“Cosmopolitan craftsman” style in the living room
Homeowner Denise felt stumped on how to update her living room into a space with a more modern feel. Angelo Surmelis of HGTV’s Rate My Space intervened. He updated the decor and furniture while keeping the overall look harmonious with the home’s original Craftsman architecture.
Tax time is here
Around this time of year, tax forms for 2011 are trickling home through the mail. If you have a more complicated return or simply want guidance, enlisting the help of a professional tax preparer can mean the difference between paying more or less to Uncle Sam. For households that run a small business, it’s important to find an accountant who stays up to date on tax laws pertaining to your specific industry. Learn more by watching the Wall Street Journal’s “Experts Explain: How To Choose a Tax Preparer.”
Winter is the perfect season to organize
If the cold and wind are keeping you indoors this season, there are a slew of small household projects that can have significant impact on the family’s comfort and ease of living. Martha Stewart Living suggests 21 simple ways to divide and conquer oft-forgotten areas.
- Create a calendar using sticky post-its to map out important dates and goals.
- Keep emergency road supplies ready to go in the car.
- Make a go-to stain treatment kit for stubborn spills.
- File the many computer passwords that are running through your head.
- Store bulk food items in groups and in style.
Beyond post-its are other household tools for organizing. For the home office, the label maker is your best friend. Take the guesswork out of finding important documents by labeling every binder, file, and box. If your drawers are a mess, consider using Rubbermaid’s interlocking plastic dividers, available in six different sizes. They are ideal for clothing, office supplies, and even kitchen utensils.
Don’t succumb to procrastination — organize through the winter and be ready for spring.
Keep out the winter chill
Elle Decor
Fireplaces add aesthetic appeal to the house as well as warmth throughout the winter season. While traditional fireplaces need ventilation, there are new types on the retail market that do not.
Smoke-free fuels derived from eco-friendly, plant-based bio-ethanol can be utilized in rooms where ventilation is not available. The Fire Line Automatic from Planika features a 31″-long, low-profile flame with 14,000 BTUs, and it can be placed on a shelf or into a recessed wall. The Avani, manufactured by BrasaFire, is made of stainless steel and ceramic. It serves as a stand-alone fire or can substitute for a traditional log flame.
But if it’s a modern version of the old fashioned hearth you want, Jayne Michaels’s New York City apartment mantel may be just the thing (pictured to the right). The custom-made concrete looks like stone, but it’s more affordable and easier to install. For more inspiration on mantel styles that may suit your home, check out Candice Olson’s 9 Fireplace Design Ideas.
Best places to live car-free
For households that choose not to own a personal vehicle, urban centers that provide public transportation systems and amenities like retail stores, schools, and entertainment within close distance can be ideal places to live and work.
24/7 Wall St. compiled a list of the top 10 best places to reside, sans automobile:
- Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA-NH (#10)
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana, CA
- Salt Lake City, UT
- Denver-Aurora, CO
- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA
- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA
- Honolulu, HI
- New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island, NY-NJ-PA
- Portland-Vancouver-Beaverton, OR-WA
- San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA (#1)
These cities, out of the 100 largest metropolitan areas in the U.S, ranked highest for the following criteria — percentage of neighborhoods covered by public transit, frequency of service to those areas, the number of jobs reachable within 90 minutes or less by public transit, and the “walk score” (the number that indicates accessibility to amenities by foot).
Bottoms up
If the real estate market has hit bottom on the East coast, then there’s nowhere to go but up. The Wall Street Journal reports that cost-conscious buyers are not just surfacing in and around New York suburbs. They’re “storming” the market.
In Westchester County, the number of buyers in contract for homes has dramatically increased. Contracted houses priced under $500,000 at the close of 2011 went up by almost 40% from the same time in 2010. New Jersey shows a similar trend, where properties in contract priced under $400,000 rose by 11.3% from a year earlier. Some analysts believe the worst is over.
At least in regions of New York and New Jersey, houses on the market for close to or below $500,000 are doing better than those priced above that price point. Chris Meyers, chief operating officer of the largest residential brokerage in Westchester, says that history typically shows that “the strong markets get healthy from the bottom up.” For Claudia Ruggiero and her husband, who are both teachers in White Plains, NY, and commute at least 45 minutes one way to work, the market had shifted in their favor. They found a three-bedroom Dutch colonial for just the right price in Armonk, a neighborhood she couldn’t previously afford.
A studio for the future
Seattle Times
When architect, painter, and photographer David Hall constructed his work studio in the Samish River flood plain, he drew the curiosity and admiration of others in his craft. The 448-square-foot backyard box, built in the spring of 2010 for $106,000, is all things flexible. Hall and his wife first moved to the town of Edison in 1974, when they purchased their first house.
They’ve remained since, and STUDIOEDISON multitasks in ways that the Halls require. It’s a bedroom, guesthouse, art studio, exercise room, and reading retreat, among other things. When Hall entered STUDIOEDISON in Seattle’s FutureShack competition, sponsored by the AIA (American Institute of Architects) last summer, the judges were impressed with the structure’s ability to adapt to climate change, potential as emergency housing, and overall functionality, deeming it an ideal model for the urban ADU, or affordable dwelling unit.
STUDIOEDISON is situated in low country (4 feet above sea level) and sits on salvaged cedar posts. The underside is open in case of flooding. The house faces south and has floor-to-ceiling sliding-glass doors that open to the backyard garden and Skagit Valley views. It inspires Hall, principal at HKP Architects in Mount Vernon, to think about designing smaller residential projects. In the meantime, Hall and his wife look out at their studio and see “nothing but possibility.”
Kitchen remodel tips
Homeowners who want to refresh their kitchen spaces often hire professionals to tackle the job. Before consulting with a remodeler, homeowners can save time and money by doing some initial research of their own. Homestyler.com is one of many web tools that enable the user to design floor plans, insert furniture and appliances, and visualize spaces in 2D. If you can see the end result in your mind’s eye, then you’re on your way to making it happen.
Can you see through this LCD screen?
Samsung showcases its newest in technology — a prototype of the transparent smart window. Imagine accessing travel plans, recipes, television programs, music, and photos in one place. The company believes that this see-through LCD screen is the future. Not only does it connect people to the outside world, it also puts the power of technology within the touch of our fingertips.
http://money.cnn.com/video/technology/2012/01/10/t-ts-samsung-clear-tv.fortune/
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