Recently I noticed a new solid-surface called Ecotec on a list of the Best New Home Products 2012 from This Old House. It’s priced from $15 per square foot, and the manufacturer says Ecotec is “the next generation in solid surface material.” The product is made with powdered glass content and a urethane derived from soy oil. Ecotec contributes toward LEED credits and contains 40% recycled and renewable content.
This is a gut kitchen renovation by owners/designers Matthew D. Emerson, LEED AP, and his wife, Courtney, in Philadelphia. The Emersons employed a team of local Northern Liberties construction professionals and a sustainable approach with reclaimed materials, energy-efficient technology, greater insulation, low-VOC paints, and a green roof visible from the upper level of the 1907-built brick rowhouse.
If you’ve been following the story about my participation in the Delta 2012 Maker/DIY Blogger Event last week — Part I and Part II — you’re probably as impressed with the Delta Faucet Company as I am! You also might have caught the little teaser I gave at the end of my last article about a GIVEAWAY! And oh boy, is it a good one!
All that sophisticated faucet technology I shared in yesterday’s post (Part I) about my visit to Delta Faucet Company needs an equally sophisticated aesthetic design. That’s where Director of Industrial Design Judd Lord comes in! During a tour of Delta’s on-site design studio, Lord and his team shared the inspirations behind their luxury Brizo collections.
When I was first asked to represent Jetson Green at the Delta 2012 Maker/DIYer Blogger Event, I knew very little about the concept of makers and even less about our host, Delta Faucet Company. A quick Google search for makers revealed a subculture of out-of-the-box thinkers who share their invention, creativity, and resourcefulness at Maker Faires around the world. Sounds pretty cool, I thought. But what does this “maker movement” have to do with an almost 60-year old plumbing company from Indiana? Along with seven other bloggers, I was about to find out during a two-day, expenses-paid visit with Delta’s makers at their Indianapolis headquarters.
FreeGreen, an online source for green house plans, recently announced a strategic pivot to make homes better and cheaper. The company wants to give homeowners the opportunity to save money by helping them get involved in some of the finish work. FreeGreen has a DIY series of house plans, and the first design — the DIY Shed — isn’t value engineered to meet a budget. It’s designed so that certain portions can be finished by the homeowners themselves.
