When we looked for a house, I had three simple criteria: it had to be small, close to work, and I would not stand a lawn that needed regular mowing and watering — truly silly in soggy Portland. It was to be our first house, which meant we weren't afraid of a project. Our eager naivety resulted in what we thought would be a simple 3-month basement renovation turning into a gut renovation that's now pushing three years.
When we found the house, I knew it was the one. It sure was small: the footprint measured only 22 feet by 28 feet. There was a wedge of a front yard, measuring five feet at the narrowest point. It had not been touched since it was built as worker housing in 1937. It was a 20-minute walk through a forest preserve to downtown Portland, ten minutes' drive by car to my work, and on a bus line that went directly to my partner's office. It had a view.
And it was green. It was also cramped and crumbling...
The front yard was an early project: it sloped towards the house, so we dug a drainage swale and planted low-maintenance grasses, hostas, and bamboo that don't require mowing or fertilizer.
Our budget did not allow the übergreen renovation of our dreams, but we still wanted a house we could feel good about, so we made a few strategic decisions. First, we decided to work within the existing envelope of the house: adding on costs money in the short term and the environment in the long term. Second, we decided to maximize energy efficiency whenever possible. And third, we took on much of the work ourselves.
These decisions created challenges. Working within the existing shell meant less waste and lower energy bills, but I was determined to create a modern sense of spaciousness in a house with tiny, chopped-up rooms and a footprint the size of a double garage. I have since become a passionate believer that small space necessitates good design... and smaller spaces are also green — or at least greener — by default.
Rebuilding the ladder-like, 18-inch wide staircase to meet code left little room for the bathroom. Covering walls and floor with porcelain tile and installing a Caroma sink and water-saving dual flush wall-hung toilet let us shoehorn a full bath into only 33 square feet. We recessed a bank of medicine cabinets and an ample counter into the opposite wall.
We solved other space challenges with furniture, putting in a bank of deep, long cabinets that serve as storage space and as extra seating for big dinner parties. By borrowing an extra table, we can seat up to 24 for dinner.
Energy efficiency on a budget meant using vinyl windows and sliding glass doors to replace the existing dry rotted wood windows — my most painful compromise, but a third of the price of wood windows, and with low-E coating and argon fill, more energy efficient to boot. It also meant foregoing recycled denim insulation for super insulating fiberglass with a higher R-value.
The design strategy was simple: we dropped the floor in the existing walk-out basement and increased the ceiling height to 8 feet, effectively doubling the size of the house without adding to the footprint. On the main level, we combined a small living room and an even smaller bedroom and opened the kitchen up to the new space, replacing rotten windows with a bank of sliding doors opening on to a new deck. And we reconfigured a staircase and bathroom to increase access to all three floors of the house.
Taking on the work ourselves (and getting rid of a terrible contractor) means that we're still putting the finishing touches on parts of the house.
I confess: our renovation was not as green as it could have been, but almost everyone — regardless of budget — has to make compromises when remodeling. The ones we chose fit our budget and gave our outmoded, neglected house a new, spacious feeling and helped it to use less energy than before.
Beautiful so far--I especially like the bathroom. 8 foot ceilings still seem so low to me, as I'm used to the tall ceilings common in nyc. But because of your furniture choices it still feels spacious.
view Shannon's profile
In regards to you bathroom, the dark tile seems to be rectangle tile on the floor and square tile on the wall, its a really nice touch? I would love to get the name so I can add it to my style tray!
view iadfilm's profile
Very nice indeed! We are two intense weeks in to a low budget green remodel on our first house, it's really nice to see what you've done.
view monstertown's profile
This is very inspiring. My husband and I will soon be in the market for our first small house. We also live in Portland and tiny houses like this are about all that fit in our price range :)
We have been figuring that anything we can afford will be something of a fixer.
Thank you for sharing your home and your great ideas!
view genesis's profile
Does anyone know where that lamp above the dining room table is from? Look great! Hope it doesn't costs $400!
view CHL's profile
We too are finishing our own re-hab and finding that as we've reached our budget, compromise is inevitable. Like you, our priority was in creating the most energy efficient solutions first and I think you made great choices, both pragmatically and aesthetically! Thanks for sharing!
view redcloverstar's profile
I think that lamp is from Ikea but I'm not sure.
This is a really nice place. I like the aesthetic and motivations behind it.
Cheers!
view SeanG's profile
You've done a wonderful job opening up the space. Your choice of clean lined modern furnishings helps the small footprint "feel" larger.
We've just completed a remodel, too. Like you, we had to make compromises...the vinyl windows being the hardest to accept with all my lofty plans of a green remodel.
Enjoy your home
view High Desert Diva's profile
Lovely! where are the low white cabinets from?
Thanks.
view Beecham's profile
Well done! This is extremely helpful as I am about to embark a similar journey with my first house (a tiny fixer as well) in West Seattle. Thanks so much for sharing your experiences.
view KYL's profile
what an amazing job! I really commend you for all the hard work; you dramatically changed your home without changing it's footprint - that takes a lot of creativity and ingenuity that most people just don't bother with these days. They figure if they want more space they have to build more house. Bravo to you!
