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September 22, 2021

HomEcology Podcast – HomEcology

In this edition of HomEcology Podcast, Moneca Kaiser discusses the concept of HomEcology

Transcript


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[Music]

 

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you’re listening to the home ecology

 

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podcast with monica kaiser

 

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so hello

 

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um i’m here with monica kaiser of moneca

 

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kaiser design build and on this lovely

 

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sunday afternoon uh how are you today

 

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monica i’m great thanks great great so

 

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we’re at it again

 

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uh however this time around we’re going

 

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to uh get deeper into the conversation

 

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and philosophy of homoecology

 

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now that’s a term you have coined so to

 

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speak and how about we start with your

 

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explanation of what homoecology is

 

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yeah that’s a that’s a great place to

 

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start this

 

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home ecology

 

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is a

 

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synthesis

 

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of some things that are very important

 

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to us but we don’t really talk about a

 

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lot home

 

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home is kind of it connotes something

 

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about community

 

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and environment and it’s evocative of

 

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something meaningful to us we all long

 

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for home

 

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we talk about homecoming journeys we

 

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we we write poems about home and we all

 

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know what homesickness is

 

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and

 

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i wanted to

 

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try to study that to what is it that

 

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makes up a home

 

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and i wanted to begin a conversation

 

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about what those elements are

 

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so home ecology is about our

 

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interdependence and our

 

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um

 

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community i guess

 

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what i’m trying to do is elevate the

 

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built environment

 

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to be in harmony with the culture

 

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and

 

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ecosystem we’re dependent on

 

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to have more of a symbiotic relationship

 

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with

 

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everything okay and uh so

 

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what are those elements that you are

 

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speaking of

 

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um so i’ve i’ve

 

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been playing with this for a while

 

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and it’s complex it’s not complicated

 

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but it’s complex and there’s a big

 

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difference there’s an elegance and a

 

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simplicity to it but talking about it

 

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can

 

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can

 

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it can get a bit unwieldy so

 

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what i’ve done is i’ve broken it down

 

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into five elements of home ecology or

 

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principles

 

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things that we need to aspire to in in

 

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order to create great homes

 

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and the the aspirations are awakening

 

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acknowledging our interdependence

 

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adaptability like cultivating

 

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adaptability and embracing adaptability

 

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cultivation

 

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um which

 

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i just use that word i don’t mean to but

 

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cultivation is like what do we want to

 

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cultivate in our homes what do our homes

 

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want to cultivate in the world so sort

 

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of setting an intention and designing

 

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towards that intention and honoring our

 

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values all the time and thinking of the

 

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home as a living organism and something

 

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that propagates

 

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meaning and values and

 

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enlightenment actually is my hope

 

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and then ease we need ease we need ease

 

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so that so that we can give more so that

 

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we feel abundant and we can flourish

 

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so those are the elements and we could

 

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easily do a podcast on each of them

 

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the idea is that you can’t build a home

 

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alone

 

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i think john dunn said no man is an

 

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island and it’s and it’s and we repeat

 

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that and repeat that because it

 

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resonates so deeply and no home is an

 

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island either and we can’t create a home

 

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alone like these track builders they can

 

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build these terrible parasites on the

 

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environment and rape the land for as

 

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many dollars as they can have and you

 

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know just these places that nobody

 

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really wants to live but it’s all that

 

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they can kind of manage

 

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dead zones yeah and i mean they’re not

 

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alive there’s no diversity there’s no

 

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there’s

 

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they’re sanitized homogenized

 

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communities that don’t work you see a

 

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lot of box towns growing yesterday

 

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that’s that seems to

 

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really resonate with people that uh oh i

 

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have to own this type of

 

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box house instead of

 

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building

 

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and inspiring to have their own type of

 

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values put into their homes is that

 

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something that kind of relates to that

 

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very much so

 

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very much so and i think that in order

 

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to build an actual home we need to

 

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co-create it we can’t do it alone

 

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it’s a very intimate process of

 

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listening and learning so the person who

 

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needs this home needs to be listened to

 

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the way a mother would listen to a

 

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newborn baby and understand its needs

 

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and wishes and aspirations you know how

 

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a mom can

 

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you know a really good mom is attuned to

 

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her baby and and she knows the baby

 

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wants something but doesn’t know what

 

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but she’s wise because she’s had a few

 

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other children or she’s read the books

 

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and she cares a lot and we have to start

 

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approaching homemaking with a lot more

 

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caring and not about the granite

 

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countertops or the quartz countertops or

 

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the leather granite countertops or the

 

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whatever concrete countertops or you

