Amid rising energy costs and the increasingly apparent destruction of climate change, now has never been a better time to invest in green energy-efficient home design.

Adopting energy-efficient home design features can save you serious money. This is especially true in Canada, where the government offers a number of tax breaks and incentives to make your home greener.

If you’re wanting to go green but don’t know where to start, read this round-up of the best energy-efficient home designs that you can start implementing today. 

1. Energy Efficient Lighting and Appliances

If you’re aiming for the most energy-efficient home design, efficient lighting and appliances are an absolute necessity.

This is something that can be achieved with ease. For starters, you should consider switching out your regular incandescent lightbulbs for LED lighting.LED lights consume significantly less energy and have been falling in price for years now.

They will save you energy and money throughout their lifespan. In addition, you could go one step further and opt for sensor lighting that only turns on when you are in the room, reducing the need for wastage.

You can also opt for energy-efficient appliances. There are dishwaters than only use a fraction of the water that most regular ones do. There are fridges with built-in cameras so that you don’t waste energy opening the fridge before looking at its contents.

Always consult the Energy Star rating of an appliance to see if it can save you money on energy costs. 

2. Sustainable and Eco-Friendly Building Materials

When consulting energy-efficient home design plans, you will likely notice the abundant use of sustainable, eco-friendly building materials throughout any expert custom home design.

Concrete is one of the most environmentally destructive materials on Earth, and should, therefore, be avoided. You can instead opt for sustainable materials such as bamboo, natural stone, cork, and recycled steel.

Many of these items are cheaper, with the added benefit of often being locally sourced. This will reduce your carbon footprint further, ensuring that your home is not the result of tons and tons of CO2 being pumped into the atmosphere.

3. Solar Panels 

Finally, no energy-efficient home design ideas are complete without the inclusion of solar panels. Solar panels are, by far and away, the most popular sustainable energy source for modern homes.

Thanks to the limitless energy resources of the sun, solar panels can ensure that your energy needs are always met. If your household has regular levels of energy consumption, you can even break away from the national grid entirely and established a self-sufficient energy ecosystem.

Solar panels have the added benefit of being particularly on-trend at the moment. This means that they will make a welcome aesthetic addition to your home.

With the development of solar roof shingles in recent years, solar energy can be incorporated into your home design more seamlessly than ever before. 

Learn How You Can Benefit from Energy-Efficient Home Designs 

Energy-efficient home designs can benefit both your bank account and the planet.

If you want to learn more about how sustainable home builds can benefit you and your family, do not hesitate to get in touch with our qualified team of expert home builders today. 

Have you ever felt cramped in your tiny kitchen or small living room? It’s a problem that many people face, and luckily, there’s an easy solution. If you want to avoid feelings of claustrophobia, consider an open floor plan layout. Keep reading to learn some of the benefits of a more open design.

1. Connect With People

One of the most significant benefits of an open floor layout plan is that it can help you connect with people. If you like to have gatherings at your house, odds are it involves food.

But if you have to spend your time in the kitchen, you may not get to socialize with your friends or family. However, your visitors may not want to spend their time in the kitchen, especially if it’s small.

An open floor plan kitchen layout allows you to still prep food while interacting with your loved ones. You won’t have to sacrifice time or food during a social gathering.

As long as you have plenty of space within the open floor plan layout, you can enjoy your time. Then, you can still have a great evening.

2. Make It Feel Bigger

If you look at a few open layout floor plan ideas, you will notice a lot of them feel bigger. By opening up the space, you can enjoy the feeling of more space without having to pay for more room.

It may seem like connecting multiple rooms would have the opposite effect. However, being able to view your living room from your kitchen can make you feel less closed in.

You can make the entire space feel like one, and you can find matching decor and furniture. Then, it can look and feel cohesive, and the right design can make it feel even bigger than simply knocking down interior walls.

It may not feel like a mansion, but you may find the difference to be more than enough. You can build a small home with a large feel, so it can work with any budget.

