Living Green

Green remodeling site uses real-life experiences to inspire

AUSTIN, Texas — Amy Empson's lovely home, which used to be a church, makes you want to pull out a set of tools and start improving your own domicile.

The living area is open and airy, with play and office areas discreetly tucked into their own organized zones. Even the things you can't see right away — solar panels, for instance — only add to the sense that the home Empson and her husband have brought back from a dilapidated state is special.

LAURA SKELDING/Cox Newspapers Amy Empson's efforts in green remodeling spurred her to start a Web site to serve as a resource for like-minded homeowners. For a larger, high resolution image, click HERE

The experience of remodeling, and trying to doing it the green way when possible, led Empson to start a Web site: My Green Casa, in January. The site includes some of Empson's home projects but is built for others to share their work, photos and experiences, providing real-world know-how to those interested in remodeling, no matter the scale.

Empson said she hopes those who take on green remodeling don't get overwhelmed; though, like building a Web site, it always takes more time and effort than you planned, there's a lot of things you can do to improve energy efficiency and make aesthetically pleasing changes to your living spaces.

"You start small," said Empson, who has a background in marketing and worked for GSD&M Idea City. "It's really addictive. You try to tackle something simple and practical."

The birth of her son led her to seek out non-toxic materials and local suppliers for her home projects. She hopes to share her knowledge and the knowledge of the crowd on her site as she takes it from a small test group of users to a larger audience.

We spoke with her about mygreencasa.com:

Q: When you started your site, did you find it was hard to get good information about green remodeling on the Web?

A: Yes and no. You can get good information, but it can be a little frustrating to find it. There are so many green sites that have articles, tips, 101s, guides and lists; it's overwhelming. What I'm trying to do is less about being the definitive source for information and more about creating a place for connection and conversation — a resource that is based on sharing experiences, ideas, advice and feedback.

That's why the core of the site is focused on posting and sharing green home projects. You can see what other people are working on, share what you are working on, connect to people with similar projects, ask questions and get advice.

Hopefully it complements the expert site by providing a real-life experience, point-of-view and outcome. What worked, what didn't, what did you like and what would you do differently. Because sometimes you learn a lot more from someone's mistakes than from their successes, and you usually don't see these in public.

Q: Why do people get overwhelmed with remodeling projects? Are there good ways to start small and without too much expense?

A: Expense is really misunderstood with green because most of what we see is coming down from the designer/high-end level. And a lot of it is new construction, which isn't realistic for most of us. There is less opportunity to see the average, everyday things you can do.

The reality is, when it comes to green, doing less is generally more. Questions like: "How much space do I really need?" That's a big one. Working with what you have is generally the greenest choice; and it's usually the least expensive.

I've recently added a "reclaimed projects" section to the site where people can share green home projects that use reclaimed materials. Reclaimed just means you're reusing something. We turned the shell of an old VW bus into a playhouse and jungle gym for our son.

Q: What are some of the most frequent questions people ask or advice they seek on My Green Casa?

A: People are really focused on energy efficiency and saving money right now. The economy is down and energy is getting a lot of media attention at every level. People are also very interested in understanding alternative energy choices for their homes — what works best where.

Q: You work with a Web team to develop My Green Casa. How do you keep track of ideas, changes and plans you have? What are some changes you're working on?

A: This site has been a real learning experience. I'm not technical, so I've had to learn a whole new vocabulary. And I've had to hone my attention to detail.

We track every bug and every change in an online tool. We've gone through hundreds and hundreds of bugs and tweaks as we've moved through the beta phase of the site. Every typo is logged and tracked separately. I check everything in a test site and then recheck it when it launches into the live site.

Even after all that, the system's not perfect. Right now I'm working on some changes to the design, trying to make the functionality of the site more clear to users.

Q: Your site is big on user-generated content. What kind of information do readers and users provide that sites by professional remodelers might not?

A: The end user's point of view. I think professional sites are very transactional; you get your information and you leave. They are also one-sided because you don't get any feedback on the process. The intention of My Green Casa is to provide a place for sharing experiences at the homeowner level. From the bottom up, not top-down.

Q: Has it been difficult to juggle running a Web site and doing remodeling projects as the site has grown?

A: Between the site, the economy and other projects I take on to pay the bills, most of my projects are on hold right now, although that doesn't stop me from plotting and planning. In my head, I'm constantly planning projects — it drives my husband nuts.

Omar L. Gallaga writes for the Austin American-Statesman. E-mail: ogallaga(at)statesman.com.