A few years ago I gave a friend a beautifully wrapped Christmas present. In the box was an LED light bulb. The friend was a strong environmentalist, yet kept her old incandescent bulbs throughout her house because she liked the amber color, even though her bulbs were actually little heaters that only produced 10% light. I was showing my friend that she had a different option.

For a while there it looked like those cold looking compact fluorescents were the main way to light our homes responsibly. But, coming on s rong has been a whole array of exciting LED (light emitting diode) bulbs. Want exposed filament? I have decorative LED’s that look like they came out of Edison’s workroom. I also have LED spotlights, “candles”, soffit lights that can shift color, and table lamps.

For clients I have specified glamorous closet rod LED’s, and LED’s that change color and flicker in time to music.

Admittedly, buying LEDs can get complicated. Want a warmer hued light? Go for 2,700 to 3,000 kelvin. If you want the equivalent of a 60 watt bulb, chose an LED A19 bulb that is only 9 watts (yes, nine watts!). Most are dimmable now, but you should check because some are not. Some will work with standard incandescent dimmers, but LED dimmers are the best fit to make sure there is no annoying flicker. As for recessed lights, while you can just screw in a bulb, it is recommended that simple screw in retrofits (bulb and rim combined) be used instead for better heat management.

Prices keep coming down…While $3.00 and more per bulb is more than the old incandescents, the LED saves money in the long run. The standard incandescent costs $4.80 per year to use while the LED costs about $1.00. The LED also can last for twenty five years, does not burn fingers, has no toxic components, can be dropped with little harm done, and reduces A.C. loads.

By simply installing LED’s in your home, it is possible to reduce your carbon footprint by 6 tons of carbon a year….plus you can have fun doing it!

Pamela Heyne is a Saint Michaels architect and writer. She was lighting consultant for Hearthstone Health and Fitness in Easton. pam@heynedesign.com

On a Sunday walk on the Saint Michaels Nature trail I passed a favorite house, with a brilliant chartreuse fence.  Growing out of the fence was a dollhouse sized structure sporting a paper that said “I Brio am pleased to announce the dedication and grand opening of Brio’s little Free Library. 3pm…”  Wine and bread were offered in exchange for a book. As a further inducement I noticed a sign on the outside of the library that said “There are no strangers here, only friends you have not met yet.”

Happily I cut my walk short, obtained said book,  and opened the purple gate which was flanked with purple Dutch clogs.  I did not know who Brio was, but was met by the owners,  an old friend, Peter  Hartjens and his stylish wife Constance Morris Hope (a leadership coach). We sat at a sunny outdoor table, painted purple and sporting a dragon centerpiece. We sipped wine and chatted with  Interesting neighbors who soon dropped by. Brio the dog slept under the table.  

Peter previously owned a unique home emporium on Saint Michaels road, Tidedancers. His fans, I included, asked him if he would ever consider reopening.  No, he said.  He is now a “certifiable smilemaker.”  He recently published a book A Million Smiles: 101 True (well, mostly true) smilemaking stories.  The house, with its exuberant doses of whimsy, also makes one smile.

Pamela Heyne is a Saint Michaels architect and writer, pam@heynedesign.com.

It’s that time of year again….birds are returning, nesting, and flying into our windows with a heart wrenching “thud.” Every year close to a billion birds are killed in North America simply flying into glass windows. In the daytime the windows reflect surrounding foliage, and birds don’t realize they are smashing into an illusion. Some birds attack their reflection in a window, thinking it is another bird competing for their mate. At night birds are confused by bright lights and assume they can fly through that interior.

There are various nets and lines that can dangle in front of the windows. I have used decals with success. Windowalert.com has a series of inexpensive ultraviolet decals (hawks, other birds, snowflakes), films and sprays that the birds see, but are transparent for us. The window must be a moderate temperature and clean when the decals are applied. The decals last about six months.

For new construction or replacement windows, consider a UV reflective glass such as Ornilux. It has a chaotic pattern of UV lines painted on a middle layer of the insulated unit. It is completely transparent to us, yet highly visible to birds. Many architects are specifying fritted glass windows; closely spaced dots or other patterns of ceramic fused on the outer surface are visible to birds, but we can see through them. Fritted glass is typically used in office buildings. Chicago has been a leader in making their tall buildings more bird friendly.

Do not forget awnings. They block unwanted sunlight and help block those pesky reflections of foliage as well. Whatever you do, it’s for the birds.

Pamela Heyne, pam@heynedesign.com, is a Saint Michaels architect. Her forthcoming book, In Julia’s Kitchen, Practical & Convivial Kitchen design influenced by Julia Child, will be out this fall.

