A Contemporary Becomes Victorian

The second couple had an unusual project that was both interesting and unique. They moved to Spokane from Seattle in 1990, at which time they purchased their 1910 home at a cost of about $55,000. Even though the home required a lot of work just to make it livable, they bought it because of the neighborhood. It was a three-bedroom, two-bathroom, one-and a half story contemporary home with 1,900 square feet, including 600 square feet in the basement. He had been a carpenter for 20 years and both are in real estate. This project was so extreme—a major remodel since they wanted a Victorian house—that if you hadn’t seen the home before it was remodeled, you would never recognize it.

He drew his own plans and they decided to handle the entire project themselves. They started in 1991 by adding a 900 square-foot two-car garage. Work on the home actually started in 1992. Before the entire project was completed, they estimated total costs somewhere around $40,000 in materials only since the owner supplied all the labor. This project also allowed the couple to reinvest profits from the sale of their home in Seattle. Again, this home outpriced other homes in the neighborhood which are valued between $110,000 and $150,000.

Some of the products that were purchased and installed will not only save money in terms of energy efficiency but will also enhance the finished look of the overall project. For example, they selected used 2″ decking and used columns for the front porch. They added another 1,100 square feet to both floors for a total of 3,000 square feet including an additional 600 square feet for the basement and an additional 900 square feet above the garage that is used as a self-contained studio apartment (kitchen, bedroom, and bathroom—all electrical is on the house meter). The rest of the home has six bedrooms and three bathrooms.

Incidentally, the sycamore tree in the yard dates back almost 90 years and really enhances the overall transformation this house has undergone. In the early 1900s this tree, along with others (locusts, Norway maples, and elms) were used in plantings designed by the Olmsted Brothers, famous landscape architects of Brookline, Massachusetts. This firm also designed Central Park in New York City and the Stanford University campus. This particular sycamore tree was shipped in from a Boston nursery and was featured in an article in Sunset Magazine in 1967.

The first story is about a 1912 stucco Tudor home:

The first couple bought their home in 1981 for around $53,000. Built in 1912, their stucco Tudor home had two bedrooms and a full bathroom on the second floor and contained 800 square feet on the first floor, 750 on the second, and 700 in the basement.

Immediate Repairs Needed

Unfortunately, when they first bought their home, they were faced with repairs. The house had been sitting vacant for a year before they purchased it. During that time, water pipes and heat radiators had frozen. The house also had an old oil boiler.

They removed the oil boiler and installed inner thermal electric water radiant baseboard heat. But the baseboard heating system did not prove to be efficient; there were no storm windows, and the house still had cold spots. They contacted the local electrical utility company to have their home converted to gas (hot water and furnace) and to qualify for the Weatherization Program. They sold the radiators and some of the thermal baseboards to a used building supply. The rest of the inner thermal baseboards were sold to a friend and donated to a local charity.

The Weatherization Program helps customers identify and repair areas where energy may be lost due to inadequate insulation and inefficient doors and windows. Financial assistance may be offered by the electrical utility company to qualifying customers for taking weatherization steps. For example, grants may be offered to help cover a portion of the cost of insulating attics, walls, and floors over heated areas. A small grant may be paid toward replacing existing windows with more energy efficient windows. An energy audit determines the exact amount of each grant, and the grant does not need to be repaid. Any remaining balance after the work is completed and the grant has been awarded is the homeowner’s responsibility. There may be a weatherization program in your area—you will want to contact your local electrical utility company for more information.

While the house appeared large, the rooms were small. With children still at home, it was time for an expansion. The thought of moving never entered the picture—they liked the neighborhood—but they didn’t know how to add on without losing the integrity of the home. An architect friend drew some plans that the couple liked so well that they hired a contractor and started their project in September 1993.

The Remodeling Experience

The contractor was to be responsible for excavation, foundations, framing, plumbing, roofing, insulation, and drywall. In order to save money, they purchased the windows which the contractor installed. They also did the demolition with the help of their 13-year-old son, and they did their own wiring—all 4,500 feet of it!

