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The Sentinel offers nonprofit and other community organizations an opportunity to promote upcoming events for free in the community calendar for three days before the event. Events requiring reservations may be promoted for up to two weeks before the reservation deadline.
Events that require a purchase from a for-profit business, even if a donation is made to the organization, are not eligible for the calendar.
Submit items at least one week in advance via email, [email protected]; call (717) 248-6741; online, Virtual Newsroom at www.lewistownsentinel.com; or mail or drop off, The Sentinel, 352 Sixth St., P.O. Box 588 Lewistown, PA 17044. The editor reserves the right to edit all submissions.
You must include a telephone number for verification purposes. The phone number is not for publication, unless so indicated.
Reserve Now:
•Chicken/ham pot pie sale — noon-6 p.m., Decatur Fire Co. Cookhouse, North 522, Alfarata. Order by calling (717) 543-0921 by Nov. 8.
•Freedom Avenue UMC and Shining Light Through the Darkness soup sale — Friday, Nov. 17. Soups available: chicken corn with and without rivels, ham bean, beef vegetable, stuffed pepper and French onion. Cost is $8 per quart. Pick up between 9 a.m.-6 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 17 at the Freedom Avenue UMC fellowship hall, 511 East Freedom Ave. in Burnham. Preorders recommended. Walk-ins welcome. To preorder, call or text Darlene Gray @ (717) 953-6352 by Sunday, Nov. 12.
•Church bazaar — 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Nov. 18, Rhodes Memorial United Methodist Church, 500 Highland Ave., Lewistown. Vegetable soup, ham pot pie, coconut cream pie and apple pie. Must order ahead by Nov. 13
at (717) 248-1897.
•Mincemeat sale — 10 a.m.-noon pickup, Nov. 18, East Kish Presbyterian Church, corner of Walnut and Church streets, Reedsville. Cost is $11.50 per quart, $5.75 per pint. Order by Nov. 11 at (717) 667-2806. Leave a message with name, phone number and quantity. Proceeds benefit the church’s mission and Benevolence Fund.
•Annual craft show — Saturday, Nov. 18 from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. at Milroy United Methodist Church. Vendors can contact Paul at (724) 678-6619 for more information. Crafts, food, baked goods, jewelry, home decor and more available. Soup sale: $7 per quart. Chicken noodle, ham and bean and creamy chicken and wild rice available. Preorder by Wednesday, Nov. 15 by calling (724) 678-6619. Pick-up during craft show.
•Meal — pickup 10 a.m.-noon, eat-in 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m., Calvary Lewistown, 111 E. Third St., Lewistown, Nov. 23. Reserve meals by calling (717) 242-1481 no later than 2 p.m. Nov. 21. Shut-ins can receive free delivery in Lewistown, Burnham, Yeagertown, Reedsville and Milroy.
•AARP Safe Driving class — Nov. 29-30 from 9 a.m.-1:30 p.m. at the Mifflin-Juniata Regional Services Corporation (MJRSC) in Yeagertown. Classes will be held in the ground floor conference room. Instructor: Nancy Simmons. Cost is $20 for AARP members, $25 for non-members. Bring membership card and driver’s license to class. For reservations, call (717) 667-2763.
Saturday, Nov. 4
•Holiday bazaar — 9 a.m.-1 p.m., Milroy White Memorial Church, South Main St., Milroy. Benefits mission work.
•Graceful Soles Shoe Bank — 9 a.m.-noon, Grace United Methodist Church, 101 Logan St., Lewistown. Children up to age 18 are given a free pair of shoes with verification of low income through medical assistance. Parent or guardian must accompany child.
•Winter Wonderland Craft and Vendor Show — 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Mifflin County Youth Park. Event sponsors the Mifflin County Penn Roosevelt Camp and Lodge.
•Soup sale — noon, McVeytown Masonic Lodge, 25 N. Market St., McVeytown. Kettle cooked soup of ham and bean and chicken corn. $8/quart. Proceeds benefit local charities.
•General Thomas Mifflin Chapter of the Pennsylvania Daughters of the American Revolution — 3-5 p.m., Mifflin County Courthouse, Monument Square, 1 West Market St., Lewistown on the second floor in the courtroom. Speaker is Jackie R. Esposito. Program will be “Managing your Personal Archives.”
•Drive-thru beef and ham potpie sale — 4 p.m. at the Rescue Hose Company #20, 222 S. Sassafras St. in Beavertown. Sold by the quart. Proceeds benefit the fire company.
•Crafterday — 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., Mifflin County Library, Lewistown branch, 123 N. Wayne St., Lewistown. Susan Miriello will be teaching Tunisian Crochet. All supplies are provided. A $5 non-refundable fee will secure your spot. Information: (717) 242-2391.
Sunday, Nov. 5
•Burnham Lions Club turkey dinner — 10 a.m.-1 p.m. or until sold out. Take-out only. Turkey, filling, mashed potatoes, gravy, corn and green beans. Take-outs $12 per dinner. Burnham Lions Building, First Ave. in Burnham.
Monday, Nov. 6
•Bag sale — 10 a.m.-3 p.m., Sacred Heart Thrift Shop 4 N. Dorcas St., Lewistown. $5 for clothing and shoes.
•Bingo — 10 a.m.-1 p.m., McVeytown Senior Center.
•TOPS (Take off the Pounds Sensibly) PA 13339 meeting — 6:45 p.m., Rhodes Memorial United Methodist Church, 500 Highland Avenue, Lewistown. Weigh-in at 6 p.m. Welcoming new members. For information: (717) 994-0156
•Central Pennsylvania Grasp Chapter — 7-9 p.m. at CPYM Sausman Center, 12339 William Penn Hwy. in Thompsontown. There is no cost to attend. For more information, please contact: Shannon Zeiders at (717) 953-6810 or [email protected].
Reunions
Upcoming reunions, including missing classmate requests, are published as part of the calendar and should be sent to [email protected]. Brief reports of reunions and class reunion photos with the people identified in the order in which they appear are accepted for publication in the Saturday Living section and should be sent to [email protected].
Source: lewistownsentinel.com
Apache is functioning normally
The thing that drew me to early retirement is freedom, and that’s still the best part of it.
Back in 2005, the primary reason for this freedom-seeking was being able to devote my best hours to being a Dad – I had a feeling my career in tech would be too demanding to sustain once the full-time job of raising children kicked in.
Eighteen years later, wow has that guess ever turned out to be right. Early retirement has proved to be the most amazing, worthwhile adventure and it’s still just getting started. It was an astonishing thirteen years ago that I wrote to you about Little MM starting kindergarten, and now he’s done with high school.
It has given me the space to enjoy so many new experiences, working hard and playing hard sometimes, but also slowing things way down when necessary, to deal with and grow through some real hardships.
But now, with that child-raising phase finally almost done, I’m cashing in a few of those Freedom Chips for a particularly big change: moving to a warm sunny place for the winter to try out a new life in the walkable, bikeable, car-free community you’ve probably heard me raving about in the past: Culdesac Tempe.
So on the first of December I’ll be packing up the essential clothes, tools and gadgets, and throwing my very best mountain bike onto the Model Y to make the epic road trip across the mountains. Just in time to escape the incoming Colorado winter. And my son will be joining me for the trip!
We’ve booked ourselves a spacious two bedroom apartment there, for four full months. Little MM will be roughly alternating his months between Arizona and Colorado so he can still have time with both parents, while I’ll be there the whole time.
A big part of the fun is that this will force me to invent a whole new life for myself, away from the easy comforts of the big community and plentiful construction sites that keep me so busy here. It will be both a big change and a significant challenge, which is exactly what all of us need on a regular basis to keep life full of meaning and joy.
So What Are You Going to Do in Arizona?
The exact details are still in the works, and I’d love to hear your ideas and feedback (see the “get in touch” note below. But here’s what I’ve got so far:
- Meet as many new people as possible, and answer the burning question we all have: what kind of people choose to move to a car-free neighborhood in the center of a super-car-based metropolis?
- And of course hang out with existing friends who live in the area – did you know our own Coverage Critic (aka Chris Smith) already lives in Culdesac?
- Share some of the experiences, whether good or bad, here on MMM and on places like Twitter and Instagram so you can live vicariously through this experience.
- Use my newly liberated extra free time to visit their kickass on-site gym to get in extra good shape.
- Use more of that free time to write more blog posts and sweep some of the cobwebs off of this neglected online persona of mine.
- Look at the weather app on my phone periodically to cackle at the blizzards I’m missing in Colorado and celebrate my good fortune in comparison (the typical “winter” day in Tempe is typically in the mid-70s which means sandals and palm trees and outdoor dining the whole time)
- Host a few meetups in Culdesac’s outdoor plazas like we did last March
- Start a quirky free handyman business where I help new residents set up their IKEA furniture and move heavy stuff and hang paintings, as a combo of meeting people and being useful and exercising my compulsion to build stuff.
- Ride bikes! A lot. Explore the distant corners of the Phoenix metro area and the surrounding desert valley and mountain trails on mountain bikes, regular bikes, and the e-bike that comes included with the first 200 Culdesac apartments.
- And perhaps most importantly, help my almost-adult son get all sorts of new experiences during his visits, by living in a brand new city for the first time since he was born waaaay back in the same era as my own early retirement.
Is There a Bigger Picture To All This?
Okay, you’re onto me. If I’m going to go to the trouble of typing shit into the computer and sharing it with you, there’s usually a purpose behind it other than just journaling my own personal life, and this another one of those cases.
