Some great sink and faucet choices:
Toto Nexus TB794DDC
Ikea has a good alternative to the Kohler Wading Pool. It’s called the Hollviken and costs about $80. It’s available in 23″ and 21″ widths. Sadly, it only has one hole. The matching faucet isn’t as stylish as the Toto, but it’s reasonably priced ($80 Enskar)
There are several ways to heat the studio. These also affect what sort of finished floor we can have.
Radiant Heat/Hydronics: This entails a boiler, PEX tubing, and a system that’s pipes hot water through the walls and floors. It’s probably the nicest type of heat money can buy. There are several variants including: PEX [...]
Spoke to Keri Foster of Foster Roofing. She says her roofs are going to be 3-4x the price of composition shingles. However, they come with a lifetime warranty and are much more green. They also provide superior cooling, as the roof doesn’t retain heat like asphalt shingles. Keri says to roof both houses with tar [...]
French doors are great for light and air. However, screening them can be difficult. Here’s an option that allows for a rolling/retractable system. Some manufacturers include Mirage, InVent, Breeze, and Wizard.
Wizard is locally available through Kraft Mobile Screen Services.
Communitecture is recommending the Integrity line of windows by Marvin. What makes these nice is that they are fiberglass on the outside (strong and paintable) with real wood casements on the inside. It will be interesting to see how these price out. These can be found locally at Accurate Door and Window and Portland Door [...]
One tact is to try and determine the value of the property after construction is complete. Ideally, one would find properties analogous to the finished product, and then find a value for those properties. Below are properties that have two dwellings on one tax lot. Square footage varies from what I’ll be building, but some [...]
The Toto Aquia has an ingenious feature that allows you to flush .9 gallons or 1.6 gallons. It’s a great way to save water.
It sells for around $300 online. Another comprable model is the Kohler/Sterling Stanton 402040. The Stanton sells for around the same amount.
Here’s a graphic representation of the design changes the studio has undergone.
Here’s a great alternative to cedar, especially when applied high on a building. I saw these on display at the local Keith Brown building supply center.
The photo above comes from here