Category: HOME

House Plan: TNH SC 32DL by Moser Design Group

On By Barbara StroudIn Daily Blog, HOME, House PlansLeave a comment

TNH SC 32DL by Moser Design Group

TNH SC 32DL by Moser Design Group

This is the TNH SC 32DL plan by Moser Design Group. This plan is 1,791 square feet with 3 bedrooms and 2.5 bathrooms. This plan features 9′ ceilings both upstairs and down – and has loads of charm to go with it! I love that a section of the porch is screened – so you can sit outside even with the mosquitoes!

TNH SC 32DL by Moser Design Group MAIN

This plan has an open floor plan with a kitchen, living & dining space. There is a fireplace both indoor and outdoor. Can you imagine how wonderful it would be on a nippy evening, to sit on your porch and have a fire? Heavenly!

The main floor also has a powder room and a utility room off of the back porch. The master bedroom is in the back of the house and I wonder if there could be some sort of built in storage or drawers to access underneath the stairway from the master bedroom! Couldn’t that be wonderful storage for off season clothing, etc.?

What a great plan, especially if you’re downsizing or not looking for a large home. With the 9′ ceilings both up and down, this plan could really look like it was built years ago. Shiplap walls would be very cool in this home, wouldn’t they?

TNH SC 32DL by Moser Design Group UP

How perfect is this upstairs? Two bedrooms, bathroom and gallery area. Say no more – this is fabulous!!

All images via MoserDesignGroup.com, used with permission…

Images are not for construction or reproduction, they are property of the architectural firm.

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Mural on Mira Winery Building – Charleston, SC – Can you name the chef’s?

On By Barbara StroudIn ART, Charleston, FOOD1 Comment

Husk Mural Charleston

This is so cool. This mural was painted on the side of the Mira Winery (Wine tasting in Charleston, SC | Napa Valley Education Center). Artist David Boatwright painted this mural depicting local chefs in town. Can you name them? Answers HERE!

If you aren’t familiar, check out the MiraNapa.com website!

Read a bit about it from CharlestonCityPaper.com!

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Sun and Shadows – Charleston Photo

On By Barbara StroudIn Charleston, Daily Blog, Photograph2 Comments

Charleston Window Box

I’ve mentioned the beautiful window boxes throughout the city. Each one as gorgeous as the next. Some with unexpected plants that seem to flourish in their surroundings. Obviously planted by someone who knows what they’re doing!

Another fine example. What a treat to round a corner and find even more beautiful window boxes just waiting to have their photo taken!

Catch you back here tomorrow!

House Plan: 228 Pendleton Road by Our Town Plans!

On By Barbara StroudIn HOME, House Plans2 Comments

228 Pendleton by Our Town Plans

228 Pendleton Road by Our Town Plans. What a great little plan this is! This is an especially great plan if you are just starting out! This place is precious! The bathroom is gorgeous (see the real life images) – and the bedroom/living area can be just as you like it. This plan can use a regular bed and a few chairs or small scale love seat or a wonderful daybed, depending upon your preferences. This home is so sweet from the outside and just has so much character I am ready to downsize!

228 Pendleton Rd by Our Town Plans

A sweet porch that increases your living space, especially during the nice weather! A perfect, small kitchen with a bedroom/living area and a nice size bathroom, and ooooh, a closet! Perfect!

All images via OurTownPlans.com, used with permission…

Images are not for construction or reproduction, they are property of the architectural firm.

Happy Day!

On By Barbara StroudIn Daily Blog, HOME, THOUGHTS2 Comments

Lily

Do you know how to keep cut lily’s fresh for a longer period of time? It’s easy!

I will often buy these at the grocery store just because they smell amazing – they’re beautiful to look at too! I usually buy them closed (and not open as you see here), it doesn’t take them long to open (especially here in Charleston)! Once you get them home, be sure to give them a fresh cut, at an angle, under running, cool water. Then snip the pollen off of the stamens. The central pistil (dark “thing” in the center, is surrounded by pistils that have a rust colored pollen attached. Simply snip the pollen off, leaving the rest of the stamen. (As shown). Now the pollen won’t land on the petals (or furniture!), which means the bloom will be beautiful!

Cut lily’s do best OUT OF THE SUN, they like it nice and cool!

A fresh flower = a Happy Day! Catch you back here tomorrow!

House Plan: The Eden plan by Allison Ramsey!

On By Barbara StroudIn Daily Blog, HOME, House Plans2 Comments

EDEN by Allison Ramsey Architects

This is the Eden house plan (C0231) by architect Allison Ramsey, (be sure to check out the real images of the interior)! Allison’s homes have such presence. They’re solid, beautiful and they look like they’ve been here for quite a while because they have charm. Charm and character is so important. There are many variations of this plan. I loved each one, so I decided to feature the original and let you check out the variations!

