440 E. Ogden Avenue
2 01
AUTUMN
Normandy Design Build Remodeling
PRSRT STD
U.S. POSTAGE
Remodeling Tips
Hinsdale, Illinois 60521
#1 Pick “Readers’ Choice Award”
PAID
HICKORY NC
PERMIT NO 212
“Remodeler of the Year Award”
Architects
& Builders
Cool Energy
House
Photo: Courtesy of Andy Frame ([email protected])
Most homeowners would prefer an energy-efficient
home to one that incurs costly energy bills every
month. However, energy efficiency is far easier
to achieve in new home construction than in a
remodeling project. For example, how can you
improve the insulation in the walls of your current
home, short of removing and replacing the interior
drywall—a time-consuming and expensive procedure?
(continued on page 2)
Cool Energy House
4 Helpful Hints
Bamboo
All the Trimmings
Gourmet Kitchen
Design Wins Award
Welcome Baby Portia
4 Helpful Hints for Choosing the Perfect Light Fixture
Choosing the right light fixtures for different
areas of the home can be challenging, but
remembering a few key points when shopping
for lights can guide homeowners to the perfect
choice. Award winning Normandy Designer
Chris Ebert regularly assists his clients with this
purchase, and offers some tried and true tips for
getting the right light for your space.
probably make your fixture look out of place, and
not in a good way. Next you’ve got to look at the
size and scale of the room to determine what fixture
Chris recommends the first thing homeowners
need to look at is the other metals in the room, such
as appliances, the hardware on cabinetry and sinks
and so on. Having polished nickel on all the other
metals and oil rubbed bronze on just the fixture will
Telephone (630) 455-5600
Website www.NormandyRemodeling.com
(continued on page 4)
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Photo: Courtesy of Andy Frame ([email protected])
Cool Energy
House
(continued from page 1)
One of the goals of the U.S. Department of
Energy’s Building America Retrofit Alliance
(BARA) is to develop affordable, real-world
solutions that can help homeowners
achieve significant energy and cost savings
when they remodel their existing homes.
BARA produced the Cool Energy House
this year as a visual demonstration of
some innovative yet non-intrusive green
remodeling techniques that can increase
the value of your home and decrease
energy bills.
This 3-story brick house was built in
1996, back when energy efficiency was
of nominal concern as new homes were
designed and constructed. An energy
audit was performed and all the data was
entered into the DOE’s Building Energy
Optimization (BEopt) software. This
software analyzes building costs versus
energy-savings for home improvements
specific to one’s climate, helping
homeowners choose which improvement
will best fit their needs and budgets.
The audit disclosed inadequate insulation
in the exterior walls and ceiling, plus
significant gaps between the insulation
and the wall frame that allowed airflow
inside the walls. The solution: every four
feet, strips of drywall were removed,
and chopped fiberglass insulation was
blown into the existing wall cavities. This
increased the density of the insulation
and filled the voids—slowing the airflow
in them. In addition, closed-cell urethane
spray foam insulation was added to the
underside of the roof sheathing in the attic,
resulting in a completely air sealed space.
Studies have shown that an additional
benefit of the foam is increased strength of
the walls and uplift-resistance to the roof.
Windows and doors are a major factor in
achieving energy efficiency. The report
revealed that replacing the existing
aluminum windows with double pane,
Low-E, vinyl frames and replacing the
wood French doors with high-performance
fiberglass doors was a practical and
economic choice. After these changes were
made, BEopt indicated that the two existing
low SEER HVAC systems could be downsized
to smaller, yet more efficient 18-SEER units
that would provide cheaper, cleaner and
better conditioned air to the house.
The aging single-speed pool pump outside
was replaced with a variable-speed pump,
Energy Star appliances were chosen
throughout the house, existing lighting
was upgraded to LED, and new energyefficient bathroom fans were installed. The
original charm and attractiveness of this
home remains, but its energy efficiency
has been improved by nearly 50 percent!
New Product Introductions
Photo: Courtesy of Andy Frame ([email protected])
All the
Trim
Light Integrated Trim (LIT) is an
innovative product recently introduced
by Belwith Keeler. It is a modular
LED lighting strip system created to
enhance your home décor, as well as
provide functional and/or decorative
illumination. Special housing strips
and strip connectors can be used
to achieve a contiguous strip of any
length, while maintaining uniform
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Many Sides of Bamboo
More recently, manufacturers have developed
strand-woven bamboo, which is created
from the pieces trimmed off during the initial
milling process of the bamboo stalks. The
strands are compressed, glued together, and
then sawn into planks. In this process, nothing
of the original bamboo stalk is wasted.
mings
light intensity. Light diffusers create a
soft glow, and the 12” long cast metal
decorative trim pieces—available
in a variety of designs and
finishes—add distinctive
style. The many applications
for this product include
crown molding, backsplashes,
baseboard trim, railings and
staircases, etc.
