Classy Glass Countertops
You’d never know by looking at an Urbanslabs countertop that it’s made from recycled glass. And that’s part of its appeal. Consisting of 60 percent recycled post-consumer glass from containers such as beer, wine and liquor bottles, Urbanslabs countertops, from Santa Ana, Calif.-bas...
Building Green Step by Step
When our company, Meadowlark Builders, purchased a large lot near downtown Ann Arbor, Mich., we saw an opportunity to build two single-family homes that would showcase the enormous benefits of alternative construction methods. As a builder, I’m sometimes amazed by the sheer volume of new bu...
Choosing Smart Building Products
Now that winter is almost history, many of us will turn our thoughts to those construction or remodeling projects we’ve been putting off. Whether you’re redesigning your kitchen or bath, installing a sprinkler system or deciding between different siding options, in order to make your hom...
Green Computers Make Cents
The next time you head off to the local electronics store to buy a new desktop computer, laptop or monitor, consider purchasing a green one — that is, a computer that meets criteria established by EPEAT, or the Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool.A program of the Green Ele...
Designing for the Generations
Karl Brown stands 6 feet 3 inches tall and is left-handed. He does not consider himself to have special needs, yet in common daily scenarios he’s had to learn to become ambidextrous to efficiently complete certain tasks. He can’t golf with traditional clubs. He finds can openers and s...
Pollution-Free Lawn Tools
It’s that time of year again — yard work. Spring cleanup. Time to fire up the mowers and edgers and hedge trimmers. But in many cases, as you’re tidying up your yard, you’ll also be polluting the air around your home with that gas-powered lawn maintenance equipment.Th...
Homes For Aging Chickens
Personal note: I’m no spring chicken. Not even a mid-summer one. I suppose you could say I’m an early fall chicken (although that might be just a bit optimistic). The truth is, I was born at the tail end of the baby boomer generation, when (full disclosure) Ike was still president. (That...
6 Hidden Toxins
It sounds like a horror movie: Hidden dangers lurking in your home, ready to strike. Common household toxins could be making your family sick, but because they’re often odorless and invisible, you may not know why. Your best defense: Monitor potentially dangerous substances and remove them ...
Fighting Fires
It’s every homeowner’s nightmare — a house fire, caused by faulty wiring, a kitchen accident, an act of nature or simple carelessness. When most homeowners think of house fires, they probably first consider the resulting property damage, and the numbers are staggering. In 2006, ...
Smart Choices for Siding
Most homeowners understand the concept and value of curbside appeal. It can make or break a house sale, or simply ensure your home makes a good impression on neighbors, guests and passersby. Landscaping contributes to a home’s overall exterior cachet, but the façade carries the brunt o...
Organize Your Kitchen
While the kitchen tends to be the center of activity in most homes, surprisingly few homeowners pay attention to how a kitchen is designed beyond the stylish cabinets and overall layout of the room. The result can be a beautiful kitchen that just doesn’t work. Sure, you may have all your po...
What Goes Around
Look at the homes on your block, in your neighborhood or pretty much anywhere else around the world today, and chances are they all are the same basic shape. Sure, you might notice a few A-frames here and there, or perhaps a postmodern architectural wonder that breaks the design mold. But pretty ...
Green Retailers
“Where can I find greenbuilding materials and products?” It’s a question homeowners have been asking for years, and for those in many areas of the country, there have been no easy answers. But thanks to a growing number of green retailers and businesses, it’s becoming easier ...
SH Bookshelf: Multitasking Homes
Today’s homes are required to do more than just keep the rain off our heads. They’re also expected to be more flexible as well as more durable.Flexibility and adaptability become issues as the needs of homeowners evolve over time, and that’s where the concept of universal d...
The 21st Century Victorian Home
The driveway curls through the New Hampshire woods. As you near its end, the home’s Folk Victorian details come into focus — delicate trim along the top of two gabled dormers, carefully detailed pediments above windows and more accenting trim atop the porch rails.But peel off the...
