"Staycations": Tips for Creating Your Own Barefoot Home

Capture a bit of that vacation feeling every day.  Photo courtesy of barefoothome.com.

What is it about vacation homes that are so appealing?  For those lucky enough to own one, or even just visit, the relaxation and happiness one feels upon arriving and settling in is not just due to the escape from the daily grind.   It is also because one literally lightens one's load in life - down to what fits in a suitcase - and spends their days in a simpler environment. 

The good life...

For me, the dream is arriving at a small cottage in a little town near the beach.  I throw open the windows to the fresh breeze (there is no air conditioning - I feel closer with nature already). I unwind the stress in my mind as I unpack my bags into a blissfully empty closet, where everything I own has its place.  I pad barefoot across the time-worn but clean hardwood floors towards the kitchen.  I grab a quick snack in this space populated with only the bare essentials... no fancy pasta makers or espresso machines here.  Whistling, I head out the front entry, with screen door slamming behind me, for a short stroll into town -- where passersby on their way to the beach wave hello and local shop-keepers welcome me in for a tea or a browse.

This net-zero energy home in Woolwich, Maine, complete with swimming pool, was designed with family staycations in mind.  Read the complete Design New England article here.    Photo via ReVision Energy.

The great news is that we can bring these same sweet barefoot simplicities into our own homes for year round enjoyment.  We will also save a boatload of energy and money in the process.  The key is to make smart choices about where and how we live.  Now, of course not all of us can afford to live by the beach.  But here are some things we can all do:

• Live near town, where we can enjoy the walking lifestyle and leave the car in park.  
• Declutter our homes down to just the essentials, and support charities with our donations.   
• Create strong indoor/outdoor connections.  Forget the AC and throw the windows open.  Use the same durable and natural flooring materials inside and out.  
• Flood our homes with sunshine by stacking back the draperies during the day and leaving the light switches off.
• Dress down - skip the formal dining room and turn the space into a casual destination where everyone can eat comfortably, or where shelves of books encourage you to slow down and read. 
• Live smaller.  Vacation homes are usually charming and inviting because they are cozy.  Downsize to a home that is easy to keep, and only has spaces that you use every day.  You might even find that you can live in locales you never thought you could afford.

 In his book The Barefoot Home:  Dressed-Down Design for Casual Living, Mark Vassallo reminds us of the many ways we can "staycation" every day.

This 388 s.f. Beach Chalet, designed by StudioMama pares down the classic shingled beach house to the bare essentials.  Photo via Jaunted.com.

The best aspect of THE CONCORD GREEN HEALTHY HOME may not even be the home itself, but what is across the street.  Emerson Field offers an expansive view of tennis courts, baseball fields, a running track, playground equipment, basketball courts, swimming pool, lots of large shady trees and pesticide-free grass, all within a 1/4 mile walk to town center. 

Waiting for Nature's Little Miracles

Bringing in a bit of the outdoors while waiting for the grass to grow helps us stay patient with nature.  A weathered outdoor teak table, along with starfish and a seagrass basket from the very cool Spero Home in Concord, beautifully complement the living room's reclaimed antique heartpine flooring.

Inspirations from the sea remind us to water the Eco-Lawn grass seed until it gets established at THE CONCORD GREEN HEALTHY HOME.  

The eco-friendly seed has finally been sown.  Trim still needs a fresh coat of paint, the driveway needs its topcoat, and the cable guy will soon be connecting to the house... but we are closing in. 

Once the grass shows us where it is happy to grow with minimal water and attention, xeriscaping with low-maintenance plants and mosses will fill in the landscape.

A layer of peat moss on top of the grass seedlings helps them retain moisture as they compete with the massive sugar maple trees for water.

"Domestic Detox" featured in The New York Times

Photo courtesy of The New York Times.  Illustration by Josef Astor

Today's New York Times article, Domestic Detox: Extreme Home Cleaning, by Penelope Green, provides a humorous and helpful look at the many ways to keep your home healthier:

WHEN Matthew Waletzke appeared at the door of my East Village apartment to evaluate my home for what he calls “toxic exposure” — the alternative world’s catch-all phrase for potential health hazards like mold, indoor air pollution, household chemicals and electromagnetic radiation (beware your Wi-Fi!) — I half-expected to see a guy in an “Andromeda Strain”-era hazmat suit.

