Winter is the perfect season to organize
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If the cold and wind are keeping you indoors this season, there are a slew of small household projects that can have significant impact on the family’s comfort and ease of living. Martha Stewart Living suggests 21 simple ways to divide and conquer oft-forgotten areas.
- Create a calendar using sticky post-its to map out important dates and goals.
- Keep emergency road supplies ready to go in the car.
- Make a go-to stain treatment kit for stubborn spills.
- File the many computer passwords that are running through your head.
- Store bulk food items in groups and in style.
Beyond post-its are other household tools for organizing. For the home office, the label maker is your best friend. Take the guesswork out of finding important documents by labeling every binder, file, and box. If your drawers are a mess, consider using Rubbermaid’s interlocking plastic dividers, available in six different sizes. They are ideal for clothing, office supplies, and even kitchen utensils.
Don’t succumb to procrastination — organize through the winter and be ready for spring.
Keep out the winter chill
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Elle Decor
Fireplaces add aesthetic appeal to the house as well as warmth throughout the winter season. While traditional fireplaces need ventilation, there are new types on the retail market that do not.
Smoke-free fuels derived from eco-friendly, plant-based bio-ethanol can be utilized in rooms where ventilation is not available. The Fire Line Automatic from Planika features a 31″-long, low-profile flame with 14,000 BTUs, and it can be placed on a shelf or into a recessed wall. The Avani, manufactured by BrasaFire, is made of stainless steel and ceramic. It serves as a stand-alone fire or can substitute for a traditional log flame.
But if it’s a modern version of the old fashioned hearth you want, Jayne Michaels’s New York City apartment mantel may be just the thing (pictured to the right). The custom-made concrete looks like stone, but it’s more affordable and easier to install. For more inspiration on mantel styles that may suit your home, check out Candice Olson’s 9 Fireplace Design Ideas.
Winter Gardening
By · CommentsBest places to live car-free
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For households that choose not to own a personal vehicle, urban centers that provide public transportation systems and amenities like retail stores, schools, and entertainment within close distance can be ideal places to live and work.
24/7 Wall St. compiled a list of the top 10 best places to reside, sans automobile:
- Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA-NH (#10)
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana, CA
- Salt Lake City, UT
- Denver-Aurora, CO
- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA
- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA
- Honolulu, HI
- New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island, NY-NJ-PA
- Portland-Vancouver-Beaverton, OR-WA
- San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA (#1)
These cities, out of the 100 largest metropolitan areas in the U.S, ranked highest for the following criteria — percentage of neighborhoods covered by public transit, frequency of service to those areas, the number of jobs reachable within 90 minutes or less by public transit, and the “walk score” (the number that indicates accessibility to amenities by foot).
Bottoms up
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If the real estate market has hit bottom on the East coast, then there’s nowhere to go but up. The Wall Street Journal reports that cost-conscious buyers are not just surfacing in and around New York suburbs. They’re “storming” the market.
In Westchester County, the number of buyers in contract for homes has dramatically increased. Contracted houses priced under $500,000 at the close of 2011 went up by almost 40% from the same time in 2010. New Jersey shows a similar trend, where properties in contract priced under $400,000 rose by 11.3% from a year earlier. Some analysts believe the worst is over.
At least in regions of New York and New Jersey, houses on the market for close to or below $500,000 are doing better than those priced above that price point. Chris Meyers, chief operating officer of the largest residential brokerage in Westchester, says that history typically shows that “the strong markets get healthy from the bottom up.” For Claudia Ruggiero and her husband, who are both teachers in White Plains, NY, and commute at least 45 minutes one way to work, the market had shifted in their favor. They found a three-bedroom Dutch colonial for just the right price in Armonk, a neighborhood she couldn’t previously afford.
A studio for the future
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Seattle Times
When architect, painter, and photographer David Hall constructed his work studio in the Samish River flood plain, he drew the curiosity and admiration of others in his craft. The 448-square-foot backyard box, built in the spring of 2010 for $106,000, is all things flexible. Hall and his wife first moved to the town of Edison in 1974, when they purchased their first house.
They’ve remained since, and STUDIOEDISON multitasks in ways that the Halls require. It’s a bedroom, guesthouse, art studio, exercise room, and reading retreat, among other things. When Hall entered STUDIOEDISON in Seattle’s FutureShack competition, sponsored by the AIA (American Institute of Architects) last summer, the judges were impressed with the structure’s ability to adapt to climate change, potential as emergency housing, and overall functionality, deeming it an ideal model for the urban ADU, or affordable dwelling unit.
STUDIOEDISON is situated in low country (4 feet above sea level) and sits on salvaged cedar posts. The underside is open in case of flooding. The house faces south and has floor-to-ceiling sliding-glass doors that open to the backyard garden and Skagit Valley views. It inspires Hall, principal at HKP Architects in Mount Vernon, to think about designing smaller residential projects. In the meantime, Hall and his wife look out at their studio and see “nothing but possibility.”
Kitchen remodel tips
By · CommentsHomeowners who want to refresh their kitchen spaces often hire professionals to tackle the job. Before consulting with a remodeler, homeowners can save time and money by doing some initial research of their own. Homestyler.com is one of many web tools that enable the user to design floor plans, insert furniture and appliances, and visualize spaces in 2D. If you can see the end result in your mind’s eye, then you’re on your way to making it happen.
This Old House wants your DIY photos
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If you’re starting a small or large-scale renovation project in your home, why not chronicle the process? With a few photos and an interesting story, you can enter the DIY Reader Remodel Contest 2012 sponsored by This Old House. The top winner will receive a grand prize of $5,000 and a 2012 GMC Sierra. Five runners up will each win a prize of $1,000.
Whether you’re embarking on remodeling one room or the entire house, This Old House will accept proof of the fruits of your labor now through April 2, 2012. TOH has posted pictures of current submissions. View them and get inspired.
If handy does not run in the family and you feel stumped, consider getting help. The National Association of Home Builders provides a homework checklist for households seeking a professional. Start by contacting your local home builders’ association for the names of remodelers in addition to asking friends and family members for recommendations. Choose a professional that can put you in touch with past clients so that you can see finished products. And get a written contract that is complete and clear.
Stellar renters may be rewarded
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Rental payments matter to credit bureaus, and households with stellar histories will be rewarded, according to The New York Times. Experian, one of the three major credit-reporting firms, included on-time rent payments to millions of last year’s credit reports. In 2012, the company plans to track late payments and other delinquencies. Currently, Experian’s data comes predominantly from large property managers and apartment companies.
CoreLogic and FICO are just steps behind. They intend to create a new report that not only weighs payment histories from landlords but also non-traditional loans and child support. According to Joanne Gaskin, FICO’s director of product management global scoring, rental history may factor into one of every five new CoreScore reports.
The new model could potentially affect up to 35 percent of households around the nation, the Census data’s number for total renters in 2010. Experian’s Brannan Johnston, managing director of the rent bureau, says that the change heavily affects individuals who haven’t been in the work force long enough to develop credit histories. Stellar tenants should be rewarded, whereas those who are late or delinquent may bear the negative marks for up to 12 months. Homeowners who recently lost their homes in foreclosure but remain current on their rental payments may get a boost from the shift. At this point, it’s a little too soon to tell what the net effect may be.
