Support This Proposed Legislation

Here's some proposed legislation I just heard about that would make enormous strides toward repairing the broken remodeling sector.

It's called the
Home Improvements Revitalize the Economy (HIRE) Act

About the Legislation

In bipartisan legislation, congressmen Henry Johnson (D-GA) and Nathan Deal (R-GA) are sponsoring the Home Improvements Revitalize the Economy (HIRE) Act to provide tax deductions and credits designed to stimulate the purchase of kitchen cabinets and other remodeling and home furnishing improvements. The products would have to be installed in the taxpayer's primary residence, and the credits would apply to existing homes, not new construction.

Cocooning homeowners saved the nation from the recession we are enduring right now after the Dot-Com Bust and 9/11. You can do the same again by making your homes more energy efficient and providing paychecks for a big industry.

Widespread spending on home improvement is a real economy booster.

This proposed legislation may be just the ticket to break the logjam and get our economy moving again now that we know we're not over the cliff.

I suggest you contact your Congressperson today and voice your support for this bill.

Peggy

Comments on Green (Kitchen) Remodeling

Here in the San Francisco Bay Area we do a lot more remodeling of existing homes than building new ones. This is because we are "built-out" in cities and suburbs that line the Bay. Remaining building lots in these areas are few and far between and usually on steep slopes requiring expensive engineering to build a house.

Developers pounce eagerly on flat sites such as the closed Alameda Naval Air Station, or Hunter's Point shipyard in San Francisco; even though toxic cleanup is required, because homes in the immediate Bay Area bring such premium prices. That's not going to change no matter what happens with the economy.

Extensive remodeling of existing homes has been going on here since the 80's, and I'm sure it will continue into the foreseeable future.

Some people actually buy obsolete homes in desirable areas (for millions of dollars) and tear them down to build a dream home.

What does this have to do with "green remodeling" you say? Well, a lot.

Green building is really a lot easier than green remodeling because you start with nothing when you build. So building with green materials and methods will result in a green home. How green depends on the materials and methods, but green.

When you remodel, you are starting with a structure that is obsolete. And in many cases, the remodel will only target part of the structure - for instance, the kitchen. So, even though you might choose bamboo cabinetry, cork flooring, Energy Star appliances, and all the other accouterments of a truly green kitchen; your green kitchen will still be mired in a not-so-green house.

What to do?

I suggest starting your planning for a remodel, any remodel of your obsolete home, with an Energy Audit and report.

This excerpt is from Green Building Advisor's page on Green Remodeling Projects

"An Energy Audit includes inspections and tests to assess moisture flow, combustion safety, thermal comfort, indoor air quality, and durability.

An energy audit becomes a roadmap for smart repairs and helps organize improvements into sensible order. When renovations are to take place in stages, as the budget allows, an energy audit ensures the most pressing problems are taken care of first."

Never before has the technology or knowledge been available to assess your home as a "system". It's here now.

My husband and I recently contracted with Recurve (formerly Sustainable Spaces), of San Francisco, for an Energy Audit.

We were planning to replace our furnace and attic ductwork. So it seemed to be a logical move. But I highly recommend an Energy Audit before undertaking ANY remodeling work on your home, because the roadmap that the report provides should be incorporated in everything you do on your house from now forward.

In our case, Recurve gave us a very different picture than the furnace guys who gave us estimates a couple of years ago. Our new furnace is quite a bit smaller than the ones they were quoting, and our ductwork is different too. Yet we are far more comfortable than we have ever been in our home. That's because our Energy Audit told us that our home needed some major sealing attention, and we did that as part of the furnace and ductwork project.

No more drafts! And in chilly foggy South San Francisco, that's AMAZING!

Recurve also suggested our Metlund Hot Water D'MAND System. A product of which I was entirely unaware. I LOVE it and it saves a whole lot of water. I will also specify it for all of my clients henceforth. I gush about it in a previous post.

With an Energy Audit in hand you will be prepared to make your home truly green over a period of years, with every remodel you undertake.

You will also be cutting your impact on the environment in manageable steps.

It is so worth the small cost.

Do it today.

To see some green remodels on the Green Building Advisor site click here.

For a view on "Five Things You Can Do Right Now to Cut Your Utility Bill", as well as a treatise on "greenwashing", from Matt Golden, President of Recurve and a member of the advisory team at Green Building Advisor, click here.

Peggy

Cherry Cabinets Worth Recycling

The Re-Use People just sent out their monthly newsletter and there are some nice cherry cabinets up for grabs at their San Leandro warehouse. There's even a 48" built-in fridge with panels! Must have been a BIG kitchen...Wonder if they changed it out because the fridge panels wouldn't fit?

Here's an image:


























The Oakland warehouse has received several large sets of handsome kitchen cabinets.

Location and Contact Information

TRP Retail-Warehouse
9235 San Leandro Street
Oakland, CA 94603
(510) 383-1983; toll-free 888-588-9490
Hours: Mon through Fri 10:00 to 6:00; Sat and Sun 10:00 to 4:00

Peggy

A Note About Paneled Appliances

Kathy Passarette, over at Creative Home Expressions,
has a beautiful post with lots of great images of refrigerators blended into the cabinetry, mirrored, made to look like armoires, etc.

