Leave the Leaves

by Robin Salts Beckett on Sep 8, 2011

By Carol Barany/WSU Master Gardeners

Relax! Impeccable neatness in the autumn yard, without a fallen leaf in sight and with all the natural refuse cut back, collected and bagged, is no longer the mark of a fine gardener. When I see a black plastic bag of leaves on the curb, I want to bring it home, since leaves are one of the most extraordinary gifts nature gives us. Soil needs replenishing each year with organic matter, and leaves are the perfect food, since they decompose into humus. Humus contains both nutrients and fiber that adds structure to soil.

Back-to-the-Future Remodel

by Melissa Labberton on Sep 8, 2011

Karen and Jim Gilbert raised the ceilings on their new kitchen, installed skylights, and replaced dark cabinets with white cabinets, brightening a formally dark room. (by Sara Gettys/Yakima Herald-Republic)

By Melissa S. Labberton

How do you transform a 1970s house, complete with a rabbit warren of dark paneled rooms, in order to suit a 21^st century lifestyle? That was the question that confronted Karen and Jim Gilbert in 2008 when their Realtor showed them just that in Terrace Heights. The home, while dated, was close to the Yakima Country Club, where Jim works as the golf pro.

A Container Garden How-To

by Heather Caro on Jul 8, 2011

An inspired container contains three design elements: a thriller, a filler and a spiller. Photo by Gordon King

By Carol Barany

Every home, apartment, restaurant and boutique should have at least one container garden. Container gardens are living art, adding personality and panache to any setting, most notably on our downtown Yakima streets.

A Whimsical Cottage Garden Escape

by Heather Caro on Jul 8, 2011

Photo by Chad Bremmerman

By Melissa S. Labberton

Photos by Chad Bremmerman

Marrying her passion for gardening and collecting, third-grade teacher Claudia Tabayoyon has transformed her small backyard into a delightful retreat from her busy life. Her whimsical cottage garden was featured in the Yakima Area Arboretum’s annual tour of gardens this year — and for good reason.

Restoring a Classic Historic House

by Melissa Labberton on May 6, 2011

The entryway in the Olivares home.

By Melissa S. Labberton

Photography by Chad Bremmerman

The key to a successful home remodel is finding a builder who understands your vision and can work within your budget.  Four years ago, Barbara and Carlos Olivares decided to embark on a major remodel of their 1906 home, located on a charming, tree-lined street in the heart of Yakima’s historic district. But they knew they must first do their homework.

“We wanted a builder that knew something about old houses,” Barbara explained.  They sought out two of Yakima’s prominent and respected builders for advice, and both suggested Mike Fischer of M.D. Fischer Construction.

Fischer started building homes in the Yakima Valley with his father 40 years ago, and over time developed an eye for old houses. He’s cultivated a reputation for quality woodwork and attention to detail.  Fischer prefers to work alone, and the couple was pleased to learn he would be devoting all his time to their remodel.  Unfortunately, Fischer was so busy that they had to wait two years to start.

But the wait gave Barbara time to pore over hundreds of magazines, clipping out ideas and inspiration.  The rooms she envisioned could finally include her collection of antique furniture, stained glass and vintage light fixtures. She knew one day she would be able to incorporate these pieces into her home.

“My whole goal was to make the rooms look the same period of the house,” Barbara said.  “I didn’t want people to think it was old and new.”

As the project’s start loomed closer, Barbara and Carlos quickly realized they would have to vacate while demolition and construction took place. In the end, they were displaced for 18 months.

The kitchen is bright, airy - and used. The couple entertains frequently and Barbara enjoys cooking.

The couple initially wanted to add a much larger kitchen onto the house.  Fischer suggested building a second full bathroom where the old kitchen stood, then putting the new kitchen where an enclosed back porch had been built by prior owners.  That single decision avoided any additions that might take away from the original design.

The home’s old-fashioned parlor was transformed into a TV/family room without losing its period feel.  Fisher’s historically correct cabinetry and moldings match so perfectly with the original woodwork that it’s difficult to tell the old from new.

Anyone who has ever watched episodes of “This Old House” knows that embarking on a project of this size and scale can be fraught with problems and unexpected surprises. The Olivares house was no different.

Barbara explained that when Carlos bought the house, the basement had a dirt floor.  To make the basement livable, Fischer had to jack up the house and build a bearing wall, before pouring concrete for the floor. When demolition took the first floor walls down to the studs, they discovered evidence of several fires from the past that had been patched with cardboard.  And that was not all — also found were beehives and a leaky sewer line.

An old photo of the home's exterior, year unknown.

But not all was negative.  The rock-lined cold room originally used for storing canned goods in the basement had the perfect temperature for a wine cellar.  Fisher built a handsome wine rack on the south wall and — voila — the wine cellar became a reality.

Besides a new kitchen, sunroom and bathroom, the rest of the main floor, including the formal dining and living rooms, were refreshed with paint, wallpaper and refinished hardwood floors.  They hired local stained glass artist, Caroline Bowman, to replicate the pattern from the front door’s side lights for the new front door, to stunning effect.  Smaller antique stained glass pieces can be found in the kitchen, sunroom cabinetry and new bathroom.  Barbara also worked hard to find authentic and reproduction Revival light fixtures to fit the period of the house.

