| Trenton ranch is full of surprises | | Posted Sunday, January 14, 2007 3:17:09 PM by Blog57 Team | | There are plenty of pleasant surprises inside the new four-bedroom ranch by Reilman Homes, built on a cul-de-sac in Trenton's North Creek Crossing. The first is almost immediate: A marble floor in the foyer. Then, check out the Brazilian cherry wood underfoot in the open dining room to the right. To the left is a corner niche. All this before you step into the big 20 1/2- by-25-foot great room with not only a vaulted ceiling, but matching maple cabinets that flank the see-through gas fireplace. The fireplace has a stone mantel and surround. More surprises in the vaulted kitchen, which adjoins a breakfast/hearth room, include its size: Measuring a whopping 17 by 30, this combination space has a wrap-around island/counter that can seat six, more maple cabinetry, ceramic tile floor, a five-burner gas stovetop, double wall oven (including convection capability), appliance garage, walk-in pantry, desk area and a built-in space above the refrigerator for a 30-inch TV.... | |
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| | | Habitat for Humanity In The Demolition Business | | Posted Monday, January 01, 2007 1:03:44 PM by Blog57 Team | | Workers in the Wake County chapter demolish older homes and sell the kitchen sinks, chandeliers and hardwood floors they salvage. The pain-staking process involves dozens of volunteers with small tools. It takes weeks of careful work, not hours, to bring the house down. Furnishings and building materials from the 13 homes and two offices demolished so far have been sold at a ReUse Center. In turn, that has raised enough money to build four and a half new houses. The Wake County program is one of just a handful across the country. .... | |
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| | | LAURA ORTIZ: New in your neighborhood | | Posted Tuesday, November 14, 2006 7:00:14 PM by Blog57 Team | | Beginning today, the Sunday Free Press Real Estate section will publish a weekly column featuring new housing developments in southeast Michigan. Direct comments to Deputy Business Editor Steve Grimmer at sgrimmer@freepress.com. Project: Pembrooke comprises 48 single-family homes in a larger planned community of 96 single-family home sites shared by two builders. Craftmaster Homes offer three layouts -- ranch, split level and colonial -- that range from 1,430 to 2,650 square feet with base prices of $189,900 to $244,900. Place: New Haven. Builder: Craftmaster Homes was founded in 1995. Its president is Deno Skolas, and it is a member of the Building Industry Association of Southeastern Michigan. Other projects: Autumn Creek in Washington Township and Pine Crest in Almont, both with homes in the low $300,000s.... | |
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| | | Stylish sinks rise above a purely functional role | | Posted Sunday, November 12, 2006 2:59:53 PM by Blog57 Team | | It was 10 years ago that art arrived in the bathroom sink. In the last decade or so, vessel sinks - those elevated basins in artistic shapes and creative colors - have gone from oddities to everyday products. They now account for about 20 percent of bathroom sink sales, according to statistics released at the recent Kitchen and Bath Industry Show, and are growing so mainstream that they now are sold through big box home centers as well as through plumbing showrooms and bathroom and kitchen specialty shops. "We have seen incredible growth in the sale of vessel sinks," says Skip Hicks, senior merchant for Home Depot. "They are an especially popular choice when people redo powder rooms or guest bathrooms. They are a way to get creative and to really show a sense of style - for not a huge amount of money." The choice of artistic glass perched atop unusual countertops and cabinets arrived first in urban markets and lofts, says Hicks, then spread to contemporary settings such as Florida and California.... | |
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| | | A light at the end of the driveway | | Posted Saturday, November 11, 2006 1:21:36 PM by Blog57 Team | | Don Forgay's creative solution to recycling is light-years ahead of blue bins. Instead of taking the trash down Green Lane, he takes it to his house on Lisgar Street, where downtown rubbish is recycled into one-of-a-kind lamps. "People throw out everything," Mr. Forgay says. The 50-year-old contractor, artist and designer will show Toronto how much we toss out when he opens his doors next month for a sale of his creations. Don't be surprised if you see familiar things you've thrown in the trash, as the franken-objects include electrostatic filters, garden hoses, windshield wipers and kitchen sinks. Mr. Forgay started making living-room lamps from city scraps last year. He jazzed up his place with a few bright items while looking for a roommate. "But people loved the lamps, not the place," he said.... | |
