The biggest source of pain during a kitchen renovation isn’t the amount of money it costs. It’s the amount of time the owners must live without a functioning kitchen.

6 to 12 WEEKS????

The average kitchen renovation project takes from 6 weeks to 3 months. That’s a long time to be without a kitchen. Bathroom updates are different, because there is usually more than one bathroom in a house. So while one gets refurbished, the other is still usable. But there’s only one kitchen, so the inconvenience factor of going without is much higher.

Think it wouldn’t be so bad? Try going an entire weekend – from Friday night until Monday morning – without setting foot in your kitchen. Then multiply that amount of time by about 20. That’s how long it would be.

Antidote: Ecomod’s Extreme Kitchen Makeover Package

For the sanity of all involved, and in our never ending pursuit of efficiency on all fronts, I’m proud to announce our new guaranteed complete kitchen remodel in 2 weeks. Yep – all physical construction done in 2 weeks, which includes:

• demolition, hauling old cabinets, finishes & appliances offsite, donating where possible
• patch & repair of surfaces in prep for new finishes
• plumbing, electrical & mechanical as necessary
• installation of flooring
• assembly & installation of cabinets & lighting
• finish application

Fine Print?

There is one caveat where we will not guarantee the 2 week completion, & that is if we discover extensive damage from water or insects during the construction process. Reparation of such damage can take weeks.

Cost: our 2 week guaranteed completion time is an additional $1500. If we don’t finish in 2 weeks, we guarantee 100% to be finished in one month, AND we’ll refund your $1500 fee.  That would cover all those meals you’ll be eating out while you’re waiting for your new kitchen.

We think you will agree it’s a small price to pay for peace of mind, and ultimately of home.

New! Solar powered post lamp from IKEA

Wait no more for solar from IKEA!

Note to self: Must test these out ASAP. This outdoor post style lamp has the usual modern style expected from IKEA & some awesome features:

• shines for 11 hours when fully charged
• uses LED lamp
• no electrical connection needed – transforms solar power directly to electrical
• has auto mode to turn on & off automatically at dusk & dawn

Eco-modernism has accepted an appointment to the board of advisors for Triangle Modernist Houses, a  pending 501c3 non-profit focused locally and nationally on the preservation of modernist houses.  TMH aims to protect  existing modernist houses as art & culture of 1950′s and 1960′s era design, and to promote the construction of new modernist houses in step with that of 2000′s.

Old and new

Our interpretation of new construction includes adaptation of existing spaces to contemporary livable homes as well as new ground up construction. It also embraces a responsible approach to the environment, with sensitivity to sustainable material use, minimalist style and an efficient spatial footprint.

Ecomod has been marrying modern and green since 2001 and is looking forward to partnering with TMH to keep our dwelling footprints light and simple.

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Green grow the options

In 2005, IKEA® and Zipcar® teamed up in Boston to make it greener to get to IKEA® in Stoughton for non car-owning folks in the Boston area. UNC Chapel Hill has had Zipcars® since 2004, and Zipcar® has now arrived on campus at Duke, with two Toyota Prius and two Toyota Matrix models available.

Where am I going with this?

Hypothetical case: say you’re in Durham and want to get some products from the IKEA® Charlotte store.To use the Zipcar® service, here’s what it would cost (Note: we’re using Atlanta rates b/c we don’t have access to Durham rates right now):

• $25 application fee (if 1st time user)
• $50 annual fee (if 1st time user)
• $70+/- if hourly rate, assuming 6 hour driving, 2 hours shopping or
• $66 if daily rate
• $54 +/- extra mileage fee (180 miles are free, out of 300 round trip, so fee is additional$0.45 x 120 miles)
• Total Zipcar® IKEA® run scenario: $124. That’s if you’re already a Zipcar member. Add another $75 to that if you’re a 1st time user.

It’s Do-able, but is it Optimal?

The above scenario assumes you can get everything you want into a Prius or Matrix. And if you’ve never been to an IKEA® store, you can very easily spend 4 hours or more there on a first trip. The store is 365,000 square feet! And all the creature comforts are there:

• a place for kids to play while you shop
• a restaurant
• bathrooms

Meanwhile, the Zipcar® clock is ticking, especially if you go hourly.

When is Ecomod a better option?

• if you already know what you want from IKEA® Charlotte &
• if you don’t have time or desire to go get it
• if you are over the initial magic that is IKEA® shopping
• if you’re ordering bulky products like furniture
• if you want things that are unavailable for online purchase
• if you want to minimize your shipping and handling costs.

IKEA® Charlotte opens next month. We’re ready. Are you?

Your time is valuable. So is the planet. We pick up multiple orders on a single run, which is certainly better than multiple cars making individual trips. We’re friendly, we offer a convenient service, and we’re insured. We can even assemble and install for you if you like.

What’s not to love?

