The nice thing about remodeling an older home in a neighborhood of such homes is that you need simply walk around the area with your eyes open to find ideas for exterior architectural details. That’s what Aaron Raymond did when he remodeled his 1942 French Normandy home in the Windsor Hills area of Los Angeles.…
I asked green-leaning Berkeley architect Robert Nebolon to make a list of the top green-building innovations from his perspective. Of course, he had to make two lists— architectural and non-architectural — and if you know any architects, you’ll know it’s pretty typical that he did…
As you may know, Brad Pitt helped create the Make It Right Foundation, which has the goal of building 150 new homes in the Lower 9th Ward of New Orleans. The area was decimated when the defective walls of the Industrial Canal gave way after…
Bill and Becka Doering did a whole-house green remodel on their Santa Barbara home, and I wrote a Pardon Our Dust feature about it, which you can read here. Bill is both an engineer and a green-building enthusiast. With his firm, Doering Design & Engineering,…
Before we start generating energy onsite with solar panels and geothermal, we should cut down on any needless uses of energy in our homes. That way, we’ll need fewer solar panels to give us all the energy our homes need. But we are mostly in…
As you know if you’ve been keeping up with my blog, I’ve recently become enthralled and obsessed with the rebuilding of New Orleans. I visited the first time in mid-February and have been there now four times. So it was with some excitement, in my…
I knew we were on our way to a Depression Era decorating mentality and now we have arrived. Thank goodness we have artists living at the poverty level to show us the way. As seen in this feature in the New York Times, an artist…
Joni’s condo kitchen update is nearly done. (See the project up to now.) Joni’s friend and fellow nurse Patti is helping out, and she files this report: I’m home from the mountains and went to see Joni’s kitchen today. It’s beautiful! I am thrilled and…
I love everything about this new paint job. The yellow exterior and fancy corbels are bright and cheery. Wouldn’t it be nice if all paint stayed looking as fresh as when it was new? Dreaming. Then, the white in-between the slats of siding sets them…
One lucky organization will win a $25,000 kitchen remodel, sponsored by IKEA and Family Handyman, depending on which gets the most votes. The contenders are: Little Ferry Hose Company #1 – Little Ferry, NJ Simpson Shelter – Minneapolis, MN IHS Development – Newark, NJ Franklin…
Here’s what’s cooking on HGTV for early 2013: Get a Backyard Makeover From HGTV Landscaping Pros If you have an ugly yard with great potential, let our team of landscaping pros turn it into an amazing outdoor space. More Info Let HGTV Pros Help Renovate…
A few months ago, my friend (who I’ll call Clare for the sake of this true story) was in the position to choose a contractor for the small, charming century-old house she gutted and is bringing back to life. Clare got full bids from two…