First of all, there are the first-layer selfish goals: I want to have the best winter ever, meet a bunch of smart new people, and I also want Culdesac to be a huge success so they will build more neighborhoods like this around the country and set an example that permanently improves the way US cities build and expand themselves in the future.
But even if you don’t care about all that, I also want to use this as a little statement about trying deliberate life changes.
By throwing myself into a new community which aligns so nicely with my own values, I hope to serve as a reminder that maybe you might want to try the same thing. Or just try anything new.
In a comfortable, prosperous country like ours, some of the built in tendencies of Human nature tend to work against us, saying,
“Hey – I’ve noticed we have plenty of food and reasonable shelter and that’s good enough.
So let’s just double down on the Netflix, comfort foods, and occasional luxury purchases and that will keep us safe.”
Instead, I want you to set your life treadmill to just a bit of a steeper, healthier incline setting.
That means questioning the status quo and doing your best to keep at least one little experiment on the go in the background. Maybe that means forcing yourself to move to a better place, or taking steps towards getting a new job that gives you a better work-life balance.
The biggest move I ever made was leaving family and friends and my old job behind to move to the US, alone, at age 24. Looking back, I’m shocked I had the courage (and the organizational skills) to pull that off back then. I’ve become older and a bit slower, and so comfortable that it’s hard to imagine doing something so bold now.
But even today 24 years later, I thank my past self every single day for doing it. My present life is an incredibly different and better thing because of that past bit of courage.
The spirit of positive experimentation might also mean starting to challenge your body more regularly – giving it harder work and exposing it to a wider swath of temperatures and movements. Or joining new Meetup groups to expand your circle of friends and experiences.
It doesn’t really matter exactly what you do, as long as you point your feet in what feels like a good direction and just start moving. Create some purposeful change, which will surely feel a bit difficult, simply because change is hard. And hard things are good.
Future Arizona Neighbors: I’ll see you in four weeks!
Further reading: I’ve been reading books, doing life experiments, and writing about the value of strategic hardship for a while now. But the latest is a book called Dopamine Nation by the talented psychiatrist/author named Dr. Anna Lembke.
To summarize: your brain creates a baseline for happiness based on the HARDEST thing you do, and then compares everything else to that. So if you do hard things, life in general seems fantastic because of this perspective. If you eliminate all hardship, suddenly even the pleasures of life seem bland, and you live a spoiled and unmotivated life.
To get in touch: send me a DM on Instagram or use the email address “newsletter” at the domain of this website. (Newsletter subscribers can also just reply to this post if you received it via email.)
Interested in stopping by for your own Mini Culdesac Experiment? They have a few short-term rentals available at rather reasonable rates (less than nearby hotels) – check em out at book.culdesac.com
What will you do with your car?
I’m bringing the car just as a convenient electric moving truck to carry two people and four months of living supplies. Once I get there, I’ll find a safe place to store it offsite* and live the full car-free lifestyle of Culdesac, much like I do when I’m here at home. I typically only use cars to carry really heavy stuff or for trips to other cities and states, but it’s even easier to accomplish this in Tempe with its location right on the light rail and with their onsite bike, scooter and even car sharing lots.
What about your house?
My place in Colorado is currently set up as a two bedroom house on the main floor, plus an apartment with a separate entrance on the walkout lower level. When I’m at home, I use the whole thing as one home – the apartment just makes a great place to host a fairly constant stream of visiting friends. But for the winter I’m hoping to rent out one of these spaces to a friend or trusted acquaintance who will take good care of everything, while I leave the other section free for the occasional visits I’ll be paying to this area over the winter. Aside from keeping an eye on the place, it will be a great way to practice the age-old Mustachian technique of making money while taking vacations!
What Happens at the End of March?
As it stands, I have no plans beyond this point. I’ll head back to Colorado for my home base, but with this being a new phase of life I’ll be layering on new adventures. Aside from the two mountain properties that I’ve been helping to build out, I just teamed up with a friend to help him create an intentional (and somewhat experimental!) living community in Denver called Wild Life Ranch.
We’ll have to cover more of that in a future article, but the basic idea is that he is converting a 13-acre former horse ranch in a relatively prime part of the Denver area, into a future village of higher-end tiny houses and other dwellings. These will be arranged around nice common amenities with a big emphasis on people actually enjoying the process of living together, as opposed to just living separately side-by-side as we tend to do in normal neighborhoods.
*Got any suggestions or want to rent or barter me a nearby driveway space at your place? Please get in touch!
Source: mrmoneymustache.com
Apache is functioning normally
Knowing the right questions to ask when touring an apartment puts you in that get-to-know-you space with each prospective home. It ensures the time you spent touring a potential rental isn’t a waste of energy and gives you a chance to see if the space, and the management company, are the right fit.
The first time you see a place is the best time to get all your questions answered. Not sure what to say? Here are the 21 best questions to ask when touring an apartment.
1. What are the lease terms?
Ideally, you should already know when the lease begins and ends before you even start asking questions while on an apartment tour. If for some reason you aren’t, make sure you get clarification on when move-in is and how many months the lease is for.
Inquire if there are any other common lease terms you should know like quiet hours or restrictions on painting or putting holes in the walls.
2. How much is the rent?
It is also essential to know if the apartment you’re looking at really fits into your budget. Ask how much the unit will cost per month and what the manager’s late rent policy is. Be sure to find out if there’s a grace period if you get delayed making a payment.
Also, ask about fees and how much money you’re expected to bring with you when you sign the lease. This should include a security deposit and possibly first and last month’s rent, but other costs could factor in.
If upfront fees are too costly, ask if there are any you can roll into your monthly rent and pay over time.
3. What’s required to move in?
Each property handles moves differently, so make sure to ask what moving in will look like for you financially while visiting apartments.
For instance, are there any moving or elevator fees? Do you have to get a special permit to have a moving van parked on the street? What area of the parking lot can you take over on the move-in day and does the management company block it off?
If you’re moving in on a popular day you may have to compete for space and wait to use the elevator. If that’s the case, see if you can delay your move by a day or come a day early to have an advantage.
4. Are utilities included in the cost?
Utilities aren’t always automatically included in the cost of the rent. Water is commonly factored in, but heating, gas and electricity are often paid for by the tenant. If you’re concerned about utilities, contact your local provider for an estimate.
5. How much do utilities cost, on average, if they’re not included?
Your property manager will most likely only be able to guess, but based on the size of the apartment, they should have some idea what you’ll end up paying, out-of-pocket if items aren’t included with rent.
To cover your bases, the average for basic utilities is around $172 per month. However, climate and energy costs vary between states — so always budget for a little more.
Do I need to get my own internet? Apartments rarely come with Wi-Fi waiting for you. Instead, you’ll have to find your own internet service provider to hook you up. Look for deals and make sure to price compare. Also, take into account the bandwidth you’ll need to ensure the right connection.
6. What’s your pet policy?
Whether you own a pet or think you might want to adopt one, you should absolutely ask about a building’s pet policy while touring an apartment. Make sure pets are even allowed before getting into the nitty-gritty details like pet fees, extra cleaning charges, etc. Pet policies vary widely, but most properties charge a non-refundable pet deposit or monthly pet rent.
Never try to hide a pet in an apartment where you know it’s not allowed. Getting caught can get costly, and lead to you having to get rid of your animal. Check to see if there are restrictions on breeds or types of pets allowed as well.
7. How about your guest policy?
When touring an apartment you might not think to ask questions about guests, but it’s an important thing to know. Most leases mention a guest policy but some are stricter than others. For instance, in some places, having a visitor for longer than two weeks isn’t technically allowed (which means your friend’s plan to spend the summer on your couch won’t work).
It can also impact your ability to have overnight guests for even a short time. So, make sure you know what’s allowed before you make any plans.
8. How do you handle subletting?
Say you were between jobs and wanted to go home for a month to see family. You don’t want to lose your apartment, so the best thing to do is sublet. But, is it allowed? Your lease should specify, but don’t hesitate to ask an apartment manager or landlord to clarify the situation.
Subletting without permission can lead to eviction. There’s also the fact that you’re still responsible for any damages to your apartment — even if they’re not made by you.
If you do end up subletting, make sure the person is reliable and will treat your space right.
9. Am I allowed to add a roommate?
While you may start your apartment hunt a little earlier than a close friend, you could already know that you’ll want to pull him or her into your place to live as roommates. This may mean you’d sign the initial lease on your own, so find out if it’s OK to make changes later.
Your property manager may require you and your roommate to come in and sign an updated lease together so both your names are on the document. It may also change how you pay rent.
Don’t forget to talk about expense sharing, in general, with your roommate before they move in and make sure they understand the apartment rules. You may even want to establish some of your own for when you’re living together.
10. Do you require renters insurance?
Renters insurance is another thing to think about while apartment hunting. Renters insurance provides coverage for your property in the event of things like a fire, flood or theft.
It may also cover injuries that happen within your apartment. This type of coverage tends to cost very little per month, so it’s a good idea to add it anyway.
While renters insurance is always a good idea, some apartments require it — so it’s important to ask while making visits. You don’t want to scramble to get insurance the day before you move in, otherwise, you might not get the keys.
11. How do I pay rent?
Saving up for rent each month isn’t the only thing you need to consider. At some point, you’ve got to get that money into the right hands.
Most management companies will offer you a few options when it comes to paying rent. These can include online payments or going through a service. This is the easiest way to make payments since you can often set up an auto-draft, but if you’re dealing with an individual property owner, ask about limitations. Even if you’re delivering or sending in a check each month, make sure you have clear information on where it goes, who it’s addressed to and by what day it should arrive.
