Magnificent Home Improvements

Merry Christmas

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl9kO-cY5qrk8Xadq6pU8BOAXGw4qj61aoYoldG8BXqdx198VpawgsQc7u_9qkw5CJjOjwv6Gp3gJoupglumWTK4knR7UUltni6lPAbe4ZrLBTMKgwMNbdSuqwmAnjmp6VhMSEwERE9zU/s1600-h/mcdonald-beverly-hills-1108-6_lg.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" height="640" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5418045009082755650" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl9kO-cY5qrk8Xadq6pU8BOAXGw4qj61aoYoldG8BXqdx198VpawgsQc7u_9qkw5CJjOjwv6Gp3gJoupglumWTK4knR7UUltni6lPAbe4ZrLBTMKgwMNbdSuqwmAnjmp6VhMSEwERE9zU/s400/mcdonald-beverly-hills-1108-6_lg.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>I wish you a very exited and beautiful Christmas.  I'm taking a few days off starting from today and will be back next week.  Looking forward to continue inspiring those who keep coming back.  Until then, <span style="color: #ff6600;">MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!</span><br /><span style="font-size: 85%;">images from Veranda, design by Mary McDonald</span></div>

Merry Christmas

I wish you a very exited and beautiful Christmas. I'm taking a few days off starting from today and will be back next week. Looking fo...

5:01 AM

Christmas in the country

Christmas in the country

images from Vogue Australia.

6:56 AM

Mini Christmas trees

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJWVz_8mbE1uPR5WCohz279Z9EFBfmBFkYfaueJS4IYCQopofz33rgS9NNgm-MsBM046Rcfk777suANNURDM6KAQ8i6O2geI9MyhoyE9U8W2cgxVEGKrDTrk04WBhBs7ICZWZnDXrOAyw/s1600-h/Mini-Christmas-Tree-Tinsel-GTL1206-de.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" height="640" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415503047758653794" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJWVz_8mbE1uPR5WCohz279Z9EFBfmBFkYfaueJS4IYCQopofz33rgS9NNgm-MsBM046Rcfk777suANNURDM6KAQ8i6O2geI9MyhoyE9U8W2cgxVEGKrDTrk04WBhBs7ICZWZnDXrOAyw/s400/Mini-Christmas-Tree-Tinsel-GTL1206-de.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPS9KAsk_ZF909GPb284_YOrdAqvn7yiqnAcsk9J8F7LQc3JEnuTn0tsbUoEPinfy-GbrSjB8n2S0PAjrDekWtC6hlwBlSDBd7o75EZHsEjjSPUjWp5vZ9tJVaCRqaDOznMT-VodXqd_M/s1600-h/Mini-Christmas-Tree-Pearls-GTL1206-de.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" height="640" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415503045848808642" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPS9KAsk_ZF909GPb284_YOrdAqvn7yiqnAcsk9J8F7LQc3JEnuTn0tsbUoEPinfy-GbrSjB8n2S0PAjrDekWtC6hlwBlSDBd7o75EZHsEjjSPUjWp5vZ9tJVaCRqaDOznMT-VodXqd_M/s400/Mini-Christmas-Tree-Pearls-GTL1206-de.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjODlDBlpm6AFWlu40tNc7sLCD1_CS2WRZukVxf4C8PlxLD3p5JxRK9Cz20iYoDEfFOKiTFaswvEM0r4UVHnUeCtkrRVy__GIU8DRN-G5JJThWQYgZwtt60kN7SEgtrBHx5R2_q93Rc_TQ/s1600-h/Mini-Christmas-Tree-Doves-GTL1206-de-1.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" height="640" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415503046265718914" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjODlDBlpm6AFWlu40tNc7sLCD1_CS2WRZukVxf4C8PlxLD3p5JxRK9Cz20iYoDEfFOKiTFaswvEM0r4UVHnUeCtkrRVy__GIU8DRN-G5JJThWQYgZwtt60kN7SEgtrBHx5R2_q93Rc_TQ/s400/Mini-Christmas-Tree-Doves-GTL1206-de-1.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuTKmYaj2k1KacMkqBnPQFqEetD3Uot7A9kxlgMha6_cko24UMkkr7xbVfGNFDTYgws8qZ9m2UlbyHMo2Q2TI1zhdPMW-dVeksx_vwwpyby8E1E0pgfn52_eFxvDv_6slhCJ0WsGO16no/s1600-h/Mini-Christmas-Tree-Birds-GTL1206-de.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" height="640" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415503039909497970" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuTKmYaj2k1KacMkqBnPQFqEetD3Uot7A9kxlgMha6_cko24UMkkr7xbVfGNFDTYgws8qZ9m2UlbyHMo2Q2TI1zhdPMW-dVeksx_vwwpyby8E1E0pgfn52_eFxvDv_6slhCJ0WsGO16no/s400/Mini-Christmas-Tree-Birds-GTL1206-de.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Simplicity</span> is sometimes all you need when is combined with imagination.  Especially in small spaces. <br /><span style="font-size: 85%;">Images from <a href="http://www.countryliving.com/homes/how-to-get-the-look/decorate-christmas-trees-1206?click=img_sr">Country Living</a>.</span></div>

