Home. Design. The Beauty of Both.
Using repurposed window frames and lumber, stained glass artist and jeweller Neile Cooper has created a tiny retreat in the woods that features dozens of her stained glass artworks. Glass Cabin looks like the perfect escape to recharge and even has a little working desk and couch. The New Jersey-based artist also sells unique…
via A Stained Glass Cabin in the Woods — TwistedSifter
Love this! Very creative, very colorful, and what appears to be such a peaceful setting.
I love this version of holiday decorating. It’s simple yet sparkly!
There’s a bit of organic whimsy here that I find especially appealing. I’ve decided to sell my fake tree and get a branch from nature. How are you decorating your home?
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I saw this sign on the front of a house during one of my travels. It was a charming house. A white brick exterior with black wood shutters, window boxes and front door. The shutters featured a black iron curlicue along the bottom, detailing that stood out against the white background.
A white picket fence wrapped around the house, and the gate opened onto a gently curving flagstone walking path that led to the front door. A mix of green shrubbery sat along the foundation of the house. Everything was neat and tidy and appealing.
Many of the homes on Captiva Island have names. I always take pleasure in reading what people have chosen to name their homes. Unfortunately, you rarely see a lot of the homes on Captiva due to the long driveways and tremendous tropical growth. The homes are well hidden from the road.
The signs are all on the road. Each one is individually created. I often wonder what the homes are like, and what the owners are like. Does the sign personality mirror the house and occupants? Does the name say something about one occupant and the artwork about another? Who came up with the name? Do owners who buy these named homes keep the names or create a new one or pull the sign up out of the ground and go without? One thing I know. Of the homes that had been named and could be seen, all were well-kept and maintained. It makes me think there is something in a name: a sense of pride, a little more love, an embracing of home as part of the family.
Have you named your home? I’d love to hear the name and what it means to you. In the meantime, I’m going to think about a name for my own home. Stay tuned.
The home office. It’s become quite commonplace in homes today. Here’s some inspiration.
A home office in San Francisco
Chalkboard wall on one side and library design wallpaper on another in Vancouver
This one is about the view, and the bookcases.
A bright and airy upper level office in San Francisco
Under the stairs in Toronto
Thoroughly modern in Miami
Creative use of a dish drainer!
Another sunny spot, with room for family or friends to sit and read or listen to music or be creative
Luxury, man-cave version of an office space
Blue velvet and silver silk bring glamour to a woman’s home office
An accessible main floor office in Atlanta
A variety of textures and colors create a sophisticated home office in San Francisco
A closet home office can be closed off when not in use
Room for two in Portland, and both have a view
A pretty desk area off the kitchen in San Francisco
Traditional detailing and a stylish color palette create an inviting space in Minneapolis
An office with a Murphy Bed doubles as a guest room
Light and dark decor and glass shelving
“Homey” home office in Atlanta
An office in a bedroom closet in Minneapolis
Now that’s a view! In Boston
Incorporating the office into the living room with a mix of glamour and modern decor
Eclectic elements come together in style in this home office in Chicago
Elegant gold accents in this home office in Orange County
Floating desk and shelves in a condo home office
Eclectic elements in an interior designer’s home office in San Francisco
ASID-MN first place award winning office, craft and laundry room.
Fun with red and white in Chicago
Snazzy in Seattle
Utilizing pull-out shelves to hide equipment
Minimalist design with an artistic touch in Hong Kong
As you can see, the possibilities for a home office are endless! There are so many styles to love. What style will you create in your home?
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If I had a choice between having a porch or a deck, then a porch would win any day of the week. I’m devoted to screen porches in particular. There’s nothing like having a shaded or sunny spot with no bugs and a breeze. And if it’s raining, you can still enjoy a screened porch despite the weather(provided the rain is coming down rather straight and your porch is large enough to allow you a sitting spot away from the screens).
I spend time on decks but they can get too hot in the middle of the day. The mosquitoes can eat at you in the evening, or even dusk. Forget being out there when it rains, unless you want to be wet.
Here, then, some images showing a variety of porches. Summer is on it’s way after all.
A traditional porch in Boston
Note the blue ceiling on this porch
This one has a rustic feel with its wood furnishings
A conservatory style porch in London
Another conservatory, this one in Philadelphia
A sweet porch in Charleston
An octagonal porch in Chicago
A porch with motorized Phantom screens and a fireplace
A small cottage in Los Angeles with a sweet and inviting front porch
A porch decorated with colors and plants
A wraparound porch in Portland, Maine
This porch feels very open and airy with its high ceilings
I had to include this one because I know exactly which house this is. I’ve been inside this house and this porch! The views are lovely.
