Bonin Architects & Associates Receives Two Awards From New Hampshire Home Magazine

Bonin Architects & Associates was recently honored to receive two design awards during the New Hampshire Home Magazine Design Awards Ceremony which was recently held in Manchester, NH at the Radisson Hotel.

The first award for Green Design was based on a recently completed timber framed hybrid home located in the Dartmouth/Lake Sunapee region of NH.
Sustainable design elements included:·         The home is a timber frame and structural insulated panel (SIPs) with an ICF foundation.
·         A continuous high R-value envelope; meticulously air sealed and uses balanced HRVs for ventilation.
·         This house was designed to meet the Energy Star certification.
·         Solar hot water and geothermal heating system lower energy costs and eliminate onsite fossil fuel for heating.
·         Materials sourced from local NH and VT companies, sealants/adhesives/paints are all low or no-voc products.
·         100% of storm water run-off is collected and infiltrated in order to protect the water quality of the Lake preventing erosion and siltation in accordance with (and exceeding) the Shoreland Water Quality Protection Act.
·         An existing shed was re-purposed providing lakeside seating, bath facilities and water front storage space.
For photos of this project, please see:
http://www.boninarchitects.com/en/selected-projects/83-portfolio/selected-projects/90-cronenwett.html

The second project received an Honorable Mention Award in Architectural Design for a home designed by Bonin Architects on Lake Sunapee in Newbury, NH. 

Materials, innovative and sustainable components:

·         The foundation was done with insulated concrete formwork; the exterior walls and roof are conventionally framed and highly insulated with a hybrid system, and are properly air sealed for a very weather tight exterior

·         Durable/maintainable materials; cedar shingles, AZEK trim, IPE decking, Hickory flooring, reclaimed wood, tile/stone, aluminum clad wood windows and 50 year asphalt roof shingles

·         Because of the operable windows and doors bringing in the cool lake breeze the client did not want air conditioning.  The home has in floor radiant heat and a Heat Recovery Ventilator to allow preheated fresh air to exchange automatically maintaining a proper balance of fresh air.

·         There was a 5% decrease in the impermeable impact of the site (53% to 48%) was achieved with an overall smaller building footprint and reduction in paved and hardscape areas.

For photos of this award winning project, please see http://www.boninarchitects.com/en/selected-projects/83-portfolio/selected-projects/94-lake-sunapee-cottage.html#M122-LakeSunapeeCottage14

Top Four Types Of Trade Show Stands Perfect For Home Shows

Home conventions and expos are very popular across the United States. A number of homeowners look to exhibitors for innovative ideas regarding home improvement, from decorating to more practical applications. If you are wondering whether your business should set up trade show stands at the next home show in your area, your business display might be a good fit if your company falls into one of the following categories.

#1: Cleaning and Household Supply Exhibits

Every homeowner is looking for better, easier, and quicker ways to get their house clean, so vendors who set up trade show displays can find an eager audience awaiting them at home shows. Whether your company sells big ticket items like high-end vacuum cleaners or smaller, less expensive items like mops and cleaning chemicals, you stand a good chance of picking up new clients at these events.

#2: Contractor and Builder Trade Show Displays

Contractor and builder trade show stands also do very well at home shows for obvious reasons. If you are a remodeler, builder, or general contractor, it's a great idea to present at this type of event. Be sure to include a portfolio of your work showcasing some of the houses you have worked on in the past so that attendees can get a sense of the quality craftsmanship and design styles you offer. Even though many homeowners may not be ready to sign on the dotted line, they are more likely to reach out to you for a quote when they are ready to begin the remodelling or building process.

#3: Lawn Service and Landscape Trade Show Booth

Landscape architects are also in high demand at these conventions. Your company's trade show stands may see a lot of foot traffic and increased contracts after a few days at a home show. Be sure you bring along a brochure or flyer with pricing information and references or testimonials from your current clients to help showcase the services you provide. You may want to offer coupons or incentives to get homeowners to try out your services and see if they are happy with your work.

