TheDesignFile

Tiny house full of spacing-saving designs

Yesterday I told you how much I love Murphy beds and today I wanted to show you a video from Dwell magazine and the Nate Berkus Show that incorporates one into a small 650-square-foot design.

The video is from the show’s House Proud series, in which homeowners show off their own designs. This one has lots of tiny-space ideas. Enjoy!

The home belongs to Rosa and Robert Garneau, architects whose place was featured in Dwell's March issue, We Love New York.

Do you have some great space-saving ideas? If so, share them…

A 'not so big' showhouse under construction

I’m fascinated by the movement toward smaller homes and more compact lots that mimic urban settings even in the suburbs or rural areas.

I love the idea that we can find better ways to build and live in homes that give us the space we need without actually building all the space we think we want.

So today I’m sharing with you the Not So Big Showhouse project in Libertyville, Ill., about 35 minutes north of Chicago. It’s all about living smaller.

Now, this is not one of those micro-houses that I love to show you from time to time. This is a practical house with 2,450 square feet. Frankly, that’s a pretty big house for folks like me.

But it’s significantly smaller than many of the houses I see for sale here in Indianapolis.

The house – designed by Sarah Susanka, architect and author of the best-selling Not So Big House series – is “filled with carefully crafted spaces and details that reflect all the major elements and key principles” of her series. The garden in the drawing above will be on top of the garage!

The house is under construction and will open to the public Nov. 19 and will remain open for six months.

But you can get a sneak peek now. Check out this video tour of Sarah taking you through the construction:

Also, here are some of the plans and drawings of the house, which is being built by SchoolStreet Homes.

Home tour: Sleek and simple home in Indy

Joe Everhart of the Sycamore Group always seems to have great homes for sale. You might remember the striking downtown Indy home that I showed you a couple weeks ago.

Today, I have photos from a home on Walnut Street in downtown Indianapolis. It’s “located at the crossroads of the cultural trail and stimulating Mass Ave on exclusive Waldorf Row,” the Sycamore Group says.

“An exquisite combination of modern and classic design, this newer-built custom home commands notice with its stunning architecture,” the listing says. “The open concept interior is accentuated by ceilings and windows that seem to reach the sky. All bedrooms have en-suite baths. Massive skydeck with unequaled views of the skyline.”

My favorite room in this house by far is the combination living (see above) and dining room.

Home tour: Striking design in downtown Indy

I love modern homes set into historic urban neighborhoods and that’s just what I found in this beautiful Indianapolis house. It’s no surprise the owners – and designers – are an architect and interior designer.

The couple “wanted to challenge the status quo when designing their dream home,” says the listing for the home, which is being sold by Joe Everhart of the Sycamore Group. “Mission accomplished.”

“Obsessive attention to detail has created one of the most impressive homes that the downtown market has produced to date,” Joe writes of the home. “The sense of proportion and balance are excellent.”

The main living area includes a two-story great room with built-in cabinets and exquisite finishes. It has a modern kitchen and open – if not sparse – dining room. There is a finished studio above garage.

In all, this place has 2,800 square feet of space, three bedrooms and bonus space – plus a basement. Check out this tour:

 

What do you think of this place?

‘Urban oasis” is a dream Chicago condo

I just discovered photos of the Urban Oasis condo that HGTV is giving away and I love it!

It’s on the 35th floor of the Trump International Hotel & Tower in Chicago – my favorite big city – and has been designed by Vern Yip, one of HGTV’s most popular designers.

HGTV has hundreds of photos and several videos of this gorgeous place – far too many for me to show you here.

And Yip will give fans an on-air tour of the home in a special that airs at 8 p.m. ET Aug. 27 on HGTV..

Still, I couldn’t resist giving you a peek at this phenomenal space.

The photo at right is from the living room and includes a cool desk/bar that is great for a smaller place.

The condo is 1,000 square feet and is valued at more than $750,000.

The residence includes one bedroom, 1½ baths, a gourmet kitchen and breathtaking views of the city’s skyline, the Chicago River and Lake Michigan.

The photos below are of the entryway and the dramatic half bath.

The kitchen is right inside that entry and is the only thing I would redesign – if I could do anything I wanted here.

Much of the condo is decorated with a combination of mid-century and prairie style furnishings. But to me, the kitchen feels almost a little Tuscan.

HGTV says Yipp decorated the high-rise residence with an eclectic mix of period pieces and contemporary décor reflective of Chicago’s heart and soul.

Little pre-fab house showcases scenery

I have a thing for modern, prefab houses and yesterday discovered Stillwater Dwellings and a 1,000 square foot home the company constructed in Southern Utah near Capitol Reef National Park.

First, let me just state the obvious: The scenery is breathtaking.

I live in Indiana, which I love, but I don’t think I have to tell you that it lacks scenery like this.

That makes it pretty difficult for me to pay much attention to the home itself.

Still, I think the house is pretty cool too.

Here’s the firm’s description of the house:

The home is just under 1,000 square feet, and is highlighted by a signature soaring butterfly roof overhang covering an outdoor living space.

The 12-foot high glass window wall picture frames the expansive views to the red rock formations, and provides a seamless extension of the indoor living area to the outdoor living space.

Inside, the home is finished with eco-friendly micro-strip birch hardwood and Marmoleum flooring, low VOC paints, a dual flush toilet, super-insulated wall and roof construction, and recycled content quartz slab countertops.

