Hanley Wood issues the annual Cost vs. Value report, which surveys members of the National Association of Realtors about the changes in anticipated resale value based on specific remodeling projects. According to the report, a wood deck addition brings the greatest boost in resale value — often for less than $10,000.

Ben Maxwell of Dovetail Homes agrees. Dovetail works on both whole-house remodels and smaller projects in various price ranges throughout the metro area. “Creating an outdoor living space is huge,” Maxwell said, adding that either a front patio or backyard deck can bring a return on investment above 100 percent.

New siding is another relatively inexpensive project with a high return on investment. “If the siding is falling apart, it really dates the home,” Maxwell said.
Both projects will give buyers a good impression before they even enter the house. Denver real estate agent Bill Fung emphasized the value of first impressions. “Make sure the entryway area is bright, clean and uncluttered,” he said.

The Cost vs. Value report’s regional breakdown suggests a $60,000 basement remodel brings a higher-than-average rate of return in the Denver area. Most figures for the Rocky Mountain region match national averages, but roof replacements and basements bring a greater return on investment in the Colorado region than in other areas.

Maxwell disagrees. He said larger homes typically have enough living space on the main levels, and a top-of-the-line basement may be extraneous. Likewise, a large, expensive addition or second floor is unlikely to offer a full payback in resale value. An exception is the addition of a garage to an older home near central Denver, where few homes have enclosed garages.

To be sure, kitchen and bathroom remodels offer solid return on investment — to a point. Expensive custom cabinetry with built-in wine rack and spice holders is unlikely to increase sale values enough to justify the high cost.

Simpler upgrades such as new lighting and plumbing fixtures, on the other hand, can attract buyers and make the difference between weeks and months on the market. Fung said upgrades as cheap and simple as drawer handles and showerheads can make a difference in selling a house.

Maxwell said dark cabinetry, bright paint, tile backsplashes and stainless steel appliances are popular kitchen upgrades in Colorado. He noted that granite, tile and other quality materials show little wear, so homeowners should enjoy their new kitchen or bathroom for a couple of years before selling. Fung also recommends cheap, simple upgrades shortly before selling a house, such as a new closet organizer or shelves, and new doorknobs.

A slumping housing market is certainly reducing the return on investment of remodeling. For example, a new deck generated a 104 percent return on investment in 2004, according to the Cost vs. Value report. The latest report estimates an 82 percent return on investment. Still, a remodel can make the difference between a rapid sale and months of inactivity.

For the full Cost vs. Value report, visit www.remodeling.hw.net

Mary Jane Fletcher, manager of the Northstar Lighting Design store in Westminster, said the most popular lighting fixtures have clean lines and a “warm contemporary feel.” Hubbardton Forge exemplifies the style, she said. Northstar sells the company’s products, which are hand-crafted in Vermont.

Donna Dones of Galleria Lighting and Design in Denver said simple, elegant fixtures with fewer curves are replacing Tuscan styles and ornate fixtures. However, no single style suits every home.

“Houses and spaces are like people,” Dones said. “They have their own idiosyncrasies and they speak to you. … There is nothing I steer people away from.”

Instead, she focuses on lighting that complements a range of styles and furniture layouts. Otherwise, a room will be less functional.

“When your lighting is wrong, you tend not to use the space and you don’t even know what’s wrong,” Dones said. “Most of the time it’s the lighting.”

Fletcher said homeowners are typically updating their kitchens and bathrooms with bright fixtures that match the rest of the room’s décor and illuminate the right areas.

“People come in saying ‘I love my light fixture but it doesn’t function,’” Fletcher said.

Art glass and creative stonework are the latest additions to some lighting lines. Hand-blown glass, stone mosaics and onyx are especially popular for kitchen islands, where cooks want bright light but also want artistic additions and flair.

The green movement is driving buzz around compact fluorescent light bulbs, but the hype may not be translating to sales. The U.S. Department of Energy reported a drop in CFL sales in 2008.

Some blame the recession but Fletcher offers another reason. Dimmable CFLs are still expensive, so they are not in widespread use for living and dining rooms or other areas where adjustable lighting is important.

