This custom bathroom is part of a three-story addition we built for clients in Clayton, MO

The “2011-12 Cost Versus Value Report” from Remodeling Magazine. This annual report shows the costs for the average home renovation project and the return on investment (i.e. increased home value or resale value).

The costs and values are calculated on a national level, regionally level, and broken down further to a individual cities making the report a great guide to help St Louis homeowners decide where their home addition and renovation dollars should be spent.

You can view the full Cost Versus Value Report report for St Louis, and the region, on Remodeling Magazine’s website, but here is a quick look at the St Louis renovation and remodeling projects that will increase your home’s value, broken down by interior versus exterior improvements:

Exterior Improvements
Often heralded as one of the top selling points of a home, your home’s curb appeal is the first impression your home makes and, according to the “2011-12 Cost Versus Value Report”, the top five exterior improvement projects that boost a St Louis home’s value are:

1. Building a Wood Deck – 70% of the cost is recouped
2. Vinyl Siding Replacement – 64% of the cost is recouped
3. Building a Composite Deck – 63.4% of the cost is recouped
4. Wood Window Replacement – 59.5% of cost recouped
5. Vinyl Window Replacement – 58.9% of cost recouped
Honorable Mentions: Garage Door Replacement with 58.6% of cost recouped

Interior Improvements
Custom additions and renovations are a great way to add extra mileage to your home if you plan to stay put, and many of them will also increase the value of your home if you are eager to sell. According to the “2011-12 Cost Versus Value Report” here are the top five interior renovations and additions that will most likely increase the value of your home:

1. Attic Bedroom Renovation – 62.3% of costs recouped
2. Kitchen Remodel or Renovation (an average of major and minor renovations) – 60.7% of cost recouped
3. Bathroom Renovation – 55.1% of costs recouped
4. Two Story Addition – 53.6% of costs recouped
5. Basement Renovation – 52.4% of costs recouped

These numbers skew differently across the country and even throughout the region, but the data shows some interesting trends that impact homeowners buying or selling a preexisting home, and some of the more important features to be aware of when building a new home in St Louis.

The design of a kitchen is what makes a custom home design, and often is the crux of a previously owned home’s sale. The essentials of a well designed kitchen design were first formally asserted in the 1894 book, A Treatise on Domestic Economy for the Use of Young Ladies at Home and School, which included detailed kitchen plans that maximized natural light in the days before electricity and offered storage and workspace. Since then the design of the home kitchen has undergone a marvelous evolution, and not only in terms of gender stereotypes. Here is a fun retrospective on the history of kitchen design from the 1950s until today.

The Kitchens of the 1950s
In the post-war years, the demand for housing created a boom for the home building industry. Suburbs and planned communities began popping up in areas that were once considered cow-towns. It was also an era when the sale and production of home electronics began booming and the size and design of kitchens changed to accommodate the new dish washing machines, modern ranges and ovens, and storage for all of the new homemaking appliances that were emerging.

Kitchens of the 1960s
This many-storied era is when the kitchen really came into it’s own as a utilitarian space and entertaining space combined. This is the era when fondue pots where a top registry item, and and the eat-in kitchen, which is seeing a rebirth in today’s kitchen design, was a top trend. This era is also notorious for the glamorous and sleek mid-century modern design movement-a movement that has become a part of our present day design lexicon thanks to the hit show Mad Men-as well as the pervasive minimalist cabinetry design and a slightly chaotic color palette.

Kitchens of the 1970s
Two words-Harvest Gold. Two more-Avacado Green. We could probably leave our discussion of 1970′s kitchen design at that and many of you would understand. The 70s is the decade that saw some of the earliest stirrings of green home design. Everything from the materials to the colors strive to be earthy and organic. This is also the same decade when the second volume of Julia Child’s seminal cookbook, Mastering the Art of French Cooking, was published and the counter space needed to cook and bake like the French transformed the kitchen again. So alongside the earthen rainbow of appliance colors you would typically find larger, more functional counter tops and cabinets.

Kitchens of the 1980s
As America jumped enthusiastically into an era better known for it’s saccharine sweetness and bright colors, kitchen design did as well. However, to the delight of some, the selection and style of appliances took an opposite turn and cooled down to black, white, or cream. Formica counter tops, which were introduced in the 1970s, began finding mass appeal because of the variety of colors that could be used in their finish, with mauve and blue being a popular choice. And laminate cabinetry made a mark on kitchens across America.

