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You are here: Home / Books / I’m dreaming of a green home…

I’m dreaming of a green home…

April 21, 2008 By Stephanie

I'm dreaming of a green home... 1My husband and I have a dream that we will one day design and build our own custom home. In fact, I have a red folder where I keep magazine clippings of things that I’d like to have in the home: the size and layout of the rooms, the structural features, etc. 

For example, I’d love to have a detached garage, a work studio, a playroom, and a covered porch with a wood deck. Of course, I’d want to use low-VOC paints, low-e windows, skylights, and solar heating. It doesn’t have to be a huge house…just comfortable, aesthetic, safe, green (environmentally friendly, not green in color), and imaginative – with plenty of room to play outdoors. 

I’ve had extra opportunities to dream lately because I’ve been reading “Good Green Homes: Creating Better Homes for a Healthier Planet” by Jennifer Roberts (Gibbs Smith, 2003). It looks like a coffee-table book with slick and glossy magazine-style pages, professional photographs, and an artistic layout. It’s the kind of book that is fun to flip through, but it is also engrossing at the content level. When I first picked it up, I thought it would be more of a “look-through-and-skim” book, but then I started reading and was surprised to find that I couldn’t put it down! The well-written narrative was practical without being overly technical or scientific – and the ideas applied to a variety of audiences. Roberts offers suggestions for people who are looking to renovate, rent an apartment, buy an older home, or build a custom home. The recommendations help the reader dream about a new home and/or change their current home to make it “healthier to live in, easier on the environment, more valuable over the long-term, and more delightful to come home to.”

Good Green Homes is a really good book. I look forward to reading more/other books by Jennifer Roberts in the future.

WIN IT! One winner will receive a copy of “Good Green Homes” by Jennifer Roberts. To enter, simply leave a comment on this post prior to Monday, April 28 at midnight (don’t forget to follow the rules). The winner will be announced and contacted on Tuesday, April 29. * Winner must provide a U.S. mailing address.

*UPDATE* The winner is #22 stampedwithgrace. Congratulations!

Filed Under: Books, Giveaways

Comments

  1. kathleen says

    April 28, 2008 at 10:10 pm

    I would like to know what else I can do to make a green home.

  2. Donna Kozar says

    April 28, 2008 at 8:42 pm

    Sounds like a good book.

  3. Carina says

    April 28, 2008 at 8:33 pm

    This looks interesting…

  4. Steve Scott says

    April 28, 2008 at 6:16 pm

    I am an architect and I would like to see more green homes.

  5. Michael says

    April 28, 2008 at 3:17 pm

    When I first picked it up, I thought it would be more of a “look-through-and-skim” book, but then I started reading and was surprised to find that I couldn’t put it down! The well-written narrative was practical without being overly technical or scientific – and the ideas applied to a variety of audiences.

  6. ~ Aliesa ~ says

    April 28, 2008 at 3:00 pm

    I’ve had extra opportunities to dream lately because I’ve been reading “Good Green Homes: Creating Better Homes for a Healthier Planet” by Jennifer Roberts (Gibbs Smith, 2003).

  7. * * HeLeN * * says

    April 28, 2008 at 2:58 pm

    * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

    Roberts offers suggestions for people who are looking to renovate, rent an apartment, buy an older home, or build a custom home. The recommendations help the reader dream about a new home and/or change their current home to make it “healthier to live in, easier on the environment, more valuable over the long-term, and more delightful to come home to.”

    * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

  8. Suanne Giddings says

    April 28, 2008 at 2:23 pm

    We are trying to decide whether to redo and renovate or build a new home. This book would be a great help making our decision. Thanks for such a useful giveaway!

  9. eleanor g says

    April 28, 2008 at 1:17 pm

    i would so love to win this book

  10. dorothy lazorchik says

    April 28, 2008 at 11:08 am

    nice book

  11. Susanne Troop says

    April 28, 2008 at 10:56 am

    I would love this prize!

  12. Amira says

    April 28, 2008 at 10:43 am

    I would love to have this as a reference for the green home i am building in my mind :)

  13. kathy pease says

    April 28, 2008 at 10:13 am

    please enter me :)

  14. Betty C says

    April 28, 2008 at 9:59 am

    I’d love to find more ways to make my home green. We take far too much for granted and don’t always search for a better solution.

  15. sharon says

    April 28, 2008 at 8:48 am

    thanks, love this looks great

  16. Dan says

    April 28, 2008 at 8:07 am

    I think this is our biggest challenge as parents. What type of world will we leave our children?

