Author: Sarah Blank

The Best Home Coffee Brewers

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Posted on May 5th, 2015
Our addiction to caffeine is only exceeded by our dependence on coffee makers. For many of us we started our fickle habit with the simple percolator and soon moved on to the hour-glass shaped Chemex, then to French presses, eventually graduating to the age-of-convenience Keurig or the Nepresso. Now there’s a new brew of high-end,... Read the full article
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Willingham Antiques & Interiors

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Posted on May 4th, 2015
  The Strickland Road Historic District is a cozy residential area tucked away in Cos Cob. Not long after The Battle of Strickland Plains in 1644, this winding path became known as Strickland Road. Though much has changed since, the beautiful village highway remains true to its history, thanks to the efforts of residents in... Read the full article
Posted in Architects and Designers, Architectural Details, Furniture, Historical Homes, Living Spaces Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 5 Comments

Would An Open Kitchen Floor Plan Work For You?

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Posted on March 23rd, 2015
The Architectural Digest show ran from March 19th through 22nd. At the lecture THE ART & SCIENCE OF SOURCING THE KITCHEN the panel discussed the open floor plan kitchen as the direction of today – that an open land is the layout of choice…  Being a kitchen designer for 34 years my first thought was shouldn’t... Read the full article
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Riordan Mansion

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Posted on February 5th, 2015
Recently I went on a cross-country road trip. Along the way I stopped in Flagstaff AZ at the Riordan Mansion State Historic Park. The park includes two nearly identical homes constructed in 1904 by architect Charles Whittlesey for brothers Michael and Timothy Riordan, prominent lumber barons. The structures encompassed almost 13,000 square feet, and were... Read the full article
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Springwood, Hyde Park, Home of Franklin Delano Roosevelt

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Posted on January 27th, 2015
The Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site, established in 1945, preserves the Springwood estate in Hyde Park, New York. Springwood was the birthplace, lifelong home, and burial place of the 32nd U.S. president, Franklin Delano Roosevelt. The early history of the estate remains unclear however it is believed that the home was once a large farmhouse. In 1845 the estate... Read the full article
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Fairytale Cottages in Carmel-by-the-sea

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Posted on January 23rd, 2015
  Located on the Pacific Coast about 300 miles north of LA, it has been called home by Ansel Adams, Brad Pitt, Clint Eastwood, and Beverly Clearly, to name a few. Carmel – a town whose artistic roots seem inevitable considering its inspiring landscape, its serene beaches have captured the imaginations of everyone from George... Read the full article
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Bayou Bend

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Posted on January 12th, 2015
  John Staub was born during the late summer of 1892 in Knoxville, TN. His grandfather, Peter Staub, a Swiss-German tailor, was the first to settle in the railroad city. Peter’s business and investments brought him fortune and recognition so that by the time John was born his family had already been absorbed into the... Read the full article
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Mount Vernon

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Posted on October 4th, 2014
Mount Vernon Estate, in Fairfax County Virginia was the plantation home of George Washington, the first President of the United States.  The original structure was built by his father in 1734. Washington began leasing the estate from his older half-brother Lawrence’s widow, Ann, in 1754. At this time the home was smaller and less decorated. ... Read the full article
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Clermont House

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Posted on October 4th, 2014
“The spirit of Clermont is one of love, loyalty, generosity, and right living and one cannot remain within its walls and harbor thoughts contrary to that spirit—nor live a life unimbued by its enobling influence.” – Peyton Miller, 1927, A Frequent Guest At Clermont   Clermont is the oldest of the mid-Hudson River Valley estates.... Read the full article
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