Kitchens of the 1990s
The 90s saw the true emergence of the custom kitchen design. While many homeowners added unique touches to their kitchens in past decades, kitchen design in the 90s meant no two kitchens were exactly alike. Wood came back in fashion during this decade, as well as Corian and natural stone counter top upgrades. The 90s is also the decade where the kitchen island really began to take hold. In general, interior home design was in the midst of a dramatic transformation with a new emphasis on open, continual spaces between kitchen and main living areas. And these spaces were divided by islands where food could be prepared while the cook chatted with family and guests.

Kitchens of the Millennium
And we finally arrive at today’s kitchen designs. What started as a decade defined by minimalist design, and clean modern lines has evolved again. In the last few years the phenomenon of the beach house kitchen in the movie Something’s Gotta Give has made a huge impact on today’s kitchen design. It’s a veritable craze, and even inspired a kitchen featured in St Louis Homes & Lifestyles last year.

Diane Keaton’s kitchen, featuring white cabinets, black stone counter tops, and a mix of traditional and contemporary touches, is being recreated in kitchens all over America. White kitchens are hot right now, and we have been building quite a few of them to our St Louis custom homes and renovations in the last couple of years. This trendy neutral works great with subtle or bold accents, and lends an air of country warmth while maintaining an air of sophistication.

Since the 1950s kitchen design has come a long way. The heart of the home has been shaped by the ideas, trends, and culture of each decade and will continue to evolve. The one thing that hasn’t changed is that the kitchen is still the heart of the home, and is one of the most important pieces of make or break design a home has to offer.

Image credit: constructionweekonline.in

Like many industries, innovations in green home building have become mired in speculation and myths. The heavy use, and often misuse, of  “green” messages across many industries has fostered a cynicism for some. While others are holding on to the early price tags or associations with the word.

However, like many industries, the building industry is always evolving. As we discover new information, technologies and products we have learned that green home building is not as much a type of building as it is the next evolution in building. Green and energy efficient homes are what have resulted from research and innovation, and with that understanding are gaining a much wider acceptance.

Here are a few of the top myths about green home building that we hope won’t be around much longer…

Green homes are no longer more expensive to build.
When energy efficient building products first came on the market they were leading edge, and tended to be more pricey that their traditional alternatives. We see this trend in every industry from electronics to clothing. However, as companies begin adopting sustainable, eco-friendly and energy efficient models in their design and practice the cost continues to come down. And most importantly, the cost of living and maintenance during the lifetime of the home is reduced with more durable construction and materials over traditionally built homes.

Remodeling a home is not always more “green” than building new.
Homes that were built 50 or 60 years ago were built with very different tools and specifications. For instance, some homes weren’t built with insulation at all and did not take into consideration environmental factors such as the home’s orientation on the lot to take advantage of natural sunlight and warmth. But as we learn more about how the environment around the home impacts everything from energy bills to the health of the homeowners, we are now building homes that are more efficient and comfortable when a remodel could not possibly meet these needs.

Green homes are not just for environmentalists.
Since we began building green homes in 2006 we have incorporated energy efficient and sustainable practices into projects for so many clients for so many different reasons. The top reason, however, comes down to increased durability, less maintenance problems and lowered utility bills. While there are environmental benefits to all of these factors, at the end of the day these homes are also better investments for our clients because of these same reasons.

As time passes and people begin to understand the benefits of using green practices when building their new home we suspect that there will also be a better understanding that green building is more about innovation than a movement.

Image Credit: thegloss.com

With the new year just getting started the gym is packed and downloads for budgeting templates are at their peak. While self improvement is an admirable and very popular goal, improving your living space can also bring a sense of calm and order to your life-a concept at the core of many top new year’s resolutions.

So while you’re plotting your reps, dollars or yoga poses consider adding these three design resolutions to your goals for the new year:

Learn to Let Go of The Outdated-This is probably one of the hardest things to do, but essential to making room for better design. From lamps to old light fixtures, holding on to something when it is no longer in use or no longer appeals to our taste is a tempting option, especially when you consider the price tag for such items. However, learning the difference between something that is classic and just needs to be spruced up and something that would only find an acceptable second life as an upcycled item is key to letting go of bad design and embracing good. Classics are items that are solidly constructed and something you could name the style in which it was produced. Something that couldn’t withstand being passed through generations or that could only be categorized as a passing trend is begging for a replacement and this is the year to do it!

Find Your Personal Style-If you haven’t done it yet, make this year the one where you identify your personal style. Do you edge towards the classics, super-slick modern, or combination of the two. Use a notebook or a site like Pinterest (you can find Hibbs Homes on there and follow some of our board for design inspiration) and begin clipping and collecting items that really appeal to your personal sense of taste. In short order you will start to see your personal style emerge and you can begin relying on that to make decisions when picking out cabinets or purchasing new rugs. Designing with your personal tastes in mind will help you to create a space that is perfectly suited to you-which will never go out of style.

