Eco dream kitchen: acting as contractor put this owner on top

Sunset, Jan, 2005 by Peter O. Whiteley

"I wanted my kitchen to be as green and affordable as possible," says Mary Richerson, a marketing-event producer. She remodeled her 1920s Berkeley bungalow and achieved her goal by researching materials herself and acting as her own contractor. One feature best captures the inventive but cost-conscious spirit of the building process: the 2-inch-thick cast-concrete counters. Architect, friend, and co-builder David Milner says, "We built our own molds out of melamine-faced particleboard in the backyard, used sacks of fence-post concrete, and reinforced the counters with a grid of threaded rod."

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By asking friends for recommendations, Richerson was able to find subcontractors with multiple skills, such as an electrician who was also a plumber. She did all of the painting herself. The effort was worth it: "I had a construction bid of $65,000 from one contractor to do just the kitchen, and I was able to do the entire project--which included refinishing all the floors, rewiring, and painting--for about $40,000," Richerson beams.

DESIGN: Adam Barton and David Milner, Form Design Workshop, Berkeley (www.formdesignworkshop.com or 510/524-5090)

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RELATED ARTICLE: What makes it green?

* Recycled wood. The new floors in the kitchen and dining room are made of 10-inch-wide by 19-foot-long planks cut from beams that were recycled from the Lockheed Martin factory in Los Angeles (Black's Farmwood; www.blacksfarmwood.com or 415/454-8312).

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* Cotton-fiber insulation. Batts of recycled denim--instead of fiberglass--serve as insulation (UltraTouch from Bonded Logic; www.bondedlogic.com or 480/812-9114).

* Improved interior air quality. Paint with low VOC (volatile organic compound) content was used on walls and cabinetry (Eco Spec from Benjamin Moore & Co.; www.benjaminmoore.com or 800/672-4686). The cabinet shells are made of wheat-board, which does not emit formaldehyde or other toxic fumes. A water-based finish covers the flooring.

* Aesthetics and efficiency. The kitchen ceiling was opened up to reveal the joists. To create a broader overhead volume without reframing the roof, every other joist was removed. Heat enters the kitchen through holes drilled into the island's end panels rather than through floor registers.

* Reused glass. Mary Richerson crafted hanging lights from glass shades found at a salvage yard.

* Energy-conscious appliances. An Energy Star-rated dishwasher and refrigerator replaced old equipment.

* Double-glazed exterior doors. Despite a larger opening to the deck, double glazing the doors keeps the room energy efficient.

PHOTOGRAPHS BY THOMAS J. STORY