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Click here -----> Filing for a Construction Permit in New York City 11/24 by Lane Architecture | Blog Talk Radio
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
Thursday, January 24, 2013
Monday, July 23, 2012
Choose your team wisely
Just recently, I was asked to meet a new client at their place to discuss what they wanted to do to it. As the case with many of my referrals, I met this client through the general contractor (GC) that the client already selected. This often happens when the client's mindset is to first have a desire to have something built, find someone to build it, then find someone to figure out what needs to be built. This is no different than finding the cart before figuring out what horse you need to pull it.
I met the GC face to face for the first time when we met at the project site. He was a friend of the client's and had some experience installing minor things - such as replacing cabinets, counter tops and doors - for small scale projects. He had no idea that he needed a tracking number from the NY City Department of Buildings (DOB) in order to get a construction permit to do the things my client wanted done. (Call our office, at 212-594-2007, if you need to know what a tracking number is - hint - it is a number that the DOB issuses after they receive paper work that clears them from any liability).
So, as the design development was underway, I called this GC to "coach" him along the path of getting this tracking number. I also referred to him some other people who spend hours and hours every week day at the DOB and who could hold his hand at getting this done before he really needed it.
As we were finishing up the construction documents and about to file the application for the construction permit, I called the GC to help him along the tracking number trail.
Just last week, I got a frantic call from the client saying that they have general contractor problems because the tracking number has not been aquired. Now, the application is approved and there is no GC to pull the permit. This project is so small that it might take some arm twisting to persuade any GC's in my roladex to bid this job. The original GC would be ideal because the project is so small but might loose his opportunity soon.
So, avoid having this problem by not pre-selecting the GC before hiring the architect. The architect can not only design the space for you but also help build a team that will better serve you better than, say, a favorite cousin of a step brother of a third removed relationship...
Friday, June 29, 2012
14 Famous Man Rooms
In reading about the lives of history’s great men, one thing I’ve noticed is that many of them had a place they could go to be alone with their thoughts. Some of these men had a study where they would retreat to think, read, and write. Others had a garage or workshop where they would tinker and experiment. But what all these rooms had in common was their sheer manliness. They were man spaces, places a man could call his own.
Below we give you a look inside the man rooms of 14 famous men from history. Within these rooms they formulated ideas that would change the world, wrote books that remain classics, and revitalized the dynamic manliness that drove their success. While we all can’t have a Carnegie-esque study, perhaps you’ll find inspiration from these manly spaces to spruce up your own room or simply the push to find a place where you can get away from it all and in tune with your manliness.
The room where Papa wrote For Whom the Bell Tolls and Death in the Afternoon. Ernest Hemingway lived in this house in Key West, Florida for more than 10 years. Needing a place where he could drink a glass of scotch, smoke a cigar, and write about men being men, Hemingway turned the old carriage house on the property into his personal writing studio. The main features in the room are the Cuban cigar-maker’s chair and his Royal typewriter. Throughout the room, Hemingway placed mementos he collected from his manly adventures in Africa and Cuba.
After Theodore Roosevelt’s Dakota cattle business failed, he came back East to New York and built a home in Oyster Bay, NY. He called his estate Sagamore Hill, and he lived there until he died (with a stint in the White House, of course). It was where Roosevelt would go to relax, romp in the woods, and revitalize his man spirit. The crowning manly jewel of the house was TR’s trophy room where he kept his collection of wild game he had hunted in Africa and throughout the American West. The room has a high ceiling and is filled with rich, dark Philippine camagon woodwork. A perfect place for the manliest president to read a book about adventure in the grasslands or to entertain guests and dignitaries.
Frederick Douglass was a true self-made man. He escaped from slavery and through hard work and self-education, became a writer, publisher, speaker and fierce abolitionist. With the money he made from writing and speaking, Douglass bought a 14 bedroom house in Washington, D.C. that he called Cedar Hill. His office was lined with over 1,000 books on a wide variety of subjects, and his walls were adorned with portraits of people he admired like Susan B. Anthony and Wendell Phillips. Douglas would spend up to five hours a day reading and writing in his manly study. At his sturdy wooden desk he penned many of his inspiring speeches and his famous autobiography, The Life and Times of Frederick Douglass.
The author of the Declaration of Independence also was a master architect. Jefferson designed the home that crowned his beautiful Monticello estate. Jefferson’s man space was his study where he’d read about, write about, and ponder liberty and other profound principles in solitude. The busts of great men served as muses for Jefferson. One of the unique aspects of Jefferson’s man space is how it’s connected to his bedroom. He placed his bed in an alcove in the wall between his study and room. That way Jefferson could roll right out of bed and start working or if he needed to take a power nap after hours of manly meditation and study, he could lie down for a respite.
