Want to know why we’re still unpacking? Because our beloved customers won’t leave us alone! These past few weeks, people have been streaming in to congratulate us, bring us flowers, cupcakes, cookies and other generous housewarming presents. Folks are braving the cold and snow to see our new showroom and to support us. It’s been amazing. Surreal. At times I’m overwhelmed by the goodness of our customers.

Based on how busy we’ve been in January, I think this year will be a good one for remodeling. Despite the dust and noise of our construction and a snowstorm or two, designers and homeowners have brought us flooring, paint, insulation, countertop, and tile jobs. If you saw all the paperwork on my desk, you’d think it’s May–high season for remodeling!

So all of this is to say that, from the bottom of my heart, I am grateful to all of the people who have supported us, not just through the move and buildout, but over the past four years. Because of your past support, we have a very bright future. Our garden center–featuring locally and sustainably grown annuals, perennials and edibles–is the next step in our evolution. I cannot wait for Spring to spring!

In the meantime, save the date for February 24th and 25th, our Grand Reopening celebration. The weekend will be full of giveaways, delicious food catered by our new neighbor The Perfect Dinner, activities, and a celebration of our past and future. I look forward to partying with you!

After 7 months of planning and behind-the-scenes action, we are proud to announce that Green Home Experts is moving to a bigger location! You asked us for better parking, a bigger showroom, more general merchandise, and a garden center. You got it! Starting in January 2012, we’ll be at 811 South Blvd.

Click here for a map of our Google location. And follow us on YouTube as we document our journey to South Blvd.

At our first meeting, I figured we’d look at the nuts and bolts of my business. Like a mechanic inspecting a car, I thought we would refill a few tanks, jiggle some wires and call it a day.

WRONG. Unlike a car, my business has heart and soul. I needed to work on a few things that can’t be seen: passion, inspiration, foresight and more. So we started with my heart. Am I in this for the long haul? Yes. Does my business fulfill me? Yes. What do I need to be fulfilled? The opportunity to be curious, unique, and a change-maker. Oh, and I really, really, really needed a vacation. Isn’t it weird that I needed a business coach to tell me to take a vacation? About 8 months after hiring my coach, I enjoyed a week on the East Coast with my son and husband. I came back to the shop renewed and energized. And I came home a happier wife and mom.

Turns out, once my heart and passion were finely tuned I was ready to work on my transmission. I needed to get serious about my numbers and growing the business, because I want to travel more! Looking under the hood of my business and fine tuning the mechanics thus allows me to access what fulfills my life outside of the shop—more time with my family, travelling, and gardening.

Without my business coach I never would have taken on my upcoming expansion. She has been my sounding board, devil’s advocate, number cruncher, and cheerleader. I am often very vulnerable–exposing my weaknesses, fears, and pretty much everything else to her. Laughing at myself helps a lot. We laugh together. Being vulnerable is healthy because it allows me to be open to change. And I’ve been making a lot of changes lately!

I recommend a business coach for anyone who is in business for themselves already or considering it. Your coach should be able to help you with pretty much anything, but here’s what I love most about my coach: she doesn’t help me with only what I ask for help with. She knows how to dig deeper and ignite my passion. My ignition is started.

When I was in high school, I suffered a concussion playing basketball. My dad never left my side for the three or four (I can’t remember!) days I spent in the hospital. He even made the hospital get us a double room so he could sleep in the room with me. Now I get it.

My mom was at every single teeball, softball, volleyball, and basketball game I played. She cheered for me from the cold, hard, steel bleachers and she beamed with pride each time. Now I get it. My parents always made the holidays special. We have traditions for everything: pumpkin hunting in October, a cornucopia for Thanksgiving, seven courses of fish on Christmas Eve, and so on. Now I get it.

My grandparents lit up whenever I’d visit them. My great aunt would stay on the telephone while I read her a Bearenstein Bears book cover to cover. My pictures were all over their homes. Now I get it.

Thanksgiving means more to me this year than ever before. Oscar has opened my eyes and opened my heart. Now I get it!

The end of August usually signals that my garden is on the verge of explosion. Weeds, veggies, annuals, grasses–everything–look as though they’re about to conquer my whole yard. This, of course, is my fault because I spend all year amending the soil organically to achieve the most nutrients possible.

