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Country Lifehome garden The home improve- ment project that has piqued my interest more than any other throughout the years is solar panels. How do they work? Are they worth the cost? And, when all is said and done, do solar panels (also called solar photo- voltaic, or PV, systems) increase home value? The short version of DIY: Easter centerpieces MCT) — Peeps — the colorful marshmallow candies that are a perennial Easter favorite — are sweet for another reason besides their sugar coating. This season, we're loving the little treats as decorative pieces. Here, we show you how to use them in vases, egg cartons and even a springtime wreath to create decorative Easter cen- terpieces. Remove most of the green leaves, but keep a few for color. SUNFLOWER PEEPS • Glass vase (rectangular, 5- to 6-inches high) • Three to four boxes of Bunny Peeps • Two to three bunches of faux sunflowers •Wire cutters 1. Place a row of Peeps around the bottom of the vase. 2. Stack another row of Peeps on top. 3. Cut the stems of the sunflowers to fit the vase. Note: You can also insert a thin bamboo skewer into the Peeps and place into the centerpiece for extra styling. PEEP SHOW Designed by Jenny Baca, creative art director at Jipsi, a vintage-inspired home store in St. Louis. • 3 to 4 egg cartons • 20 thin bamboo skewers • 2 to 3 boxes of Bunny Peeps • 12 coffee filters • 10 book pages • Easter candy (such as chocolate malted balls, jelly beans, etc.) into egg cartons. 3. Fold coffee filters in half, crumple lightly (to create small paper flowers) and insert a thin skewer down the center of each filter. Stick skewers into egg carton. 4. Fold book pages in half (to create paper blossoms), crumple lightly and insert a thin skewer into the center of the book page. Stick the skewers into the egg cartons. 5. Shred book pages to make a grassy-like filler. 6. Place Peeps and your favorite Easter candy on the shredded grass. 1. Stack the egg cartons. 2. Insert thin bamboo skewers into 12 Peeps and stick how solar works, accord- ing to solarhome.org, is that PV panels (consisting of silicon mounted beneath non-reflective glass) snare photons from the sun and transform these mighty little parti- cles into DC power. That power flows to an inverter, which then con- verts the power into basic voltage and AC electrical power. My personal experi- ence with solar panels is pretty limited. Last year, some close friends con- sidered installing solar panels on their home. Pro- viding energy for their two- story, 2,600- square-foot home created an energy bill ranging from around $200 in the fall and spring to between $500 and $700 in February (for the hot tub) and July (air condi- tioner and pool). pany examined their energy bill for the previous A local com- an initial cost of $26,000. Pretty hefty, but after receiving $9,000 back from federal rebates and another $2,000 back from PG&E, the $15,000 out-of- pocket price tag was a little more palatable. Sean Murphy Project Home 12 months and found they were ideal candidates for solar panels. The panels were put up July 2010 at the solar panels will pay for themselves in savings in, at the most, five years. After hearing how our Since Mother Nature is taking care of their electricity, they pay only for gas, which ended up being $500 for the last 12 months—that's after paying that amount per month over the summer. They estimate friends would benefit from solar, we decided to see if it was a viable option for us. After analyzing our monthly energy bill for the previous year, a solar com- pany rep said we simply didn't use enough energy to warrant installing PV panels—which I'll take as a good thing. So, what value do solar panels add to a home, if any? According to a recent story on Earth911.com, it's around three to four percent. That's what the National Bureau of Eco- nomic Research found in a study of Sacramento and San Diego area homes. And, for what it's worth, this increase in value is more common in communities that also have a larger number of college graduates and reg- istered Prius owners. Another study (this one from the Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Labo- ratory) found that solar panels increased home prices by about $3.90 to $6.40 per watt, which translates to around $17,000 for a 3,100-watt system. Both studies were done in California since, not surprisingly, the Golden State is nation's largest solar panel market. Solar panels are an emerging technology as well as a relatively untapped into home improvement. And since energy costs are more than