 

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know and not even about how

 

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eco-effective those things are that

 

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matters but the deeper conversation is

 

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where is this countertop situated in

 

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your heart what are you going to do

 

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there like how is your grandchild going

 

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to help you roll out the cookies and

 

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where are you going to get the flower to

 

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make the cookies are you going to be

 

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living locally like in that you know

 

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trying to buy from the local people

 

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and

 

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what does a kitchen look like that cares

 

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more about heart and environment and

 

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your grandchildren than like dwell

 

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magazine you know which i mean it’s a

 

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bad choice because dwell is kind of

 

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enlightened but

 

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we have to stop thinking about how

 

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things look and talk about how things

 

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feel and why we want them to be that way

 

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and what they’re going to cultivate

 

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that’s great and so what inspired this

 

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idea like behind the values

 

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where where did it stem from for you

 

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i guess i started out i had a difficult

 

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childhood i was i was pretty

 

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challenged

 

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and

 

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just home was very dysfunctional and sad

 

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and

 

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i realized really early on that there

 

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must be more to life like

 

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like this is crazy

 

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and i wanted to find things that i could

 

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really believe in and hold on to

 

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so

 

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i just spent my whole life studying

 

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philosophy and

 

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initially i did it at university

 

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i kind of loved it but i was so

 

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overwhelmed by having all these concepts

 

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that didn’t belong to me

 

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so i met a wonderful teacher of um tai

 

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chi and art

 

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and meditation who is buddhist and i

 

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left university and i’ve practiced with

 

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him for 30 years

 

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and it’s been this just lovely discovery

 

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of of really aligning my life with my

 

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values like i wanted to have a

 

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meaningful life

 

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and a truthful life and i chose to get

 

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to know myself and figure out what i

 

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care about and

 

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i’m 51 years old and i’m so happy like

 

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and i didn’t you know i had terrible

 

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depression till i was 28 like i really

 

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had a lot of suffering and

 

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and then i spent most of my adult life

 

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cultivating

 

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not in a self-help way but being present

 

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in meditation and with good people and

 

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learning about meaningful things

 

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and

 

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i feel like i’ve got

 

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and then being blessed by this wonderful

 

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teacher who i believe is enlightened and

 

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has been able to impart um

 

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you know he always raises the bar and

 

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helps me just elevate my thinking and

 

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vision and i really want to bring that

 

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back into homemaking into something very

 

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practical and

 

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i feel that the reason i’m happy is i

 

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have aligned my life with my values i’ve

 

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created a business that reflects my

 

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values and

 

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i’m abundant and i’m nurturing and i

 

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give a lot and it’s easy it’s you know i

 

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remember being young and it was hard to

 

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think about other people i had a good

 

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heart but i had no capacity

 

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so that’s what i want i want to make

 

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good homes for people

 

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and through co-creation and

 

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interdependence and this little bit of

 

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awakening these these home ecology

 

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principles that i’m asking us to

 

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reclaim in our homemaking process

 

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i think people will be nourished and and

 

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they’ll feel taken care of they won’t

 

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feel taken advantage of like those

 

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countertops are great but they cost like

 

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12 000 bucks and you know who took a

 

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piece of that instead they’d be like oh

 

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i made a really good decision on this

 

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kitchen it works

 

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and and you know i’m gonna make cookies

 

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for the for the

 

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um

 

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whatever community event that’s coming

 

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up and beyond you know i mean that’s

 

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just the beginning yeah okay so uh um

 

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let’s let’s take a practical application

 

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here can you talk about an experience in

 

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which you applied homoecology principles

 

245

00:09:25,679 –> 00:09:28,879

to design and how it made a difference

 

246

00:09:27,360 –> 00:09:31,39

to the overall design of the home

 

247

00:09:28,879 –> 00:09:32,80

specifically like is there a client that

 

248

00:09:31,39 –> 00:09:32,799

you were

 

249

00:09:32,80 –> 00:09:36,959

you

 

250

00:09:32,799 –> 00:09:36,958

satisfied that way i’m sure yeah at all

 

251

00:09:37,278 –> 00:09:42,80

there’s a really nice one that comes to

 

252

00:09:39,39 –> 00:09:43,439

mind a client came to me and um you know

 

253

00:09:42,80 –> 00:09:44,959

them liz um

 

254

00:09:43,440 –> 00:09:46,240

yeah yeah

 

255

00:09:44,958 –> 00:09:49,119

and uh

 

256

00:09:46,240 –> 00:09:51,200

they wanted she she they inherited a

 

257

00:09:49,120 –> 00:09:52,879

little bit of money

 

