These photos were taken during the slab preparation phase of the project. This first shot is taken from the knoll to the east of the building site. It shows the entire "floor" of the house. At the top left you can see the river, which runs roughly parallel to the south wall of the house. [...]

The house was designed by David Wright, an architect based in Grass Valley who has specialized in passive solar design for over 30 years. The goal was to design a modest-sized house (1400-1600 square feet) that was easy to live in and very efficient to heat and cool. Though I haven’t yet lived in the [...]

I started this site because my dad and a few others have asked to see photos of the house that I’m building. It’s turned into a diary of the project, with as much information as I can include. You should know that a general contractor (I’ll call him T.B. for "The Builder") is the one [...]

Once the holidays are over, its time to take down the Christmas tree and put away the reindeer, but there are still three months of winter left and you’ll be indoors a lot, so giving your home a warm, cozy décor can be a fun after-holiday project. Color palette plays an important part in setting [...]

Window tinting film can help you solve problems with heat, glare, fading and privacy without blocking your view. It is a simple, cost-effective way to increase your home’s comfort, energy-efficiency and overall appearance. Insulating window tints add year round comfort to your home. They reflect the sun’s heat in summer. As a result, your home [...]

Choosing window curtains for your home can be one of the most daunting decorating tasks a homeowner or renter can face! They can make such a large impact in the room- how do you know what to choose? First you should evaluate the design of the window itself. Also, look at the window in the [...]

When you decide to use a western decor theme for your home, try to use rustic, natural decorative items, which give you the rugged and outdoorsy feeling of a western ranch. Your Western theme will really have that designer look when you add various decorative artwork pillows and collectibles. To balance your Western home decorating [...]

There are several reasons to install a home or sink water purifier. Having a filter for your drinking water or showers is a good step toward ensuring proper health. Bottled water sold in North America often isn’t filtered and may not be any cleaner or safer than tap water, according to a study conducted by [...]

As the saying goes, they just don’t make things like they use to. So why not decorate your home with treasures from the past? Using vintage curtains can give your home the warm, homey inviting look you’ve been searching for! You can purchase vintage curtains from yard sales, flea markets, ebay, or any number of [...]

The natural textures and colors of stone, wood and water distinguishes Tuscan decor, giving the home a feeling of warmth and welcoming guests to come inside! A Tuscan style home feels warm, comfortable and inviting and is not arranged for the sake of style alone; it has the sense of being well lived in. The [...]

If you love the beach, or the tropics, than a tropical decor can be the perfect home decorating style for you. It doesn’t take lots of money or endless amounts of time to bring some of the ‘beach’ home with you. Almost anything that is typical of the sun, sea and sand can inject that [...]

Track lighting is a simple way to add lighting to an entire room or provide accent lighting to highlight special features such as artwork. This type of lighting is installed on a mounting track fixed to your ceiling. The track can be custom configured to fit into the area desired and involves little or no [...]

Southwestern-style decorating usually conjures up images of homes in New Mexico and Arizona., with adobe walls and terra-cotta rooftops. But this style can be adapted to any house in any region of the U.S. The decorating style simply brings the outside in through the use of natural materials, such as clay and wood, for furniture [...]

Decorative items are the finishing touches of any interior decorating scheme and could help pull your Rustic decor theme together. Accessorizing with natural and rustic items will help add to the natural and cozy charm of interior design, making it have the feel of a mountain cabin. Adding decorative accessories like pillows, collectibles and wall [...]

Decorative items are the icing on any decorating style and will help pull your Primitive decor theme together. This design approach works perfect with simple, unadorned decorative accessories which help bring out the comfortable and warm atmosphere of warmth and simplicity. Choose good quality accessories such as collectibles, wall art and pillows that add to [...]