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Grand Homes Late Winter/Early Spring 2008

a free publication of the Teton valley news

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T e t o n Va l l e y N e w s

3/6/08

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L A T E W i n te R / E A R L Y S P R IN G 2 0 0 8

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A Guide to growth and development in

Teton Valley Table of Contents

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ACTION EXCAVATION

Bring a bit of the outdoors indoors: Wildlife taxidermy

all SEASONS resort realty

7

A different shade of green

ALPINE WINES

8

Stocking a wine cellar

11

Getting your game on

12

Spring cleaning

18

Flea market savvy

21

Garage storage solutions

6

ALL STATE INSURANCE

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The Teton Valley News Grand Homes 2008 Late Winter/Early Spring edition is a publication of the Teton Valley News Stacy Simonet | Publisher

Snake River Studios S.R. TRUCKING, INC. STROUT ARCHITECTS

Lisa Nyren | Managing Editor Shel Williams | Writer for Grand Homes Rachael Horne | Writer Garret K. Woodward | Writer Lauren Hall | Photographer Crystal Jolliff | Office Manager Meg Heinen | Advertising Sales Lori Collins | Advertising Sales Nanci Montgomery | Advertising Sales

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Bring a bit of the outdoors indoors: Wildlife taxidermy

By Shel Williams

W

ildlife art is as much a part of a Western home as indoor plumbing, and it’s been around for a lot longer. While today’s homes are considerably larger than the log cabin of the 1800s, the rustic cabin style is frequently the home decor of choice. Adding a wildlife mount to your home is a sure-fire method for bringing the look of the Old West into your mountain retreat, and a quick way to turn bare walls into a tribute to the wilderness.

“In our particular region and our niche, the mounted animal is something from days gone by,” said Linda Rumsey of Wild West Designs.

Rumsey has several mounts in her Idaho Falls and Jackson, Wyo. stores, including a full-body mountain lion mount in each store. But it’s the moose and buffalo shoulder mounts that are the most popular.

And while big-game, antlered animals are usually the first wildlife species to come to mind, the possibilities for mounting wildlife also include much smaller animals.

In addition to traditional antlered head mounts, Kyle Taylor of Rocky Mountain Treasures, Tanning and Taxidermy

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in Idaho Falls has found that birds and otters are also popular mounts.

In fact, one time he was even asked to mount a squirrel.

Using wildlife in your decor does not require enrolling in the local hunter education class. A quiet walk in the woods can yield moose, elk or deer antler sheds.

“A lot of sheds can be mounted on what they call existing capes,” Rumsey said. “You don’t have to have the original animals.”

Hitting a deer on the road does not count as a natural cause.

“If an animal from a game species gets hit and killed by a car, by law you cannot take anything from it —meat, antlers, anything,” Losinski said. “But moose antlers you find in the woods are fine.”

Plus, the animal must be from a legally harvestable species.

Therefore, ducks, geese and sandhill cranes can be mounted, but a trumpeter swan, which is a protected species, cannot. Skunks, raccoons, beavers, badgers and foxes are all animals for which you can purchase a hunting or trapping license, so those species can be mounted as well.

W h i l e taxidermists usually mount animals for people who will be displaying them in their own homes, occasionally a mount will be available for sale. Taylor currently is working on a bobcat that he plans to sell, and Rumsey always has several wildlife mounts available for sale in her shops. Occassionally she has antique deer mounts that are available for about $450, while other, larger mounts of moose, elk or buffalo can sometimes range into the thousands of dollars.

“Jackson was founded by French fur trappers, and this is a legacy they have passed on to the new frontier,” Rumsey explained. “In the Teton Valley, people want to recreate that look.” 2

A different shade of green

By Shel Williams

S

urrounded by nationally protected parks and forests, Driggs is an oasis of civilization in a primitive wilderness, a community that has found ways to survive the region’s vacillating seasons.

The compromise between comfort and climate must be balanced in every building.

“Climate is probably the main fundamental thing that drives the design,” said Scott Zabriskie of Strout Architects.“We deal with very harsh conditions in this mountainous climate.”

With the valley’s proximity to Yellowstone’s volcanic caldera, some of those considerations are found virtually nowhere else in the world.

“The structural requirements that result from the seismic activity in the region are compounded by snow load we experience here as well,” said Roger Strout, owner of Strout Architects.“The foundations are carrying a lot more load as a result of that snow, as are roofs.”

Hence, heavy timber beams become part of the home.

Their presence adds strength to the structure; the exposed wood adds rustic style.

Also present in the valley are the results of a national commitment to construct buildings more in harmony with the land, more aware of how the earth’s resources are consumed.