Dones dislikes the color and quality of CFL light output. She said it is too white, and not warm enough. She said it can ruin the colors in paintings or colored walls.

The next green trend is likely to be light-emitting diodes, which use roughly 10 to 20 percent of the energy of an incandescent bulb. The bright, low-energy lighting is widely used for stoplights, billboards and other industrial applications, but is too expensive for most homeowners. Ledtronics of California sells LED chandelier bulbs for $50 each and dimmable task lights for $55 each.

Some designers are looking forward to LED prices dropping.

“LEDs (light-emitting diodes) are about to become a huge light source in buildings,” said Stephen Kohlbeck of Tilde Design Studio in Denver. “To me, they are the best type of showcase and art lighting.”

On the other hand, Dones steers her clients away from LEDs in remodeling projects, even if they are trying to join the green movement.

“Everybody jumps on the band wagon,” she said. “But (LED lighting) doesn’t go with anything and it costs too much.”

She said the bulbs sometimes work for inconspicuous spots, such as recessed lights and under-cabinet lighting. Otherwise, LEDs are too “architectural” and cold.

She said some customers are happy to find a remodeling consultant who isn’t following environmental trends.

“Somebody told me the other day, ‘There’s enough people going green that you don’t have to,’” Dones said.

All designs and images © 1989-2009 Hubbardton Forge®. All rights reserved.

It is also Randy Shelton’s goal. The Bucklands’ project earned his company, GRC Builders, first place in the basement remodel luxury category at the 2009 Colorado Awards for Remodeling Excellence.

Randy and Lisa Shelton founded GRC Builders in 1990. Randy’s father was a Denver homebuilder. Lisa previously worked with several architectural firms in the Denver area, and has a background in interior design, fine arts and art history.

Both Randy and Lisa work closely with homeowners. Lisa said they provide male and female perspectives, as well as both aesthetic and structural input on remodeling projects. “We started out doing custom homes, so we know what can happen if you finish a basement incorrectly,” she said.

The main aesthetic goal for the Buckland project was to continue the classic Old World look of the main floor and the exterior. Shelton said she was initially surprised by the young couple’s traditional, “masculine” style, but enjoyed the challenge of continuing the look in the basement.

“We didn’t’ want it to feel like culture shock,” she said. GRC matched the wood, wrought-iron and stucco throughout the house, as well as the arches and exposed stone of the exterior.
“I gave them a conception of what I wanted,” Mac Buckland said. “They came back and nailed it. It was exactly what I wanted. It feels like an extension of the upstairs.”

GRC Builders finished 1,720 square feet in the basement, and the four-month project cost $132,790. The challenge in a basement is always making it look like it’s not a basement despite the posts, beams, heat runs and other structural features. The Buckland basement now looks more like an upscale European tavern than a basement.

The granite-topped bar looks over the pool table, entertainment center and gas fireplace. The bar also takes advantage of existing windows. Shelton said the low windows created a challenge when trying to add knotty walnut cabinets and spaces for a refrigerator, microwave and other appliances. The bar also has a hand-crafted copper sink and an arch over the countertop.

A walk-in stone-and-stucco wine cellar is another highlight of the project. The cellar has a locked gate with wrought-iron finishes. The locks don’t always keep the 4- and 7-year-old Buckland children from playing in the dark stone cave, even though they have a craft room and another hidden playroom area under the stairs with a specialized 4-foot-tall cottage door entry.

Shelton said the kids already spent time in the unfinished basement prior to the remodel, but “we made it way more pleasant to play down there.” The kids play in the basement every day — doing crafts, playing with toys or playing Nintendo Wii video games on the big-screen TV. “They love it,” Buckland said.

Buckland loves that the bar has so many appliances and conveniences that he can entertain in the basement without running up to the kitchen or bathroom.

“When we’re down there, we don’t have to leave. We don’t have to go upstairs,” he said.

He also appreciated regular, open communication with the GRC team. He said the project’s cost matched the estimate, and carefully accounted for every item. “Randy has the numbers down to the screws,” he said. “The other companies had a lot of fluff.”