Mini Christmas trees

Simplicity is sometimes all you need when is combined with imagination. Especially in small spaces. Images from Country Living .

8:36 AM

More outtakes

More outtakes from our current issue: this time, the house on Great Barrier Island designed by Paul Clarke of Crosson Clarke Carnachan Architects. The photographs are by Simon Devitt.<br /><br />This one shows the house's open-air (but covered) corridor. On the left is a storage cupboard, a small laundry alcove, and a toilet. The bedrooms are on the right, with the main living area at the end of the corridor. The open-air corridor may make for a slightly chilly trip to the bathroom in winter, but Paul believes that it's important to remain connected to the elements at a holiday home, something the owners heartily agree with.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitQ4I84iIRuDmf2KgX5qypLPG9B1yhkxmfGbLw3BXXkJB7OLMHDiEPBuVwnzMbMA7MU_sn2xUaRz2JVGdYyIpUR3Cc_R8Gw3-N92BbAwX1eyFJETESKVdlu9VhTYoU-1g8q640XHZAU9Qw/s1600-h/G7691.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415287459117939474" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitQ4I84iIRuDmf2KgX5qypLPG9B1yhkxmfGbLw3BXXkJB7OLMHDiEPBuVwnzMbMA7MU_sn2xUaRz2JVGdYyIpUR3Cc_R8Gw3-N92BbAwX1eyFJETESKVdlu9VhTYoU-1g8q640XHZAU9Qw/s400/G7691.jpg" style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 257px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" /></a> This arresting view looks along the home's eastern flank, showing its cedar exoskeleton.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrVeV3Yebr-YP_RF6PxbDPceJWQW8rA_w51mtSyB0YEwxUfsyjrLo9Z81z891YCcFH_n5x0pQGIS2J7hjrxGFtKtMno42zHUkxtp4aH0mrrPJCwhF1alHitjJHJIeBz5eM-PxzZmKY21xm/s1600-h/G7637.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415287450991214562" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrVeV3Yebr-YP_RF6PxbDPceJWQW8rA_w51mtSyB0YEwxUfsyjrLo9Z81z891YCcFH_n5x0pQGIS2J7hjrxGFtKtMno42zHUkxtp4aH0mrrPJCwhF1alHitjJHJIeBz5eM-PxzZmKY21xm/s400/G7637.jpg" style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 270px; CURSOR: hand" /></a><br />Here's a view of it in its bush-clad setting, in a field a little back from Medlands Beach. This is like the view you get of the house when you approach - it's an intriguing object from the driveway, with its monopitch roof pointing optimistically skywards.</div><div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7Yctg17Poah8K1vq6vDJSiF3vVaSovFjHAHgdlhsHdTk_46YvPr0syD3IPq-bg8T4Bgyo7XycUqwwNP2-p_IuUGC9e_7Lc5PekXuCMR1Dh85ImlrDJQVsp7Er6SE4jM2gxPNAsRWwKMbW/s1600-h/G7486.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415287444220249538" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7Yctg17Poah8K1vq6vDJSiF3vVaSovFjHAHgdlhsHdTk_46YvPr0syD3IPq-bg8T4Bgyo7XycUqwwNP2-p_IuUGC9e_7Lc5PekXuCMR1Dh85ImlrDJQVsp7Er6SE4jM2gxPNAsRWwKMbW/s400/G7486.jpg" style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 267px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" /></a><br />Paul Clarke wished we had included this shot in our layout, so I've put it here for him. He likes the way the home's exoskeleton mimics the verticality of the trees. <br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkra6dliIKsMTRHUuGGyoKiCjmqnK1q3yOtjoj2Ye_Uv8MsPV6VcGWHffYdrw7lAm14ukTJT9k33LqHNx6qE10TVLk5Ii3-JrWQbfBuMVdT9G2w9h7MVrFNMc4vrOkuaADsp88fBgz7q-q/s1600-h/G7499.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415287439114333426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkra6dliIKsMTRHUuGGyoKiCjmqnK1q3yOtjoj2Ye_Uv8MsPV6VcGWHffYdrw7lAm14ukTJT9k33LqHNx6qE10TVLk5Ii3-JrWQbfBuMVdT9G2w9h7MVrFNMc4vrOkuaADsp88fBgz7q-q/s400/G7499.jpg" style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 262px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" /></a> </div><div>And this is another view through the home's deck and living area.<br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYKjqGfNFnOMPhXNPAkNTE8txHVcS1C-gdQTfHAJVeztesZvoZV1kFhjYyjgy5BChM96DZ-KWA6_tIYCZsY2p6JgV54BB8bb4HQ1LLGst-PuCaKfXcVMLj729mvoYiQ3d0r1bwbRA0jhL0/s1600-h/G7462.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415287433181903810" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYKjqGfNFnOMPhXNPAkNTE8txHVcS1C-gdQTfHAJVeztesZvoZV1kFhjYyjgy5BChM96DZ-KWA6_tIYCZsY2p6JgV54BB8bb4HQ1LLGst-PuCaKfXcVMLj729mvoYiQ3d0r1bwbRA0jhL0/s400/G7462.jpg" style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 265px; CURSOR: hand" /></a></div></div></div>