258

00:09:51,200 –> 00:09:54,399

they told me exactly how much money they

 

259

00:09:52,879 –> 00:09:56,240

had and they said what they wanted to

 

260

00:09:54,399 –> 00:09:56,958

have done

 

261

00:09:56,240 –> 00:10:00,80

and

 

262

00:09:56,958 –> 00:10:01,518

she had this really kind of fun vision

 

263

00:10:00,80 –> 00:10:04,639

of wanting to do something a little bit

 

264

00:10:01,519 –> 00:10:06,799

over the top and very like

 

265

00:10:04,639 –> 00:10:08,639

um i’m sorry i’m kind of ignorant of

 

266

00:10:06,799 –> 00:10:10,559

decorating styles because i focus on

 

267

00:10:08,639 –> 00:10:11,600

something more fundamental

 

268

00:10:10,559 –> 00:10:13,838

but it was

 

269

00:10:11,600 –> 00:10:15,360

it was playful and a little bit over the

 

270

00:10:13,839 –> 00:10:17,360

top a little bit too much which is a

 

271

00:10:15,360 –> 00:10:19,919

style that i really love

 

272

00:10:17,360 –> 00:10:22,320

and i got to know them a little bit and

 

273

00:10:19,919 –> 00:10:23,919

she has chronic fatigue and

 

274

00:10:22,320 –> 00:10:25,920

he has a few

 

275

00:10:23,919 –> 00:10:29,39

health issues developing and they’re

 

276

00:10:25,919 –> 00:10:31,360

creative lovely people and i thought

 

277

00:10:29,39 –> 00:10:33,599

i think you need like a kind of peaceful

 

278

00:10:31,360 –> 00:10:35,839

home and i started to talk to them about

 

279

00:10:33,600 –> 00:10:37,519

you know maybe we could scale this back

 

280

00:10:35,839 –> 00:10:39,360

a bit and and

 

281

00:10:37,519 –> 00:10:41,440

calm down our palette because they

 

282

00:10:39,360 –> 00:10:42,399

talked about wanting to have

 

283

00:10:41,440 –> 00:10:45,120

like

 

284

00:10:42,399 –> 00:10:47,360

shared space but also private space

 

285

00:10:45,120 –> 00:10:49,120

one’s passionate about opera the other

 

286

00:10:47,360 –> 00:10:51,120

about jazz

 

287

00:10:49,120 –> 00:10:52,720

they they don’t necessarily love

 

288

00:10:51,120 –> 00:10:54,799

listening to each other’s music all the

 

289

00:10:52,720 –> 00:10:56,320

time

 

290

00:10:54,799 –> 00:10:57,439

that happens

 

291

00:10:56,320 –> 00:11:00,160

yeah

 

292

00:10:57,440 –> 00:11:02,560

and we moved into this you can find it

 

293

00:11:00,159 –> 00:11:05,679

on the website this really wonderful

 

294

00:11:02,559 –> 00:11:08,639

transformation and it’s kind of classic

 

295

00:11:05,679 –> 00:11:10,958

very minimal very calm palette but

 

296

00:11:08,639 –> 00:11:13,360

beautiful and elegant and

 

297

00:11:10,958 –> 00:11:16,159

they love it so much i do remember going

 

298

00:11:13,360 –> 00:11:18,320

through the portfolio for that one and

 

299

00:11:16,159 –> 00:11:20,879

the noticeable difference from the as is

 

300

00:11:18,320 –> 00:11:23,360

you can tell every piece of music

 

301

00:11:20,879 –> 00:11:26,78

equipment and and albums that they have

 

302

00:11:23,360 –> 00:11:28,0

683.36 –> 688

it’s still there but it fits and attunes

 

303

00:11:26,78 –> 00:11:30,0

686.079 –> 690

more to their lifestyle now you can

 

304

00:11:28,0 –> 00:11:32,320

688 –> 692.32

really appreciate it and they they

 

305

00:11:30,0 –> 00:11:34,799

690 –> 694.8

showcase their i think it’s one of the

 

306

00:11:32,320 –> 00:11:36,560

main pictures they showcase their their

 

307

00:11:34,799 –> 00:11:38,799

main artists in the kitchen and stuff

 

308

00:11:36,559 –> 00:11:41,679

like that but it really shows

 

309

00:11:38,799 –> 00:11:42,639

a piece of them in a sense

 

310

00:11:41,679 –> 00:11:44,719

um

 

311

00:11:42,639 –> 00:11:46,720

and if if i could if you go to their

 