Mark Twain would often summer with his sister who lived in Elmira, New York. Needing a place where he could get some work done, Twain built himself a writing hut on his sister’s property. Free from distractions and inspired by the setting, Twain could write in peace and quiet. In this sanctuary of manliness, Twain wrote some of his most widely read and manly works: Life on the Mississippi, A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court, and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.
I love how Twain described his man space in an 1874 letter to William Dean Howells:
Tired of the distractions of modern living, Henry David Thoreau went to the woods to live a deliberate and simple life. He borrowed some land near a pond called Walden from friend Ralph Waldo Emerson and built himself a simple 10′x15′ shack. The inside was furnished with a bed, a table, a desk, and three chairs. That’s it. Total cost to build his man shack? $28.12. It was in this small hut in the woods that Thoreau would get the inspiration he needed to write his most famous work of Transcendental Philosophy, Walden, Or Life in the Woods. Thoreau’s rustic man-hut has inspired men for generations to tear out into the woods, build a shack with their own bare man hands, and start sucking the marrow out of life.
Many people argue that Thomas Edison’s greatest contribution to science and technology was his Invention Factory in Menlo Park, New Jersey. This series of brick buildings was the first industrial research and development laboratory and is the model for today’s corporate and government R&D labs. Nestled in the complex was Edison’s personal library. The focal point of the room is the roll top desk that Edison likely used to design cool stuff like the phonograph or Kinetoscope. Edison knew how to hustle and would often work for 24 hours (or more!) straight. He’d take catnaps in a cot that he set up in his library to recharge himself for more work.
When John Muir wasn’t wandering through Yosemite and pondering the awe-inspiring power of nature, he lived with his wife in a 14-room mansion in Martinez, California that had been built in 1883 by his father-in-law. The Muirs occupied that home from 1890 until John’s death in 1914. This was the most fruitful time of Muir’s career, and much of his productivity took place within the walls of his study, which he called his “scribble den.” Seated at his simple wooden desk, Muir laid much of the foundation for the modern conservation movement, penning hundreds of passionate magazine and newspaper articles and writing books on the importance of preserving nature, mulling over how to save the Hetch Hetchy Valley from being dammed, pushing for the creation of National Parks and a Park Service, and taking care of work for his job as the first president of the Sierra Club.
Mark Twain is so manly that two of his man rooms made the list. This billiards room took up the entire top floor of his three-story Hartford, CT house where he lived from 1871-1891. The room was off limits to Twain’s wife and kids and reserved for Twain and his male guests to shoot pool, smoke cigars, and imbibe spirits. Twain also used the room as a man retreat, a place to write and hide from the domestic chaos on the other floors of the house. Twain explained the reason this special man space was needed in his home:
The garage or workshop is a favorite place for men to retreat to, drink a beer, and tinker on their car. The Wright brothers spent hours together in their bike shop fixing bikes and creating the first successful flying machine. Their shop actually changed locations several times, but what stayed the same was the industrial utility of the room and the solitude it offered them to ponder how to get man into the air.
Located in rural Kent, England, Charles Darwin’s Down House is where the famous scientist lived and worked for over 40 years. Inside the home, Darwin had a private study where he would write in solitude. Darwin was a morning person and felt he did his best work between the hours of 8 AM and 9:30 AM. It was in this room that Darwin wrote his landmark work, On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection. Darwin lined his shelves not only with books but also with animal specimens he found while taking walks in the afternoons. I’m totally digging that spiral cane and bowler hat placed on the chair in the first picture.
Frank Lloyd Wright lived at his Oak Park, IL residence from 1889 until 1909. During these first two decades of his career, Wright developed his architectural practice and style, brainstorming ideas and drafting plans within the handsome home studio he designed himself. Under the octagonal hanging lights, Wright and his associates developed the Prairie style of architecture and designed 125 structures. The magnificent studio is certainly a worthy workplace for such a revered architect; a fellow architect said it offered “inspiration everywhere.”
Steele magnate Andrew Carnegie used some of his vast millions to build a 64-room mansion located on 5th Ave near Central Park in New York City. Among its 64 rooms were Carnegie’s private library and study where he would spend his mornings either alone or with his personal secretary. He used his library to receive applicants seeking a piece of his philanthropic treasure chest and his study to determine which ones would get funds. The rooms were decked out in typical Gilded Age furnishings- dark hand-carved wood, plush furniture, and decorative ceilings. Along the walls of both rooms were stenciled Carnegie’s favorite inspirational sayings like “The Kingdom of Heaven is within you.” It’s pretty amazing what sort of man room you can build when you’re the richest guy in the world.
Here's the weblink of this article:Below we give you a look inside the man rooms of 14 famous men from history. Within these rooms they formulated ideas that would change the world, wrote books that remain classics, and revitalized the dynamic manliness that drove their success. While we all can’t have a Carnegie-esque study, perhaps you’ll find inspiration from these manly spaces to spruce up your own room or simply the push to find a place where you can get away from it all and in tune with your manliness.