Mr. Waletzke, however, was dressed casually enough, in a polo shirt and khakis. But the aluminum suitcase he carried was all business, filled with an impressive array of meters, probes and other devices that he proceeded to unpack onto my dining room table. 

Mr. Waletzke is a “building biology” consultant, which means he has trained for a year with the Institute for Bau-Biologie & Ecology, a Florida-based, mostly online school that teaches its students to test water, air and building materials for a checklist of toxins and then prescribe a cure. (They will also vet the cleaning products under your sink and the lotions and cosmetics in your medicine chest.) 

The training and its tenets are a European import, developed in post-World War II Germany to deal with the problems that emerged as new housing went up and some inhabitants began to suffer what would be later identified as “sick building syndrome,” or a sensitivity to chemicals like formaldehyde used in construction...

For the complete article, click here.

Follow the Landscape Design Clues of your House

"Your house is the center of your garden.  The moment you fully understand the implications of that statement, designing your garden will become a more manageable and rewarding task." -- Gordon Hayward, in his acclaimed landscaping book - Your House, Your Garden:  A Foolproof Approach to Garden Design."  Photo of Hydrangea Paniculata courtesy of Plants-Unlimited.com.    

Most of the clues for creating an inviting landscape on your property arise from the property itself.   According to Gordon Hayward, my landscape design hero, "The doors of your house dictate starting points for paths... each window is... a vantage point from which to look into your garden... the shapes, proportions and materials of your house give rise to the shapes, lines, proportions, and even materials of your gardens.  Those initial design decisions - even the shape of your property and the relationship of your house to the street -can result in a coherent, overall landscape plan that seamlessly links house to garden."

My crude sketch of the rear patio design for THE CONCORD GREEN HEALTHY HOME.  It heeds Hayward's advice to follow the contours of the house and property lines, which are both shaped like an L.

Install Day # 2 of the rear patio.   
Anthony Bonanno Masonry's talented crew is hard at work.

The completed patio is a lovely mix of Boston City Hall brick, salvaged from another jobsite, framed in bluestone to create a sense of connected outdoor rooms that will be landscaped and furnished accordingly.  The bluestone stepping stones make travel to recycling bins and the driveway a nice little walk.

 The front walkway is also of local bluestone - wide at the welcoming front porch stairs and narrowing towards the sidewalk - but still a generous 5' width for walking alongside a companion.

The bluestone selection took its cue from the color of the gray metal roof of the home.

I'm imagining adding Hydrangea Limelight somewhere in the landscape.  Photo courtesy of Proven Winners via Weston Nurseries, which hosts an incredible website dense with New England gardening references and resources.

More Hayward Garden Design eye candy, courtesy of Zimbio...

Gorgeous Green Lawns Without All the Mowing and Watering

Eco-Lawn is a special drought-tolerant, low maintenance grass blend that grows in full sun and shade, developed by Wildflower Farm, as featured on TreeHugger

Is it possible to have a beautiful green lawn, with minimal or even NO watering or mowing?  Yes!

Once established, these two options will have you selling the mower and saving the watering hose for the flowers.  THE CONCORD GREEN HEALTHY HOME will be trying out both.  Stay tuned.

 Sheet Moss (Hypnum) from Moss Acres - perfect for carpeting the shady areas of your property

22 Allergy-Friendly Landscape Tips

The Red Maple (Acer Rubrum) "October Glory" is a low pollen, native beauty.  

Photo: The Boston Globe

As pollen counts reach record levels this season, now is the perfect time to consider ways to make your garden more allergy-friendly.   Landscape designer and neighbor of THE CONCORD GREEN HEALTHY HOME, Ellen Matheson, stopped by to share her expertise as we finalize landscape plans for the site.  She even forwarded the highly useful article below for anyone with allergies, which includes over 50 million Americans.  Thank you, Ellen!

