How to Select Green Cabinets...

Choosing what is actually green these days can be head-spinning, how can you always be certain that what you are choosing is the best option for you and the environment? For cabinet selection, here’s one good way to know if your cabinet of choice is sustainable:  The  Environmental Stewardship Program Seal (ESP) is an environmental certification program that specifically targets kitchen and bath cabinets, developed by The Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturers Association (KCMA).  This Seal is what assures you that the manufacturing practices and materials used meet...

Passive House Remodel California...

I was snooping around this morning to see what’s happening out in the world with Passive House remodels. With housing stock being what it is with a big chunk of the pie dedicated to existing homes and as energy/life costs rise, Passive House remodels will quickly gain a foothold as Americans start to realize the inherent value in energy savings, comfort, and air quality. It’s true, a new Passive House would be easier to build, but, the fact remains that many of us REALLY like our current inefficient,  leaky homes. The only way to super-improve the performance...

Stylish Universal Design-Shower Drain...

Shower drain, not the most provocative subject unless there’s a problem. That said, this note just in from our interior designer, Diane Gassman, who among other talents is a Certified Aging in Place specialist which means she is very capable of creating beautiful, barrier-free environments particularly in kitchens and bathrooms. Now, back to the shower drain. This particular one caught my eye mostly because it has really nice clean lines. Gone are the days of the circular drain with the rough cut tiles attempting to circumnavigate the perimeter. Quick Drain USA...

Construction and Demolition Debris...

At The Artisans Group, we are always looking for ways to reduce our jobsite waste and to avoid putting anything in the landfill. For you DIY’ers out there, it may be useful for you to know some of our local resources where you can dispose of your project ‘waste’. Our Preferred Approach Recovery 1 Tacoma, WA (800) 949.5852 This one works great for construction site debris, but the scope of their work is much broader than just that. A pretty cool outfit, worth a look at their site. Reuse Building Materials To purchase materials for a project or to drop off...

Cellular Shades Qualify for Tax Credit...

I just noted in the latest copy of Dwell magazine (March 2010)  Hunter Douglas is advertising their cellular shade model, Duette Architella, as qualifying for the Tax Credit, up to $1500. In addition to that, they are offering a $25 mail in rebate per unit as an incentive. The shades look much like most cellular shades, although these are double-walled and claim superior air trapping capabilities which reduces the amount of heat that flows from your home by up to 50%. Of course that’s relative to how much heat loss you are currently losing via your windows; the...

Large 3D Architectural Tile...

Daniel Ogassian Tiles are just cool. They feature a standard collection but also offer prototype services and custom short runs. No doubt that would be spendy. The standard collection is fabulous. The concrete tiles are typically large, the smaller ones are in the 16″ dimension on up to 30″. The ceramic tiles are a bit smaller, under 10″ in may cases. What makes these tiles so unique is the 3D nature of the designs. They ‘feel’ very structural, very architectural. In some cases there is an austere, industrial, zen thing happening. In all cases...

No Leak Skylight...

Velux is rolling out a redesigned skylight product line this January with major upgrades: Advanced energy efficient glass Beefed up protection against water penetration No-Leak product warranty This last one is the ticket.  The product carries a 10 year skylight installation warranty, plus 20 years on glass, and 5 years on blinds and controls. Here’s what Velux says about the improvements to this line: Features include a third layer of water protection; advanced LoE3 glass for better energy efficiency, higher visible light transmittance, and  improved solar heat...

Modern Fire Spaces...

Spark makes beautiful fire spaces. Linear, clean and alluring. These are just too beautiful not to talk about. We’ve all seen them in magazines, but did you consider you could have one in your house? It might inspire your next remodel… or why not build a whole new house around it? That’s not the craziest idea. Spark fires are minimalist, modern and very elegant. They really can fit in almost any setting, but really shine in a highly designed environment with contemporary overtones. Spark has outside models that could change the atmosphere of your patio...

Ultra Grip Green Primer...

Ultra Grip Multi Purpose Primer. Though I just discovered a write up on this product, and haven’t tried it yet, it looks like one of those products that  could carry the weight of “making the job”.These are the kinds of products everyone should have in their arsenal for home projects. Dunn-Edwards Corporation is the manufacturer. They claim this primer is suitable for interior and exterior surfaces including wood, masonry, metal (non ferrous), drywall, and fiberglass, it even sticks to old enamel paint. It’s 100% acrylic and functions as a stain...

American Clay Earth Plaster...

American Clay Earth Plaster is a wonderful, earthy wall finish that can span the style range from Tuscan rustic to modern. We’ve used this product on several projects this past year and it’s just a lovely material. It works well for remodels and new construction and really adds a touch of class no matter what the architectural style of your home. Clay used as a building material has been around for ages. In this case, with the refined application techniques, it has such a nice ‘hand’ to the finish, and it has a living and organic quality that...