  17. Bobbye F says

    April 28, 2008 at 5:59 am

    I have been remodeling an old 1950’s family home this year.I have been very green in doing so, even though the cost of green is a bit higher! I would love to win this so I could get some other ideas!

  18. Janet says

    April 28, 2008 at 5:54 am

    ty 4 the great contest!

  19. jen gersch says

    April 28, 2008 at 2:44 am

    thanks

  20. gina snow says

    April 28, 2008 at 2:13 am

    i want to win

  21. Tom J says

    April 27, 2008 at 10:13 pm

    This would be a good read.

  22. Sherri Siler says

    April 27, 2008 at 9:37 pm

    this would be great to read.

  23. Kathy Mullins says

    April 27, 2008 at 9:20 pm

    Good idea–whether you plan to build a new or upgrade your existing home, this book is essential. Going green saves alot of money for you, and saves the earth too! I call that a win-win situation. Let’s make it a win win win one with me winning the book ;-)!!

  24. kiyana says

    April 27, 2008 at 9:16 pm

    This would be a really good useful book to read!

  25. txfilly says

    April 27, 2008 at 8:27 pm

    this is such an important topic and something I would like more education on how I can do things at home to make a difference

  26. Jim Cincinello says

    April 27, 2008 at 8:06 pm

    Thanks for this contest!

  27. C Duran says

    April 27, 2008 at 7:39 pm

    Looks great! Thanks for the giveaway!

  28. Jennifer Jozwiak says

    April 27, 2008 at 3:18 pm

    this is a book i could really use.

  29. Mya Brooks says

    April 27, 2008 at 12:23 pm

    I’m totally into “greenness”, and always on the lookout for more ideas.

  30. Michael Rumrill says

    April 27, 2008 at 8:44 am

    I need another source for green friendly ideas

  31. L Rumrill says

    April 27, 2008 at 8:41 am

    Love the idea

  32. Ron Miller says

    April 27, 2008 at 8:33 am

    need all the help I can get to kickstart me green

  33. Alana says

    April 27, 2008 at 8:23 am

    This would be a great read. Thanks.

  34. Terri D says

    April 27, 2008 at 8:06 am

    Count me in!

  35. Gladys Williams says

    April 27, 2008 at 7:24 am

    I’ve jumped on the green bandwagon as well and enjoy discovering new ways to optimize my lifestyle while remaining earth friendly too. This is a great giveaway!

  36. Lara Aleff says

    April 26, 2008 at 9:35 pm

    I’ve been wanting to go Green to help save the environment and save money!

  37. Ginny says

    April 26, 2008 at 4:55 pm

    Great contest, must have great ideas in it!

  38. Elizabeth M. says

    April 26, 2008 at 4:01 pm

    The ideas would be really helpful and I love that it’s packaged in such a beautifully designed book.

  39. Aisling says

    April 26, 2008 at 2:46 pm

    I’d love to read this book as we’re debating whether to renovate or build within the next two years to create a green home.

  40. Zarah says

    April 26, 2008 at 6:57 am

    Yes please. These are changes I am trying to make in my life & I could use all the help I could get.

  41. Vicky Carlson says

    April 26, 2008 at 4:53 am

    I’ve always been on board for Green Living. It’s so nice that it is becoming the thing to do and so essential. Thanks for the contest!

  42. Beth says

    April 25, 2008 at 5:41 pm

    With family being my #1 passion–#2 is doing all that I can to leave the earth a better place for my children and their children and so on. With a limited budget my husband and I do all we can that does not cost a lot of money.
    -recycle, eco-friendly light bulbs, compost…

    I would love to see the suggestions this book has to offer!

    Thank you for the chance to win!! :)

  43. Sylvia Porter says

    April 25, 2008 at 4:33 pm

    i’ve been trying to make my home more green for a while, this would be a big help!

  44. Kim says

    April 25, 2008 at 3:32 pm

    Great post. Hopefully I win the contest. haha. It’s a great book, my sister just bought it the other day. Teaches you a lot. Haha. As far as the magazine clippings go, I do the same, although my folder is blue. Have you considered bioheat. I just switched over to it. All existing oil heat users can switch without having to buy new equipment. All it is, it’s a biodegradable blend of oil. Mixed with biodiesel, made up from soybean oil, corn, etc. Pretty good. Burns cleaner, I won’t contribute to greenhouse gases with it, and it costs about the same as I used to pay for regular heating oil.

