Inspiration is one of my most important keys for getting a home design project started, and I find lots of it in the architecture books on my bookshelves. I've built a solid library over the years and I use it almost every day. My book...
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“Downsizing” to an empty nester home is what a couple does when the kids are grown and moved out, and the family home has become a house of mostly empty rooms. It typically means moving to a smaller home, but that’s not always the case. In fact,...
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If you’re thinking of building a new home, you’re probably looking at empty property – a lot in a subdivision, or like many of my clients, a larger bit of land further out. Or maybe you’re buying an existing house with the intent to renovate it...
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Two demons wait for unsuspecting homeowners, hoping for their chance to gobble up time and money for those who don't plan ahead for a new home or remodeling project. The Ripple Effect lurks quietly in the background. Just like the movements on the pond surface for...
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How do you start designing a house? You've been trying to get your new home or remodeling past the dream stage for a long time now. You've looked at dozens – maybe hundreds – of house plans online. You've built up a huge collection of photos...
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A client of ours called the other day to tell us she’d just returned from the local “Street of Dreams” (also called the Street of New Homes, New Home Show, Home Parade, or something similar depending on where you are), and said she had a few...
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Great home design always starts with choosing a home site - a truly special home is never designed first, then placed on the property. That's because good home design responds to the site in ways that improve the quality of the home and the experience...
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Ready to build or remodel? Great! Who are you going you going to call first - an Architect? A Homebuilder? An Interior Designer? Which home building professionals do you need? The answer depends upon what your goals and expectations are for your project. Each professional has an...
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It's tempting to look at the rural property, the remote wooded land, or the 5-acre lakeside lot when you're planning a new home. Building on undeveloped vacant land can be far more appealing than a rectangular lot in a subdivision with houses on either side. The...
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I think I've heard every imaginable reason why prospective clients are anxious about how to start a new home design project. A few of the most common are: I can’t find a design that I likeI'm afraid of the whole process of designing and buildingI don’t know...
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