Designing Principals
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Spain, Italy influence Eclectic homes
Read More: Spain, Italy influence Eclectic homesBy Ann Robinson and Annie Vernon We are continuing our discussion of the Eclectic movement in residential design. The influence of European design is readily seen in many American homes. Today we will see how architecture from Spain and Italy has shaped the homes in our neighborhoods or even the one in which you live.…
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Eclectic style came after Victorian
Read More: Eclectic style came after VictorianBy Ann Robinson and Annie Vernon In our continuing discussion of residential architectural styles, today we will look at the Eclectic movement. Spanning from the late 19th century through about 1940, this was the phase that followed the Victorian period. While the Victorians took inspiration from former classical architectural styles, they did so with great…
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Victorian homes charming, popular
Read More: Victorian homes charming, popularBy Ann Robinson and Annie Vernon Queen Victoria reigned over England from 1837 to 1901. Besides political influences, Queen Victoria’s reign influenced literature, clothing, furniture and, yes, architecture. Even today, more than a hundred years later, you still see homes new and old that are most definitely Victorian. The Victorian-style home began to appear in…
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Tradition marks colonial home
Read More: Tradition marks colonial homeBy Ann Robinson and Annie Vernon A year or so ago, we spotlighted several home types: the craftsman bungalow, the Tudor, the Cape Cod, and the California ranch. Of course there are more than just four styles, so we thought we would again spend a few weeks featuring a few more types, beginning with the…
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Color is a huge design element
Read More: Color is a huge design elementBy Ann Robinson and Annie Vernon Have you ever walked into a room and thought, “Wow, the colors in this room are perfect!” Or maybe you’ve thought, “Wow, the colors in this room are awful!” Color is a huge design element for any space, and the colors you choose can make or break a room.…
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Uncover house’s former glory
Read More: Uncover house’s former gloryBy Ann Robinson and Annie Vernon What a difference a year makes! At the beginning of 2006, a run-down eyesore blighted a lovely Federal Heights street. Today a tasteful, stately home with beautiful landscaping adds to the charm and character of the area. The home stands ready to shelter a family and facilitate all the…
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Attention to details is important outside, too
Read More: Attention to details is important outside, tooBy Ann Robinson and Annie Vernon If you checked in with us last week, you’ll have read about some of the many details to consider inside your home as you remodel. As you may have guessed, the details don’t stop there. There are plenty of things to consider outside your home as well. And as…
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Practical or aesthetic, design details can be devilish
Read More: Practical or aesthetic, design details can be devilishBy Ann Robinson and Annie Vernon Architect Mies van der Rohe said, “God is in the details.” Others have said, “The devil is in the details.” We suppose it’s all in the perspective. Certainly when it comes to a home renovation, you can feel very inspired or very tormented by all the details to which…
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Windows add natural light, style to home
Read More: Windows add natural light, style to homeBy Ann Robinson and Annie Vernon We get this one a lot: “We want more natural light in our home.” There is just something about natural light that brightens and cheers up a room. There are various ways to draw light into your home, but the biggest way is through windows. Windows have a huge…
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Universal design just makes sense
Read More: Universal design just makes senseBy Ann Robinson and Annie Vernon Look around your house. Check out the front porch, the hallways, the bathrooms, the doorways. If someone who uses a wheelchair or a walker or even a cane came to your home, how easy would it be for him or her to get around? Whether you call it accessible…
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Programming key to good design
Read More: Programming key to good designBy Ann Robinson and Annie Vernon Last week we gave you a homework assignment. Have you spent the week browsing magazines, checking out books and setting your TiVo to record home design shows? Hopefully you are filling your mind with ideas while you fill your files with photos and articles. This week’s assignment will take…
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Rearrange a home’s rooms for better use of its space
Read More: Rearrange a home’s rooms for better use of its spaceBy Ann Robinson and Annie Vernon In the past few weeks we have looked at defining your public and private space and improving the overall flow of your home. These are fundamental design principles for any home, whether it’s new construction or a complete remodel. This floor plan shows circulation shortcomings: ineffective flow, misuse of…
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Customize House Plans: Plan pathways to create flow in home
