Tucson's best neighborhoods
I've never been to Tucson, although my friend Keena used to tell me how pretty it is. After reading today's article on the best neighborhoods in that city at Charles & Hudson, though, I'd certainly like to visit. Beautiful old Tudor, Storybook, and Mission Revival homes dot Tucson, and some of them are particularly noteworthy.
Last week we re-visited our hometown of Tucson, Arizona to join the family in celebrating Father's Day. It's been 12 years since we've lived there and my how things have changed. We checked out the resurgence downtown and hope the new movie Public Enemies shines some light on an already very cool Hotel Congress as this is where John Dillinger and his gang were first captured and is now celebrated by a Dillinger Days festival.
A stones throw from Hotel Congress is the West University neighborhood which This Old House just named as one if it's 50 Best Old House Neighborhoods. The homes consist of Spanish Revival, Craftsman Bungalow, and Prairie-style which range from $175,000 to $400,000. A light rail system is almost complete that will flow through this neighborhood from downtown and up to the University of Arizona. In a city where cars are nearly a requirement, residents of West University could almost forgo their vehicles especially if they work or study at the nearby University or downtown.
how to remodel a kitchen in 905 days
About 2 1/2 years ago we started on a kitchen remodel project. If you have never done a massive kitchen remodel to an 83 year old house on hill, in a historic neighborhood, then you may doubt that it is a process that could take more than two years. 2 1/2 ago I would have doubted it too.
To be fair, the kitchen has been "done" for about 7 months. In fact I started this blog right about the time the kitchen was "done".
But now the kitchen is done "done". The last painful details (including a crack in a custom built sink) were finally completed about 3 weeks ago. So I have decided to document this kitchen. And where do I document everything in my life? Well here of course!
I won't go into all the gory details. But basically we knocked out walls and turned a kitchen, a laundry room and my old office into a large kitchen and eating area. We moved the laundry room to what was formerly a spooky little space under the garage. We blasted through the foundation of the house to make a door that attaches the new laundry room to the kitchen.
The finished product is a beautiful, warm room. Alternatively modern, Victorian and Prairie, it uses light and wood and tile in concert better than any other remodel I've seen in the last few years.
Congratulations to greg and his hard-working architects, Victoria Yust & Ian McIlvain of Tierra Sol y Mar, and the craftspeople who did the actual building of the room.
redesign in progress
As anal-retentive as I am about type, you'd think I'd iron out all the bugs before dropping the new template into place. This time, however, I've decided to be a bit more experiential. I still can't get the ads to work right (saving typelists and the custom html widget seem to time out upon trying to save the google ads code, but nothing else causes this odd behavior); I need to tighten up the 2-line headers, although I'll try to keep those to a single line in the future (any idea on the best way to do this via css?).
I'm open to additional suggestions for improvements - please do let me know what I should change, but remember that my level of technical expertise is not especially high, and I do need to lean on more-experienced friends for much of the implementation.
contemporary Craftsman near SLO, CA
Here's a contemporary melding of Ranch, Mid-Century and Craftsman styles, with some very modern-looking stonework, near San Luis Obispo, CA. Check out the wonderful Greene-inspired door.
contemp Stickley sidetable: $300
A pretty decent deal in today's Hoboken Craigslist.
a Greentea Design remodeled kitchen in Ottawa
[the finished kitchen; photo by Kim]
Last week, in our post on Greentea Design, I made a quick mention of
one specific old-house kitchen remodel using their cabinets. Since
then, Mike Ramsey at Greentea was kind enough to supply me with
comprehensive background information on this particular project, and I
thought it would be of interest to all of you - not just those
considering a kitchen remodel, but anyone interested in how this
Asian-influenced cabinetry can work in a Craftsman home.
The
kitchen in Kim's turn-of-the-century Ottawa bungalow was originally
attractive, I'm sure, but long before she moved in there, someone with
a surfeit of love for Formica ripped out the original cabinetry and,
unfortunately, expressed themselves all over the room. Fast forward to the both modern and at the same time classic finished product - but don't worry, we'll spell out the whole process for you below; you can read even more about it on Kim's own blog.
