Nowadays with so many social media options at our fingertips, we can see that the natural progression of things changes from time to time. What we post, where we post, where we go to for our latest updates...those are all constantly evolving! I find Midori Spaces following on Facebook's business page a lot and on Instagram! I still like to have a website and a place to hold past and some future so I just wanted to say hi and ask that you check out my recent work on Midori Spaces Facebook Page, Midori Spaces on Instagram, and do see what I've done before then, by all means! Thanks for stopping by!
 I had to snap a picture for a keepsake. I hope that this is one of many homes and projects I have the pleasure of working on...but you always remember your first. I spent the day at the Cuku Residence for the Eco-solar home tour in June. This little beauty was greeting everyone that signed the guestbook. I'm still so proud to have been part of such an incredible, inspiring project. Not to mention the opportunity to have these equally amazing homeowners as clients!
After going on the Eco Solar home tour last year, I am VERY excited to be a part of it this year. I'll be on site at the Cuku House, aka the Parkland Net Zero house. This was such an exciting project to be a part of and even more exciting is the homeowner's passion for continuously sharing their experience, gained knowledge and wisdom, and of course, their beautiful home with those looking to learn! If you didn't have a chance to get to their open house in October last year, this is your opportunity. There will be many incredible projects and homes with ample opportunity for learning and meeting new like-minded individuals. Hope to see you there!
 I am often hired to consult on exteriors. I will conceptualize with the homeowner to help them determine what the best exterior facade options are. In this case, for an Ecological Homes customer, it was very simple. Hardie Plank composite siding and eco-friendly shingles. However, with all of the decisions you have to make when building a new home, selecting siding, trim and shingle colours and styles can seem daunting. I’m happy to help.
Starting a business is an exciting venture. I realize the importance of having a place for you to come and see what I’m doing and where! I will slowly but surely be adding projects, ideas, & all kinds of inspiration over the next while. Thank you for your patience, interest and support!
 I often think that if I were to go back to school I would go into architecture. First & foremost I notice the bones, the structure, lines, windows…the space. That is how I come to assess what the space needs from a design & decor standpoint. Perusing real estate & buildings around the world has been a past time of mine for as long as I can remember. This building takes my breath away. Despite mine & Frank’s difference in opinion regarding the LEED rating system, I respect the man & appreciate the many ‘green’ considerations that were applied in it’s construction & design.
Growing up, I never lived in a big, cavernous house with empty rooms or unused space. I had friends living in 3000+ sq/ft. with their smaller-than-my-own families. The first house I bought on my own was about 800 sq/ft. The second house I bought *definitely* wasn’t very big, ringing it at a whopping 518 sq. ft. It is tiny, and totally doable for the most part. Good design, space-planning, use of pieces that do not have a lot of visual residency all factor in when making a smaller space work for you. It helps if you are not a hoarder. It is definitely beneficial if you are not one who has emotional attachments to “stuff”. Being tidy helps, as well.
A couple of years ago I spent a month in Japan. Much of that I was based in Tokyo, in a serviced apartment that was just over 200 sq/ft. It was incredibly well-designed, modern and lovely. Space there is limited, they build up, not out. The people are busy and work harder than I’ve ever seen people work. They do it without complaining and are the most gracious hosts you can fathom. They are happy with the spaces they have. Sure, some of them live a bit more luxuriously than others, boasting spacious homes both ancient and modern. On the whole, though, much of my time was spent sharing little space with one or more people. I came home to my ‘ty tut’ , (tiny house in Welsh), finding it roomy and magnificent in comparison. As a society, we need to carefully consider the impact our homes are having on our environment. What is the carbon footprint of a 3000 sq/ft. home? What can you do to reduce the impact of the home you live in, or the home you might build or buy? What choices are available? I think we are just starting to see the upswing in knowledge, awareness and availability. New, sustainable, healthy choices are making waves, they are becoming more affordable and competitively priced. There is a considerable number of options today that there wasn’t even five years ago. These are exciting times for people that are passionately trying to lead the way in this movement. In this same breath, it is also incredibly important to properly educate ourselves, (and our clients, friends, families, colleagues, etc.), creating product awareness. Many of us spend a lot of time at home, have large families, busy jobs and lives, and have moved into bigger and bigger spaces as society, life, necessity dictated it was necessary. Having started my own business and working from home, I am finding I have reached a point where I think I have outgrown my space. It has served it’s purpose but now that I need a permanent office set-up and proper storage, I am exploring my options. The possibility of building a sustainable, solar-ready, super energy-efficient, affordable house with Ecological Homes, is right in front of me. If the stars align this would be the most favoured option for myself and for Ecological Homes, obviously. If the universe decides it is not the right time, then hopefully I will find someone to sell my house to that will appreciate it for what it is, and move on to find something still small, still responsible, but better suited to my needs right now. Either option is full of hope and excitement. Lessons from living small:
I will keep everyone posted on the very exciting possibility with Ecological Homes. Otherwise…my beautiful, tiny house downtown will be going on the market. Know anyone that might be looking?  As someone who drools over the pages of dwell magazine, I almost feel bad finding this site so profoundly humourous, but I do.
Unhappy Hipsters was brought to my attention the first month the fellow, (genius), started the blog. Because most of the images are found in dwell, I have this love/hate relationship with each posting. They are incredibly sharp and witty, but the pictures are of homes that I dream of. I want to learn more and more about every home portrayed, I want to design and source and bring them to my clients, I want to visit the breath-taking locations themselves, and, of course, I want to own most of them.  This will be a platform to share and discuss past and current projects I’ve taken on. I also intend to showcase people and businesses doing incredible things and making a difference, websites/resources/books you should know about, and anything else I feel is beautiful, amazing and/or thought-provoking. |
kimberly chiles
. interior design & decor consultant . green design instructor at faculty of extension, university of alberta . consultant to ecoammo . Archives
August 2017
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