I just bought a new camera. There’s nothing like learning a new piece of technological wizardry. Some people love it; I am not one of those people. In my defense I must say I’ve recently had to learn all the new appliances and operating systems in our carriage house as my husband – well, let’s…
As summer approaches in earnest and I remember those wonderful lake side cottage visits as a young girl, I recall my love for the look that made those places so special. At that time in my life I’d never heard of “Adirondack Style” but I sure recognized it when I saw it. To this day…
As promised in yesterday’s post, here is The Check List of questions to ask yourself as you plan and design your new home. ·How many people will live here? Are they permanent or occasional occupants and are there special needs associated with any of them? ·Is this a primary or second home? Considerations such as…
In an earlier post, The Home Design Dilemma: 7 Lessons Learned, I stressed how important it is in knowing yourself, your needs and your wants prior to beginning the design process. In this two part post I’ll go into detail as, if you’re like me, needs and wants are not always readily apparent. I could…
My mom and I often disagree about taste and style particularly when it comes to architecture. She can not understand why I am such a huge fan of barn homes. As long as I can remember I have always had a love for barns. Barns are romantic symbols of our past. If not your personal…
As the weather gets warmer and yet another long winter has come to an end, our attention turns to outdoor living and the spaces we love to inhabit during the warmer days and nights of summer. There is nothing like beautiful blue water to evoke thoughts of SUMMER! Post and beam homes have an inherent…
The decor was not my style. I discovered one of the best, most cost effective and immediate ways to create a totally fresh look was with paint. I also learned the importance of choosing the correct shade of a color. Do you have any idea how many shades of white exist out there in the…
You’ve fallen in love with a rustic barn home; its beautiful timbers, great wood beams, wide board ceilings and heavy plank floors. It has great bones but is just a bit tired looking… and dark! How to spruce it up? Begin by setting a realistic budget. What do you want to accomplish and how much…
Remodeling a post & beam is a piece of cake compared to a similar project on a stick built home. One of the primary reasons is because the post & beam frame supports the structure, while a stick built home’s structural support is provided by the interior walls. In the year 2000 friends of…
You may not believe this wild story but trust me, it is absolutely true. It happened to my close friend and I asked him to recount it for this post: I live in a Yankee Barn that was built in 1979 – 30 years old! April 15, 2007 was not one of my better days.…
Lighting a timber frame home has a few specifics you may not find in other homes. Having just done one myself, I’ve discovered the use of chandeliers, track lighting, up lighting, pendant lights, wall sconces, floor lamps and table lamps were all necessary for properly lighting different areas of my carriage house. Here are 3…
As promised in my previous post, The Design Dilemma, I’d like to talk aboutthe exterior aesthetics of a post and beam home. I’ll do this over the course of three blog posts so as not to cause your eyes to cross and/or your mind to go numb! Exterior Dos & Don’ts Part 1 Often…