Twenty-Two Tips for Producing Low Allergy Gardens
by Thomas Leo Ogren

What we plant in our own yards often has a direct effect on our own health and the health of those near us. A pollen-producing male tree in our own yard will easily expose us to ten times more pollen than would a similar tree growing just down the block. This can be compared to second-hand smoke. Yes, it is possible to inhale some smoke from a person who is smoking a block or two away from you, but it is hardly the same as someone smoking right next to you. It is the same with plants. If your own yard is full of allergenic plants, then you will be exposed most.

The greater your exposure, the greater your chances are of having allergies and (or) asthma. Here are some tips to avoid allergies and asthma.

1.  Don't plant any male trees or shrubs.  These are often sold as "seedless" or "fruitless" varieties but they're males and they all produce large amounts of allergenic pollen.

2. Do plant female trees and shrubs. Even though these may be messier than males, they produce no pollen, and they actually trap and remove pollen from the air. There is also some very good all-female sod to use for pollen-free lawns. As an added bonus, these female lawns stay low and require less frequent mowing.

Eryngium x "Big Blue" Sea Holly.  Photo:  North Creek Nurseries

3. Plant disease-resistant varieties: mildew, rust, black spot and other plant diseases all reproduce by spores and these spores cause allergies. Disease resistant plants won't get infected as much and the air around them will be healthier.

4. Use only trees and shrubs well adapted for your own climate zone. Plants grown in the wrong zone will often fail to thrive. Because they are not healthy, they will be magnets for insects. Insect residue, "honeydew," is a prime host for molds and molds produce allergenic mold spores. Often native plants will be the healthiest choices.

5. Be careful with the use of all insecticides, fungicides, and herbicides. Accidental exposure to all of these chemical pesticides has been shown to cause breakdowns in the immune system. Sometimes one single heavy exposure to a pesticide will result in sudden hypersensitivity to pollen, spores, and to other allergens. This is as true for pets as it is for their owners. Go organic as much as possible. Make and use compost!...

... For the full article, including all 22 helpful tips, click here.

Dreaming of a Barefoot Summer...

Photo courtesy of Cottage Home Maine

After a health-related hiatus, I am back online.  Starting to tackle the interiors of THE CONCORD GREEN HEALTHY HOME.

Here's a simple first step to a healthy home -- use walk-off mats at each entrance (inside and out) and take off your shoes.  The Japanese had it right.  There is something about quietly padding around in socks or barefeet that relax you and say "I am home, in my sanctuary of serenity (even if your kids ARE running around and yelling at higher decibels)."  Plus, you won't be dragging in the dirt, pollen and pesticide residues that make it tougher to keep your home clean and healthy.

Here are a couple of beauties worth consideration:

Tufted wool rug Vine Blue/Green from Dash & Albert Rug Company

Indoor/Outdoor in Marina Stripe from Cottage Home Maine

A Safer Sleep - Choosing a Healthy Mattress

 Photo:  Shepherd's Dream Organic Wool Mattresses

Since we spend a third of our life sleeping, the mattress on which you sleep should be free of off-gassing toxic chemicals and allergy triggers.  That is not as easy to achieve as one might think, as product goals are often in conflict with one another.

Let me explain:

Organic Cotton 
Benefit:  Grown without pesticides, organic cotton is a far better environmental choice than traditionally grown cotton, which may be the single most polluted crop on the planet.
Issue:  Many sensitive individuals find that they cannot tolerate organic cotton, as it is not stripped of its natural oils and aromas in the traditional bleaching process

Natural Latex
Benefit:  Unlike its petroleum-based synthetic counterpart, natural latex provides resistance to dust mites, a common cause of allergy symptoms.
Issue:  Latex is a major allergy trigger for some people.

