I usually stress that adding space where you need it results in a much better home. Naturally, building a big box on the back of any house is much easier for the contractor, but he won’t live there. What you save in added square footage might offset the cost of ...
The fluidity of our morning and evening routines most certainly affect us. Amazingly, we seem to adapt to whatever layout we are presented with. I’m talking about our bathrooms. For instance, some people require two sinks in a master bath, often because one person is messy and the other is ...
Views may or may not be important to everyone, but when a home is situated on a beautifully wooded lot, and the homeowner would rather be outside than inside, the views are paramount.
When assets and amenities are added to a home, the original traffic patterns are changed. Beyond that, the compromises made to add the new space may create more problems than it solves.
I've written about cottage conversions before, but it is a popular move for empty-nesters when they downsize. I always find it interesting because they are all different. These cottages start with a simple floor plan and through the years it may be modified with the intention of improvement, but it ...
It was ironic that Sandy Kreger’s house in Scio Township sat on 1.5 acres of land, but when it came time to build an addition on to her 1977 ranch along Huron River Drive, she was hemmed in. Her well and garage sat to the immediate north and the chimney ...
Ann Arbor homebuilder Mike Mahon started going down to Haiti about 10 years ago with his father, a physician, and his brother, a prosthetics maker. Over the years, Mahon says, they found different ways to put their helping hands to use in one of the poorest and least developed countries ...
Lake cabins are built simple and complex. The simple ones are typically built with few creature comforts and are meant to provide shelter while communing with nature. Sometimes these modest cabins are built as fishing shacks and never meant for full-time living. When converting these tiny houses into expanded living ...
The Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority is seeking public input on a new plan for downtown parking.
In 2008, Howard and Marie Mehler’s 19th Century, fifth generation farmhouse on Arkona Road in rural Saline fell victim to an electrical fire. Out of the rubble is rising a new house that not only pays tribute to the farmstead tradition with its covered porch and simple design, but is ...
It is (still) amazing to me to see how shifting the kitchen sometimes can profoundly improve an entire floor plan and improve traffic flow. People are hesitant to relocate the kitchen, worrying that such a drastic change might cost a fortune. I say it is all relative. If you are ...
Iggy PopNational Public Radio has just kicked off a series highlighting "50 great voices" in music, and first up is none other than the Ann Arbor area's own Iggy Pop.
When you have a limited amount of space to work with, every square foot counts. Sometimes it takes looking at a function differently. For example, a really efficient built-in can substitute for claiming a whole room for an office. Think about accessing rooms differently if it will improve the plan.
Angela J. Cesere | AnnArbor.com AnnArbor.com's partner news site MLive.com is on a quest to find the best barbecue in ......
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