So you want more space. A little extra room because the family is growing, children or parents are moving back home, you’ve started a home based business, you’ve always wanted that conservatory, or any of the thousand other reasons why your existing house just isn’t big enough.

You’ve also lived in your house for a time and know its little idiosyncrasies. You’ve become really familiar with how the light changes with seasons, the best views of the yard, how movement from room to room takes place.

With all of that knowledge you decide to embark on building an addition. Maybe it’s going to be a kitchen addition. Maybe a family room addition. Maybe an extra bedroom or two. Which ever the case, you’ll be looking at adding on somewhere. Will it be to the back or the side of the house? Will it be above the house? Will it be separate from the house? What about style? Will it blend seamlessly with the existing house? Will it make a definite statement of its own?

Rather than using up precious ground area and building a foundation, adding a second floor addition to a ranch house is a great and cost effective way to get that extra space. Because this type of an addition requires a new stair be located in the house, it’s a great way to fix some of the underlying deficiencies of ranches (such as the dreaded going through a room to get to a room syndrome).

Because so many different activities happen in the kitchen, from gathering casually to preparing meals, this space is one of the most important areas to light properly.  Ambient light may be supplied through recessed lighting in the ceiling, while additional task lighting should be installed above the island and beneath the cabinets for chopping or reading a cookbook.

The addition of task lights greatly increases the functionality of the kitchen; ambient light alone is generally rarely enough

Your Floor: How to Shop for Tile

According to the American Institute of Architects’ (AIA) 2011 report on Home Design Trends survey, while there is moderate stability in the residential market now, homeowners are nervous about overextending themselves. Special interest rooms have no, well, interest. The main areas of steady or increased investment are spaces that allow homeowners to function in their lifestyle with increased efficiency and savings over time.

Mud Rooms

Mud rooms, additional closet space, and storage rooms are all popular and reflect the common goal of cleaning up and cleaning out. With the downsizing of home sizes and home lots, there is less space for what is a commonly American trend of “the bigger the better”.

At last a justification for my doodles. See :   http://www.ted.com/talks/sunni_brown.html?utm_source=newsletter_weekly_2011-09-27

Advances in applied building science in the U.S. and abroad have resulted in homes that are so tightly sealed and insulated that furnace-less, ductless homes are now a reality. The increasingly popular “Passive House” standard, for example, calls for insulation in walls and ceiling that is so thick that the home is actually heated by everyday activity of the occupants, from cooking to computer use. Even in ENERGY STAR-certified homes, builders are now encouraged to bring all ductwork inside the insulated envelope of the house to eliminate excess heat or cooling loss, and to use only small but efficient furnaces and air conditioners to avoid wasting power. Geothermal heating and cooling, where piping loops are run through the ground to absorb warmth in the winter and cool air in the summer, are another option gaining broader acceptance.

The economy is still prompting homeowners to scale back on their plans for outdoor rooms, but sustainability also is driving some of their decisions.

By Stephani L. Miller

A recent survey by the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) pinpointed the residential outdoor living and landscaping design elements that are developing in 2011, and many of them are continuing from 2010. While getting back to basics was the guiding theme for much of the outdoor living market last year, “basic” is a relative term. Homeowners at nearly every level are still very much interested in creating livable outdoor spaces that function like indoor rooms, according to ASLA’s executive vice president Nancy Somerville.

“The economy is trimming back a little bit on activity and preferences, but it’s certainly not keeping people from adding outdoor rooms,” she says. What’s keeping the market going is the value—up to 13 percent—that creating outdoor living spaces and landscaping adds to a home, she adds.

In 2011, homeowners’ landscape design and outdoor living plans are still scaled down somewhat because of economic concerns, but they’re not eliminating the elements that make outdoor spaces comfortable, attractive, and usable. They still want seating, lighting, and cooking features, but they’re willing to do without fully outfitted kitchens or audio/video entertainment systems. It’s only the high-end clients who are moving forward with such expensive luxury features and finishes, Somerville notes.

Topping the list of most popular outdoor living features for this year, rated as somewhat or very popular according to ASLA members, are:

exterior lighting

fire pits/fireplaces

seating/dining areas

grills

installed seating such as benches, seat walls, ledges, and boulders

Weatherized outdoor furniture  counter space

Popular Outdoor Living Features for 2011

The American Society of Landscape Architects shares the most in-demand elements for comfortable, attractive, and sustainable residential outdoor spaces.

Popular Outdoor Living Features for 2011

The American Society of Landscape Architects shares the most in-demand elements for comfortable, attractive, and sustainable residential outdoor spaces.

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  Kichler

  Outdoor lighting–from path to decorative and all the variations in between–is the number one most popular feature for outdoor spaces in 2011.