Ernest Hemingway’s Writing Studio
The room where Papa wrote For Whom the Bell Tolls and Death in the Afternoon. Ernest Hemingway lived in this house in Key West, Florida for more than 10 years. Needing a place where he could drink a glass of scotch, smoke a cigar, and write about men being men, Hemingway turned the old carriage house on the property into his personal writing studio. The main features in the room are the Cuban cigar-maker’s chair and his Royal typewriter. Throughout the room, Hemingway placed mementos he collected from his manly adventures in Africa and Cuba.
Theodore Roosevelt’s Trophy Room
After Theodore Roosevelt’s Dakota cattle business failed, he came back East to New York and built a home in Oyster Bay, NY. He called his estate Sagamore Hill, and he lived there until he died (with a stint in the White House, of course). It was where Roosevelt would go to relax, romp in the woods, and revitalize his man spirit. The crowning manly jewel of the house was TR’s trophy room where he kept his collection of wild game he had hunted in Africa and throughout the American West. The room has a high ceiling and is filled with rich, dark Philippine camagon woodwork. A perfect place for the manliest president to read a book about adventure in the grasslands or to entertain guests and dignitaries.
Frederick Douglass’ Office
Thomas Jefferson’s Study
The author of the Declaration of Independence also was a master architect. Jefferson designed the home that crowned his beautiful Monticello estate. Jefferson’s man space was his study where he’d read about, write about, and ponder liberty and other profound principles in solitude. The busts of great men served as muses for Jefferson. One of the unique aspects of Jefferson’s man space is how it’s connected to his bedroom. He placed his bed in an alcove in the wall between his study and room. That way Jefferson could roll right out of bed and start working or if he needed to take a power nap after hours of manly meditation and study, he could lie down for a respite.
Mark Twain’s Writing Hut
Mark Twain would often summer with his sister who lived in Elmira, New York. Needing a place where he could get some work done, Twain built himself a writing hut on his sister’s property. Free from distractions and inspired by the setting, Twain could write in peace and quiet. In this sanctuary of manliness, Twain wrote some of his most widely read and manly works: Life on the Mississippi, A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court, and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.
I love how Twain described his man space in an 1874 letter to William Dean Howells:
“It is the loveliest study you ever saw…octagonal with a peaked roof, each face filled with a spacious window…perched in complete isolation on the top of an elevation that commands leagues of valley and city and retreating ranges of distant blue hills. It is a cozy nest and just room in it for a sofa, table, and three or four chairs, and when the storms sweep down the remote valley and the lightning flashes behind the hills beyond and the rain beats upon the roof over my head—imagine the luxury of it.”
Henry David Thoreau’s Cabin
Tired of the distractions of modern living, Henry David Thoreau went to the woods to live a deliberate and simple life. He borrowed some land near a pond called Walden from friend Ralph Waldo Emerson and built himself a simple 10′x15′ shack. The inside was furnished with a bed, a table, a desk, and three chairs. That’s it. Total cost to build his man shack? $28.12. It was in this small hut in the woods that Thoreau would get the inspiration he needed to write his most famous work of Transcendental Philosophy, Walden, Or Life in the Woods. Thoreau’s rustic man-hut has inspired men for generations to tear out into the woods, build a shack with their own bare man hands, and start sucking the marrow out of life.
Thomas Edison’s Library
Many people argue that Thomas Edison’s greatest contribution to science and technology was his Invention Factory in Menlo Park, New Jersey. This series of brick buildings was the first industrial research and development laboratory and is the model for today’s corporate and government R&D labs. Nestled in the complex was Edison’s personal library. The focal point of the room is the roll top desk that Edison likely used to design cool stuff like the phonograph or Kinetoscope. Edison knew how to hustle and would often work for 24 hours (or more!) straight. He’d take catnaps in a cot that he set up in his library to recharge himself for more work.
John Muir’s Study
When John Muir wasn’t wandering through Yosemite and pondering the awe-inspiring power of nature, he lived with his wife in a 14-room mansion in Martinez, California that had been built in 1883 by his father-in-law. The Muirs occupied that home from 1890 until John’s death in 1914. This was the most fruitful time of Muir’s career, and much of his productivity took place within the walls of his study, which he called his “scribble den.” Seated at his simple wooden desk, Muir laid much of the foundation for the modern conservation movement, penning hundreds of passionate magazine and newspaper articles and writing books on the importance of preserving nature, mulling over how to save the Hetch Hetchy Valley from being dammed, pushing for the creation of National Parks and a Park Service, and taking care of work for his job as the first president of the Sierra Club.
