When it’s time to repaint the outside of your home, does the thought of choosing the wrong colors scare you silly? The dizzying array of color choices are enough to give a you a case of … Read More >>
Renovated Barn + Farmhouse Addition = A Great Custom Farmhouse Home
The elegant simplicity of this new custom farmhouse home in Freeport, Maine caught our eye right away. Whitten Architects was asked to renovate an existing timberframe barn and add sunlit living … [Read More...]
Cozy Contemporary Cottage for an Artist in the Berkshire Mountains
Burr and McCallum Architects have a portfolio of interesting projects, including this western Massachusetts cozy contemporary cottage. I like the exterior of this home - the shapes and details are … [Read More...]
Next Year, Check Out These AWESOME Las Vegas Christmas Decorations (Las Vegas? REALLY?)
The 2018 Christmas season is over but we're still in a bit of a daze over the awesome Las Vegas Christmas decorations we saw last week! That's right - Las Vegas, Nevada - probably the last place most … [Read More...]
Beautiful Custom Contemporary Home is a Quiet Background for a Family’s Life
Houses with character appeal to me - I don't care what style a house is, I don't care who the Architect is, and I don't care what neighborhood it's in. None of those things are required for a house to … [Read More...]
This Modern Home is Really Just a Simple Barn with a Lean-To (and Spectacular Water Views)
Maybe you're not a fan of contemporary design, maybe you prefer simple, traditional buildings. Or maybe your tastes do run to modern? Either way works in this project, it has a little of both. And if … [Read More...]
The Renovation of this Pretty Colonial Revival Home Goes Just Far Enough without Overdoing It
There are dozens of little touches in the renovation of this pretty colonial revival home that make it special! Built in 1910, it's a great example of one of the many variations of the Colonial … [Read More...]
Quaint Low Country Cottage with Porches Everywhere
When you're in the lowcounty you might find yourself in Beaufort, North Carolina or maybe Beaufort, South Carolina. Either way, it's good to know that the one in North Carolina is pronounced … [Read More...]
Second Christmas in Our New House – Decorations!
Christmas #2 in the new house and it's been so much fun to decorate this year - I remember last year, we'd barely moved in and BAM! Christmas was here! I had trouble remembering where I put the boxes … [Read More...]
Check Out These 9 Beautiful Stairways in Savannah, Georgia
There was SO much to do and see on our trip to Savannah, Georgia this summer – we’re going to have to go back to see everything we missed! Everywhere we went in the Historic District, we couldn’t help … [Read More...]
12 Delightfully Tiny Gingerbread Houses (Updated!)
Someday we're going to head down to the National Gingerbread House Competition in Asheville, NC but until then, we're all smiles while we enjoy these 12 wonderful itsy-bitsy tiny gingerbread … [Read More...]
House Number Three
Some of you know that Karen and I recently moved from our family home of 26 years to an empty-nester home. Like the experiences of many of you, our move was a bit of a long and winding road, … [Read More...]
Nicely Renovated Basic Blue Historic Colonial Home
When the words "historic home" or "historic district" show up in a home description, we can't help but take a look. Glad we did on this one in Bentonville, Arkansas. On the outside, it's a very nice … [Read More...]
What is an “Open Concept” Floor Plan?
It seems like almost everyone on those HGTV shows wants an "open concept" floor plan, doesn't it? “Open concept” sounds like a new idea, but is it? What is an "open concept" floor plan, anyway - and … [Read More...]
Tiny Cottage in Virginia is Big on Charm
Warm Springs Virginia is a very small mountain town, near the border with West Virginia. This tiny cottage (only 970 square feet!) caught our eye when we saw it come up for sale and we wanted to share … [Read More...]
Why Tudor Style is a Great Fit for Small Homes
I've always liked Tudor style homes, but it seems I’m in the minority. In more than three decades of Residential Architecture practice, I've had one client express an interest in Tudor Revival … [Read More...]
Minor Repairs to Our Stone Walk Turns into a Bigger Job than We Thought…
So we've been in the new house about 7 months now, and after all the work we've done inside, it's finally time to start sprucing up the exterior. We were so excited to find this home, and the patio is … [Read More...]
Updating a Master Bath in a Modest Ohio Cottage
Making the most of a small space is something we typically look for in a Modest Mansion, but sometimes, just a little more space makes everything work the way it should. I added a little more space … [Read More...]
Five Strategies for Better Green Home Design
It takes a little science and a little art to design a beautiful, livable new home that’s energy-efficient, uses less material to build, and connects with its building site. Those are some of the … [Read More...]
Our 5 Rules for Better Home Design
Recently a friend asked me to help him figure out the proper size for a family room addition he was designing to expand his home a bit. He was looking for some "rules for better home design" that … [Read More...]
Make a Master Plan for Your Home Design When You Can’t Do Everything Right Now
Sometimes it's not possible to do everything on your renovation wish list right away. Money's usually the immediate issue, but if you don't plan the whole project out now, you might waste it anyway, … [Read More...]