Month: December 2018
Cool-Season Vegetables: How To Grow Asparagus
December 31, 2018
Asparagus is a springtime treat that you plant in winter or early spring, a garden perennial having two- to three-month harvest season. While its fernlike foliage might appear to indicate a fragile plant, asparagus is sturdy, often found in ditches along the street. In much of the Earth, green asparagus is common. In northwest Europe, […]
Rooms Reign Supreme With Roman Shades
December 27, 2018
The Roman color is a lined or unlined amount of drapery fabric sewn to inner rings for operability. When drawn to the vertical position, a Roman color creates a string of concentrated folds. Whether used in conjunction with a different window treatment or left by itself, these flexible colors have reigned supreme for a long […]
A Basement Remodel Sets the Stage for Flexible Play
December 25, 2018
Builder-designer David Amundson had a very special request from a Minnesota couple with two children: no more fixed furniture placement at the walk-out basement, please. Sofas, ottomans and storage options required to shape transition and shift from 1 space to another effortlessly. “My clients wanted to be able to push everything readily out of the […]
An Architect in Search of a Tag Line
December 22, 2018
Some architects are not that proficient with language. At least not the type of language that other folks understand. We are apt to ramble on a little, gesticulating strangely, while a succinct, well-placed phrase clearly illuminating a design concept becomes an increasingly improbable occurrence. Just reread that last sentence, for instance. Exactly. But sometimes architects […]
Bright Cottage in France
December 20, 2018
Lifestyle blogger Stephanie Brubaker wakes up daily to a view of a castle next door. “It’s surreal. I don’t care too much the church bells ring at 7 every day. The opinion over makes up for it,” she states. She fell in love with Beynac, France, along with the rustic cabin, La Maisonnette, nearly immediately. […]
Berkeley Bathroom Goes Into the Light
December 16, 2018
Architect Marites Abueg’s customer was ready to part ways with her bathroom’s previous incarnation: a distance swathed in dark purple paint and heavy green tile. The homeowner needed a renovation to lighten up the space, one which would “use fair substances and simplify the plan,” states Abueg. Bathroom at a GlanceWho uses this : A […]
Portico
December 13, 2018
A portico consists of a pair of columns that support a roof, creating a covered porch, entrance or walkway. “Portico” is an Italian word, but the style originated in ancient Greece, where porticoes and colonnades were popular gathering places. RTA Studio Residential Architects Columns were tapered in ancient Greece, which is currently considered classical style. […]
Garden Tour: Formal French Design on Lake Minnetonka
December 9, 2018
When homeowners that love to entertain purchased this house on Lake Minnetonka, Minnesota, the house and grounds needed a complete renovation. They desired to enjoy the yard with their kids and guests and create better views of the lake. “The yard was very woodsy and was jeopardized by junky invasive species,” says landscape architect Meg […]
Replace vs. Restore: The Fantastic Window Debate
December 7, 2018
Generally, it is preferable to retain old windows and mend them up for energy efficiency — it prevents material from entering landfills, can save yourself money and preserves a specific charm that new windows might not have. However there are drawbacks too. Experts: On the House in Progress blog, homeowner Aaron (a pseudonym) does a […]
California Mediterranean in Los Angeles
December 5, 2018
Interior designer Darci Goodman had some wooing to do if it came to the Long Beach, California, remodel. Her customers, a couple with three children, were confident in her work, but the husband had convincing. “I think he saw dollar signs in the beginning,” Goodman says. “But following the first pair of tiles in the […]