Photo: Courtesy of Hastings Tile & Bath
(www.hastingstilebath.com)
Photo: Courtesy of Lenova
(www.lenovasinks.com)
The traditional way
of creating bamboo
flooring and cabinets
is to cut the bamboo
into narrow strips and
heat them to remove
the natural starches
and sugars. The
longer the bamboo is
heated, the darker in
color it becomes. This
darker bamboo is
This Lenova sink is made from mature moso
bamboo and SGS certified safe binding
known as carbonized
adhesives, with a low-VOC finish.
bamboo, which is not
as hard as its lightblonde counterpart. The strips are then glued
together either horizontally or vertically. With
the horizontal style, the wider surface of the
bamboo strips faces up, and the natural growth
rings of the stalks become visible. For the
vertical style, the narrow edges of the strips are
Hastings bamboo finishes are water based and
facing up, which results in a stronger product.
comply with Italy’s UNI EN 71.3 code, which states
The completed bamboo product may also be
that the finish not be physiologically dangerous.
stained a wide variety of colors.
Photo: Courtesy of Native Trails (www.nativetrails.net)
Bamboo is a beautiful material, but the
quality of a bamboo product can vary
greatly from one manufacturer to another.
The least expensive option is probably not
your best bet. Avoid bamboo products
constructed from immature
stalks that are too soft. Also,
make sure the glue used
is formaldehyde-free and
does not off-gas VOCs after
installation.
The Amelie vanity is handcrafted from vertical-style
carbonized moso bamboo with a low-VOC finish.
Bamboo has become very popular in
this country, partly because it is a rapidly
renewable resource and we want to be good
stewards of our environment. However, do
keep in mind that most bamboo used for
manufacturing flooring and furniture comes
from China. Therefore, one other factor to
consider is the amount of fossil fuel required
to ship the material to the USA. Domestic
lumber harvested from managed forests in
your region of the USA may be an equally
eco-friendly choice.
Photos: Courtesy of Belwith Keeler (www.keelerproducts.com)
Did you know that bamboo is actually a grass
that is extremely fast growing? Some species,
like moso bamboo, grow up to three feet a
day! Bamboo reaches its full maturity in five
to seven years, after which it topples over and
begins to decay. For ideal hardness, bamboo
products like flooring and furniture, should be
constructed from mature bamboo, which can
exceed the hardness of red oak and maple.
When bamboo is harvested, the plant is not
destroyed—rather the shoots remain alive
and quickly re-grow new stalks.
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4
Four Helpful Hints for Choosing the Perfect Light Fixture
(continued from page 1)
the room can fashionably hold. “When you’re
looking at a fixture in a store, it’s usually in
a big warehouse type building, way bigger
than your home,” says Chris, “So you really
need to keep in mind the size of the space
you’re working with, and the size and scale
of light fixture that’s appropriate, without
looking overwhelming or inadequate.”
Based on the size of a room, homeowners
need to determine how much light they
need and want in a space. “People often
jump right to style, and think their copper
colored crystal shades will enhance
the warmth of a room, but forget that
the fixture will throw that copper color,
and possibly make that lighting alone
inadequate for the room,” says Chris. “If you
want good light, go with light color shades
– white shades throw the most light.” The
last factor to consider: the placement of the
fixture. If a fixture is going to be anywhere
in your immediate line of sight, it’s best to
avoid a bulky style that will quickly turn
into a nuisance you’re always trying to
look around. Placement also plays a role in
selecting exposed vs. shaded bulbs; no one
is a fan of sitting at a table and glancing
up into exposed bulbs, it’s best to have the
bulbs exposed at the top in that instance.
Gourmet Kitchen Design
Wins National Award
“Sophisticated, eclectic, and functional” is how Normandy
Designer, Kathryn O’Donovan, describes her recent clients’
award-winning Lake Forest kitchen remodel. Kathryn
conceived a layout that would allow both homeowners,
who are avid chefs, to work together simultaneously in
the kitchen. Oversized major appliances were a must for
the homeowners, and Kathryn meticulously hid other
countertop appliances within the cabinetry and became
resourceful in creating customized storage in every
available space.
“Overall, this kitchen is unique because of its emphasis
on oversized commercial appliances, paired with intricate details
throughout,” says Kathryn. “The homeowners are truly thrilled with the
level of functionality and style incorporated into their new kitchen.”
Other notable aspects
of the kitchen include a
striking natural quartzite
stone-on-stone backsplash
behind the 60” range, which
adds beauty with minimal
porosity, making it very low
maintenance. The three
countertops each draw
special attention because
they’re each made different
materials: Quartzite, Calcutta
Gold Marble and an End
Grain Walnut. The three
complement each other
beautifully, boasting style
and practicality.
The end results include a kitchen that has many visual focal points
that are also functional, and clients who are thoroughly enjoying
their time in the kitchen….together.
Industry peers took notice of this bold kitchen with a rustic edge,
and it recently received a Remodeling Design Award by the national
publication, Remodeling magazine. There were over 200 entries in the
competition and only 21 were honored with national recognition.
Welcome Baby Portia!
Congratulations to Normandy Designer
Heather Dalskov and her husband
Jesper on the birth of their beautiful
baby girl. Portia Ofelia Dalskov was born
the afternoon of July 13, weighing 6 lb.
11 oz. and 20.5 inches long. Heather
has since returned from maternity leave
and is once again creating beautiful
additions and renovations for her clients.