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Work with what you have

Susan over at the IKEAFans blog posted about an article in the International Herald Tribune about how design thrives during tough economic times. As Susan so aptly puts it: “Necessity is the Mother of Invention, no?”.

There’s no doubt that constraint breeds creativity, whether it’s lack of space, material, money, or time. And it *is* possible to create good, durable design under those conditions, which are all present in a depression.

Modern is already green

What I love about modern, simple design, is that it lends itself so easily to being responsible to the planet. Heck, minimalism is one of the modern design camp’s most very favorite words! And so should responsible be.

Generally speaking, modern = clean lines = less materials for detailing. And less materials means less energy to fabricate. It also means less weight to ship, especially if it’s flat packed.

Lucky for us, IKEA® embodies all of those aspects of design at an affordable price. Unsurprising, since its roots are in frugality without sacrificing culture.

Soft spot for the pre-cursors

Susan also brings to light a book called Livable Modernism, by Kristina Wilson, about how interior designers responded during the depression. Early pioneers of American modernist designers combined the avant garde with middle class taste to create products for the middle class during the depression. (Also, I had no idea that the buffet party was a Depression-era invention!)

This book is totally on my wishlist, since it recognizes designers like Russel Wright and Donald Deskey – designers who preceeded the usual attention hogs like Frank Lloyd Wright and Corbusier, but are equally deserving of recognition.  Color me crazy, but I have a soft spot for folks who set the stage for the credit grabbers after them. (Like Eileen Gray, for example, before Corbu.)

What if?

Wonder how it would have fared had IKEA® (it was founded in 1943) been around during the depression?

Hey gang, we’ve just released our IKEA® run dates for 2009!

We opted out of a January run for a variety of reasons. Mainly because everyone will be recovering from holiday insanity and expenditure, and because Charlotte comes online in mid February, which is good news for all of us.  We get back quicker, and can more easily do an interim run in emergencies. Not to mention no more Richmond gauntlet. YAY.

Many thanks!

Thank you very, very much to everyone who made 2008 a success for both our runner service and for expanding our assembly, installation, and especially our design services. May you enjoy it for many years to come.

Here’s to 2009! Cheers!

From the Department of Useful Tools:

This morning I set up my account with HourVille, a tool that lets you buy or sell any service by the hour. Pretty slick – you can pay me directly to my PayPal account, and you can see my availability on my booking schedule.

Book Me!

I only have my design service detailed out so far, but you can hire me to:

• design your kitchen around you, not the Joneses (whether it’s IKEA® or not)
• help put together your IKEA® kitchen order
• assemble and install your IKEA® kitchen order
• review design ideas you may have on the back burner

Aside from alcohol and meditation, this portable induction hotplate from Avanti goes on the sanity saver list when the kitchen’s in the discombobulated stage between old and new.

SmartWay was launched by the EPA in 2004 to provide cleaner and more efficient transportation methods in the United States. Subsequently, SmartWay Transport was begun as a joint effort between the EPA and the freight industry — trucking companies, railroad carriers, maritime cargo — to achieve the same environmental and energy goals.

To become part of the program, the EPA ranks each freight carrier’s fuel efficiency methods and environmental performance. Penske’s 200,000-vehicle fleet received a 1.25 rating, the highest score possible. Penske’s cutting-edge fleet technology, as well as other fuel efficient strategies and ongoing education of customers and employees alike, helped it achieve the score.

Why it matters to Eco-Modernism

We’ve been leasing trucks and vans from Penske for our IKEA® runs to the DC IKEA® store. It would appear we selected a conscientious business truck leasing option. Nice little tidbit to add to the green factor of our making one trip for many instead of the other way around. [via the awesome MATTER blog]

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In a nutshell:

• keep counters uncluttered, even if it means storing bulky, occasionally used appliances in another closet elsewhere. If you only use the veggie steamer once a week, keep it in an out of the way closet or shelf to make room for things you use daily.
• use the walls for things like a magnetic knife holder and frequently used utensils
• use the insides of cabinet doors for storage where possible
• inventory what you use and keep it organized and easily visible when the access door/drawer is open. What you can’t see is useless and takes up valuable space

Space is green, too

Here’s where the space efficiency as part of the whole green design effort comes into focus. Green isn’t just about using managed forest materials, or buying locally. It’s also about using what you have wisely. That includes space.  Some kitchens are very small, but not necessarily torturous if all the nooks and crannies are taken full advantage of. Susan Serra over at her Kitchen Designer site has a post with several handy tips & tricks to keep a small kitchen from driving you crazy.

One doodad she points out is a product for organizing pots & pans called a Pantree. It fits in a minimally sized 15″ wide cabinet.

Here’s what it looks like unassembled and after assembly. In the before/after shot, it looks like you can’t get the pans out because of the leg in front. There are actually only 3 legs, so the opening is faced toward the cabinet opening.