Kim
had already decided to remove the non-bearing wall that separated the
kitchen from the living room, which made the previous owner's kitchen
cramped and difficult to use. In doing the demolition, she found all sorts of interesting things - layers upon layers of wallpaper and newsprint dating back to 1903. Other demo-related discoveries included what appeared to be horse hair - possibly used for insulation in the ceiling - found when removing wood paneling to allow for can lights,
Next, Greentea interviewed Kim regarding what she wanted and what she needed from the new kitchen, and produced a rough sketch of what would be possible in the new room. Kim picked out which pieces she wanted, and Greentea rendered them in Google Sketchup for confirmation of sizing before they submitted the order to their factory. Pieces included 2 single and one double Mizuya
upper cabinets, three Mizuya
base cabinets – two 3 drawer versions and a smaller one
with chopstick drawers in place of the third drawer – and finally a standard 4
foot Mizuya Pantry. Google Sketchup,
the (free) savior to the design/build industries and with a learning
curve that allows anyone to pick it up, is again called into use, this
time to generate a full render of the finished kitchen.
Soon after the demolition and basic structural changes were completed, Kim received the (very well-packed) cabinetry
from Greentea and began to put things into place. Appliances were
brought in, base cabinets were installed, and whatever minimal
modifications that were needed for plumbing were made, then sink, lighting,
and countertops came next; at this point, it was really starting to
look like the kitchen she'd been waiting for - certainly a feeling
we've all been very happy to have as a remodel starts to actually
resemble the picture we have in our heads. One neat addition at this
point: Kim had a cat hole made in the hatch to her basement, which was mounted on shock absorbers to let it move up and down smoothly - a really nice feature worth emulating.
And voila: it is done! Finally, you can see how well everything fits into the new cabinetry; her four-foot Mizuya pantry is especially spacious. Kim even made a short video tour
of the finished product, which really shows how well these cabinets
define the tone of the room, but don't overpower the rest of the house
at all.
Again, if you're at all interested in a really good deal on step tansu - my single favorite piece of cabinetry - note that Greentea is running their Step Into Summer promotion, with large discounts on all step tansu, for another two weeks (it ends on June 15!).
book: Shop Class as Soulcraft
Last weekend, the NY Times Magazine included a short excerpt from a terrific new book by Matthew Crawford, a motorcycle mechanic with a Ph.D. in philosophy.
Shop Class as Soulcraft: An Inquiry Into the Value of Work
High-school shop-class programs were widely dismantled in the 1990s as educators prepared students to become “knowledge workers.” The imperative of the last 20 years to round up every warm body and send it to college, then to the cubicle, was tied to a vision of the future in which we somehow take leave of material reality and glide about in a pure information economy. This has not come to pass. To begin with, such work often feels more enervating than gliding. More fundamentally, now as ever, somebody has to actually do things: fix our cars, unclog our toilets, build our houses.
When we praise people who do work that is straightforwardly useful, the praise often betrays an assumption that they had no other options. We idealize them as the salt of the earth and emphasize the sacrifice for others their work may entail. Such sacrifice does indeed occur — the hazards faced by a lineman restoring power during a storm come to mind. But what if such work answers as well to a basic human need of the one who does it? I take this to be the suggestion of Marge Piercy’s poem “To Be of Use,” which concludes with the lines “the pitcher longs for water to carry/and a person for work that is real.” Beneath our gratitude for the lineman may rest envy.
This seems to be a moment when the useful arts have an especially compelling economic rationale. A car mechanics’ trade association reports that repair shops have seen their business jump significantly in the current recession: people aren’t buying new cars; they are fixing the ones they have. The current downturn is likely to pass eventually. But there are also systemic changes in the economy, arising from information technology, that have the surprising effect of making the manual trades — plumbing, electrical work, car repair — more attractive as careers. The Princeton economist Alan Blinder argues that the crucial distinction in the emerging labor market is not between those with more or less education, but between those whose services can be delivered over a wire and those who must do their work in person or on site. The latter will find their livelihoods more secure against outsourcing to distant countries. As Blinder puts it, “You can’t hammer a nail over the Internet.” Nor can the Indians fix your car. Because they are in India.
If the goal is to earn a living, then, maybe it isn’t really true that 18-year-olds need to be imparted with a sense of panic about getting into college (though they certainly need to learn). Some people are hustled off to college, then to the cubicle, against their own inclinations and natural bents, when they would rather be learning to build things or fix things. One shop teacher suggested to me that “in schools, we create artificial learning environments for our children that they know to be contrived and undeserving of their full attention and engagement. Without the opportunity to learn through the hands, the world remains abstract and distant, and the passions for learning will not be engaged.”