Sunday roundup: A dresser redo and home tours

You know how much I love to feature great furniture remakes and this week is no exception.

I made my first visit to the Dreaming in Color blog last week and found a dresser project by Deneen, an artist who turns worn out furniture into beautiful, stylish pieces.

What I love about this project (shown at right) is that Deneed didn’t stop with the typical (albeit beautiful) paint job.

Instead, she hand-painted – yes, I said HAND-PAINTED – this incredible image of Audrey Hepburn on to the dresser.

She started with a Tiffany blue and black color scheme and then decided to get creative.

“I sat in my living room staring at it for a day and decided to hand paint a figure on it. It couldn't be any figure. It had to go with the feel of the piece,” Deneen writes.

“I thought of the movie Breakfast at Tiffanys. I guess because of the color,” she said. “Audrey Hepburn had to be the one I painted.”

Didn’t Deneed do an amazing job? I think so. Make sure to head on over to Dreaming in Color to see more great projects.

Also this week, I’m recommending a couple home tours, a giveaway and cool room redo:

• Apartment 528 has a tour of the California home of Branch Handmade designers Todd and Ashley. This is a very retro space with paneling, some great vintage furnishings and even an gnome side table.

• From the Right Bank has a giveaway of the Annie Sloan Chalk Paint that DIYers all over the country are talking about.

• Chicago-based Strange Closets – one of my must-read blogs – has a tour of a beautiful Edgewater Glen apartment. It features a real mix of décor styles and a kitchen by designer Rebekah Zaveloff, of KitchenLab and Design in a Bag, who’ve I’ve previously written about here.

• Vintage Revivals has a really remarkable room redo. This is something you've got to see. It's full of great DIY projects.

 

 

Woodruff Place tour features exterior spaces too

Yesterday I showed you interior photos of a beautifully renovated four-square home owned by Cliff & Terri Bradley that will be on this weekend’s Woodruff Place Home & Garden Tour.

Today, you get to see some exterior pictures as well, which feature the home’s amazing front porch, a great deck, beautiful landscaping a bunch of cool cats.

First, though, some tour details:

Where: 136 Year Old Historic Woodruff Place, 1700 East Between 10th Street and Michigan Street, Indianapolis.

When: Saturday & Sunday, June 25-26, noon to 5 p.m.

Cost: $10 advance, $12 day of tour (at the Town Hall on East Drive) 

Now, back to Cliff & Terri’s beautiful outdoor spaces…

The grand porch is what sold Terri on this house – although after seeing the inside of the place, she lost her confidence. Cliff had to talk her into the purchase six years ago and they’ve been renovating since. That work includes the exterior and yard.

Cliff and his dad worked to remake the front steps, which are limestone slabs.

The porch itself is packed with comfortable furnishings and accessories that made me want to settle in for the evening. I wasn’t surprised to see visitors stopping by to chat. It’s a great place for conversation.

The porch is also a place where the Bradley’s many cats gather. Strays just seem to find their way to this kitty-friendly home.

The porch isn’t the only great outdoor space for conversation and entertaining.

Just off the kitchen and on the side of the house is a wonderful raised deck. These gorgeous stained glass windows hang in the window that separates the kitchen and deck.

The deck was among the first projects the couple completely and one of the hardest to have approved by the historic board that oversees the neighborhood. Cliff revved up some of the project’s elements to give it a more classic look.

A peek at this weekend's Woodruff home tour

I love the home tour season in Indianapolis and one of the highlights is the Woodruff Place Home & Garden Tour scheduled for this weekend. You get to see seven interiors and three gardens on this great tour.

I’m so lucky that I got to see one of the homes in advance and am sharing it with you today to preview the event, which takes place in one of the city’s most interesting and historic neighborhoods.

This is a 2-1/2 story American Foursquare with neoclassical revival elements owned by Cliff & Terri Bradley.

Today, I’m going to show you photos of the beautiful interior. On Friday, you’ll get to see the porch, landscaping and pretty deck.

This couple was so fun to meet and talk with and their story about the house is just fascinating.

But before we move on to the house details, here’s all the info about the event:

• Where: 136 Year Old Historic Woodruff Place, 1700 East Between 10th Street and Michigan Street, Indianapolis.
• When: Saturday & Sunday, June 25-26, noon to 5 p.m.
• Cost: $10 advance, $12 day of tour (at the Town Hall on East Drive) 
• Homes: Brochures provided to ticket holders with addresses.

So back to Cliff & Terri’s wonderful house, which you can see on the tour.

Below is the living room, which is located just inside the front door and off a wonderful porch (which you’ll see in detail tomorrow).

Cliff & Terri bought the house six years ago. It was divided then into four apartments and was known as the ladder house because fire inspectors had required that a second exit be added for a third-floor apartment. That ladder was added to the front of the house! Needless to say, it’s gone now.

It took the couple nearly one year of renovating just to move in and they’ve been working on the home since then.

See eight Meridian-Kessler homes this weekend

If you’re in the Indianapolis area, don’t forget about this weekend’s Meridian-Kessler Home & Garden Tour.

It takes place 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday and features eight homes in the historic neighborhood, including the Forest Hills home of Mike Moreman and Fernow McClure, shown at right.

I featured the home earlier earlier this month and you can head over to check out more photos of this beautiful place.

Of course, I’m not the only one who featured a home to preview this great annual event.

In fact, those of you who live outside of Central Indiana have a number of options for getting a peek at several of the homes.