Stone Tapestry

More interesting stonework. If you live in Southern Maine, you're lucky to be near Ethan Stebbins who does wonderful stonework patios and walls.

Recycled Style

Recycling can be done in style. Here is an architect-designed house that uses a lot of recycled materials. I hope we see more of this in the future, there seems to be a revival of the
"handmade house" from the Whole Earth Catalog and Shelter Book era. I love the car windshield as portico. Back to the 1960s!

The Microhouse

Derek Diedriksen builds not just small house, not just tiny houses, but MICROhouses. Playful and funky. Small is beautiful. His idea is that homeless people could use them and sell stuff out of them.

Treehouses in Costa Rica

This looks like fun: a sustainable treehouse community in Costa Rica.

Big builder jumps on the greenbuild bandwagon

Let's hope they don't break it. Meritage Homes, a "big" builder out west is aggressively re-branding itself as a green builder. Especially interesting is the emphasis on smaller, affordable homes that are energy efficient, advertised to be three times more efficient than Energystar. Affordable means in the 150k range. Of course they build many homes that must be considerably more expensive, like the one on the left. I'd like to see the cutaway model.

Custom Prefab Eco-Friendly Homes

Blu Homes based here in Massachusetts is producing a modernist pre-fabricated home in a variety of configurations. This is an idea that has been tried many times and never really caught on. I hope they have great success!

IKEA Cabinets

There comes a time during my first interview with some clients when they give me a sheepish look and then tell me that they are thinking of getting their cabinetry from IKEA. They are always relieved when they get an enthusiastic response from me. I love IKEA. A good kitchen designer and a good installer can get fabulous results with IKEA cabinets. We have three current projects using IKEA cabinetry.

According to the owner these IKEA cabinets cost $1,900.00

That said, you have to know how to design with the IKEA system and there are hidden costs. So if you're trying to compare apples to apples with a stock cabinetry program from a home center or a boutique kitchen designer you need to take these costs into consideration. The IKEA cabinets will not be as inexpensive as they seem at first blush but if your creative and play your cards right you can get a high design kitchen for somewhat less than a "designer" kitchen. Here is a rundown of items that need to be thought through if you're thinking about IKEA.

1. Measurements of your existing space: Unless you have totally freestanding plan that does not touch sidewalls, this can be complicated. Measuring means not just width depth and height but also level, plumb, squareness and straightness. Tools needed: Tape measure, longest level and biggest square you can find. I use a laser level, a 6' level, and a 6' collapsible square. If you don't know what I'm talking about get someone to do it who does.
2. Do all your measuring in metric system:  IKEA cabinets are sized in centimeters. Don't measure in inches and then convert to inches or even worse, don't try to keep switching back and forth between inches and centimeters. This isn't so scary, we've been metric since 1980 in case you didn't notice.
2. Basic principles of kitchen design: You'll be designing this yourself. Know your work triangle, space needed between counters and obstructions, appliance sizes, space needed to turn a corner, and cabinets heights at a minimum. There are many design issues to consider, I can't possibly go into them here. A knowledgable designer can do a very nice job with IKEA cabinets. There are some excellent blogs about kitchen design. Becky Sue Becker for example.
3. Delivery: If you have a small vehicle and more than a couple of cabinets you need to think about how you're going to get your cabinets to your house and how much it will cost. The good news is that IKEA cabinets are flat packed. The bad news is that they are heavy.
4. Assembly: This is the 800 pound gorilla. Assembly is not trivial if you have more than a few cabinets. We often build kitchens with 50 or more cabinets. It takes time, space, and tools. I have found that not all IKEA cabinets go together accurately. You need to be able to recognize when this is a problem and know how to correct it. Correcting it can be complicated. The alternative is to return items that do not fit together perfectly. This could be very time consuming.
5. Cabinet base:  IKEA cabinets do not have a base, that "toe" space below the doors. You or your builder will need to make a structure to support the base cabinets. You need to think about how this space will be finished (same finish as the cabinet doors? Black? metallic? vinyl cove? tile?)  and provide material for this.  It will need to be perfectly level and the correct height so that the top of the cabinets (not the top of the counter) ends up between 34-1/2 and 35 inches. If it's not the correct height your appliances won't fit right.
6. Installation: Installing frameless cabinets can be more complicated that you think. Especially if your walls are not perfectly straight and plumb. The cabinets do not have much resistance to racking. You can easily pull them out of square while trying to make them conform to the walls. If you do, the doors will never line up correctly and your fashion kitchen will look like a cheap and sloppy dorm room. Agian the issues are too many to go into here. I'll give you an important piece of advice that will help you avoid one big pitfall: Install base cabinets first, start at the dishwasher with the top of the cabinets at 34-1/2", keep everything level from there.

