Key to the healthy home movement is ensuring clean air in every room. This noble pursuit seems especially relevant during a pandemic caused by an airborne pathogen. Now a new technology, based on natural processes, promises to transform the average residence into a healthy home by scrubbing allergens, odors and pathogens, from the air via the ubiquitous forced air system. Continue reading New Technology Kills Airborne Viruses and More
Most people don’t pay attention to their crawlspaces, unless they’re stashing piles of cash like Walter White in Breaking Bad. However, crawlspace details greatly affect the comfort, energy efficiency and longevity of your home. If poorly executed, crawlspaces becomes damp and moldy in summer. Yet uncomfortably cold in winter. Thankfully retrofitting a poorly detailed crawlspace or creating a new well performing one, based on the latest research, isn’t difficult. Continue reading Crawlspace Basics
During stay-at-home orders, I’ve contemplated how the pandemic might change home design. Although Medieval castles with deep moats and stone ramparts come to mind when watching the news. Will this tragic pandemic actually change our homebuilding behaviors? It just might in subtle ways. Continue reading Coronavirus and Home Design
Imagine the knock-down, drag-out arguments. Owners of this house clearly couldn’t agree. One demanded a traditional brick city home, the other a rustic cabin. In despair, their architect negotiated a mashup to satisfy both parties. Why else would formal brick and precast be mixed with rustic stone, timber, stucco and even log construction? Continue reading Design Tips: Choosing Exterior Finishes
Are Today’s Homes Bright Enough?
According to new research, they’re not. Psychologist Kenneth Wright and a team of scientists from the University of Colorado, Boulder recently discovered today’s homes don’t include enough sunlight to kickstart the body’s clock. Combined with too much artificial light at night preventing sleep, these scientists argue designers simply don’t respect that humans are light-sensitive animals. Continue reading New Research Says Homes Need More Sunlight
After the new room is painted, furnished and finally ready. You sink into the couch and turn on the television expecting a blissful evening at home. Instead you’re accosted by a nasty echo. “No big deal, I can ignore it”, you murmur. But soon you’re acting like a torture victim. What seemed like a minor problem is destroying your life. Continue reading Room Echo is Annoying and Unhealthy
Can Homes be too Clean for Health?
Yes, a growing body of evidence suggests hyper-clean homes aren’t always healthy. Not only are today’s homes dirt free, energy codes encourage tight building, effectively sealing the environment like Tupperware. Together these trends reveal Westerners live in sterile bubbles. Yet the research is clear, this lifestyle choice is causing a public health crisis. Continue reading The Not So Clean Home
Can Homeowners & Pros Prevent Mold?
Homeowners often wonder if mold can be entirely eliminated from their home. Sadly, the answer is no. Don’t panic, mold naturally occurs in every environment. Humans have evolved to coexist with small amounts of this tiny microbe. Many foods humans love, including cheese and soy sauce, contain mold. Antibiotics like penicillin, which transformed modern medicine, are derived from mold. Continue reading Mold Resistant Home Design
With a name like, SoulSpace: Transform Your Home, Transform Your Life, written by a Los Angeles based interior designer. I naturally assumed this text was “new age” babble. I was wrong. Nor is it your typical photo filled portfolio showcasing the latest, soon to be forgotten, trends. Don’t expect a single image, not one. When opening this cover, you’ll find a refreshing alternative to the consumer oriented interior design industry. A book that’s as much self-help guide as design manual. Continue reading Review: SoulSpace