Photo: Remodeled house in Southern California. For allergy sufferers, hardwood floor are the way to go. From the Indianapolis Star: Question: How can I make sure the materials I use in my remodeling project are safe for a family member with allergies? Answer: The best place to start is by talking with an allergist. Details…
From the Los Angeles Times: They may be cast in steel, assembled out of driftwood, machined on industrial lathes or hand-carved out of salt, but ultimately all of these urns have two common purposes: to contain and to heal. Rather than be burned, buried or sequestered in a columbarium, the vessels are destined for a…
I'll tell a word that really annoys me: Neutral. Could there be anything more boring? Yet you'll see people walking through a boring house and remarking: "Love the neutral colors." And I'm like: "What's to love?" I guess I'm a little more radical than some. I like COLORS! This green kitchen rocks my world. And…
Kelly Porter had an office inside her Ellicott City home, but she never used it. Each day she would set up shop with her laptop at the kitchen island. The home office, which her family of five shared, "never felt right," says the designer and color consultant (http://www.porterhousedesigns.com). "I never felt comfortable. I never felt…
If you live long enough, most things of the past become hip again, or should we say groovy again? This carpeted conversation pit is a perfect example of a feature homeowners ripped out just a few years ago for being hopelessly outdated, but which now looks stylish. This trend will likely make the carpet industry…
Can a Cambridge architect pull off a complete renovation — including a new high-end range — for less than $20,000? Is a budget-minded kitchen renovation with a high-end range and custom carpentry an oxymoron? Not in the case of architectural designer Chiong Lin’s rehab of an 11-by-14-foot Cambridge kitchen. The story begins in 2005. Lin…
I’m enthralled with this 435-square-foot apartment in Greenwich Village, N.Y. It has only one window, in the living room, yet the space feels light and open. What you see here is the living room from each end, with the kitchen on one side, and the bedroom on the other side through glass doors. (Click photo…
The New York Times had a pretty good concept for a series: Remake five rooms around the city for $300 each. In these times of job losses and declining prosperity, $300 is still a lot of money but not too much. In a living room on Long Island, $250 of the budget was eaten up…
Is it just me, or is this the most luscious, comfy, can't-possibly-leave-it TV room you've ever seen? If I had this room, I might never get up off the couch. Anyone who wanted to see me would have to come over. No meeting at Starbucks. I'd have my feet up on that hide-covered coffee table…
Me? I LOVE this kitchen. I can feel it in my bones. Maybe it's the $10,000 (or more) worth of earthy tile that gets my attention. The stove is freakishly small for the space, and I don't see why it couldn't be as wide as the blue tile section. I found this kitchen and several others…