…is just that. It’s a custom made home located in NE Portland, OR, built by DaVero Genuine Homes–a subdivision of Bridge City Inc.–from the ground up, using as many re-purposed materials as possible like salvaged wood flooring from a local dairy farm and a roof made out of recycled concrete.

Recently open to the public during the 2008 Build It Green! Tour of Homes owner Adam Rust jokes that when asked his favorite question (by those touring the home), “When you remodeled the house, did you have to knock out that wall?”, his answer always made him smile; confirmation of a successful project whose goal it was to build sustainably and imitate other historic homes in the area.

From one who believes strongly in sustainability, that must feel awesome.

Adam, who lives in the 2,000 square foot 4 bedroom 2.5 baths home with his wife, Jodie, two young daughters, Mercy (on right) and Reya and another couple, is living his dream.

Born and raised in Southern Oregon’s Klamath Falls, Adam grew up out in the woods. He jokingly says he was “raised by a pack of wolves.” His father, the sole proprietor of an excavation company taught Adam a skill set, formative in his personal and professional evolution.

When Adam moved to Portland, he immediately became excited about community and sustainability and viewed those things as important to our culture and race.  He saw how real estate could be used in promoting community, livability and became a real estate agent who conducts all his business by bike. He is often referred to by locals as the ‘Bike Realtor.’ His dedication to eco-living includes his entire family who all commute by bike.

When Adam connected to the small development company, DaVero Genuine Homes, he saw a unique opportunity to pursue sustainable building, while also working on the marketing end of the business. As he says, “The three of us have shared interests and take on different aspects of the company. Those ideas get implemented into building projects and my house is the latest project.”

I’m inspired and will keep my eye on DaVero Genuine Homes when I’m ready to build my green home.

Thank-you Adam for sharing.

For more info on the green architecutral details and fabulous photos of The Recycled Residence, click here.

Check this out; Slovenia appliance manufacturer Gorenje just introduced a refrigerator/freezer with a built-in speaker and an iPod docking station. Its sleek design was unveiled this weekend at Berlin’s IFA 2008 consumer electronics fair. You can listen to music and watch cooking videos all in the comfort of your own sacred kitchen space. I don’t know about you, but I keep my iPod and Bose portable docking station in my kitchen already but would love to combine fridge and iPod. One thing I love about European design is the built-in environmentally friendly aspect. It’s not really talked about (or marketed) in the same way that US manufacturers do. After doing some research, I found out that by law, European appliance manufacturers are required to use up to 50% of recycled steel in the making of a product. That makes perfect sense to me.

I have no idea on the price. It’s probably a bit spendy, however, worth it, I bet. Currently Gorenje has no distribution in the U.S. I have a feeling, though, that the U.S. will soon be on their map. We’re big on our iPods here. For moe info on Gorenje visit their website at www.gorenje.com.

I can always count on Apartment Therapy to spread some design inspiration especially when it comes in a 1000 square foot package. I’m way into smaller spaces and making them functional and beautiful while they minimize our footprint on the planet. This loft space in Austin, TX was designed by Alison Fox who apparently fell in love with this 1946 house at first sight. Girl, you got talent.

That kitchen is so cute. I love the rounded corners of that breakfast table, the warmth of the hardwood floors and spicy red cabinets.

Open cabinet space is one of my favorite designs. I’m very visual and love having everything out in front of me for easy access.

Question: What do you think about painting the ceiling in a room the same color as the walls?

L.D. –Los Angeles, CA

CJ: Thank-you for your question. Here are my thoughts. If you are dealing with a room with angled ceilings (like the one shown to the right) I always suggest painting the entire room the same color. Angles can disrupt energy flow and cause an imbalance in the space. Painting the ceilings and the walls the same color (in this case) assist in creating balance and harmony, making it feel whole. In other words, you don’t want to draw attention to this type of ceiling.  If the room is small and square with lower ceilings and you opt for a darker color on the walls, then I suggest painting the ceiling a lighter color which will lift the energy above you and suggest a higher ceiling. If the room is bigger and has a higher ceiling you might try painting the ceiling a darker color to (energetically) bring down. We humans like to get cozy and big rooms with high ceilings tend to feel more like museums and are a big offputting for cozy living. One last thing. Don’t be afraid to paint your ceilings the same color as your walls. Experiment and see how it feels. Remember you can always contact a professional color consultant in your area who can assist you. Let me know how it goes. –Cheryl

I’m not normally into ranch style homes, especially from the 1970’s, yet these days their horizontal layouts are slowing creeping into my heart. It could be that I just turned 40 and am thinking about my future personal projects yet what I really feel is that it has something to do with my current desire to grow horizontally and not so much vertically; I’ve got enough of that going on. It’s that expansive energy to the front and all around me that I’m attracted to like when one sees a mountain and takes a deep breath.

More to the point, I recently was browsing Cottage Living and came across this adorable ranch remodel and redesign that captures the essence of what I love in the layout of a ranch combined with a cottage feel. Designed by the residents, Atlanta decorator Tyler Colgan and her architect husband, David who according to Cottage Living, “married a brick rancher to the look of a classic white cottage.” Yes, indeed. The kitchen (shown above) is light and airy with (my favorite) open shelving.

I love what they did with the study creating equal sides for an equal relationship. That’s perfect feng shui. I’m also currently interested in creating smaller, functional and beautiful work environments.  Here’s what Cottage Living had to say: “Instead of tucking an office into an obscure corner, the couple opted for “his and her”nooks in the living room. Shutter doors (found in a salvage shop) slide open on a track and close off the adjoining powder room.” Yum…I love those salvaged doors. There are so many options that we all have these days to be environmentally responsible and stay cute at the same time. How do you feel about working in a smaller space at home? I’m always curious.