Guest Post: Water-Saving Fixtures - What to Look For

Thanks to 3 Mountains Plumbing, in Portland, Oregon for this informative guest post!

The term water saving is no longer synonymous with “no pressure” or “personally inefficient.” As
advancing technologies make eco-consciousness an increasingly integral part of life, water-saving
bathroom fixtures can now reduce your environmental impact – and your utility bills – without
sacrificing comfort or convenience. The latest advances in water-efficient plumbing are not only highly
functional but beautiful when it counts.

The next time you’re in the market for water-saving fixtures, keep the following in mind:

Low-Flow Toilets

Toto Aquia Dual Flush Toilet

The toilets of yesterday flushed up to 5 gallons of water, but that changed in the 1990s when models
were designed to flush no more than 1.6 gallons of water. The first generations of low-flow toilets were
ineffective, however, much to consumer disappointment.

Today’s low-flow toilets employ new design features to help reduce friction and help waste make its
way out of the bowl. Such features include glazed trapways; 3-inch flush valves; and in some cases
pressurized air in the tank to help enhance the force of the water moving into the bowl. When shopping
for a low-flow toilet, look for one that has a dual-flush option, which allows you to control the amount
of water you flush based on the type of waste. Today’s standard low-flow toilet has a 1.28-gallon-per-
flush rating, and the dual flush ratings go as low as .6 gallons per flush for the ‘liquid only’ option. With
the right low-flow toilet, you can save up to $100 per year in utility costs.


Programmable Showers

Kohler DTVII

A revolution in plumbing, programmable showers allow you to set your ideal water temperature,
delivery method and flow level. This prevents you from wasting water as you adjust the valves to find
the perfect temperature. When shopping for a programmable shower, look for one that’s backed by a
state or national green building standards code and allows you to save multiple user presets.

Flow-Optimized Faucet Aerators (and Shower Heads)

Kohler Purist 2.0 gpm showerhead

The latest flow-optimized faucet aerators help save water without sacrificing pressure. The air that’s
injected into the flow of water reduces the flow rate from 2.2 gallons per minute to 1.5 gallons per
minute, while maintaining optimal pressure. Depending on the aerating model you purchase, you can
cut back on your water use from a single bathroom tap by up to 32 percent.

The good news for homeowners is that a luxury bathroom no longer has to be a wasteful one. Consult
your local plumber about the latest water-saving bathroom fixtures to learn which would work best in
your home.

 3 Mountains Plumbing, servicing all of the Portland metro area, is a fully licensed and bonded plumbing contractor that specializes in Service Plumbing and Remodeling Plumbing for homes and businesses. 

TV Wall and a Floating Shelf

I confess, we are one of those couples whose dining table is their coffee table.  We have a real dining room, with a wonderful dining table, but we never eat there.    We eat in front of the TV.  Though it's not ideal, after a long day of work, sometimes all you really want is to sit together, with no need for conversation.  Because of this, I was really sick of staring at everything around the TV - which included the cheap TV stand I bought years ago when I got my studio apartment (sans doors, as they had fallen off after all the moving around), as well as tons of cords for the speaker / tv / media system.  So,when most women ask for jewelry and clothing etc for their birthdays, I asked that we spend time remodeling this wall.  The project began in March, and we finally finished enough to post pics this past weekend.

I hated the previous setup so much that I didn't even take before photos, so instead I'll show you a photo from our last holiday party, where the ugly TV cabinet is in the background of all my super friends in their fun "recycled" holiday attire.

The ugly cabinet went straight to the curb (where we can always count on someone to come by to pick up old stuff).  

I drew everything exactly as I wanted it on SketchUp, and my wonderful husband did the rest. 

He spent hours researching the right components, and then more hours in the attic running the necessary cables from the TV location to the new component location (above the basement stairs).  He also cut new speakers into the wall per my dimensions.  (And would you believe the holes were correct and required no drywall patching?!?)

The main glitch was actually the install of the floating shelf.  Our first attempt didn't work.  We did some more research, and figured out a different approach, which worked perfectly.

While still looking for a center channel speaker (trying to find something that's not just boring, boxy, and black) as well as some decorative accessories for the shelf, we're close enough to done so I wanted to share.

And for those of you who might want to know more about hanging the floating shelf, here's what we did:

The shelf has a 1" hollow space in the back.

My husband used wood-glue to glue (2) 1/2" pieces of wood together for cleats.  Then he used a pocket-hole jig to pre-drill holes.

Used a stud-finder to make sure we were drilling into something solid.

Mounted the first cleat on the wall.

Note the line above (drawn before cleat was mounted) to keep cleat level.

Used the level for the remaining cleats (starting with outside first and working our way in).  I was asked to point out that the level was standing upright for actual leveling... here he was just using it for the straight edge.

Once the cleats were installed, the shelf slid perfectly into place!

Compost and Kitchen Design

Since I don't really have the extra space in my yard for composting, I was excited to hear that Salt Lake City now allows compost items in the yard waste bins.  Which got me thinking about compost bins in the kitchen...

There are several ways to store compost scraps in the kitchen, some more basic, and others pretty complex.