Eden by Allison Ramsey Architects

There is a small porch on the front of this house, which is so nice, then you step into the house and LOOK AT THAT ENTRY! You see straight through to the screen porch. What a magnificent view! I would put a wide door with mostly glass, like one from a cottage that we rented in Maine. It was magnificent and can really make a house! We would probably use that front Bedroom (2) as a study. The layout of this plan is so nice – and that screen porch… owie! Love it!

Eden by Allison Ramsey Architects

The upstairs has two additional bedrooms. I think I would use one for a guest room and one for storage, so I would only have one bathroom upstairs. What would you do?

Be sure to check out the website, it has been updated with many new plans and a new layout that is easy-breezy to view. So nice!

All images via AllisonRamseyArchitect.com, used with permission…

Images are not for construction or reproduction, they are property of the architectural firm.

Catch you back here tomorrow!

St. Johns Marsh as Seen Through the Car Window…

On By Barbara StroudIn Charleston, Daily Blog, Photograph2 Comments

St. John's Marsh

St. Johns Marsh as seen through the car window – Clay Township/Algonac, MI. Many times when I see a photo and grab for my phone there just isn’t time to get the window down as well. So… that weird reflection in the middle isn’t something in the marsh. Look at this sky. Those peeks of bright cobalt blue underneath the whites and grays of the clouds.

Read more about St. Johns Marsh via this link: bluewaysofstclair.org

Catch you back tomorrow!

House Plan: 102 Henderson Road by Our Town Plans!

On By Barbara StroudIn Daily Blog, HOME, House Plans1 Comment

102 Henderson Road by Our Town Plans

House Plan: 102 Henderson Road by Our Town Plans. We all know that Our Town Plans has gorgeous large home plans, but they also have fabulous cottage plans and even smaller house plans. 102 Henderson Road is 536 square feet, with 2 bedrooms and 1 bathroom. I love the rustic look of it. This plan is as sweet as it can be with a wonderful screened porch (which adds to your living area!) and a small back porch and entrance.

102 Henderson Road by Our Town Plans

Compact? Yes, but for those of you who are looking for small, and for first time home buyers who don’t need a large home yet, how perfect is this? Be sure to check out their website, they have plans for all sizes and styles. Gorgeous!

All images via OurTownPlans.com, used with permission…

Images are not for construction or reproduction, they are property of the architectural firm.

Catch you back here tomorrow!

House Plan: Sarah’s Shack by Madison Spencer Architects!

On By Barbara StroudIn HOME, House Plans3 Comments

Sarah's Shack by Madison Spencer Architects

Madison Spencer. An amazing architect with a wonderful vision. Sarah’s Shack house plan is 1,100 square feet with 1 bedroom and 1 and 1/2 bathrooms.

Can’t you picture this home in Maine? Or anywhere for that matter. It reminds me of a small version of a cottage we rented one year in Port Clyde, Maine. It was unbelievable. This plan is so functional. The exterior I just love!

Sarah's Shack by Madison Spencer Architects

You walk into this plan from the wonderful front porch. The sitting room takes up a good part of the house, with a wonderful door and two French doors opening to the porch. Can you imagine? How perfect when entertaining! The Bedroom is compact, if you didn’t need the Desk area you could also make the bedroom a little larger to position a bed to make entry/exit from the bed easy for two people. I happen to adore the desk area myself. I find myself also liking my desk area to be near where we are living, so perhaps in front of one of the French doors would be nice, especially if you had a great view!

Built-ins in a bedroom are fabulous. The cottage we rented one year had just that, it was so convenient!

Read a bit about Madison Spencer… Be sure to check out Madison’s different projects. I am beyond impressed! Beautiful just doesn’t begin to describe!

Madison Spencer is an architect based in Charlottesville Virginia.  He attended the University of Virginia in its heyday when the School of Architecture was led by Jaque Robertson and studied under Leon Krier, Demetri Porphyrios and Bill Westfall.   His work takes him from Maine to the Caribbean and is of all scales.  Of late he has devoted much time to the study of folly architecture – those more whimsical garden structures that fall somewhere between little house and hermit’s grottoe – on which he has lectured at the Sotheby’s Institute and the American Georgian Society.  

For you down-easters, await the Temple of the Winds tower he is designing for an estate on Little Deer Isle drawings of which he will reveal soon!

All images via Madison Spencer, used with permission…

Images are not for construction or reproduction, they are property of the architect.

Catch you back here tomorrow!

If you use a gas grill, then THIS will make your day!

On By Barbara StroudIn HOME, THOUGHTSLeave a comment

Deal of the century!

We ran to Costco last weekend, as we walked in we spotted this sign.

Do you see these prices? WOW! We pay so much more than that this is hard to believe! A (regular) gas grill propane tank is 20#. So the max cost would be $7.49 (+ tax). If you took it in to have it filled and it wasn’t quite empty it would be even cheaper!

We pay more than twice that right now!

NOTE:

Tanks are not refilled inside the store, so do not take your empty propane cylinder into the store. The Charleston store refills propane near the Tire department (I think that’s what I read). Definitely not inside the store (for obvious reasons).

Catch you back here tomorrow!