Lifestyle

House + Home

Drawing Board | ‘Locavore’ construction gains fans and followers

Dec 8, 8:48 PM

Just as our food supply and production methods have globalized, so has our access to everything else, including building materials. It is not uncommon to have stone counters from the other side of the world without thinking twice about it, and we pick up lumber from the hardware store but we have little idea what forest it was cut from. But let’s envision for a moment what the locavore version of residential building might look like.

Drawing Board | Maintenance-free metal oxidizes into rich patina without corroding

Nov 10, 8:57 PM

As an architect, I get along well with all kinds of metal, but I have a special affinity for weathering steel. Invented in the 1930s under the trademark COR-TEN, it is unique in that it gets rusty like regular steel, but it never completely corrodes.

Drawing Board | Screened porches let in just enough fall

Oct 13, 9:48 PM

Fall is a great season for a screened porch. Spring is equally a wonderful time of year for a porch, and even summer can be enjoyable. Why are screened porches so appealing? A screened porch can provide a bug-free, fresh-air-yet-dry space to enjoy anything from dinner with friends to a quiet place for coffee while reading the newspaper.

Drawing Board | Dan Maginn on stone retaining walls

Aug 11, 9:53 PM

My well-intentioned yet clumsy forays into stonework taught me to better appreciate the work of actual masons. There is something about well-crafted stonework that simultaneously communicates both the beauty of natural materials and the skill of the craftsman who labored to put them into place.

Drawing Board | Buy local, build local

Jul 2, 1:49 PM

When given a choice, I always purchase local produce and products at the farmers market or grocery store. I like knowing that I am supporting a local family business in our community and that the dollars stay here in the region.

Drawing Board | Getting back to the front porch

May 12, 10:56 PM

We love our porch. In all but the harshest weather, we treat it as an extension of our home. It adds about 200 square feet of usable space, bumping us from a house that’s a bit too small to one that’s just right.

Drawing Board | Interior doors shouldn’t be an afterthought

Apr 7, 10:11 PM

The doors inside your home are a key part of a new home design or renovation. And even on their own, they’re a worthwhile upgrade. Consider how many times a day an interior door is used. Careful attention is needed when deciding on a style or size.

Drawing Board | Remember the benefits of trees

Mar 11, 7:23 AM

Trees have a multitude of benefits for our neighborhoods. Besides their beauty, trees provide shade that can lower electric and cooling bills for homes, clean the air, absorb storm water runoff and even help reduce stress. Mature, healthy trees boost property values, and let’s not forget the wildlife they shelter.