From smart appliances that remember your cooking preferences to digital assistants that know when to heat up your shower or order your groceries — technology is making homes more functional and efficient every day.
It’s not glamorous, it’s mostly unseen, but when it breaks down, most homeowners notice it immediately. Here’s how to ensure your HVAC is performing at its best and cooling off your home this summer.
A common misconception is that Pacific Northwest is too wet to receive solar energy benefits. However, modern solar photovoltaic panels can collect energy in all types of weather. Learn more about how a solar roof can help power your life.
When it’s hot outside, your home should act as a safe haven, a cool oasis to avoid overbearing summer rays. But keeping your space cool when temperatures reach above 80 degrees isn’t easy. Here’s how you do it.
Did you know that at any given time, up to 50% of the air you breathe in your home on the first floor comes from the crawlspace?
In 2016 Neil Kelly’s Home Performance team installed equipment to improve the indoor air quality at Mrs. Teapot’s Tiny Tots preschool in Portland.
Neil Kelly installed 400 solar panels on the rooftop of a Best Western hotel in North Portland, making it among the first solar hotels in the area.
There are a lot of windows in a mid-century home. That’s great for the view and bad for energy efficiency. But our friends at Indow Window have the fix.
We specialize in the indoor air quality business, so there’s little that surprises us when it comes to air pollution statistics inside your home. But a recent study from New Zealand floored even our Home Performance gurus.
Okay, it’s not the “sexiest” part of your home, but if your crawlspace isn’t performing well you will feel it in every room.
Get inspired by the latest Neil Kelly home remodeling and design expertise!
Tub or Shower? “If it turns out the tub is only used for watering house plants, or worse, for the cat box, I say NO! I have learned over the years, there are ‘tub people’ and ‘shower people.'” — Kathleen Donohue, Bend Design Consultant
Small Kitchen Design: “It’s often beneficial to have a mobile surface like a prep table on casters or a table that folds out from the wall.” — Karen Richmond, Portland Design Consultant
Backsplash Tile: “Something about a handmade ceramic tile makes me swoon. The imperfect edges of each tile allow the grout to show off, and the subtle tone variations from tile to tile add character.” — Erika Altenhofen, Portland Design Consultant
Regional Differences: “In California, people are very interested in keeping up with the neighbors and resale value. In the Pacific Northwest, there is a greater attention to craftsmanship that I find really inspiring.” — Jamie Smugeresky, Seattle Design Consultant