Living In A BBH

There’s been a lot of discourse recently on the sizes of homes, and what makes the best sense for homebuyers and new home builders. We too have some thoughts to share about the benefits of designing smaller homes, and why they are not only practical choices but stylish ones too. While we can understand that downsizing might sound like a radical shift, in reality, it’s on-trend. In the last ten years, the average new home size has gone from 2,600 square feet to 2,400 square feet. While not a huge delta, it signals a clear trend in the marketplace - one that’s been driven both by costs and preferences. And we support this trend. To us, building small means more freedom, less waste, and a whole lot of efficiency. So, let’s dive into why we think building small is the way forward—for you and for the planet.‍

At BrightBuilt Home, we aim to design homes that are both beautiful and sustainable. To do this, we enlist a combination of materials and methods that are tuned to each other and to the environment. The net result is a home that is a holistic sum of its parts, operating harmoniously with its occupants and its surroundings. Each element plays a role. Let's take a tour to meet some of the key players:

At BrightBuilt Home, we’re thrilled to connect with like-minded individuals passionate about making their dream homes as efficient as they are beautiful. In today’s world, a green approach to building is no longer just a preference—it’s a necessity. We're proud to be at the forefront of this sustainable shift.Here’s what Deb M., a wonderful owner of a BrightBuilt Home, has to say about her experience with us. Let’s dive into her insights with some signature pointed questions!

We can’t believe it, but spring is right around the corner! Dirty snow litters the ground, bare trees shiver, and you can’t leave the house without being properly insulated. But little green plants will soon begin to poke up through the soil and the birds are singing earlier in the morning. The prospect of spring feels more real. You know what else comes with the transition to this season? That’s right - spring cleaning. We’ve compiled a few tips for you to think about as you tackle some projects in your high-performance home over the next couple of months.

The season of frenzied cooking and colossal meals is fast approaching - can your kitchen keep up? High performance home design considers the efficiency and functionality of every detail, including the layout and outfitting of the rooms we use most. A well-designed kitchen improves not only the aesthetics of the space, but also its comfort and usability. To everyone who has ever dealt with a sink too small to wash pans in, or had to banish a partner from the room so there would be enough space to open the oven door; we see you, and would never do you dirty like that.

The holidays are upon us, and next week’s centers around food. And family! (But mostly food.) If you are living in a BrightBuilt Home chances are everyone thinks it is super beautiful and so began dropping very subtle hints months ago about how “It would be so lovely to have Thanksgiving in the extra warm and sunny house this year” and “I suppose if we do it at my house again, I’ll have to make everyone sit in the cellar since our dining room isn’t open concept…” Fast forward to Thanksgiving week and you’re starting to figure out how the heck to graciously host 15 people in your home. To help you out, we’ve compiled a list of BrightBuilt Home features that ensures last-minute horrors won't happen. (We all remember the disaster of ’04 when Aunt Helen’s cocker spaniels ate the turkey right out of the oven…)

When designing the interior of a new home, selecting tile plays a key role in the functionality and overall feel of the space. Here are a few things to consider and tips from our interior designer!

When designing the interior of a new home, lighting selections play a key role in the overall feel of the space. Here are a few tips from our interior designer to help you find the light (so to speak)!

In order to shed some light on the design process of a BrightBuilt Home, we will be featuring a series of snapshots focusing on the experience from a client's perspective.

In order to shed some light on the design process of a BrightBuilt Home, we will be featuring a series of snapshots focusing on the experience from a client's perspective.

WIth so many of us working from home these days, we wanted to reach out to some of our BrightBuilt Homeowners who have home offices, and see if they could share some snippets on their WFH experiences. Cristos and Emma completed their Mackworth in South Portland a few years ago, not long before welcoming the arrival of their adorable toddler. As he has been working from home during our current times, Cristos had some great insights on what it's been like for him.

The air exchange system: The system in our homes that perhaps remains the biggest mystery to new homeowners. We throw the acronyms ERV and HRV around as though they're as universally understood as PB&J or LOL, but to many, the notion of active, pre-filtered fresh air exchange in your home is at odds with most homeowners' experience with the drafty New England farmhouse (which our homes, of course, are not). To help shed some light on what these systems are and what they do, we tapped local expert, Kurt Johnson, of Fresh Air Ventilation in Lewiston, Maine. He offers some great insights, tips, and clear explanations on these critical systems.

For those of you from Maine, you might recognize Cushing as one of the islands off Portland in Casco Bay. Locals call it “Cushin’” which makes us think of “cushy,” which is an adjective that is defined as “undemanding, easy, or secure.” This is a perfect definition for the BrightBuilt Cushing. Narrower than our other designs at 24” wide, it manages to pack a big, precise punch. This house is great for narrow lots and if you are looking for first floor living, but with additional space to spread out when needed. The Cushing accurately replicates a farmhouse with a full second story. As designed, it is an incredibly efficient and comfortable space. Size: 1,975 sq ft Bedrooms: 3+ Bathrooms: 2.5

We've been having some fun with drone photography lately, and are gaining an entirely new perspective on our designs and net-zero in general. We thought it would be fun to share some of these recent bird's eye views (and of course some pretty shots of the interiors, too!).

Though we live in an increasingly polarized society, one of the few things that we can all agree on is that the world is becoming more and more perilous, our prospects are unsteady, and the future is impossible to predict. Between the real or imagined threats of climate change, nuclear war, and zombies, it’s sometimes difficult to see past the parade of horrifying news stories, devastating storms, and overzealous Second Coming preachers that batter us with their end-of- days prophecies. We don’t have to agree on how or when the world will end, but let’s be honest – we’re all wondering how we’ll get through it.

Every so often, we like to check in with homeowners with whom we’ve worked. Tim and Kathryn were wonderful collaborators, and we’re delighted to share some of their insights into the process of designing a BrightBuilt Home, and their thoughts about living in the custom spaces they worked with us to create. As veterans of the “building a new home” realm, they also offered some helpful perspectives on the process of new construction in general. Read on to see what they had to say!

Marian and Alex Starkey live in a BrightBuilt Great Diamond, finished in 2015. We checked in with them to see how life is going in their now-not-quite-so-new home! Read on to hear about their animals, paint colors, advice they have for the building process, and more.

If you love our designs, but have found that, due to your site, your needs, or just your spatial preferences, the designs in our portfolio don't quite work: fret not. At BrightBuilt, we can develop a fully customized house plan for you - from scratch - to be built off site and delivered to your (potentially-particular) site, and perfect for you, your needs, and your bottom line.

Like many people this year, I traveled for the holidays, arriving home to a chilly house in the center of an arctic vortex. With more time than usual to fuss over the eccentricities of a house that is, frankly, too young to have so many eccentricities, I found myself reflecting on what a housing upgrade might mean for my life. More specifically, what aspects of my holiday I would be happy to do away with, next year.