Come August we return from vacation with a packed schedule, my husband disappears to coach and teach , and Mother Nature’s forces result in a garden that’s teetering on the brink of disaster….and I’m OK with that. I think this signals that I’ve had my fair share of summer. See in April and May I’m clawing at the door (like my dogs) to get outside and finally get some fresh air. In June I’m preciously tending to everything and enjoying watching my garden spring to life. In July I do most of my work in the early morning to avoid the skeeters and stifling heat. I enjoy that quiet, pensive, restorative time.

Then August strikes and suddenly I can’t make enough time for my garden. It still looks fabulous, don’t get me wrong. It’s just not as well-manicured as it is in the earlier months. This year, I have a new appreciation for August. I am grateful for the bounty of my veggie garden and anticipating the fall harvest. I have great memories of the season and am enjoying the results of my hard work in spring. August isn’t about giving up on the weeds. It’s about succumbing to Mother Nature’s overwhelming, awesome powers and remembering that I don’t own my little patch, I just tend it.

A few years back Lindsey and Adam moved into their charming bungalow. Up until this summer, everything was pristinely finished (What do you expect, they’re both architects!) except for the kitchen. You might call it charming. Adam and Lindsey had different, unpublishable words for it. Here’s a look:

Over the summer months they tackled this job using Zodiaq countertops and Marmoleum floors from GHE. The colors complement each other and the Ikea cabinetry excellently. Props to the homeowners for assembling the cabinets and installing the floor themselves! Here are the fruits of their labor:

So as you can see for yourself, even if I didn’t love these clients as much as I do, I’d still have to love their adorable kitchen! Congrats to Lindsey and Adam on a very successful remodel. Hopefully you’re enjoying it as much as I am just from the pictures! Hopefully that whole going-into-labor-early episode I had around your holiday party last year doesn’t axe my chances of seeing the kitchen in person!!

Another subject that fits into the category of budgeting is whether or not a simpler and scaled down version of your dream room will still make a positive impact, if you’re not in a position to do a complete overhaul. For example, in your kitchen, if storage and counter space are lacking, do you have the space to simply add an island? Maybe this piece could really make a difference in how your kitchen functions, provided that the rest of the space is still suitable and to your liking.  Another example is a pantry cabinet.  You might have a wide but shallow space for a tall pantry type of cabinet (utilizing lots of vertical space), which might make things so much more accessible in terms of where you store your dry goods, small appliances, and anything else that requires a convenient location.  Updating your lighting along with these smaller changes can also make a big difference, and add some pizzazz to an otherwise “O.K.” room. There are lots of other ways to incorporate new components:  extra shelving, a counter/work space that can double as an eating counter, a moveable cart, or a small prep sink to accommodate extra helpers in the kitchen.  As for bathrooms, maybe your tiny room can’t be fitted for new cabinetry, but there could be room just outside of it for a nice tall built-in piece. Improved lighting and venting is a good start too.

With all that is available to us, it doesn’t make sense to have less than functional or beautiful living areas. So when your wheels start turning about those upcoming projects, start with having a well thought-out plan, a good reason to put it into action, and choose materials and products that truly deliver in quality, sustainability, function and style. Also – this goes without saying:  re-use and re-purpose things you might otherwise dispose of in the demolition process; they might come in handy for another purpose, for you or your neighbors.  Now – where shall we begin….

**************************************************************************************************
Chances are you’ve thought about some version of remodeling, updating, or changing at least one area of your home to accommodate your needs or taste, especially if you live in an older home, where often times, the layout or features might be inefficient or outdated for today’s lifestyles.  Making sure your remodeling decisions are sound and well thought out are key to a successful project, should you decide to transform your space into something more suitable for your needs.

One remodeling decision can impact your entire home, so making sure you’ve thought it all through, including why you wish to remodel, is a must. Really consider what your needs are: Workspace? Entertaining or gathering areas? Yoga, rest or meditation space? Storage? What features need careful consideration?  Well, everything, but just to name a few are function, lighting, scale, comfort –  keep in mind the value those changes will bring to the family dynamics and to the home itself – even for future dwellers. Your home is a composition of space in which to rest, work, play and enjoy the company of those dear to you; make sure you’ve covered your bases in the planning stages, and that the potential changes will make a positive impact on your life, and be beautiful at the same time. This includes traffic flow, properly lit areas, ease of use for all family members, and proper amounts of workspace and storage.

