Blog by Beebe Cline, PREC*

< Previous Next >

20 Ways to Work White Magic in Your Yard

April 8th, 2013
Like a perfect white shirt or a string of pearls, white gardens exude a timeless charm. They're classically elegant and never seem to go out of style. If you're looking to spruce up your property or try something new this year, it isn't hard to add a touch of white with flowers, fences and other elements for some oh-so-sweet cottage style, to create a soothing backyard retre ...

Bright Serenity for a Beachfront Tel Aviv Pad

April 8th, 2013
An ocean view dominates the design of this contemporary bachelor pad. Set right on a beach, close to a nature reserve outside of Tel Aviv, Israel, this remodeled duplex was designed to make the most of its location. Architect Lihi Gerstner and brother Din Gerstner remodeled this home as a soothing space for the busy owner to come home to and as a spacious venue for entertain ...

From Dated Southwestern to Serene Minimalism in a Cleveland Bathroom

April 8th, 2013
When a Cleveland couple saw this house, their imaginations ran wild ... yet minimalist. Its original style was Southwestern, not to their modern tastes, but it had great bones. The renovation, designed by architect Ryan Duebber, included a bathroom that inspires moments of Zen (in fact, a wall-mounted TV near the tub means the homeowners can enjoy that segment of The Daily ...

The Easiest, Cheapest, Nontoxic Way to Unclog a Drain

April 8th, 2013
Forget everything you know about clearing clogged sink and tub drains. Throw away your snakes, plungers and drain cleaners. (OK, maybe not your plunger.) There are only two methods you need to know to clear clogs, and neither one of them costs more than a few gallons of tap water. First, it’s a good idea to be proactive. If you notice that the water is draining more slowly, ...

12 Ways to Make Your Home Feel New Again

April 7th, 2013
Shopping is the easy part for some — the thrill of the chase, the flutter of excitement at bringing a new treasure home, choosing a new paint color or materials for a remodel. But what happens to those glorious finds and finishes months or years later? Before you give in to the urge to shop for new stuff, consider some home maintenance to show off what you have in the best p ...

20 of the Coziest Home Offices

April 6th, 2013
“Cozy" might not seem like the first word you'd use to describe your ideal office; it may make you think of quilts and clutter that don't inspire efficiency. However, "cozy" can mean a room that's inviting, warm, layered and, yes, even organized. For instance, personal objects, a comfortable seat and a rich blend of textures all offer the comfort that "cozy" implies. Here are ...

Original Drawings Guide a Midcentury Gem's Reinvention

April 6th, 2013
While helping their friends move to Ellensburg, Washington, Scott and Emily Faulkner fell in love with a midcentury home there. Designed by architect James Cowan in 1957, the house nodded to Frank Lloyd Wright's Usonian style, with its L-shaped plan, native materials, flat roof, clerestory windows, and large cantilevered overhang for passive solar heating and cooling. Before ...

Turn Your Kitchen Counter Into a Touch Screen

April 4th, 2013
The futurist consensus is that someday household surfaces, like kitchen counters and refrigerator doors, will function like giant iPads, with Internet-connected interactive touch displays. No, not built-in displays. Entire surfaces will be usable as interactive computers. It sounds like far-fetched, space-age technology, and expensive, too. And the idea of replacing choice pie ...

Moments of Meditation in a Utah Buddhist's Retreat

April 3rd, 2013
A week after seeing one of Imbue Design's projects in Salt Lake City, the head of a local nonprofit that develops low-income housing hired the company — composed of Christopher Talvy, Hunter Gundersen and Matt Swindel — to design a retreat for her on a dramatic site between Capitol Reef and Boulder Mountain. In addition to running her business, she is a practicing Buddhist ...

The Lowdown on High-Efficiency LED Lighting

April 1st, 2013
When LEDs (light-emitting diodes) came on the market, people were slow to use them at home, because the lights tended to give off a bluish-white hue. Today that has all changed. Advancements in technology mean that LEDs can produce that warm, yellow light many homeowners prefer in their living spaces. Though the upfront cost ($40 to $80) is much higher than for traditional bul ...
< Previous Next >

Archives