Author: By Marni Jameson
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At Home: Good design keeps up with the times
We are all a little house blind. That is, we put off seeing what needs refreshing, replacing, updating or upgrading for as long as we can. It’s self-protective. If we don’t see that the drapes are fraying, the carpet has worn spots, our furnishings are so last century (and not in the cool sense), and…
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At Home: Discoveries made on path to organized home
Many talk about clearing out and organizing their homes. Few do it. The ones who do usually have reached a tipping point. Two weeks ago, I shared in this column how Maureen Rabazinski, a 62-year-old nurse practitioner, had emailed me for advice on how to get her house back. The 2,200-square-foot “private oasis” that she…
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At Home: Tired of your cabinets? Here’s when to replace, reface or repaint
When my husband and I bought a beach vacation condo last fall, we knew the place needed work. But because our goal was to rent it out to cover the carrying costs and occasionally enjoy the place ourselves, we didn’t want to overdo the improvements. We wanted to do “just enough” to spiff up the…
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At Home: Advice to reader who cries ‘Help! I want my house back’
Occasionally, I get a call from a reader whose situation has all the markings of a class action suit — that is, one person acting on behalf of many (maybe you). Maureen Rabazinski’s email was such a case. Two weeks ago, the 62-year-old nurse practitioner from Winter Park, Fla., wrote for advice. Dear Marni, “HELP!”…
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At Home: Shipping solution makes getting used furniture, heirlooms easier
Like many green, budget-minded consumers, Fayre Makeig furnishes her home only with secondhand furniture. “I can’t imagine buying a new piece of furniture,” said the wife and mother of two. “I wouldn’t want to pay that much.” Until recently, however, her furniture search never went beyond her immediate area because she was the one picking…
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At Home: Buying art on a cruise ship could get you in deep water — or not
I know you’re going to make fun of me, so let’s just get this out there: I bought art on a cruise ship. OK, laugh. While gallery owners and art appraisers will mock you for this, you could do worse. My husband and I faced an unusual situation at our house: a blank wall. I…
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At Home: New kitchen offers cooks chance to reorganize
When most expectant parents would be nesting, my daughter and her husband tore out their kitchen. Sawdust swirled and workers buzzed while every dish, glass, pantry item, utensil, pot, pan, canned good and cooking appliance sat in the adjacent family room as if someone tossed in a grenade. So much for nesting. When Baby George,…
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At Home: In my family, pregnancy and home remodeling go together
She wouldn’t be my daughter if she weren’t undergoing a major home remodel in her third trimester of pregnancy. But here we were. I still remember being pregnant with her and standing in my torn-up kitchen in the California home I was remodeling — surrounded by hammers pounding, drills grinding, and no working appliances —…
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At Home: She wanted a new shower. It came with a new kitchen and bath.
When my daughter and son-in-law bought their first home together two years ago, the young couple had three dreams: a new kitchen, a nicer bathroom and a baby. Last month they got all three. Except for the outdated kitchen and tired main bath, the 15-year-old Craftsman-style house had everything Paige and Adam wanted for what…
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At Home: Bringing home a baby is not like it used to be
He’s barely bigger than a sack of flour, but he effortlessly runs the house. A precious, commanding, endearing, fascinating wonder, this tiny human can cause three adoring adults to spring to action with only a whimper. I am staying in the Colorado home of my new grandson, George. His parents (my daughter and her husband)…