likely never going down, do you think solar might be something worth looking into? Until next time, happy home improving. Take your time when buying vintage modern furniture KANSAS CITY, Mo. (MCT) — Interview with Rod Parks, owner of Retro Inferno, a vintage modern home furnishings store in Kansas City — retroinfer- no.com world has gone crazy for mid-century modern. What should people know before they invest in a piece? Q: In recent years, the A: People should know that it is an investment and to take their time before buying. It's helpful to know the difference between original produc- tions of furniture, reissues and licensed reproduc- tions. Original pieces are going to appreciate in value over time. For example, an original Eames lounge chair and ottoman in rosewood keeps going up. A reissue or licensed reproduction is still a good piece of furni- ture but the value won't necessarily go up. Conse- quently, you can get a good value on used reis- sues and licensed repro- ductions. pensive reproductions of modern furniture? A: You see a lot of Chi- nese reproductions of modern furniture for $500 or $600 and they initially look decent. But the metal tubing is thinner and you don't know what the labor conditions are where they were constructed. It's like buying a "Prada" handbag on Canal Street in Man- hattan. Q: What about inex- the differences between new and vintage classic modern pieces? ed chair, the originals were in fiberglass. You A: On an Eames mold- Q: What are some of known for: They stand out in neigh- borhoods because of their interesting shapes. Parks' Nicol house in Kansas City looks like a tepee. • Geometric shapes. Unusual shapes were used in floor plans and details. The Nicol house features an octagonal floor plan with a circular family room and con- tains triangular windows and sinks. • Shiny things. Orna- mentation is abundant. Objects such as sparkling paisley tile and glass dime-store ashtrays play with light and cast reflections. In houses Goff houses were • Unusual exteriors. MCT photo A pair "Coconut" chairs are found in the home of Rod Parks of Retro Infer- no, in Kansas City, Mo. can see the fibers in the material. New ones are made with recyclable plastic. Q: What got you inter- ested in modern furniture? A: I bought a George Nelson desk from an estate sale 17 or 18 years ago. I liked the mix of materials: white laminate on top, walnut cabinetry and brushed steel tubular legs. I liked how the top seemed to float. I didn't know who George Nelson or Herman Miller was. I just thought it looked cool. It was a piece of art that moved me. Q: And now you seem to know designer names, even obscure ones. Is that important? A: Yes, by knowing who the designer is, it adds inherent value. It's an assurance that the design will get better to your eye rather than regretting it down the road. Q: Two years ago, you moved to the Bruce Goff designed house near the University of Missouri- Kansas City campus. What's it been like? A: It's a magical place. It's phenomenal. It's not that big, about 3,000 square feet, but it has a lot of information and sur- prises. Q: The house comes with a lot of built-in furni- ture. As a person who col- lects furniture, has that limited your self-expres- sion? keep it as original as I can. I've satisfied my design cravings by displaying art and I've found similar fur- A: Not really. I try to niture pieces that the orig- inal family, the Nicols, used in the house. Q: How do you know the pieces are similar? From photographs? A: No, when the Nicols put the house on the mar- ket about 15 years ago, I remembered acrylic chairs inside and I loved them. They were Erwine and Estelle Laverne's "Lily" chairs in their "Invisible" series. And I remembered the Salterini outdoor fur- niture so I tracked those down. They seem made for the house. I couldn't initially afford the house the first time it came on the market. One of my friends told me "you're living in the coolest house in Kansas City." I think so, and I feel lucky. ___ outside of Kansas City, Goff used feathers and coal as decorative appli- cations. Walls, tile, countertops, carpet and ornamentation are in bold hues. • Lots of light. Although his houses stand out among the landscape, people can connect with nature because his houses are surrounded by windows and contain big sky- lights. Living space is huge for entertaining. Private space, such as bedrooms, was kept small. Cabi- netry and tables were often built into the home. • Sensible floor plans. • Color everywhere. & Do solar panels increase home value? Saturday, April 7, 2012 – Daily News 3B