12. Is there a penalty for breaking my lease?
It’s a good idea to become familiar with the process should have to break your lease. While that’s never the plan, knowing ahead of time what you’d have to do helps you prepare for anything.
Especially if you move around a lot for work or anticipate upcoming life changes, signing a year-long lease might be the wrong choice. Make sure you understand the penalties for early termination and ask if it’s possible to sign a month-to-month lease instead (just make sure you know how early you have to give notice when it’s time to go.)
13. How are repairs handled, especially in an emergency?
Even if everything appears in good working order when you’re looking around, questions to ask when touring an apartment should always cover maintenance.
Ask how emergency repairs get handled. Clarify if there’s maintenance available 24/7 or just within specific hours, and find out what the average response time is.
Now is even a good time to figure out what types of repairs your property manager would rather you handle (if any). Whatever the process, you want to know ahead of time to ensure a speedy conclusion to any emergency (or everyday) needs.
14. How do I file a complaint?
Again, even if you casually meet the people living near the vacant apartment you’re considering and they seem nice — it’s hard to tell what living with them will be like. Your lease should break down the process for filing a complaint, but you may want to go over it with your property manager just in case. Often, they’ll prefer something submitted in writing.
It’s also worthwhile to note that complaints aren’t always about noise. While that’s a big one, common complaints are also about pets, trash in the hallways and even strange smells coming from another unit.
15. How secure is the property?
As you’re walking around, ask the property manager to cover the building’s security features. You will want to know about both inside and external security measures (like a buzzer system or doorman). If there’s a parking structure, go over how you enter from there to make sure you feel safe.
It also doesn’t hurt to ask about the neighborhood and how safe the area is as a whole. Go online to check crime statistics if you’re concerned, but often just walking around the area yourself will give you a feel for its safety.
You don’t want to move somewhere that doesn’t feel comfortable to you whether you’re inside your apartment or not.
16. What’s your pest control policy?
A perk of living in an apartment building is that you don’t have to handle pest control. Since a pest invasion affects the entire property, it’s up to your property manager to keep pests away. This includes everything from ants to roaches, bedbugs to rodents. Ask if they have a regular pest control company come and spray, whether they’ll set traps if necessary and how to report a pest infestation within an actual apartment.
You don’t want to live somewhere that doesn’t take pest control seriously, however you can definitely get proactive and set some bait traps yourself if you notice a few ants here and there. Anything larger — call in the big guns.
17. How often does rent go up, and by how much?
Many apartments increase the rent upon renewal of the lease. These types of charges aren’t always spelled out in the rental agreement, so make sure you know going in how much you can expect to pay if you decide you want to live in the same apartment after your lease term is over.
If you’re looking for a long-term apartment, but the rent goes up by quite a bit each year, see if you can sign a long-term lease, say for two years instead of one and lock in a lower price.
18. What is the parking situation?
If you own a car, parking will sit high on your priority list. In many neighborhoods, especially in larger cities, street parking is hard to find and expensive to pay for separately so renting an apartment with a parking garage or lot will be necessary.
However, a personal parking spot or pass is often an added charge, so ask about any costs associated with owning a vehicle. You may not have a choice if you live somewhere that isn’t particularly walkable, but it helps to budget for the cost upfront rather than finding out about it later.
19. What other amenities are on site?
You’ve seen the apartment unit and parking if it’s available, now make sure to ask about the other amenities on site. Is there a pool? On-site laundry? An exercise room? A clubhouse? Ask about the hours of operation and whether any are available to reserve for special events. Find out how to do this and if there is an extra fee.
These extras usually only sweeten the deal once you’ve already found an apartment you love, but it’s nice to know upfront when and how you can use them.
20. Is smoking allowed indoors?
You may be of the mind that ‘to each their own’ when it comes to smoking, but sometimes a smoky apartment affects the neighboring units. Especially if you have an allergy, it might be best to live in a smoke-free building.
If it’s not something you mind, make sure to inquire about how often they check smoke detectors within each unit, and in public areas, and whether there are fire extinguishers on hand on each floor. About five percent of home structure fires start from smoking materials.
21. Are there plans to update the building?
This question covers a lot of things you’ll want to know. Construction or other work on the building is a sign of a lot of things — both positive and negative.
Construction in the building can mean you’ll be dealing with a lot of noise from every direction. However, renovated apartments are likely nicer than the unit you live in already, so you might get the chance to move once they’re completed. Improvements, though, can also be a sign rent is going up to repay the construction costs. Whatever it means, you’ll want to factor it all in before you sign the lease.
Know the best questions to ask when touring an apartment
There is an infinite number of questions to ask when touring an apartment, so make sure you prioritize.
Start with your deal-breakers since a ‘no’ to any of those means you’re moving on to the next apartment. You can even consider making a cheat sheet of questions for each apartment tour to keep track of answers, but also ensure you remember all the vital information once you’re back at home.
Regardless, don’t forget to speak up. This is, after all, your next home.
Source: apartmentguide.com
Apache is functioning normally
The holidays are upon us, and our thoughts turn to shopping, eating and decorating. But safety is never far from our minds. Keeping the holidays fun and safe takes a little prepping and planning. Here are eight holiday safety tips to keep you and yours healthy and safe as you head into the jolliest of seasons.
1. Avoid delivery dramas
The holidays are prime time for thieves. The USPS delivers more than 28 million packages per day for the 10 days before Christmas. Here are a few holiday safety tips to keep your packages secure:
- Install a safety camera or video doorbell
- If there’s not one in your building, talk with your landlord or property manager about creating a dedicated package room with a door
- Get to know your neighbors as a lot of folks are working remotely. They could keep an eye out for deliveries.
- Add delivery instructions to packages such as leaving them in a spot where no one will notice them
Employ one or more of these tactics to keep your holiday goodies safe and out of the hands of would-be thieves.
2. Don’t fan the flames
Candles and fireplaces are romantic but can also become problems if you don’t take precautions. Keep children and pets away from burning candles and lit fires and always remember to snuff out candles before going to bed. If you do have little ones, consider using battery-operated candles and flameless tea lights for that warm glow.
If you want to make a fire, ensure your fireplace flue is open and keep the damper open until the fire is out. Clear away any flammable clutter — books, magazines, draperies, furniture — before lighting the fire. Keep a screen in front of the fireplace at all times. Make sure the fire is completely out before you go to bed or leave the house.
While the risk of fire attributed to Christmas trees is small — about 160 fires (out of roughly 358,500 home fires) according to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) — it’s still something you should consider. Most of those fires involve real trees, which is why many apartment buildings do not allow tenants to use living trees for the holiday (check your lease agreement or with your property manager or landlord before dragging home a tree from the local scouts).
Keep your Christmas tree at least three feet from fireplaces, radiators and other heat sources. Make sure you keep up with the watering. There’s nothing worse than stepping with your bare feet on dry, spiky needles — except those dry, spiky needles catching on fire.
Unplug the lights if you leave the house and before you go to sleep. If you purchase an artificial tree, make sure it has a fire-retardant label. And if you have a metallic tree, never decorate it with electric lights. If the lights are faulty, the tree can become charged and anyone touching it could be electrocuted.
And this might be the biggest holiday safety tip of them all: Once the holidays are over, don’t wait too long to take down your tree and lights. Not only will it be safer, but it will make your neighbors happy.
3. Tame your travel troubles
If you’re heading out of town for the holidays, there’s a lot to think about beyond directions for getting over the river and through the woods.
Make sure your car has a roadside emergency kit that includes items such as blankets, a first aid kit, a tool kit, a small shovel, a flashlight and extra batteries. Keep a few gallons of water on hand.
Holiday gatherings are what the holidays are all about, and they often involve alcohol. Seems like this holiday safety tip should be a no-brainer, but, always name a designated driver or take an Uber, Lyft or taxi home.
We’re still facing the effects of the pandemic. When you stop at roadside facilities, wear masks and avoid crowds. The CDC still recommends staying at least six feet from people who are not traveling with you. Wash your hands often.
4. Ditch your decorating dilemmas
From fires to choking to cuts and poisoning, decorating your home for the holidays is a minefield of potential hazards.
That box of old decorations may no longer be safe: broken lights and wires are an electrical hazard; older tinsel might be lead-based; aging angel hair is abrasive to your skin. And breathing in spray-on artificial snow can cause everything from a headache and nausea to difficulty walking and heart palpitations.
Read the labels for proper use of these products or update your box of decorations with some newer products that have safety labels from an independent testing laboratory.
Take extra precautions if there will be children around. To you it’s a decoration, but to them, the colorful baubles look like candy. Keep trimmings out of reach and avoid those that are easily breakable or sharp.
And take care when decorating. Remember that chairs are not ladders. There are about 200 decorating-related injuries every holiday season — usually involving a fall.
5. Lose lighting liabilities
With its tangle of wires, peering into your holiday decorating box is like looking into a snake pit. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission suggests you check light strings for broken bulbs, frayed wires, cracked sockets and loose connections. Replace damaged ones and don’t use more than three standard-size sets of lights for each extension cord. Keep “bubbling” lights away from children. These lights have a chemical that’s hazardous if ingested.
Here’s a simple holiday safety tip for your lights: If you’re hanging lights outside, make sure they’re securely fastened to the house, trees or walls to protect them from wind damage.
6. Set shopping safeguards
Don’t forget that thieves also have holiday wish lists, and they don’t go on vacation between Christmas and New Year. (Although they are less active on Thanksgiving.) You don’t want to make it easy for them, so keep these holiday safety tips in mind when you’re shopping.