Shelton said her company is more interested on communication with clients than finding top-shelf projects. She said she was proud to beat out specialized basement remodelers for the top prize in the Colorado Awards for Remodeling Excellence. She said GRC’s contracts are fairly evenly split between basements, kitchens, bathrooms and additions, but most of the firm’s basement work is simple finishing. “We do every regular Joe’s basement all day long,” she said, adding that larger projects are rare.

Steve Graham is a Fort Collins-based freelance writer.

Photos provided by GRC Builders

The high-tech world of home automation reached a new plateau in the last four years, says Brian Richards, president of Precision Media Solutions in Lakewood. Because all home electronics can now be network based through the wonders of the Internet, all systems can be easily upgraded as technology leaps further into the future.

To get started, Richards favors the Kaleidescape System, which easily categorizes movies and music that can be accessed throughout your home. It’s especially useful to those who have difficulty finding and managing their DVD collection. Enjoy the movie experience throughout the home without a bunch of bulky boxes that take up space. Forget about storing your DVD collection. All of your media is loaded into the Kaleidiscape Hard Drive System, which offers some fun features. The Kaleidescape Movie Guide Service provides video bookmarks that let you jump to where you left off, or to your favorite movie scene. And of course there are no trailers, ads or menus to deal with.

Now throw in an Apple TV, which is a cost effective solution for any home. For as little as $229, you can browse iTunes on your television. In addition you can rent high-definition movies on screen for just $4.99. The Apple TV also pulls all of your photos off your home computer and displays them in folders on your TV. Then you can watch a slideshow presentation of your photos with music, which is fun for parties or showing off your recent vacation photos on a large screen.

Richards says the trend toward Apple products has made life easier for his clients, particularly with the iPhone, which can be used to control your in-house electronics system, either in the home, or from anywhere in the world where you have cell service. “We are talking a lot of our clients into switching to iPhone’s, and if they don’t want to switch, we just get them an iPod Touch for about $250, Richards says. “We are finding that our clients love being able to be the mobile DJ in their home wherever they take their iPhone.”

Of course your motorized shades, lighting control, security and HVAC can all be controlled with similar ease. What about a high-tech baby monitor (we don’t suggest monitoring your teenager’s domain though it sometimes seems necessary)? Again, the monitor can be part of the system by using the intercom feature. “Higher end systems allow control of everything in the home from one touchscreen … and it can all be retrofit,” Richards points out. And if you understand the basics of an iPhone, you’ll be able to run systems throughout your entire house. User-friendly is the name of the game. “It takes very little training for the client to run it. And every room operates the same way,” Richards says.

Although the Apple products mentioned above will cost less than $500, it’s easy to spend  $10,000 on a Kaleidescape system with a few accessories. Wiring a large home from the ground up with top-of-line options for every member of the family can jump to $100,000 and up very easily.

Equipment controlling the house can be hidden in storage rooms, basements or in closets.

Hiding flat screens and other components also has become popular, Richards says. A television can fold down from the ceiling, be recessed in a wall, pop up from a cabinet or be found in a nicely framed mirror.

So the next time a home remodel is in order, or you just need to put a little more juice into your media system, consider the advantages of creating a network-based system that can be expanded for years to come. However, there’s a warning: touch-screen control from any room in the house might be very addictive for the movie or music buff that just can’t get enough.

Moving toward an off-grid home can lead to financial savings and green bragging rights. It can also mean producing power, making the electric meter spin backwards and generating credits from the electric utility.

Here are ten steps toward moving off the electric grid — five energy-saving ideas and five new power sources. Also, look for state and federal tax credits and rebates when taking any of these steps. Several renewable energy upgrades are eligible for federal stimulus money.

Save energy

One – Insulate and seal the house
An energy audit is the best way to determine existing insulation levels and check for gaps that leak air. A qualified auditor will explain how to seal around window frames that could let out more heat than the window panes.

For Colorado, the federal Department of Energy recommends at least R-38 insulation in the attic, the most important area to insulate. The best way to maximize attic insulation is to hire a contractor and blow in insulation, which is typically made of fiber glass or cellulose. Environmentally friendly alternatives include cotton- and hemp-based insulation. Blown-in insulation is cheaper and faster for contractors to install than batting and other insulation types, and it can fill small and hard-to-reach gaps.