Good luck!

Universal Design is Good Design

Universal design products are increasing the efficiency and  functionality of homes. This video concentrates on products that are especially focused on aging boomers, but most of these things are useful for any age. This excellent blog by kitchen designer Becky Sue Becker has a number of articles on universal design and is in general a great informational resource. More general information on Universal Design here.

Spectacular Stonework

I love stone...did I say that before? There is a movement in stoneworking akin to the fine woodworking revival of the '70s. Thea Aldin is one of the most creative practitioners of this art. Thea's site is full of wonder. A spiral stone wall below.

Andy Goldsworthy first taught us that forms like this were possible in stone. Thanks Andy. Collage of Andy Goldsworthy images below.

Dam Ice dams

I have had many calls and emails from clients over the past few weeks asking me what to do about the ice dams on their roofs. The most comforting words I have are "you're not alone". Joe Lstiburek at BSC talks about the ice dams and icicles we see everywhere these days (thanks Dave). This articles says about everything there is to be said about the problem. There is no quick fix. Scraping the snow off the roof just damages it, the underlying problem is always lack of air sealing and insulation.

Tank vs Tankless

I have this discussion several times a week with prospective clients: conventional storage tank water heaters vs tankless on-demand water heaters.  This article from Builder Magazine online has a good summary of the issues.

Where will it be located and how will it be used are important considerations. If you're looking at tankless units online, don't be mislead, the installation cost is much more than a conventional water heater. That said, they cost very little to operate and are definitely appropriate in many situations.

Natural Builders

In case you haven't noticed, the spirit of hippie/self sufficient/shelter movement of the '60s and 70's is still alive and being brought into the 21st century by people who call themselves "Natural Builders"  I love these guys. They're technologically sophisticated and skillful. They are exploring vernacular building techniques. They are the greenest builders out there. Here's just one example of this type of building.

New Ecology and WegoWise

Our friends at New Ecology have a new energy management tool called Wegowise. It's especially designed for people who manage multiple properties. It downloads information directly from your utility accounts and tracks energy usage. I haven't had a chance to explore it in detail but it looks very interesting.

The Garden in Winter

The naturalistic designs of Dutch landscape architect Piet Oudolf have changed the landscape of landscape design. Fortunately, his work can be seen in the US. His website  is an education in garden design. In this brief interview he describes how he uses textures that change with the seasons. A great slideshow with the article! I wonder why the NYT didn't include this photo of Battery Park in winter, an Oudolf design right in their neighborhood.

Or this one of the High Line Park also in NYC.

5 Tips from Green Home Remodeler Sarah Susanka | Inhabitat - Green Design Will Save the World

5 Tips from Green Home Remodeler Sarah Susanka 

Sarah was a green remodeler before green remodeling was cool.

TRANSFORMATIONS, INC. - Zero-Energy Communities

TRANSFORMATIONS, INC. - Zero-Energy Communities

This builder is doing great things in Massachusetts. Also check out the neat construction drawings for a rain garden.

Calvert USA, Attic stairs

Calvert Attic stairs

Pull down attic stairs are a necessary but awkward and badly insulated part of many houses. We often try to seal and insulate old attic stairs. The results are usually unsatisfactory. If you are replacing a pull down stair, the ones they carry at your local big box store are only of one or two sizes, not weatherstripped or insulated, and have a rickety mechanism that verges on dangerous to use. This company produces the best, most versatile attic stairs that I have found. Many sizes, many heights, a robust mechanism, aluminum and steel ladders as well as wood. They fit flush with the ceiling and are easy to trim inconspicously. Best of all, they come with excellent weatherstripping and integral insulation up to R-14. They also have horizontal mounting stairs for hatchways in gable ends. What more could you ask for?

Horizontal mounting stairs