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Green technology is becoming more and more prevalent and many designers and manufacturers around the world are developing some really cutting edge ways to save energy or harness alternative energy. Solar panels and geo thermal technology to name a few, but what about water conservation? We are draining litres and litres of relatively clean water into our sewer system which  is a waste of a precious resource.

Did you ever think water conservation could be stylish? Check out what Roca has designed with their new Washbasin + Watercloset fixture, W+W. Sleek design meets water conservation technology, capturing the sink graywater to be used in the toilet flushing system. It also has a feature which uses an automatic cleaning system to avoid flushing bacteria into the product’s built-in cistern, thus cutting down on unpleasant odours.

Looking for new office space? Is your small business growing beyond your home office? Maybe you want to downsize in style! Check out the H2O office out of the U.K.

•    a compact design giving enough space for one or two people to work in comfort
•    a “private” working area (i.e. not overlooked by the neighbours!)
•    a “breakout” area (perhaps for small meetings, meals etc.)
•    an external sun deck
•    a kitchenette
•    a pull-out berth (for occasional overnight stays)
•    plenty of storage space

I was checking out the evergreen.ca website today as someone told me it was a great site for education programs for kids. To my delight I came across the Brick Works project launching in May 2010. It is being touted as Canada’s first large-scale, environmental community centre featuring:

• a native plant nursery and garden centre
• youth “green job” employment training programs
• children’s school programs and summer camps
• a one of a kind children’s nature play area
• hands-on geology and heritage exhibits
• interactive green design exhibits and interpretive programs
• food gardens, farmers’ markets, and a year-round Marché featuring local and small-scale producers

It has all the elements of a true green building practices starting with an existing building and restoring it with recycled materials while incorporating green energy technology such as, carbon neutral heating and cooling, net-water neutral while delivering zero waste to landfill program.  Very exciting project. Check it out:

» Brick Works Project

» Brick Works Site History

I was recently over on Gabriola Island visiting my parent in-laws and I can not believe the mixture of building designs that are over there now. As is the case with most of the Gulf Islands they have attracted a wide range of owners from various backgrounds and with ranging economic clout. It’s not just the granola tree huggers anymore, which incidentally (IMO) constructed some charming little abodes that fit with the Island scape. Now we have Spanish villas, square stucco units and massive Western Living-esque (gorgeous I must admit) homes that seems to detract from the natural landscape and charm of Gabriola. Many of the people who own these monstrosities do not even live on the island full time. They are weekend getaways.

My question is should there be more regulation, building codes and design guidelines for the Gulf Islands? Can this be done without punitive costs to the owner and with minimal red tape? What do you think Island Trust? I put it out to anyone for feedback!

In today’s market selling your home can be quite challenging! You only get one chance at a great first impression. Professionally staging your home can maximize your marketability and increase your opportunity to sell quickly and get the highest offer.

When staging your home it is important to assess all the assets of the room; room layout, furniture, wall hangings and room accessories and then try to eliminate the “Visual Noise”. Reducing room clutter, working with the concepts of “Human Factors” and showing off each rooms maximum potential is the goal.

Creating a story is key to illustrate the great possibilities your home has to offer while generating excitement with your potential buyers as they tour your home.

TIP OF THE MONTH

Stage your home even if you are not selling! This is a great way to see your home with new eyes.  Is your space dragging you down? De-clutter, reduce the visual noise and enjoy a revamped look. If you’re feeling overwhelmed pick one room a week! You will be amazed at how calming it will feel!

Remember: Your garbage is an other’s treasure! Donate your past treasures to one of Vancouver’s many great charities.

At Carmick interiors we pride ourselves in working with what you already have whenever possible. Our goal is to help you make money while getting a great return on your investment. Very often our clients have the pieces that are needed, but are displayed in uninteresting manner. The wrong layout or too much visual clutter will deter buyers from seeing the potential in your home.

At Carmick Interiors we offer 3 home staging options:

1) Mini Make over

We can work with what you have focusing on no-cost to low-cost recommendations (we rearrange your existing furniture and remove unneeded items etc.)

2) Medi Make over

Keep most of what you have and add some key features with paint, lighting and/or s select pieces ( art /furniture etc.)

3) Grande Make Over

Starting from scratch. We take an empty space and furnish it with stylish furnishing and art (the furnishing can be leased or purchased).

Please forward your design questions to Mickael@CarmickInteriors.com

I was reading in my local paper about a developer who is targeting the first time home buyer with what he calls the “Smart House”. Now,  when I hear the term smart house I think of voice recognition, zones, speakers in every room. I couldn’t be farther from the mark on this one.  The smart house in this instance is an older home that has been renovated, but only partially. After the home owner moves in they can finish the interior themselves when they can afford to do so; or better yet, complete the remaining renovations themselves. Some may think this a crazy idea but I kind of like it, being the do it myselfter that I am. Then again purchasing the “unrenovated” home to start with would  have saved me even more money as a first time home buyer.  

What are your thoughts on the proposed “Smart House”?

Nothing matches the charm and elegance of old wood windows especially if they have been maintained and are in working order. When we first purchased our 1928 home most of the double hung wood windows were painted shut and the ropes that held the sash weights were broken.

Because we live in Vancouver, BC where the weather is typically mild we opted to keep our old wood single paned windows and bring them back to their original charm. This of course sounded great in theory but what we did not realize at the time was stripping off several layers of oil paint from 6 light window sashes was no joy!  We quickly learned the anatomy of a double hung window which includes stops, which hold the sashes in place, sash cords, which are tied to your weights, hidden covers within the frame of the window, which give you access to the sash and weights, and the sash weights, which counterbalance the 2 sashes. (man those are heavy!)  After lots of elbow grease and much perseverance we restored 5 double hung windows which are gorgeous. The downside is the glazing is single paned.

