Mo, Our New Puppy My family's story reminds me of a book published in 1948 titled 'Cheaper by the Dozen,' which was made into several movies of the same name about the lovely chaotic family of twelve.  I have lost count of the number of animals we have, so when a friend in the sheep business let us know she had one puppy left from a litter of Bernese Mountain Dogs, we couldn't say no since one more [...]
Dining Table Under Pergola Summertime in the Northeast is wonderful. After a long winter, the contrast between the seasons cannot be greater. My family spends a lot of time on our porch and patio as well as gathering around the pool during the summer. We alternate eating dinner inside and outside, with alfresco dining winning out every summer. When we design a home, we do everything we can to make that indoor-to-outdoor connection. If possible, there should also [...]
Outdoor Living and Dining In the northeast, we don't have a whole lot of warm weather suitable for outdoor entertaining, so we celebrate those perfect days in any way we can. We are lucky to be able to collaborate with talented landscape architects and designers including Conte and Conte, Renee Byers, Judy Murphy of Old Farm Nursery, and Rob Adroyd of Greylock Design Associates respectively. Outdoor living spaces impact the design of our homes and vice versa. Our [...]
Cut Grass in the Morning To paraphrase Robert Duvall in Apocalypse Now, 'I love the smell of cut grass in the morning!'. I also enjoy cutting the grass since it is one task that has a definite beginning and end as-well-as the immediate gratification of a tidy lawn. Charlie and Spot The lambs are growing quickly. Spot is a lamb we borrowed from a friend to keep Charlie (the black one) company. Market Lambs Out [...]
http://www.youtube.com/embed/78wJlDaxrx8 Once again we had the best show ever!  Everyone had a great time with more vendors and visitors enjoying a picture perfect fall day.  This years show showcased everything from Zoe's Ice Cream Barn to a restored 1959 Cadillac Coupe Deville (by CPR).  Free samples included wine from Clinton Vineyards, cheese from Adams, espresso from Decker and BeeBe and Zoe's ice cream. Zoe's Ice Cream Barn Restored Cadillac Don't forget Aspire Magazine who joined us(and who [...]
Endless Pool As the summer winds down, most of us will bid farewell to our pools(better yet to our neighbors' pools).  Ironically, now is when pools and pool houses are often on the drawing board in preparation for next summer's fun. To be fair, our landscaper friends do the lion's share of planning the pool environment.  We are most often interested in the location of the pool as it relates to the main house, pool house and the surrounding [...]
We had a beautiful day, 54 vendors(a record) and over 600 visitors-what more can you ask for? Well, we had a late entry of Telescopes of Vermont who showed everyone the amazing Porter Garden Telescope. Â People were reading the fine print on a dollar bill almost a block away. Â It brought back my amature astronomer's glee. There were vendors like Chris' Coffee showing their amazing Italian espresso makers and handing out free samples to Hudson Company displaying their [...]
I will be the first to admit, everyone doesn't need a bowling alley.  But if you would like to see the latest in home bowling, come on out to Fine Home Source on September 28th and take a look.  This year we have some of the most broad ranging and professional vendors ever.  You can speak to the experts from Orvis Sandanona about learning how to fly fish or shoot sporting clays then talk to the folks at Dutchess Overhead [...]
We are now a little over a month away from our 6th and largest Fine Home Source Home show.  We have enlarged the tent and added vendors and have reached a milestone of 6 years keeping craftmanship and quality design alive.  Join us in the celebration of quality services,craftsmanship, and design on September 28th in Millbrook, New York.  Here are a few of the vendors who will be there: [...]
The arrival of spring inspired me to revisit this blog from 2009, add some photos, and use the found time to plant my garden. Â Please enjoy the weather and this visual reminder of spring! A beautiful landscape can enhance any architectural project. A talented landscape architect, landscape designer or homeowner with a green thumb makes any project we design more beautiful. That partnership works even better when it begins early in the design process. Architects spend a lot [...]
