Blog
Posted Apr 24 at 12:24 PM in by Sandy Giardi
As New Englanders look ahead to summer, holding out hope that the current health care pandemic loosens its grip, homeowners have a lot of questions. Many are likely wondering how they can make the most of their own backyards, and what they can do to take family fun and recreation into their own hands.
We reached out to the experts at SSG Pools, Massachusetts and New Hampshire’s top gunite pool...
Posted Apr 23 at 5:13 PM in by Sandy Giardi
It has been a banner year at brookes + hill custom builders, inc. The high-end custom builder and renovator is celebrating its 10th year in business, and has marked the milestone by moving to a new Waltham office, launching a compelling new website and by promoting Jessica Griffith to the role of principal, joining Eric Hill (pictured below left) and David Brookes (right) at the helm.
Griffith,...
Posted Apr 21 at 8:22 PM in by Sandy Giardi
Though a glorious meadow on the sound in Stonington, Connecticut, looks the way nature intended, the hand of landscape contractors Landscape Creations is undeniably present. When a client sought to expand and rehab the reedy, colorless coastline that stood between their property and the water, they envisioned a minimalist, native-looking landscape that could serve as a border between the lawn and...
Posted Apr 20 at 12:05 PM in by Sandy Giardi
These days, home theater systems are not solely about movies, says Evan Struhl, President and CEO of Cutting Edge Systems Corp. “You can watch TV or choose to become captivated by playing video games.” Along with streaming video, gaming has become an obsession among millennials, and, for the young residents of a beautiful new Beacon Hill townhome, it is undoubtedly “their hot spot.”
They...
Posted Apr 17 at 6:57 PM in by Sandy Giardi
Thanks to landscape design and maintenance firm a Blade of Grass, the backyard of a Boston residence went from an untapped wasteland to a multipurpose urban eden, tailor-made for entertaining. This multi-tiered courtyard is every inch an extension of the South End home—an open-air living room, really—in large part because every inch was used to its advantage.
What we find to be most impressive...
Posted Apr 16 at 11:13 AM in by Andrea Mingels
First impressions matter, especially when it comes to the front entrance of the home. The entry is the focal point of an exterior, as it draws the eye towards the front door and welcomes visitors inside the home. It contributes to the identity of the property and the initial experience shared by guests. What impression does your home entry make? Is it welcoming and warm or extraordinary and...
Posted Apr 15 at 9:52 AM in by Sandy Giardi
Now that we’ve all been sheltering in place for quite some time, what we love most about our living spaces—and what we don’t—has suddenly become crystal clear. We know it from our own experiences, and it’s also what President Mark Haddad of Interiology Design Co. has found in speaking with clients of his Watertown, Mass., interior design studio. “As we're forced to be home for this length of time...
Posted Apr 13 at 2:31 PM in by Sandy Giardi
When people think of skylights, often age-old concerns come to mind, even though skylights today are light years away from those of the past. Nearly ten years ago, VELUX, the ahead-of-its-time market leader in the manufacturing of skylights and roof windows, completely redesigned the skylight, with a mission to bring “confidence back into the category.” The resulting product is glorious, issue-...
Posted Apr 10 at 2:41 PM in by Sandy Giardi
While our Easter and Passover gatherings are certainly more intimate than in years past, we are all for making an event of it. Now more than ever, you have good reason to use your dining room. Not only does it get you to spend time in a fresh—and different—setting, it also brings festivity and formality to your springtime celebrations. So break out the silver, the crystal and table linens and...
Posted Apr 9 at 1:35 PM in by Andrea Mingels
After a long, dreary winter in New England, spring revitalizes us as it reconnects us with nature, boosts our mood, and rewards us with extra sunlight throughout the day. While we all wish every springtime day could be an ideal, warm and sunny 60 degrees with birds chirping and flowers blooming, New England always seems to be iffy about gifting us warm weather on time. Instead of patiently...
