Antique Mantle from Build it Green

Man oh, man are we excited! Not only do we have an ACTUAL approved building permit, we found this unbelievable mantlepiece at Build It Green (bignyc.org) this weekend. Click the images for a close-up.

Bought it and rented a truck to cart it over to the house that same day. Gotta love the lion heads with the dragon tails!



We almost bought one that we didn't love, just because we were worried about being able to find a period appropriate piece in good condition. Patience, indeed, is a virtue...

[where: 10032][where: Harlem][where: Sugar Hill]

Read whole story ...

Green Depot Has the Green Goods

In our never-ending search for reliable, quality suppliers of green building materials and products I (only & sadly) occasionally come across a store that really delivers the Green Goods. I had written previously about Energy Federation Inc and Gracious Home for lighting, and we now have a new go-to place for green building products.


Green Depot has just opened a flagship showroom in Manhattan (with online shopping, 'natch). I had a visit and was very impressed with their products and staff. Great selections from lighting products to Forest Stewardship Council flooring to Ivy No-VOC Paint and one of the best displays of IceStone countertop materials.

Denise, in the kitchen department really took the time to explain the various sustainable cabinet materials, tile and countertops they offer. They even carry the way-cool Warmboard Radiant Heat Subflooring System! A much more satisfying shopping experience than the typical big box store.

Green Depot is a retailer of Green Building, Lifestyle and Design products, with a variety of stores or centers in New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Massachusetts, Illinois, Connecticut and New Hampshire. Check 'em out!

I picked up a few hybrid rechargeable batteries for the various kitty toys and plan to return soon with The Lady to settle on countertop materials.

[where: 222 Bowery, New York, NY 10012]

Read whole story ...

Stimulus Package Green Energy Incentives

Wow. I've been working my way through the 1500 pages of the Obama Stimulus Plan, lovingly titled American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, scanning for the changes in the Renewable Energy tax credits and incentives.

Not easy to find, but did discover some specifics that I thought I would share.

• Solar How Water:
  previous incentive allowed for a Federal tax incentive of 30% of the cost of the system, capped at $2000 maximum.
  New: The $2000 cap has now been removed, so you get the full 30% tax credit for Solar Hot Water, a several thousand dollar change

• Energy Efficient Improvements:
  previous incentive allowed a $500 Federal tax incentive for the installation of energy efficient windows, insulation, appliances. Eh.
  New: The incentive has been increased to a $1500 Federal tax credit for Energy Efficient improvements. See this chart for the specific equipment requirements (but note that the $$ amounts are out of date, it is now a flat 30% total credit capped at $1500)

These new incentives continue to push the "affordability curve" in the homeowner's favor. Below is the complete list of Renewable Energy incentives that I know of:

• Solar PV/Hot Water = Federal 30% Tax Credit for cost of system. Uncapped.


• Solar PV/Hot Water = NYC Property Tax Abatement - 35% of Post Rebate Cost over 4 Years


• Solar PV = NYS offers 25% Credit of the Customer Final Payment up to $5,000


• Solar PV = NYSERDA Utility Rebate for Solar Electric System (Currently $3.00 per watt)


• Energy Efficiency Improvements = up to $1500 federal tax credit for the installation of energy efficient furnaces, heat pumps, appliances, windows and insulation.
  

There are also a wide variety of low interest loans available for homeowners as well. These are *not* home equity loans, but federally guaranteed unsecured loans for energy efficiency projects.

I typically rely on DSIRE to keep track of the various incentives, but they haven't updated their site yet to reflect the new stimulus legislation (Pres. Obama is slated to sign it on Tuesday).
[where: 10032][where: Harlem][where: Sugar Hill]

Read whole story ...

Brownstone Parlor Kitchen Design

As you know, we have decided to turn the formal parlor of our Harlem Brownstone into the main kitchen. We struggled with finding space for a functional kitchen within the old 1896 floor plan. The original kitchen was downstairs on the Garden Floor, with a back staircase for the help to bring up the food. Not exactly workable for us, as The Lady doesn't think we need a full staff to run the house...

So, we worked with SuperFriends Jen & Ellen (form of...Architects!) on transforming the Parlor into a Kitchen. Fortunately, we are going to be able to use some of the existing fireplace flue to run water pipes, etc., minimizing the need to carve up the walls. Right, Contractor Sam??!

In the interim, we came across a complete high-end Kitchen cabinet set that had been salvaged from a home in Manhattan! The salvage crew took great care in removing the cabinet pieces so they are in perfect condition, and we were able to purchase them at a very steep discount. So now we have a complete Kitchen set (with extra cabinets for the bar area) that is not only cost-effective, but also completely Green & Recycled!

This makes us giddy. Again.

The task over the past few days was how to take this kitchen set jigsaw puzzle, and make it fit, gracefully, into the Parlor space. Many hours later, we've come up with a pretty workable plan and a layout that is functional and stylish. Below are a few shots of the prelim plans and 3D representations. Click for larger images.

Onward Eco-Warriors!

[where: 10032][where: Harlem][where: Sugar Hill]

Read whole story ...