Posts Tagged ‘house design’
5 Reasons Why Architects Are Worth The Money – MSN Real Estate Article
Congratulations to Joseph Truini on a great and timely article entitled “5 Reasons Architects Are Worth the Money When Redoing Your Home.” If you missed it, it was posted by MSN Real Estate. I was impressed enough to post the following comment on the article: With the state of the economy right now, remodeling makes…
Read MoreYour Front Door and Entrance Is Important
We all know how important first impressions can be. Our opinion of something or someone is formed quickly upon our first encounter. That’s one reason you should pay attention to the design of your front door, entrance, and the entire arrival and entry experience when designing your house. You won’t get a second chance. So…
Read MoreMake a Standard Refrigerator Look Like a Built-in
It seems that kitchen design continues to trend in the upscale direction. People are looking for better cabinets, granite or solid surface countertops, and professional looking appliances. One of the icons of the upscale kitchen is the Sub Zero refrigerator. The name Sub Zero has come to symbolize not just a high end kitchen. Having…
Read MoreGood House Forms Can Catch Your Eye
Have you ever been walking or driving along and had your attention grabbed by a house? It happens to me a lot. Maybe that’s because I’m an architect. But I think it happens to everyone. There is something about a good house form that can really catch your eye. You might not know exactly what…
Read MorePassive Solar Design – Free Energy
Today, we awoke to a freak snowstorm here in Raleigh, North Carolina. I say “freak” because any snow is a rare occurrence in this part of the country. Snow in January is a novel concept in the southeast. Everything, and I mean everything was closed. We were crippled by Mother Nature. When the flakes stopped…
Read MoreBirth of Building Green
The birth of “Building Green” arguably happened in Austin, Texas in the 1970’s. There’s a good article in Ecohome about Austin’s sustainable building program and their continuing progress. But the trigger for Austin may not have been what you might have guessed. Here is the first paragraph of the article by Jeffery Lee: Austin, Texas…
Read MoreDesigning Stairs and Steps
Designing stairs is more intricate task than many people realize. And it’s not just about how the stairs look. Proper proportioning is critical to comfort and safety. Set the tread and riser sizes carefully. For I recommend 10″ treads with a one inch nosing. The nosing is the projection forward of the tread beyond the…
Read MoreGarage Doors – Make Them a Feature and Not a Problem
Garage doors are often one of the ugliest features on the exterior of a house. There are now quite a few “carriage house“ type doors to choose from that look much better than the traditional flat or raised panel doors. But those special doors come at a significant cost increase. There are other solutions you…
Read MoreBathroom Tiles – Do Your Tiles Come in Special Shapes?
Make sure the bathroom tiles you select come with the special shapes you’ll need to create a complete, quality installation. Most people don’t think about how their bathroom tile will be installed. They make their selections based on the color and style of the tile and what decorative tiles or accents are available and compatible…
Read MoreArchitectural Proportion – The Golden Mean
It’s almost impossible to discuss composition and architectural proportion without referring to the golden mean, also called the golden section. Readers of Dan Brown’s mega-bestseller The Da Vinci Code may recall the description of that formula in the book. As a brief refresher, the golden mean is the original organizing and proportioning method or formula…
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