Winston Churchill’s Art Studio
In addition to being a first-class statesman, Winston Churchill was a talented artist as well. The man loved to paint. He loved it so much that he built himself an art studio in his estate’s garden. When he felt the “Black Dog” of depression tailing him, he would retreat to his studio and keep the darkness away by putting brush to canvas.
Mark Twain’s Billiards Room
Mark Twain is so manly that two of his man rooms made the list. This billiards room took up the entire top floor of his three-story Hartford, CT house where he lived from 1871-1891. The room was off limits to Twain’s wife and kids and reserved for Twain and his male guests to shoot pool, smoke cigars, and imbibe spirits. Twain also used the room as a man retreat, a place to write and hide from the domestic chaos on the other floors of the house. Twain explained the reason this special man space was needed in his home:
“There ought to be a room in this house to swear in. It’s dangerous to have to repress an emotion like that…Under certain circumstances, profanity provides a relief denied even to prayer.”
The Wright Brothers’ Bicycle Shop
Charles Darwin’s Study
Located in rural Kent, England, Charles Darwin’s Down House is where the famous scientist lived and worked for over 40 years. Inside the home, Darwin had a private study where he would write in solitude. Darwin was a morning person and felt he did his best work between the hours of 8 AM and 9:30 AM. It was in this room that Darwin wrote his landmark work, On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection. Darwin lined his shelves not only with books but also with animal specimens he found while taking walks in the afternoons. I’m totally digging that spiral cane and bowler hat placed on the chair in the first picture.
Frank Lloyd Wright’s Drafting Studio
Frank Lloyd Wright lived at his Oak Park, IL residence from 1889 until 1909. During these first two decades of his career, Wright developed his architectural practice and style, brainstorming ideas and drafting plans within the handsome home studio he designed himself. Under the octagonal hanging lights, Wright and his associates developed the Prairie style of architecture and designed 125 structures. The magnificent studio is certainly a worthy workplace for such a revered architect; a fellow architect said it offered “inspiration everywhere.”Andrew Carnegie’s Study
Steele magnate Andrew Carnegie used some of his vast millions to build a 64-room mansion located on 5th Ave near Central Park in New York City. Among its 64 rooms were Carnegie’s private library and study where he would spend his mornings either alone or with his personal secretary. He used his library to receive applicants seeking a piece of his philanthropic treasure chest and his study to determine which ones would get funds. The rooms were decked out in typical Gilded Age furnishings- dark hand-carved wood, plush furniture, and decorative ceilings. Along the walls of both rooms were stenciled Carnegie’s favorite inspirational sayings like “The Kingdom of Heaven is within you.” It’s pretty amazing what sort of man room you can build when you’re the richest guy in the world.
John Muir’s Study
http://artofmanliness.com/2010/07/27/famous-man-caves/
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Thursday, May 10, 2012
10 Home Design Features Gone with the Times
1. Outdoor Kitchens
2. Outdoor Fireplaces
3. Sunrooms
4. Two-story family rooms
5. Media rooms
6. Two-story entrance foyers
7. Walking and jogging trails around housing developements
8. Multiple-head showers
9. Formal living rooms
10. Whirlpool tubs.
Want to see some examples? Click Here
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Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Custom Home Kelowna BC Canada by David Tyrell Architect Inc
Here is a modern home that has been described to be like the tip of an iceberg from the front. There is much more behind and inside. I really like the use of fire as accent pieces on the large terrace in place of planters. Check it out at Custom Home Kelowna BC Canada by David Tyrell Architect Inc
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Thursday, January 12, 2012
How to Select the Right Color for Your Home
How much of one color should you use while decorating your home? Here is a rule of thumb that will help you better balance your choice of colors.
Use the 60-30-10 ratio. What does that ratio mean?
When I choose a men’s suit, I first choose the jacket and the trousers. The color of the suit is primarily one color. That choice of color will be 60% of my entire ensemble. Then, I will choose a shirt that will have its own color. That shirt will be about 30% of all of the color. Lastly, the final 10% of the area of my wardrobe will be colored with my tie.
So, in the homes that I decorate, I will choose the wall color that will be 60% of all of the entire space (by the way, I might bend the rules and choose an accent color for one wall – that is an exception). Then, I will choose the upholstery color – that will be the 30%. Then, I will accent the room with another color that will give it a little “punch.” This accent color will be about 10% of the colors in the whole room.
If you need more help with this, stay tuned for an upcoming podcast that I will be releasing soon with more ways to choose the right colors to decorate your home. In the meantime, come visit me at the Ashley Furniture HomeStore at 561 Rt. 46 West, Fairfield, NJ 07004 to get a personal, one-on-one, design consultation that will transform your home into a home that reflects the lifestyle of you and your family. IMPORTANT for your best design, you MUST ask for "Larry" at the front door. Otherwise, you will be just dealing with someone that is trying to sell you stuff.