Avoid making short-term choices that may become a fleeting fad or trend; your wise design decisions should be as pleasing and functional years down the road, as when you installed it. Use quality materials and products that are right for the job! Home remodeling can be a huge generator of material waste if we’re not thoughtful about it.  The better we design and implement quality products into our remodeling projects the less waste we’ll be dealing with down the road. We know that there are some great new materials and products that are kind to the environment, and utilizing them to the best of our ability tells us that our homes, our health and our planet are important to us. I’ve found the products at Green Home Experts to be a well rounded collection of inspiring interior finishes, including flooring (have you seen the colors of Marmoleum flooring?!!), tile, fresh paint colors, and top quality custom cabinetry – just to name a few.

Truly thinking through the meaning behind the desired new space is a very important step in evaluating the project. In addition, planning a remodeling project based on available finances requires careful budgeting, but can often lead to choosing inferior materials to stretch the dollars if a good plan wasn’t set into motion right from the start.  Always have an idea of what the desired outcome will cost before diving in and taking a sledge hammer to those old cabinets.  You want to have a good experience and feel that your efforts will make a real difference – don’t get stressed rushing through the planning, and never try to skimp on something that requires quality materials – you’ll spend money needlessly on something that won’t do the job.  Reminds me of those commercials – “Could have had a V8”. You know – you’ve mindlessly eaten a snack that doesn’t have any nutritional value – then you’re sorry you didn’t go for the healthier choice.
**************************************************************************************************
Stay tuned for Julie’s second installation coming next week!

I visited Autre Monde before their open time yesterday to discuss Operation Green materials. They will soon be our newest restaurant purchasing sustainable food service and janitorial supplies from Green Home Experts. I was so taken aback by the beautiful build-out, that I forgot to take pictures of the inside! But take it from me–beautiful lighting fixtures, enormous windows for lots of natural light, salvaged materials and a great bar all make for a wonderful sensual experience. That’s even before the food!

Christine took me behind the restaurant, where they are growing vegetables and herbs to supplement their farm to table concept. Most of the plants had been moved into the greenhouse yesterday, because they are about to pour a new concrete pad. I hope to be able to visit once it’s all complete! If you want to eat locally, then Autre Monde is a must for you.

A few times I’ve driven past Autre Monde, envious of the diners and folks imbibing at the bar. Hopefully soon I can leave the little one with my mom so my hubby and I can take in more than just the decor. In the meantime I’ll just fawn over these photos, which I hope you will do too!

On Wednesday I eagerly anticipated the organic fruit delivery that was to accompany my veggie box. That box was going to feed my son for the next two weeks, but when I arrived, someone had mistakenly taken my fruit. Fail.

On Saturday morning I packed up my husband and son, as well as the stroller, diaper bag, coffee, checks for the bank, rent check and paperwork for the shop, and my to-do list to guide us through the morning.

We left the market with nothing but bread for me to bring to my vegetarian supper club later that night. The only fruits at the market were berries, which my son is still too little to eat. Fail.

So we head to Whole Foods. I prefer to shop more locally than Whole Foods whenever I can, but I was out of options! I failed at the meat CSA. The fruit CSA failed me. No luck at the Farmers Market, so on to WF.

Upon entering the market, we realized we didn’t have any shopping bags with us. As I’m putting California-grown nectarines into a plastic bag, I see a customer from my shop. “Oh hi Cathi, yes I’m buying fruit from a million miles away and putting them in a plastic bag that I’ll use for total of about 2 hours.”

We talked about the weekend as I loaded up on faraway fruits, many of them making it into one-use bags. I felt like such an eco-phony! Then into the checkout line I enter, behind—of course—another customer. “Oh hey Scott, having a nice weekend? I’m enjoying destroying the earth with this one shopping expedition.” Fail.

Well, the moral of the story is that, just like with anything else, we can’t be everything to everyone everytime. I was embarrassed about forgetting my bags, but I had to give myself a break. I do the best I can, and last week was a rough one. Hopefully by recognizing my failures I don’t look like an eco-phony but just a normal human being. Let’s hope this week is a better one!