A gifted young person who chooses to become a mechanic rather than to accumulate academic credentials is viewed as eccentric, if not self-destructive. There is a pervasive anxiety among parents that there is only one track to success for their children. It runs through a series of gates controlled by prestigious institutions. Further, there is wide use of drugs to medicate boys, especially, against their natural tendency toward action, the better to “keep things on track.” I taught briefly in a public high school and would have loved to have set up a Ritalin fogger in my classroom. It is a rare person, male or female, who is naturally inclined to sit still for 17 years in school, and then indefinitely at work.
Greene and Greene Lantern
I'll try to regularly post images from the terrific Hewn & Hammered pool on Flickr, which has almost 3,000 images of beautiful historic homes, remodels, hardware and furniture for your to browse.
Frank Lloyd masterworks available in lego form
Our friends at Prairie Mod, always hep to news in the tiny overlapping center of the Frank Lloyd Wright / Lego Venn diagram, have noted two additions to Lego's classic architecture line. Both are Frank Lloyd Wright designs, of course: the Guggenheim model is now on sale for $55 shipped, and Fallingwater will be available soon.
Brickstructures, the folks who are collaborating with Lego and the Frank Lloyd Wright folks on these models, has several other structures available to view on their website, including 7 South Dearborn, the Burj Dubai, the Chicago Spire, the Empire State Building, Jin Mao Tower, the John Hancokc, Marina City, the M.B. Skyneedle, Sears Tower, the St. Louis Arch, San Francisco's Transamerica Pyramid, Trump Tower and the World Trade Center.
No idea if these others will be available for sale; for most, it's doubtful, given the huge number of blocks
Greentea Design: spectacular custom kitchens
Toronto-based Greentea Design
has a special place in my heart: not only do they design, build and
sell some of the most beautiful kitchen cabinetry available anywhere -
in beautiful Japanese-influenced styles that are a perfect match for
any Mission or Craftsman home - but they also carry a range of both
antique and contemporary reclaimed-wood furniture, some in historic
Craftsman and Japanese designs and others in more contemporary shapes.
And the prices, even including the (very professional and speedy)
shipping from Canada are surprisingly low, making them competitive with
any of the larger semi-custom cabinet makers out there, even while
using better materials and sturdier building techniques.
I'm very happy to have a piece of theirs up in my own modern Craftsman kitchen, and I hope to have a few photographs of it soon; a smaller version of the Dana cabinet (pictured above; mine is a similar to what sits above the glass cabinets on the right and left of this unit) completes the rear wall of that recently-remodeled room in my 1925 Mission Revival bungalow in Sacramento, California, and it's a perfect complement for the bamboo floors, stone countertops and glass tile backsplash that round out the project. Some day, I'd like to own one of their step tansus, which I have always maintained are the perfect bridge between an austere Asian design style and the earthy workmanship of the Craftsman aesthetic. And they're running a special "Stepping Into Summer" promotion right now, with 20% discounts on these unique pieces, including the Elm Burl step tansu, shown below.
Owner
Dale Storer has worked hard to make sure that Greentea's products
complement a wide range of architectural styles, though, and much of
their more contemporary designs would look at home whether in a
traditional Japanese home, a Craftsman bungalow, or a modern high-tech
apartment. The Lattice TV Stand,
pictured below, hides components behind a latticed sliding door that
still allows remote controls to function, and is just as good a match
for an urban loft as it is for a 90-year-old brown-shingle Craftsman
bungalow. Every one of these pieces is made from reclaimed wood, and
all come in a variety of finishes with different types of hardware
available as well. Mike Ramsey writes that the reclaimed wood usually
comes from "aging rural structures
that are being taken down to make way for Asia's rapidly expanding
urban centers. The Maru tables are the best example since they're
turned into tables directly from being reclaimed. The original supports
are cut into legs who have correspondingly sized holes cut in the base
of the slabs of floor."
Their antiques stock, some of which is on hand at their Toronto showroom, is also worth checking out; I'm partial to the large selection of all sorts of Japanese tansu, but they also carry plenty of Chinese and Korean pieces as well.