More outtakes

More outtakes from our current issue: this time, the house on Great Barrier Island designed by Paul Clarke of Crosson Clarke Carnachan Archi...

6:39 PM

TV3's Sunrise focuses on architecture

TV3's Sunrise focuses on architecture

TV3's Sunrise has recently been featuring a series of great homes that have previously been seen in HOME New Zealand. We see it as anoth...

5:21 PM

Outtakes

A lot of people are very interested in the house by Amanda Yates that features on our cover. The beauty of this blog is that it allows us the luxury of featuring extra images of it. Amanda's aim with the project was to reference early Maori earthern architecture, dwellings that were actually part of the land, and you can see here how the house on the Coromandel Pensinsula follows the contours of the land.<br /><div><div><div><div><div><div><br />The way the home's interior slope meets the rock face outside is immaculately detailed, as you can see in this image (all the photographs are by Paul McCredie):</div><div><br /><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415259570931986578" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA7girmcYoNidwETsfHvGEv3CfNAM8XB0-_57grJ739q8omGNHoq-a5OI-vaM_tqfbHRYquvwtHo19eiyvVICeQLpwNbU-G_elV-ReiS2LkFUrBGxrjd0W2fGbQBFio7XBB8kqcVUAFHRg/s400/Flaxmill36.jpg" style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 267px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" /> </div><div>One of the great things about the house is the way the mood of the slope changes through the day under different lighting conditions.</div><div></div><div><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415259587617344546" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcVX-2oA4y841QUZD6aSLrEGFu5D4KZcMPIQXl3gg7D1QYPTXGm57yOPst4XKaaRo3I1ZMLys_tUHrhE_0UPbankVHI5rfWWcdU3aaFQJWSDklxKN8Any8Nvxys8hQnk7Mc2m1o2otsIuH/s400/Flaxmill42.jpg" style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 267px; CURSOR: hand" /><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415259581837570482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEILrFyFcY8bxVEhXMkUZD8gY20Jr6b5Pl1OPicFV5Vkmoj7q3rxdL2fS7CD1sy6j1koPsBzSx7csyl1CtqClhRja8AAHzf89K2fQyHLx6ECNI4m_5orym3mw9A6rxWAIhZnbOb9ZgzVy8/s400/Flaxmill41A.jpg" style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 266px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" /></div><div><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415257791727584642" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwNE7iJjIV62rZJPvtJP50tyIgoCFEP49JOzq_Aqub1yYeHePWg6uIcMpWjbqObsHtJ4gc29Rmwyh6sOzcn7j5CEeL_5IMHjZVFFD0gJuiD98GplPUiCX_J_IeHZRYI4Vtl3_6byN24H8p/s400/Flaxmill24.jpg" style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 271px; CURSOR: hand" /></div><div></div><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415257780340338066" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRAbxASAuCSJlqVsBtFMz6oDMJ6PwE6QAYbxXwKLT4f8Gf-XL5FGqnMm_Ycsfi4oUFcdFL6ApdlgVaLSo5j285eI2HTVWzxNnrBPOWXn4sgZ3I88dt-XMY0DiCBkF3A5STKc1W6vC9wBx8/s400/Flaxmill6.jpg" style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 268px; CURSOR: hand" />Outside, the home's roofline also follows the slope. Upstairs is a self-contained studio used by Amanda and her partner when they visit her parents, who live there full-time.