OK, for you folks that need answers NOW, just click on the the icon to the right of this blog post titled, "Paint Cheat Sheet" to get some valuable tips to launch your home design beyond what you might recieve from any interior designer. Heck, your interior designer should be paying you for the information that you will know after you grab a copy of the "Painting Cheat Sheet."
Click on the "ReTweet" button below and follow me on twitter. I am LaneArch there Tweet
Use the 60-30-10 ratio. What does that ratio mean?
When I choose a men’s suit, I first choose the jacket and the trousers. The color of the suit is primarily one color. That choice of color will be 60% of my entire ensemble. Then, I will choose a shirt that will have its own color. That shirt will be about 30% of all of the color. Lastly, the final 10% of the area of my wardrobe will be colored with my tie.
So, in the homes that I decorate, I will choose the wall color that will be 60% of all of the entire space (by the way, I might bend the rules and choose an accent color for one wall – that is an exception). Then, I will choose the upholstery color – that will be the 30%. Then, I will accent the room with another color that will give it a little “punch.” This accent color will be about 10% of the colors in the whole room.
If you need more help with this, stay tuned for an upcoming podcast that I will be releasing soon with more ways to choose the right colors to decorate your home. In the meantime, come visit me at the Ashley Furniture HomeStore at 561 Rt. 46 West, Fairfield, NJ 07004 to get a personal, one-on-one, design consultation that will transform your home into a home that reflects the lifestyle of you and your family. IMPORTANT for your best design, you MUST ask for "Larry" at the front door. Otherwise, you will be just dealing with someone that is trying to sell you stuff.
OK, for you folks that need answers NOW, just click on the the icon to the right of this blog post titled, "Paint Cheat Sheet" to get some valuable tips to launch your home design beyond what you might recieve from any interior designer. Heck, your interior designer should be paying you for the information that you will know after you grab a copy of the "Painting Cheat Sheet."
Click on the "ReTweet" button below and follow me on twitter. I am LaneArch there Tweet
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
A Daily Dose of Architecture: Today's archidose #548
A Daily Dose of Architecture: Today's archidose #548: Here are some photos I took of the Woman's Home Companion House in Warson Woods, St. Louis County, Missouri by Paul Rudolph, 1956. I learned...
Sunday, December 11, 2011
Could You Live In A 161-Square-Foot House? Tech + Design: Details.com
It is not always that we have the opportunity to see how Mc Mansions are not the only way to enjoy our lives at home. Here are some examples of how living in much smaller spaces might not be so bad (at least for a weekend).
Could You Live In A 161-Square-Foot House? Tech + Design: Details.com
Could You Live In A 161-Square-Foot House? Tech + Design: Details.com
Friday, December 9, 2011
10 Secrets toTransform Your Home During The Holidays
1. Not just green and red anymore: Green and red are the traditional colors of the holiday season. After seeing it in almost everything and everywhere during this time of the year, the two colors become kind of dull and unimaginative. Instead, make your home more sophisticated by using deep forest greens, rich burgundies, and dark cranberry colors. Use only one color throughout or use two or three main colors.
2. Some golden touches: Use metallic accent colors like silver, gold, and coppers to spark up the spaces. Accessories are perfect to use with these colors. Incorporate the metallic colors in your choices of lamps, napkin rings, planters, and candles. Email to me at info@LaneArchitecture.net if you would like to learn more about where you can buy one table lamp and get one free.
3. Setting your table: Create an elegant table setting with a new table cloth or table linens with these rich new seasonal colors. Place settings and plates could be a solid color while using a patterned fabric for your napkins.
4. Accent pieces: Use your selected shades of the seasonal colors and accent colors with pillows, throws, vases, and decorative bowls filled with interesting color matching items.
5. Liven up the guest’s powder room: The powder room will be seen by your guests, so don’t overlook it. Bring life to this often dark cubby with artificial plants that look great and don’t require a green thumb.
6. Swap decorations with family members: Trade decorations with family members who cannot travel the distance to your home during this holiday. Having a small dear piece from their home will help you sense their presence and you will be sharing yourself with others far away.
7. Decorate with heirlooms: Allow the memory elderly family members that passed away to touch the hearts of your family during this wonderful time of the holidays by using their costume jewelry as part of the decoration on the tree or as part of the table setting. This is a much better use of those sentimental items than to leave them as forgotten items stored away in a box somewhere.
8. Create interest with an area rug: Painting walls will immediately transform your home faster than any other decorating tip. But, let’s face it, our holiday season is packed with enough “to-do’s” and we don’t need the extra stress of clearing out a room, repainting it, and then redressing it again. Instead, select an inexpensive 5 ft. x 8 ft. area rug. You will be surprised to find how quickly it will add color and life into your old worn out living room.
