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 Revival style (there's another shot of the outside of the house at the end of this post). It's the inside of this home that we really fell in love with, though. Someone with great taste … [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 "BOH-fort" and the one in South Carolina, where this quaint low country cottage sits, is pronounced "be-YOO-fort". The real estate listing for this home says it was built in 1875 and has … [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 - much less what was in them! This year gave me time to be creative and have some fun, especially with the fireplace mantle Christmas decorations. We took most of these photos … [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 houses! Find the directions for building this beautiful "winter scene" house at Goodies by Anna Carrie Stephens This house and others in the cooking pages of the New York … [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 basic blue historic Colonial home but on the inside, a few contemporary touches have been added to accent the 1863 interior. KAREN: Just needs a flag to be perfect … [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 it with you. KAREN : love how the gate "picture frames" the house in this photo! RICH: lots of wood - floors, walls, ceiling...everywhere you look KAREN: makes me … [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 style. One. I've mentioned it to a few other clients over the years, but the reaction I typically get is something along the lines of “yuck”, “ewww”, and “I hate Tudor”. I hear … [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 would guarantee a comfortable, “architecturally-correct” space – a short cut to good design, because lot of money was at stake and he didn’t want to do it wrong. Modest mansions … [Read more...]
The 3 Big Things That Have the Most Impact on New Home Construction Costs
You want the best house you can get, with an interesting, family-friendly layout, an attractive exterior, and nice finishes - without blowing up your budget. But if you get heavily invested (emotionally and financially) in a design before you have a handle on new home construction costs, you'll end up cutting costs at the very end of the process, resulting in an … [Read more...]
Super Remodeling of a Classic California Contemporary, Mid-Century Modern Home
If you're used to thinking that all "modern" homes are sleek, and cool, and minimalist on the inside, then this remodeled Mid-Century Modern home might change your mind. The 1,755 square foot home was built in 1975 by the Streng Brothers in the California Contemporary style (Streng began building great modern homes in California in the 1950's). It was recently given a … [Read more...]