Read More: Customize House Plans: Plan pathways to create flow in homeBy Ann Robinson and Annie Vernon If you own a home, you own space. The question is, how does that space flow? Replacing the solid wall of the hallway with a series of columns and beams preserves logical flow and opens and brightens the entire home. A clear flow of movement from room to room…
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Customize House Plans: Considering public & private space is key to floor plan design
Read More: Customize House Plans: Considering public & private space is key to floor plan designBy Ann Robinson and Annie Vernon If you stop to think about it, it really makes sense: There are places in your house meant to be public and there are places meant to be private. When thinking architecturally, there are actually three levels of interaction in your home, and they need to be identified and…
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House Style Remodel: Ranch (Rambler) home is American original
Read More: House Style Remodel: Ranch (Rambler) home is American originalBy Ann Robinson and Annie Vernon Rounding out our tour of popular 20th-century home styles, we make a stop on the West Coast where one of the first truly American housing styles was born — the California Ranch (also referred to as American ranch, rambler, or rancher). Ranch home remodel: The classic Ranch home is…
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Cape Cod is an American classic
Read More: Cape Cod is an American classicBy Ann Robinson and Annie Vernon If you’ve followed our columns for the past few weeks, you’ll know we have been taking you on a tour of some popular homes styles of the past century to help you identify (or create) your own home’s style. This week we look at the Cape Cod style. Cape…
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Craftsman bungalows are simply beautiful
Read More: Craftsman bungalows are simply beautifulBy Ann Robinson and Annie Vernon Last week we began a monthlong series to help you discover the style of your home. Many homes were built true to the popular style of their day and some were built with a blend of styles or even no style. Understanding some of the popular styles of the…
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Home Renovation: Before home renovation, know home’s style
Read More: Home Renovation: Before home renovation, know home’s styleBy Ann Robinson and Annie Vernon Several predominant home styles have evolved over the past century in the United States. You’ve seen them as you’ve driven the streets of Salt Lake City: the fairy-tale Tudor Revival, classic Craftsman bungalow, charming Cape Cod and California ranch. With careful planning, the addition to this classic Tudor Revival…
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Master plans save time, money, sanity
Read More: Master plans save time, money, sanityBy Ann Robinson and Annie Vernon We had a client who struggled for years to come up with a design to unify a duplex into a single-family home. This family completed several small remodel projects, only to rip out some of the new construction when the next round of remodeling came along. They felt as…
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In architecture, bigger not always better
Read More: In architecture, bigger not always betterBy Ann Robinson and Annie Vernon Existing floor plan of house where clients wanted to add an addition to their family room. Recently a couple in Murray asked us for help in designing an addition to their house. This couple likes to entertain and their small kitchen/family room combination is not large enough to accommodate…
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Capitalize on views and natural light
Read More: Capitalize on views and natural lightBy Ann Robinson and Annie Vernon Everyone knows that curb appeal, or what you experience as you look at a house from the outside, is an important aspect of a home’s architecture. But did you know that what you experience from the inside of your house looking out is even more important? This dining room…
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Tap unused space in house, garage for extra storage
Read More: Tap unused space in house, garage for extra storageBy Ann Robinson and Annie Vernon Something about spring invokes the urge to get rid of winter clutter and tidy up the home. If you’ve “de-junked” your home but still feel like you don’t have enough room to hold everything, it’s probably time to create more effective storage space. Well-designed storage spaces not only make…
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Home renovations should keep to original style to retain value
Read More: Home renovations should keep to original style to retain valueBy Ann Robinson and Annie Vernon News reports have highlighted controversial home renovations in some of Salt Lake City’s classic neighborhoods. Understanding the history, style, and architecture of your home — and the other homes in your neighborhood — is crucial in designing an addition or renovation. Ignore this principle, and you’ll end up spending…
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Connect inside of your house with the beauty outdoors
Read More: Connect inside of your house with the beauty outdoorsBy Ann Robinson and Annie Vernon With the advent of spring after a particularly foggy winter, you may already be connecting more with the outdoors through hiking, biking, golf or puttering around in the garden. But have you ever considered how well your home connects with the outdoors? A Liberty Park-area home has small windows…