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| | | Cooking, Cleaning Important in Commander-in-Chief's Kitchen | | Posted Friday, November 10, 2006 11:16:44 AM by Blog57 Team | | George Washington's favorite foods were ice cream and fish. Abraham Lincoln enjoyed fruit salad, cheese and crackers. John F. Kennedy loved New England Clam Chowder, and George W. Bush is a big fan of Mexican food. Understanding and tailoring a menu to the tastes and schedule of the President of the United States is no easy task. Pierre Chambrin, executive chef for the Saint Louis Club in St. Louis served as a White House chef under two presidents-George H. Bush and Bill Clinton. During his tenure in the White House from 1990 to 1994, he cared for the many culinary needs of the President, the President's family and his guests. "Being a White House chef is a challenging job," Chambrin said. "Your hours depend on the President's schedule and the schedule of his guests. It's a fascinating position though, because in a way, you're a small part of history as it happens." Chambrin oversaw a staff of five in the White House kitchen, which often ran more like a commercial kitchen than a private one.... | |
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| | | Stylin' kitchen sinks | | Posted Wednesday, November 08, 2006 3:03:42 AM by Blog57 Team | | Kitchen sinks have gone artsy while maintaining their workhorse function. Homeowners can get cast bronze sinks with decorative tiles inserted, fire clay sinks, natural stone sinks, quartz composite sinks, hammered copper basins and dressed-up stainless steel sinks if they're looking for style in the kitchen. "In a sense, the kitchen sink is a focal point in everyone's home. Usually, it's the informal meeting place. It's probably the most used appliance in the home when you think about it," says Ted Swenson, purchaser and co-owner of Handyman Home Remodeling Center, 910 E. 10th St. While stainless steel still is the most popular type of sink area consumers buy, their choices have expanded. So have the price points. "We have kitchen sinks from $69 to $5,700," Swenson says.... | |
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| | | PCBA Fall Home Tour opens on Nov. 4 | | Posted Wednesday, November 01, 2006 11:11:54 PM by Blog57 Team | | If Ray Charles had been a builder rather than a crooner, he could have written a song called, "It's Buying Time Again'' (instead of the soulful "It's Crying Time Again,'' that forever will remain popular). It's buying time all right -- and home seekers will be whistling a happy tune (no matter what song it is) if they visit the Fall Home Tour sponsored by the Porter County Builders Association.Set for two consecutive weekends, the Fall Home Tour will open about two dozen new homes to the public. From gorgeous custom residences to unique and affordable homes, the tour will include a wide variety of home styles, neighborhoods, and price points. Homes in the Fall Home Tour will be open from noon to 5 p.m. Nov. 4, 5, 11 and 12. There will be no charge. Homes are located in a variety of handsome neighborhoods in Burns Harbor, Chesterton, Kouts, Portage, Valparaiso and Westville.Builders in the Fall Home Tour include Aldred Homes, Centre Point Properties, Equinox Builders, Harvest Homes, Kustom Homes by Kerry, MK&I Builders, Nardo Builders, NWI Builders, Richard Bowers and Marge Frame, Shinn Homes, Snemis Construction, Synergy Homes, TEC Construction, TJZ Development, the Village in Burns Harbor and Wagner Homes.Neighborhoods in the tour include Austin Hills, Fifield Court, Hampton Manor, Harrison West, Hawthorne, Hearthstone Village, Mystic Springs, Sand Creek, Tamarack, the Village in Burns Harbor and more.One of the most glamorous homes in the tour is Aldred Homes' two-story craftsman-style residence in Hawthorne.... | |
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| | | A watery world apart | | Posted Monday, October 30, 2006 1:14:34 PM by Blog57 Team | | KOHLER, Wis. -- The men's room at Logan Airport is not where I expected my anticipation to build over my weekend getaway. But there I was , staring at a row of white porcelain urinals each with the word "Kohler" on it, and growing more curious about what to expect from the small Wisconsin community that is home to one of the world's largest kitchen and bath manufacturers. And, more importantly, what would there be to do in the village of Kohler, besides flush sleek toilets and take refreshing showers? It turns out there is much to do in Kohler that has nothing to do with plumbing -- but it should be said that the toilets, sinks, tubs, and showers are pretty cool. In 48 hours, we discovered a terrific Italian restaurant, a neighboring cigar bar, a beautiful walk alongside Lake Michigan, a scenic jogging trail that vanishes into the woods, a shopping plaza, and a design center that made us want to rush home and redo our bath and kitchen.... | |
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| | | Bai Bai Happiness' | | Posted Monday, October 30, 2006 7:13:07 AM by Blog57 Team | | Forget about mothering 'a thousand sons'. In marriage mandaps, that old mantra has been replaced by a much more valuable blessing: 'May you be the mistress of one good servant'. Yes, as this object of desire becomes as extinct as the grinding stone, Desperate Housewives has turned into an Indian kitchen-sink drama (clogged). Our version too is one of obsessive perfection, frustration, and Byzantine manipulation. A happy family life is based on the commandment, "Thou shalt covet thy neighbour's bai." Our sparkling bathrooms, careers and social life, depend wholly and entirely on this mythic creature called Reliablehouseholdhelp. S/he is our karma, our dharma, our talking terms with Mrs Sharma next-door. On this entity rests the whole gamut of human experience, from pure bliss to raw betrayal.... | |
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