Home Tour Q&A
Almost 400 people visited Midori Haus on December 8th and 9th 2019. Midori Haus was one of the five homes featured on the home tour organized by the Santa Cruz Symphony League. We were happy to support our local classical musicians by opening our door for this 43rd annual event.
Visitors appreciated the beauty of the classic Arts and Crafts style and marveled at the comfort and low energy use. A visitor stepping inside the door said, "It smells good in here." We had a lot of fun demonstrating our induction cooktop, steam oven, murphy bed, and a hand-cranked gramophone. The abundant signage around the house was adequate for a self-guided tour, but some people had specific questions.
Q: Where did you get the stained-glass windows?
A: We got the “Meyda Tiffany 97961 Corn Mission Window” from thebrightspot.com
Q: What does “Midori” mean?
A: Midori is the Japanese word for green.
Q: Who did your solar thermal installation?
A: The original installation was done by Wilson Hydronics, but he’s now retired and moved to Mexico. Tim Pettet, a general contractor who specializes in hydronic radiant and solar heat, maintains our system.
Q: Where did you get your lighting fixtures?
A: We found thebrightspot.com to have a nice assortment of reasonably priced lighting fixtures in the vintage style.
Q: Does the Paperstone countertop scratch?
A: Yes, it does. For shallow scratches you can buff it out with the burgundy Scotch Brite scrubber and apply Paperstone Finish over it.
Q: Where did you get the murphy bed?
A: We got it from Wilding Wallbeds. They have a wide selection of sizes, styles, finishes, and options.
Do you have questions? Send them to Chie at Midorihaus.com or visit us at a future tour.
About the Author
Chie Kawahara
Chie is one of the co-creator of Midori Haus. When she is not sharing her stories of transforming an old house and giving tours, she enjoys trail running and hiking.