Fine Home Source 2013-Best One Ever!

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.  People were reading the fine print on a dollar bill almost a block away.  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 [...]

6 Outdoor Fireplaces

Cool evenings in October draw me out onto my porch.  We have an area heater which extends the season both in the Spring and the Fall.  Many of our clients who want to enjoy those edge of season days and nights outdoors ask us to design an outdoor fireplace. Once they start using it, they find that the ambiance of an outdoor wood burning fireplace can be a lot of fun year around.  We have heard of great [...]

3 Breakfast Bays

I have always loved sitting in a bright alcove eating breakfast and reading the paper.  These days the object in front of me is often an ipad or other electronics, but the wonderful feeling of a breakfast nook is always the same.  Of course bays which have windows on three sides are going to be the brightest.  Depending on the orientation of the house, the sunlight streaming in can be dramatic. If there are some interesting views, that [...]

Fine Home Source 2013, Sept. 28th

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 [...]

Fine Home Source 2013

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: [...]

Adding On (Revisited)

About half of the work in our office is new construction and half renovations and additions. When designing a home from scratch some of the most important elements to study(besides the clients wishes) are views, site features, sun and wind direction, and the approach to the site. The most important single element in an addition/renovation is the existing building. Sometimes the portion you save and restore is key to the rest of the project. Although it is almost [...]

Projects’ End(Revisited)

One of my least favorite parts of a project is it’s end. During the process of designing and constructing the home, we have built special relationships with home owners, contractors and craftspeople which inevitably must change. Often those business relationships become friendships, but there is nothing like being part of that creation(ask any mother). We work together as a team for as much as several years speaking at least once a week and exchanging ideas even [...]

By |2013-06-28T11:50:49-04:00February 12th, 2013|Categories: Additions, Fireplaces, Miscellaneous, Porches, Renovations|Tags: , , , |0 Comments

‘Treasure Discovered Between the Floorboards!’ (You Have to Crack Some Eggs…#5)

I have worked on many old homes over the years, including my own.  The ‘Holy Grail’ of old home restorations is to find an artifact that reveals something about the early or original owners.  Those who are lucky enough to find an artifact, solidify the link between our century and theirs and their families and ours.  I have never found anything like that, but have been content with initials on beams and the well-worn marks in our floors. [...]

By |2011-06-07T16:14:21-04:00May 27th, 2011|Categories: Miscellaneous, Renovations|Tags: , , , , |8 Comments

Ugly Duckling Phase (You Have To Crack Some Eggs….#4)

Every project reaches a phase during construction, which only an architect can love.  There is that point in major renovations, when structural elements have been completed, but little of the trim or details have been put back in place.  None of the proportions, which make a building sing, are visible yet, and all the rough edges show through.  When this ungainly stage coincides with the spring mud season, we have a big mess. On the other hand, hope [...]

Go to Top