312

00:11:44,720 –> 00:11:49,200

pinterest board which we should share on

 

313

00:11:46,720 –> 00:11:50,480

facebook it’s it’s not like that at all

 

314

00:11:49,200 –> 00:11:52,480

because they were thinking of how do

 

315

00:11:50,480 –> 00:11:55,39

they want this to look

 

316

00:11:52,480 –> 00:11:56,399

instead of how do i want to live and

 

317

00:11:55,39 –> 00:11:59,120

once we got into that deeper

 

318

00:11:56,399 –> 00:12:01,360

conversation of how do you want to live

 

319

00:11:59,120 –> 00:12:04,720

and what do you value we ended up with

 

320

00:12:01,360 –> 00:12:06,959

this very harmonious lovely space

 

321

00:12:04,720 –> 00:12:08,720

and then just to sort of take that a

 

322

00:12:06,958 –> 00:12:11,679

step further

 

323

00:12:08,720 –> 00:12:15,519

we never had a conversation about

 

324

00:12:11,679 –> 00:12:17,759

me or my personal beliefs or their

 

325

00:12:15,519 –> 00:12:19,519

personal beliefs really we were always

 

326

00:12:17,759 –> 00:12:21,278

talking about home

 

327

00:12:19,519 –> 00:12:25,278

needs

 

328

00:12:21,278 –> 00:12:26,639

you know couches um kitchens

 

329

00:12:25,278 –> 00:12:29,39

and

 

330

00:12:26,639 –> 00:12:30,399

interesting enough when the job was all

 

331

00:12:29,39 –> 00:12:32,879

done

 

332

00:12:30,399 –> 00:12:34,639

rio said to me she said you know i’m

 

333

00:12:32,879 –> 00:12:36,559

different now and i’m like what do you

 

334

00:12:34,639 –> 00:12:38,240

mean and she goes well you changed me

 

335

00:12:36,559 –> 00:12:39,199

and i said what do you mean and she said

 

336

00:12:38,240 –> 00:12:41,278

well

 

337

00:12:39,200 –> 00:12:43,360

i believe in god now

 

338

00:12:41,278 –> 00:12:45,120

i’m not kidding

 

339

00:12:43,360 –> 00:12:46,720

i don’t and she said and i don’t know

 

340

00:12:45,120 –> 00:12:48,480

how that’s going to manifest or what

 

341

00:12:46,720 –> 00:12:49,920

that means or even what religion i’m

 

342

00:12:48,480 –> 00:12:53,440

into

 

343

00:12:49,919 –> 00:12:55,360

but i’m i feel more connected yeah a

 

344

00:12:53,440 –> 00:12:58,160

connection a connection to something

 

345

00:12:55,360 –> 00:13:00,639

other than yourself or or a piece of

 

346

00:12:58,159 –> 00:13:02,480

furniture or a certain countertop in a

 

347

00:13:00,639 –> 00:13:03,200

sense yeah yeah

 

348

00:13:02,480 –> 00:13:05,600

and

 

349

00:13:03,200 –> 00:13:07,519

yeah yeah it was really neat well so

 

350

00:13:05,600 –> 00:13:10,240

speaking on that and i know this uh this

 

351

00:13:07,519 –> 00:13:13,200

doesn’t uh it fits into homo ecology but

 

352

00:13:10,240 –> 00:13:14,879

you’ve kind of mentioned the the term uh

 

353

00:13:13,200 –> 00:13:16,800

can you talk a bit about curing

 

354

00:13:14,879 –> 00:13:20,320

dysfunctional house syndrome

 

355

00:13:16,799 –> 00:13:22,240

and how that ties into ecology yeah

 

356

00:13:20,320 –> 00:13:24,160

that’s a really good that’s a good one

 

357

00:13:22,240 –> 00:13:25,600

my nephew came up with that brilliant

 

358

00:13:24,159 –> 00:13:27,838

concept of

 

359

00:13:25,600 –> 00:13:28,959

of the dysfunctional health syndrome and

 

360

00:13:27,839 –> 00:13:32,800

it’s so

 

361

00:13:28,958 –> 00:13:35,199

um apropos it’s like so many houses do

 

362

00:13:32,799 –> 00:13:37,359

not accommodate our lifestyle

 

363

00:13:35,200 –> 00:13:39,440

and the number of struggles i have with

 

364

00:13:37,360 –> 00:13:41,360

people about i know you’re giving up

 

365

00:13:39,440 –> 00:13:43,360

valuable real estate in your living room

 

366

00:13:41,360 –> 00:13:45,519

or your dining room

 

