National sponsors: Cool and Contemporary house
ANOLON TITANIUM
The kitchen in the Cool and Contemporary House combines craftsmanship and practicality. This effective union is also found in the kitchen’s Anolon Titanium cookware, from saucepan to stockpot. Nonstick surfaces and titanium-composite exteriors make this hard-anodized aluminum cookware especially functional.
Contact: www.anolon.com, (800) 388-3872
CERTAINTEED
The roof of the Cool and Contemporary House needed to complement the house’s Craftsman style while being as durable, fire-resistant, and maintenance-free as possible. CertainTeed’s Presidential Shake TL provided the solution. Its three-piece laminated fiberglass construction offers durability and a UL Class A fire rating with a wood-shake appearance.
Contact: www.certainteed.com, (800) 782-8777
GE CONSUMER PRODUCTS
High style meets technological innovation in the Cool and Contemporary kitchen and laundry, thanks to GE Monogram, which provided the state-of-the-art appliances, including this streamlined hood and cooktop. The laundry features the GE Profile Harmony Clothes Care System; its washer communicates load information to the dryer, then the dryer determines which settings will deliver the best result.
Contact: www.geappliances.com, (800) 626-2000
GMC ENVOY XL
One automobile looks particularly at home on the hilly streets leading to the Cool and Contemporary House: the GMC Envoy XL, a powerful midsize SUV. It’s perfect for carpooling, trips to Santa Cruz beaches, or four-wheel-drive forays into the Sierra for skiing. It features a leather interior; a stereo with a CD player; power windows, doors, and locks; an OnStar communication system; and a 292-horsepower, 5.3-liter V8 engine.
Contact: www.gmc.com/gmcjsp/envoy, (800) 462-8782
KELLY-MOORE PAINTS
Designed to harmonize with the updated Craftsman style of the Cool and Contemporary House, the palette of paint colors includes muted grays and browns, like All Spice in the living room and Graystone offset with Oyster in the entry. Occasional splashes of vivid color define an area within a larger space; Redhead is used this way in the open family room. We used 21 colors in our house; most were inspired by nature.
Contact: www.kellymoore.com, (888) 677-2468
MARQUIS SPAS
There is no better way to rejuvenate after a hectic day and a crowded commute than in an outdoor spa. Marquis Spas makes it possible at the Cool and Contemporary House with a unit called the Wish, which occupies a trellis-topped platform in the backyard. The 32 1/2-inch-deep spa is 77 inches square and includes six seating positions and 13 jets for maximum whirlpool therapy. The shell is made of a high-impact, textured acrylic designed to stand up to spa chemicals and the weather.
Contact: www.marquisspas.com, (800) 275-0888
MARVIN WINDOWS AND DOORS
Casemaster wood-clad, insulated windows from Marvin Windows and Doors set the elegant tone for the Cool and Contemporary House. They bring together classic proportions and sophisticated engineering, including a sequential locking system and a roto-gear mechanism for cranking open the window and holding it in many open positions. Muntin bars permanently adhered to the interior and exterior of each pane of glass add to the graceful effect.
Contact: www.marvin.com, (800) 817-5518
PHANTOM SCREENS
The added value of the screens used in the Cool and Contemporary House is their ability to disappear when they’re not needed. For example, in the dining room, Phantom Screens on the French doors make open-air meals insect-free. Then, when the doors are closed, the screens retract, allowing unobstructed views of the garden. Phantom offers a wide variety of screening and shading options.
Contact: www.phantomscreens.com, (888) 742-6866
JAMES HARDIE SIDING PRODUCTS
The handsome exterior of our Cool and Contemporary House is Hardiplank Lap Siding, which offers the look of wood without wood’s maintenance issues. Made of fiber cement, the material resists damage from fire, insects, moisture, and hail; and it’s guaranteed not to rot, crack, or delaminate for up to 50 years. It holds paint up to four times longer than wood. Hardishingle Siding clads our other house.
Contact: www.jameshardie.com, (866) 442-7343
KARASTAN
One good rug deserves another, as the Cool and Contemporary family room demonstrates. There, four Karastan area rugs from the Metropolitan Collection ― in Latte, Ivory, Plum, and Sage ― combine to form a large abstract design that anchors the space. Rugs in the study/home office and study (below) are from Karastan’s Samovar and Exotics Collections. Carpeting includes the basketlike patterning of Sisal Boucle in the master bedroom.
Contact: www.karastan.com, (800) 234-1120
ALPHA GRANITE & MARBLE
Named after an ancient fish of the same color, deep blue-green Coelacanth granite quarried in Madagascar is used in the powder room of the Cool and Contemporary House. And in the Warm and Colorful House’s master bath, the Giallo San Vicente Antique marble from Egypt casts a tawny glow. These are two of the many exotic stones supplied for the Idea Houses by Alpha Granite & Marble, which carries a selection of more than 500 materials from around the globe, including marble, granite, limestone, and slate.
Contact: www.alphagranite.com, (800) 818-7878
LENNOX INDUSTRIES
Heating, cooling, and indoor air quality at both Idea Houses are controlled by Dave Lennox Signature home-comfort and air-quality systems. These integrated systems are designed to be quiet and efficient while improving air quality. Innovative variable-speed motors provide steady temperatures and maintain proper humidity levels, even during extreme weather. The air-conditioner uses a refrigerant that doesn’t deplete ozone.
Contact: www.lennox.com, (800) 953-6669
THE SENTRICON SYSTEM
The Cool and Contemporary House is protected by the Sentricon Termite Colony Elimination System, which uses state-of-the-art termite-detection technology. Electronic monitors are installed in the ground around the structure. Once a monitor detects termites, it’s replaced with a bait containing a substance that stops the molting process, preventing termites from growing. In time, the colony will be affected by the bait and die.
Contact: www.sentricon.com, (800) 352-6776
TREX DECKING & RAILING
The spa platform at the Cool and Contemporary House is built of Trex Wood-Polymer lumber, which is made from reclaimed plastic ― such as grocery bags and stretch film ― and wood waste in approximately equal proportions. The wood content offers low thermal expansion and contraction, natural UV stability, and good traction and paintability. The plastic content gives it flexibility and resistance to weather. Trex products will not rot or crack and contain no toxic chemicals or preservatives.
Contact: www.trex.com, (800) 289-8739
ORCHARD SUPPLY HARDWARE
Thanks to OSH, the garage in the Cool and Contemporary House is a hobbyist’s dream come true. A modular, adjustable system of work surfaces and storage cabinets called Tool Dock puts benchtop power tools and accessories readily accessible and in their place. For the Warm and Colorful House, OSH provided a variety of plants well suited to the growing region (Sunset climate zone 16), such as hibiscus, phormium, and salvia, as well as deer-resistant plants like berberis, buddleja, lavatera, and others selected by landscaper Irving Tamura.
Contact: www.osh.com, (888) 746-7674
SUPERSOIL
The gardens at both Idea Houses flourish, thanks to Supersoil’s many planting products, including Premium Planting Mix and Soil Conditioner, a blend of organic ingredients and essential nutrients. The conditioner is mixed with the garden soil to a depth of 6 inches. Containers are planted with Supersoil Potting Soil, which is pH balanced and guaranteed to be free of weeds and pests.
Contact: www.supersoil.com, (800) 531-4411