People Who Live in Glass Houses - For Real

Forget about a room with a view. Today, homeowners want views from every room.

As large expanses of glass have become architecturally acceptable for modern and traditional homes, new technology is making living in a fishbowl more practical—albeit sometimes challenging.

As we discuss here in WSJ some homeowners are going all out - $300,000 worth of glass. But what does it mean for birds and dirty fingerprints (and where do you hang the art?) Watch and read.

Houseplants That Can Clean the Air

Building on NASA experiments for air purification in space, scientists are pinpointing plant species -- from the peace lily to the asparagus fern -- that are particularly skilled at cleaning indoor air of pollutants that can cause a range of health problems.

To learn more - as well as find a list of plants that are particularly good at removing pollutants - read on in my WSJ story.

New Hot Renovation: The Boiler Room

Do you lug dinner guests to see your new energy-efficient tankless water heater? Watch your power meter like a hawk? Risk life and limb to keep solar panels free of snow? Answer yes to any of these, and you might be a Boiler Room Junkie. See video above for six signs of the affliction.

We put together this video in conjunction with a WSJ story about how the new "hot" room on the house tour is the boiler/mechanical room. As more homeowners add renewable energy and other efficient solutions to their heating and cooling equipment, they are increasingly showcasing the appliances as they might a new stove.

Manufacturers are responding with water heaters, furnaces, and air-conditioners that are fashion-forward and in some cases, inspired by the iPod. Check out the story to see a slideshow of a few.

Out: Granite Countertops, In: Fiber-Cement Siding

After the recession, there are signs we're starting to downsize here in the U.S. and to scale back our big renovations as we discuss here on CNBC. Big kitchens and master bedroom suites are out, according to Remodeling Magazine's 2009-10 Cost vs. Value report. What's in: insulated doors and fiber-cement siding.
Update: More in-depth report here on ABC News' "Good Money" show.

How Much Space Do We Need to Live & Work?

I spent the 40th anniversary of Earth Day working from a six-foot by six-foot "artists studio" in midtown Manhattan. You can see shots of it at the opening of this video about green home technology products.

While I was able to do all my work with ease using a MacBook Pro and Blackberry, including posting stories, taking video and images, it made me also think about how much space we need to live comfortably and to house the history of our families. That's part of the mission of the artist Simon Draper who started this project called "Habitat for Artists" -- to encourage us to think about being creative with our consumption of materials and use of energy and land.

For instance, I got rid of my formal dining room years ago and turned it into part of the kitchen - now I actually eat in the space. Before, I just spent time dusting it.

Is Your House Too Big, Too Tight? (Or Just Right?)

What's the optimal amount of living space? Readers from WSJ's "Juggle" blog weighed in to contemplate just how many rooms are needed to comfortably house our families, while still being modest in terms of energy consumption.

The answers varied widely. Some craved more room for their sanity , while others had tales of cutbacks and doing more inside less.

Pictured here: I spent a day working inside a six-foot by six-foot habitat in midtown Manhattan to see how much space I needed for work. Answer: other than wishing there was a bathroom, not much.

On the Roof: Why Solar Hot Water is Sexy

In tomorrow's Wall Street Journal, my job drives me to the roof -- no, not to jump -- but to explain the merits of a solar hot water system.

It's simple, and can get you out of roughly two-thirds of your hot water bill. Plus, the tax incentives to install one are pretty sweet -- cutting costs nearly in half in some cases.

Everyone thinks of electricity when they think of solar. But this is an easy and cheaper way to start cutting your energy costs. That's sexy in my book.

Cash Back for Replacing Your Grass?

Last week in the Wall Street Journal and on CNBC, we reported how many communities are offering financial incentives to get homeowners to dial back water consumption at home -- particularly outside when it comes to watering grass.

One perk in some towns: cash for replacing your lawn with more "water-efficient" landscaping.

The incentives range from rebates and nursery gift certificates to water bill credits. You can find some of them here on the Environmental Protection Agency's Web site. I delve into them more on ABC News' "Good Money."

The EPA plans to expand it's "WaterSense" label this Fall to include new homes that consume about 20% less water than a typical new home. The criteria, as currently written, would limit the amount of turfgrass builders can plant. And that has many in the turfgrass industry opposing the proposal, saying it would portray grass as "bad" and that a one-size-fits all approach isn't the way to go.

Read more in today's WSJ about this Turf-War.

How Your Home Can Qualify For Bailout Cash

For those homeowners who feel they are falling between the cracks with the federal government's various stimulus efforts, my WSJ story today outlines some potentially lucrative tax credits available for various energy efficient home improvements.

The credits are available for everything from adding qualifying insulation and windows and hot water heaters, to solar panels and geothermal systems. However, some credits are available for a limited time period -- 2009 and 2010 -- so if you are in the market for some of these improvements or systems, now might be a profitable time to take the plunge.

How to Keep Your Older Home Competitive With New Ones -- From Energy Bills to Technology

In today's story and video in The Wall Street Street Journal, I look at the trend of "future-proofing" in homes -- that is, adapting new building science to older homes so they don't become obsolete in a fast-changing market.

The story offers 5 steps experts recommend considering before you tear down sheetrock or exterior siding, replace kitchen cabinets, buy a new hot water heater, build a new media room or paint a wall or refinish a floor. More on this, from a Good Morning America report late last year.

More Signs of Green Building Moving Mainstream

Even in the economic downturn, continued momentum in the green building movement on several fronts indicates more mainstream demand.

In today's WSJ Developments blog, I wrote about the opening of the new Green Depot store in Manhattan. I visited the store prior to its opening; its like a 3,500 eco-Home Depot boutique, complete with a no-VOC (volatile organic compound) paint bar where you can get any color mixed, refillable non-toxic cleaning solution soda fountain station, organic children's bedding and all sorts of green, non-toxic building materials -- insulation, flooring, cabinets -- under one roof.

In the post, you'll find links to other sites really reaching for the consumer as opposed to the builder.

Is Your Home "Future-Proofed?"

How do you "future-proof" a house?

On this Good Morning America video today, I discussed 5 strategies to make an old home competitive with new ones -- both on the sales front and energy efficiency.

We looked at kitchen cabinets, paint, insulation, lawncare and appliances during the segment and discussed some of the new laws coming into effect that are helping trigger the future-proofing trend.

29 Green Gifts -- How Do They Rate?

To analyze just how green some of the eco-gifts on the market are this holiday season, we enlisted a trio of experts to help us analyze them in today's Wall Street Journal story.

Panelists included staffers from the not-for-profit Green Seal environmental certification group (greenseal.org); the not-for-profit Rocky Mountain Institute (rmi.org), which focuses on energy conservation and sustainability; and David Johnston, founder of Boulder-based green building consultancy What's Working Inc. (whatsworking.com).

And here's a list of 10 green home improvement items on the market this year that have an eco-bent and could fit in a stocking.

Images: Herman Miller LED light courtesy of Design Within Reach; GE Caulk Singles courtesy of caulksingles.com.

Green Homes for the Middle Class

After attending the GreenBuild Expo in Boston, I wrote this blog post for WSJ's Developments about an Austin, Texas builder tapping into the green market for middle class homes. (Think $225,000 -- ranging from 1600 to 3500 square feet.)

I also spoke about the topic on CNBC in this video.