367

00:13:43,360 –> 00:13:48,480

but you have to have a closet when you

 

368

00:13:45,519 –> 00:13:50,799

come in the house like you just you know

 

369

00:13:48,480 –> 00:13:52,399

like like think about your marriage and

 

370

00:13:50,799 –> 00:13:54,399

your relationship where are your kids

 

371

00:13:52,399 –> 00:13:56,0

832.399 –> 836

putting those shoes if you don’t have a

 

372

00:13:54,399 –> 00:13:57,759

closet yeah and who are you going to be

 

373

00:13:56,0 –> 00:13:59,198

836 –> 839.199

yelling at for leaving them in the wrong

 

374

00:13:57,759 –> 00:14:00,799

space

 

375

00:13:59,198 –> 00:14:01,599

so

 

376

00:14:00,799 –> 00:14:04,319

um

 

377

00:14:01,600 –> 00:14:06,0

841.6 –> 846

and you know how many i like you’ve got

 

378

00:14:04,320 –> 00:14:07,680

to be able to get in the kitchen if you

 

379

00:14:06,0 –> 00:14:10,240

846 –> 850.24

live with a family with more than one

 

380

00:14:07,679 –> 00:14:12,159

person in there but maybe you want a

 

381

00:14:10,240 –> 00:14:14,799

certain area of the kitchen that only

 

382

00:14:12,159 –> 00:14:17,519

you get in there and again it’s all to

 

383

00:14:14,799 –> 00:14:19,599

make the home more harmonious so that

 

384

00:14:17,519 –> 00:14:21,679

you can live together

 

385

00:14:19,600 –> 00:14:23,600

that idea that good fences make good

 

386

00:14:21,679 –> 00:14:24,479

neighbors you have to apply that to your

 

387

00:14:23,600 –> 00:14:26,639

home

 

388

00:14:24,480 –> 00:14:30,320

and what kind of boundaries and

 

389

00:14:26,639 –> 00:14:31,600

and built elements can you create that

 

390

00:14:30,320 –> 00:14:34,720

provide

 

391

00:14:31,600 –> 00:14:37,839

proximity and spaciousness and

 

392

00:14:34,720 –> 00:14:40,480

privacy and cohabitation and

 

393

00:14:37,839 –> 00:14:42,880

all these different ways we like to live

 

394

00:14:40,480 –> 00:14:45,360

they all have to be adaptable we can’t

 

395

00:14:42,879 –> 00:14:48,78

just sort of plunk things together like

 

396

00:14:45,360 –> 00:14:49,680

families grow we grow we all evolve and

 

397

00:14:48,78 –> 00:14:52,399

the home has to grow and evolve and

 

398

00:14:49,679 –> 00:14:53,278

adapt to our different needs we can’t

 

399

00:14:52,399 –> 00:14:55,278

sort of

 

400

00:14:53,278 –> 00:14:57,198

just think well you know this is good

 

401

00:14:55,278 –> 00:14:58,480

like it’s good when you have little kids

 

402

00:14:57,198 –> 00:15:00,559

but they’re going to go

 

403

00:14:58,480 –> 00:15:02,639

and to school into high school and to

 

404

00:15:00,559 –> 00:15:04,719

university and grandparents might move

 

405

00:15:02,639 –> 00:15:05,919

in and kids can’t always be sharing the

 

406

00:15:04,720 –> 00:15:07,278

same room

 

407

00:15:05,919 –> 00:15:09,519

you know one usually moves into the

 

408

00:15:07,278 –> 00:15:12,159

basement is that going to be part of it

 

409

00:15:09,519 –> 00:15:14,240

at all what type of questions do you ask

 

410

00:15:12,159 –> 00:15:15,679

do you ask your clients when you when

 

411

00:15:14,240 –> 00:15:18,879

you first meet them

 

412

00:15:15,679 –> 00:15:21,599

um well we’ve designed this whole quite

 

413

00:15:18,879 –> 00:15:22,720

elaborate um series of questionnaires

 

414

00:15:21,600 –> 00:15:24,320

and they’re really fun and they

 

415

00:15:22,720 –> 00:15:25,120

overwhelm the clients

 

416

00:15:24,320 –> 00:15:26,480

so

 

417

00:15:25,120 –> 00:15:28,78

they’re going to be in the book because

 

418

00:15:26,480 –> 00:15:30,79

they’re they’re very relevant but i

 

419

00:15:28,78 –> 00:15:32,958

scaled it back because one-on-one we can

 

420

00:15:30,78 –> 00:15:35,278

interview and sort of intuitively attune

 

