The thought crossed my mind to install a craftsman style coffered ceiling in my dining room. After checking out this Fine Homebuilding article by master carpenter Gary Katz, I have come to the conclusion that it is definitely doable. Especially when you consider that Craftsman is one of the least elaborate finish styles. Gary has outlined a simple way to install a coffered ceiling that doesn’t require a solid frame bolted to the joists – he uses U-shaped supports.
And then there is this article from woodworkingtipsfrompop.com that includes some excellent photos of the build process. They even recommend visiting the same article I mentioned above.
I’ll be looking more into this to see what the cost will be and how easy it will be to do it on my own.
Our House is a no frills, straightforward blog that walks readers through firsthand experience of building a Craftsman inspired home. From the photos available it didn’t seem to me as though the exterior had a lot of Craftsman details worked into the design, however there is no mistaking the Craftsman influence within many key elements of the interior. From built-ins, to moulding, to cabinetry – you can tell the homeowners were interested in infusing the Arts and Crafts style in as many places as possible throughout their home. I especially love the clawfoot tub with oil rubbed faucet and stained glass window found in the bathroom. Another item worth pointing out about this home blog is that the homeowners are interested in incorporating some eco-conscious elements within their home such as geothermal heating and cooling.
Blogs like this are a prime example of what makes the Internet so powerful. Being able to read the details of what is involved in the homebuilding process from start to finish is invaluable for those looking to follow suit and take on the same challenge.
Decisions.
Those we make or choose not to make form the foundation of relationships we have with our significant others. It is our decisions that dictate the path our lives will take and whether or not that path will be fraught with conflict and resentment or tranquility and satisfying compromise. This can be said for all types of decisions in all aspects of our lives, including those a couple must make when building a new home or improving an old one. From timelines to design to finances, there is an overwhelming plethora of choices and consequences for those choices throughout the entire process. Read More
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve stood in front of the paint sample displays in my local home store trying to decide what colors go with what.
Kuler from Adobe Labs (a testing ground for Adobe products) provides an impressive solution for those who are color challenged and could use some extra help devising color themes for various home projects.
Let me give you an example of how Kuler can be used. Say you own the beach photo in the image above and you want to design a room around that photo, but you aren’t sure what color scheme would be most suitable. Simply upload the photo and let Kuler go to work pinpointing
colors within the photo that complement each other. In the example above you can see a string of five colors that were found within the photo and on the photo itself (see small photo to the right) you can see five small circles identifying where in the picture each color was chosen. You can click and drag any of the circles on the photo to adjust your color selections and there is even the option to select from a variety of “moods” such as deep, dark or bright which makes subtle changes to the entire palate. With your color scheme in hand you can now begin to flush out the overall design of your room, basing paint, furniture and accessory choices on the colors that were derived from the system.
And that’s not all. You can save and share your color themes, browse through themes created by others in the Kuler community or take time to create a theme from scratch without the help of an uploaded image.
Bottom line is this is a powerful tool that can help anyone who has gotten caught up in the color whirlwind of interior or exterior home design (or any other project where color is beatin’ you down). For all others, this is just a fun web application to experiment with, especially if you’re a computer geek like me.
Straight from the Craftsman Touch blog – the details from Jan Davidson’s brilliant Craftsman home are impressive to say the least. Just check out the inlayed “fallen leaves” on the steps in the picture to the left. These are the type of details that define a historic home. The kind you’ll see on “This Old House” 80 years from now as some future couple moves in, discovers countless hidden gems and works to restore and preserve an architectural relic.
If you’d like to see more of Jan and her husband’s home then get the book Along Bungalow Lines.