Hi, I will be a law student this fall and I am looking for a cheap place to buy home and bathroom decor such as bathroom rugs, wall mirrors, etc. Bed Bath and beyond, target, wal-mart, Michael’s, TJ Maxx?

I prefer thrift stores myself ~ followed by Target, who does seem to have some pretty amazing sales.

I haven’t done any research or anything, so don’t come down on me too hard for asking.
My degree is in Architecture but I have always been more interested in interior & kitchen design, plus you don’t need a license to practice interior design in the US.
Any thoughts, resources?
And where do designers get those enormous design catalogues from? (think Candice Olson from Divine Design) Manufacturers?
Hi, I live in NY state. We don’t need one here, as far as I know.

Depending on where you live, you WILL need a license to call yourself an interior designer. You may also need a license to have an interior design company (I know you do in Texas). Maybe this will help:

http://www.ehow.com/how_4682029_be-interior-designer.html

As far as the catalogs, they come from the manufacturers. You usually have to prove that you are an interior designer to get one for free, else you may have to pay for them. You can contact the company who will put you in contact with a rep who will help you.

How do I become a High school (Architectural)Design Teacher do I need certification. Im graduating with a BS in Arch & Cons Science. I really feel strong about kids learning solutions to there design problems early and I think it would be a job that I can enjoy going to cause it would’nt feel like work…Anyone have a idea

You need certification, but in some states (like VA, where I taught) the technical subject teachers have different requirements for certification than teachers of academic subjects. To teach technical subjects, you didn’t need as much formal education but you needed to have several years of experience working the field you were going to teach.

Requirements differ between states. Check out your state’s Dept of Ed website. Most of them list out very specific requirements for becoming a teacher there.

what to plan before starting a kitchen design project.

How much we are willing to spend

How much time we are willing to devote

What style we are planning for your kitchen design project

How we are going to use your kitchen

You need to make sure that the kitchen design project area and the living area are separate for both safety reasons and to stay out of the way of the contractor and his crew.

http://www.silentcabinets.com/

Need Home Interior door handle that locks automaically when you close the door but is still unlocked from the inside. Whats it called?

It’s called a Classroom lockset. They use them in schools.

I’m reno-ing a basement and know that this qualifies for the Home Renovation Tax Credit. I’m jsut wondering what do I have to keep so that I’m not scrambling next tax season. Thanks in advance

Other than keeping all your receipts for your renovations, make sure that the people that are doing work for you, have a GST number or their work won’t qualify for your tax credit. The auditors will really look at all the expenses, so make sure you have qualified people.

Meaning environmentally-friendly home plans. Websites please.

(United States only, please.)

Let me start off by saying we (my family and I) live completely, 100% “off of the grid and are completely self sufficient”

The house is built utilizing natures natural elements, in the shape of an octagon with 8ft wide arch doors on every wall to catch every angle of wind (typical 4 sided homes have half the chance as one with 8 sides. A circle being the most efficient design). Woodburning stoves, solar chimney, solar AC, solar heating, solar water heating (pool and home), solar stove, solar power, wind power, hydrogen powered back up generator, hydrogen back up water heater, hydrogen stove, 2 hydrogen powered trucks, 1 EV (electric vehicle) and satellite internet.

We also built many green small cabins on the ranch that we offer to family, friends and our on-site off-grid workshop guests, including one straw bale, one papercrete, earth bag and adobe, one cob and cordwood, one underground and rammed earth, one log and post and beam and one rock. Each one actually started as a test for what the main house would be and were later finished and turned into guest cabins. I later wrote a guide on how to build with alternative materials using alternative methods for next to nothing.

We raise meat and milk goats, chickens for meat and eggs, ducks for meat and eggs, trap havilina (wild boar pig), rabbit, quail. brew our own beer from home grown products, preserve our fruits, vegetables, etc. smoke and jerky the meat, make our own soap, cheese.

There are no utility lines, no water lines, no roads, tv, cell service, etc. on our ranch. EVERYTHING needed is produced here. All electricity comes from 27 solar panels, 2 main wind gens and a back hydrogen generator if needed (typically we can last 9 days with all luxuries of sunless windless weather, hasn’t happened yet). Water is caught and storaged from the rain. Hot water is made with solar batch water heaters with an on-demand hydrogen hot water heater as backup. Even our vehicles use alternative energy (2 hydrogen trucks, 1 EV electric vehicle converted). Because of this we have no bills, no debt and no mortgage.