Two – Increase natural light
Solar skylights cut artificial light needs by trapping sunlight in a dome-shaped collector on a south-facing roof and channeling it through reflective tubes and diffusing it into room. Other models move the light through fiber-optic tubes to a room on a lower level or in the north end of the home. Compared with a traditional skylight, the new technology is less likely to leak, more energy efficient and offers more consistent lighting throughout the day. The recessed fixtures can also be combined with compact fluorescent bulbs for nighttime lighting.

South-facing windows also provide natural light and winter heat. The most efficient windows have at least two panes and are coated to reduce heat loss. However, Nancy Kellogg of Treading Lightly Energy and Design said homeowners should avoid windows that are too shaded or too efficient because they reduce the impact of passive solar heat. Insulating shades and curtains are better for reducing heat loss at night and excessive heat gain in the summer.

Three – Use energy-efficient appliances
Look for the EnergyStar label, which indicates 10 to 50 percent less energy usage than a standard appliance or electronic device. Another feature to consider is a delay timer, which allows dishwashers and other appliance to run during off-peak hours when electric demand is lower. With solar electric panels, consider running the appliances during the day when the house is generating power but nobody is home.

Some energy-efficient appliances also have other advantages. For example, a front-loading washer uses less water, reduces wear on clothing and can typically be stacked with a dryer to save space.

Finally, to switch off the grid and generate all your own power, gas stoves and furnaces will need to be replaced with electric models.

Four – Get smart with power strips
Computers, DVD players and other electronics draw power even when they are switched off or in standby mode. New power strips can gauge when such items are idle or on standby and switch off the outlet. Other strips have “smart” plugs alongside conventional plugs, allowing homeowners to ensure consistent electricity to DVRs or other devices that are always on.

Five – Automate the home
To further cut active and idle energy consumption, consider a lighting management system or full home automation system. Lighting management systems use sensors to switch off lights in unoccupied rooms, adjust lighting levels according to ambient light conditions and set lights to timers.

Home automation systems allow homeowners to control various items in the home by remote control, or from the Internet or a PDA. For example, a homeowner can turn off all the lights with the press of a button, even after forgetting to do so before leaving the house. The system can also control temperature more tightly than a basic programmable thermostat. The system can even lower automatically lower shades at sundown to reduce heat loss.

Generating electricity

Six – Go solar
Solar power is popular and constantly in the news, particularly in sunny Colorado. Enough photovoltaic solar panels can power a home of any size for many years with minimal maintenance.

There are also other ways to harness the power of the sun. Solar thermal technology is simple, inexpensive and time-tested. Dark solar panels heat water and transfer it into storage tanks for use in bathrooms and kitchens, radiant floor heating or radiators.

Another simple way to use the sun’s heat is with a small solar thermal panel that works as a space heater. The panel is mounted on the roof or wall, where a vent draws cold air out of the room. The air is heated while circulating through tubes. A fan then blows warm air back into the room.

SolarGreen in Englewood sells all three types of solar panels.

Seven – Plant wind power
Buying offsets from Xcel and other electric utilities is not the only way to use wind power. Wind turbines are now spinning in back yards and on rooftops. They generate electricity any time the wind is blowing, day or night.

The turbines are simple to install and operate with minimal moving parts and little required maintenance. New models are rated to last 30 years, according to Standard Renewable Energy, a Denver company that sells Skystream wind turbines.

This year, Ace Hardware will begin selling a rooftop wind turbine that generates power starting at wind speeds of two miles per hour.

Eight – Go underground
In addition to turbines high above the ground, energy can be tapped from below the surface. Geothermal or geo-exchange heat pumps run a long loop of water pipes underground, where the temperature is higher. The water returns to the home far hotter and can be used to heat the home or fill hot-water tanks. Radiance Corporation in Nederland installs geothermal heat pumps. The firm estimates the pump uses only 25 to 50 percent of the electricity used in a standard heating and cooling system.

