5 Steps to a Great Sandbox

Step 1: Buy Sand!

Step 2: Location, Location, Location,

Step 3: Measure Twice, Cut Once

Step 4: Watch those fingers!

Step 5:  Take the kids to the park and come home to a new sandbox! 

Okay, so maybe it's not quite that easy, but I was impressed with how quickly and beautifully my husband whipped this together.  I think he only went to the hardware store once...is that possible???

I have to give him credit for coming up with this simple design that looks great too. Here's what he used:

5/4 x 8 sideboards

2 x 2 x 12  internal corner posts set into the ground

1 x 2 cap w/ sanded ease edges

1 x 6 T & G boards for lid

1 x 2 strap to tie the lid pieces together

10mil plastic liner

500lb sand

I appreciate the little details... like the slab of stone in front to give the kids a place to stand and take off their shoes.  The rocks around the sand box are great too since the scattered sand will just filter through. 

This was my view this afternoon while I did some work and the kids played... oh joy! 

I guess it's our little slice of beach right here in Hoboken! 

Now if someone could just tell me what to do with all the sand in the house?! 

Holiday Weekend

Let the summer begin!  It's time for us to head back to the beach and I'm so ready for it.

A friend of mine reminded me the other day of this photo my husband took of our early morning beach set up... he was so proud he just had to document it.  I have to say it was pretty sweet arriving at the water with a good spot all ready for us with hardly a soul on the beach.  

A lot of people ask about our umbrellas.  We ordered them online at Frankford Umbrellas.  Little did we know that the company is located not far from my mom's childhood home in Philadelphia.  I think it was quite a find as they are great quality (many umbrellas have flown by us on the beach while ours stands tall). They come in a bunch of vibrant colors too... I never have any trouble finding our party on the beach!

Hope you all have a great Memorial Day weekend wherever you go!

Sweet

A few blocks from my house is a delightful little cupcake shop called Sweet.  It's appropriately located next to a park teaming with wide eyed kids looking for a sugar fix and desperate moms and dads looking for a caffeine boost.  It's one of those local establishments that makes me love living here.  Not only do they make beautifully delicious treats but the space is just as sweet. Right down to the typeface of their logo, they've created a good feeling place.

So what brought me to Sweet with my fancy shmancy camera on a sunny spring morning?  The chairs!  Yes, they have the chairs I love that I talked about in my post Outdoor Dining. You can get them at Pottery Barn, DWR and Sundance.  They look great in white, giving them a fresh finished look.  A friend of mine talked about using them at her dining table with the kids and then she plans to move them outside when they grow up.  Seeing them here, I think it's a great idea...

The far wall has a fun tree and bird mural offering an eye catching backdrop. I realized later that the same wallpaper from Cavern was used in the bathroom of one of the houses I talked about in my last post.   As you can see here, wallpaper has come a long way and is an easy way to make a dramatic accent wall.

The marble counter looks fresh and feels cool and smooth to the touch.   And they didn't forget the ceiling... the tin adds texture and an old world charm.  It's comfortable and reminds us of grandma's kitchen.  I like the square globe ceiling fixtures too. Lighting can be tough and they got it right... simple, timeless and effective.





Under the windows, is a banquette for efficient wall seating.  It's a great spot for all the squirmy kids to sit and nosh on their treats.

And I really should mention the cupcakes!  They are almost too pretty to eat... 

 

I get the pumpkin or carrot cupcakes for the kids thinking they are somehow good for them?!  (Well, whatever makes you feel better, right?)  As for me, my favorite is the chocolate cake with the peanut butter icing...yum! 

Are there any places in your town that you go to because they make you feel good?  You may not know it, but a well designed space can lift your mood... it's not just the sweets!  

5 Design Ideas from Italy

The beautifully vibrant artwork in last post got me thinking about my own trip to Venice with the in-laws a few years back.  It was a great experience and I enjoyed sharing it with our family.  Even my sis made an appearance... perfect timing to take this picture!

Piazza S. Lorenzo in Lucina, Rome

So I went back through  my photos for a chance to relive it and I started noticing some themes.  I decided to pull out photos that represented applicable architectural lessons... ones I might use in my own residential work. I found 5 design ideas that you might find interesting too...  

1.  Real Working Shutters:

Nothing feels more European (and vacationy) than operable blackout shutters.  They add depth and texture to a facade that could never be replicated with fake shutters that we see all over the US.

Facade in Venice

The mahogany doors behind them contrast beautifully with the dark green shutters.  And the detail work on the railing is pretty sweet too. 

