Housing Reclaimed Interview | Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building

INTERVIEW: Inhabitat Talks to Housing Reclaimed Author Jessica Kellner About Debt Free Homes

02/03/2012

Jessica Kellner

If you're one of the hardcore <a href="http://inhabitat.com/tag/DIY">DIYers</a> out there looking into building your own home, be sure to pick up <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Housing-Reclaimed-Sustainable-Homes-Nothing/dp/086571696X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1328302808&sr=1-1" target="_blank"><strong><em>Housing Reclaimed: Sustainable Homes for Next to Nothing</em></strong></a> by Jessica Kellner. As editor at <a href="http://www.naturalhomeandgarden.com/" target="_blank">Natural Home & Garden Magazine</a>, Kellner has come across her fair share of beautiful and sustainable homes and now she expands on how a number of people around the country have built their houses without debt despite the economic hardships of the last few years. While it may seem daunting to design an energy efficient house, source sustainable and reclaimed materials and finally build it, Kellner provides a slew of tips and ideas on how to tackle this challenge for practically nothing down. Read on for our interview with Kellner about sustainable housing and her inspiration for this book.

1
Housing Reclaimed Interview

Powers Grainbin Office: The Powerses used many clever space- and energy-saving techniques. An old grain bin they rescued from a neighbor’s field now does quadruple-duty as Aaron’s workshop, Megan’s home office, a guest house and sailboat storage. Photo by Betsy Morrison

2
Housing Reclaimed Interview

Formerly engineers’ sleeping quarters for the V&T Railroad, these dilapidated cottages got a makeover to become quaint, hip domiciles perfect for Reno’s large population of students and young professionals. Photo courtesy HabeRae Investments

3
Housing Reclaimed Interview

The Phoenix Commotion’s “Storybook” house looks more like something from a fairy tale than a subdivision. Photo courtesy Phoenix Commotion

4
Housing Reclaimed Interview

HabeRae Investments took this 1950s firehouse, formerly home to squatters and the site of drug deals and prostitution, and renovated it into a mixed-use building that revamped its entire neighborhood. Photo courtesy HabeRae Investments

5
Housing Reclaimed Interview

Builders of Hope renovates rundown homes with green materials, then sells them below market value to hardworking families. This is a before/after. Photo courtesy Builders of Hope.

6
Housing Reclaimed Interview

The hinges and doorknobs are the only things the Bakers bought new for their entire kitchen. Photo by Michael Shopenn

7

Jessica Kellner

If you're one of the hardcore DIYers out there looking into building your own home, be sure to pick up Housing Reclaimed: Sustainable Homes for Next to Nothing by Jessica Kellner. As editor at Natural Home & Garden Magazine, Kellner has come across her fair share of beautiful and sustainable homes and now she expands on how a number of people around the country have built their houses without debt despite the economic hardships of the last few years. While it may seem daunting to design an energy efficient house, source sustainable and reclaimed materials and finally build it, Kellner provides a slew of tips and ideas on how to tackle this challenge for practically nothing down. Read on for our interview with Kellner about sustainable housing and her inspiration for this book.

SIGN UP

Already have an account? Log In

Jessica Kellner