I love hardwood floor in a kitchen. I know some people get concerned about ruining them due to all the cooking that takes place here. There’s really not a need to worry though. Hardwood flooring is durable with some care. Mostly we swept our floors. It’s a low-tech, quiet way to care for them. Wood is also warmer both visually and underfoot than tile and concrete. Wood offers natural beauty and an organic nature that has timeless appeal. It adds so much to a kitchen.
Have you been on the fence about putting wood flooring in your kitchen? Does this help you make up your mind?
The homes I grew up in had wood floors in the kitchens. We had three dogs and numerous children in our house. My parents still prefer wood floors in their kitchen.
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Here’s a beautiful room that reminds me of summer. I love the dark wood floors, the white walls and furniture, the wood accents (coffee table and chair arms), the fireplace, and the wall of windows. This is a great example of bringing nature inside your home. Isn’t it inviting? The pet dog seems happy enough.
I came across this scene in a neighborhood composed mainly of modern architecture and design. I love this sculpture outside the front of the home where it can be enjoyed by passersby. It adds an artistic element to the home’s exterior as well as providing fluid lines and movement amongst the more angular lines of the home.
Do you have any sculpture outside your home?
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Painting the front door of your home a different color than the rest of your home makes a statement and draws attention to your entry. Here’s a Cape Cod style home in Minnetonka.
I’ve tweaked the front door with Photoshop to show the difference with a door painted another color. An actual paint job would retain the depth of the panels on the door. See how the eye is drawn to the front door?
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Looking to transform a room with color? Ready to get moving with rollers and brushes? Now’s a good time to get paint at a discount! And you don’t have to paint right now to get the discount. Paint next week or the following week. You get the picture.
Look to nature when considering color palettes for your home. Learn what colors you are drawn to. See which color combinations catch your eye and please you. Some colors are calming, soothing. Others pop out such as these wine and red-colored leaves against their green background. Bring the beauty of the earth into your interior spaces.
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My sister and I were working with a lovely newly wedded couple to find them a home. We looked at homes in Saint Paul. We looked in Minneapolis. We looked along the river front. And then this home came on the market. Initially, the only photo on the MLS was of the front exterior. I told them it was either ugly and dated inside or the listing agents were planning professional photos to be taken. It turned out they were having professional photos taken of the interiors.
We went to see it right away. The couple knew they had found something special that first time through. My sister and I have worked with many buyers who have walked into homes and known immediately it was the home for them.
The home had been owned by the sellers for over forty years. The prior owners had also lived in this home for decades. Both of the previous owners had been newly wedded couples when they first moved in to this home. This is what I call great predecessor history. It bodes well for this couple’s future happiness.
The next day we went back with an architect to get some ideas and cost information for remodeling the kitchen. The architect confirmed they had great space to work with.
They made their offer, and after some pretty painless negotiation, the contract was signed and delivered. They secured an amazing 2.75% mortgage rate. The closing took place at the end of July. They love their new home.
I can’t wait to see their new kitchen!
The home has a great screened porch!
And a private, double lot with mature trees and perennial gardens.
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Ready to buy or sell a home? Call the sister team.
We’d love to help you move forward.
Ellen and Kate Walsh
Coldwell Banker Burnet
612.220.3304
emwalsh@cbburnet.com
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Homes open Thursday through Sunday, noon to 6pm
There are very few new homes on the Parade this year compared with other years. There are far more remodels. This is not surprising given the real estate marketplace of late.
We’re featuring these two St. Paul remodels because we recently had clients close on their new home in St. Paul and they plan to do some remodeling. They are seeking to make the new space blend and match the original period of the house. This is always a good way to approach a remodel and addition; big differences in the feel of spaces will hurt sellers when it comes time to sell.
839 Osceola Avenue, St. Paul
Here is a description of this project from the Parade of Homes website: “This kitchen and bath remodel in a historically significant house in Saint Paul’s Summit Hill neighborhood illustrates how to remodel the heart of a house without losing its soul. Next Level Renovation, with designer David Heide, replaced the 1980’s kitchen in this 1890 residence with a space that features period sensibilities and the latest amenities. The original house was designed by Cass Gilbert, the turn-of-the-twentieth-century architect, notable for his classic homes and other buildings, including the State Capitol in Saint Paul.”