I'm not so used to giving such praise to a business - as regular readers know, I'm pretty stingy with compliments and generous with criticism, which is certainly a fault. However, after dealing with this company myself and going gaga over their website, I just wanted to make sure you were all as familiar with them as I've become. After seeing so many (primarily) Japanese antiques blend so well with the large shingled Craftsman homes of California, but noticing the absence of same elsewhere in the country, I thought perhaps most people didn't realize that the two styles matched so well.
If you're in or near Toronto, definitely check out the Greentea showroom; otherwise, spend a few minutes browsing their website, or call them at 1.866.426.7286 to talk with someone about your kitchen design or furniture needs.
I've made a small Flickr album for photos of their work; I'll soon add a good shot of the Dana cabinet in my own kitchen; those of you who already have Greentea cabinets, please do send me your photos, and I'll add them as well!
new home, old plan
Starting this week, I'll try to post an image every day from the terrific Hewn & Hammered pool on Flickr, which has almost 3,000 images of beautiful historic homes, remodels, hardware and furniture for your to browse.
dining room at a West Adams residence
Starting this week, I'll try to post an image every day from the terrific Hewn & Hammered pool on Flickr, which has almost 3,000 images of beautiful historic homes, remodels, hardware and furniture for your to browse.
Strictly Wood Furniture: a warning to consumers
Several times in the past we mentioned Strictly Wood Furniture, their excellent prices and the seemingly high quality Mission Revival reproduction items they sold. However - and I have to admit I'm definitely behind the times on this since the complaints date back four years - I found this thread on Gardenweb detailing dozens of people's very serious problems with the company. Some have waited years for furniture or refunds that never came, others took delivery of obviously broken or incomplete orders; all had one thing in common: that they were unable to get any kind of honest answer from the seemingly friendly folks who worked for Strictly Wood. SWF went so far as to give completely fabricated fedex confirmation numbers - meant to maintain the illusion that a refund check was on its way to the customer - on multiple occasions. What a scam! And, as of last year, their flagship showroom in New York City is shuttered.
The good luck is that they have closed down; the bad news is that they've only closed down under that name, and keep reappearing under others: watch out for their other fronts (they are apparently still selling, or rather promising to deliver, via constantly-changing Yahoo stores and various auction sites, too), and if you see the name Hakan "Mike" Altunbas in combination with furniture sales ... stay away!
Ralph Jones helped them go into receivership and writes that most of the customers who never got their money back or the furniture they ordered were eventually given something; however, after contacting a half dozen people who had posted in the Gardenweb thread, only one had received any communication at the time Strictly Wood closed down, and several noted that the Altunbas family was still doing business under other names and still refusing to cooperate with these dissatisfied customers.
replica of the stolen G&G lantern at the Gamble House
Starting this week, I'll try to post an image every day from the terrific Hewn & Hammered pool on Flickr, which has almost 3,000 images of beautiful historic homes, remodels, hardware and furniture for your to browse.
4th Annual Arts & Crafts Chicago show & sale
Just got this press release in my inbox. If any of you go, please send me photographs! And remember, the Frank Lloyd Wright home & studio is in River Forest, too, so you could easily make a nice weekend out of this:
The 4th Annual Arts and Crafts Chicago Show and Sale is coming back to
Concordia University in River Forest on Saturday, May 30th and Sunday,
May 31st 2009. Focusing on mission furniture and accessories of the
American Arts and Crafts Movement (approximately 1890-1920), this show
will truly be one you won’t want to miss. You’ll find 20th Century
Decorative Arts including furniture, metalwork, pottery, textiles, art
and lighting; everything from Stickley, Limbert, Roycroft, Rookwood and
much more. Over 50 of the nations leading dealers will be on hand to
answer questions and advise on how to decorate your home. This
specialized event has proven to be one of the premiere antique and
contemporary shows in the Midwest.
