathroom? Modernhome interiors are starting to use glass inunique ways, than they used to. If you wantto add sleek and modern details, add glass

to your wet areas such as kitchens andbathrooms. Consider glass as a divider wallsbetween a master bedroom area and amaster bathroom. Glass block can let lightthrough, and keep ample privacy at thesame time. Try using different glass materi-als for all rooms in your home.

BE CREATIVE: There are very few limitswith glass. Heat and cold variations are themost notable features that need to bethought of when using glass in your interi-ors. There is always a solution; a thickerpane of glass may need to be used in colderclimates, etc… Glass has been used in mini-malist areas to bring a sense of light andairiness to a space. See where it can bright-en up a space in your interiors.

If you want to use glass in small or largequantities, your space will benefit eitherway. From reflective glass mosaic tiles inthe kitchen backsplash, to glass block step-ping stones in your front entry, glass is hereto stay. Depending on your style, grab inspi-ration from modern architecture and interiormagazines that love to feature homes withexpansive glass. Brighten your home withthese tips, and see how glass can give you awhole new way to enjoy your home.

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TRENDING NOW - GLASS

Sunday Guardian www.guardian.co.tt December, 2011 16