Trust, collaboration, and flexibility are all integral parts to establishing a positive designer-client relationship.
  • Be flexible – Be willing to listen to what your designer has to say – they may suggest you use a different material in order to keep your project under budget. By being flexible, you may be able to spend more on other features.
  • Have trust – Trust your designer. If he or she recommends something you are unsure about, give it a chance. For example, if a designer suggests you use a gray color instead of that bold blue you wanted, wait until the designer puts a sample up before drawing a conclusion – trust that your designer knows what he or she is doing.
  • Collaborate – Bounce ideas off of your designer. Collaboration usually results in some fantastic ideas that neither you nor your designer may have thought of without one another.
The following are a few home fixtures you should consider investing in to help reduce your water usage. Source: Houzz
  • WaterSense faucets – These faucets can help to reduce the flow of water by as much as 30 percent without sacrificing performance. This could end up saving you as much as 500 gallons of water a year.
  • Dual-flush toilets – Toilets consume more water than any other indoor fixture. A dual-flush toilet has two different flush options, one for liquid waste that uses less water and one for solid waste.
  • Graywater reuse – A graywater reuse system allows you to use the water that you wasted in the sink for a nearby toilet for use in flushing. Basically, the system lets you recycle water.
  • Urinals – Obviously, the urinal only works for the boys; however, you’ll conserve way more water. Some manufacturers even offer waterless urinals.
 Your design team should include an architect, an interior designer, and a builder. Source: Houzz
  1. Choose a design team. Your team should include an architect, an interior designer, and a builder.
  2. Identify features and size. From the number of bedrooms to the wine cellar and game room, itemize the general framework of what your home will look like.
  3. Create blueprints. Once your architect has the overall feel for what you want, have them draft blueprints you can review and amend.
Windows and skylights allow more light into the home and reduces the reliance on electric lights during the day. Source: Houzz
  • More Windows and Skylights. This allows more light into the home and reduces the reliance on electric lights during the day.
  • Repurposing. Old wood can be made to look new and stylish. A little elbow grease is all it takes to turn the old into fabulous furniture, flooring, or paneling.
  • LEED Certified Appliances. From dishwashers to refrigerators, the higher the LEED rating, the more efficient the unit will operate. Not only do these appliances looks stylish, most will pay for themselves over their lifespan.
  • Zoning. Zoning the home’s HVAC system gives you greater control over the interior climate. This allows you to “shut down” rooms when they’re not in use so that you’re not wasting energy throughout the year.
Eco-friendly decorating is a specialty we've honed to ensure our client's mountain homes have as little impact as possible. Source: Houzz
Planning your home for home automation will not only help make your home more convenient, it will also help make your home more energy efficient as well. Source: Nest via Facebook
Check out these amazing energy-efficient homes and contact us at Trilogy Builds for more information about designing a custom energy efficient home today. Source: Houzz
  • The R-House – This house was built to meet Germany’s passive house principles, which means that it is airtight deu to its super insulated exteriors that boast minimal thermal bridging, heat-recovery ventilators and highly insulated windows. Electrical consumption in this house is roughly 70 percent less than a typical home in the Syracuse area.
  • The TED House – This three-story house uses closed-cell spray foam insulation in addition to a zip-panel air barrier, densely packed cellulose, R-10 windows and a metal panel rain screen to achieve passive house standards.
  • Live/Work/Home – This uniquely designed home boasts a retractable front screen that helps maintain privacy and filter sunlight. It also makes use of linear single-story plan instead of combining parcels like other passive homes.
green building codes are meant to protect the environment that the building's community is located in. Source: Houzz
You should consider how green the community you are in is as it tends to affect how green your lifestyle can actually be. Source: Houzz
There are plenty of ways that you can practice stylish responsibility. Simply buying used furniture pieces means that you aren't contributing to additional manufacturing processes. Source: Houzz