Dealers attending this year’s show are coming from all across the country. We have dealers from Massachusetts, New York, California, Texas as well as the best dealers from the Midwest. JMW and Crones Collectibles from Massachusetts will be featuring high-end pottery from the Northeast such as Grueby, Saturday Evening Girls and Marblehead, as well as furniture and accessories. Jack Papadinis Antiques, Connecticut, will be showcasing some of the premiere lighting in the country and David Surgan from New York will offer the best Heintz Collection for sale in the country. Paramour Fine Arts, which specializes in arts and crafts era woodblocks and art, will be on hand showcasing some fabulous artwork from the era. Local dealers such as John Toomey Gallery will be exhibiting as well, highlighting Midwest artists such as Frank Lloyd Wright, TECO and Jarvie.
Not only is this an antique show, but the weekend will showcase the highest quality contemporary craftsfirms as well. Ephraim Faience Pottery, Door Pottery, Arts and Crafts Hardware and Dard Hunter Studios will be in attendance, just to name a few.
With the success of the show over the last three years and with the rich tradition of bungalows, as well as the Prairie School heritage of Frank Lloyd Wright, Chicago has proven to be a perfect fit for this specialized show.
Homeowners interested in educating themselves as to the appropriate furnishings for their turn of the century bungalows and craftsman style homes shouldn’t miss the 4th Annual Arts and Crafts Chicago Show and Sale, Saturday May 30th, 2009, from 10 am – 5 pm and Sunday May 31st from 11 am – 4 pm at Concordia University at Geiseman Gym in River Forest, Illinois. Admission price is only $7 each. Free parking on site in a 5-level garage. No parking on Monroe.
Dealers attending this year’s show are coming from all across the country. We have dealers from Massachusetts, New York, California, Texas as well as the best dealers from the Midwest. JMW and Crones Collectibles from Massachusetts will be featuring high-end pottery from the Northeast such as Grueby, Saturday Evening Girls and Marblehead, as well as furniture and accessories. Jack Papadinis Antiques, Connecticut, will be showcasing some of the premiere lighting in the country and David Surgan from New York will offer the best Heintz Collection for sale in the country. Paramour Fine Arts, which specializes in arts and crafts era woodblocks and art, will be on hand showcasing some fabulous artwork from the era. Local dealers such as John Toomey Gallery will be exhibiting as well, highlighting Midwest artists such as Frank Lloyd Wright, TECO and Jarvie.
Not only is this an antique show, but the weekend will showcase the highest quality contemporary craftsfirms as well. Ephraim Faience Pottery, Door Pottery, Arts and Crafts Hardware and Dard Hunter Studios will be in attendance, just to name a few.
With the success of the show over the last three years and with the rich tradition of bungalows, as well as the Prairie School heritage of Frank Lloyd Wright, Chicago has proven to be a perfect fit for this specialized show.
Homeowners interested in educating themselves as to the appropriate furnishings for their turn of the century bungalows and craftsman style homes shouldn’t miss the 4th Annual Arts and Crafts Chicago Show and Sale, Saturday May 30th, 2009, from 10 am – 5 pm and Sunday May 31st from 11 am – 4 pm at Concordia University at Geiseman Gym in River Forest, Illinois. Admission price is only $7 each. Free parking on site in a 5-level garage. No parking on Monroe.
special homes in unspecial places
I got this from the folks at Preservation Directory and thought some Hewn & Hammered readers might be able to help. My own home is the opposite: a very plain, unfortunately much-"improved" Mission Revival bungalow in a neighborhood full of beautiful Victorians, Craftsman highwaters and Mission cottages.
Please contact New York Times reporter Sarah Maslin Nir directly to participate or to receive additional information about the article. Her deadline is Thursday, May 14, 2009.
I am looking for homeowners who love their historic or stunning house, even though it is in a neighborhood that you wouldn't usually find this type of home in. Perhaps the neighborhood has changed from what it was like when the house was built, and now it doesn't really fit it. The house might be next to something unusual like an airport or power plant. Or they are in a neighborhood that was once residential and is now a mall or an urban center etc.
Two caveats: 1) the neighborhood should not be "up and coming", rather a place that is going to stay as it is, but the home buyers love the house anyway. 2) The house is NOT for sale. These can be recently moved-in residents or long time owners, but no one who is selling the house currently.
I'm looking for people who love their home where others might not give the same house a second glance. Thanks so much I look forward to your e-mails."
Two caveats: 1) the neighborhood should not be "up and coming", rather a place that is going to stay as it is, but the home buyers love the house anyway. 2) The house is NOT for sale. These can be recently moved-in residents or long time owners, but no one who is selling the house currently.
