Posts Tagged ‘residential architecture’
One Way to Build Green: Use Reclaimed Beams
The Straight Goods on Green Building and Energy-Efficient Home Design. Green building is the catch phrase for the creation of houses that are energy efficient and environmentally in their design and construction. …… The article expands the information about what Green building means and what is needed to build and energy efficient home. These are the four things that I feel are important considerations when trying to build Green. ( the video illustrates item #2)
Design a house that uses less energy to heat, cool, light and maintain.
Use materials that consume less energy to produce and transport are non-toxic, and can be re-cycled or safely disposed of when no longer useful.
Use building products made from materials that are not limited in supply and are quickly and easily regrown, reproduced and replaced.
Use energy sources that are readily replenished and have an unlimited supply
Framed Mirror is also a Medicine Cabinet
I hope this information is helpful to you. You might want to get yourself a copy of my best-seller, Designing Your Perfect House. It is chockfull of valuable tips and advice that will save you many times the cost of the book on your house building or remodeling project. You might also like The Well-Centered…
Read MoreBig Cottage, Little Cottage
I received this email recently asking about what size house qualifies as a “cottage.” Bill: In my recent perusings on “Houzz“, I’ve read that the the term “cottage” properly refers to a single family structure up to to about 1,200 sq. ft. Yet, here we see in “Houzz” a veritable banquet of styles in the excess…
Read MorePocket or Swinging Door for Bathroom?
The master bedroom suite usually includes a master bathroom area. It is likely that you will want to be able to close off the bathroom area for privacy at times. People often think that a pocket or sliding door would be the solution, since it can be open and not be intrusive, and closed when…
Read MoreDoor Dilemma
I recently received a question about how to decide the correct height for an interior door. The home has 9′ ceilings in most rooms, but the corridor connecting them are 8′. They were advised by the door supply company to consider a 7’2′ door to make the rooms appear higher. My response: In rooms/or corridors…
Read MoreHow to Design a Kitchen That Is Efficient and Beautiful
People who know how to design a kitchen are keenly aware that the first goal is to make the kitchen functional and efficient. Naturally, you want your kitchen to be attractive. After all, we spend a lot of time in our kitchens. But first and foremost, your kitchen needs to fulfill its purpose of being…
Read MoreSmall Kitchen Design is a Puzzle Waiting to Be Solved
A small kitchen design is a tough challenge. The kitchen is the most complicated room in any house. Small kitchens should still follow the planning principles of any good kitchen design. They must hold many different items, such as appliances, sinks, work surfaces, eating areas, and storage cabinets. They need to be workable and facilitate…
Read MoreGood House Planning It’s the First Step toward Designing a Great House
House planning is the most important part of the design process whether you’re designing a new home or designing a remodeling or addition. It’s a fool’s game to try to design your house without having a clear idea of what you want to achieve. I compare it to driving off for your family vacation without…
Read MoreWindow Grids Are Important to the Style of Your House
Window grids, more properly called muntins, are the slender bars that divide a large window into smaller panes, or lites. In the UK these grids are called glazing bars and they’re called astragals in Scotland. The small strips of metal that join glass in leaded glass windows are known as the caming. By whatever name…
Read MoreI Know What My House Should Look Like
Do you know what your house should look like even though you don’t have a floor plan? If so, you might have the same question one of our readers asked me recently. Luci wrote: I know the correct answer for this, but I’d like to find out that it CAN be done differently – My husband…
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