Wool
Benefit:  A natural flame retardant that naturally enables consumers to fulfill U.S. law that requires flame retardant in all mattresses -- which sadly means that most of the mattresses in this country are filled with toxic chemicals on which we sleep for 1/3rd of our lives -- a perfect example of how a well-intended goal (preventing death by fire) has done more harm than good in its execution (exposing adults and the more fragile developing bodies of babies and kids to significant toxicity levels).
Issue:  Wool is also an allergen that can cause many people trouble.

The good news is that, if you are like me and have issues on all of the counts above, there is still an option.... an all-cotton bed.  It requires a doctor's note that protects the manufacturer if they sell you a mattress without any flame retardant in it.

A great resource for beds that fit your environmental and personal goals can be found on "The Queen of Green" Debra Lynn Dadd's Green Living website.

After much review, I decided to try a 100% Cotton Chemical Free Mattress from White Lotus Home, with a note from the allergist.  It met my personal health criteria, and was more affordable than many other alternatives, even after I splurged on the full 8" thickness instead of the standard 6".  I expect that these beds will provide a very firm sleep, which is a personal preference.  I will let you know how it works out.

Eco-friendly Speed Curing for Concrete Countertops

 Concrete island counter installed and waiting for it's speed cure treatment...

Once made, concrete countertops can take up to 4 additional weeks to cure -- your countertop could be off-gassing in your home for some time after it arrives.  Josh at J. Aaron Cast Stone countertops shared a simple tip with me that cuts that curing time by 80%.  Simply wipe the entire surface with a mix of 1:1 vinegar and water.  Is there anything that vinegar can't do?  :)  CLARIFICATION - Check with your manufacturer, as other countertops from different suppliers may be destroyed by this method.  Thank you, Josh for the clarification!!

Integral drain board in custom concrete countertop.  Photo:  J. Aaron Cast Stone.

Avocados, Walking the Talk, and Living With What We Need

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Avocados.  Yum.  Creamy ripe avocados.  I can just taste the delicious guacamole I could whip up with dinner tonight.  But what do avocados have to do with healthy, sustainable home construction?  I'll get to that in a minute.

Walking The Talk
It is a lucky feeling indeed to believe that the construction of your home is in able hands. To further say that your construction site supervisor is a deeply caring and meticulous steward of your healthy + green home is truly a privilege.  THE CONCORD GREEN HOME has benefited from the knowledge, experience and wisdom of just such a person.  Not only is Patrick Hughes a skilled craftsman, he embodies what is good in the movement to be more responsible humans on this delicate planet.  Thank goodness Aedi Construction found Patrick just as they were awarded our project.

Patrick Hughes, construction site supervisor for THE CONCORD GREEN HOME, environmentalist, author and poet, skilled craftsman, musician, and more - a modern day Renaissance Man.

Patrick took the bold and empowering step of transforming his career to match his values.  After overseeing the construction of large estates and municipal buildings, Patrick now works primarily on projects that embody the sustainable principles in which he so fervently believes.

A sample of his writings will give you a better glimpse of the man.

Living With What We Need
Here is an excerpt from a sermon Patrick gave at a local church on sustainability.  Would have loved to be in the pews that day.

"...if we didn’t desire those commodities that are outside our reach, then maybe we could find a way to live without them. What becomes the central theme of our evolution is ... we have only been a short while on this earth, and it was a paradise before we ate at the tree of knowledge, left the garden and in our quest to get back to that paradise, started trying to improve the world we were given to live in. But the path chosen was the one where we always took more than we needed so that the delicate balance needed to sustain life on earth is always straining to keep up."

Patrick's point, made so eloquently by his recasting of the nine levels of hell in Dante's Inferno as a rating system of our own "greenness" in relation to our consumption of avocados, is that we can learn to live with what is abundantly available to us, rather than pressing for more.  As the old cliche goes, Less IS More.  If you don't live where avocados grow naturally, eat something else that is locally grown and just as delicious... or grow your own. :)

Photo:  Garden Web "Avocado Tree"

For Patrick's complete sermon, click here.  Enjoy, live well and do it with a sense of purpose.