I'm looking for people who love their home where others might not give the same house a second glance. Thanks so much I look forward to your e-mails."
Twin Cities Houseblog Tour
Not quite as much fun as an actual home tour but entertaining nonetheless: please feel free to drop in anywhere along the way at this year's Twin Cities Houseblog Tour.
for sale: 3/2 highwater bungalow in Portland OR, $339k
This attractive 1908 highwater near 15th & Fremont has just over 1800 sq ft, 3 bedrooms & 2 baths, an attractively-landscaped lot & hardwood throughout. Several original built-ins survive, and the basement has been completely finished.
the prettiest saw in the world
Veritas makes the prettiest dovetail (or "variable gang") saw in the world. And for $220, we can only hope it works as well as it looks.
neighborhood renovations in Pasadena's Bungalow Heaven
Reader Sarah Hilbert writes to tell us about how, earlier today, residents of Pasadena's beautiful Bungalow Heaven Landmark District to celebrate the new, enhanced versions of the neighborhood's signature street signs:
The streets of Pasadena's Bungalow Heaven Landmark District just got a little
brighter: The neighborhood is installing brand new street signs both to proclaim
its new designation on the National Register of Historic Places and to honor its
20th anniversary as Pasadena's first Landmark District.
A group of neighbors gathered on March 31 to watch the first sign get hung and to make a celebratory toast to many more years of being historic and furthering old homes' preservation. Several media outlets were also present to cover the event.
The signs are enhanced versions of those that have hung for nearly 20 years, which have faded significantly in the sunlight. Toni Devereaux, the designer of the original signs, was asked to lend her expertise once again in crafting a brighter version. Now crafted from computer-cut vinyl and featuring a dark brown bungalow in the center, the new signs will be longer lasting and stay more visible over time. All signs will be installed by April 26, when the 20th Anniversary Bungalow Heaven Home Tour takes place.
A group of neighbors gathered on March 31 to watch the first sign get hung and to make a celebratory toast to many more years of being historic and furthering old homes' preservation. Several media outlets were also present to cover the event.
The signs are enhanced versions of those that have hung for nearly 20 years, which have faded significantly in the sunlight. Toni Devereaux, the designer of the original signs, was asked to lend her expertise once again in crafting a brighter version. Now crafted from computer-cut vinyl and featuring a dark brown bungalow in the center, the new signs will be longer lasting and stay more visible over time. All signs will be installed by April 26, when the 20th Anniversary Bungalow Heaven Home Tour takes place.
selling your home when you have small children
Our friend, real estate professional Joel Macdonald, passes along this good advice for those of you with small kids who may be selling - or getting ready to sell - your home:
When you are selling your home, having the property in the best showing condition it can be has got to be your highest priority. Being able to get that feat done when you have kids can be a tough assignment at best, let alone to keep it in that condition all the time your home is on the market. There are a few easy actions you can take to keep your home showable even with little ones living their regular lives.
Organization is the Key Thing
Children of all ages tend to stockpile toys of all kinds. They like variety. As a parent you might have gotten used to the sight of clutter, but someone who is not used to being around small children can notice it. The first step to take, then, in getting your home ready to go on the market is to organize your children's belongings so they can easily be put away and mostly out of sight. This can be approached by getting and using toy chests or storage boxes. Find storage that fits into the space without being too obvious.
Clean up the Exterior of the House
Putting things away on the outside of your home is important as well. Try finding ways to set up, or store, the children's outdoor toys in a neat and tidy way to present the outside of your house well. Toys that cannot be stored in a garage or outdoor storage do not have to be all put away but they must not present a cluttered appearance.
Of course, the regular practice of clearing out things that are not needed in a systematic manner is just as pertinent to the young family members' things as it is to all the other old treasures. This is an excellent skill even if you are not going to move. Children as well as adults have to learn to make decisions. Learning the process of letting things go and moving on is a necessary part of life. This process can be a growth opportunity for the children, though it will be important to get their participation and not force their decisions. That would only interfere with the lesson to be gained.
Keeping It Up
Some discipline will be required to keep everything in order after you
are all organized. Trying to keep everything reasonably neat after it
is sorted can be difficult, but it is not impossible. Once you have
your storage set up, keeping everything in order will be much easier.
Limit the number of different things your children are playing with.