“The whole trend nationally and around the world is building green,” said Rick Baldwin, an architect with Dubbe-Moulder in Driggs.“Every construction publication that you pick up, all the advertisements and many of the articles are slanted as to who’s doing what in the green industry.”

Building green means choosing paint and carpeting that give off lower levels of volatile organic compound gases, buying building materials produced locally, and incorporating natural light and the heat of the earth to reduce power consumption.

The valley’s architects are taking advantage of the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design green building rating system, developed by the U.S. Green Building Council.

The council’s guidelines standardize environmentally sustainable construction based on six criteria: choosing a sustainable site, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources, indoor environmental quality, and innovation and design process.

Local buildings, both new and remodeled, are already meeting the standard. The Broulim’s store remodel into the Driggs Community Center is currently filing paperwork to qualify for a LEED rating, and the Coulter Building will receive the LEED Silver certification, Baldwin said.

New construction is also finding economy of size as well as in materials.

“We still see quite a spectrum of styles and sizes in the

valley, but I think overall people are tending to downsize a little bit, as far as square footage is concerned,” Baldwin said.“People are realizing that they don’t need 12,000 square feet, especially with the second-home market we have here.”

The trend signals a return to the days of the valley’s earliest settlements, when people built what they needed with the materials they found on hand. Today, a building’s design is intertwined with its intended purpose, the people who will live there and the site on which it will stand.

“A building is a functional expression of the people living in the building, but also of the natural environment: the winds, the sun, the temperature ranges that occur,” Strout said.“The style and character of a building begins at a much more fundamental level ... To me, style should be the result of a functional response to the needs of the inhabitants and the requirements of the natural environment.” 2 Page

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Stocking a wine cellar

By Rachael Horne A wine cellar creates a special spot to keep all your favorite wines ready to enjoy. It’s the perfect way to keep a selection of different wines on hand for any occasion. You can include wines to enjoy right away and ones for special occasions. Keeping a simple wine cellar is easy and starting one doesn’t’ have to be expensive.

Mike Bowen, owner of Alpine Wines in Driggs, suggests starting by stocking wines you enjoy and wines that age well. Bowen said usually,

weightier, more bold red wines are good for aging. If you’re not sure where to begin Bowen says taste.

Alpine wines recently had a tasting called “Big Kahunas,” featuring wines that are good for aging.

Aging wine has many positive a t t r i b u t e s . O n e i t p r ov i d e s convenience, stocking up on your favorite wines while they are still available assures you of having the right wines at the right times and for the right occasions. Bowen said he has a friend that keeps a cellar and opens a nice bottle every year on his

daughter’s birthday.

A cellar can provide fun and education — analyzing and tracking your wines as they mature helps develop understanding. Buying wines in bulk also often saves money and better wines are often less expensive while still young.

While a wine cellar may evoke images of dark, musty caves or elaborate wood-lined rooms, neither are required to create a good cellar.

A wine cellar can be started in any cool, dark place that has a consistent

Continued on next page Page

Continued from previous page temperature. It can be a closet, a pantry or space in your basement. The ideal temperature for a wine cellar is between 55 and 65 degrees, but the most important aspect is that it stays constant.

Stable temperature, absence of light, and limited vibrations are three critical elements to a successful cellar. Each helps prevent the rapid deterioration of the wine, and in addition, by creating a uniform environment, they take some of the guesswork out of the aging process itself. Clearly a cellar can range from a hall closet, to a room in a basement, to more elaborate wine refrigerators or professionally designed cellars.

Winemessenger.com has these suggestions as you begin a cellar: 1. Develop a budget, how much do you want to spend on your collecting each year? Does this include all of your wine for the year, or just the age-worthy wine?

2. Divide your budget into everyday wines (under $12); wines between $12 and $20, which are often age-worthy; $20 to $50, which includes some great wines; and then above $50, which are nice if you can afford them.

3. Taste, taste, taste, and taste some more. Knowing what you like, and analyzing a variety of wines is the best way to ensure that you are storing wines that will age gracefully and that you and your friends will enjoy for years to come. Buy a bottle of a dozen different wines and then choose your favorites and buy a case or half-case.

4. Read about new wineries, new wine regions, or up-and-coming varieties to identify high-quality bargains before they become popular and their prices inflate.

