Tips for ENERGY EFFICIENCY
If you’re renovating or building your farmhouse, consider these tips to help increase the energy efficiency of your home.
• INVEST IN WINDOWS. Whether upgrading or first-time installing, choose higher quality windows and features like double glazing. Not only will you save in energy costs for heating and cooling, but you can in some cases also get the added benefit of noise reduction.
• DO YOUR RESEARCH. You can choose a builder or contractor who specializes in sustainability. This way, you will have more and better energy-efficient options when upgrading or building your home.
• WHOLE HOUSE FAN. A whole house fan is a good alternative or additive to traditional air conditioning. Especially if you live in an area with mild temperatures, the whole house fan will help cool your home to the outside temperature without using the high energy required by an HVAC unit.
• EXPLORE SOLAR. With a rising emphasis on alternative energy
solutions, more solar options are becoming accessible.
• LOOK AT YOUR FIREPLACE. While an open fireplace may be a more classic look, a wood stove is actually more energy efficient. For farmhouse enthusiasts, it also gives a very cozy, rustic vibe.
When beginning the process of designing a home, the key is to find a way to meet the clients’ needs while bringing together beauty and functionality with an eye for luxury. “I understand that custom homes are deeply personal ventures, and I relish walking with clients through their finished homes, experiencing spaces that grew from imagination to reality and how that reality impacts my clients’ lives,” he says.
BLENDING STYLE AND FUNCTION
Bringing together a client’s wish list and all the elements of architectural design can be a challenging balance of style and function. An added layer is determining what is a contextually appropriate design. For this home, a modern farmhouse style blended well with the suburban setting. Due to the home’s proximity to the lake and location atop the bluffs, the homeowners wanted to take full advantage of their view in their home design. They asked to maximize window space on the backside of the house to allow for a full experience of the stunning scenery. “The process to accomplish this was to have an open floor plan and to design the main living areas to the back of the home, including the great room, dining area, screen porch and owners’ suite,” David says. This open concept also allowed for the kitchen and foyer to have glimpses of the lake.
" Custom homes
are deeply personal ventures, and I relish walking with clients through their finished homes, experiencing spaces that grew from imagination to reality.”
While lots of windows and an open concept achieved the homeowners’ goal of having their lake view unobstructed, it also created the potential for trouble in the often frigid temperatures of Minnesota winters. “There isn’t anything worse than having frost on the inside of your windows on a cold Minnesota winter morning,” David says. To combat this issue, he recommends investing in high-quality windows that will help regulate the temperature in your home, providing an ecoboost to help with sustainability.
In addition to the view, the abundance of windows and the open concept let in a great deal of natural light in the daytime, reducing the need for electricity. This energy-saving measure is both beautiful and functional. The luminous, open spaces of the living room, kitchen and dining area are perfect for hosting. Farmhouse charm is visible in the white paint exterior, exposed wood beams, the cozy all-seasons porch, custom woodwork, cedar posts, mudroom and rustic lighting. All these elements come together to create a bright, airy and comfortable home with gorgeous views and a nod to energy efficiency.