Building it Green November 24, 2008

I read a good article this morning about sustainable building practices for new homes. They mention some great tips, but don’t mention the “greener” aproach of not building, and remodeling instead. You can incorporate all the things they reccomend for a new building in your existing home. It will make your house more energy effiecent, healthier, and keep from building on undisturbed land. I can’t stress this enough–it is better for everyone if you improve the home you are in rather then building something new.

Rebuilding an older home

Remodeling Now Can Save You Money Later November 20, 2008

I have two thoughts on why you remodeling now is a good idea. First it can save you money in energy costs. An Atlanta paper wrote an interesting article about how clients have saved money in the long run by spending some money up front.

Another good reason to remodel right now is that home improvement retail is suffering, as reported by Forbes. This could mean that you can find really fantastic deals, and perhaps save thousands of dollars on your remodel.

Green & Milligan Kitchen Remodel

Making a Home to Sell, a Dream to Buyers November 19, 2008

With the current housing market there is an overflow of houses to choose from, so if you are planning to sell your home how can you get an edge up? Do some design work! The first thing a person sees when they pull up to a house is the yard–if it has been sitting on the market a while, why not clean it up. Here is an article talking about what you can do for better curb appeal. Your next best thing is to do some redesign inside. Here is a long list of things you can do to improve your home for resale. You can do any of these things yourself, or you can hire a designer to do it all for you. In the long run, it may keep you from having to drop the price and sell your house faster.

Color Design

Why “0” VOC’s is important (and what are VOC’s anyway?) November 18, 2008

Imagine walking into a kitchen showroom with a 2 month old granddaughter (she was awake and happy for the moment). They are remodeling the space and using a lacquer thinner to clean up a new counter installation. Some people don’t mind the smell; I can’t stay in the space for very long. Now we know that not only is that smell not healthy for you, it is awful for an infant.
Just what is that smell? VOC’s — Volatile Organic Compounds that off-gas. They are said to add to poor air quality and can be harmful to our health — so who would want to expose an infant to those odors? Not me. So we left the showroom and walked outside for some fresh air.
That showroom is just a reminder of watching out for our continued good health. It was easy to escape from that smell, but, what about your home? As interior designers, we are constantly on alert for the makeup of the materials that we specify. Your cabinets, counter-tops, flooring, PAINT – all can be chosen with off-gassing in mind. If you want to find out more about a product, the GREENGUARD website is a place to start. They list products they have certified, as well having information about children and indoor health.

With the winter season upon us, it is even more important to consider the materials we bring into our homes and the health of our families.

Here’s to your good health!

Karla

The Sustainable Tree

Often when it comes to sustainable design we get all wrapped up in the building and forget about what’s right outside the window. Trees can be a huge way to conserve energy when it comes to home design. A properly located tree can provide shade in the summer and still allow light in in the winter. Here is some information on planting trees and thinking about energy conservation. Portland Spaces wrote a nice article about a local tree farmer who just published a book about planting trees for all seasons.

Maple Tree

Being Green is Tough November 17, 2008

The New York Times had an article talking about all the hype when it comes to green products and projects. All the hype is causing an information overload for people looking to do sustainable remodels on their home. I figure the best thing they can do is call a designer. The next best thing is to do a smaller project, here is an interesting site on what can be done on a budget.

McMansion Overload & the Need for Sustainable Spaces November 12, 2008

I was just reading an article about how when the dust settles in the houseing market that new homes will NOT be of the McMansion style. You can catch the article here.

One of the big reasons for this is their large energy cost. Another reason, as stated here, is that they take up so much land. Why this is bad? Well, the larger a residential home is the more resources it is taking to build it: no matter how “Green” it is or isn’t. Also, the land that it is taking up could be used for more sustainable gardening, or natural plants to help out with the displaced wildlife.

However, there is still a desire, if not a need for more space. I think most people have two or three options; if you own a McMansion OR you are thinking of purchasing one, do whatever you can to make it more energy efficient.

Most of these homes have numerous gables on them, which can be fitted for solar panels. Here is a link to a solar panel retailer, where you can learn more about solar panels. Another way of cutting energy cost is to create “zones” in the house for heating and cooling.  This is a popular product that was shown to me when I worked at a large Design/Build firm here in Portland, most contractors can get you hooked up with a good system. This will help keep you from heating rooms with 14′ ceilings when you are never in them. The last, but best thing to do, is make sure you have no heating leaks in the house, see link, and to make sure your house is well “winterized.” This goes for any home.

If you don’t want the hassle of owning one of these giants, but still need more space, why not add an addition to your home. I think this is the most sustainable way of increasing living space–other then doing nothing.  Almost all homes can have more space added to them, and it can be done in a sustainable way. It is also a good excuse to update your heating system, replace old windows, and check the insulation.

My only concern when it comes to additions is that when it is all done and said, it does not look like an addition. If the new section of the housing looks completely different from the original house, then likely it will get redone down the road, and that is NOT sustainable design. So please! work with a designer or architect to design an addition that fits the existing property.

The third and final option I have for you: call a designer to work with what you have. Get organized, remodel the basement or attic, and/or rearrange how you “flow” through the house. By “flow” I mean, maybe you should consider knocking out a few walls to create bigger spaces, or a master suite. All depends on what you need the extra space for.

If you have more questions, please comment, or contact us at Green & Milligan Design

The Housing Market and Remodeling November 8, 2008

I have talked to a few potential clients recently that have decided to place their projects on hold because of the current housing market. I understand their fears, but I just want to comment on some of them.

