In 1990, he created a sensation with his hip-hop single, Ice Ice Baby. Two decades, several public controversies, and many life lessons later, Rob Van Winkle emerges from the shadow of his alter-ego, Vanilla Ice, to debut a mellow, more mature attitude and a new show, The Vanilla Ice Project, on the DIY Network. We spoke exclusively with…
The first thing I do when an episode of Designed to Sell comes on HGTV is check to see if Lisa LaPorta is the designer host. No offense to other worthy designers on the show, but Lisa is my favorite. She’s real. She’s talented. She’s calm. She’s classy. I just prefer to spend by Designed to…
If you can’t sell your parent’s former home, why not turn it into a showcase for green remodeling? That’s exactly what Jay DeChesere and his wife did with a ranch style home in Wilmington, N.C. that his parents moved out of and into an assisted living facility. You could say the collapse of the housing…
Check out this mural on an awkwardly shaped ceiling, which Kitty Bartholomew of HGTV fame had painted in her bedroom. Typically a tray ceiling is a real boost to a home’s architecture. But in this 1930s Cape Cod home, it was out of place. The room had apparently been added on and the modern style…
Another winning piece by kitchen designer Susan Serra: Honestly? Sometimes, not always, but sometimes, finding a place for the microwave drives me crazy! It’s not always such an obvious, easy, appliance to place. In fact, I could write a book on placing the microwave alone. First, determine how “much” microwave you need, and by that…
I try not to be too overtly negative when discussing “hip” architecture. I don’t want to bring bad karma onto myself in berating the efforts of other good souls, however misguided I believe those efforts are. So imagine my delight when a website emerges that goes all out and puts words to my thoughts! I’m…
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 Hurricane Katrina blew past, making the destruction part of the…
From the New York Times: At the Ballard Farmers’ Market in Seattle on a recent weekend, passers-by could be forgiven for thinking John Morefield was running for political office. Smiling, waving and calling out hellos to everyone who walked by his stand, he was the picture of friendliness. All he needed was campaign buttons and…
Do you remember Susan Susanka, the guru of the not-so-big-house movement? Well, this architect can do it all — design homes, design interiors, write bestsellers and present moving speeches to thousands of enthralled attendees in packed ballrooms. Plus, I can tell you from my journalistic encounters with Sarah, she is a very kind person. And…
If you believe the old adage that you are what you eat, it follows in the car insurance business that you're likely to drive what's on your mind. To put it plainly, when people are stressed and in a hurry, they tend to get in more accidents. Recently, Quality Planning Corp. and Insure.com released their…