Tackle a Makeover in the Room You Dislike the Most-Everyone has one, the room into which you never invite guests. Starting today make a resolution to get that room under control and begin planning your project. Here’s how to do it:

1. Start by setting a realistic budget for the project and begin saving.
2. If it’s a major renovation project you’ll need to decide if you’d like to tackle the project yourself or hire a professional contractor to handle all or some of the project. If it’s a simple redecorating project start comparing prices and places to find those perfect pieces.
3. Begin looking at photos on websites for inspiration and start dreaming up your perfect space.
4. Once you have all of the pieces in place and you have a plan for getting it done set your start and completion date and you can enjoy watching your home design transformation unfold.

You can adopt one or all three design resolutions for the coming year, and, unlike going to the gym or budgeting, they can be pretty easy to stick to. But one thing is for certain, living in a home that is designed to suit you does wonders for your psyche!

Design*Sponge at Home, $23.46 from Barnes and Noble-If you are a fan of good design then you are probably familiar with one of the most popular design blogs on the planet – Grace Bonney’s Design*Sponge. Well, Bonney has written the book on good design, and it has a foreward by the famed Jonathan Adler. Bonney’s book is based on the same basic principle that has made her blog famous-beautiful design is accessible to all – and just a few DIY projects away. Her highly anticipated book features home tours and projects and is the hot home inspiration compendium on the market this year. While it is available at several retailers nationwide, Barnes and Noble’s print has special bonus materials that can only be purchased through their store and website.

Moleskine Journals, $8.95-$17.95, Left Bank Books-Inspiration can strike at any time, and one of the most popular and high-design ways to capture those thoughts is by using a gorgeously bound Moleskine Journal. Moleskine Journals are legendary among design and writerly types, and their blank pages and rugged binding also mean they can withstand a lot of carrying and use. The journals come in two-packs and are available in various sizes from small enough to fit in a pocket to large enough to handle a page cut from their favorite design magazines. They are available in a variety of colors and make a great gift for anyone who has a creative bug in them.

Sharpie Stainless Steel Permanent Marker, $8, Office Depot-Designers and Sharpies are like peanut butter and jelly-you can have one without the other, but they are many times found together. This very cool stainless steel, refillable Sharpie marker looks great, works great, and makes a great addition to your favorite design aficionado’s collection. The printed logo seen on the plastic variety is replaced on this fancy version with laser etching. The tip is fine point so it will work for a variety of uses, and refills can be purchased online or at stores for around $1.

While  a gift card to UncommonGoods.com or even Williams-Sonoma always makes a great gift, these fun gifts are sure to please the avid home designer on your list.

When the last cup of eggnog has been toasted and the last ornament has been boxed, here are a few ways you can recycle your trees in St Louis and St Charles City and County, and make your Christmas just a little greener:

Curbside Christmas Tree Pickup-Many local communities will offer curbside recycling during the first couple of weeks following the holiday. Simply call your local waste management provider to ask what their policy or drop-off locations, or if you receive email updates about holiday trash schedules check those. If you have any questions about whether it will go to waste or recycling feel free to contact your waste management facility to clarify, and if it is going to waste consider a drop-off location or chipping your tree for use in your landscaping.

St Louis & St Charles Christmas Tree Drop Off-Three St Louis City parks accept trees for drop-off two weeks after the holiday. You can bring your bare trees to Carondelet, O’Fallon and Forest Park in the lower Muny parking lot to have your tree recycled. If you are a St Charles County resident there are several options where you can drop-off your trees from December 27 until January 18, including Laurel Park, St Peters Golf and Rec Center, St Peters Earth Center, Civic Park, O’Fallon Sports Park, Founders Park, Progress Park, and Quail Ridge Park.

Recycle Your Tree in Landscaping-Mulch can be expensive, but really it is just made from chipped tree bark. If you have access to a chipper or rent one you might want to consider chipping your tree and spreading it in your flower beds. The acidity of pine makes for especially vibrant hydrangea colors, and they also make great winter ground cover for new plantings.

If you opt to have your tree picked up or if you drop it off at a collection point there are a few things you should do before you go: remove all decorations and lights, cut it into four foot lengths to be accepted and do not wrap it in plastic.

We do not recommend folks recycle their tree for firewood, however. There is a high concentration of oils in the tree that can cause build up and result in creosote fires in your chimney.

And next year as your family makes time to select the perfect tree, why not consider a tree with a root ball which can be planted it in your yard to enjoy after the holiday season has passed?