9. Get new bedding sets: What is the biggest item in your bedrooms? It is probably the bed. The bedding on tops of your beds are the largest things that people will notice when they enter your bedrooms. So, pick a comforter set with matching pillows that will make your beds an eye pleasing focal point.
10. Toy with this idea: Toys can be great decorative accents for the holiday season that bring back pleasurable childhood memories.
Special Offer for Homeowners
If you are a homeowner then you will benefit from a checklist that is one of several free bonus gifts for signing up for our complementary e-zine titled, "My Designed Home." All you need to do is fill out the form to the right or go to The Designed Home website
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Tuesday, October 25, 2011
October brings some tricks to use in your home
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My younger son became a big close up magic trick enthusiast earlier this year. He was mainly learning card tricks and has a YouTube channel where he performs and teaches others what he learned. This YouTube channel has a growing list of subscribers. Some of his videos have attracted over a thousand viewers. I guess he is not alone with his interest in magic.
Earlier this year for his birthday present to him, I took him – along with my older son – to a magic convention, to Manhattan to view the Houdini exhibit, and to a magic shop that even the professional magicians love to hang around.
While at the magic convention, my son interviewed another magician who was planning his own magic convention and gave my son VIP tickets for promoting his event on YouTube. Two of the key magicians at this more recent magic event are world famous. My son interviewed both and will share what he learned in a future YouTube episode.*
Why am I sharing this with you?
Magic is all about perception. So is the design of our homes. There are techniques that we can use to help us feel more comfortable, make small spaces seem larger than they are, to reflect our own personalities and much more.
As my son was able to learn the secrets that made these famous magicians successful, so will this newsletter and the ones to follow share secrets to design a home that will better enhance your own lifestyle. Let’s look at three tricks that you can do this month to treat you and your family.
1. Create a special bedroom for your kids.
I met a wonderful mom with her precious young daughter in the store the other day. They were shopping for a new bed for the little girl. She was growing out of the baby furniture and the girl needed a bed. The little girl was such a sweet young lady. A real princess. They selected the Alyn upholstered bed. The cutest thing happened, when they were leaving, I offered a tape measure to the little girl. Holding it stretched out in front of her, I urged her to accept my gift. Instead of grabbing the tape, she just walked into it. Her mom explained that she misunderstood me and thought that I was going to measure her for her next princess dress.
2. Add dramatic lighting for the upcoming Thanksgiving dinner. Thanksgiving dinner is filled with food, family, and fun. A lady that I helped select a new dining table told me about how she feeds at least 75 family members on Thanksgiving. There is a dining table that is new to our showroom that has crackled glass surrounded by a wooden top. While this table will not seat 75 people – heck, King Arthur’s round table is even too small for that many people – she intends to use it for a service table for the holidays and a dining table for the rest of the year. Here is a cool trick that she taught me, put a battery powered fluorescent light underneath the table and allow it to shine upward through the crackled glass “window” in the wooden top. This light will cast cool designs upward on the ceiling. How’s that for a dramatic center piece for a Thanksgiving meal to remember?
3. Create a private place for you.
During the rush of the school week, Halloween howls, and with the upcoming holidays creeping up, we all need time to relax and get our thoughts together. Find a place to meditate and read like another customer of mine who meditates before starting her days and during the evening. She needed a special place made just for her. You don’t need to spend all that money to remodel a private room or a man cave, just do what she did… Choose a chaise that you can escape to. The chaise acts as a perfect accent to a study, bedroom, or to a living room. A word of caution though, you might have others who will want to use the chaise when you do.
*By the way, if you would like to see my son’s YouTube channel, check it out at http://www.youtube.com/user/MrMagic204 . The two internationally famous magicians that my son interviewed are Dr. Lennart Green (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_oa8m5Oq00) who is known to be the master of misdirection and Wayne Houchin (http://www.waynehouchin.com) whose magic seems to appear supernatural.
My younger son became a big close up magic trick enthusiast earlier this year. He was mainly learning card tricks and has a YouTube channel where he performs and teaches others what he learned. This YouTube channel has a growing list of subscribers. Some of his videos have attracted over a thousand viewers. I guess he is not alone with his interest in magic.
Earlier this year for his birthday present to him, I took him – along with my older son – to a magic convention, to Manhattan to view the Houdini exhibit, and to a magic shop that even the professional magicians love to hang around.
While at the magic convention, my son interviewed another magician who was planning his own magic convention and gave my son VIP tickets for promoting his event on YouTube. Two of the key magicians at this more recent magic event are world famous. My son interviewed both and will share what he learned in a future YouTube episode.*
Why am I sharing this with you?
Magic is all about perception. So is the design of our homes. There are techniques that we can use to help us feel more comfortable, make small spaces seem larger than they are, to reflect our own personalities and much more.
