Countertops are becoming increasingly  more important in today’s kitchens and with a multitude of styles and colors it is becoming more difficult to find your home’s perfect match. Whether you are looking for a sleek, clean look or something with a little more texture, your countertops can set the tone for the rest of the kitchen. Natural stone such as granite, marble, soapstone and slate still reign supreme in most kitchens. They tend to be more durable and resistant to scratches, not to mention their beauty can help enhance the aesthetic of the kitchen.

Trilogy Partners

Trilogy Partners

Some kitchens will mix different surface areas. The countertops are natural stone and the island might be a butcher block. Whichever type of material you decide to use make sure you do your research to determine which will work best in your kitchen.

The importance of energy modeling in zero net energy home design cannot be overstated. Energy modeling is an early design phase analysis used to determine the projected energy needs of the structure to be designed.

Michael Rath, a Breckenridge, Colorado zero net energy home builder and managing partner at Trilogy Partners, says, “One of the most important aspects of creating the ZNE structure is energy modeling. This takes place early in the design phase. It’s important to estimate accurately the energy requirements of the finished structure. An energy census is completed and sophisticated computer modeling is employed. Once the energy needs of the structure are estimated, systems can then be employed to provide enough energy to the structure so that it consumes no more than it produces and can indeed be called a ZNE building.”

Energy modeling analysis utilizes a proposed building program to define and quantify the energy demand, and to establish design criteria that are technically feasible and economically realistic. It takes into account all of the environmental data, and physical and programmatic information about the proposed net zero energy building.

Trilogy Partners was the first to build a zero net energy home in Breckenridge, Colorado in 2010. Contact us for information on building a home in the Breckenridge, Colorado area that emphasizes sustainability and zero net energy by visiting the Trilogy Partners website or calling 970-453-2230. Trilogy Partners of Breckenridge, CO “Design smart. Build beautiful.”

As the “baby boomer” generation ages one of the growing concerns for homeowners is universal design, or aging in place. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, over 25% of America’s population were born between 1946-1964. “Aging in place is a major issue,” said Stephen Melman, Director of Economic Services at the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) in D.C.. “Ninety percent of households say they want to age in place, but only 20 percent have done anything about it.”

One of the trends we are seeing in regards to universal design is ground level entrances and masters on the main level. We are also designing homes with wider interior doors, hallways and turn around space. Lever handles are replacing knobs, for they are easier to open and more task lighting, which makes it easier to see.

Bathrooms are becoming equipped with grab bars as well as stepless shower bases. For those who enjoy outdoor living we are finding more requests for zero-entry swimming pool.

If you are interested in learning more about universal design or aging in place please give us a call at 970-453-2230.

When you are renovating your home or building a new home, your children’s bedroom should always be a place where great design that grows should always be considered. Depending on the age of your kids, they will have quite a bit of time in that room maturing over the years. That is why the design of their room should be flexible and easy to transform over time.

The personality of the design should also fit your child’s personality. No matter what the overall style of your home is – contemporary, traditional or transitional, your child’s bedroom should and can be designed in order to fit both the style of the home and the imagination of your child.

Sangiorgio Mobili via interiorarcade.com

Photo Credit: Emily Minton Redfield via Mountain Living

Photo Credit: Anice Hoachlander/HDPhoto via House Beautiful

Your children should have imaginative spaces that foster inspiration, play and gaining knowledge. What creative kid friendly design elements are you thinking about for your home renovation?

We are one step closer to commercial space travel as the Virgin Galactic Gateway to Space’s main hangar and visitor’s experience center finished construction in Spaceport America, New Mexico. On hand for the celebration was the mastermind behind Virgin Galactic, Sir Richard Branson, New Mexico’s Governor Susana Martinez, astronaut Buzz Aldrin and 800 guests, including 150 international Virgin Galactic customers who have already reserved their spot in the first space flights. The highlight of the dedication was the flight of WhiteKnightTwo and SpaceShipTwo, two spacecrafts in the Virgin Galactic fleet.

Courtesy of Virgin Galactic

Courtesy of Virgin Galactic

“Today is another history-making day for Virgin Galactic,” said Sir Richard Branson. “We are here with a group of incredible people who are helping us lead the way in creating one of the most important new industrial sectors of the 21st century. We’ve never wavered in our commitment to the monumental task of pioneering safe, affordable and clean access to space, or to demonstrate that we mean business at each step along the way.”