    Here’s a the link I found while working with NORA and researching heating alternatives.

    http://oilheatamerica.com/index.mv?screen=bioheat

  45. Beverly R says

    April 25, 2008 at 11:26 am

    I want to do my part
    but where o where do I start
    going green like Kermit the frog
    and learning not to be such an energy hog
    these things I could learn from this book
    so winning it would be off the hook

  46. Anthony Hedden says

    April 25, 2008 at 8:22 am

    enter me

  47. BobV says

    April 25, 2008 at 1:13 am

    A great Book, enter me please.

  48. Lori Harrison says

    April 24, 2008 at 10:02 pm

    I’ve been working on making my house more green since I bought it 4 years ago… it’s nice that this idea is finally becoming trendy.

  49. Audrey says

    April 24, 2008 at 7:33 pm

    We already do the basics like recycling, not turning the heat up high, and not leaving water running. It would be great to get more ideas on how to conserve / be green.

  50. Katherine Newton says

    April 24, 2008 at 7:17 pm

    I would love this so much!

  51. Kathy D says

    April 24, 2008 at 7:06 pm

    Would love to win…. always love new building ideas

  52. Erica G says

    April 24, 2008 at 2:36 pm

    My dad has been talking about building a green home for a couple of years. I would love to have this for him. Thanks!

  53. Kimberly Morghan says

    April 24, 2008 at 2:18 pm

    I’m a new homeowner and am always trying to get more green – this would be a great read!

  54. valerie mabrey says

    April 24, 2008 at 12:05 pm

    thanks for the contest

  55. nell@casualfridayeveryday says

    April 24, 2008 at 11:40 am

    I’m always up for learning more about living green

  56. Linda Russell says

    April 24, 2008 at 1:03 am

    I would love to win this to share with all of my family, friends and co-workers.

  57. Karen Martin says

    April 23, 2008 at 8:32 pm

    We all have opportunities to better the earth with choices we make. This book looks like it has a lot of ideas.

  58. Krystal Deblasio says

    April 23, 2008 at 11:40 am

    i would like to read this.

  59. Tarah says

    April 23, 2008 at 11:37 am

    I would really love to read this – I’m trying to become more “green”

  60. Mary Marlatt says

    April 23, 2008 at 11:12 am

    I too, have a dream home folder. This book would make a great addition to my “dream file.”
    Thanks!

  61. Sydney Mathis says

    April 23, 2008 at 8:47 am

    There is so much to continue learning about when learning to live as green as possible. Thanks for the opportunity to win what looks like an incredible book!

  62. William McKinnon says

    April 23, 2008 at 8:33 am

    spea

  63. Kari Follett says

    April 23, 2008 at 3:28 am

    Thank you for the great giveaway, I’d love to win this.

  64. Jessica says

    April 22, 2008 at 11:16 pm

    What a great book, I’d love to give some new ideas a try

  65. Amanda Perron says

    April 22, 2008 at 10:00 pm

    I would love to read this!!! Please enter my name, THANKS!!!

  66. Ashley Henley says

    April 22, 2008 at 9:26 pm

    im a firm believer in living green, would like this

  67. Sheri F says

    April 22, 2008 at 6:40 pm

    I’m planning on building in a few years and would like to make it as green as possible. This book looks great!

  68. Linda Lansford says

    April 22, 2008 at 5:31 pm

    I need to learn green

  69. Jill Miller says

    April 22, 2008 at 5:16 pm

    this would be great to win!

  70. Sarah T. says

    April 22, 2008 at 3:40 pm

    We’re looking to buy/build a home in the near future & would love to glean ideas from this book!

  71. R Hicks says

    April 22, 2008 at 3:39 pm

    THIS WOULD HELP ME MAKE SOME GREENER DECISIONS!

  72. Jojo says

    April 22, 2008 at 2:39 pm

    Great giveaway in honor of Earth Day! As a biologist, I think it is very important that books like this are published to steer people towards taking steps to go GREEN. We can’t really afford to have our home built or anything, but we would love to make the space we have more eco-friendly. As a bookworm, this would be a great addition to my book collection. Thank you.

  73. Pauline M says

    April 22, 2008 at 2:31 pm

    I am awful in the sense that I always love to change the home front – this would definately give me some new and inspiring ideas.

  74. Mike Weisberg says

    April 22, 2008 at 2:24 pm

    i want to win

  75. Jane K says

    April 22, 2008 at 1:54 pm

    I would like to learn more about green.

  76. Cindi says

    April 22, 2008 at 1:28 pm

    Happy Earth Day! I enjoy books with decorating and home styles! This book you are reading sounds very good. Someday, when both of our sons are fully grown, we plan on building a home. Please enter me in your drawing. Thanks,Cindi

  77. Sara says

    April 22, 2008 at 12:35 pm

    As wife to and architect and a one time aspiring architect myself (ok so I was twelve but I was/am really into architecture) this book is totally up our alley. We too are dreaming about the home we would like to build one day. Who knows if that day will ever come but in the mean time it’s fun to dream.