</div><div><div><div><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415257772754296018" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD6sjuzQNsK9NwSC8ULufGAxRZTpQUmEdANm6H3FRoeZz9qHR-znuCVL7QhyphenhyphenBl23v8AG4-ztBVEXxeIl_tyU-y9NRlE_DWvCNAJsmh9JsCTilL3lbU_aKjjAt_gaCoMFmbXx5lgDNzax7s/s400/Flaxmill4.jpg" style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 314px; CURSOR: hand" />Roy from SGA Architects requested a context shot in our layout that showed the home in its location. Here is one that shows a wider view of it on its site:</div><br /><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415261448616728722" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOLKNqI-E7LBwGhkNRcu14hIhW-SjQSkEl7ebaGv7cFlxx7W31YEx68U8s45_YJ4_mAaUqjp3xoJYOtfwzqSEdlhLgqekBDTEw-a02oDrzktF9R-w7u_FRU-3KJOGCmlz7tANMDQFmZ2Of/s400/Flaxmill55.jpg" style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 304px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" /></div></div></div></div></div></div>

Outtakes

A lot of people are very interested in the house by Amanda Yates that features on our cover. The beauty of this blog is that it allows us th...

4:34 PM

We're back

We end this long and embarrassing silence (blogging seems so easy to start with then suddenly, it becomes difficult to think of things to say ... then you're out of the habit) with an announcement of a recent innovation: from our December/January issue onwards, we are publishing special (and hopefully collectable) subscriber-only covers.<br /><br />This is the newsstand cover for our next issue, a photograph by Paul McCredie of a house on the Coromandel Peninsula designed by Amanda Yates:<br /><p><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415249299084325122" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFLEx1CRrpeEMfwEFcxdswflUSO9Wm499aw89FZjK_Trur2yCqRHa1exf_60zpcuZZzbEaQ-Lm0UKbePukr2TMm-KjTk-HZJUHCBNhBG302-a1VNwfcRk6Yae33zDqBp7qt9mdgOZRiyQw/s400/Dec+Jan+newsstand+cover+for+Paul.jpg" style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 310px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" /></p><p>And this is our subscriber-only cover, another photograph by Paul of the same house.</p><p><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415249308192793170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0tmBpS6MGuXBf2N6-aSEhHeOcnduPWbpW_9WTxnLPxRTLh9Z8JDurw5Kt6nypqXmM2z6dn_URJsFCWexTlSY55qlw_C3wJjZggNeeDZOpVNBRLaESnrTCExElhVkjDJXW5sf46pQGbx8W/s400/Dec+Jan+subs+cover+for+Paul.jpg" style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 310px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" /><br />You'll see that we have the luxury of being a little more pure with our subscriber cover. We are no longer subject to the tyranny of the barcode, and are under less pressure to include lots of coverlines to shout from the newsstand. Hopefully it's an object that will sit more serenely on your coffee table or beside the bed.<br /></p>

We're back

We end this long and embarrassing silence (blogging seems so easy to start with then suddenly, it becomes difficult to think of things to sa...