If you’re out with your car, park in a well-lit area and stow any purchases in the trunk. Pay attention to your surroundings. Thieves often troll parking lots and wait for the right moment — like after you’ve unloaded your packages and you head back into the mall. Be sure to lock your car and don’t leave your fob behind.
Use electronic payments as much as possible, and don’t carry around too much cash. Check your bank statements regularly to make sure your purchases and only your purchases are accurately recorded.
If you’re shopping online, be alert for scams. Make sure you’re on a reputable site before you hand over your credit card number. (And, if you can, use a credit card that’s designated for your online purchases.) This holiday safety tip should be followed all year round: When you get emails announcing great deals, don’t click on any links. Check out sites separately and never through an unsolicited email.
7. Cut out cooking calamities
Cooking fires top the list of residential fires, and according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, three times the average number of daily cooking fires occur on Thanksgiving Day (about 1,700 each year). For fire safety, always have a fire extinguisher on hand and use it to smother flames (don’t use flour or water). Remember to turn pot handles toward the back of the stove, and don’t wear loose clothing while you cook.
Frying turkeys has become increasingly popular at holiday time. The NFPA reports that these deep fryers cause an average of five deaths, 60 injuries and more than $15 million in property damage each year. If you use one, don’t leave it unattended and don’t overfill it. Wear safety goggles, closed-toed shoes and use the fryer outdoors, making sure it’s far from flammable materials.
Practice good food safety. Wash your hands often, separate raw meat from produce, cook all meat to the right temperature and refrigerate leftovers within two hours of serving.
8. Consider holiday safety tips for pets
The holidays are exciting but dangerous for pets. They love shiny objects. Lots of guests “accidentally” share food with them. Beware of the following, especially:
- Tinsel: It’s not poisonous, but if your dog or cat eats it, the tinsel can get stuck in their teeth or stomach. It may cut or bunch up in their intestines. If you think your pet had a tousle with tinsel, get your pet to the vet’s office right away.
- Toxic foods: Chocolate, grapes, raisins, currants and macadamia nuts can all be toxic to both cats and dogs. The iKibble app offers information on what foods are toxic for dogs, as well as the general healthiness of foods.
- Mistletoe and holly: If your pet eats these, they may get diarrhea and vomit. Never a good look on Christmas morning. Feature these plants in places your animals can’t reach.
- “Adult” party substances: A jolly night for you and your friends is downright dangerous to your pets. Keep alcoholic beverages and marijuana (now legal for recreational use in 19 states) stowed away. Clean up anything that might have hit the floor. No one likes a hangover, and you certainly don’t want to spend precious holiday time off at the emergency vet’s office.
Keep your furry friends in mind as you set up your holiday decorations. They want happiness and healthiness this year, too.
Take extra precautions by following these holiday safety tips
With COVID still an issue, you’ve got an additional layer of concern this year. We’re all looking forward to gathering in person, but we still need to be cautious. Schedule smaller gatherings. Ask people about their vaccination status and determine what works for you. Wear a mask when you’re in a crowd and shop online if you’re uncomfortable being among the throngs of shoppers.
Be healthy, be safe and happy holidays to all.
Source: rent.com
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Architect Louis Naidorf had a disastrous 80th birthday cake. In 2008, Naidorf, who designed the Capitol Records building in Hollywood, was presented with a celebration cake that had been custom-baked in the shape of his iconic cylindrical building. But the pastry soon reflected the rather substantial difference between concrete and flour.
“When the cake was brought out, it gently collapsed, and everyone applauded,” Naidorf says, laughing over the phone from his home in Santa Rosa. “It was like in one of the movies where the Capitol Records building was destroyed.” Thankfully the cake for his 95th birthday, which he celebrated last month, was more structurally sound.
Designated a historic-cultural monument in 2006, the building has long been a favorite Los Angeles landmark to demolish on film — especially for filmmaker Roland Emmerich, who blew it up with an alien spaceship in “Independence Day” and slammed it with twisters in “The Day After Tomorrow.” Yet no movie can ever write the building out of a central place in popular music history. The tower is synonymous with the illustrious Capitol Records, home of Nat King Cole and Frank Sinatra, and the American record label of Pink Floyd and the Beatles, with the latter’s stars lining the Hollywood Walk of Fame right in front of the building.
Over the last several years, the building has been illuminated in support of various sociopolitical causes. In 2020, it was lighted red to support independent music venues. Last year, during their performance in Hollywood, Duran Duran lighted the Capitol Records building blue and yellow in solidarity with Ukraine. “I think that’s excellent,” Naidorf says. “Anything that vigorously engages the public on the right side of good causes transcends other issues. I’m flattered they use the Capitol Records building. It means it has enough cachet to merit being chosen to do that.”
Like the famous landmark he designed, Louis Naidorf has of late been experiencing his own brush with stardom, with postcards from autograph seekers arriving at his door. He is flattered but doesn’t take the attention too seriously.
“It’s obvious that if someone asks me for four signatures I’m part of trading baseball cards or something,” he says. “They are going to trade four Lou Naidorfs for one Joe Smith.”
Still, he’s surprised and somewhat baffled by the sudden burst of recognition after all these years. “I guess my name ended up on a list or something,” he shrugs.
Naidorf was just 24 years old when he designed the Capitol Records building, in 1953. It was the world’s first circular office building.
Though it was 70 years ago, he vividly recalls how he felt when he received the assignment for his first solo project. “At one level, I felt enormous anxiety that if I didn’t get a solution, very, very quickly, something terrible would happen,” he says. “On the other hand, I felt a total confidence that I could do it. So it was a crazy contradiction.”
Naidorf notes the building’s porcelain enamel sunshades with carefully spaced gaps to play with light and shadow. These cause spiral lines to appear on the building, drawing the eye into a rhythm rather than straight up and down. “You can see Capitol Records from quite a distance and you get a first impression of its basic form and character. You have a reading of it as complete,” he says. “But the building is designed so that the closer you get to the building, you discover more details.”
What about the long-standing myth that its round shape was designed to look like a stack of records with a rooftop antenna resembling a phonograph needle? As hard as it might be to believe, the legendary story about the building is just a coincidence — an urban legend that Naidorf has tried to debunk for decades.
In fact, when his boss, Welton Becket, tasked him with the assignment, the building was simply referred to as Project X. Shrouded in secrecy, Naidorf was given little guidance for the project other than being asked to design a 13-story building on a sloped side street in Hollywood that had to be kept as cool as possible and had smaller than usual floor space. He also didn’t know for whom he was designing it. Naidorf says it was common for clients’ identities to be kept confidential during the initial planning stages of a project.
However, Naidorf relished the creative latitude. The absence of information left him unburdened by preconceived ideas. “I knew the door was open for something special. It urged me so strongly,” he says earnestly. “I felt, and I think all architects feel this way … there’s a drive to translate the mundane bare requirements that clients come in with into something that has some poetic qualities about it.”
Naidorf then had an epiphany: The project’s requirements were “eerily resonant” with a series of circular buildings he had designed for his master’s thesis in college. “The round shape is a very efficient enclosure of space,” he says. “You get more bang for your buck.”
Not everyone agreed with his approach. Naidorf says that Capitol Records co-founder and President Glenn Wallichs became irate when Naidorf presented him with a model and drawings of a round building, and “violently rejected” the design. “He thought it was a cheap stunt designed by a young guy to make the building look like a stack of records,” Naidorf says, laughing.
Wallichs insisted that Naidorf replace the round design with plans for a rectangular building. But when both rectangular and circular designs were presented to the insurance company financing the land, Naidorf says that Wallichs was urged to proceed with the round design.
Soon after, when talk of the building housing a radio station (that never came to fruition) was raised, Naidorf fretted when he was asked to design an antenna. He was worried that it would look like a phonograph needle and cement the idea that the building was designed to look like a stack of records.
Owing to his nagging concern, Naidorf positioned the rooftop spire asymmetrically, poised to appear as if it touches the roof delicately, like “a ballerina en pointe.” He calls it the building’s “grace note.” Still, the stack-of-vinyl myth persists. Laughing, Naidorf says, “It’s the most enduring myth of all.”
Despite his good humor, it leaves him conflicted. “The building was not designed as a cartoon or a giggle. To have it trivialized with the stack-of-records myth is annoying and dismaying,” he says. “There’s not a thing on the building that doesn’t have a solid purpose to it.”
Naidorf’s ingenuity has been especially impressive to Los Angeles-based architect Lorcan O’Herlihy, who says he has “often responded strongly to the fact and admired that here was this interesting architect [Naidorf] who was combining science and art, or artistry and technology. Welton Becket [& Associates], very much to their credit, were at a period where modernism was at its heyday and they had to come up with ideas that were new and fresh and they did it, and Lou was certainly instrumental in that. His work is extraordinary.”
Naidorf was born in Los Angeles in 1928. His father owned a shop where he made and sold women’s clothing, with Naidorf’s mother lining the garments. Owing to his father’s lack of accounting skills and business acumen, however, the business often collapsed, forcing his parents to work at a garment factory until debts could be paid off to reopen the store.
Throughout his childhood, Naidorf’s family struggled financially as they moved around, living mostly in Silver Lake and Los Feliz. With only enough money to rent studio apartments, Naidorf’s parents slept on a Murphy bed while Naidorf spent his nights on a mattress on the floor.
