On the House

Putting it Together

– By Robin Jovanovich –

Soon after moving to Westchester County in 1998, newlyweds Peter and Erin Sinnott went shopping for fabrics and drapes to spruce up their new apartment. They walked into a store called HOME Works, then at 19 North Main Street in Port Chester, and it was design kismet at first sight. “We became clients and then friends of Adam Gibbs, and five years ago I became his partner,” said Peter.

Home Works, a third-generation custom-made shade, drapery and upholstery business, moved further up the street to larger quarters at 509 North Main seven years ago. They also have a store on Broome Street in SoHo. Once Sinnott joined the business, he and Gibbs decided to renovate the two-story space in Port Chester and make it more customer-friendly. “There are tons of upholstery shops to choose from locally,” said Sinnott, but not showrooms like ours. We're a mini D&D building.” The showroom has several comfortable seating areas upstairs and down for clients to go through fabric and wallpaper books and discuss their design and color schemes. The environment is sophisticated yet relaxed, like its owners and designers, Cheryl Flaherty and Lynn Terranova.

Sinnott, 40, who grew up in Rye, came by his love of homes naturally — his family has been in the real estate and construction business in Manhattan and Westchester for four generations. He worked in the family business designing model apartments and lobbies. “My interest in all aspects of design just grew from there.”

It's grown beyond window treatments and upholstery, the bread and butter of the business, to furniture. Home Works now sells its own line of kiln-dried, factory-made sofas and chairs, which are all about comfort and clean lines. “Our line is similar to Kravet, which we also sell, but you can customize our pieces.”

Sinnott, father of a 4-year-old, is a firm believer in fabrics and furnishings that stand the test of time. He encourages clients to use an indoor/outdoor fabric or chenille on sofas that will get lots of use. If they want white sofas and chairs, he recommends ultra suede, which can be cleaned with soap and water.

Once a client decides on a fabric, Sinnott tells her (“it's usually a woman") to take it home and see what it looks like in her home light. “I also like getting the husbands involved in the decision-making. They live there, too!”

Fabrics range from $20 to $1,200 a yard. “My advice is to mix a little Prada with a lot of Gap.”

Sinnott encourages homeowners to do their “HOME Works homework” before they come in to look at fabric. “Go through a variety of shelter magazines - Architectural Digest, Elle Décor, Veranda, Traditional Home - and then let us be your editor.”

Their business is all word-of-mouth, said Sinnott. They don't advertise, but they do have a website, www.nyhomeworks.com. As they have their own workrooms and installers, once a customer decides on a fabric or wallpaper, the job is typically done in six weeks.

Home Works is at 509 North Main Street. Hours are weekdays, from 10 to 5, 10 to 7 on Thursdays. Call 934-0901.

Building Green

– By Paul Hicks –

Al Gore and his colleagues won an Oscar for “An Inconvenient Truth,” and the recent National Day of Climate Action (called “Step It Up 2007”) drew tens of thousands to rallies nationwide. Of even more significance, the Supreme Court just issued important rulings that have been strongly advocated by environmentalists. Perhaps we are on the verge of a real greening of America.

A new upscale magazine called Verdant claims in its mission statement that “the need for reliable green information has now reached a tipping point as green becomes mainstream.” Numerous mass circulation magazines, including Glamour and Sports Illustrated, have devoted spreads to eco-subjects in recent issues.

Led by companies like GE and Home Depot, the corporate world is getting on board as well. Some of the most interesting green developments are taking place in the building industry, especially by members of the U.S. Green Building Council. The USGBC is a coalition of industry leaders that are working to promote profitable buildings that are environmentally responsible and improve the quality of life.

The council has developed LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) rating systems that are increasingly used to certify building projects that meet green standards. The voluntary program provides multiple levels of certification, depending on the credits awarded in various categories: sites, water, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources and indoor environmental quality.

One of the most ambitious projects registered for LEED certification is the Bank of America Tower that is currently under construction at One Bryant Park in New York City. When completed in 2008, it will be the greenest high-rise building in the U.S. with some of the most advanced energy, water saving and air filtration features. The goal is to gain the highest LEED rating (platinum) for the building.

Closer to Rye, a new project to renovate and expand the Mamaroneck Public Library is being designed to create an environmentally responsible building. Helen Rafferty, chair of the library board, said they hope to incorporate enough green features to qualify for the first level (silver) LEED rating.

Numerous green buildings have been completed without being registered for LEED certification. One example is the Kimberlin Nature Education building, which opened in 2003 at the Audubon Center in Greenwich. Built of various sustainable and recycled materials, its construction incorporates many green building techniques, such as a geothermal heating and cooling system and low energy lighting. For more information, check the Audubon website at greenwich.audubon.org or visit the building technologies exhibit at the Audubon Center.

Interest in building green residences among buyers and builders has been developing more slowly than in the commercial and institutional sectors. However, the LEED rating system for homes, which was released recently in a pilot version, is likely to create substantially more interest, especially in view of the overall increase in green awareness.

Although the initial investment in a green home may be higher than a more conventional approach, the USGBC contends that the net cost of owning a LEED home is comparable to that of owning a conventional home. Among the benefits of a LEED home are lower energy and water bills; reduced greenhouse gas emissions; and less exposure to mold, mildew and other indoor toxins.

According to Leila Bright, a Rye architect specializing in residential design, the main inhibitor to the growth of green homes has been a lack of reliable information, but that appears to be changing. There are a number of recent books aimed at those looking for an introduction to green home building. Two that have been well reviewed are “Good Green Homes” by Jennifer Roberts and “Your Green Home” by Alex Wilson. For more information about the USGBC and its LEED green rating systems, consult their website, www.usgbc.org.