I have to know, who makes the wall-hung dual flush toilet? I LOVE IT!
view thebear's profile
This is beautiful and very inspiring. Thanks for sharing!
view jazspin's profile
Nice design ideas. I think I may go for that tankless toilet in my next rehab. Your ideas work well in small city row houses as well.
view flipping houses's profile
Can anyone tell me where the long low white cabinets are from? I have been looking for something just like this, but having a very hard time.
Thank you.
view sarahlou's profile
I appreciate all the tips, many people are not aware of all these aspects and risk buying the wrong thing. I am not into buying a house I am actually remodeling my house. At this point I have to find the right designs for my bathroom and for the kitchen. I want to connect the remodeling theme for all my rooms so I want to get a stilish kopper sink for the kitchen and one for the bathroom. The rest of the details are all set.
view albert31's profile
The lamp above the dining table is the Norm 69 lamp by Normann. That size runs just above 100.00, but you have to put it together yourself. It's well worth it though. I love mine!
view InTheDetails's profile
Beautiful home. Can you qualify what research you have to backup these statement?
"and smaller spaces are also green -- or at least greener -- by default."
view Khurt Williams's profile
sarahlou, it looks to me like the low bank of white cabinets is a creative use of ikea's over-the-refrigerator kitchen cabinets. Just use legs and put them on the floor instead of mounting on the wall. Works great for inexpensive and stylish storage!
view lilleprins's profile
I love your home. You are very smart with good taste.
Could you let me know where you purchased your towel rack and toilet tissue holder?
Thank you!
view jaimefenti's profile
Khurt Williams- I think what she meant was that smaller homes use less energy to heat and cool, they use less building materials to create, and they are less intrusive on the land they are built on.
view sar3j's profile
PLEASE PLEASE, stop planting bamboo, they are an invasive species, and hurt all the plants around them over time. Otherwise I fully support your actions, and commend you at that.
view camoner's profile
Congrats on a well-thought-out, beautifully-executed project. You don't mention much about your kitchen choices, so let me share a few greener options for fellow AT fans:
Induction cooktops are great energy savers and give you the performance of gas cooking. For more info:
http://jgkitchens.blogspot.com/2008/07/induction-reintroduction.html
Marmoleum click floors are indoor air quality-friendly and environmentally gentle. They're also wonderful underfoot. For more info:
http://jgkitchens.blogspot.com/2008/08/image-right-marmoleum-click-offers.html
Breathe Easy Cabinets -- I call these kitchen "Volvos," because of their family-friendly IAQ creds, super-sturdy construction and higher-end price tag. For more info:
http://jgkitchens.blogspot.com/2008/08/my-olympic-dream.html
(Scroll down to the Healthy Living paragraph.)
Bosch and Asko are leaders in water-saving dishwashers, and don't forget to look for Energy Star ratings when you choose appliances. The program has been around so long, that often folks forget about it. Please don't!
Another water-saving strategy is installing a touchless kitchen faucet. You've gotten used to using them in public baths. Now they're available for residential bath and kitchen use, too. (They reduce germ transmission as an added benefit.) Here's a good-looking one from Kohler:
http://www.us.kohler.com/onlinecatalog/newproducts_detail.jsp?section=1&aid=1142518577842
Happy remodeling!
view JG_Kitchens's profile
Funny, I just posted in my blog (www.wetakeiteasy.com) about the "greener" choices that we compromise from time to time.
I love your home and what you did to it. A DIY remodelling may be in our future, so I'll make sure to come back here for tips!
view xieta's profile
Yes. I have to agree with camoner. Bamboo is a terrible invasive. I work for a national park and we spend A LOT of time removing invasives like bamboo. It's terrible in our eco-system. Also, people in the northeast and mid-atlantic please do not plant butterfly bush but you should plant butterfly weed. Planting native plants can help combat disappearing bees and attract native birds and butterflies.
view djheathermarie's profile
I LOVE the house and it was refreshing to hear your realistic attitude to a green makeover. YOu will be so proud of your home when you finish all the hard work!!!
As a biologist, I have to echo the calls for native plants (and losing the invasive bamboo!). Beyond the green factor of avoiding invasives, they are an INCREDIBLE amount of work to control in the long run!!!! (and you mentioned that you wanted low maintenance in your post)
PLEASE, please get rid of the bamboo before it becomes a nightmare!!! It will save you more work in the future!
For alternatives in native species and places to buy them in your area, check out
http://www.abnativeplants.com/?source=backyard
For plants to avoid, check the invaives at
http://www.invasivespeciesinfo.gov/
Your garden is one of the biggest impacts you can have on your local enviroment and a big impact can be made in a very inexpensive way by just making informed choices. In the long run, it will also help you make a very low maintenance (and usually less expensive) landscape.
For more info on ways to maximize your backyard habitat and minimize your negative impact, check out the backyard habitat project from the National Wildlife Federation
http://www.nwf.org/backyard/
Best of luck and looking forward to rest of the pics!
view tanager's profile
I love the first images. This is how my house looks like. Not exactly like that, but the idea is the same: minimal! Good job!
________
Drug Rehabs
view andreea123's profile
I love the work you've done and your thoughtful approach to your renovation. If you're unaware of Portland's 'Build It Green' home tour...look into it -- I think your place would be an excellent addition:
http://www.portlandonline.com/osd/index.cfm?c=41893
view terrafaith's profile
i heard there are non-invasive varieties of bamboo, known as clumping bamboo. anyone know if these are ecologically legit?
view vyzl's profile