As a little boy, Naidorf felt drawn to buildings. When his third-grade teacher decorated the classroom with a Hawaiian vacation theme, his fascination morphed into a calling. “I asked my teacher who made the drawings and she said, ‘Naval architects.’ And then I asked her who draws the plans for houses and she said, ‘Architects.’ She told me to ask my mother to show me the floor plans that were published in the real estate section of the Sunday edition of the newspaper.
“When I saw them, I was a goner,” he swoons. “I now knew what I wanted to do. I wanted to be an architect.”
Naidorf remembers, at age 8, designing a three-bedroom house, using a card table as a makeshift drafting table. Soon after, he began designing small towns. “It wasn’t anything brilliant, but I was learning to draw, learning to scale and learning to think in spatial terms,” he says. When he was 12 years old, Naidorf got a part-time job at a bookstore, where he spent his first two paychecks on architecture books, absorbing them until they were threadbare.
Beyond literature, Naidorf amassed a growing collection of architectural materials (T-square, rectangles, instruments for ink drawings), thanks to his bar mitzvah presents, and decided he was ready to get to work. Sanford Kent, a young architect who had just graduated from USC, hired a tenacious 13-year-old Naidorf, paying him out of his own pocket.
Naidorf says tackling the abstract problems Kent gave him at once stimulated his mind and were instrumental in forming his long-standing ethos. “It got me thinking about architecture in terms of its effect on human emotions. The key issue is, ‘How do people respond to your work, whether from a distance or by living it?’” he says.
He continued to soak up whatever he could about architecture, gearing his junior and high school classes toward studying architecture in university. He attended UC Berkeley instead of the privately funded USC, not only to leave home and expand his horizons but also because of its affordability.
Even still, Naidorf couldn’t afford all of the program’s required materials. He borrowed airbrushes from his fellow students, who would also give him their pencil stubs instead of tossing them out. Naidorf submitted his assignments on pebble board, which was not only cheaper than illustration board but allowed him to draw on one side, flip it over and draw on the other.
In 1950, Naidorf graduated at the top of his class and got his master of architecture degree a year early. He skipped his graduation ceremony because he had a job interview the next day at Welton Becket & Associates, where he was promptly hired. Among his earliest design assignments: a tray slide for a hospital cafeteria, a clothes closet and a “Please Wait to Be Seated” sign for a restaurant.
Three years into his employment, he began working on the Capitol Records building. Naidorf says he would design it the exact same way if he were given the assignment today.
Andrew Slater, former Capitol Records president and chief executive (2001-07), attests to the building’s distinctive charm. “When you go to work every day in that building it’s like you’re going into a piece of art, and it informs your attitude … to do something with that mindset, which is great,” he says. “Even though working in the music industry is, in a sense, an industrial endeavor, you never felt like you were doing anything industrial when you walked into that building.”
Still, Naidorf fears being perceived as a “Johnny One Note,” as he puts it. Noting the plaque bearing his name outside the building’s main entrance, he expresses gratitude but wariness “that this one modest project has to carry my whole reputation on it.”
It’s a fair point, given the magnitude of Naidorf’s notable oeuvre. It’s earned him 17 regional honor and merit awards and AIA California’s Lifetime Achievement Award (2009). His work also has been featured at the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles.
“I know Capitol Records is always the first one people talk about and it’s a splendid, iconic building that fuses artistry and functionalism, but he’s also produced other projects over the years,” says fellow architect O’Herlihy. “The Santa Monica Civic Auditorium is brilliant.”
Naidorf designed the 3,000-seat capacity Santa Monica Civic Auditorium on the heels of the Capitol Records building, in the late 1950s. Essentially two buildings in one, it was a challenge to design a locale that functioned at once as a performance space with a sloped floor and an exhibit hall with a flat floor for sports events, banquets and trade shows.
He transformed the floor from flat to tilted using a hydraulic system that was hailed for its innovation. “I don’t think you’ll find any place that has a symphony on a Friday night and a gem show, or some kind of hobby show, on Saturday,” he says.
Formerly home to the Santa Monica Symphony Orchestra but currently sitting vacant, the Civic Auditorium opened its doors to the public in 1958. From 1961 to 1968, it hosted the Academy Awards. It also was the site of live recordings including George Carlin’s comedy record “Class Clown” and the Eagles’ “Eagles Live,” a double LP recorded during their three-night run at the venue. It also hosted “The T.A.M.I. Show” in 1964.
In the meantime, while the Civic was still under construction, Naidorf designed the 15,000-seat capacity Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, the biggest arena in Los Angeles when it opened in 1959. (The arena was demolished in 2016 to make way for the Banc of California Stadium, now called BMO Stadium.)
Naidorf says the Sports Arena, home to various Los Angeles sports teams including the NBA’s Lakers (1960-67) and Clippers (1984-1999) and the NHL’s Kings (1967-68), was built to attract sports teams to Los Angeles, but uncertainty about whether they’d catch on meant the facility had to be viable for other purposes.
In 1960, a year after it opened its doors, the Sports Arena hosted the first Democratic National Convention in Los Angeles, where John F. Kennedy became the presidential nominee. Muhammad Ali (then known as Cassius Clay) won a boxing match there in 1962. It also hosted rallies by Martin Luther King Jr. and the Dalai Lama, and saw concerts by legendary rock acts including the Grateful Dead.
Bruce Springsteen played the venue’s final concerts before the building was demolished, a three-night stint during which he dedicated his song “Wrecking Ball” to the building lovingly nicknamed “The Dump That Still Jumps.” “Well, it was pretty dumpy by the end,” Naidorf says, laughing. “Not all architecture is permanent,” he continues. “I’d rather it was demolished and some useful purpose made of the site than having it sit there old, shabby and neglected as it was.”
Naidorf’s credits also include the Beverly Hilton Hotel, the Beverly Center and the Reagan State Office Building downtown. Outside of Los Angeles, Naidorf helmed the restoration of the California State Capitol Building in Sacramento, a six-year undertaking and then the largest-ever restoration undertaken in the U.S., and he designed President Gerald Ford’s house in Rancho Mirage.
The tallest building in Arizona, the Valley National Bank building (now Chase Tower) in Phoenix, also was designed by Naidorf, as well as the Hyatt Regency Dallas and adjacent Reunion Tower, the most recognizable landmark of the city’s skyline.
He details these and his other high-profile projects in his 2018 book “More Humane: An Architectural Memoir”, filled with photos, backstories and personal anecdotes. Flipping through its pages, one learns that Naidorf not only took risks designing his projects but even risked his job on occasion.
He writes in his memoir that in 1958, when he was designing the Humble Oil (now Exxon) headquarters in Houston, he refused to design separate locker rooms and drinking fountains for Black and white people, as the company asked him to. When he went home on that Friday night, he describes not knowing if he’d have a job the following Monday. Not only did Naidorf not lose his job, he says, but the company ceased segregating its locker rooms and drinking fountains after that.
“I realized architects have access to some of the most powerful people in the world and it is our job to bring up issues that represent social issues rather than just architectural design,” he says. “The only thing for evil to triumph is for good people to remain silent. Architects should not remain silent.”
Naidorf also understood that sometimes he was designing projects where people don’t want to be, like the Naval Medical Center in San Diego, which opened in 1988. “I felt that there were two emotions we had to contend with,” he says. “One was to lay the sense that this would be welcoming and have a more personal quality. But if you go to a hospital you want a quite contradictory thing. You want to have a sense that it’s state-of-the-art, that whatever powerful forces can cure you, they’re there.”
Instead of one medical building, which he felt would seem ominous, he designed several structures and a series of outdoor walkways to make the facility feel warm and comforting. The treatment and diagnostic part of the facility was bold, with an abundance of steel and glass. Walkways were lined with floor-to-ceiling glass to allow patients to see the outdoor courtyard, grass, trees, sky and distant views of a golf course “based on the primitive feeling you have in the hospital, which is to get out of the damn place,” he says.
When he was out shopping a few months ago, Naidorf met a woman who mentioned that she had been in the Navy, forcing her to move around a lot when her son was battling childhood leukemia. Without knowing she was talking to the Naval Medical Center’s designer himself, she told Naidorf that it was the only hospital that didn’t scare her ill 6-year-old son, who has since made a full recovery.
“What kind of an architect…,” Naidorf says, overcome with emotion and his voice breaking, “do you have to be not to hold that as better than any design award?”
Though Naidorf had risen through Welton Becket & Associates’ ranks to become vice president, director of research and director of design, he grew increasingly unhappy after the firm’s merger with Ellerbe Associates (it was renamed Ellerbe Becket). He moved into academia full-time in 1990, spending just one day a week at the firm.
Naidorf became dean of the School of Architecture and Design at Woodbury University, earning numerous distinctions, including teacher, faculty member and administrator of the year. He was also a guest professor at UCLA, USC, Cal Poly Pomona and SCI-Arc. At his retirement ceremony in 2000, he was awarded an honorary doctorate, marking not only the end of his academic career but also his time in Los Angeles.
Charmed by the beauty of Northern California, Naidorf moved up the coast to Santa Rosa. For the next 15 years, he continued working with Woodbury University as campus architect, designing and remodeling some of its buildings, and was invited to be a board member.
When he parted ways with Woodbury at 87 years old, it was not with the goal of taking it easy. Naidorf had other pursuits in mind, including his work with City Vision Santa Rosa revitalizing the city’s downtown area.
He also helped his close friend, Mike Harkins (who edited Naidorf’s memoir), design his new house free of charge after the 2017 Tubbs Fire burned Harkins’ home to the ground and he and his wife lost 99% of their belongings.
