• The Sun Valley Seasons: Greene & Greene-ish in Idaho

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    The "Sun Valley Seasons" (Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter) are four luxurious 4,000+ sq ft single-family homes designed by Ruscitto / Latham / Blanton and built by Intermountain Construction on three lots in Sun Valley, Idaho. What makes them interesting is the level of detail – they were designed and built to resembled Greene & Greene homes, and the gabling, roofline, and much of the interior architectural woodwork is certainly in that vein.

    I can’t speak to the quality of the homes – I haven’t visited them or seen construction pictures – and I sometimes feel a little odd looking at new construction that is so self-consciously "antiqued," in that it’s made to look very similar to a particular designer’s work in a particular era. However, you can see that at the very least the designers and builders certainly had a thing for the Greenes.

    The people who staged the homes and did some of the finishing, though, included a few items that are completely incongruous in such a home – an ornate chandelier and other light fixtures, for instance, that owe more to Louis XIV than the Arts & Crafts movement; white beadboard in the kitchen; fake-paneled appliances, and a fountain that looks like something out of a Berkeley hippie commune. Overall, though, the level of detail is certainly impressive.

  • What do you do when your house blows up?

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    You rebuild, of course. Dave Premer, of Huntington NY, rebuilt his 1830s farmhouse – leveled by a gas explosion and fire caused by a contractor who severed a gas line – as a very attractive Craftsman bungalow. Energy efficiency and other modern touches were important to Premer, whose 4 bed / 3 bath home should be ready next month, just about one month after the blast.

    The story itself is not especially noteworthy, although we certainly wish Mr. Premer the best. It is interesting to note, though, that he was able to cut the energy footprint of this rather large house – at 2,600 square feet, it’s almost double the side of my perfectly livable Mission Revival bungalow here in Sacramento – by half, without going over budget. You can indeed build "green" – as long as you have some sort of focus – without breaking the bank.

    The bungalow concept with energy-saving features began to take shape in
    late February, after his insurance company, Allstate, referred several
    contractors for the project. Armed with a set of plans from a local
    architect, Premer selected a project bid from a national firm with a
    franchise in Brentwood. Mark Gunthner, owner of Paul Davis Restoration
    & Remodeling of Long Island, Huntington architect Pete Smith and
    Premer worked together to revise the original house plans.

    The result will be a residence using about 50 percent less energy than a traditional home its size, about 2,600 square feet.

    read the full article at Newsday

  • DIY Networks’ Wood Works: a mission-style ottoman

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    From the episode abstract:

    Based on the design motifs of the Arts and Crafts style of the 1920s, the Mission-style ottoman in this Wood Works
    project features strong lines, mortise-and-tenon joinery and a natural
    wood finish. Precisely milled wood and subtle details such as the
    beveled through-tenons suggest strength and fine craftsmanship.