I’ve been especially enchanted with several house photos in my collection, and I finally realized what they have in common: All of the homes use natural light to make the journeys from room to room more pleasant. The top photo shows Claire Gunning, 8, walking down the stairway in her family’s Hermosa Beach home, which…
The more I study this “green” house, the more I like it. Of course, it’s more of a teardown and rebuild than a remodel, but the lot size — at 30 feet by 50 feet — presented plenty of challenges. The 2,000-square-foot, three-bedroom house, which is two blocks from the beach in Hermosa, was designed for a…
Here at Kathy’s Remodeling Blog, I may be destined to one day have a kitchen with a wall of windows because each time I see a kitchen like this, I feel a pull on my heart. Here are some examples: A kitchen in Sonoma, California, that overlooks a courtyard, in USA Today A kitchen in…
The shortening days of autumn are a hint that winter is just around the corner. They’re also our cue to start considering ways to keep the house warm and toasty – without going broke. What’s eating up your energy bill? Often, the major culprits are as simple as your home’s doors and windows: prime escape…
I’ve been self-employed my whole career and I could not be happier. No matter what the economy is doing, a scrappy freelancer can find work. If I was casting about for a new career, I might consider becoming a restorer of old wood windows, like this woman featured in an Old House Journal article. Pam…
A few videos recently showed up on YouTube showing construction dudes doing amazing feats with nail guns and such. The videos went viral and were seen millions of times. However, it turns out those construction guys were actors and the videos were made by Integrity Windows and Doors, a division of Marvin Windows. I think…
If you want to bring natural light into a kitchen, you’ve usually got to sacrifice some upper cabinets. Typically, kitchens have one window: above the sink. And if you’re really daring, you can put in a skylight. But if you’re addicted to natural light, as I am, you look for other ways. This kitchen, by…
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…
For Seattle resident Andy Luk, it's always been about his dog, Spiff. The massive mutt is as much a fixture in Luk's home as his collection of Asian- and nature-inspired artwork and delicate antique furniture. The reason Luk found his hillside home in the first place? Spiff. Almost a decade ago, Luk was taking Spiff…