5. Buy wines on sale, or buy wines that you have tasted that you feel are particularly good values.

6. Remember that it will be a number of years before you begin reaping the rewards of your collecting, so a) make sure you have wine that is ready-to-drink, b) ladder your purchases: purchase wines that will mature at different intervals 2 years, 5 years, 10 years and longer, and c) make sure you leave room for next years finds, and the year after, and the year after, etc. Doing this will help ensure that you always have wine ready to drink as time progresses, which will allow you to drink all of the wines as they reach their prime.

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Don’t forget to divide your wine for any and all tastes, red and white, light to full-bodied, Champagne, dessert, etc. 2 Page

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Getting your game on Tips to building the ultimate party play room

By Garret K. Woodward Whether it be the ricochet of the 8-Ball, the flipping of Aces, the paddling of ping-pong, or the smashing between opponents on an air hockey table; having a game room is a welcomed addition into any home.

But the problem lies in two main factors- usable space and price.

Usable Space • If you have a small space available for a game room, the important thing to remember is to make the most of it. A standard-sized pool table doesn’t make much sense with a small amount of space, seeing as you will inevitably have numerous “short” spots where you cannot get a straight shot— resulting in adverse game

play. There are smaller pool tables offered, but you can also substitute in a more compact table for games such as Foosball and bumper pool.

• For those looking for a quieter, slower paced challenge, a poker table is workable in virtually any environment and provides an activity numerous people can participate in at the same time. Another alternative is a dartboard, which only requires wall space and a set distance to shoot from. With a dart board comes the mere fact that when compared to the prices of pool tables, darts are hands down one of the most inexpensive ways to put together a game room.

And what goes like peas and carrots with a game room? Refreshments.

• When partaking in heated battles over poker or darts, snacks and drinks

readily available is one key advantage to making sure friends will come over in the future. Even with a small game room design, a mini-fridge will be ideal in keeping that Pabst Blue Ribbon or juicy popsicles nice and cold.

If you have a large amount of space vacant, the sky is the limit.

• When designing a sizeable game room, decorating can provide the space with some much-needed character. This could include a moose head, unused vintage skis, random street signs taken in some long forgotten endeavor, or whatever else you might not want to throw away but is clogging up the garage.

• In terms of electronics, the bigger, the better. In a large room, proper lighting as well as a wide-screen

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Making connections with the land...

In harmony with the environment, this eco-sensitive home takes advantage of the views while

STROUT ARCHITECTS

expressing mountain character

w w w . s t r o u t a r c h i t e c t s . c o m

The owners and the architect chose to incorporate

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using heavy timbers, stone and glass. sustainable technologies such as the low profile solar cells integrated within the metal roofing, a geothermal heat pump, low VOC paint, as well as energy saving insulation and appliances.

Strout Architects strives to provide meaningful architecture with sustainable solutions for living.

Photo by David Swift

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continued from page 11

or projection television with a surround-sound stereo system can take a room from average to “Please Leave! You’ve been in here for two weeks watching television!”

And thus, we have the final touches.

• Once you have a pool table, or dartboard, or electronics galore, you can move onto the finer details, which may include installing a bar for guests, a pinball machine or the mother of all game room equipment— Asteroids, the arcade game.

Price “We can get it done,” said Shalimar Neihart of The Rusty Nail in Driggs.

With a smile, Neihart assures with whatever budget a customer may have, The Rusty Nail can find a way to make his or her game room attainable. Although they may not have certain items in their Driggs showroom, the company can order what is wanted. The possibilities are endless whether it is a simple

Teton County Retailers Drawknife Billiards 516 North Highway 33 Tetonia, ID 83452 Tel: (800) 320-0527 www.drawknife.com Radio Shack 70 E. Little Ave. Driggs, ID 83422 Tel: (208) 354-8915 www.radioshack.com The Rusty Nail w/ Interior Motives, Inc. 180 S. Main St. Driggs, ID 83422 Tel: (208) 313-5292

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pool table or a three-way combo table, which includes a poker/ card/bumper pool table.

For those looking for higherend merchandise, Tetoniabased Drawknife Billiards offers numerous types of homemade game room equipment. The company takes weathered pine logs and handcrafts them into rustic billiard tables and other game furniture. The elegant and stylish designs include shuffleboards, dartboards, air hockey, pool, foosball, poker, and ping-pong tables as well as custom bars to name a few.

The products range from several hundred to several thousands of dollars to which the equipment is well worth it in its quality and appeal.

“The family room and game room have become one in the same, Drawknife Billiards owner John Hansford said. “We noticed especially after 9/11 that a lot of people were cocooning. They were spending time at home rather than going out, rather than traveling. And with all these mountain homes you tend to spend a lot of time indoors.