Another area where they saved (or in this case, made) money, was by putting their detached single-car garage up for sale. They ran a classified ad in the local newspaper that read “Garage for Sale,” which most people read as “Garage Sale.” Boy, were these people surprised when they showed up looking for furniture and trinkets! Once sold, the garage was relocated and the couple didn’t have to go through the process of tearing it down.

The completed addition is a dream come true as it gives the homeowners the extra room they need and want. The square footage of their home was increased by 800 square feet per floor, including the 800-foot double-car garage at basement level. The addition includes a new kitchen, full bathroom, and a mud/laundry room on the first floor. The second floor has a master bedroom, an extra bedroom, a full bathroom, and a rebuild of the original bathroom.

Final Thoughts

This house finished out with four bedrooms and three baths, not to mention the original sun room, a deck over the garage (using a special membrane material so water will not leak into the garage), and the original basement that incorporated extra rooms. The new addition was finished to match the existing home, both exterior and interior.

By the time the job was completed, the couple put between $80,000 and $90,000 into the project. For a time, their home outpriced the rest of the neighborhood, but this was of little concern to them. They like the neighborhood and plan to stay there, and that was their main reason for doing the project.

Stay tuned for stories two and three…

This is not the track lighting from the 1960s and ’70s – those clunky and chunky fixtures in black or white that became hallmarks of contemporary interiors. Now there are a lot more choices: Track heads are smaller in size, available in traditional styles and offered in a variety of finishes including brushed nickel and bronze to coordinate with appliances and hardware. These same metallic finishes are also popular in recessed lighting trims for the same reason, according to Shelley Wang, president of WAC Lighting.

Besides coordinating seamlessly with decor, today’s track and recessed fixtures provide supreme versatility. These lighting products come to the rescue when space configurations make it tough to illuminate all areas.

Out of sight = clean design

“Recessed fixtures are generally preferred for general lighting in almost any room of the house,” notes Joe-Rey Barreau, education consultant for the American Lighting Association (ALA) and an associate professor at the University of Kentucky’s School of Interior Design.

Wang agrees, adding, “They are perfect for illuminating otherwise dark spaces where portables and direct-mount fixtures have limited capabilities and would visually clutter the design.”

Recessed lights offer flexibility in that they can be individually aimed, according to Wang. “Square downlights in singles and multiples are a great linear look that was first made popular in retail and architectural spaces, but are now found regularly in high-end homes,” she explains. “Trimless recessed lights ensure that nothing protrudes below the ceiling plane, giving a minimalist look.”

Homeowners can rely on recessed not only when illuminating hallways and kitchens, but also to supplement other light sources in family rooms and bedrooms.

Glenn Siegel, marketing director for Cooper Lighting, has observed two growing trends: an increase in finish choices and a preference for recessed, square shapes for an architectural look. “In both Halo’s recessed and track lines, we now provide updated metallic finishes that range from Aluminum Haze, Satin Nickel, and Tuscan Bronze to Antique Copper,” says Siegel.

To save on energy, plus limit awkward bulb changes on the ceiling, consumers can buy compact fluorescent bulbs suitable for recessed fixtures. Placing the lights on a dimmer will further cut electrical costs and allow the user to vary the levels of light to create ambiance. Several lighting manufacturers are now offering LED-powered recessed fixtures and hanging pendants suspended from track for even greater energy savings over time.

Where to use today’s track stars

“Almost any room in the house is a candidate for a track system,” Rey-Barreau says. Once relegated to applications such as hallways, recreation and family rooms, and basements, track lighting is now being employed in dining rooms, kitchens and bedrooms.

“Track lighting has changed from a mundane product category into one that is design-conscious and extremely flexible,” Rey-Barreau states. The variety of fixture styles and lamping choices are diversified and available in an array of bulb options.

“One of my favorite applications is in renovation projects where the lighting placement is limited by the location of electrical service in the ceiling. Since the track allows for multiple fixtures in a linear configuration, it is possible to provide electricity to the track in one spot while allowing the fixtures on the track to reach many parts of the room,” Rey-Barreau says.

