This year’s tour is especially close to our hearts as our own Iris Harrell and her partner Ann Benson have graciously offered to showcase their recently remodeled home to be on the tour. Completed in July 2008, the Portola Valley home is a model of comfortable living while incorporating universal design and sustainable design. Full of helpful and intriguing features like a bathroom vanity and counter that can be raised and lowered as needed, curbless showers, custom lighting fixtures, ENERGY STAR® appliances, and photo-voltaic solar panels that provide 90%+ of the electrical load, this home is a must-see.

Outfitted in a style that reflects Iris and Ann’s tastes, collections, and needs, the two-story home has come a long way from its humble beginnings. Previous to Iris and Ann’s purchase in 1992, the house had been used as offices for a local developer. With ten bedrooms, one and a half bathrooms, and no kitchen, it was hardly ready for move in. Envisioning its potential though, Iris and Ann knew this was the home they wanted to grow old in so they didn’t hesitate on the purchase.

After 14 years of living in a temporary remodel that provided the house a kitchen and larger bedrooms, in January of 2007 the couple began designing the ‘real’ remodel that would make the house the home of their dreams. Today, the house boasts four bedrooms, a home office, a formal dining room, a spacious living room, and a comfortable den. It is also a pilot project for Build It Green’s GreenPoint Rated Existing Home rating program.

In addition to Iris’ home, and the other homes that showcase various levels of ‘green’ techniques and products will also be open for the self-guided tour on Sunday, October 4th. From low-flow toilets that save water to the latest in green technology advances, these homes of varying sizes and styles will open your eyes to what is being done, and what you can do, to make your home comfortable and sustainable.

Build It Green Southbay Home Tour
When: Sunday, October 4, 2009
10 am – 5 pm
Cost: $10 per person.

Go to www.builditgreen.org for more information and entry fees.

Thankfully, sustainable design practices can reduce these negative environmental impacts and reverse the trend of unsustainable construction practices.

At Harrell Remodeling, we work with our demolition contractors to find sources for the salvaged materials from our construction sites and the materials that can’t be re-used are recycled with a small amount ending up in landfill. Reducing the amount of materials that ends up in landfill is a high priority for our environmental friendly company.

Immediate, easy changes

There are minimal changes that the average homeowner can put into practice to help reduce the effect on the environment.

Some simple changes that you can easily implement in your home are the installation of:

• Low-flow, 1.6 gallons per flush (gpf) toilets. Or, better yet, a dual-flush toilet that only uses .8 gpfs on the “low flush” mode.
• Compact fluorescent light bulbs. When color-corrected, they are as appealing as incandescent and they won’t heat up your living space like a halogen bulb, for example.
• Low-flow showerheads that consume less water.
• Insulation that exceeds Title 24 requirements.
• Energy Star® appliances (while recycling your old ones).

For more information on how to implement green and sustainable building practices, contact Harrell Remodeling at (650) 230-2900 or attend our next Green Workshop on August 23 at the Green Building Exchange at 305 Main Street, Redwood City, CA 94063.