As my son was able to learn the secrets that made these famous magicians successful, so will this newsletter and the ones to follow share secrets to design a home that will better enhance your own lifestyle. Let’s look at three tricks that you can do this month to treat you and your family.
1. Create a special bedroom for your kids.
I met a wonderful mom with her precious young daughter in the store the other day. They were shopping for a new bed for the little girl. She was growing out of the baby furniture and the girl needed a bed. The little girl was such a sweet young lady. A real princess. They selected the Alyn upholstered bed. The cutest thing happened, when they were leaving, I offered a tape measure to the little girl. Holding it stretched out in front of her, I urged her to accept my gift. Instead of grabbing the tape, she just walked into it. Her mom explained that she misunderstood me and thought that I was going to measure her for her next princess dress.
2. Add dramatic lighting for the upcoming Thanksgiving dinner. Thanksgiving dinner is filled with food, family, and fun. A lady that I helped select a new dining table told me about how she feeds at least 75 family members on Thanksgiving. There is a dining table that is new to our showroom that has crackled glass surrounded by a wooden top. While this table will not seat 75 people – heck, King Arthur’s round table is even too small for that many people – she intends to use it for a service table for the holidays and a dining table for the rest of the year. Here is a cool trick that she taught me, put a battery powered fluorescent light underneath the table and allow it to shine upward through the crackled glass “window” in the wooden top. This light will cast cool designs upward on the ceiling. How’s that for a dramatic center piece for a Thanksgiving meal to remember?
3. Create a private place for you.
During the rush of the school week, Halloween howls, and with the upcoming holidays creeping up, we all need time to relax and get our thoughts together. Find a place to meditate and read like another customer of mine who meditates before starting her days and during the evening. She needed a special place made just for her. You don’t need to spend all that money to remodel a private room or a man cave, just do what she did… Choose a chaise that you can escape to. The chaise acts as a perfect accent to a study, bedroom, or to a living room. A word of caution though, you might have others who will want to use the chaise when you do.
*By the way, if you would like to see my son’s YouTube channel, check it out at http://www.youtube.com/user/MrMagic204 . The two internationally famous magicians that my son interviewed are Dr. Lennart Green (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_oa8m5Oq00) who is known to be the master of misdirection and Wayne Houchin (http://www.waynehouchin.com) whose magic seems to appear supernatural.
Thursday, September 29, 2011
How to save on your commercial utility bill
Check out my latest podcast that shares ways you can put more cash into your pockets while saving on your business' utility bills. Listen to my intereview with an expert in the commercial real estate energy profession and learn what you need to do right now to increase your bottom line at
Click here to hear how you can keep cash in your pocket while paying your business' utility bills
Click here to hear how you can keep cash in your pocket while paying your business' utility bills
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Did You Know that Doodles are a Sign of Intelligence?
One of the brightest people that I have ever met was John Morrison. John was an architect and a professional engineer. He was a chain smoking Camel (non-filtered), down to earth, practical, Texan to the core, and brilliant man.
He was my 2nd boss out of college.
If you are also named "John", on my LinkedIn list, an architect, and past partner of this truly unique person, then you know who I am writing about.
I don't know if John Morrison is still alive. I hope so. But, it is possible that the Camels finally stampeded over his ability to dodge the inevitable. Like John, I also have double who has my name and is a professional wrestler. But I digress...
John was always doodling. He would doodle when he was listening intently to a conversation in person or on the phone. Sheets and sheets of paper were filled with his doodles. I only wish that I pocketed at least one to show you. Each on looked similar to the other. They all had thin lines drawn in curves that radiated out from themselves in various concentric fashion. I often wished to know what was going on in his mind while his hand was steadily etching out the next episode of his concurrent swivels.
No surprise to me, there now has been proof that doodling is a sign of higher intelligence. Check out this video to learn more about how you might also be a genius like my early mentor and doodler was.
Just click here to get your copy of My Designed Home
Click on the "ReTweet" button below and follow me on twitter. I am LaneArch there.
Check it out and let me know of your thoughts on my Facebook Fan page. Please "Like" the FB page while at...Click Here to Comment
He was my 2nd boss out of college.
If you are also named "John", on my LinkedIn list, an architect, and past partner of this truly unique person, then you know who I am writing about.
I don't know if John Morrison is still alive. I hope so. But, it is possible that the Camels finally stampeded over his ability to dodge the inevitable. Like John, I also have double who has my name and is a professional wrestler. But I digress...
John was always doodling. He would doodle when he was listening intently to a conversation in person or on the phone. Sheets and sheets of paper were filled with his doodles. I only wish that I pocketed at least one to show you. Each on looked similar to the other. They all had thin lines drawn in curves that radiated out from themselves in various concentric fashion. I often wished to know what was going on in his mind while his hand was steadily etching out the next episode of his concurrent swivels.