Anyone interested can check it out at..

www agua-luna com

I believe this is the first step anyone can make “help the environment”. Once you convert your own life style to a greener more eco friendly route, you can start helping others.

my home has all the comforts listed above plus some. we live very comfortable without effecting the environment. just saying that tol et you know it’s possible. you may not want to go as extreme as me and my family but anywhere in between is something.

Without getting to in depth here, Using alternative fuels in your vehicles and harnessing your own electricity from the sun, water, earth and wind are the 2 are key elements in making a green transition and erasing your carbon footprint.

here’s a calculator to find out how much of a green impact your making (carbon footprint)

http://www.conservation.org/act/live_green/carboncalc

if you’d like to make your next step feel free to contact me personally at www agua-luna com

I’ve been installing home made Solar panels. Solar stoves, Solar batch and inline hot water heaters. Solar radiant heating. Solar home heating and AC, along with home made wind gens and other alternative energy items for the last 3 years.

You can even make the above projects on site with simple parts from the local hardware stores or auto stores or junk yards. For more info check out some guides I wrote / compiled on how to DIY www agua-luna com

Again these projects can be accomplished anywhere by anyone.

if you absolutely can’t do anything in your home at least you can put alternative fuels in your car. most major automotive manufacturers (Chrysler, Ford, and General Motors, etc) recommend the use of bio fuels, and nearly every car manufacturer in the world approves ethanol blends in their warranty coverage.

In fact your probably even driving an ethanol car and didn’t even know it.

The trick is finding fuel.

I’ve been producing biofuel for about 3 years now, it’s not extremely difficult. Basically you need general household ingredients, a processor (or still for ethanol) and some used oil. Blend it, let separate, screen and use. I complied a guide a while back to help walk you threw the process step by step, just email me or check out..

www agua-luna com

as for recyling the best way i’ve found without taking money from your won pocket is to join a free freecycle group in your area or visit the habitat for humanity.

If you’d like help in making your self sufficient steps, feel free to contact me directly. I’ve written several how-to DIY guides available at www agua-luna com
on the subject. I also offer online and on-site workshops, seminars and internships to help others “help the environment”.

Hope this helped, feel free to contact me personally if you have any questions if you’d like assistance in making your first self sufficient steps, I’m

version 9 if possible and has to be legal

go to there site. and request a free trail
they will send you a cd . to down load

We bought a piece of land of 2240 sqare meters in Indonesia. We are now looking for a nice affordable design of a house. It should have a big verandah and really make maximum use of local materials and the nice climate. Ideas for a garden are also welcome.

Check out www.eplans.com and www.homeplans.com. They have thousands of different homeplans. Some of the plans are shared between the two sites.

I am buying my very first home, and I want it to feel exactly like that. HOME. Who wants a plain house with nothing in it? Besides the outrageous cost of getting the house, and having to fix up a few things, plus furnishing the place, I need some decor to make it feel more homey. I dont have much money left after buying all the other things. Does anyone have suggestions for cheap, nice home decor?

All suggestions are much appreciated! Thanks!

The very best way to obtain home decor at a rock bottom price is to always be on the lookout for these types of places:

Garage/Yard Sales
The GoodWill
The Salvation Army
Thrift Shops
Second Hand Shops
Consignment Shops
Your Friends and Family’s Basements and Attics

Look past the finish on furniture and pay attention to the lines. You can refinish or paint just about anything. A $3.00 lamp base at the Salvation Army that is ugly can have new life with a can of spray paint.
Gaudy picture frames can become great frames for a mirror. Take the drawers out of a dresser, sand and stain them along with the dresser top, then paint the dresser black. A great look, indeed. An outdoor bench is a great asset in a house. You can get anything from rugs to liquor decanters at thrift shops. Shop for pillows in the clearance sections of Marshall’s, TJ Max and Home Goods. Do not overlook new or used outdoor furniture to use inside. I made a great headboard out of a three paneled door turned sideways after filling in the doorknob hole and the hinge screws.

Find out when bulk pick up day is conducted in surrounding towns. Go out with a truck and you will be amazed at what people are throwing away. The best time to shop the Salvation Army and the GoodWill is in October, November and December when people are getting rid of their old furniture and replacing it for the holidays.

Paint is the least expensive and single most dramatic change you an make in any room. Pick warm colors and please do not pick white paint for your walls because it seems like a safe way out. Color in your home will instantly add the homey look you are after. Really.

Remember, buy only things you like and are capable of fixing up or you will end up with a bunch of stuff you hate in the long run.

Good Luck to you in your new home.