There is a broad spectrum of appropriate trim colors for historic homes, but white is one of the most common and difficult to select. Finding the right white to paint the interior trim of your home can be a daunting task. Instead of making the choice easy, there is a staggering palette of whites available that cause confusion and indecision and make it difficult to choose the right shade. After all, what is historic “white”? A bit of knowledge concerning the history of white paint and trends... more

WHEW! Sure glad that spring is over! What a horrible, wet, yucky, gloomy (well, you get the picture) season it has been. I’m ready to get outdoors, not just to work in the garden and make it pretty, but to sit in the garden, have a cocktail, and enjoy the company of my husband and our friends. Since our house is teeny-weeny, bringing the party outdoors is necessary and that makes lighting the garden for those wonderful evening parties, essential. We’ve always considered our outdoor spaces an... more

You’ve been tearing pages out of magazines, searching websites, talking to co-workers, friends, and family members to find that right kitchen or bath design. You seek a design that you can afford that won’t disrupt your household for six months or more. Over and over you keep thinking, I love the layout of my kitchen. The space works well. It’s just dated. This is just a preview...Read the rest... Read More →

When it comes to favored architectural styles for old Portland homes, the Cape Cod doesn’t have the cachet of its Craftsman cousin. However, homebuyers Carolyn and Bret Winkler weren’t put off by the unassuming exterior or unappealing kitchen of the 1947 northeast Cape Cod. “We liked the space, the neighborhood, and above all, the price… we were prepared to look past the lack of obvious curb appeal,” Bret says. “We also saw past the ugly-duckling kitchen — literally, it had duck... more