Nine – Pellet power
Wood stoves may not be a cutting-edge technology or even a renewable home-based heating source. However, pellet stoves are updating an old standby. The new stoves are highly efficient and clean-burning and they also use inexpensive, locally generated fuel. In Colorado, Confluence Energy is using swaths of beetle-killed trees to create pellets for the stoves. Other companies mix in waste products such as olive pits and walnut shells.

Some pellet stoves are not approved for use on red advisory days, so be sure to check with suppliers or contact the state health department for the approved list. Also look for low-emission stoves that are compliant with EPA Phase II requirements.

A pellet stove can reduce natural-gas heating bills by 30 percent even without other efficiency improvements, according to Staci Griffin of Boulder Stove and Flooring.

Ten – Go Micro-hydro (if you can)
Micro-hydro electricity generators are the least publicized and most selective home power systems. They only work for homes with water flowing through the property. For those rare homeowners, the idea is basically a tiny hydro-electric dam. The water spins a turbine that converts the motion into electricity.

An Energy Alternatives study found a micro-hydro system produces as least 10 times more power than PV solar or wind turbines for the same initial investment.

Photo credits to place with correct photos:

Photo Courtesy of Southwest Windpower

Photo provided by Whirlpool

Photo provided by Lennox Hearth

Terra Verde Architects of Boulder was selected to oversee the design and construction, which would later draw accolades from the remodeling industry. The project was honored in the Colorado Awards for Remodeling Excellence in the Whole House category.

Charlotte Grojean, who was one of the three principal architects at Terra Verde, worked on the project. Grojean, who has since launched her own firm, Wildgrass Architecture in Boulder, said the project posed some specific challenges. “This site was particularly difficult due to many physical restraints,” she explains. “But Rex and Heather were exceptional clients for this project. Their steadfast commitment and willingness to consider alternative options as obstacles arose was met with genuine enthusiasm.”

Several obstacles did arise. The property was divided by the river and the cabin was near the flood zone. The bridge over the river needed to be rebuilt to mitigate for flooding, the septic field had to be on the same narrow piece of land as the house and there was a steep rocky cliff next to the cabin.

Boulder County also has stringent planning requirements to protect wildlife and water quality in sensitive ecological areas. “There were 13 major objections and many minor roadblocks to be navigated,” says Mark Queripel, founder and principal of Terra Verde Architects. “But over time and with a little creativity, we were able to overcome all the county’s concerns and still achieve the owners’ desires.”

At the initial meetings with the Heibi’s, the architects asked questions to help focus their planning. Like most projects, Queripel says they asked about architectural design preferences, the homeowners’ lifestyle and goals, budget parameters, the function of each space and if the possibility existed that rooms might be changed in the future to serve a different need?

With some direction, plans were drawn up and the real work began. At Terra Verde, one of the principals oversees the project from start to finish, but all principals provide input on major issues.

“Usually we try to come up with a minimum of two to three concepts,” says Queripel. “We show them to the clients and based on their feedback we may combine some aspects of the plans or completely redo the drawings if the first ones don’t work.”

For the Heibi’s and most other clients who want to tackle an entire house remodel, Terra Verde believes it is important to start with the kitchen. The kitchen is the heart of the house. For the Heibi’s they wanted their living space to be an engaging atmosphere where they could entertain guests and raise a family.

To accommodate this lifestyle, Terra Verde wanted the kitchen to open up into the great room. They decided to add on a second story to the cabin and build the great room into the granite cliff to avoid the flood zone.

Although the original fishing cabin was, as Grojean describes it – small, dark and uninspiring, there was still a desire for the newly renovated home to maintain some of the same rustic qualities. The finished product was more than an award-winning project – it was a family-friendly home built to meet the needs of people who appreciate nature.

“I don’t think there’s going to be a better time,” he said. “This is going to be a great year in terms of prices.”

As production catches up with demand, prices for photovoltaic solar electric panels and other components keep dropping. Solar thermal panels for hot water were already relatively inexpensive. Simmons, sales and marketing director for Vibrant Solar in Louisville, expects PV prices to decline gradually throughout the year. However, he doesn’t foresee a sudden drop in price that could offset the immediate energy savings.

“It’s really doubtful that in the next three to five years that the new technology will come out and be affordable,” Simmons said. In the meantime, homeowners can save on electric bills while reducing the carbon emissions connected with the state’s largely coal-powered electric grid.

