After years of living in a well-preserved 1840s house in Down East, Maine, Vincent Montgomery and David Cadigan felt ready for a complete change. Design buffs who spend vacations making architecture pilgrimages, the two–Cadigan is an arts educator and Montgomery works at the Jackson Laboratory in nearby Bar Harbor–happened to own a prime piece of property just next door to them with views of Mount Desert Island. They approached architect Bruce Norelius with a compelling set of parameters: A spectacular rocky site, a cost-conscious budget, and a request for “an unapologetically contemporary house.” Based in Los Angeles but a former…

Olivia and Catherine Crawford grew up sharing secrets and clothes as sisters often do. Five years ago, they decided to continue their sharing habit and bought a two-bedroom maisonette together in the Islington district of London. But as each added a boyfriend to the mix, things got a little too close for comfort. “It felt like we were living on top of one another. We were all sleeping upstairs and living downstairs. You could hear every movement which was very annoying—and we shared one bathroom,” says Olivia. Rather than go their separate ways (which they couldn’t afford), the sisters decided…

Before 1994, a single flush could consume up to 3.5 gallons of water. Now the legal limit is 1.6 gallons, but there are many toilets that use much less, including Niagara’s dual-flush, 05/.95-gallon model.Original Stealth Dual Flush; Niagara“Even though our population has grown, water consumption is dropping, thanks to the new fixtures that meet federal water-use regulations.”—Richard Trethewey https://www.thisoldhouse.com/ideas/notable-advances-building-technology-last-40-years-water-world

Notable Advances in Building Technology the Last 40 Years | Fresher Interiors 1 × Outside Air, Less Energy Loss Outside Air, Less Energy Loss Way better than opening a window, energy-recovery ventilators (ERVs) and heat-recovery ventilators (HRVs) expel stale indoor air as they temper the incoming flow of fresh outdoor air. That tempering action reduces both the cooling and heating loads. While most ERVs are meant for climates with long, humid summers, Panasonic makes one that operates in both hot and cold climates.Intelli-Balance 100 Cold-Climate ERV; Panasonic 3 × Low-VOC Carpeting and Rugs Low-VOC Carpeting and Rugs Products designated as…