4:10 PM

American Traditional

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZc40yYXvlwBlQA22UWtSJcCJVyWK1RWFR0POaCfkZj-kTxDEmwMCshK2DnQEG26K3uogVJmRj9lenuPc7F6Wc1_5g3Jg1WKw3HTDWedx6-EWVaRSUrdXMBudbjDNhKB_du6Zfss7g8eA/s1600-h/10-comfortlasts-guestroom-0108-xlg.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" height="640" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5412497629674032498" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZc40yYXvlwBlQA22UWtSJcCJVyWK1RWFR0POaCfkZj-kTxDEmwMCshK2DnQEG26K3uogVJmRj9lenuPc7F6Wc1_5g3Jg1WKw3HTDWedx6-EWVaRSUrdXMBudbjDNhKB_du6Zfss7g8eA/s400/10-comfortlasts-guestroom-0108-xlg.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeQ9RuwRpgWARoTxEhXE41q6HfM62kEkH4dd8c26CMOyME1AL3maikxcWbvTxUw7pDdwPnWoTpbpyW3m4UzRD1TGBHauASSxmyez__o2faKByHMzZVOsu_reYIgms3OQvkjlinHg4BZdc/s1600-h/9-comfortlasts-bath-0108-xlg.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" height="640" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5412497617694504978" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeQ9RuwRpgWARoTxEhXE41q6HfM62kEkH4dd8c26CMOyME1AL3maikxcWbvTxUw7pDdwPnWoTpbpyW3m4UzRD1TGBHauASSxmyez__o2faKByHMzZVOsu_reYIgms3OQvkjlinHg4BZdc/s400/9-comfortlasts-bath-0108-xlg.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtWudqDOslJtPmDD4Py-NEttIbNGM9aD-UI_Cn0JJbkIB40vASTrSe6vGrEey4XsP0oOY522905EM7XXZ5zUFjRmmuW-W4ZhwLR1RmMqn2m5Jb31Ty3Fu86MN8zD6rCFMMPYmaKwdsb0I/s1600-h/7-comfortlasts-familyroom-0108-xlg.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" height="640" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5412497616783053698" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtWudqDOslJtPmDD4Py-NEttIbNGM9aD-UI_Cn0JJbkIB40vASTrSe6vGrEey4XsP0oOY522905EM7XXZ5zUFjRmmuW-W4ZhwLR1RmMqn2m5Jb31Ty3Fu86MN8zD6rCFMMPYmaKwdsb0I/s400/7-comfortlasts-familyroom-0108-xlg.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfjKstbFo5F86eR24I2LRXd5blaKgUyRsUD5l26qXJfhJ010uE4AkJvW_j7JV9IJBYRE8Asy8JAJH5VsWCPOsXEDmziuHQrohiKzh1_7qPY99Z75e2dmu7zh08O-dYrrlVczh46TvwUqc/s1600-h/3-comfortlasts-foyer-0108-xlg.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" height="640" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5412497608711419714" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfjKstbFo5F86eR24I2LRXd5blaKgUyRsUD5l26qXJfhJ010uE4AkJvW_j7JV9IJBYRE8Asy8JAJH5VsWCPOsXEDmziuHQrohiKzh1_7qPY99Z75e2dmu7zh08O-dYrrlVczh46TvwUqc/s400/3-comfortlasts-foyer-0108-xlg.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>Interiors by William Hodgings featured in <a href="http://www.housebeautiful.com/decorating/comfort-really-lasts-0108?click=img_sr">House Beautiful</a> January 2008 issue.</div>

American Traditional

Interiors by William Hodgings featured in House Beautiful January 2008 issue.

6:14 AM

Can Craftsmanship survive the 21st Century in America?

