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Eco Chic: Solar Power Executive Table
If you read my reclaimed wood bench Before and After, you'll remember that the Oakland-based design-building studio, Because We Can, was hired by SunPower to create furniture for their new office in an old Ford manufacturing building. The reclaimed wood benches that they designed are beautiful, but their job didn't stop there. SunPower, a solar power company, also asked Because We Can to design them special table for their executive office, with a different feel than their other furnishings.
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Casa Verde: Pope Benedict Goes Solar
Still thinking about adding some renewable power to your home? Well, maybe this story will inspire you. Pope Benedict XVI recently installed photovoltaic solar panels in his home outside of Regensburg, Germany.
Casa Verde: Jon and Kate Plus 8 Go Green
This Sunday, the Gosselin clan of Jon and Kate Plus 8 will welcome Planet Green's Renovation Nation host Steve Thomas into their home to retrofit it with some eco-friendly upgrades. Steve and his crew will help install electric solar panels and solar thermal panels onto the house, as well as solar powered lights along the driveway. They'll also build a picnic table for the family using reclaimed wood.
Link TIme!
- Make this easy fabric party garland. — Craft
- Solar tiles are prettier than panels. — Charles and Hudson
- Commission a custom house portrait.
Open House: Historic Preservation vs. Energy Efficiency
There is something — much — to be said for historical accuracy. Architects of the past have left a legacy for us, so we should respect their work. But sometimes this conflicts with efforts toward energy efficiency and renewables.
House Tour: A Net-Zero Energy Home in Vermont
I recently visited beautiful northern Vermont, and the South Farm Homes development in Hinesburg. This six-home development aims for "net-zero" status, meaning that the homes will generate as much power as they use over the course of a year. Environmental features include active PV solar panels integrated into the metal roofing of each home and significant southern glass, which provide solar gain (as well as lovely views of the surrounding valley).
Link Time!
- Make a beautiful succulent bouquet. — AT:LA
- I'm inspired by this stenciled garden path. — Design*Sponge
- Yay!
Preview Metropolitan Home's Modern by Design Showhome in San Francisco
Yesterday, I toured Metropolitan Home's Modern by Design showhome in San Francisco, a historic, 7,700-square-foot house in the heart of the exclusive Pacific Heights neighborhood, which has been transformed into an exquisite example of contemporary design with the help of a savvy developer and a handful of the country's top designers.
The house, known as "Baker Acres," was originally built in 1904 as a single-family home, but over the years has served as a boarding house for service men and women, a guest house for recent graduates and San Francisco transfers, and a hotel. Along the way, the building's exquisite architectural details, grand rooms, and dramatic staircase were destroyed, and the home was stripped down to a shell.
Coveted Crib: A Sleek Hamptons Home
When it comes to coveted cribs, beach views, sleek modern architecture, and poolside lounging are definitely enviable features. This gorgeous vacation home in East Hampton comes complete with three different water sources: a pond, a solar-heated pool, and views to nearby Barrier Beach.
The home, which was recently renovated, admirably merges the structure with the surrounding landscape.
Open House: Eco Upgrades
According to CitizenSugar, Al Gore has spent $16,533 on eco-upgrades including solar panels, a geothermal system, new light bulbs, and better windows — and his "house uses enough energy in a year to power 232 regular houses for a month." Yikes! Not to brag or anything but, if you remember correctly, my utility company named me one of 1.5 million residential and 80,000 business customers who had conserved natural gas this past Winter.
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