421

00:15:32,958 –> 00:15:37,679

to these things but what i really want

 

422

00:15:35,278 –> 00:15:39,439

to know i don’t want to know what how

 

423

00:15:37,679 –> 00:15:41,39

big a kitchen you need or how many

 

424

00:15:39,440 –> 00:15:42,880

people you have over for dinner i want

 

425

00:15:41,39 –> 00:15:44,399

to know who do you admire

 

426

00:15:42,879 –> 00:15:46,799

who’s your hero

 

427

00:15:44,399 –> 00:15:48,958

where have you felt most comfortable

 

428

00:15:46,799 –> 00:15:50,319

if you had to describe your ideal

 

429

00:15:48,958 –> 00:15:52,399

environment

 

430

00:15:50,320 –> 00:15:54,79

in a color what color would it be and i

 

431

00:15:52,399 –> 00:15:55,759

don’t mean that literally i just mean

 

432

00:15:54,78 –> 00:15:57,599

what color evokes the feeling you want

 

433

00:15:55,759 –> 00:15:59,199

your home to have

 

434

00:15:57,600 –> 00:16:00,399

i want to know

 

435

00:15:59,198 –> 00:16:01,679

you know

 

436

00:16:00,399 –> 00:16:04,639

what do you hate

 

437

00:16:01,679 –> 00:16:09,0

961.68 –> 969

what really gets your your irish up like

 

438

00:16:04,639 –> 00:16:09,0

964.639 –> 969

not to be i hope that’s not offensive

 

439

00:16:09,198 –> 00:16:12,399

um

 

440

00:16:10,320 –> 00:16:14,79

you’re not irish are you

 

441

00:16:12,399 –> 00:16:16,159

we won’t speak on that

 

442

00:16:14,78 –> 00:16:18,559

my teacher hopefully my mother’s not

 

443

00:16:16,159 –> 00:16:20,399

listening yeah well my teacher always

 

444

00:16:18,559 –> 00:16:22,479

said that hot blood is a sign of a good

 

445

00:16:20,399 –> 00:16:23,759

heart and i associate irish culture with

 

446

00:16:22,480 –> 00:16:26,720

hot blood

 

447

00:16:23,759 –> 00:16:27,919

so those kinds of questions you know

 

448

00:16:26,720 –> 00:16:29,680

um

 

449

00:16:27,919 –> 00:16:31,759

yeah those are what we need to know to

 

450

00:16:29,679 –> 00:16:33,919

make homes okay and then how does it get

 

451

00:16:31,759 –> 00:16:34,639

down to you know

 

452

00:16:33,919 –> 00:16:36,799

like

 

453

00:16:34,639 –> 00:16:39,680

how does it get down to finally picking

 

454

00:16:36,799 –> 00:16:43,758

the countertop then right well it’s

 

455

00:16:39,679 –> 00:16:46,399

almost like the countertop picks us

 

456

00:16:43,759 –> 00:16:48,399

in the sense that

 

457

00:16:46,399 –> 00:16:50,240

there there’s we’re gonna do a podcast

 

458

00:16:48,399 –> 00:16:52,320

someday about permaculture with people

 

459

00:16:50,240 –> 00:16:53,360

who are much more eloquent about it than

 

460

00:16:52,320 –> 00:16:55,360

i am

 

461

00:16:53,360 –> 00:16:57,120

but the idea of permaculture i took this

 

462

00:16:55,360 –> 00:16:59,199

weekend workshop once and it was

 

463

00:16:57,120 –> 00:17:00,959

wonderful it gave voice to these

 

464

00:16:59,198 –> 00:17:03,278

thoughts that i’ve always had but i

 

465

00:17:00,958 –> 00:17:05,599

never had a vocabulary for

 

466

00:17:03,278 –> 00:17:06,880

and they talk about designing in harmony

 

467

00:17:05,599 –> 00:17:09,359

with nature

 

468

00:17:06,880 –> 00:17:10,959

and allowing everything in its ecosystem

 

469

00:17:09,359 –> 00:17:13,359

to give from its highest level of

 

470

00:17:10,959 –> 00:17:15,38

capacity like we all know that you know

 

471

00:17:13,359 –> 00:17:16,879

you work with me so you know that when i

 

472

00:17:15,38 –> 00:17:18,798

do admit i set us back three weeks

 

473

00:17:16,880 –> 00:17:22,640

whereas when i do

 

474

00:17:18,798 –> 00:17:23,679

design i’m like elevating everything

 

475

00:17:22,640 –> 00:17:24,559

so

 

476

00:17:23,679 –> 00:17:26,798

um

 