683 Portland Avenue, St. Paul
From the description on the Parade of Homes website: “Come and see how the convenience of a modern kitchen blends seamlessly with a stately home in the historic Summit Avenue neighborhood of St. Paul. The three-story addition also provides an art studio, main-floor laundry/mud room, and a cozy wine cellar with tasting room. In collaboration with architect David Herreid, McDonald Remodeling proves again that you can have it all: character, style, and convenience in your existing home!”
Contact us for more information if you are considering a remodel or an addition and would like to discuss keeping your home and design as salable as possible. Visiting the Remodelers Showcase homes is a good way to meet remodelers and see their work in person.
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Kate and Ellen Walsh
Coldwell Banker Burnet
612.220.3304
emwalsh@cbburnet.com
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An Award-Winning Design:
New York Penthouse Apartment with Rooftop Garden
I love this New York penthouse apartment. It’s open, full of light, and opens to a rooftop garden. Numerous green and sustainable components were used in this renovation. The lines are clean and linear and yet there is a sculptural aspect to the space as well. This is an excellent example of why it pays to hire an architect for renovations, a remodel and new build jobs. If you get a good architect, you just can’t go wrong.
Hmm, I have to take that last statement back. I’ve seen some homes “designed” by architects where the owners actually dictated more of the design than the architect. The relationship between owner and architect is certainly a collaborative one; however, owners with no design sense are better off leaving key design decisions to the professional. Note the adjective “good” used above to describe which architect to hire.
If I lived in New York City I would want a rooftop garden.
What do you think of this apartment? Would you want to live here? Are you a fan of modern architecture? Read more and see more photos at the websites listed below.
Awards include:
Interior Design Best of Year 2008 Eco-Residential Winner
AIA NY State Award of Excellence 2009
Learn more about the architect: JoelSandersArchitect.com.
All photos from JoelSandersArchitect.com
Read more about this award-winning design at Architizer.com
More photos, and text if you can read French: Un Green Penthouse It appears the rooftop also has an outdoor shower. Très amusement!
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This week’s photo challenge is to depict something wrong. As in, there’s something wrong here. Here is a photo of a house I came across while out and about one day. It’s a stately home that has seen better days. I’ve been by it before, a few years ago, and it doesn’t appear to be getting much maintenance on the outside. This area definitely needs repair: this is serious wood rot.
Here’s another photo showing more of the front exterior and the way these pillars hold up the roof of the front porch and the third floor space. What keeps these homeowners from repairing their home? Is it financial issues? Is it lack of interest? Do they feel overwhelmed with the rest of their lives? I hope they can have it fixed before it comes crashing down.
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For decades now, the real estate industry has been both humbled and invigorated by the strong and direct relationship between the labor and housing markets. As goes the economy, seemingly so goes housing. That relationship was especially clear after the 2007 recession. The economy added 163,000 jobs in July, the highest figure since February. Our economy is growing, but not as quickly as many would like. Meanwhile, inventory drops and surging buyer demand from renters and first-timers are anchoring home prices and giving sellers more power than they’ve had in years, in many cases.
In the Twin Cities region, for the week ending July 28:
• New Listings increased 8.3% to 1,430
• Pending Sales increased 20.9% to 1,149
• Inventory decreased 30.5% to 17,103
For the month of June:
• Median Sales Price increased 10.2% to $178,600
• Days on Market decreased 22.0% to 113
• Percent of Original List Price Received increased 4.1% to 95.1%
• Months Supply of Inventory decreased 42.6% to 4.6
Click on any graph below to enlarge it.
As reported by the Minneapolis Area Association of Realtors.
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Week Beginning June 1, 2012
This week’s challenge is to go out and take a photo rather than dig through our archives. I headed out with my camera, not exactly sure where I’d go or what I’d photograph. I took a lot of pictures and it was tough deciding which ones to post today. I finally settled on these garden shots because they aren’t the oft seen rose, tulip or other popular flower photos. (Yes, I have rose photos as well.)
There’s also a photo taken on the way to the garden–of a scene just begging to be photographed!
These flower photos were taken at the award-winning Lyndale Gardens by Lake Harriet in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Lyndale Park Gardens encompasses four distinctive gardens: Rose Garden, Annual/Perennial Garden, Peace (Rock) Garden, and Perennial Trial Garden and Hummingbird/Butterfly Garden.
Read more about the weekly photo challenge at the DailyPost.wordpress.com.
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Every now and then I come across a bathroom that features tile across the ceiling as well as the walls. Here’s one example. The light shining across the tile on the three surfaces creates an inviting space here. Do you like it?
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