Home. Design. The Beauty of Both.
Ickworth’s Rotunda took 47 years to build and is 103-feet tall at its highest point. I’m fascinated by round buildings and this one (along with the park and gardens) is quite impressive.
Ickworth | National Trust website
The Ickworth Hotel – Looks like a grand place to stay and visit!
© 2014 Kate Walsh
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Photographed along Lake of the Isles on a beautiful autumn day.
I just couldn’t resist these three lovely ladies riding their brooms!
A friend sent this photo of a pumpkin carving contest.
Here are ideas for Decorating for Halloween, Naturally
Have a sweet-filled day and a spooky, fun night.
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On Tuesday I spent the afternoon with a friend. We walked around Lake of the Isles. The crimson and golden hues presented plenty of photo opportunities. Here’s are some photos from the afternoon walk. Big thanks to my friend for stopping and waiting for me to capture all the images.
It was such a gorgeous weekend we were blessed with here in the Twin Cities. Temperatures in the upper 70’s and low 80’s, barely any wind, and plenty of sunshine. Did you get an opportunity to get out and enjoy it?
Goodbye to September, hello to October. Have a wonderful Monday!
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“I believe that reading, in its original essence, is that fruitful miracle of a communication in the midst of solitude.” –Marcel Proust
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This week’s photo challenge is “Solitary”. If you already spend time alone, you may know some of the benefits: relaxation, heightened self-awareness, focus and concentration, increased self-reliance and self-confidence, freedom, spirituality, creative thinking, problem solving skill building, and other benefits. Here are a few articles on the topic of solitude:
The Surprising Benefits of Solitude, by Andrew McAfee
This article (above) in particular was interesting to me relative to the subject of brainstorming sessions, focus groups and group interviews.
The Lost Art of Solitude, by Leo Babauta
The Power of Lonely, By Leon Neyfakh
A woman taking time to enjoy a park setting in solitude
The same woman but a different photographic perspective of solitude
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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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I love this week’s theme from the WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge. There are so many opportunities to capture people in the midst of their everyday lives. What do you see in your life? Here are things I saw on a recent trip to San Francisco and back here at home.
Mobile phones are a big part of everyday life
Another phone user, this time at the airport
A window cleaner
Cleaning at the airport
And back home again, at the Centennial Lakes Art Fair
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This is my second food photo this week and it’s unusual for me to post food photos. I’ve been the recipient of home-grown vegetables this week and I can’t resist the brilliant colors and the beauty of this food. My own basil plants are growing like weeds. Many of us use our homes for cooking and eating. This is the perfect time of year to cook, making the most of the summer harvest. Bon appétit!
A medley of zucchini, red pepper, garlic, slivered almonds, fresh basil, Parmesan cheese, sea salt and pepper.
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A friend gave me this tomato from her garden. I love tomatoes. This was a feast for both the eyes and the palate. It’s not everyday I get a green tomato; I loved the color as much as the taste.
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Adaptive Reuse for Historic Post Offices
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Can you imagine a historic post office as a residential home? I can. The US Postal Service needs to cut expenses and this may well be an opportunity to create a cool home. Or a small shop. Coffee house. Cafe. Legal office. Literary loft. What other uses can you think of for a historic post office? What would you use the post office boxes for? Would you incorporate them into the adaptive reuse design? And how about the mural?
“Find a new use for the Geneva post office so that it will continue to be a vital part of the historic downtown. Work with the U.S. Postal Service and other agencies to save historic post office buildings across the country.”
http://www.savingplaces.org/treasures/historic-post-office-buildings
I’m afraid the few times I’ve used a ZIP code recently have been for credit card validation or online, to locate a retail outlet near me. The vast majority of mail envelopes that I open are done so with a double click.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation describes historic post office buildings as National Treasures, put them on their list of 11 Most Endangered Historic Places, and hired me to document 60134, located in Geneva Illinois. The building is like much of the real mail that arrives at my studio: battle worn but mostly intact, and occasionally hiding a beautiful surprise.
Painted in 1940 by Manuel Bromberg, the WPA mural is titled “Fish Fry in the Park.”
I happened upon this garden on Saturday.
This was part of a Peace Garden.
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A rental building in Minneapolis and the patio created by the artist tenant
A creative environmental message in Saint Paul, MN
A torn lace curtain in a window of a home in St. Paul, Minnesota
Learn about the WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge here.
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