Guest post by Allan Dallatorre: Three favorite Dwell on Design products of LA Design editor

Last year, I had the pleasure of attending Dwell Magazine’s Dwell on Design designer and consumer expo in Los Angeles. Since I couldn’t make it there this year, I asked Allan Dallatorre, artist, industry insider and newly-named Editor in Chief of LA DESIGN, to share his three favorite items from the show in a Gold Notes’ third anniversary “threesome” guest post.

I knew his terrific eye for design and trend-setting mindset would bring my readers the best of the best! Here are Allan’s favorites.

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This year’s Dwell on Designn show at the Los Angeles Convention Center was bigger and better than ever. I left convinced that no home is complete without such luxury items as a dishwasher that has a 'beer glass chilling' cycle, a Neorest smart toilet in the bathroom and Miele’s digital kitchen appliances that are wi-fi connected to alert me of maintenance issues.

With so much sustainability, technology and innovation to choose from, it made it difficult to pick Dallatorre’s Dwell on Design’s Top Three in salute to Gold Notes’ third year anniversary.

Molo’s sustainable fan system uses a honeycomb structure to open into stools, benches, loungers, divider walls, lamps – you name it! Stephanie Forsythe and Todd MacAllen, founders of Vancouver-based Molo, created the multi-functional freestanding, expandable room dividers of fire-retardant paper and textiles in white or natural. Each piece of the soft seating has magnetic end panels, allowing an element to connect to itself, forming a cylindrical stool or low table, or to connect to other elements of the same size in series- check out their booth- creative sustainable genius!





TOTO’s Neorest II vessel lavatory was the most captivating digital sink in the building, people could not keep their hands off of it! The new translucent wash basin is the ultimate in intuitive hands-free control. Toto’s combination sensor faucet and lavatory features: Luminist semi-clear epoxy resin for exceptional strength and high scratch resistance, anti-scald thermostatic mixing valve and two flow rates for sustainable use. In the end, my favorite element was the multi-color LED lighting system that correlates to the water temperature, red for warm and blue for cold.




LG’s Tromm Styler/Steam Closet was the product that took the cake. LG’s attempt to make your home smarter included a "digital wardrobe" that steams your clothes clean while you wait. It’s a cross between a wardrobe and a dry cleaning machine. Designed to keep your power business suits wrinkle and dirt free, the Tromm Styler steams and sterilizes your clothing, so you don't have to walk around smelling of food or smoke. LG is pleased that it only produces a 40 decibel noise when in operation, and is bland and mysterious-looking enough to slot in anywhere within the modern house kitchen, laundry room or Closet. [JG's Note to readers: This product may not be available in the U.S. just yet; it's not on LG's US website at press time.]

12 Easy ways to save water at home

Yesterday, March 22nd, was World Water Day, an international initiative created by the United Nations to spur awareness of the 2.6 billion people who lack basic sanitation. Most of us take for granted that when we turn on a tap, clean water instantly emerges. It has for as long as most of us have been alive. We clean ourselves, our homes, our laundry and our cars with it. We cook with it. We water our lawns with it. And, most important of all, we drink it. I'm not sure we know how very lucky we are.

That doesn't mean our luck will last forever. The purpose of this post isn't to make you feel guilty. It's to help you save water for your future and ours. A happy short-term outcome is lower water bills, which isn't a bad thing at all. In the long run, conservation will help ensure that the next generation can enjoy clean water, too.

Some of these12 steps are free and easy, though they may require some of you to change long-held habits. Others involve an investment in your home. This can potentially increase its value to future owners, also not a bad thing.

In order of ease and cost...

Freebies

• Don't run the tap while you're brushing your teeth or shaving.
  
• Lather and rinse, but don't repeat when you shampoo. (Your hair will thank you, too.)
• Don't run the water while you condition your hair.
• Take showers, not baths.
• Water your lawn one day less per week, and not at all in the rainy season.
• Don't rinse your dishes before you put them in the dishwasher. Switch to a detergent like Cascade Complete that works better on dirtier contents.

When I started using this product a few years ago, it saved me time, aggravation and the expense of replacing my dishwasher... It's the detergent, stupid!

• Pay close attention to the water settings on your clothes washer; small loads need less water, but some machines require you to adjust the water level manually.

Low cost, high returns

• Repair or replace any leaking or dripping faucets.
• Replace your existing faucets with hands-free models. These are available now for both kitchen and bath.

Ryohan EcoPower Bathroom Sink Faucet by Toto offers sleek style and water savings, too



Brizo's Pascal offers hands-free functionality and hot looks for your kitchen

You'll also benefit from hands-free AKA sensor faucets with less germ transfer between family members.

Larger investment, greater returns

• Consider replacing your existing toilets with dual flush models.

Kohler's Reve stints on water use with its Dual Flush technology, but definitely not on aesthetics

• Consider replacing your existing top-load washing machine with a front load model. Most use less water.

This WM2010C Washer by LG is one of the most water-efficient models on the market

• Consider adding a tankless water heater for bathrooms far from your main water heater. You'll run less water waiting for it to get hot.

Rinnai makes some of the industry's best-selling tankless water heaters.

If you have additional ideas to share, please post them in the comments section. When each of us saves water, everyone wins!