I remember buying my first home. It was a rollercoaster of emotions. From excitement to anxiety and then relief. Now it was finally time to move in. I got some great advice that in hindsight, really helped start me off on the right foot. It boils down to patience and planning. Before you jump in,…
Temperatures are rising, the days are getting longer, and you’re officially packed and ready to enjoy some well-deserved R&R. As a homeowner, going away for any length of time can be stressful. Your mind instantly creates the worst-case scenarios.
I am, admittedly, a magazine addict. There are certain glossy magazines I just have to read. As a teen, I hungrily tore through friends’ copies of Seventeen and Glamour, but when I was in college and first laid eyes on Architectural Digest as a guest in a friend’s classy home, I immediately was hooked. My…
A representative from one of the myriad vacation home rental properties keeps leaving attractive brochures by my front gate. They want to know if we’re interested in turning our home into a vacation rental, even occasionally. I have to admit the lure of additional income is tempting. Many moons ago I had a friend who…
Not too long ago I was in a stunning Colonial home in northern Westchester. I was there to interview the homeowner for a local magazine. Practically the moment I walked through the front door, I confessed what a huge fan I was of her home’s architectural era. She graciously offered a tour around the house.…
Let’s talk about wallpaper, which to some people, is akin to a dirty word. You either love it or you hate it. Whether or not you are a fan, wallpaper is technically decorative embellishment although it has qualities that can appear almost architectural. While there are many decorative things besides paint you can apply to…
This is embarrassing to admit, but cleaning is my hobby. Yes, you read that right, I love to clean. This wasn’t always the case – my mother was an indifferent housekeeper. We rented, didn’t own, and for some reason she thought this gave her a free pass to not really keep up with it. One…
So much of home remodeling is about meeting changing needs. Is your starter home feeling too small, or have the kids flown the coop, or are you thinking about selling? Or maybe the kitchen feels dated or you’d prefer a walk-in shower instead of a tub. Other important considerations in moving forward with remodeling are…
I have dogs. I’ve always had dogs. Right now, I just have one. There was a period of my adult life when my family had three dogs, two cats, and a pony. Admittedly, the pony did not live with us inside the house. Nevertheless, its hair was a regular factor to be dealt with. Over…
I had a friend (she’s since moved to Florida) who lived in a beautiful, three story, narrow antique house in a historic hamlet.The house, which is well over a hundred years old, had been renovated a few times, but it was small and some of the ceilings were a bit low, and it was on…