Countertop Containers
The best compost-specific containers will have a filter and some sort of ventilation.  These are 2 of my favorites:

Chef'n EcoCrock Counter Compost Bin from Amazon

from Simple Human

Or you could go cheap and make your own, especially if it's just going to be stored in the cabinet under the sink

image source & instructions

In-Counter Compost Storage

Both Rev-a-Shelf and Blanco make a built-in countertop compost pail.  

Image source

Drawer Compost Bins

Modern Kitchen design by San Francisco Architect tall glass architecture from houzz.com

image from gardenweb

Base Pull-Out Bins

Since these tend to be a little bigger, meaning you'll be tempted to empty them less frequently, it's especially important that they have lids.

image from gardenweb

Contemporary Kitchen design by Atlanta Furniture And Accessories The Furniture Guild from houzz.com

Composting Machines
This machine by Nature Mill has 2 chambers.  Add your scraps to the top chamber, and the unit will mix, heat, and aerate the waste, then transfer it to the bottom tray, where you pull it out - it's ready to use as compost in less than 2 weeks.

This unit doesn't seem to be available yet, but the concept is intriguing so I thought I'd share.  According to Apartment Therapy, this device dries and pulverizes food waste into a non-smelly powder.

from Apartment Therapy

Kitchens & Brass

from dwell magazine

I'm giggling to myself about this title because I used to work at a tiny little kitchen design studio for about a year during college - I had forgotten about it until I decided to do a post about brass hardware in kitchens, as this place was called Kitchens & Brass.  So, in homage to that short time in that little studio, I've titled this post "Kitchens & Brass."

Anyway, it's taken me a while to warm up to the resurgence of brass, but now that I've seen it in modern settings, I'm loving it.  Brass is back, but in a VERY different way... with subtler tones and sleek modern lines.  I stumbled across the above photo while flipping through my dwell magazine the other day, I can't get enough of it.  Brass with white and natural wood... the brass warms up this kitchen in a way that polished chrome or stainless steel couldn't do.  And it adds a little touch of formality, but in a non-stuffy way.

A few more examples of brass in modern(ish) kitchens:

from cococozy

from Canadian House & Home

from Canadian House & Home

from Canadian House & Home

A common element, and what makes it all work, is the whites and grays in these spaces.  Come to think of it, I may have just the client for this combination... 

What do you all think?

New Trend - White Appliances?!?!

By now you may have already seen House Beautiful's 2012 Kitchen of the Year.  And if you haven't seen it, you must go check it out, NOW.  See it here.

Aside from it being yet another amazingly beautiful kitchen by my favorite kitchen designer, Mick DeGiulio (whom I've written about several times before), after I got over the overall fabulousness of it all, my next thought was "Whoa - hold on, I see white appliances!"

Take a look at the collection along the right wall.  It's the new Whirlpool Ice collection, and it's pretty sexy, huh?

Does this mean white is making a comeback?  Does stainless steel finally have some competition?  I've seen other attempts at white appliances, but they haven't been a part of the "Kitchen of the Year".  

If white appliances can look this good, I'm all for it.  What do you think?

Park City Condo Remodel Update

A while ago we finished the construction portion of this condo remodel, and now we're slowly adding the furniture and accessories.  I'm honored that my client is so proud of this condo remodel that it's actually become an art project to him, so rather than rushing to the point of a finished project, we're having fun handling one piece at a time, where each element is a project in itself.

We recently finished the custom guest bedroom furniture.  While this room still needs some art and accessories, the furniture is art in itself.

As with all the cabinetry and millwork in the condo, the headboard, nightstands, and dresser were all built by RiverWoods Mill.

We are also making progress on the Living Room!  We ordered a sample of a custom rug, and it's going to be just perfect.  

Recent Kitchen Remodel - Before & After

I blogged a bit about this project before (here and here and here), but now we're finished (just waiting on some final little details like seat cushions and window treatments).  I'm so thrilled with how great this kitchen looks - I've been so excited to post these photos!

You may recall my previous post about how challenging it can be when you're remodeling only part of a home, and therefore are forced to work with existing items like honey oak that are outdated but due to budget restrictions they have to remain.  In this case we had honey oak everywhere in the home - flooring, doors, trim, cabinets, and even light fixtures.  I had no choice but to work around it, especially since I had convinced my clients that we could remove the wall and open up the kitchen without creating a domino effect that would force them to tear apart the entire house.  We worked with the existing oak by using a coordinating-but-not-matching darker red/brown finish on the cabinets (matching the darker grain in the oak floors) and selecting granite with a slight gold tone (though not the dominant color as we didn't want to emphasize the gold).  I couldn't be happier with the results, and I think my clients feel the same way.

One thing that strikes me the most is how much the original architecture of the home is enhanced by this remodel.   It's an amazing home, and the beautiful new kitchen fits right in.

Let's take a look at some before & after shots to get the full effect:

Before

After

Before

After

After

Before

After

And some details...

  The Lutron designer finish outlet in the island is a much better look than a standard white or black outlet.

 My signature LeMans corner pull-out unit

A specialty crown profile and the Amerock Blackrock hardware add flair to the otherwise simple cabinet style.

The glass backsplash tile added the perfect luxurious touch.

I teamed up with ReVive Remodeling for the construction.  

The custom cabinetry was built by RiverWoods Mill.  

The Red Montana granite countertops are from European Marble and Granite.

And just for fun, this was the proposed model I drew on SketchUp.