This is my own dilemma: Question: I love the look of vine-covered houses, which look to me like storybook houses. But my husband hates it. We do have invasive ivy growing on our house, and it’s awful. It pushes its way under the roof rafters and into the house. And it gets full of dust…
<p><a onclick=”window.open(this.href, ‘_blank’, ‘width=288,height=384,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0′); return false” href=”http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/02/10/vinecoveredhouse.jpg”><img title=”Vinecoveredhouse” height=”333″ alt=”Vinecoveredhouse” src=”http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/pardonourdust/images/2008/02/10/vinecoveredhouse.jpg” width=”250″ border=”0″ style=”FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 5px” /></a>This is my own dilemma:</p> <p><strong>Question</strong>: I love the look of vine-covered houses, which look to me like storybook houses. But my husband hates it. We do have invasive ivy growing on our house, and it’s awful. It…
Have you ever wondered how many planets it would take to sustain all 6.6 billion humans on Earth at your rate of consumption? Yeah, me neither. But it’s an interesting question. And to get the answer, American Public Media has created Consumer Consequences, an online "game" where you can calculate how sustainable your lifestyle really…
Why do we elect politicians who pass legislation to benefit the rich? My theory is that we all think we could be rich someday (most of us won’t be!) and we want the laws set in place when we get there. I mean, isn’t that one of the main advantages of living in the United…
As wind slams against the old, rattling, leaky, single-pane windows in my house (not pictured here), a tempest brews inside about the merits of keeping the curtains closed in the daytime to keep the house warmer (which is about the most depressing idea I’ve heard in a long time). And so getting new, snug, dual-pane,…
I was reading a story about a $100,000, three-year kitchen remodel in the San Francisco Chronicle this morning when I came across this photo. It’s a handsome kitchen, no doubt about it. But I was struck by the pan drawer underneath the cooktop. Of course you have to put something under a cooktop. It can’t…
The real reason I’m so dismissive of trends is that I’m lousy at spotting them until they’re nearly over. Those in the know have been using subway tile for a few years, and I wonder: Is it still trendy or over? Should I make this economical choice for my own remodel? In the top left…
There’s an interesting story by Michelle Hoffmann in today’s Real Estate section titled: Weekend wasters struggle with DIY home-repair jobs. The subhead says: That HGTV show made it look so easy. But growing numbers of budget-conscious homeowners are tackling jobs beyond their skills — often to the dismay of their mates. Can you relate? And…
Reader Rich W. has given me two good ideas regarding my quest for a solar-powered home: 1. Learn more about photovoltaic systems and design my own, then hire an installer. 2. Find out how much power I’m using in my house, and where all those watts are going. This is good advice. I’ve long heard…
I know this is heretical, but here’s the truth: I have no desire to conserve water in my home. Why? Because when I sacrifice and struggle and change my habits and compromise my life to save water, what will happen? The developers and politicians will immediately approve more housing tracts as far as the eye…