This custom home brings together expertise from industry leading sustainable building practices in the United States and the Active House practices that have been developed in Europe, and will define the next generation of sustainable building.

We are working with several key Active House Alliance partners in Europe as well as industry leading green building partners here in St. Louis to develop and construct the home in Webster Groves, MO.  The home is being designed using Active House Standards and to meet or exceed four North American sustainable building certifications: Energy Star, EPA Indoor Air Plus, Building America Builder’s Challenge and ANSI ICC-700-the National Green Building Standard.

Active House USA balances three key sustainability factors: actively balanced energy consumption, outstanding indoor climate, and positive impact on the surrounding environment.

To those familiar with green home construction practices this is all probably sounding fairly familiar. It is when you dig a little deeper into the three key components of active house building principles where you begin to see the difference. Active House specifications for the three key components are defined as following:

 Energy-An Active House is a building which is energy efficient and easy to operate, a building which substantially exceeds the statutory minimum in terms of energy efficiency, a building which exploits a variety of energy sources integrated in the overall design.

Indoor Climate-The indoor climate of an Active House promotes health, comfort and sense of well-being, is a building which ensures good indoor air quality, has adequate thermal climate and appropriate visual and acoustical comfort, provides an indoor climate which is easy for occupants to control and at the same time encourages responsible environmental behavior

Environment-An Active House building exerts the minimum impact on environmental and cultural resources, is a building which avoids ecological damage and adds to local biodiversity, is a building which is constructed of materials which have high recycled content and provides for its own recycling or re-use

These standards are all taken into careful consideration when deciding which materials and resources to use when building the home, and they are integral to the overall design of the home as well. Basically the vision behind an active home is one that does more with less impact.

Many of the major players in Active House USA met at the St Louis Home Builder's Association office to discuss plans and the project with the homeowner and Active House Alliance.

Russia recently unveiled an active house just outside of Moscow, and we are very excited to announce that soon Hibbs Homes will be breaking ground on the first active house in the United States! Active House USA is located just fifteen minutes outside of downtown St. Louis. This location is ideal because designing the prototype in St. Louis’s mixed humid climate requires that cold and warm climate specifications be taken into account, allowing for easy translations of the prototype into other homes in the United States.

Architect Jeff Day of Jeff Day & Associates is working with the homeowners now to define the design requirements, and the homeowners are excited to begin construction on their new home.

You can learn more about other active homes around the world as well as the active home movement by visiting ActiveHouse.info. There you can see photos, read about the other Active House projects and even download a brochure outlining Active House building specifications.

Image credit: EPA

Recently we came across a great post by St. Louis Realtor Karen Goodman on radon risks for Missouri homes, a hot topic for many home builders and buyers in the St. Louis area. It caused quite a buzz among the Hibbs Homes staff.

To get some more insight on the matter we turned to our consulting partner, Matt Belcher of Verdatek Solutions. Matt, one of the country’s leading green home standards experts, recently joined our home building team and brings with him a wealth of knowledge not only about green building standards here and abroad, but also a very unique expertise with radon in Missouri homes.

A few years ago Matt received a grant from the Department of Health to attend a Radon educational symposium in Washington D.C. At the time, he was one of the first builders to begin roughing in a radon mitigation system during new home construction.

Matt said of the symposium, “It really drove home the nature of the importance of these systems in every home we have build. We are one of very few builders who do this or frankly understand Radon and its effects.”

Radon is naturally occurring, radioactive gas produced during the decay of deposits of uranium and radium in the soil and air. When radon enters the home it radioactively charges dust particles, which become carcinogenic and when inhaled can lodge in your lungs. In fact, radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer behind smoking, and the number one cause of lung cancer in non-smokers according to EPA estimates. And studies conducted by the agency show that even a small amount of radon can cause lung cancer.

As the map in Karen’s post points out, Missouri is located in a “median” risk radon zone. This means that while the risk is slightly elevated, concentrations are not as predominant as they are in areas to the North and west of us and mitigation is optional by code.

In terms of risk, Matt explained, “The maximum standard measurement level for Radon is 4 Picocuries/liter (pCi/L). However, that is a somewhat “arrived at” number. The average home has about 1.3 pCi/L indoors. The true effect of any Radiation is time vs. exposure. If you spend the bulk amount of your time in the lowest level of your home and are in an area with even lower levels you may be effected more than someone even in non-conforming areas but spend little time in the lower level.”

Now that many home buyers are aware of the risk a radon inspection is an increasingly common closing inspection, and if detected a mitigation system can be installed by a contractor prior to closing, which can be costly.