For those of you who live in a colder climate or just want to save money on your energy bill and be greener, you should consider retrofitting your existing wood window frames which can you save you money. You can retain your original wood frame and insert the new window into the frame of your old window.  If you plan to take this project on yourself you will need to take the measurements of your original window frames so you can order your new windows.

To prepare your existing frames for the new windows you will need to:

• remove the stops
• cut sash cords
• remove covers to access sash weights
• remove the sash weights
• insulate the cavity where the weights were located

In terms of ordering your new windows take your time and look around. There is no need to settle for white vinyl. When we added an addition to our house we opted to get windows that matched the 6 light design of our original windows. Most of our windows had been stripped down to fir on the inside. On the outside they are painted so we opted for the Jeldwen windows with aluminum clad exterior (colour of your choice) and wood clad interior.

If we were to retro fit any of our original windows I would choose this combination.  The downside to retro fitting windows versus replacing them entirely is that you will lose approximately 1.5 inches of glazing because you have essentially put a frame within a frame. This may or may not be a factor but it is something to consider.

Basements, especially in older homes can have moisture issues, and you know it when you go into your own basement or someone else’s and you get a whiff of that a musty odour. Before embarking on finishing your basement or doing a basement renovation you should deal with moisture issues first. This can be a drainage issue around the perimeter of the house or cracks in your foundation. Once this issue is out of the way you can decide on how you would like to finish your concrete slab.

Flooring is truly the foundation of your basement make over. My personal choice for all floor coverings is either wood, tile or stone. I am not a fan of wall to wall carpet as you can never get it truly dirt free no matter how well your vacuum performs. 

Basements are typically the coolest place in your house so stone or tile will be on the cold side so I recommend installing heat mats before laying your tile or stone. Consult a tile setter for recommendations here. The other option for floor covering which will naturally be a warmer choice, is wood. Any engineered wood flooring can be set on a slab with proper preparation, vapour barrier and sub-floor. The preparation of the sub-floor is key to keep moisture away from your finished floor and have good air circulation which will keep your floor dry and warmer to the touch.

For our basement renovation we plan to use a combination of tile or stone for the mudroom (with heat mats). We have installed ”Nuheat” mats in our upstairs bathroom with no regrets. The Mudroom entrance will be high traffic with wet boots etc. in the winter so tile with heat mats will keep this area warm and dry. We will also use this combination in the bathroom. For bedrooms and the hallway in the basement we have opted for an engineered wood floor in bamboo. I think bamboo is great because it is as durable as hardwood, cheaper in most cases and is a renewable resource. Bamboo is also much more resistant to moisture so it is a good choice for a basement flooring.

Some Benefits of Bamboo Flooring:

• Bamboo is a renewable and plentiful resource.
• Bamboo floor resins can easily meet stringent environmental standards.
• Bamboo floors are termite resistant.
• Bamboo floors are moisture and stain resistant.
• Bamboo floors are easier to clean.
• Bamboo floors are harder than most hardwoods.
• Bamboo floors have an expansion rate that is only about 50% of hardwoods.
• Bamboo flooring costs 10% to 50% less than hardwood flooring.
• Bamboo flooring can be installed over numerous types of sub-flooring, including concrete

Have any of you heard of the “Passive House”?

There are about 15,000 -20,000 of them worldwide but most of them are located in Germany and Scandanavia. Apparently one of the original “Passive homes” was built in Darmstadt, Germany in 2006. This house does not have a furnace, the “Passive House” and others of this design get all the heat and hot water they need from the amount of energy that would be needed to run a hair dryer.Architects in many countries, in attempts to meet new energy efficiency standards like the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design standard in the United States, are designing homes with better insulation and high-efficiency appliances, as well as tapping into alternative sources of power, like solar panels and wind turbines.

I am going to a lecture next week on the “Passive House”. I look forward to hearing more about this type of construction and hope for it’s widespread adoption in North America.

Anatomy of the “Passive House”, compliments of NYTimes
http://www.passivehouse.us/passiveHouse/Articles_files/NYTimesSnugAndTightHouse.pdf

Geothermal energy is definitely not at the top of most home owner’s minds but it should be. It is a viable alternative to more conventional sources of energy for heating and cooling your home. Geothermal is not just a viable option for new construction. It can also be a retro fit solution and can be hooked up to existing forced air systems.

No question the system can be expensive to install as you need to lay a circuit of pipes at least 6 feet underground and connect them up to a geothermal heat pump unit. This process as well as the unit itself is more expensive than the installation of conventional heating system, however the upside is the savings you will garner over time on your home heating bill as well as the positive impact you will be making on the environment.

As always if you are planning on looking at this option do your homework and get a least 3 independent quotes. Evolution developments is one lowermainland company I would recommend contacting for more information on geothermal installations.

How it works 

Geothermal heat pumps use electricity to heat and cool, just like a conventional heat pump. However, unlike a conventional heat pump, geothermal heat pumps use the relatively constant temperature of the Earth as a source of heat in the winter and as a trap for heat in the summer.  In the winter, the fluid passing through the underground (or underwater) loops of piping is warmed by the Earth’s heat. The collected heat is extracted and concentrated by the heat pump, and distributed through the building’s heating system. To cool the building in the summer, this process is reversed — the heat pump moves heat from the indoor air into the underground loops, where it is transferred to the relatively cooler ground. The heat removed from the indoor air during the summer can also be used to produce some of your hot water, or to heat swimming pools, instead of transferring it to the ground.

Federal and provincial grants are available for installing or retrofitting geothermal systems. http://www.nextenergy.ca/gov-grants.html