To start with, if you think your house is worth what it was last year, you’re probably right! Despite the current bubble popping, a lot of houses retained their value. There is an exception to this: those who want out right now! Let me be more clear: if you are planning on staying in your house, then the value of your house will continue to go up. If you need to sell your house, or you just want to move, then you may have to deal with settling for a lower price due to a the banks not lending any money and the small percentage of homeowner defaulting on their homes.

I think most people realize this, but when they talk to friends, or even the banks, the news is that things suck! I believe this is true, the banks are making things tough on everyone. Eventually this will have to change, and the banks will have to start lending money again. However, those who have lived in their house a long time still have equity. Banks are still loaning secured loans, and your house is a security.

If you want to help this economic crisis, then you have to be willing not to place your plans on hold. If you have been planning on remodeling your home, and you can afford it, then do it! Why wait? The world is not ending, the US is not falling into the ocean, and you still need to enjoy life.

I usually always suggest that clients look at the current cost versus value report: http://www.remodeling.hw.net/costvsvalue/portland.html

This is a great place to find out what the average costs of remodeling are, and what the excepted return and investment is. Of course, like the commercials say, happiness is priceless. So, in these hard times, don’t just sit on your money–spread it around and help the economy get back on it’s feet.

I Want To Remodel My Home, Why Do I Need A Designer? November 3, 2008

So you want to remodel your home, you have a pretty good idea on what you want to do and you are about to go out and find yourself a contractor. This is all well and good, but have you talked to a designer yet? You may ask, “why do I need a designer, I just said I know what I want!” You may think you know what you want—but do you really?
Here is my list of the top ten reasons to hire a designer, from least important to most.

10. A designer makes you look like you are really cool.
Okay, so maybe this is not a great reason, but it does help you. A good designer knows the industry. They can introduce you to contractors, showrooms, and order sample materials for you. This makes you seem really put together when you are talking to your bank, or just your friends.

9. A designer knows color.
Probably the first thing someone thinks of when interior design is mentioned is color. And although I don’t like it one bit when people confuse interior designers with decorators (we are NOT the Sugerbaker’s), this is one area we have in common. Almost all designers, whether they are graphic, industrial, or interior usually have a good education when it comes to color theory.

8. A designer knows more then color.
A professional designer has gone to school. And not just a two week course you see on late night TV. Real, honest to goodness formal, professional schooling. Did you know that in Portland alone there are two Universities teaching Interior Design, as well as, PCC.  So what on Earth does an interior designer learn in all this schooling?—I mean you can’t spend four years studying just color. We learn everything from basic design principles, to building structures, appropriateness of materials, history, art, sustainability and most important: safety. We not only make spaces wonderful to be in, but hopefully also keep Grandma from slipping on the bathroom tile.

7. A designer can draw.
Not only can a good designer quickly sketch out an idea, but most can draft as well. This means they will place together a full set of plans and elevations so you can get permits and the contractor has something to build from. No remodeling project is complete without some form of drawings.

6. A designer understands space.
I am not talking about that place were all the stars live. I mean your kitchen, your living room, your entire house.  We understand how people move through spaces, what they first see when they walk into a new space, and how people use things that are in that space. I bet you have been in kitchen where everything is just not were it should be—well, a designer can help correct that from happening.

5. A designer knows there way around town.
Designers have knowledge and access to all the showrooms in town.  All the tile, carpeting, paint and counters you will ever want to see, as well as all the hardware, plumbing fixtures, and lights that can be working in your house. This is a major benefit; this means you are not limited to what is sold at Home Depot or Lowes.  A designer can open doors to possibilities that you never knew existed. Best of all, we are not always talking more money, often times a designer can find fantastic things for a great price.

4. A designer knows price.
If, like most people, you have to stay within a budget the best way to do so is with a designer. Understanding the difference from a $30,000 kitchen and a $80,000 kitchen is a big deal. A lot of clients I have run across in the past have no idea what something should cost.  A designer—although not the greatest job we have, can bring a project into perspective. Sometimes this means you have to give up that fantastic $8000.00 rare granite counter and look to a granite that is a little more common and overstocked. This doesn’t have to be a huge dream buster, a designer can often find good deals to bring a project back into budget.

3. Water and electricity don’t mix—or do they?
A designer understands how to lay out an electrical plan, usually what the current code requires, and how to make sure that your house stays safe. A designer also understands plumbing—and not just the pretty toilet sitting in the corner. We understand what it takes to move that toilet out of the corner, and how best to plumb a new bathroom addition. When dealing with plumbing and electrical a professional designer knows what needs to be there, were it needs to go, and how to make sure that it is safe and will pass inspection.

2. A designer knows how a house is built.
Believe it or not, architects and contractors are not the only ones that know how a house is put together; a designer knows too, and maybe even better then an architect or contractor. When I am working on placing a job together I think of all the phases it takes to get that kitchen sink up and running. Everything from the demolition (what stays and what goes), to framing, plumbing, electrical, insulation, sheetrock, etc. This helps in what I think might be the most important thing a designer can do for you…
1. A designer knows how to write specifications.
When a contractor goes to start a job he needs two very important documents: the drawings (see above) and specifications. This is a laundry list of everything that is and is not on the plans. It includes everything: what kind of lumber to use, what type of sheetrock, what sink was selected, right down to the color on the walls. Because my firm is design build, my specifications also include everything that is to be demoed, what needs to be saved for reuse, what is being donated and what is to be recycled or trashed. It also includes how all the debris from building the job is to be handled and how the jobsite should be left at the end of each day. In the end the specifications are your contract on what and how the job is suppose to be. They should be as detailed as possible so everyone is on the same page.

So there it is—my top ten reasons for hiring a designer. I would love to hear questions and read comments on your thoughts about designers. I believe there is still a lot of education that the general design community needs to do to let people know what we do. I hope this has helped.
Many thanks,
Daniel Milligan
www.greenandmilligan.com