No surprise to me, there now has been proof that doodling is a sign of higher intelligence. Check out this video to learn more about how you might also be a genius like my early mentor and doodler was.
Just click here to get your copy of My Designed Home
Click on the "ReTweet" button below and follow me on twitter. I am LaneArch there.
Check it out and let me know of your thoughts on my Facebook Fan page. Please "Like" the FB page while at...Click Here to Comment
Monday, August 29, 2011
Sunday, August 28, 2011
Hurricane Irene aftermath 2
What are you doing with your home to protect it from floods, bugs, and other uninvited threats? I will share tips that you can use in the upcoming home improvement magazine editions.
Just click here to get your copy of My Designed Home
Click on the "ReTweet" button below and follow me on twitter. I am LaneArch there.
Check it out and let me know of your thoughts on my Facebook Fan page. Please "Like" the FB page while at...Click Here to Comment
Hurricane Irene aftermath 1
What are you doing with your home to protect it from floods, bugs, and other uninvited threats? I will share tips that you can use in the upcoming home improvement magazine editions.
Just click here to get your copy of My Designed Home
Click on the "ReTweet" button below and follow me on twitter. I am LaneArch there.
Check it out and let me know of your thoughts on my Facebook Fan page. Please "Like" the FB page while at...Click Here to Comment
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
A quick tour of an historic home
Just click on this link to view how you can earn more money with the office that you are already working in ----> Here is the link to MY Designed Office website
Click on the "ReTweet" button below and follow me on twitter. I am LaneArch there.
Check it out and let me know of your thoughts on my Facebook Fan page. Please "Like" the FB page while at...Click Here to Comment
Friday, August 19, 2011
Caught in a Rain Storm Today
Today, I was driving from one place to another while filming several videos for some upcoming campaigns that I will be launching soon. The sun was shining when I started the day but I found myself in a heavy rain storm while about to shoot my last set of videos. Sure am glad that I brought my umbrella.
I found out a bit after shooting this video that the reason I was at an almost stand still on the highway is because the highway was flooding just down the road a bit.
Keep and eye out for announcements of my new videos coming out soon.
Click on the "ReTweet" button below and follow me on twitter. I am LaneArch there.
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Jackson Browne Doctor My Eyes - About My Imagination
I am a big fan of Jackson Browne.
Guess one reason is that he has such a raw and poetic way of sharing his feelings. He also has a redemptive spirit by coming out of bad choices of crazy rock and roll lifestyles while still sharing his creation with new reformed spirit.
We all go through stages in life that make us either stronger, or if we choose to not learn from those experiences. They can make us decline - even when we are at a straight line of no improvement or diminish of development.
Imagine how it would be to change the life of others around you with your own interpretation of life around you?
How cool it is to enjoy Jackson's version of an old song with new talent to share their beauty of interpretation.
I met some very impressive people today who are starting their lives together. Their family loves them so much that they wanted to add love in their home with things that I could help them provide. How have you helped others that are important to you?
Let this coming week be filled with all sorts of evidence from your influence to other people. You would be surprised to see how the outcome will turn out. The biggest blessing may be from the benefit that other's receive that you may never know about.
That, is a blessing beyond any comprehension. May you experience that as I have.
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Tuesday, August 9, 2011
How Cities Can be "Pop up Spaces"
The near-by forecast of the world’s population is expected to reach 8 billion people. Using the energy producing technology that is available today, we will be in the same mess ecologically and without enough clean energy as our Federal government has allowed our economy to become in recent days. (Just today, the Dow Jones dropped further than in recent history as the S & P's rating of the US economy dropped to a double AA status and after our President Obama finished his new "Obama Blaming" sequel to all the other blaming speeches that he has given to cover up on why US is in the mess its in while under his presidential command.)
Designing cities for the future growth of our population is not really a new subject, but with the magnified focus upon energy sources and consumption, there are some interesting proposals that could help us prepare for such a surge of energy need.
You will find this video interesting in several ways. Here are two things that intrigued me the most from this video:
1. The word crafting use of catch phrases such as:
• Tent pole density and people-focused places.
• From the dream home to the dream neighborhood.
• Crowd source navigation.
• Pop up Spaces.
• Furnace dumping makes homes cheaper to build… and…
• Pollinator pathways.
2. How similar these “new” city design ideas are to those from Frank Lloyd Wright’s “Broadacre City” (designed in 1932) see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broadacre_City , and Paolo Soleri “Arcosanti” (started in 1956) see http://www.arcosanti.org/project/background/soleri/main.html .
Check it out and let me know of your thoughts on my Facebook Fan page. Please "Like" the FB page while at...Click Here to Comment
Click on the "ReTweet" button below and follow me on twitter. I am LaneArch there.
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