“Tons of homes are built with one junction box in the ceiling, but the residents want to update the space to incorporate general, accent and task lighting,” Wang concurs. “If recessed lighting is not feasible without lowering the ceiling height, a track system is a nice alternative. I faced this issue inside my pre-war New York City apartment and the track solution came out great.”

Track systems have evolved into highly decorative and functional lighting solutions. “The most common type is the monorail, which contains a single rail of electrified cable that can be installed either in straight runs or can be bent in the field for custom designs,” Rey-Barreau notes. The monorail provides the greatest flexibility and has an almost unlimited range of fixture options. With these new systems, the track becomes very much a part of the room’s overall aesthetics.

“One of the advantages of the monorail is that you can attach both pendants and accent fixtures on it,” Rey-Barreau explains. “Therefore, in a location such as a peninsula in a kitchen or a basement bar, you can place pendants above the work surface while creating spot lighting on objects in the room.”

Terry McGowan, director of technology for ALA, also appreciates the monorail’s flexibility. “I like to use it in dining rooms, even if there’s a suspended fixture over the table. Track adds downlighting and sparkle to table settings and can also be adjusted to accent sideboards, buffets, wall art, or sculpture,” he comments. “The decorative fixtures can then be dimmed so they’re not glaring.”

“If you could invest a few dollars and save $100, you’d do that, right? That’s what you’re doing when you invest in making your home more energy efficient,” says Michael Chenard, director of environmental affairs at Lowe’s. “An inexpensive air filter replaced at recommended intervals can save you $100 or more on your heating and cooling bills. Making your home more energy efficient saves you real money.”

Chenard recommends checking out Lowes.com/BuildYourSavings, to answer a few questions about your home and receive a list of recommended home improvements along with your estimated cost savings. He also suggests several ways to save money in your home.

Utility Savings:
Toilets – Replace an old, inefficient toilet with a WaterSense-labeled model and you can save up to $90 per year off your water bill, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

Light bulbs – When you replace your five most-used incandescent light bulbs with ENERGY STAR-qualified compact fluorescent blubs, you can save up to $70 a year. According to the EPA, the average cost of a CFL bulb is between $4 and $9, but they pay for themselves quickly in savings on your utility bill.

Programmable thermostats - As little as $30 and an hour or two is all it takes to save up to $500 a year, according to a 2008 article in Money magazine. ENERGY STAR-qualified thermostats with pre-programmed settings are intended to deliver savings without sacrificing comfort. For instance, your thermostat can automatically adjust the home’s temperature during sleeping hours or when no one is home achieving significant savings. The EPA recommends raising your thermostat four degrees in the summer and lowering it seven in the winter. Savings may vary depending on where in the country you live.

Do-it-yourself Savings:
Lawn maintenance - If you use a professional lawn service to mow, trim and maintain your lawn and landscaping, simply doing it yourself can save up to $900 a year, based on the national average paid for professional services.

Pest control – If you’ve got termites, ants or rodents, you might be tempted to throw up your hands and call a pest control service. But you can do your own pest control easily and affordably and save up to $300 a year, based on a national average of professional pest services four times per year.

Tax Credits:
Windows – Replacing 300 square feet of old, single-pane windows with more energy-efficient ENERGY STAR-qualified windows can save more than $460 every year in energy costs, according to the EPA. You’ll notice a difference in the summer when you don’t need to run your air conditioner as often and in the winter when your heater can rest more often.

Sealing and insulation – If you have less than 15 inches of insulation in your attic you can save money by adding more and also use expanding foam insulation to seal cracks and gaps where air seeps in and gets out and you can save up to $500 in annual energy costs, according to a 2008 Money magazine article.

“In addition to the savings you’ll see in your monthly bills through energy-efficient improvements, you may be able to take advantage of the tax credits in the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act,” says Chenard. “Certain energy-efficient improvements to residential properties, like replacement windows, are eligible for up to 30 percent of the cost of improvements (up to $1,500) in tax credits under the Residential Energy Efficient Property Credit.”

For more information and additional energy saving ideas, visit Lowe’s stores in United States and Canada and Lowes.com/BuildYourSavings.