“Lou offered without solicitation: ‘I’d like to design your house,’” Harkins says. “To me or anyone else who knows him, it was a heartfelt offer that of course he would make, and yet so much more. One analogy might be if Eric Clapton said, ‘I’d like to play at your wedding.’ The knowledge and sensibility that comes along with a Naidorf design offering is huge, just like his heart.”
Most recently, Naidorf has been experimenting with plans for a project to help people who are unhoused.
Naidorf has made the most of his architecture license over the last 71 years. His voice fills with pride when he reveals that he holds the earliest issued active architecture license in the state of California, obtained in 1952.
“It’s something I wanted to be since I was a little kid. My architecture license was so hard to come by. I don’t want to give it up,” he says with palpable emotion. “I don’t want to be retired. I want to be an architect until I fall over. I plan to be buried as a licensed architect.”
Of recently turning 95, he jokes that he feels like a bad vaudeville performer who soon will be pulled offstage by a hook. But Naidorf remains in remarkably good health after surviving both prostate and esophageal cancer in his 80s.
To keep his brain sharp, he does exercises including counting backward from 100 by sevens and taking IQ tests online.
As a nonagenarian, he says there is no key to living a long life. He suggests, though, that it helps to try to use it well. “It’s not how big the steak is but how tasty it is,” he says. “I think you have to seek a calling, listen for it and search for it. Find something in your life that is really yours. … Get engaged with something that’s going to scare you, something where the problems are hard. And take risks. There is no failure.”
He also notes the importance of adaptability. “I have had four marriages. I’d better be resilient,” he quips. Twice divorced and twice widowed, Naidorf has a daughter from his first marriage, four stepchildren (who call him “Dad”) from his fourth marriage, 11 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. An intensely private man, he’s reticent to speak publicly about his relationships and family, preferring to focus on his work.
“I remain so fascinated with architecture,” he says. “I cannot even walk past a store where somebody is putting in an electrical outlet without stopping to look in and watch it.”
The chatty Naidorf turns summarily succinct, saying, “I certainly have had a good run.”
Source: latimes.com
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Dark interior design refers to a decorating style that uses predominantly dark hues and tones to create a desired ambiance or aesthetic in a space. This style can evoke a range of moods, from cozy and intimate to dramatic and sophisticated. When done correctly, dark interiors can be incredibly captivating and undeniably luxurious, even when it comes to the bathroom. Check out our dark bathroom ideas for a full idea of how to achieve this moody, ultra-luxe look.
Key features of dark interior design
- Deep color palettes: This includes shades of black, gray, navy, deep green, burgundy and dark browns. These colors can be incorporated into walls, furniture, textiles and pieces of decor.
- Contrast: Even within a dark palette, contrast is important. Using varying shades of dark colors while incorporating lighter accents, can break up the monotony and add depth to any room.
- Texture variation: To prevent a space from feeling flat, it’s essential to incorporate various textures. Think of velvet cushions, silk curtains, rough wood and smooth metal. These differences create contrast and drama.
- Ambient lighting: While it may seem oxymoronic, lighting plays a crucial role in dark interiors. The right lighting can enhance the perception of dark colors, create warmth and highlight unique design details. Consider using dimmable lights, candles or string lights to set the tone.
- Metallic accents: Metallics like gold, brass and silver can pop beautifully against a dark background. They add a touch of luxury and visual interest to the overall design.
- Art and decor: Choose art pieces and decorative items that complement or contrast the dark theme.
- Layering: In a dark interior, layering textiles like rugs, throws and pillows can enhance the coziness of a room.
Benefits of dark interior design
- Creates intimacy: Dark colors tend to bring walls visually closer, making large rooms feel more intimate.
- Accentuates luxury: Dark shades, especially when paired with plush fabrics or metallics, can conjure a sense of opulence.
- Highlights architectural features: Features like moldings, archways, and built-in shelving can be accentuated with dark colors.
- Versatility: Dark interiors can be styled to fit a range of themes from modern and sleek to vintage and ornate.
Variables to keep in mind
- Room size and natural light: As explained above, dark colors can make a small room feel even smaller. Ensure the room receives adequate natural light or has enough artificial lighting to prevent it from feeling like a cave.
- Maintenance: Dark surfaces can show dust and smudges more easily, so regular cleaning may be necessary.
- Balance: If not executed with care, a dark interior can feel oppressive. It’s essential to strike the right balance.
When approaching a dark interior design, it’s crucial to plan carefully and consider how each element contributes to the overall mood and function of the space. It’s also beneficial to take inspiration from design portfolios, magazines or online resources to visualize the result.
Dark bathroom basics
Dark bathroom interiors can create a particularly luxurious and spa-like ambiance when done correctly. Here’s a deeper dive into using dark design principles specifically in bathrooms.
1. Materials
- Stone and tiles: Dark marble, slate or tiles look classy. Consider using them for countertops, shower areas or flooring. Textured tiles can also add dimension.
- Wood: Dark-stained or naturally dark woods add warmth in the way only natural materials can. Consider this for vanities, shelving or even certain types of wall treatments.
- Metal: Matte black or brushed bronze fixtures (like faucets, showerheads, and handles) contrast beautifully with dark interiors.
2. Wall colors
Navy, charcoal, forest green or even a deep plum can serve as your base wall color in dark design. If painting yourself, opt for a finish that can withstand moisture, like semi-gloss or satin.
3. Lighting
- Task lighting: Essential around mirrors for activities like shaving or makeup application. Consider wall sconces or illuminated mirrors.
- Ambient lighting: Recessed ceiling lights or even a statement chandelier can elevate the ambiance. Dimmable lights are a great choice for adjusting mood. What’s better than kicking back in the bathtub in a perfectly dimmed room?
- Accent lighting: LED strips under vanities or behind mirrors can create a soft glow while maintaining a darker vibe.
4. Textiles and details
- Towels and bath mats: Go for rich, plush fabrics in colors that either complement or contrast with the overall color scheme.
- Decor: Plants, especially those with dark foliage, can thrive in well-lit bathrooms and complement the dark aesthetic.
5. Mirrors
Large mirrors or mirrored walls can break up the dark tones and help to reflect light, combating the condensing effect dark walls can have on a room.
6. Balancing with lighter tones
If you’re hesitant about going completely dark, consider balancing dark walls or floors with lighter-toned fixtures, textiles or accessories.
7. Consider natural light
If your bathroom has a window, think about the quality of natural light it receives. Sheer dark drapes or blinds can filter light while maintaining privacy.
8. Maintenance
Dark tiles and surfaces can show water spots or soap scum more prominently. Regular cleaning and using squeegees post-shower will help. Diligence is key here in keeping everything looking pristine.
Executing your dark bathroom ideas
Incorporating darkness into your bathroom can result in a chic and modern aesthetic. Here are some dark bathroom ideas to inspire your design journey.
- Dark walls: Opt for matte black paint or dark tiles for a bold statement. Pair it with contrasting white fixtures for a clean look.
- Dark floor tiles: Choose dark tiles, whether glossy, matte or textured, for your flooring. This can be especially dramatic when contrasted with lighter walls or fixtures.
- Black fixtures: Install matte black faucets, showerheads and handles. They pop beautifully against neutral or lighter-colored tiles.
- Dark vanity: A sleek dark vanity can serve as a focal point in the bathroom. Opt for one with gold or chrome handles for an added level of luxury.
- Black bathtub: Consider a freestanding black bathtub as a striking centerpiece, especially if it’s set against a contrasting backdrop or white floor tiles.
- Dark accessories: Incorporate dark colors through smaller items like soap dispensers, toothbrush holders, trash bins and even towels. In a bathroom, even the most basic functional pieces should be thought of as opportunities to enhance the overall aesthetic.
- Black framed mirror: A large mirror framed in black can be both functional and stylish, helping to break up wall spaces and reflect light.
- Black grout: If you’re not ready to commit to larger black elements, consider using black grout with white or light-colored tiles. This creates an intriguing grid-like appearance.
- Black ceiling: A black ceiling can make a dramatic statement, especially when the walls are in a contrasting lighter shade. This is a great idea for smaller bathrooms or powder rooms. It allows you to embrace a dark aesthetic without shrinking the room.
- Black window frames: If your bathroom has windows, black frames are both modern and timeless.
- Patterns and textures: Play with black patterned wallpapers or tiles for added depth. Think about using a black herringbone tile pattern or a damask wallpaper.
- Contrasting elements: Balance the dominance of black with natural materials like wood or plants. For instance, wooden shelves or a few potted green plants can add warmth to the space.
Benefits of dark bathroom ideas
- Timelessness: Black is a color that seldom goes out of fashion, making it a wise choice for those looking for a lasting design.
- Versatility: Black pairs well with almost every color, allowing for easy updates or changes in the future. It also compliments most metallic finishes, making it a failproof choice for anything from pewter to bright brass.
- Sophistication: The color black inherently carries an air of elegance and refinement. Beyond that, black is an excellent color for concealing the type of wear and tear that naturally accrues through regular use.
Welcome to the dark side of bathroom design
Dark bathroom designs can transform an everyday commode into a luxurious escape. As with all design endeavors, the key lies in balance and attention to detail. Incorporating contrasting textures, varying tones, and adequate lighting ensures the design remains inviting and functional.
Remember, while these black bathroom ideas can be captivating, it’s essential to ensure that the space doesn’t become too dark or overwhelming. Proper lighting, reflective surfaces and contrasting elements can keep the space feeling open and inviting.