You can even make the goal of keeping the house straight an adventure
or challenge for your kids. They in turn may even remind you to keep
other things in the house organized as well.
Don't try and keep your children from all their regular play while you are selling your home. There is no need to turn your home into a sterile clean home where it would seem no children would be allowed. Many people in the market for a family home are happy to see a house that is inviting to live in, with toys in use. Just be aware that it should be kept on the neater side of normal.
If you have children who are messy painters it might be a step-saver to put down a rug for them to play on that can be put away when potential buyers come to see the home. That way you can prevent any cleanup needed to pop back into the neat appearance of a newly cleaned home. Keeping the finger paints put away and out of sight during the time the home is offered for sale might be a good approach too.
It's not too impossible, is it, to allow the children to continue with their normal lives while you are offering your home in the good condition that a real estate sale demands. A little patience and attention, together with organization and daily attention to clearing up clutter, will make the sale of your home with young children much more manageable.
Article provided through Automated Homefinder, the Boulder home specialists of Colorado.
a truly highwater bungalow
Offered without comment: a truly highwater bungalow in Sacramento, California.
Art Nouveau wall sconce from James Mattson
Our friend, copper craftsman James Mattson, has a new item for sale: a beautiful Art Nouveau wall sconce that looks great by itself or in combination with his Art Nouveau chandelier. It's the perfect complement for Craftsman and rustic cabin settings, and would even work with a spare, modern interior. Check it out - it's the last item on this page.
video: make way for progress
Grab a kleenex and watch the City of Seattle destroy Kay Rood's gorgeous, 100-year old Capitol Hill Queen Anne / Craftsman to make way for a light rail station. Civic development and growth at any cost. More on this from the Seattle Press-Intelligencer.
Fawcett House, FLW California ranch, for sale: $2.7 million
Los Banos ("the baths," named after no longer active mineral springs, apparently) sits on the outer edge of Merced County, a few hours from San Francisco. It's farmland - the soil is black and loamy, and the slight scent of cattle will assail your nose, sometimes, when you're driving these dusty roads. It's not where you would expect to find a Frank Lloyd Wright home, but the master architect did design and build a house here at the end of his career, amid the feedlots and windmills. James Temple has the story in last weekend's San Francisco Chronicle:
It is the third-to-last California residence drawn by the master of suburban homes, and one of only two currently on the market.
Obscured from the road by a cluster of walnut trees, the cinderblock structure forms an angular, shallow U. The living room at the base looks onto the garden through a wall of windows and French doors. Twin wings swing open to 120 degrees, a row of bedrooms radiating outward on the north side, the kitchen and play room on the south, before giving way to a palm-shaded swimming pool.
...
The elongated structure and the lines of the low-pitched roof, banded with a copper fascia, echo the flatness of the fields around it. The wings stretch out like open arms to the Coast Range in the distance. Where the sections of typical homes feel squared off and self contained, the obtuse angles, walls of windows, loggia and terrace open up the space, blurring the boundaries between interior and exterior.
"He softened the whole effect of the place on that barren center of a valley by using the 120-degree angles," said William Storrer, author of "The Frank Lloyd Wright Companion." "It just seemed to be right for the space."
The centerpiece of the family room is a 6-foot-high, 12-foot-wide fireplace, a veritable cave where Randall Fawcett would tend massive walnut logs that burned for days. Built-in mahogany cabinetry and furniture accent corners and spaces throughout the home.
The 6 bedroom, 4.5 bath, 3700 square foot home - on 80 acres - is listed for $2.7 million. For more photographs and information check out the official website & listing.
Jerry Middleton: building medicine cabinets.
Reader Karen Klingon, wife of woodworker Jerry Middleton, sends us this great photomontage of Jerry in his Williamsburg, Brooklyn workshop. The photograph is by NYC photographer Ron Nicolaysen. In the photo, Jerry is working on his beautiful, handcrafted medicine cabinets.
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new baby; Hewn and Hammered languishes
There's a very good reason for the less-than-regular posts that have dotted Hewn & Hammered since New Years. We came home from Korea on 12.31 with this wonderful holiday present, whom I am happy to say is presently (and pretty much for the foreseeable future) going to be taking up all my time.
So it was pretty much the most awesome Christmas / Chanuka / New Years ever.
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