3. Improved Natural Light

Another amazing benefit of an open floor plan layout is that it helps utilize natural light, When you have light coming from multiple directions, it can help lighten up the space.

In the morning, light from the east can spread to the west side of your home. And in the evening, the opposite will be true.

You won’t have to worry about using as much artificial lighting when you have that many windows for the space. The natural light may be enough for the entire day, so you may only need lamps at night.

While you may still need some artificial lighting, it won’t be to the same extent as if you had separate rooms.

Should You Use an Open Floor Plan Layout?

Switching to an open floor plan layout may seem like a lot of work. But the benefits definitely outweigh the costs.

From better lighting to the ability to interact with your family, you can enjoy the look and feel of one space.

Do you want to design an open floor plan layout? Contact us to see how we can help.

How do you imagine your dream home? Some of us imagine lavish and modern designs that represent the height of cool. Others want a safe, cozy place where they can hang by the fire. The fact of the matter is that there are so many styles of home architecture styles to choose from. Plus, there is plenty of overlap between them.

Maybe you aren’t sure yet what would be best. So, we chose eight elegant and popular styles to inspire your new home design.

Eight Styles of Houses We Love

You can’t put too much thought into this. Your house provides you and your family with shelter and warmth.  It is the greatest expression of your style and tastes.

Here are eight popular architectural design styles for homes.

1. Greek Revival Home Architecture Styles

Greek revival architecture is featured in many prominent government buildings. One example is the Toronto Street Post Office building.

Building your home in this style sends a message of enduring power and timeless style.

Your home can mimic the gathering places of ancient philosophers and notorious deities, which is pretty cool.

2. Ranch

An American or California-style ranch is a long, low style house with a wide profile. It originated in the United States.

They became popular between the 40s and 70s. Today, they still offer that cool, California vibe.

Imagine Walter White’s house in Breaking Bad without the pizza on top.

3. Victorian

The Victorian Era isn’t usually regarded as a very pleasant time to be alive. However, the artisans of the time created a beautiful style of art.

The house built in this style almost looks like wooden castles. They beg for Rapunzel to let down her golden hair from one of its characteristic turrets.

4. American Craftsmen

American craftsmen style began in the late 19th century. Drawing from the Shingle style, the Prairie style, and others, these houses are a favorite of eclectics.

These are some of the different home architectural styles you will see on the west coast.

5. Italianate Architecture

Let’s go back to the old country for a minute. If you want a unique design to set you apart, Italianate could be right for you.

It draws from neoclassicism and other elements of the Italian renaissance. At first glance, they are similar to Spanish revival homes but the Roman influence is unmistakable.

6. Cape Cod

Cape Cod houses originated in New England during the 17th century. Imagine the long, cold winters the unexperienced colonists had to endure to survive.

There was an abundance of lumber they could use to build their houses. The classic Cape Cod houses are simple, single-story buildings with gabled roofs.

It is similar in style and substance to colonial revival architecture. New home architectural styles often combine these traditions and others.

7. Spanish Colonial Revival

Unlike conventional colonial architecture, Spanish revival is nothing like a Cape Cod-style house. 

It features stucco walls and really high roofs, making these house cool during the dog days of Summer. Other important characteristics are the low-pitched tile roofs, terracotta finishes, and small balconies.

They are typical in warmer states like Florida but can be found across the country. These offer a truly unique and romantic experience. 

8. Modern

Modern architecture is a movement within architecture that began during the late 19th century. It isn’t necessarily the same as contemporary architecture.

There is no real definition of what the final product should look like. However, it aims to challenge the assumptions of classical European styles of architecture.

Hold On, We’re Going Home

If you learned one thing today it is that there are plenty of distinct home architecture styles. 

Have you felt frustrated by what you’ve seen on the market? We can build the house of your dreams. We also do renovations for houses that are missing that special something.

Here at Gallé Construction, we are dedicated to building luxury homes with integrity. Visit this page for our contact information.