<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">A friend of mine recently returned from Europe proclaiming that she saw the most beautiful Architecture there.  When I asked her which buildings she saw, she could not remember any specific names but had lots of photos of carved masonry friezes, ornamental metalwork, and highly detailed glazing.  After looking at the photos it <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">occurred</span> to me that everything she had admired was not so much the work of an Architect, but the work of the Craftsmen who brought the Architect's vision to life.  Sadly, these great laborers of bygone days are almost extinct with no great revival in sight.  Will these highly specialized trades disappear all together, or just scrape by on wealthy patrons alone?  To answer this question, let's take a brief look at the history of Craft and how we got here.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">To begin, let's skip through thousands of years of tools and craft and head straight to the Industrial Revolution.  People discovered that through the use of machinery, certain tasks could be expedited and completed with a high level of consistency and efficiency.  You have heard me say that the Crystal Palace was actually <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">pre</span>-fabricated way back in 1851.  At the beginning of mechanization, designers were trying to figure out how to balance craft and industrialization so that the soul of a thing was not lost.  Some designers are still trying to balance these things today.  Look at Frank <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Gehry</span>.  He thinks that he is an artist making sculptural forms, yet I don't know many sculptors that need complex computer programs to make their art stand up.  And while the Design community has tried to figure out where this balance lies, all of the crafts people have moved on to white collars jobs in 6x6 cubicles where they don't have to break a sweat all day.  We have gone from a laboring society to a servicing society and craft has disappeared along with it.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">I remember being at a conference and remarking that 'Craft' does not exist anymore to which someone replied "I don't know how I'm going to live without their Mac and Cheese."  Yes, it's true, the most popular thoughts about Craft have to do with pasta not plaster.  And that pasta is also a good example of why the other Craft is dying.  One box plus once sauce packet plus milk and butter and you have a complete meal in one pot.  What could be easier?  Oh, except for the easier version that you just microwave and eat?  Yes, that is easier.  </span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">Here in America, we are fixated on convenience.  We now install plumbing lines in houses made entirely of plastic tubes that clip and glue together without any soldering at all.  We have ceilings made up of tiles that we just drop into a grid, and we have mouldings and false beams made of <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Styrofoam</span> that you cut with a utility knife and glue to your wall.  People are not interested in craft because craft takes time and time is money.  Here in America, we only care about getting the best version of something for the cheapest price so that we can keep as much money for ourselves.  Forget about the betterment of society.  Forget about creating an urban fabric where each building actually enhances the other buildings around it.  That only happens in those Socialist European countries.  No, here in America, we would rather hire an uneducated laborer to glue some fake stone to the front of our house than pay a fourth generation mason to work each piece perfectly.  Here in America, we would rather go down to the discount furniture superstore and buy a dresser (that was made in a country where factory workers make 6 cents an hour) than pay a woodworker to create an heirloom piece of furniture.  Those kind of luxuries are reserved for the wealthy and those who can afford such quality.  </span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">Well, I'm here to tell you that those kind of luxuries used to belong to everyone.  Towns were full of tradespeople and craftsmen who served everyone.  From blacksmiths to cobblers to cabinetmakers to bricklayers, craft was the right of every citizen.  For many, coming to America was and is more than the promise of work, it is the promise of pursuing that which makes you happy.  I recently read a statistic that over 70% of Americans hate their jobs.  I think that's because most people are working solely for the money rather than the satisfaction that a job can provide.  So here's how I propose we get out of this all-consuming disposable society of convenience rut and preserve craft for generations to come:</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">1. The children of today need to learn that there's more to life than video games, TV, and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">cel</span> phones.  Instead of giving your child a technological baby sitter, teach them a skill or enroll them in a class at your local arts and crafts store.  From baking to painting, there's a class for it.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">2. Instead of purchasing lots of cheap things, purchase a few things of good quality.  This will encourage more businesses to focus on quality items rather than cheap items.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">3. Support local businesses and encourage the development of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">downtowns</span>.  Wouldn't it be nice to go to the butcher shop to get your fresh meat instead of the Sam's club?</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">4. Introduce craft back into your life.  Visit websites like <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">etsy</span>.com and find a unique piece of art for your house instead of some framed poster from a big box store.  Buy a handmade quilt for your bed, or better yet, learn to make one.  Get a sewing machine and learn to use it instead of just watching Project Runway.  Shop at Antiques stores for interesting pieces of furniture that you will use.  Old desks and tables are useful in any house.  </span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">In movies, the future is always portrayed as a dark place where everything is automated.  If we are to avoid this fate then we must put our faith back in people and be amazed at what the human spirit can accomplish.  Become an individual who appreciates the labor of others and I guarantee you will start finding fulfillment in something other than your checking account balance.</span>

Can Craftsmanship survive the 21st Century in America?

A friend of mine recently returned from Europe proclaiming that she saw the most beautiful Architecture there. When I asked her which build...

1:26 PM