It's Always Something

When thinking of replacing your carpeted floors with wood floors, consider CORK!  Noice Reduction: Super capabilities for vibration, noise and water absorption, cork is a great bet for high-traffic areas. Easy to install:   Cork Plank  - a narrow board at 4 3/8 inches wide – is super user-friendly. Even dad can do it (but please don't blame us if that doesn't work out...). Air Purifying:  Cork absorbs CO2, reversing the effect of VOC emissions for healthier living. In fact, according to an Amorim rep, cork is completely anti-allergenic. Renewable:  Cork remains the only tree whose bark can regenerate itself after each harvest - leaving the tree unharmed. Easy to Clean:  Just mop with water. Why is cork a more carbon neutral idea over wood? Cork is harvested on a sustainable basis and the stripping of the bark does not harm the tree in any way. Cork bark grows back completely, taking on a smoother texture after each harvest. A cork oak tree can be safely harvested up to 20 times...

I have always found vintage items to have such more appeal when decorating than newer items. The idea of rummaging through odds and ends to find that perfect quirky item has so much more character than that Pottery Barn end table that your friend's sister has.  Oh, and her friend has. And her sister-in-law. You catch my drift.   In addition to the money you save, you are also helping offset your carbon footprint by reusing items rather than using more materials and energy to create more.  You can often find Brooklynn and myself scouring the downtown antique stores for decor or at thrift stores for necessities. Although we have some of the best antique stores right in Fremont, here are a few that I have found around the Bay Area: Berkeley- Amoeba Records, Moe's Books, and Mars Mercantile on Telegraph Ave. Hayward- ECO Thrift (comprised of a dozen different thrift stores that spans a 10-mile strip of roadway from Hayward to San Leandro) Burlingame- Pick of the Litter (sales benef...