Good Neighbors
(Page 3 of 4)
March/April 2008
By Amy Grisak
■ Green, or garden, roof helps regulate interior temperatures
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■ Polysteel insulating-concrete forms (ICFs) for excellent insulation and soundproofing
■ Local stone: some from the property; some salvaged from a highway landslide
■ Wood that was cut, sawed and dried locally
■ No air conditioning
■ Salvaged logs used for the fireplace mantle and shower
■ Energy-efficient in-floor radiant heating system
■ Energy Star appliances
■ Reused stone-tile remnants and garbage-pile scraps as baseboards and other trim
■ Used or antique furnishings
■ Pesticide-free, low-water gardens with many native plants
A conversation with the homeowners
What do you love most about your home?
James Boyes: Living in our own creation that we built ourselves.
Mary Laud: Unlocking the front door and feeling the calm that comes over you when you’re in a place you enjoy. It’s wonderful being surrounded by a special space that holds memories of everyone who helped us work on it.
If you did it again, what would you change?
Mary: We would have found a different concrete man. The gentleman who poured ours made a huge mess, which cost us thousands of dollars to fix. My second answer is what most women say: Make the closet bigger!
James: Before you hire anyone, go see their work and get plenty of references.
What advice would you offer new homebuilders?
Mary: If you’re going to build green, much of what you put out will come back to you, whether it’s in cash savings or a healthier environment.
James: I advise educating yourself—then make decisions based on your feelings.
What’s your favorite room?
Mary: We love the main room, but there’s something to be said for turning on the stained-glass butterfly lights built onto the rock wall ledges in our bathroom, lighting the fire and climbing into a bubbly bathtub. Our bedroom is set up to be a stress-relieving, romantic-fairytale area—and the tub is big enough for two.
James: We spend most of our time in the main room, enjoying the view across the garden to the lake and mountains. However, I too have to say the bathtub area is my favorite.
Up on the Rooftop
The green roof on Mary Laud and James Boyes’ home was a key part of Mary’s vision. "She wanted to make the roof into another usable space," James says, "hence the nice stone steps, the fire pit and the patio that extends onto the roof. The view is great across the lake."