These homes tend to have numerous guests or kids and so when you want every one interacting without staring at a television, a game room is often seen as must in getting everyone involved.” 2

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/" Ê , 866.445.3328 208.787.8000 www.allseasonresortrealty.com

Spring cleaning From antibacterial to environmentally friendly, what to look for to clean your home

By Rachael Horne While spring hasn’t exactly sprung, it’s almost time for things that haven’t seen the light of day all winter to emerge from hibernation: bears, frogs, snakes and spring cleaning products.

This year, instead of grabbing the first bottle you see with a label that screams “cuts grease,” “kills germs” or “antibacterial,” remember that many household cleaners contain tough chemicals and can affect your health and your home.

Unfortunately, many common cleaning products are hazardous—to your health if you ingest or touch them, to the environment when flushed down the drain or otherwise disposed of. They can even foul the air in your home. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, fumes from household cleansers, paints, varnishes, etc. in the typical home make the indoor air 2-5 times more polluted than the air outside. Not exactly the breath of fresh air you want to associate with spring.

Many common household cleaners contain ammonia, chlorine, and formaldehyde. You do not need these chemicals to keep a clean home. Take ammonia, for example.

This common ingredient in glass cleaners is known to irritate the eyes and lungs, and cause headaches.

Many common cleaners contain unnecessary environmental toxins and chemicals associated with cancer, reproductive disorders, respiratory ailments, eye or skin irritation, and other serious human health issues. Indoor air pollution, some of which is linked to cleaning product exposure, is ranked among the nation’s top five environmental risks. Green Seal, a nonprofit environmental standards organization, estimates that cleaning products contribute

approximately 8 percent of total nonvehicular emissions of volatile organic compounds, which can cause eye, nose, and lung irritation, as well as rashes, headaches, nausea, asthma, and, in some cases, cancer.

What Makes a Cleaning Product “Green”?

An increasing number of cleaning products now boast environmentally preferable qualities. This is great news! But how do we know which product is truly the safest and best to use? Is something better just because it says “green” and has a picture of the earth on the label?

The Consumers Union, an independent group that researches consumer marketing practices, has evaluated numerous environmental terms on product labels and found them to be meaningless. These terms include: eco-safe, environmentally friendly, environmentally preferable, environmentally safe, green, and nontoxic.

A product using any of these terms may actually be a good choice, but there are no standards to define them, no way to verify if the assertion is true, and no organization enforcing any of the claims. It is solely the manufacturer’s choice to use any of these terms to sell a cleaner.

Only one U.S. organization, the independent nonprofit Green Seal, has developed comprehensive standards for environmentally preferable household cleaners. However, no manufacturers have actually applied for this certification, and most shoppers don’t even know that certification standards exist. Until certified “green” products become commonplace, consumers are on their own to evaluate products and their environmental claims.

for the wallet — homemade cleaners are almost always significantly cheaper than even the cheapest manufactured brands.

Americans spend millions of dollars a year on cleaning supplies. This spring, make your own cleaning agents with these recipes from EarthShare and EarthWays, two nonprofit environmental organizations.

The recipes are friendly to the environment and to your bank account. 2

Homemade cleaning supplies: Countertops, cupboards and walls—Dip a cloth in warm water, add dish soap and baking soda, (the baking soda serves as a soft abrasive to remove tough spots and light scratches).

Air fresheners—Simmer a small amount of cinnamon, orange peel, and cloves on the stove to give off a pleasant fragrance in your home.

Glass cleaner—Mix 2 tablespoons of borax or washing soda with three cups of water for sparkling windows and mirrors.

Carpet freshener—Sprinkle dry cornstarch or baking soda on your carpet and vacuum.

Rug stains—Rub borax into dampened area, let dry, then vacuum or repeatedly blot stain with a mixture of vinegar and soapy water.

Mildew buildup—Make a paste of vinegar and salt and apply to builtup area.

Furniture polish— Combine 1/2 cup lemon juice to 1 cup vegetable oil, olive oil, or mayonnaise.

Apply to rag.

The only sure way to know what’s in your sprays and scrubs is to make them yourself from simple ingredients. This is also great Page 17

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[ Grand Homes ]

Flea market

savvy

By Tresa Erickson You love to dabble in interior design and spend hours on the weekend paging through magazines and watching television shows on the subject. One facet that you have discovered from your research is that the design of a room does not always require new things. In fact, the best rooms contain a mix of old and new things, and some of the best places to find old things are thrift stores, garage sales and flea markets.

If you are looking for a specific type of pottery, for example, find a book on it or check it out online. Learn the characteristics and value of the item to ensure you get the real deal for a fair price later at the flea market.

