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24 - The Oakville Beaver, Friday March 21, 2008 www.oakvillebeaver.com Seasonal décor ­ Spring/Summer 2008 colour trends Spring is here and what better way to celebrate the advent of warmer weather than with a fresh look at colour trends. To help you get in the mood for the "blooming" season, here three colour trends for Spring/Summer 2008, so get ready to decorate. Natural Life This particular colour trend and mood is all about pared down simplicity -- an awareness of sustainable, natural materials that provide a soft-edged, earthy and fundamental feel. Natural colors of browns, taupes and beiges provide the perfect backdrop for colour in grey/blues and greens. Colourful accents include red, orange and the introduction of yellow. Coastal Chic This colour trend and mood is refreshing, simple, nostalgic, and breezy - where a cool, calm environment is decorated with washed, faded linens, subtle stripes and simple patterns. Weathered wood, hand painted ceramics, comfortable pillows and textured rugs add intrigue. Colour combinations include shades of blues from the "coast" mixed with greens, yellow and neutrals. Contrasts of dark and light woods, played up against the various shades of blues and greens with polished chrome finishes provide the perfect Coastal palette. Coastal Chic is the perfect look for bath, paint, décor and the outdoors. Summer Savories The delicious tastes of gelato and fresh summertime fruits like watermelon and strawberries provide an inspirational backdrop for this colour trend theme. Summer Savories is the place to brighten up any assortment. Used carefully and sparingly, Summer Savories can and will add that bright pop you've been looking for. Great for pillows, area rugs, outdoor accessories and lighting. Paint, wallpaper and wall décor can express these savories in a playful way. - News Canada Canadian building codes warming up to energy efficiency Energy efficiency is becoming more than an attractive, money-saving feature to have in your newly built home. Within the next three to five years, it will be the law in some parts of Canada. Many places such as Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Ontario, Quebec, Yellowknife, and British Columbia plan to implement minimum energy requirements in their building codes for the first time using Natural Resources Canada's EnerGuide rating system. The EnerGuide rating system determines the level of energy efficiency in a home on a scale from 1 to 100. The average newly built home rates at approximately 72 on the EnerGuide scale. Highly energy-efficient homes rate at 80 or more. Homes that have a net zero energy consumption have a rating of 100. Nova Scotia is working towards a minimum EnerGuide rating requirement of 80 by the year 2011. New Brunswick and Ontario have committed to mandatory EnerGuide ratings of 80 by the year 2012. British Columbia, Québec and the city of Yellowknife are also considering mandatory EnerGuide ratings of 80 or higher. The federal government will be monitoring the transition as EnerGuide-rated homes must be registered by Natural Resources Canada. This enables the federal department to monitor builder certifications, training, marketing initiatives, and to perform quality assurance on EnerGuide labelled homes. More information on this topic is available at www.newhomes.gc.ca. - News Canada · Interlocking Concrete · Pebble Concrete · Stamped Concrete · Flagstone · Walkways · Garage Floors · Patios · Driveways · Curbs (French), etc. · ALL WORK GUARANTEED · · FREE ESTIMATES · · REFERENCES AVAILABLE · Add elegance to your home with classic or contemporary styling from the professionals. 905.842.1542