However in St Louis new home construction a more proactive approach is being taken with the knowledge that our area has a slightly elevated risk. In new homes a passive mitigation system is being installed in the form of a pip that runs under the lowest floor slab, and using the natural tendency for warm air to rise the vapor vents up through the roof. And even more progressively, Matt explains, “We always leave a length in the attic adequate to install a fan if our client would desire to make it an active system in the future.”

While radon detection and mitigation may only be optional in this area, a radon inspection and a proactive preclusion system is an important when building your home in St Louis to reduce your family’s health risk.

For more information about radon’s risks and effects we invite you to explore the EPA’s radon website, and, like most important homeowner issues, consult a trusted contractor or realtor.

A coveted tool is an obvious choice for the type who spends their weekends fixing, building and tinkering. But if you’re hoping to get a little more creative this year, here are a few gifts that we think really fit the bill…

The Gorillatorch flexible flashlight, $34.95 from Red Envelope It has been proven time and time again that having your child or spouse hold the flashlight while you get under the sink ends up with more conversations about where the light needs to go than actual time fixing. There is always something more fascinating and the light you so badly need will inevitably shine in that direction rather than the one you need it to. The Gorillatorch eliminates wobbling lights from tired or distracted arms and has three flexible arms to help is cling and direct light right where it is need. You can clip on a cabinet door, twist around a basement pipe, or even just have it set up in the middle of the room during a power outage.

12-Pocket Magnetic Tool Belt, $29.99 from Home Depot Now this is for the serious home improver, the guy who walks around with a hammer all weekend even when not working on a project hoping to find an errant nail to get back in line. From creating a set of built-in bookshelves to hanging cabinets, this magnetic tool belt helps keep nails, screws and tools handy even when working atop a ladder. As an added bonus, having everything handy also eliminates the need to have a helper in the room to help hand-off screws and nails when it comes project time…well a bonus if you happen to be the designated tool and nail handing person during projects.

360 Electrical Four-Outlet, Rotating Plug-in Surge Protector, $14.99 from SmartHome.com Sometimes it just takes a power tool to get a job done. And then sometimes it just takes a handful of power tools, and a workshop radio. This handy four outlet surge protector make a great addition to any workshop, and with the rotating plugs it also makes getting cords to stretch to the right location during your work a snap. This also makes a great gift for the electronics fan on your list because the rotating outlets allow for up to four of those bulky charging adapters that seem to come with all electronics these days to be plugged into a single outlet.

Home Improvement 1-2-3, Expert Advice from the Home Depot, $13.99 Amazon.com So a whiz with wood doesn’t always know what to do with a leaky sink. And sometimes there are home improvement projects that wouldn’t hurt if they had a guiding hand. This book has information on kitchens, baths, windows, doors and even laying tile. It also offers advice on the right tools for the job, which can help round out holiday wish lists for years to come. This great guide is considered a “workbench classic”, and makes a great gift for the beginning DIY’er who, a first-time homeowner or even the seasoned home improver to help them tackle new and different projects.

While tools, especially ones they have asked for, always make a great gift for the home improver, these gifts make great gifts that are unique, fun and at these prices they are even great stocking stuffers.

Hibbs Homes Superintendent Dean Holtmeyer discussing plans with a clients building a new home..

When homeowners first think about building a home, their search for plans often begins on the internet.  It is an endless and sometimes valuable resource.  While the price for stock blueprints can be enticing, unless you do your homework you could be making a costly mistake.

There are several factors to consider when deciding whether to buy plans online or have them drawn by a local architect.  In the St. Louis area, where we build most of our homes, plans must be signed and sealed by a Missouri licensed architect. These licensed architects know local codes which can vary greatly from municipality to municipality. While online blueprints are typically designed to meet one general building code, and if you request they be updated for your specific area the cost usually goes up.

Many time stock plans can’t account for specific site details you’d like or related to your lot, such as a walkout basement.  Also, depending on local requirements, you may need additional engineering work which can be costly if making major changes. What seems like an easy tweak could affect the entire structure from the foundation to the roof.  It may be better to start fresh with a local architect.

When evaluating whether to buy plans online the best way to proceed is –

1.   Review the plans you are considering to make sure they meet your needs without having to make changes

2.  Contact your local government’s building department to see if they will allow stock blueprints

3.  Discuss any special code and/or engineering requirements your municipality

4.  Get a formal quote including costs for changes to plans and special code and/or engineering requirements

5.  Compare the stock plans with an apples-to-apples quote from a local architect

If you simply choose the plans that seem cheapest upfront, you could be making a mistake.  Doing your homework will help keep your dream of a new home on track and on budget.