Lori Kreutzman said she believes prices for photovoltaic solar electric panels have leveled off at a low point. She is the chief operations officer for Next Generation Energy, a Lafayette company that makes and installs both PV and thermal solar products.

Vibrant Solar provided the photo of the Greenwood Village home on this page.

To be sure, other industry experts predict the PV price decline will continue. A shortage in silicon caused recent spikes in PV prices, but analyst Travis Bradford of the Prometheus Institute for Sustainable Development expects a production boom to continue the steady reduction of the price of PV panels through at least 2012.

Still, demand dropped with the global recession, so homeowners can find attractive deals this year. State and federal budget woes also could decrease the current rebates.

Xcel and Black Hills Energy give renewable energy credits, and Xcel has additional rebates. Boulder and Colorado Springs have city-specific credits, and the Governor’s Energy Office launched a new residential solar rebate program this year, specifically for areas not served by Xcel or Black Hills.

Uncle Sam also offers a tax credit for 30 percent of the final cost, with the $2,000 cap on solar hot water lifted in the stimulus bill President Barack Obama signed in Denver. Congress lifted the solar electric cap in 2008. For more information on rebates, visit www.coseia.org.

Simmons suggests optimizing available rebates and tax credits to help cover the largest possible percentage of solar panel costs. This could mean installing fewer panels and not immediately offsetting 100 percent of energy usage. Nonetheless, homeowners can drastically reduce power bills while also minimizing the cost of a solar array.

Solar hot water systems have fewer rebates but they are also cheaper and more flexible to install. Installers can put panels on east- and west-facing roof exposures, as opposed to the south-facing roof typically needed for electric PV panels. However, solar thermal panels require more complex installation, so Kreutzman recommends extra caution in finding a skilled installer.

Even a small solar array — either thermal or electric — can increase real estate values. A 1998 study by the Appraisal Institute found a $10 to $25 increase in resale price for every dollar saved on annual utility bills. In 2008, the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy estimates homes with solar PV sell up to twice as quickly as similar homes with conventional systems. Homeowners must wait five years to sell the house after installing solar panels or they must pay back a percentage of the tax credit.

Sellers are also increasingly likely to compete with new homes either pre-wired for solar panels or powered by solar. Gov. Bill Ritter called for such a requirement for any new development.

“Every new builder has to go for zero carbon if they can,” Simmons said. “It would be irresponsible to build a home today without solar.”

Finally, Simmons offers an environmental argument for installing solar sooner rather than later. “The planet can’t afford us waiting,” he said.

Steve Graham is a Fort Collins – based freelance writer.

Brian Dunbar, a green building guru at Colorado State University, defines sustainable design as any project “with a concentration on minimizing the consumption of raw materials and a focus on the reuse of existing materials.” The resulting look can be anywhere from classic to ultra-modern, as long as reuse and recycling is the foremost concern.

Homeowners and professionals can get sustainable design ideas from the American Society of Interior Designers’ green residential remodeling guidelines or the U.S. Green Building Council’s project profiles. However, much of the industry is behind the green curve.

Stephen Kohlbeck runs Tilde Design Studio in Denver and is a member of the USGBC. He said sustainability is not yet a focus for the industry or clients, but he nudges clients toward greener ideas.

“Nobody yet has even asked for it,” he said. “They’re not even really aware that they should be conscious about it. … We’re five years out from having it be the norm.”
Bink Owsley, a designer at Craftsmen Builders in Fort Collins, had the opposite experience.

“I was fortunate to work with some clients that considered environmentally sensitive design a driving force in their projects,” Owsley said. “This spurred me to continue to educate myself on ways of lessening the impact of projects.”

Photo provided by Tilde Design Studio

Kohlbeck recently helped remodel a home with two kinds of recycled components. He found a headboard and other furniture at La Puerta, a New Mexico company that reuses antique wood that might otherwise be trashed or burned. The salvaged scraps form rustic cabinets, doors, railings, bed frames and more.

The laundry room countertops were also recycled, but look new. They are made from paperstone, a strong, durable surface made of recycled paper or cardboard. Kohlbeck also will incorporate paperstone in a new line of furniture he will debut this year.

