December 21, 2016

Jim and Cindy Tanner have known that they wanted to build a timber framehome in the Telluride, Colorado, area since the ‘70s. Because they fell in love the location first, they let the great outdoors guide the design of their new timber home when they were finally ready to build. Read more

December 14, 2016

The local meteorologist is comically dressed in a scarf and wool stocking cap, while pointing to a map, painted in array of whites, blues and that dreaded purple – LAKE EFFECT SNOW. Sleeping in was the only calendar entry for tomorrow morning, but it looks as though that will be cancelled and replaced by a meeting with Mother Nature and a shovel, probably followed by a trip to the Chiropractor. You are seriously regretting that decision to cut the heated driveway from the building budget this past summer…

Short of calling your contractor a or renting a jack-hammer for a bit of DIY work, the driveway situation is probably not going to change. But, lucky for you, there are alternatives: Read more

December 7, 2016

When Deborah Guerrera and Casey Cowell married, they knew they needed to find a bigger space for their blended family of seven — and fast. A mere fifteen months later they moved into their custom home near Traverse City and the shores of Lake Michigan. Read more

December 1, 2016

A few stocking stuffer ideas for that new White Cedar home of yours…

Speedster Espresso – Kees van der Westen

When this Dutch designer debuted the Speedster in 2001, the appliance was a shiny toy for a few well-connected pals: He hot-rodded La Marzoccos, producing souped-up machines with torqued profiles. By 2008, when the Speedster was reintroduced as a production model in Copenhagen, van der Westen had broken with La Marzocco. The Speedster is now geared to the espresso obsessed, not the casual user, and is much more bespoke than ready-to-wear. $11,000, www.keesvanderwesten.com

Read more

November 23, 2016

Russ Griswold: “Dad, that thing will never fit in our front yard.”
Clark Griswold: “It’s not going in our yard, it’s going in our living room!”

Although Christmas trees first appeared in America in the 1700s, the emergence of the modern Christmas tree actually dates back to 15th and 16th century Europe. Evergreens were used first in church plays at Christmas and were hung with apples to symbolize a Paradise tree. Paradise trees later found their way into homes, where they were adorned with small white wafers, and later, small pastries cut into stars, angels, hearts and flowers. During the next 200 years, this custom slowly spread and eventually found its way to America, where the tradition of decorating with candles and tiny lanterns gave way to the modern phenomenon of electric illumination. Read more