One thing to note about paneled appliances, typically dishwashers and refrigerators, is that eventually you will have to replace the appliance.

We HAD a paneled refrigerator until it died and we had to buy a new one.

Even though we bought the same make, size and configuration refrigerator, the panels would not fit and could not be re-used. A $1000 investment, useless and in the trash.

I LOVED those panels too >:-C

I actually kept them in the garage for months before I would let my husband dispose of them...And we are not keepers of "stuff".

Our cabinetry is stained wood. Perfectly matching old stained wood is difficult if not impossible. In a kitchen it has been exposed to all those vapors and such for years.

The cabinet company was no longer in business.

For all of the above, we now have an un-paneled refrigerator.

















Imagine if it was and armoire investment...With TASSELS no less.

A further note:

Refrigerators have been growing in height ever since I became a kitchen designer.

Back in the '80's they were no more than 69" high. Nowadays more like 72" high.

Sub-Zero is the only company that still makes their refrigerators the same height as in the '80's - 84" high.

That means the "built-in look" your designer so carefully tried to achieve with the cabinet over the top coming right down to the top of the fridge, won't allow you to install a new fridge without replacing that upper cabinet.

I learned my lesson on this issue years ago and started specifying a space above, with a removable valance to close the gap that could be easily trimmed.

In spite of what you are thinking about the longevity of your appliances when you plan your new kitchen; they are never going to last forever.

What a shame to have to tear out a perfectly good kitchen just to replace your armoire...oops - fridge. Kinda shows where we are as a society. Doesn't it?

Peggy

Q&A Where Can I Find Someone To Help Us Design A Kitchen And Bathroom?

Q.

We bought a cottage type place that has no kitchen in it at all and a bath with just a toilet and shower, we are having trouble figuring out what to do that would look good.

Is there a virtual site that we can go to or someone that can design something that won't cost a fortune for them to plan something?

A.

You need a kitchen and bath designer with demonstrated talent and experience in space-planning.

The fact that there is no kitchen at all, also means that you will have to bring electrical and possibly gas to the area. That means services that are (likely) not in the house will need to be brought there.

Depending upon where you are located, there may also be requirements and codes that need to be met to install a kitchen.

The fact is: In some locales, you may even need an architect to plan your new kitchen.

I suggest the first thing to do is to go to your local building department with jurisdiction, explain your situation, and ask them what they require (They won't follow you home. Don't worry).

I'm afraid we designers don't come cheap, let alone free. But you will find that the right designer will save you far more than you spend on the design portion of your project. There are scores of products that go into every kitchen and bath. Saving money on each of them saves a lot. Designers know what works and what doesn't, what's a waste of money and a bargain.

There is nothing more costly than doing a project and finding that you hate it so much that you have to do it again.

Cost from my office: = Around $1000-1800 for a bare bones concept to take to IKEA, if you wish; up to $3-5000 for complete documents to submit for building permits.

Some charge more or less. I can only say what my fees usually are, and these are generalities since I charge by the hour.

A designer never knows how decisive a given client is going to be going in. A client who is very clear about what they like and don't like, and very decisive, is very likely to spend less on design services that a client who waffles and wavers about every decision and has to feel their way or see something before they know what they like.

The latter client will be just as happy with the results, but take a lot longer getting there and thus spend more money.

Peggy

Great New Kitchen Design Blog - Useful Spaces

I just discovered a great new blog (new to me) by Canadian kitchen designer Arne Salvesen, CKD.

He joins just a very few male kitchen and bath design bloggers. Most of us are of the female persuasion.

Arne has a lot of good posts already up since his launch in March 2009. I especially love his spelling of "colourful" and "centre".

Check him out at Useful Spaces. Welcome Arne!

I was especially taken by his post The "B" Word, about budgeting for your kitchen remodel.

This is a sore subject among kitchen and bath dealers and their clients - The dealers need to have a budget figure to design an appropriately priced project and the clients often like to keep the information close to the vest to avoid spending more than they want.

As an independent designer who represents and works only in the client's interest, I have found it quite remarkable how differently my clients react when I ask the "B" question. They are almost always very forthcoming about their budgets. It is one aspect of the transition I made in 1996, when I closed my showroom, that has made my task as a designer soooo much easier.

The remarkable thing is: I don't do anything any differently than I did before. I just stopped selling product to my clients. The difference is that they no longer SEE me as a salesperson.

Peggy

Casting Home Renovation Show

I ran across this notice on another forum and thought it might be of interest to some poor Do-It-Your-Selfer out there.

Peggy

CASTING NEW SHOW

The production company that brought you Wife Swap is currently casting unique families with plenty of personality to take part in a new show. We are looking for families who are in a Do-It Yourself Home Nightmare! Did your husband or wife start a Do-It-Yourself project on your home and now it’s impossible to live in? We are looking for families in the California area who are in need of professional help. The worse, the better…pipes leaking, walls exposed, ceiling crumbling, only living out of half of your house, etc, etc.
If you are a family with at least one child over the age of 5 living at home and you are in a Do-It-Yourself Home Nightmare, contact us to be a part of this groundbreaking show!

To apply or get information about the show
Please contact:
Sunny Foscue (Casting Producer)
Call: 310-309-3945
Email: sunnyhomeshow@gmail.com AND sunny.foscue@rdfusa.com