Unconventional Wisdom: Energy Efficient House Design by Marcia Wolff

Interior designer Marcia Wolff wanted a house that's energy-efficient, ecologically sensitive, fire-resistant and, above all, beautiful.

So she chose a building material that might surprise some people: straw.

Wolff and her husband, Steve Tarr, are building a 2,600-square-foot house in South Akron, Ohio, using bales of wheat straw for insulation.

The house's frame is similar to that used in conventional construction, but the walls were designed to accommodate stacks of bales that will be covered with plaster made from local clay.

The resulting house will resemble a stuccoed home, with high ceilings, thick exterior walls, deeply recessed windows and interior plaster finishes that lend an old-world feel -- rich details that will be accompanied by a miserly heating bill.

"I want it to look very conventional. People who think about straw-bale houses think they're very hippie or very unconventional," said Wolff, who runs interior design business Design Council.

But she values aesthetics as well as function, she said, and she wanted to build a home that might encourage others -- particularly her well-heeled clients -- to follow suit.