He is designing a paperstone tabletop on bronze legs made from 90 percent recycled copper. A line of cabinets will use local, sustainably forested wood. For other pieces in his line, he focused on natural fibers, including cotton, flax, linen and silk.

Likewise, Owsley suggests refinishing or reupholstering furniture, instead of replacing with new items. To take sustainability one step further, she recommends organic fibers, local upholsterers and infinitely recyclable aluminum for handles and knobs.

Similarly, older wood floors can be refinished for a beautiful surface that is even more sustainable than popular new flooring made from sturdy, fast-growing bamboo.

“I cringe when I hear about someone ripping out their shiny golden oak floors … and replacing them with bamboo to make their home more ‘green,’” Owsley said. “I’d recommend refinishing the oak, stain it dark or pickle it or even paint it.”

Lighting is another prime consideration in remodeling. Compact fluorescent light bulbs last longer and use less energy than incandescent bulbs. However, Kohlbeck sees them as a stepping stone to the next green lighting trend.

“LEDs (light-emitting diodes) are about to become a huge light source in buildings,” he said. “To me, they are the best type of showcase and art lighting.”

The bright low-power lights are widely used for traffic lights and other industrial applications, and are popular in under-cabinet accent lighting. Within five years, Kohlberg expects them to expand to the rest of the home as the lighting industry perfects the color and brightness.

Natural lighting is an important component of green design as well. Green building design standards focus on getting daylight into the core of a building, reducing the need for electric lighting while the sun is shining.

Owsley also suggests using sensors for bathroom fans and storage room lighting, eliminating worries about turning off the switch.

Finally, most building materials can be salvaged or recycled. Homeowners should insist on recycling the used furniture, flooring and other components being replaced in a redesign project. Even wall studs can be recut and used for trim or accents. In these small ways, homeowners can help make sustainability the norm in interior design.

“It’s trendy to talk about green design but critical to shift our thinking.” Owsley said. “Green design shouldn’t be a separate category, it should be a cornerstone of all design and building.”

Steve Graham is a freelance writer based in Fort Collins.

Because water is a limiting factor in Colorado, the native plants and animals have had to evolve in order to survive on very little precipitation. Luckily, the landscape design industry has also adapted to the low water climate of the Front Range and offers various alternatives that can be even more aesthetically pleasing than the traditional lawn.

“I don’t ever want people to think that by conserving water on their landscapes that they are only limited to a few Yuccas and rock beds,” explains Amy Bales the owner of Bales Custom Gardening Services in Denver. Bales recognizes the negative connotations that may arise when people begin discussing landscaping alternatives such as Xeriscape or the use of grey water.

Bales Custom Gardening Services provided the photos in this feature. The Denver project won an Award of Excellence from the Associated Landscape Contractors of Colorado.

Landscapers and government agencies share a common goal of educating the public about Xeriscape and water-conscious gardening. Some municipalities try by appealing to pocketbooks and billfolds. Some homeowners who install timers and water regulators in their irrigation systems can receive rebates. The city of Denver has a list of appliances that are eligible for the rebates at www.denverwater.org.

“The Colorado State Extension service is also a great resource for information on choosing the right plants for our climate and ways to minimize water use,” says Bales. To further her own education, Bales took advantage of the Colorado State University master gardener program to hone her skills in landscape planning and native plant knowledge.
Rather than planting exotic plants that require additional resources to cultivate, the Colorado State Extension office teaches that natives — plants that are fully adapted to the arid climate — can be used to fit into almost any design niche. Buffalo grass is a native sod that, because of its natural resistance to drought conditions and visual appeal, has begun to replace traditional types of yard sod such as Kentucky Bluegrass. Buffalo grass is also a popular choice because it does not require mowing. If a groomed look is desired, Buffalo grass can be mowed, but it won’t have to be done often.
“When designing a standard landscape, I try to use ten percent grass to keep the yard from looking sparse,” says Bale. Then the other 90 percent is plant beds, shrubs, perennial flowering plants, wood chips, rock mulch or other materials.”