Wear comfortable clothes and shoes, and

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carry a sturdy tote or cart for large items.

Bring a pad and pencil with the dimensions of the room and a tape measure to ensure any large items you find will fit into the room. Set up a budget and bring enough cash for the purchases you hope to make.

Pay attention to the color and character of items, and pass on anything that will not fit into your design scheme. You don’t want to blow your budget on items that will not be going into the room. Inspect items that interest you carefully. If looking at furniture, for example, make sure it is well constructed.

Depending upon what the item is, you may even want it to have imperfections. The more distressed a piece of furniture, the better that some people like it.

When dealing with vendors, speak up if you have questions or concerns about an item, and don’t be afraid to haggle. If buying several items from the vendor, ask for a package deal. Whatever the situation, stay positive and walk away from items that are priced too high.

Shopping at a flea market for items to enhance the décor of a room can be fun,

as long as you keep things in perspective.

Don’t buy more items than you need and do your best to stick to your budget. More importantly, when you see something you want, buy it. Don’t hem and haw. Chances are someone else will snap it up before you make a decision, and it may take you a long time to find another! 2

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Garage storage solutions

By Garret K. Woodward

How did I end up with that much junk in here?

This is the question many of us in the Teton Valley find ourselves asking as we try to locate a toy here or a tool there or even, if at all possible, make enough room to park our vehicles — the initial purpose of the garage.

Originally intended to house one’s car, truck or van, the space has become the most neglected part of a household.

Considered just another attic or basement, the room can become a monster of its own containing an array of Christmas decorations, sporting equipment, scrap wood or metal, as well as the random inner-tube or gifts from loved ones you found no possible use for but couldn’t bear to throw out.

The biggest hassle with organizing your garage is just peeling yourself off the couch to do the project. Screw in a couple of shelves or toss a few dozen stuffed animals, etc into a storage bin and you’re on your way.

There is a light at the end of the tunnel, or garage in this case, which may seem like a tunnel amidst the boxes and garbage bags. It is possible to organize the clutter and make enough space for the family vehicle. All you need is a few storage solutions and a little initiative.

Wall-mounted shelving Designed especially for the garage, these wall-mounted, heavy-duty wire shelves can hold up to 100 pounds per linear foot of shelf. Certain systems are covered in a plastic coating to prevent

the shelves from rust or corrosion that can sometimes result from being in the garage. One big advantage comes in the open-air construction of the wire shelves that allow proper air circulation around the stored items which in turn can prevent mold or mildew buildups in a moist environment.

If the wire shelves are not your cup of tea, another option is installing heavy, metal shelving brackets that can be attached to your wall. Once attached, they can properly support shelves if you would want to use dimensional lumber or plywood.

Freestanding shelving These shelves allow you a storage solution that can be well away from the walls or any other support structures within the garage. There are freestanding systems available with locking-caster wheels, which permit one to easily move the entire shelving formation effortlessly and then lock it securely in place. This option is available in wood, metal or resin.

Wall and Rafter Hangers Hangers are quite possibly one of the easiest storage methods. Just fasten the hook to a wall stud or ceiling rafter and depending on what hanger you choose, one can easily store garden hoses, bicycles, or ladders.

Once you have decided on a solution, the vast amount of space now allocated will provide the user with a safe, organized garage that has the newfound capability of vehicular storage. Any of these methods can also be applied to the attic or basement and all of these supplies can be found at either your neighborhood hardware store or online. 2

Utility Cabinets This choice provides the user with a storage space that can keep sharp tools, dangerous chemicals or personal items locked behind closed doors and out of sight. The cabinets are manufactured in metal, resin or a wood composite material.

Peg Hooks If you decide to mount a pegboard, peg hooks provide you with an adjustable and versatile system for your storage needs. These hooks can be used to hold tools, toys, shovels, rakes, or anything of that nature.

Teton County Retailers: Ace Hardware 98 S Main St. Driggs, ID 83422 (208) 354-2344 www.acehardware.com

Valley Lumber and Rental 9 Sagebrush Dr. Victor, ID 83455 (208) 787-9663

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Want to build your dream home?

We have your dream loan!

First Bank of the Tetons is available for 速 all of your financing needs. Whether you are buying a home, building a home, or looking to refinance, call us today to The First Bank to Serve You on Both Sides of the Tetons lock in your interest rate. www.firstbanktetons.com

PaTTY McdONaLd Driggs Office 208.354.6174

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daWN HaNSFORd Driggs Office 208.354.6173

KeNNa WiLLiaMS Driggs Office 208.354.6178

JeFF FauNce Driggs Office 208.354.6172