Every morning you look forward to a satisfying hot shower. But is it time to cut costs and energy and replace that big old bulky water storage tank with a tankless water heater? If you are building a small house or custom house plan, designing for a tankless water system can increase your energy savings immediately.
Unlike conventional water heaters which constantly heat water stored in a tank and will run out of hot water when usage is higher than the stored hot water, tankless water heaters do not store …

If you are an urban dweller, you are familiar with the challenges of small living spaces. But even floor plans of homes in generous settings sometimes can feel too small. Extreme examples of small home plans designed to use every square inch can often be seen in dense urban centers such as New York or Tokyo, but you can get the same affect with these tips whether you have a custom designed home or not. A few simple moves can dramatically change the feel of your small …

As more families explore small house design options we want to expand our offering of stock small house plans to meet the varied needs of families when it comes to design aesthetics. We’ve been blessed to work with many families, but there is still a lack of small home designs that are eco friendly and take into consideration daily life needs that occur in a family versus a single person or couple. Raising children in a small house brings about a completely different set of design needs than if you …

This article is by Rhonna Del Rio-Ascolese, a Design and Feng Shui Consultant and owner of otonome.net. Rhonna’s goal is to create a balanced environment that supports the client in manifesting their goals in life by offering Harmony and Balance using Design and Feng Shui philosophy.

I went through a five-year program for Architecture in Cal Poly, Pomona. During these years, I practically lived in my studio. In fact, all my classmates practically did. In order to meet deadlines one after another, we took turns taking a twenty-minute “power nap” on …

Using the sun’s energy to heat a home naturally and lower energy costs is becoming a goal for many home owners. Solar panels are growing in popularity, but the extensive initial cost can be quite substantial and is a turn off for many home owners trying to build or become more eco friendly on a budget.
A Trombe wall is another option for collecting the sun’s heat in a new home. A Trombe wall is built from stone, concrete, metal or other material that acts as a thermal mass that collects …