  78. Dawn Bates says

    April 22, 2008 at 12:23 pm

    Everyday is Earth Day!!!!!

    Thanks for the giveaway!

  79. Suzanne says

    April 22, 2008 at 12:00 pm

    let’s keep our kids healthy!

  80. william causey says

    April 22, 2008 at 11:32 am

    happy earth day

  81. Linda Ellis says

    April 22, 2008 at 11:17 am

    I bet this book has great tips in it.

  82. Desmond says

    April 22, 2008 at 10:36 am

    Count me in!

  83. Susan Smith says

    April 22, 2008 at 10:18 am

    nice book

  84. Dan Smith says

    April 22, 2008 at 10:17 am

    please enter me

  85. Angela J says

    April 22, 2008 at 9:56 am

    This would be great to read.

  86. Rachel Fox says

    April 22, 2008 at 9:42 am

    This is a great offer! Thanks! Count me in!

  87. Chrystal says

    April 22, 2008 at 9:10 am

    Great contest!!

  88. sarah says

    April 22, 2008 at 8:41 am

    enter me!

  89. Annette says

    April 22, 2008 at 6:55 am

    Enter me, please.

  90. Cynthia C says

    April 22, 2008 at 6:51 am

    Thanks for the chance to win.

  91. Denise says

    April 22, 2008 at 6:46 am

    I would really love this!

  92. stampedwithgrace says

    April 22, 2008 at 5:58 am

    you can’t turn on the TV or computer without hearing the word GREEN! I have been thinking about it so much lately and have been trying to be much better at it! I would love to win this book and find out more ways to get my family to think GREEN :)

  93. rebecca says

    April 22, 2008 at 5:41 am

    would love to have this one

  94. Karen Gonyea says

    April 22, 2008 at 5:34 am

    Would love this book !!

  95. James Jenkins says

    April 22, 2008 at 5:09 am

    Wow!!

  96. Lis Garrett says

    April 22, 2008 at 4:41 am

    This is exactly the type of thing my husband and I would love to do in the next ten years. It’s always been our dream to build our own home, and of course we would want to do it as sustainably as possible. My husband has a bookshelf full of house-planning books and magazines, but nothing like that. How wonderful!

  97. Sharon Jones says

    April 22, 2008 at 3:13 am

    What a wonderful book…would love to win. THANKS :)

  98. Belinda Shaw says

    April 22, 2008 at 12:49 am

    I really need to start going green at home. I’m sure this book would help me.

  99. Stephen Saunders says

    April 21, 2008 at 9:51 pm

    I want it. Hope I win.

  100. Corey says

    April 21, 2008 at 8:05 pm

    Let’s make our planet greener! yeah!

  101. Darlene M says

    April 21, 2008 at 7:43 pm

    this book is just what we need, pick me!!

  102. Natalie says

    April 21, 2008 at 7:32 pm

    this book sounds great!! thanks!

  103. Becca says

    April 21, 2008 at 7:11 pm

    Sounds like an interesting book. My husband and I talk about our green dream home too. I haven’t started a folder of ideas yet, I should start one. We still have a looooong time to dream.

  104. K. Cleaver says

    April 21, 2008 at 6:41 pm

    We have some land that we will be building a house on in a few years. I hope that we can make it Green. We have a lot of research to do before that time comes.

  105. Miranda Allen says

    April 21, 2008 at 6:25 pm

    Please enter me thanks

  106. Lesha says

    April 21, 2008 at 6:05 pm

    I’d love to read this. :)

  107. naomi says

    April 21, 2008 at 5:58 pm

    My husband has actually been talking about wanting to update our house to be more eco-friendly, so this would be a nice resource to have.

  108. Shannon Baas says

    April 21, 2008 at 5:45 pm

    Would love this book.

  109. susan varney says

    April 21, 2008 at 5:05 pm

    would love to read this book

  110. christopher h says

    April 21, 2008 at 4:56 pm

    sounds like a good book

  111. Linda Moeller says

    April 21, 2008 at 4:38 pm

    Pick me. I’d love this.

  112. Poopsy says

    April 21, 2008 at 3:59 pm

    Oh I love this giveaway. I get all in a tizzy about green homes. I actually have to steer my husband away from the brink (he brings up underground houses and pre-fab clip together house-in-box).

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