The Sir Norman Foster designed building meets LEED Gold standards.The British-based Foster + Partners firm used local materials and installed geothermal heating and cooling systems. To read more about their sustainable design visit inhabitat.com.

It is ironic that I first learned of the passing of Steve Jobs on my iPhone, one of the many products that he created as the CEO of Apple, Inc. I was saddened to hear about the loss and was a bit nostalgic as I reminisced about how I, like many, have grown up with Jobs’ innovative Apple products.

At the age of 21, Steve Jobs, started Apple, with fellow visionaries Steve Wozniak and Ronald Wayne. He has accomplished more in his 56 years than most men can accomplish in a 100.

We found this great quote on ArchDaily and wanted to share it with you.

“In most people’s vocabularies, design means veneer. It’s interior decorating. It’s the fabric of the curtains of the sofa. But to me, nothing could be further from the meaning of design. Design is the fundamental soul of a human-made creation that ends up expressing itself in successive outer layers of the product or service. When you’re a carpenter making a beautiful chest of drawers, you’re not going to use a piece of plywood on the back, even though it faces the wall and nobody will ever see it. You’ll know it’s there, so you’re going to use a beautiful piece of wood on the back. For you to sleep well at night, the aesthetic, the quality, has to be carried all the way through.” — Steve Jobs

Rendering of the Apple Store in 5th Avenue © Apple. Via ArchDaily

Thank you Steve Jobs for making our lives a better place and you’ll surely be missed by all.

The 17th Annual Summit County Parade of Homes starts tomorrow, September 17th and will continue on through Sunday, September 25th (weekends only). The Parade of Homes is Summit County’s premiere event and we are excited to be a part of it. Proceeds for the event will go to The Summit Foundation. The Summit Foundation “builds a culture of caring and giving by providing leadership and facilitation to create a community of donors who through their wealth, wisdom and work will establish a lasting legacy of generosity to support community organizations that foster Art & Culture, Health & Human Service, Education, Environmental Stewardship and Sports & Recreation.”

The Parade features residences, all located throughout Summit County, whose sale prices range from $670,000 to $4 million.  Highlighting both single and multi-family luxury homes, the tour typically brings in 4,000 people a year.

Trilogy Partners will be showcasing our remodel on Fairview Boulevard.

Below are some of the renovations we performed on the home:

Exterior updated to bring 1980s architecture into present day
Spectacular views of the Ten Mile range
Passive solar maximized
Upgraded interior finishes
Master bedroom redesigned
Extensive deck remodel

We are excited to be a part of this year’s 17th Annual Summit County Parade of Homes. The Parade of Homes will be taking place on September 17th, 18th, 24th and 25th from 10am to 5pm. This premiere Summit County event will feature 19 homes and multi-family structures ranging from $1 million to over $3 million. The year’s theme is remodeling, which we at Trilogy Partners has a lot of experience in. Our 382 Fairview Boulevard project is number 14 in the official Parade of Homes guide.

Proceeds for the event benefit The Summit Foundation and are $10 each and good for entry to all the homes. The Parade of Homes official program is available at most Summit County real estate offices, visitor information centers & City Markets. For more information please visit www.summitcountybuilders.org.

Trilogy Partners. First-ever Net-Zero Energy Home in Breckenridge, Colorado

At Trilogy Partners we understand the importance of building homes with minimal impact to our environment. We are dedicated to designing energy efficient and sustainable custom homes for Colorado and that is one of the reasons why it was so important for us to build the first ever  zero net energy home in Breckenridge.

We believe that we can achieve superior results for our clients while still building eco-conscious homes. The Professional Builder has some great steps that we wanted to share about achieving zero net energy.

1. Design with production in mind
2. Think outside the box when it comes to materials
3. Staggered stud design pays off
4. Make sure your materials are readily available
5. Little improvements add up
6. Constant communication and collaboration are required
7. Evaluate partners before you begin
8. Management buy-in is crucial
9. Don’t beat up your trade partners
10. In-field supervision is critical, especially with first-timers

For information about zero-energy homes in Breckenridge, Colorado please give us a call at 970-453-2230 or visit us online at trilogybuilds.com.