Still looking for the perfect space to decorate in your style, whether dark academia, modern, farmhouse or otherwise? Explore apartments and houses for rent here.
Source: apartmentguide.com
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News Briefs
A ‘Greenery-Filled Terrarium’ Will Be at the Center of New ODA Skyscraper in Seoul
An expansive “sky garden” will sit at the middle of Terrarium Cheong-Dam, a new skyscraper in Seoul, South Korea, designed by architecture studio ODA. The 45-story, 200-meter tower will be built in the city’s Gangnam district and will have a mix of high-end residences and offices. The semi-private sky garden, which ODA refers to as a “terrarium,” will cut through the center of the modern building. Plus, the skyscraper will sit on a podium with a public park. The addition of the greenery is intended to enhance the surrounding urban landscape. Dezeen
U.S. Mortgage Rates Hit a 23-Year High
The interest rate for a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage has hit its highest level since September 2000, following the seventh consecutive weekly increase. Now at 7.9%, the highest interest rate in 23 years is driving mortgage applications to a 28-year low. “Mortgage activity continued to stall, with applications dipping to the slowest weekly pace since 1995,” MBA vice president and deputy chief economist Joel Kan said. “These higher mortgage rates are keeping prospective home buyers out of the market and continue to suppress refinance activity.” Reuters
U.K. Landlords Threaten to Quit Over Proposed Renters’ Reform Bill
More than half of landlords in the U.K.—54%—said they would consider quitting because of the proposed Renters’ Reform bill, which is now getting a second reading. One out of five landlords said abolishing no-fault evictions is one of the least attractive elements of the reform bill, as it is currently the only way to quickly evict tenants. “It’s important that landlords are given the time and information they need to prepare for significant upheaval in the coming years, so they can continue to provide much-needed housing for almost five million households nationwide,” said Alan Thomas, U.K. chief executive at Simply Business. PropertyWire
Danny McBride Lists Hollywood Penthouse for $1.8 Million
Actor and screenwriter Danny McBride is parting with his longtime Hollywood condo, which is now on the market for $1.8 million. McBride, who created the HBO comedy shows “Eastbound & Down,” “Vice Principals” and “The Righteous Gemstones,” purchased the duplex penthouse in 2009 for a little more than $1.4 million. The home, which has previously been listed both on the sales and rental markets, sits on the 10th floor of the landmarked Broadway Hollywood and overlooks the Hollywood Sign and the Capital Records Building. Spanning almost 2,200 square feet, the penthouse has double-height ceilings, one bedroom and two bathrooms. McBride and his family have primarily lived in Charleston, South Carolina, since 2017. Robb Report
Source: mansionglobal.com
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Here’s everything you’ll need to know about how to rent a house, including how it’s different from apartment renting.
Maybe you have a growing family or elderly parents moving in. Perhaps you need a dedicated office or you’re craving outdoor space and more privacy than most apartment complexes offer.
If you can’t afford to buy your own home, you can upgrade your living arrangements by renting one. Still wondering how to accomplish this milestone, though? We’ll walk you through it step by step.
How renting a home is different than renting an apartment
While the renting process may be similar, there are large differences that any prospective tenants should be aware of, so their renting process runs smoothly. Navigating the local market is tricky enough, turn to this guide to delve into the must-knows for your home renting experience.
1. Your rent price will look drastically different
Before beginning your hunt for the perfect rental home, you’ll need to figure out what you can afford. Factoring in your income and recurring expenses including any loan payments, check out our helpful tool that will calculate average rents and the cost of living in major cities. You’ll notice upfront, that renting a house may be pricier, due to numerous reasons.
In addition to the monthly rent you’ll be forking over, there are other costs to consider that you may not have had to deal with as an apartment dweller. For example, things like heat, hot water, electricity, internet and satellite TV that are sometimes covered with an apartment rental will likely come straight out of your pocket when you rent a house.
Also, you might be responsible for lawn care, snow removal and other general maintenance, so if you don’t want to take care of those yourself, plan to budget for hiring out those tasks.
You’ll also need to know your credit score to see if you have to get a co-signer or guarantor — someone with good credit who would be liable for your rent if you can’t pay it. This will be added to your lease agreement should this be the case.
2. Your wants and needs will be more extensive
Once you’re clear on your budget, the fun part of researching houses for rent begins. It’s best to start by narrowing down your search to a few choice neighborhoods that offer the amenities you’re looking for, including proximity to work or your children’s schools. Due to the nature of a home (which lacks the built-in amenities an apartment has) your wants and needs for your ideal rental property will be longer.
It’s helpful to make a list of wants vs. needs to help you sort through your thoughts on your dream rental properties:
- If you or your family are active or love nature, is the area close to parks and recreation centers?
- Do you want a bustling neighborhood packed with restaurants, cafés and boutiques, or would you prefer a quiet, suburban environment?
- Is a backyard important to you?
- Do you need a garage or dedicated parking space?
- Are you looking for a detached home to rent or are you okay with a townhouse?
- Does the neighborhood have easy access to public transportation?
3. You’re sure to attend more tours and have more questions
Reading rental listings and taking a good look at the photos is typically not enough to determine whether a rental house might work for you.
While apartment complexes might post floor plans and room sizes online, you might not have advanced information like that with homes for rent. This means you’ll need to ask the landlord, property manager or rental property owner about many things that may not be explicitly listed:
- Is the home pet-friendly?
- Are appliances included, or would you need to purchase your own?
- Is the house furnished? If it is, can you decide what stays or goes?
- Are laundry hook-ups in place?
- If utilities are not included in the monthly rent, how much can you expect to pay for heat, electricity and hot water?
- Can you make decorative changes, such as painting the walls or changing light fixtures?
- If there’s a backyard, can you plant a garden?
- Is there a home owners association to which you will owe monthly fees?
4. Your neighborhood will be more important than ever
If you like the looks of a house for rent, and the landlord has answered questions to your satisfaction, make sure you also tour the area to get a sense of whether it would be a good fit for you and your family.
Try to speak to some potential neighbors, too: Ask them if it’s safe to walk the streets at night, whether it’s noisy and whether there are other children on the block.
It’s a good idea to visit the street both during the day and in the evening if possible. If the rental home does not have a garage or dedicated parking spot, check out whether street parking is readily available. It’s important to confirm that the right rent price takes into account the neighborhood and what it has to offer potential tenants.
5. There’s additional paperwork, like a home rental application
Paperwork for renting an apartment is a given, however, there tends to be a bit more when it comes to renting a home. Keep in mind, if the property is in a popular neighborhood in a hot real estate market, you won’t want to waste any before time letting the landlord know you’re ready to begin the application process.
Some property managers will charge you a fee between $25 to $100 before opening a file. Supply the following information to help the landlord determine if you are a good candidate to rent the house:
- Your personal contact information
- Proof of income. If you work full-time, pay stubs are sufficient. If you are self-employed, you can present bank statements or tax returns from the past three years. Retirees can provide proof of pension, 401(k) or bank statements.
- Your guarantor’s name and contact information, if applicable
- References who can vouch for your reliability and trustworthiness, such as a supervisor or former landlord
6. More rules you’ll have to adhere to
If your rental home has an HOA, you’ll need to check in with them to see if there are any regulations to follow on moving day, such as not leaving empty boxes at the curb when moving. There will likely also be regulations ranging from decorating to construction restrictions that the homeowner, in this case the landlord, will have to adhere to.
The similarities between renting an apartment and a house
There are some steps and parts of the renting process that don’t change even though the type of rental property does. There are similarities beyond the obvious of needing to pay rent and adhering to rental laws.
1. The background check
Landlords want tenants who have a steady income, a good loan repayment track record and a history of paying rent on time. Often, they will conduct a background check to assess whether they want to rent you their house.
During this part of the process, a property manager will likely want to confirm your employment, speak to the references you provided and check your credit report to see how you managed past payments.
2. The required fees such as a security deposit and first month’s rent
Some landlords will require a security deposit equivalent to a month’s rent, which would cover any damage to the property you might cause during the term of the lease. In some cases, you can either be refunded this fee when the lease is up or it goes to the last month’s rent.
You might also have to pay the first month’s rent once you sign a lease, even if you’re not moving in for a while. Sometimes, you’ll be charged a deposit for keys if you require more than one.
3. The moving process
While you won’t have to reserve an elevator to move into your rental home the way you did when you lived in an apartment, there are some things you need to organize before the big move.
For example, before you book a professional moving company, find out from the landlord if you can reserve a parking spot in front of the house where the truck can park, or whether it can back onto part of the property for easier unloading.
Once that’s done, you can concentrate on packing up and getting ready to move into your new home. Don’t forget to advise utility companies, internet and television providers and anyone else who needs to know you’re moving elsewhere.
Make sure to stay on top of details
Taking the time to research rental homes and neighborhoods and asking the right questions will make the transition from apartment living to a home rental go more smoothly.
Being organized with your paperwork and task list for moving day will provide peace of mind and fewer last-minute glitches so that you can celebrate once you’re settled into your new rental home.
And if you’re thinking about renting out your home for some passive income-generating opportunities, take a look at our rent estimator to see how much you could be earning.
Source: rent.com
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Fresh on the Hamptons market is this timeless luxury estate listed for a not-so-humble $7.75 million.
With classic charm, contemporary amenities, and private access to Southampton’s exclusive Cooper Beach, the lucky new homeowner will go from always dreaming to actually living out the ultimate coastal lifestyle.
