CTA Consultation

Kitchen Design Process

By |2012-09-10T16:37:30-07:00September 10th, 2012|CTA Consultation|

In our culture today, the kitchen tends to be the heart of the home.  It’s a great spot for spontaneous conversations over a cup of morning coffee, for helping with homework, and to gather friends and family while entertaining. It’s a place of action, and as such, it deserves a great deal of attention in

The Supersized House

By |2012-08-28T15:57:15-07:00August 28th, 2012|CTA Consultation|

Do you have a parent or grandparent that grew up during the Depression?  I love the resourcefulness and frugality of so many who grew up in those tough times. While later generations, including my own, loudly encourage us to reduce, reuse and recycle, the Greatest Generation quietly set the example of self reliance and intentionality.Our

The Sensual Home

By |2023-01-30T07:48:15-08:00August 15th, 2012|CTA Consultation|

Last week we talked about the Transitions theory of design that helps connect a home, and the people in it, to natural and community environments beyond. This week we want to bring the focus inward and talk about the sensual home. A well designed home will engage all of our senses.

To Build or Not to Build

By |2023-04-03T07:11:49-07:00May 17th, 2012|CTA Consultation|

That is an important question. For many years we at Stearns Design Build (Stearns Construction at the time) insisted on only remodeling, or, as we like to put it, recycling homes. We have since justified designing and building new homes. The justification is that new building stock is necessary. The fact is that we love

Should You Replace Your Windows?

By |2012-04-17T20:45:50-07:00April 17th, 2012|CTA Consultation|

In February the Federal Trade Commission handed down a complaint against five window manufactures for making wildly false claims in their marketing material about expected energy savings from their replacement windows.

This is not to say that you should not pay attention to your windows with an eye toward energy savings and possibly even consider replacing them. But on average most window replacements will reduce overall energy bills less than 5%, not the 50% claimed by some manufactures. But there are other reasons than return on investment that may encourage you to replace your windows. One of those reasons is comfort. Good windows will make your home more comfortable. The other reason is aesthetics. Windows frame the world beyond and should be just as beautiful as your best framed work of art. Indeed, a properly placed window may be your best piece of art. A high quality window will encourage you to open it on a nice day, unlike poor quality windows that must be fought to get them opened and closed. These are good reasons to replace windows, but most people are sold new windows on the idea that they will have a short return on investment, which is seldom the case.

What Does Building Science Have To Do With You?

By |2023-04-03T07:13:55-07:00March 29th, 2012|CTA Consultation|

Building science looks at a house as a system, recognizing that it consists of parts that work together to make up the building enclosure. All of these parts, their connections, and their relations affect the envelope of the building, which in turn dictates performance, efficiency, and comfort. One part of a building that people don’t

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