#4: Interior and Exterior Painters

Painters are another group of vendors that benefit from exposure at shows and expos. Whether you are a one-man show or you have an entire team, bring a portfolio of your work and plenty of business cards to pass around at your trade show booth so that you have the opportunity to offer quotes the next time homeowners are looking for someone to repaint a room, the entire inside of their home, or their home's exterior. This is just a small sampling of the types of vendors that do well at home shows. To get the most out of your investment, sign up early for your booth space and select a prime location to set up your booth. Order your promotional materials early, and don't forget to look for other state-wide and national shows to show off your business's products and services.

Making a Room Gorgeous Doesn't Require a Lot of Money.

I've had my mind on decorating a lot this past year as I bought a new sofa and a new chair which you can see here. My intention was for the new sofa to go in the living room, but I love my old one so much, I switched them around—new one in the family room and old one back into the living room. I truly wanted a new look for the living room but that 20 year old sofa has been my favorite from the get-go and it'll stay in there. But it still made me think of what else I could do to make it look differently so I bought the new Ethan Allen chair with a bit of French flair to it with the plaid fabric. It's also gorgeous. Well, to me it is!

The old chairs now sit in our family room waiting to be taken over to granddaughter's new home. I spoke with her recently and she doesn't have room for them right now. She and her hubby are shopping for new furniture and can't make up their minds on what to buy. She said to bring them over and she'd put them both in her office at work to have a cozy place to sit while they straightened out the new house. Hubs and I are going over soon and since it's winter we don't want to have to take our truck over with the possible threat of snow so we've decided to take them over at another time. In the meantime, our small family room has a full size sofa and 3 chairs in it! I hate to give 2 Ethan Allen chairs away but it might come to that if she decides she doesn't want them. My grandsons aren't married yet so they don't want anything yet. But they're good chairs and I've had them reupholstered twice and they are still in great shape. Here's a recent picture but bear in mind the end tables are about 25 years old, the coffee table is about 15 years old the lamps are 10 years old and the sofa is 20 years old. Only the 2 chairs are under 8 years old and all pillows are made by me:

So anyway, I was thinking about how many times we decorate in our lives. The rich probably do it on a regular basis every couple of years, but the average person only does it a few times in their life. We've decorated when we've gotten the money or moved into a new place through the years. This has me arriving at one certain thought: We don't have to buy all new furniture, just a chair or table, curtains, inexpensive lamps redone, new color of paint for the walls or even wall decorations and pillows can make a huge difference in a room. That also means a lot less money. And sometimes that can make the difference in doing something or not. Think about it. ;-)
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What a gorgeous entrance with red walls, that elegant staircase and dramatic black and white checkered floors.

A sweet country window with shutters, blue gingham curtains and a potted flower.

And then we have another dramatic entrance to a log cabin.

And a stunning pink rose.

I love the shabby chic look here also. Looks comfy.

Then the dramatic view from this restaurant somewhere in the warm climes.

Lovin' the round ruffled tablecloth. I'm still working on my chair seats for the French dining chairs. Or I should say, thinking of working on the chairs. I've been so lazy lately.

This striped headboard goes horizontal instead of the usual vertical. I have to say it's beautiful with the reds and those pillows.

My idea of a cute and homey kitchen eating area.

The colors grabbed me first but I love the side chairs with green seats and flowered backs.

A sweet little area in someone's delightful yard.

If you could find an old bucket, you could wallpaper it like this and have a gorgeous place to store wrapping papers.

Love these old vintage kitchens as they remind me of when I was a kid growing up.

Love these bucket containers for flowers from the garden. Ours will soon be blooming. Can't wait!

What a delightful family room for kids. Colorful with lots of books and slipcovers so mummy won't have to worry about the furniture. ;-)

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Linking up with Pink Saturday.