Here are the shutters on the windows and doors of our hotel room that looked out to the balcony.  I love when you can black out your room... but you better ask for a wakeup call!

Hotel Ala in Venice

Here's an interesting track detail in lieu of hinges.

Shutters found on our walk down from San Miniato, Florence

    

2. Handmade doors

I took a lot of pictures of doors because they can offer so much character to a place.  I love the richness of this material and the simplicity of the design.  It's hard to tell if they are new or have been there forever.  I like that in a door.

Doors somewhere in Venice

These are more modern but just as rich in material.  As you can see, I like the horizontal board look.  

Storefront doors across from the Duomo in Florence

I particularly like the lean steel edge detail seen here...

Storefront doors across from the Duomo in Florence

Okay, so I'm cheating on this one...it's from another trip to Italy.  But it's such a welcoming entry I couldn't help but include it.  Nice 6 panel doors and a charming wood framed terracotta awning...

And from the same trip... this balcony is amazing for so many reasons!  The generous glass door, real working shutters, and a terra cotta ceiling, which leads me to my next idea...

3. Brick Ceilings:

The ceiling is often an afterthought, but with one like this people will be sure to notice.   This would make a beautiful porch ceiling or maybe a rustic kitchen ceiling.  Create your very own Tuscan villa!

Small covered alleys in  Radda in Chianti

I happened upon this store and got all excited about the great shoes and then... I looked up!  And I love the little window with the deep angled return. 

Shoe store in the small town of Radda in Chianti

4.  Architectural Use of Foliage:

This lush pergola creates a welcoming shaded area to sit.   It was located on the grounds of a Murano glass factory.  One of their pieces is thoughtfully displayed in the arch.   

 Murano glass factory 

Who doesn't love lush window boxes?! Again this feature adds depth to the facade and at the same time bringing the outdoors in close view from inside.  

  

Residence in Venice

What a lovely balcony fringed with geraniums.  They softened the edge and frame the beautiful views beyond. 

 View of the Ponte Vecchio bridge in Florence

5.  Clever Skylights



This isn't really a skylight but rather a way to ventilate the heat created from the glass production.  Can you believe such an amazing timber framed clerestory structure would be located in a factory?

Glass Factory on the island of Murano

I thought this was such a fun little skylight.  At the time, I was working on a project where I had a low sloped roof and this might have been a unique solution to bring some light into a bathroom.  I found this skylight tucked away between buildings in the Uffizi Gallery.

Uffizi Gallery skylight

I hadn't noticed at the time, that there is a flood light above that can give you the same effect at night! Makes a great little oculus feature in a small exiting hallway of the gallery.  

Speaking of oculi (what a great word!) ... this is the best one I've ever seen.  So I'll leave you with it... the one place I will never tire of visiting.

Pantheon in Rome

Where have you travelled that has made an impression on you and how you live?  A place where you just want to bottle it up and bring it home!

"What I Did on My Spring Vacation"

I spent the week in Carlisle, PA visiting the folks and wanted to share some photos of our trip. I debated whether this is relevant to my blog's 'purpose'... but it has a bit of architecture (a beautifully landscaped home), and some design (a fluorescent 'skylight'), and plenty of life (a toddler loving trains!)  I do appreciate that what I do for a living just happens to blend with my life.   Enough talk, here are the pics...



Can you believe this is a bulkhead to a basement?  I love its tiny scale, cheery red door, and moss covered shingles. Feels like it's from a fairy tale.

 

Have you ever seen a charming driveway?  Well, here it is...

Not only does it look nice, but it's sustainable; no repaving or maintenance. And it's better for the environment; less runoff into a near by stream. 



Speaking of the stream, it's a beautiful meandering backdrop to the springtime blooms and sculptural solar clock...

At my parent's house... I took a peak at the new laundry room my dad has been laboring over.  I was quite impressed with his sheetrocking abilities.  Here he inset a utilitarian 2 x 4 fluorescent fixture into a sheetrock soffit.  Given the great light quality, I'd swear it was a skylight... if it weren't in the basement!

Here you can see how the small molding holds in the fixture and allows the panel to be popped out to replace the bulbs.

We took a trip to Strasburg, PA in Lancaster County to check out the railroad museum.  I hadn't been there since I was a little kid so I wasn't sure what to expect.  Wow, I underestimated the grand nature of these majestic machines.

And I was amazed by my 22 month old's excitement! He was in train heaven. Here's what I like to call the 'train dance'...

Did you just have a spring break too?   Where did you go and what did you do?  Please, do tell!