Valentine’s Day is a celebration of romance, so this is a fun time to make our home a bit more romantic, and maybe spruce up our own appearance as well. Mirrors and proper lighting can help in both instances. I think Saint Valentine would be pleased at all the fuss.

Mirrors are a quick way to add sparkle and glamour to the home. A favorite technique of mine is using mirrored placemats, with beveled edges. They reflect candles and beautiful flowers. I also like combining them with other reflective accessories such as silver and cut crystal. The placemats are easy to clean, with a wipe of Windex. They also are small and easily stored. I have had mine for years. An additon to candles is LED (light emitting diode) lighting. LED candles and LED votive candles emit no heat so can be installed in paper holders. LED tape, in varying lengths, can simply be mounted atop a ledge or bookshelf and plugged in. Then as a director you click the hand held control and chose whatever flattering rose or gold hues you want to set the stage. For inspiration look at some of those over the top events shown on line, such as at Kennedy Center or the National Building Museum.

When it comes to sprucing up ourselves in the mirror it is helpful having more than just the mirror over the sink. I like being able to get up close to the mirror for that last minute grooming, and I hate magnifying mirrors. As for lighting, please, no spotlights on the ceiling: they create shadows.

For a dressing area for a client, I designed a closet with a three way mirror. It was simply three hinged mirrored doors. When the center door was closed, and the two outer doors were opened, she had in essence the kind of view you get in a department store dressing room. Don’t want a three way mirror? I recently saw a wall mirror in a DC hotel ladies’ room that had an ultra wide bevel; much more stylish than those wall mirrors mounted with little plastic clips!

So, you look great, the house looks great, the champagne is chilling. Perhaps one of your toasts could be to Saint Valentine. He was a Christian priest who performed secret wedding ceremonies for early Christians, particularly soldiers, against Roman law. Romans felt soldiers were better fighters if they were single.Valentine was executed by Imperial Rome because of his activities. Just before his death he wrote a note to a woman whom he had helped heal from an illness. The note was signed “from your Valentine”.

Pamela Heyne,AIA, is a Saint Michaels architect and designer. She is author of Mirror By Design and a forthcoming book on Kitchen design, based on her interview with Julia Child. pam@heynedesign.com

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Bathrooms can be dangerous places, just ask astronaut and former senator John Glenn. A couple of years after orbiting the earth, Glenn slipped in his bathroom and received a concussion, causing him to drop out of a senate campaign. He experienced pain, nausea, dizziness and ringing in his ears. Though Glenn was on terra firma, he was foiled by slippery surfaces. Fortunately for us, with a few design changes our bathrooms can be safer, more comfortable, and beautiful as well.

• Grab bars are a quick fix, and come in a variety of styles and finishes. Some designs are multipurpose, such as toilet roll holders or towel rods that are also grab bars. Want color? Some nylon (yes, nylon) grab bars come in decorator hues.

• Toilets: have metamorphosed from the low slung, 14” high style to the “comfort height”, 18”, about the height of a dining room chair.

• Flooring: ceramic tile is a good choice but should be certified “slip resistant.” Small tiles with texture are desirable in the shower. While marble is beautiful it can be hazardous.Various coatings are on the market that make marble less slippery.

• Showers: Curbless designs eliminate tripping.

• Bathtubs: Most accidents occur around baths. Grab bars near and in the tub are important. Step-in baths with little doors are widely advertised as a boon to someone with limited mobility, but they do have drawbacks. One has to sit in the tub while it fills up, then wait while it drains before exiting. If someone is suddenly wheelchair bound, these baths are inaccessible. Kohler has a different take on this type of bath, the “elevance rising wall bath.” It looks more like a very low traditional bath with a seat. Once seated inside you lift the movable wall, then the water cascades in. However, one reviewer got trapped in the tub when she finished her bath. After the water drained out, the “rising wall” would not lower. In any case, one must do research when considering one of these expensive items, which can be well over $10,000.

• Sink area: Many bathroom sinks are uncomfortably low, 30”, about the height of a dining room table. Now it is recommended they be about 34” high, with knee space below. This height sink is easily used by someone standing or sitting.

• Grooming: When you are standing 2’ away from your bathroom sink you are looking at a reflected image that is also two feet away. That means that you are looking at the equivalent of a person 4’ away from you. No wonder it is hard putting on makeup or shaving at the bathroom sink. As a result, I often recommend a separate grooming area that is closer to the mirror, similar to an old fashioned dressing table. The grooming area I designed for a recent client was in the bathroom, and allowed her to put on makeup comfortably seated.

Pamela Heyne, AIA is an architect and designer practicing in St. Michaels, and author of Mirror By Design. Her company is Heyne Design. A forthcoming book on the importance of Julia Child’s kitchen design concepts will be released this fall. pam@heynedesign.com