477

00:17:24,558 –> 00:17:29,519

the idea also that i took away from

 

478

00:17:26,798 –> 00:17:31,759

permaculture and it’s just good sense

 

479

00:17:29,519 –> 00:17:34,639

and they’re modeling after nature is

 

480

00:17:31,759 –> 00:17:38,960

asking the question of what does this

 

481

00:17:34,640 –> 00:17:41,520

space or home or or program want to be

 

482

00:17:38,960 –> 00:17:44,400

and then to look for clues and to to

 

483

00:17:41,519 –> 00:17:46,960

listen so really by the time we get down

 

484

00:17:44,400 –> 00:17:49,759

to picking the countertop we know

 

485

00:17:46,960 –> 00:17:52,0

1066.96 –> 1072

ourselves and we know our team so well

 

486

00:17:49,759 –> 00:17:54,160

that if you know of course we want the

 

487

00:17:52,0 –> 00:17:56,798

1072 –> 1076.799

the concrete planet the concrete

 

488

00:17:54,160 –> 00:17:58,960

countertop or the glass the recycled

 

489

00:17:56,798 –> 00:18:00,558

glass countertop makes complete sense

 

490

00:17:58,960 –> 00:18:03,200

and we want the recycled glass because

 

491

00:18:00,558 –> 00:18:06,79

it’s in keeping with our values around

 

492

00:18:03,200 –> 00:18:07,840

you know sustainability and beauty and

 

493

00:18:06,79 –> 00:18:09,759

we want the concrete countertop because

 

494

00:18:07,839 –> 00:18:11,199

we want to make it ourselves right and

 

495

00:18:09,759 –> 00:18:13,679

even though it’s a little bit hard on

 

496

00:18:11,200 –> 00:18:15,759

the environment this is something we you

 

497

00:18:13,679 –> 00:18:17,600

know we we want this in our home this

 

498

00:18:15,759 –> 00:18:19,279

thing we crafted and

 

499

00:18:17,599 –> 00:18:21,839

and we’re going to look at ways of

 

500

00:18:19,279 –> 00:18:24,639

offsetting that um

 

501

00:18:21,839 –> 00:18:25,759

you know carbon whatever thing sorry

 

502

00:18:24,640 –> 00:18:27,919

yeah

 

503

00:18:25,759 –> 00:18:29,679

yeah no that makes sense yeah okay and

 

504

00:18:27,919 –> 00:18:31,200

so um

 

505

00:18:29,679 –> 00:18:34,0

1109.679 –> 1114

and we talked about a bit about this

 

506

00:18:31,200 –> 00:18:35,679

last time in the last podcast um the

 

507

00:18:34,0 –> 00:18:38,240

1114 –> 1118.24

whole master plan

 

508

00:18:35,679 –> 00:18:41,919

and how that kind of

 

509

00:18:38,240 –> 00:18:43,759

uh idea of having a plan for your entire

 

510

00:18:41,919 –> 00:18:45,840

home your entire community so that it

 

511

00:18:43,759 –> 00:18:48,79

relates to your community how do you tie

 

512

00:18:45,839 –> 00:18:50,159

in home ecology with that

 

513

00:18:48,79 –> 00:18:52,720

well yeah i mean that that’s what’s

 

514

00:18:50,160 –> 00:18:54,798

essential is i think the fundamental

 

515

00:18:52,720 –> 00:18:56,880

element of home ecology is it wants us

 

516

00:18:54,798 –> 00:18:59,759

to think in terms of systems and the

 

517

00:18:56,880 –> 00:19:01,919

whole and harmony and so we look at our

 

518

00:18:59,759 –> 00:19:04,79

home as a part of something greater and

 

519

00:19:01,919 –> 00:19:07,840

a part of something smaller so right

 

520

00:19:04,79 –> 00:19:10,79

down from that countertop out to our our

 

521

00:19:07,839 –> 00:19:12,399

street and our community our

 

522

00:19:10,79 –> 00:19:13,519

neighborhood our city

 

523

00:19:12,400 –> 00:19:16,80

and so

 

524

00:19:13,519 –> 00:19:18,240

we need to integrate a master plan where

 

525

00:19:16,79 –> 00:19:19,599

we and the master plan isn’t just

 

526

00:19:18,240 –> 00:19:21,440

where’s the kitchen gonna be what’s

 

527

00:19:19,599 –> 00:19:24,79

gonna happen when the kids are grown up

 

528

00:19:21,440 –> 00:19:25,759

and off to college what if we break a

 