Bales prefers to plant as many perennials as possible. She suggests that all perennials, ornamental grasses and trees be planted in the spring by mid-April. Annual plants should be put in the ground around Mother’s Day.

Colorado plays host to such a wide array of native flora that knowledge and experience with these plants is paramount for building a colorful, fulfilling, and conscientious outdoor living space. Depending on the scope of the project, a landscape designer might need to be consulted. When working with professional agencies it’s important to take enough time to create a list of goals and special considerations.

“One question I always ask a client is what colors do they not want to see in their yards,” says Bales. “Sometimes without thinking people will say they like all colors, and maybe forget that they hate yellow until a yellow flower begins to bloom in one of their flower beds.”

During her years in landscape design, Bales has worked with many clients, and every one had a different vision. She has witnessed the paradigm shift toward responsible water values. Bales said the industry will continue to move in that direction. Sure, environmentalists are a big part of the reason for the shift, but Bales knows that there is more to it.

“People move to Colorado because they enjoy the beauty of the outdoors here,” says Bales. “So why not have the same outdoor qualities that attracted them here in the first place in their own backyard?”

Casey Cisneros is a Lyons-based freelance writer.

From small bathroom renovations to the renewal of the entire house, the awards allow home improvement experts to outline the challenges faced and what was done to overcome them.

Winning projects follow by category.

Whole House
• Nest Architecture; co-entrant, Boa Construction, 1st place, luxury
• Olson Architecture, 2nd place, luxury
• Terra Verde Architects, 1st place, standard
• Cambridge Construction; co-entrant, Enger Architects, 2nd place, standard

Kitchens
• Kitchen Distributors, 1st place, luxury
• CS Design; co-entrant, ReSpace, 2nd place, luxury
• Nest Architectural Design; co-entrants, Company kd and Canady Construction, honorable mention, luxury
• a la carte Design, 1st place, basic
• Company kd; co-entrant, Canady Construction, 2nd place, basic
• Classic House & Garden, honorable mention, basic
• Kitchen Distributors, 1st place tie, standard
• Blue Stone Woodworks, 1st place tie, standard
• Cambridge Construction, 2nd place, standard
• Terra Verde Architects; co-entrant, Bruce Leahy & Associates, honorable mention, standard

Basements
• Finished Basement Co., 1st place, 2nd place, honorable mention, luxury
• Roger S. Simmermon & Co., 1st place, basic
• Finished Basement Co., 2nd place, basic
• Finished Basement Co., 1st place, 2nd place, standard
• Cambridge Construction, honorable mention, standard

Bathrooms
• Harrison Browne Interiors, honorable mention, luxury
• Maureen McGuire, Timberline Kitchen & Bath, 1st place, basic
• Roger S. Simmermon & Co., 1st place, standard
• Wyatt Breum Artisan Interiors & Remodeling, 2nd place, standard
• Classic House & Garden, honorable mention, standard

Interiors
• The Architecture Studio; Lynn Shannon Interior Design; Reed Stair & Handrails; Denver Glass Interiors, 1st place, remodel
• TKP Architects, 2nd place, remodel

Exteriors
• Superior Products, 1st place
• True North Builders, 2nd place

Landscapes
• Environmental Designs, 1st place
• True North Builders, honorable mention

Siding
• Superior Products, 1st place, honorable mention

Details
• Blue Stone Woodworks, 1st place
• Lin Lee & Associates, 2nd place
• Liquid Metal Coatings, honorable mention

Specialty
• Rolling Ridge Deck Co., 1st place
• True North Builders, honorable mention

Historic Remodel
• Roger S. Simmermon & Co; co-entrant, Thomas Carr, Architect, 1st place
• Associates in Building & Design, 2nd place
• TKP Architects, honorable mention

Additions
• Roger S. Simmermon & Co.; co-entrant, Michael Koch Architects, 1st place
• Cambridge Construction, 2nd place

Architectural Design
• Nest Architecture; co-entrants, Company KD and Canady Construction, 1st place

Commercial Remodel
• Olson Architecture, 1st place

Pro Bono
• a la carte Design, 1st place

Theme Remodel
• Finished Basement Co., 1st place

Photo provided by Environmental Designs