Choosing a Tub for an Energy-Efficient Home

 

THE CONCORD GREEN HEALTHY HOME now has a lovely boat-style tub standing in the Master Bath.  It's framed by painted wainscot planking on the walls, and sandy large-format tiles on the floor, laid in an offset running bond pattern.  Tub filler by Porcher. 

The choices in tubs these days can be overwhelming.  Here are the criteria I used in selecting one for this eco-friendly home.

Material - If possible, I recommend purchasing a tub made from cast iron, a timeless material that has been prized over the years for its many benefits.  Better than enameled steel -- which conducts heat right out of your bath water -- cast iron will keep your bath toasty warm.  Plus, it will feel solid as you step in. Acrylic and fiberglass were avoided, which are both plastic, and prone to damage.   Cast iron is heavy, so be sure that your floor is sturdy enough to support the tub, the water and you.  It is also expensive -- look for vintage tubs (the best), or discontinued models to save money.

Shape - This tub's skinny shape provides the user with a deep soak experience while using a lot less water.  Plus, the boat style is a classic that suits the farmhouse architecture of the home.

Extra features - None.  Whirlpool jets and air jets were avoided, as they are high maintenance and become traps for mold.  Plus, those features add to your energy consumption load with every soak you take. 

Finding a Construction Loan for a Panelized Home

Photo: HomeBuildingRemodeling.com

Securing a construction loan can be tough. It can be MUCH tougher when you are trying to buck tradition and build in a non-conventional way, such as building a panelized or prefabricated home. Most banks are simply not set up to fund construction before each component is fully assembled onsite. Typically, payments are made after each phase of work is installed.


Luckily for this project, one bank came through and made THE CONCORD GREEN HEALTHY HOME possible. Middlesex Savings Bank, a local mutual savings bank here in Massachusetts, had the vision to support panelized construction, and, as importantly, the flexibility to help fund pre-construction that was happening in Vermont before it even arrived on site in Massachusetts.

If you are considering panelized or pre-fab construction, contact your bank as soon as possible to learn whether they can help you with this particular building strategy. If not, ask your builder -- they have likely navigated these waters before. As with any other aspect of building green, going local can be the best option.

Thank you to Paul Adams and and the rest of the Middlesex Savings team for their invaluable support.

10 Feet of Concrete

The massive J. Aaron concrete island arrived this morning. It took 7 strong men to install it in THE CONCORD GREEN HEALTHY HOME kitchen.

At 10' x 3.5' x 2" thick, this slab weighs over 800 lbs.


The concrete counter is paired with a classic Shaws Original farmhouse sink salvaged from a recent kitchen renovation...


... and a Perrin & Rowe satin nickel faucet.

The Floors are In!

View from the Office to the rear of the house... nice and bright on a cloudy winter day.

The antique heart pine that was reclaimed from old New England buildings by Long Leaf Lumber is now finally installed on the first floor of THE CONCORD GREEN HEALTHY HOME. Oak hardwood, to be painted a creamy white, was installed on the bedroom level.

Once finished, the amber tones of the pine flooring will warm up all of the creamy white spaces throughout the first floor.


The large 10' concrete countertop for the kitchen island arrives the day after tomorrow.


A nice close up of the gorgeous vertical grain that you can only get by quarter sawing the reclaimed pine.

Winding our way up to the second floor...

This flooring will be painted a creamy white for an airy cottage feel on the second floor. The tub enjoys a temporary view of the park from the Master Bedroom balcony as it waits with the antique vanity and dual flush toilet for installation day.

Dreaming of a long soak in a warm cast iron tub.

The Master Bath tile is a lovely mix of subway on the walls, classic hex on the shower floor, remnant marble shower bench and large format sandy porcelain on the main floor.

Barn style sconces flank the future vanity mirror.

Laundry nook with freshly painted salvaged cabinets

Nautical sconces light the open staircase, which is a key component in this home's passive cooling strategy.

Soon-to-be-painted floors and stairs lead up to the loft.

A warm thank you to Matt, Patrick and the entire Aedi Construction team for their continued commitment to quality and attention to detail on every aspect of this project.

Lisa