Whoever snatches the lavish property in this star-studded Southampton community will not only boast a beautiful home but a lengthy roster of elite neighbors, including Beyoncé and Jay-Z, Jennifer Lopez, Gwenyth Paltrow, Ralph Lauren, and Bon Jovi.
The affluent community regularly attracts A-listers thanks to its exclusivity among lush landscaping and world-class beaches — a welcome break from the bustle of nearby New York City.
But the Hamptons house’s current owner has his own claim to fame.
The estate’s current owner, Anthony Bonomo, co-owned the 143rd Kentucky Derby’s award-winning horse, “Always Dreaming”, back in 2017 along with his longtime pal Vincent Viola.
The two grew up together in 1960s Brooklyn, ‘always dreaming’ of one day winning the highest-attended Thoroughbred stakes race in North America. The ambitious pair finally achieved their equine dreams thanks to their champion colt, who also won 1st place in the Florida Derby that same year.
Related: 17 Celebrities with Swanky Summer Homes in the Hamptons
Now, Bonomo’s Hamptons house is up for grabs for equestrian enthusiasts and beach lovers alike.
Bonomo first purchased the 23 Heady Creek Lane home back in 2014 for just $4.4 million, still high but paling in comparison to its current price tag. But one look at the stately property and you’ll quickly realize its worth.
Featuring quintessential Hamptons charm adorned with all the modern luxury updates you could ask for, it merits as much recognition as its current owner’s all-star racehorse.
Pass through a posh cobblestone driveway and you’ll be greeted by a traditional stately Southampton pad, complete with 6 bedrooms and 8 bathrooms on a sprawling half-acre of land.
Inside, an imposing great room featuring high vaulted ceilings with crown molding, an opulent chandelier, and elegant hardwood floors hint at the opulence featured throughout the rest of the house.
The living area beckons with a spacious floor plan that extends to the luxurious chef’s kitchen boasting a marble-glossed island and cutting-edge appliances.
The Southampton house’s bedrooms each have their distinct ‘personality’, some boasting charming moody decor.
Descending to the lower level, you’ll find dual entertainment spaces, a full bed and bath ideal for overnight guests, a walk-in wine cellar, and a home gym.
The home flawlessly mixes timeless style, like cozy statement fireplaces, with state-of-the-art additions like a Sonos sound system across the property.
Inviting indoor-outdoor-style glass doors seamlessly flow into the expansive backyard, which features a covered lounge area, barbecue pit, and heated pool with a waterfall spa- all perfect for throwing a memorable 4th of July bash.
A separate pool house with its own kitchen and bathroom offers added convenience and comfort while lounging outdoors.
Kieran Rodgers, Nicholas Campasano, and Ricardo Pena of The Agency RE serve as listing agents for the $7.75 million Hamptons home.
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Source: fancypantshomes.com
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A kitchen is more than just a room to prepare and eat meals. It’s the most-used area of a house, as it’s also often the social hub for the whole family.
Over the past few years, I’ve stepped foot into more than 200 kitchens in the Louisville area, and each one was unique in its own way. Here are three that stood out.
Double duty
A well-equipped kitchen setup was a priority for Pam Orlando Zanni and Mark Zanni, owners of this custom-built home in Sanctuary Bluffs.
“I’m a Thanksgiving person,” Orlando Zanni told the Courier Journal. “We have 25 to 30 people (over) for Thanksgiving and my (previous) house in Norton Commons, (also had an) open floor plan, … so when you’d get to dessert time, all the dishes are stacked up (in full view) — which I hated — so this time we built what I call a ‘back kitchen.’”
This back kitchen area boasts a sink, dishwasher, ovens, a column freezer, and all of the couple’s serving dishes. It can also be closed off to not only prevent dirty dishes from being seen but to keep the couple’s pooches — Lhasa poo Ainslie and Bolognese Fredo — in their own area.
Tracee Dore Builders, “is my signature design of using lots of windows. The more light, the better — and we love being able to look out of the home and see the beautiful yard at every angle.”
Though she sacrificed some cabinetry to make space for all the windows, Dore insists she wouldn’t like the room as much if she hadn’t done so. The largest window faces the side porch, otherwise known as the friend entrance, or “friendrance.” She likes that she’s always able to see guests coming and can greet them before they even get to the door.
Cool and contemporary
This newly remodeled Audubon Park kitchen, designed with the help of Bethany Adams of Bethany Adams Interiors, boasts custom cabinetry in a mix of natural walnut and Polo Blue. The room is anchored by an island with platinum quartzite countertops and a Bertazzoni five-in-one appliance underneath. There is seating for three via bar stools with wasabi lemon-hued seating.
The DVX black farmhouse sink — which blends in beautifully — was a happy accident.
“We had ordered a white farmhouse sink, and they accidentally sent us black,” Adams told The Courier Journal. “But, we loved it so much we kept it. And I think it looks amazing.”
Architectural recessed lighting is used throughout, with three pendant lights above the sink. Adams explains that they opted to place the pendant lights there rather than above the island because it looks gorgeous from the outside at night and keeps the view toward the custom range clear and open.
A fourth matching pendant light hangs above the adjacent dry bar. Though there is also a full wet bar in the basement, the homeowners wanted a space by the kitchen to store glassware and other bar accessories.
“Up at the top part (of the dry bar) behind the brass screens are speakers,” Adams said. “(The homeowners) are really into music and wanted to incorporate speakers without having them be so clunky (or) overbearing.”
Know a house that would make a great Home of the Week? Email writer Lennie Omalza at [email protected] or Lifestyle Editor Kathryn Gregory at [email protected].
nuts & bolts: Double duty
Owners: Pam Orlando Zanni and Mark Zanni. Orlando Zanni is the creative studio operations director at Cella, and Zanni is the director of operations at Fresenius Kidney Care. Also in the home is Ainslie, the couple’s 15-year-old Lhasa poo, and Fredo, their 8-year-old Bolognese.
Home: This is a 4-bed, 6-bath, 6,000-square-foot, South Carolina Lowcountry style home that was built in 2018 in the Sanctuary Bluffs development.
Distinctive elements: Extensive porch that leads to a double-door entry; soaring vaulted ceiling with architectural trusses and French doors that lead to covered back porch in main bedroom; freestanding tub and spacious walk-in shower in main bath; dressing room with makeup vanity, washer, and dryer; great room with 12-foot coffered ceiling; three sets of French doors that lead to the back porch and yard; custom designed and crafted built ins surrounding an oversized fireplace; open floor plan that incorporates kitchen, dining, and great room; primary kitchen with a 10-foot-long island, Sub-Zero wine Fridge, clear ice maker, Sub-Zero refrigerator column, eight-burner Wolf range, Bosch dishwasher, farmhouse sink, quartz countertops, and ceramic backsplash; back kitchen with additional farmhouse sink, Bosch dishwasher, Sub-Zero column freezer, Wolf microwave, electric wall oven, built-in open shelving and ladder to access high shelves, electronic doggie door with access to picket-fenced dog area; additional full bath and bedroom on main floor, which is currently used as a home office; front staircase that leads to two bedrooms with en suites, an open sitting area, and a second laundry area for guests; rear staircase that leads to design loft, which includes a fully tiled open art space for painting, a balcony that overlooks the woods, a full bath, and large closet; casual entertainment area in basement includes pool table, pinball machine, and large TV over a 100-inch electric fireplace; dark-stained wood ceiling treatment above TV area; exercise room, office, and full bath in basement; exterior access staircase that leads from garage to basement storage area; artwork by John Tuska, Mary Michael Shelley, Mark Bettis, S. Josephine Weaver, David Walker, Billy Hertz, Molly Passafiume, Kathleen Lolly, Shayne Hull, Wayne Ferguson, Marvin Finn, Bob Hoke, T Marie Nolan, Salvador Dali, and Peter Max; located on a half-acre lot.
nuts & bolts: Rustic yet refined
Owners: Tracee Dore Brown and Matt Brown. Tracee is the owner of Tracee Dore Builders, Custom Homes and Renovations; Matt is a Louisville Metro Police sergeant. Also in the home are the couple’s teenage children, Madeline and Alex.
Home: This is a 3-bed, 5-bath, 2,400-square-foot home built in 2017 and styled after Michigan lake cottages. It sits on a one-acre lot in Pewee Valley.
Distinctive elements: Sunroom with large sofa, linen draperies, gold leaf and crystal chandelier; kitchen with Danby marble countertops, unique cabinetry, rustic statement-piece island, lots of windows; European vintage collection oak flooring that replicates historical salvaged flooring; fireplace with Pickwick tongue-and-groove paneling; 8-foot doors and 9-foot ceilings throughout.
nuts & bolts: Cool and contemporary
Owners: Stefan and Heather Rumancik. Stefan is the owner of Designer Builders and Heather is the owner of Competitive Intelligence Executive. Also in the home is their 12-year-old daughter, Adrienne.
Home: This is a 4-bed, 3-and-a-half bath, 4,000-square-foot, Dutch Colonial Revival home in Audubon Park that was built in 1930.
Distinctive elements: Custom walnut and Polo Blue cabinetry, platinum quartzite countertops, Ann Sacks ribbed savoy tile, ribbed glass uppers, and DXV black farmhouse sink in the kitchen; faux thin-brick flooring, custom walnut and Polo Blue cabinetry in the mudroom; Cole and Sons “woods” wallpaper, custom cabinetry in the powder room; custom walnut cabinetry and paneling, Bardiglio and Carrara tile, plastered domed shower ceiling with rain shower, Ann Sacks savoy tile in shower, Brizo chrome and teak faucets in the primary bathroom and dressing room.
Source: courier-journal.com