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  Cocoon Fires

  Fire pits and outdoor fireplaces are the second most-popular outdoor living elements for 2011.

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  Eldorado Stone

  Built-in grills and outdoor dining and seating areas (built-in or otherwise), as well as counterspace, are all very popular outdoor living features for 2011.

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  Stone Forest

  Weatherized furniture for outdoor spaces is one of the top six most popular features this year.

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  H20 Walls

  Waterfalls are just one of the many types of water features that homeowners continue to ask for in 2011.

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  Sonoma Cast Stone

  Features such as hot tubs, whirlpool tubs, soaking tubs, and saunas that let homeowners enjoy the physically soothing benefits of water are the second most-popular outdoor amenity this year.

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  Boral Bricks

  Seventy-seven percent of ASLA members report that permeable paving is one of the most popular sustainable design elements for landscapes in 2011.

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  Rain Harvesting

  Among ASLA members, more than 63 percent indicate high interest in rainwater (shown) and graywater harvesting systems for irrigation and other home uses.

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  Laura Spector Design

  Among the many garden and landscape structures that clients are requesting for 2011, ASLA members report that arbors (shown), pergolas, and fencing are the most popular.

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  Trex

  Decks will remain very popular outdoor features for 2011, according to 74.4 percent of ASLA members.

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  Fypon

  More than 72 percent of ASLA members report that porches are still in demand among their clients.

Not only are homeowners concerned about energy costs and eliminating electricity-gobbling components from their plans, they also are paying greater attention to sustainability. This is driving interest in water-conserving elements, according to Somerville. ASLA members reported the following landscape, garden, and sustainability features are somewhat or very popular for 2011:

Low-maintenance landscapes (94.2 percent)

Native/adapted drought-tolerant plants (88.8 percent)

Native plants (87.2 percent)

Drip/water-efficient irrigation (83.1 percent)

Fountains/ornamental water features (81 percent)

Food/vegetable gardens, including orchards, vineyards, etc. (80.3 percent)

Permeable paving (77 percent)

Reduced lawn (72.6 percent)

Organic gardens (65.5 percent)

Recycled materials (64.5 percent)

Rainwater/graywater harvesting (63.6 percent)

Ponds/streams (62.5 percent)

Rain gardens (56.6 percent)

Xeriscaping or dry gardens (56.3 percent)

Compost bins (49.4 percent)

Solar-powered lights (48.8 percent)

Geothermal-heated pools (23.2 percent)Decorative water features such as ornamental pools, waterfalls, grottos, runnels, and bubblers are elements that haven’t slacked in popularity, despite a desire to conserve water, and Somerville says this is because of the enjoyment the sound and effects of water add to a landscape.

Homeowners’ growing interest in sustainable outdoor spaces seems to be keeping pace with the overall increasing focus on sustainability indoors. There’s been a gap between their desire for sustainable landscapes and their understanding of what that entails, but that gap is closing, according to Somerville. “Four years ago homeowners were interested in sustainability, but very few knew how to landscape sustainably,” she says. “But now they’re better educated and [ASLA] members are being asked more about features like permeable pavements and rain gardens.”

It seems that today many people are turning to burning wood for some of there energy needs. At last there is awell designed   alternative to the standard stoves.  Switzerland-based designer Yanes Wühl  wanted to design a sculptural stove that would create a cosy environment.

The concrete base can store wood for the cast-iron stove above, while the smoke outlet (to be attached to a flue) is at the back so the flat top can be used to warm dishes or boil a kettle. Heat is controlled by the position of the sliding door. Made of Corten steel, which stays cooler than cast iron, the door can be opened without gloves. If the enthusiastic response at Wühl’s degree show is anything to go by, the stove should be in production very soon.    http://www.wallpaper.com/designawards/2011/woodburningstove

If we were to calculate the square footage of wasted space in our homes, it might be quite surprising. The good news is, there are plenty of ideas and space-utilizing solutions that make marvelous use of this area of our home (or, at least the ones with stairs!). One that inspired me was a recent episode on Karl Champley’s timely and befittingly named show “Wasted Spaces“, where he recently built a cool study nook and closet under foot. Additionally, these ideas in today’s blog clearly and amusingly illustrate how we can really find way more space under the staircase.

Bookcase Under the Staircase:Photo courtesy of toxel.com.

Storage Bench Under the Staircase: charming meets practical. Photo courtesy of picsdecor.com.

Drawers Under the Staircase: For those of you living in homes from the 1950’s and older, this solution is fantastic for more storage . Photo courtesy of contentinacottage.com.

There are may lessons we can learn from nature as Michael Pawlyn discusses in this clip. Watch and be fasinated   http//on.ted.com/8vNc