529

00:19:24,79 –> 00:19:27,439

leg and need to live on the main floor

 

530

00:19:25,759 –> 00:19:29,519

it’s not only that

 

531

00:19:27,440 –> 00:19:30,720

it really is beginning with what do i

 

532

00:19:29,519 –> 00:19:33,440

value

 

533

00:19:30,720 –> 00:19:35,360

what what do i want my home to cultivate

 

534

00:19:33,440 –> 00:19:37,759

in the world what story do i want it to

 

535

00:19:35,359 –> 00:19:41,678

tell how do i want it to welcome people

 

536

00:19:37,759 –> 00:19:43,839

how do i want it to teach the children

 

537

00:19:41,679 –> 00:19:44,559

and um

 

538

00:19:43,839 –> 00:19:46,159

and

 

539

00:19:44,558 –> 00:19:48,79

what are the elements that are in

 

540

00:19:46,160 –> 00:19:49,279

harmony with all these things so that

 

541

00:19:48,79 –> 00:19:51,599

when i go

 

542

00:19:49,279 –> 00:19:53,359

decide that i need

 

543

00:19:51,599 –> 00:19:55,519

i don’t know like a lot of times people

 

544

00:19:53,359 –> 00:19:57,359

will want to develop their basement and

 

545

00:19:55,519 –> 00:19:59,519

they won’t realize that in five years

 

546

00:19:57,359 –> 00:20:01,119

they’re going to need a new kitchen

 

547

00:19:59,519 –> 00:20:02,639

because they’ve outgrown this one

 

548

00:20:01,119 –> 00:20:05,119

they’ve got the basement finished they

 

549

00:20:02,640 –> 00:20:07,600

have to rip out this 80 or 100 000

 

550

00:20:05,119 –> 00:20:09,439

basement ceiling like the ceiling’s not

 

551

00:20:07,599 –> 00:20:12,79

that big you know you can easily throw

 

552

00:20:09,440 –> 00:20:14,480

away 20 000 ripping out of

 

553

00:20:12,79 –> 00:20:16,558

the parts of the basement yeah

 

554

00:20:14,480 –> 00:20:18,480

to make the future work and yeah that’s

 

555

00:20:16,558 –> 00:20:20,480

what we want to avoid so you don’t hang

 

556

00:20:18,480 –> 00:20:21,440

a nail in my opinion without a master

 

557

00:20:20,480 –> 00:20:22,960

plan

 

558

00:20:21,440 –> 00:20:24,640

because the art has to be in harmony

 

559

00:20:22,960 –> 00:20:27,200

with the whole thing too that’s true

 

560

00:20:24,640 –> 00:20:28,720

like even uh when you were speaking of

 

561

00:20:27,200 –> 00:20:31,440

like they had

 

562

00:20:28,720 –> 00:20:34,0

1228.72 –> 1234

they had so much that that spoke to them

 

563

00:20:31,440 –> 00:20:36,159

their items their records and everything

 

564

00:20:34,0 –> 00:20:37,839

1234 –> 1237.84

but it was it wasn’t a matter of finding

 

565

00:20:36,159 –> 00:20:39,520

the right cabinet for

 

566

00:20:37,839 –> 00:20:42,158

how to showcase those it was building

 

567

00:20:39,519 –> 00:20:44,400

around their value of music and their

 

568

00:20:42,159 –> 00:20:46,80

value their values of their home and how

 

569

00:20:44,400 –> 00:20:47,360

they wanted to make that work

 

570

00:20:46,79 –> 00:20:49,599

um so

 

571

00:20:47,359 –> 00:20:51,439

well again monica it’s been a pleasure

 

572

00:20:49,599 –> 00:20:52,639

taking your brain and we’ll catch up

 

573

00:20:51,440 –> 00:20:54,240

next time and we’ll talk actually more

 

574

00:20:52,640 –> 00:20:56,0

1252.64 –> 1256

in depth about curing dysfunctional

 

575

00:20:54,240 –> 00:20:57,359

health syndrome because i know that’s in

 

576

00:20:56,0 –> 00:20:59,759

1256 –> 1259.76

itself his own

 

577

00:20:57,359 –> 00:21:03,399

fun little entity so thanks again thank

 

578

00:20:59,759 –> 00:21:03,400

you it’s a pleasure



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Having been in business for a quarter century now, we are laying the foundation to serve for generations to come. Elegant, eco friendly design is critical to our planet’s survival. Together let’s leverage our  homes to build the change we want to see in the world with elegant design, built to last with eco effective materials and practices, healthy for us and for our  planet. Plan it for the Planet : ) 

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