The home has four large bedrooms and a bath on the second floor.  Barbara’s grandmother’s bed, a 100-year-old rocker and an oak dresser make the blue guest room look like a cozy picture of the past.  The large master bedroom with its classic bay window affords a year-round view of the sunrise, and in the fall the autumn leaves of the century-old gingko trees outside turn the view to gold.

The couple made the decision to replace all of the windows with energy-efficient models.  The conversion is done so well that the change is hardly noticeable, but the reward in lower energy costs is great.

Barbara and Carlos love to entertain, and the new expanded kitchen and updated first floor living space can now accommodate a large crowd.  The old-fashioned wrap-around porch, which will get its own facelift in the future, and the new backyard gazebo and tile patio also come in handy for casual outdoor gatherings.

The Olivareses are definitely happy with the results of their two-year project — successfully making their period house feel like a home.

New Construction Goes Green

by Heather Caro on Mar 4, 2011

The Nelsons' large kitchen welcomes frequent guests.

By Melissa S. Labberton

Photos by Chad Bremerman

“We bought the land nine years ago,” explained Jeff Nelson as he welcomed us into his recently finished 4-Star certified “built green” home at the top of Naches Heights.

“He wanted to sell the property,” added his wife, Carol, “and I said ‘You’re not selling my dream!’ ”

Fortunately, after Jeff retired from Farmers Insurance, and Carol, a Lutheran seminarian, took a part-time job at Central Lutheran Church, they hired Harris Construction to build their dream house on the land, with hopes of making it as eco-friendly as possible.

Their builder, 27-year-old Keegan Harris, is no stranger to green-built homes.

A project manager for Harris Construction, Harris’ own green-built home in Tieton won five awards during the Central Washington Homebuilders Association Tour of Homes last year.

At the Nelson’s home, a striking stained glass front door welcomes visitors into the open-concept great room, which includes a large kitchen, living area, dining room and eye-popping 180-degree view of the Naches River and downtown Yakima beyond.

An expansive U-shaped Norwegian granite and tile-backed counter is the perfect size for a party — handy, because the Nelsons say they love to entertain a large crowd in their home. The combination of double-paned “Low-E” Energy Star vinyl windows, natural maple cabinets and gorgeous vertical grain bamboo flooring gives the great room a sunny, spacious feel. The Nelson’s beautiful patterned wool rug — bought five years ago on a trip to India — enjoys a perfect spot in the living area. In the “green” scheme of things, natural fiber area rugs are preferable to the synthetic variety made from man-made materials.

The rustic cedar mantal was discovered by Harris on a farmer's burn pile.

The couple pointed out the rustic cedar mantel above the great room’s gas fireplace. It turns out that Harris discovered the piece of wood on a farmer’s burn pile. He immediately saw its potential and loved the idea of reusing something that would have been destroyed. After trading for it with some large rocks off the Nelsons’ lot – and using a little spit and polish – he created a mantel that adds character to the cozy sitting area around the fireplace.

Near the kitchen, double glass doors give privacy to the well-equipped media room, without completely closing off the occupants from the action in the great room. This feature is convenient when grandchildren are visiting and grandparents want to keep an eye on them without having to listen to the obligatory “Barney” DVDs.

The Nelsons wanted to bring an element of the outdoors inside, and their distinctive entryway and master bathroom do just that.

The floors in both rooms were designed to mimic a river. Harris explained that the floors are comprised of “light and dark pebbles, replicating a gentle stream that flows from the front door’s side light to a pebble pond in the center.” An occasional piece of red glass sparkles among the rocks, and this bright color accent shows up in the bar lighting and dining room walls as well. The couple likes to have visitors take off their shoes when entering the house, and a basket of socks gives guests a subtle hint that this is the place to do just that.

“The master bath also features contrasting pebbles that flow from several upper windows,” Harris added. These “streams” of pebbles represent waterfalls, splashing into a river before calming to a stream, he said. Elegant materials such as maple cabinets, granite countertops, glass blocks and tile all give the master bath a luxurious spa feel. The double shower features a regular

The master bath was designed with glass blocks and a formation of pebbles that mimic the flow of a waterfall to a stream.

showerhead, a shower wand and room for handicap access.

With retirement and energy efficiency in mind, the Nelsons worked hard when designing their 2,500-square-foot, one-level house. All doorways and bathrooms in the home are wheelchair-accessible. Additionally, they chose all Energy Star appliances and dug a well for water. They also installed a high-efficiency electric heat pump and a propane-powered “tankless” water heater and living room fireplace. Water-based paints and finishes were used on walls, cabinets and flooring to eliminate harmful chemicals, referred to as VOCs (volatile organic compounds). An upgraded insulation package and tight-fitting construction also make the home more energy efficient by keeping the warm air inside on cold days and the hot air out on warm days.

Harris agrees that going green can be more expensive per square foot than construction of an average house, but one can see savings when homeowners average their decreased energy costs and the reduced environmental impact. Harris estimated that the Nelson’s house cost roughly $140 per square foot to build, and the couple’s heat bill for December 2010 was only $182 for a very cold month.

For those interested in “going green,” check out the Central Washington Built Green Association website at builtgreencw.org. It features a list of certified Green Built builders, and a host of information on how to “go green.”