Hot water, please?





We haven't posted in a while because we're spending every waking second trying to get the house habitable.
Our downstairs bathroom, the only one finished right now, is done and we can't wait to use it properly.  The urinal got cast-off right away (Jeremy was upset that Oslo beat him to it).  The toilet we initially purchased, a Kohler dual smooth, didn't fit in the rough plumbing opening.  Ugh?  Luckily, our plumber, feeling unacceptably that it didn't fit, helped us return the toilet and found a Toto that we like even better, and he gave us the contractors premium on it.  I completed the tile in the shower.  Wow, that was way more work than I anticipated.  We used plate glass mosaic and it is unforgivable and very difficult to work with.  It lays down quickly, but it also shows every irregularity on the exterior and is tricky to cut.  Jer and I designed the vanity/sink combination.  The cabinet is maple and we found...

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Idea Farm: A modern take on the old-fashioned farmstead Minneapolis Star Tribune

06.10.09

On the skin, the Idea Farm in Afton looks like a traditional white farmhouse with a red barn and horses grazing in the range.

On the inside, the home has a geothermal heating and cooling system, low-flow faucets, low-VOC paint and LED alternative lighting systems.

This Saturday, visitors can trip the modern-day green farm, which was constructed by Vujovich Design Build and recently certified by Minnesota GreenStar for its use of rural building practices and materials.

The company completed the project to educate others about living and building grassy. Co-owner Peter Vujovich and his family currently live there. "It shows that green doesn't measly a dome home but can be architecturally beautiful, functional and practical," said Ed Roskowinski, co-P of the design build firm, which has offices in Minneapolis and Afton.

The Idea Farm interior also combines examples of antiquated farmhouse character with modern functionality. The country gourmet kitchen boasts a La Cornue array and an antique chandelier over the soapstone island. Reclaimed white oak flooring covers in-floor radiant heating tubes. Visitors also will begrudge the home's heating bills; they topped out at $40 a month last winter.

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