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The all-American characters of Gary and Elaine have wormed their way into households aplenty thanks to the ingenuity of Molly Erdman, whose Catalog Living blog points to styling curiosities within catalogs. Here now, Erdman does the same for shelter magazine photos.
At the end of a long day, nothing relaxes Martin more than soaking in a hot tub and considering the repair possibilities of lawn mowers.Photo by Victoria Pearson/Country Living ? Previous: Julianne Moore Dons Her Interior Designer Hat For Elle
? Next: The First Underwater Suburb is Move-In Ready for Fish
Aware of their friend Wayne's delicate stomach, Martin and Gareth made the wise choice to start the meal with a Pepto amuse bouche.Photo by Laurey W. Glenn/Southern Living 
"It's stunning, Martin, and I'm particularly amazed how the matted feathers of the dying bird brings out the gold tones in the sofa."Photo by Eric Piasecki/Arch Digest 
Martin and Gareth came downstairs Saturday morning to see that perhaps someone had partied a little too hard the night before.Photo by Max Kim-Bee/Country Living 
"I'll be honest Martin. I'd trade this huge hunk of fool's gold for just one more white button-down shirt."Photo by Paul Costello/Martha Stewart Living 
Martin was relieved to discover he had misread his grandmother's handwriting and hadn't inherited her wicked elephant.Photo: Patrick Cline/Lonny 
His knuckles bruised and raw, Martin didn't appreciate the irony of the fact that Gareth didn't answer the door because he was busy painting.Photo: Tim Street-Porter/Architectural Digest 
"Gareth, get Roscoe out of the guest room! I'm open to mixing patterns, but I have my limits."Photo by Bjorn Wallander/Country LivingCountry Living Shrugging off the trappings of our resource-intensive society for something a little less damaging to the environment is no easy feat, so perhaps it's wise to consider renting an eco-friendly pad before committing to a purchase. To that end, a quick search of the vacation-rental site AirBnb turns up some awesome places to try out green living. Up first is the itHouse in the desert enclave of Pioneertown, Calif. Equipped with solar panels, well water, and glass walls, the one-bedroom house is completely "off-the-grid." The self-sufficient structure rents for $350 per night and lies some two hours outside of Los Angeles, not far from Palm Springs. Like many of that town's modernist homes, the itHouse has a clean aesthetic that makes the sacrifices more bearable.
? Nestled in a leafy jungle environment on the eastern coast of Hawaii's Big Island, Mahi Oli'Oli uses solar panels to power the fridge and "mood lighting," but the house relies on trade winds, rather than air conditioning, to cool the interiors. The well-appointed one bedroom sits on a six acre parcel with sweeping ocean views over the palm tree tops. Renting for just $115 per night, Mahi Oli'Oli takes full advantage of its tropical setting.
? Set on the ground floor of an eco-friendly townhouse in San Francisco's Mission District, this studio is accessed down a gated passageway at the rear of the house. Guests are supplied with two bikes for low-impact touring. The water is heated by solar power and solar provides some of the electricity. The only downside is that the owner is currently constructing the Zero Cottage, a "net-zero solar house," in the courtyard. Rent is around $130 per night.
? Not every green vacation home is located in some sunny locale. This one, in Bishop, Calif. on the interior of the Sierra Mountains, is often covered in piles of snow during the winter, but a litany of features help keep the environmental impact down. There's a "passive solar design for winter warmth and summer cooling, solar hot water, solar radiant floors, heat recovery ventilator, drain heat recovery that recycles the heat from your hot shower, and even a solar heated hot tub!" The rent is $275 per night.
? All of these American attempts at living off the grid pale in comparison to the lengths that the Swedes are willing to go for the environment. The Kolarbyn in Skinnskatteberg, Sweden is, intentionally, the "most primitive hotel" in Sweden. The accommodations consist of twelve huts built from stone, earth, and wood, and cost $50 per person per night. This sort of subterranean living is simply impractical for modern humans, but that shouldn't keep you from trying it out...and feeling much better when you return home.
· itHouse Pioneertown [AirBnb]
· Mahi Oli'Oli [AirBnb]
· Mission Garden Apartment [AirBnb]
· Eco-Home with Stunning Views [AirBnb]
· Sweden Subterranean [AirBnb]
The Desert Sun reports from California. “California’s middle class has been pinched harder by the Great Recession than workers in the rest of the country. By last year, less than half of families in the state, 47.9 percent, were earning middle-class incomes, between $44,000 and $155,000 annually. In 1980, nearly two-thirds of California families, 60 percent, were firmly middle-class. Palm Springs resident Shelly Saunders’ is one middle-class worker who fell from one bracket to another. Pre-bust, she and her husband owned a construction business, feeding the nearly insatiable demand for new houses.”
“They were earning $20,000 a month, living in their dream home, about to send two kids to college. When the housing bubble burst, they lost the business, the house and their marriage. ‘We were living in a dream world,’ said 55-year-old Saunders.”
“Once considering retirement at age 50, she’s working at Palm Desert Door and Hardware, making $45,000 a year, renting a two-bedroom condo. The kids are close to graduation after putting themselves through school with part-time jobs and student loans. Saunders says the fall from upper middle class to lower middle class has shaken her and her similarly situated friends.”
“‘When we went out to dinner before, it was nothing for someone to pick up the tab,’ Saunders said. ‘Nobody’s picking up the tabs anymore. We’re all scared. Our golden years are gone, baby.’”
The Mercury News. “Gayla Newsome was never part of the elite ‘1 percent,’ but she thought she was doing pretty well for herself, with a good job as the executive director of a nonprofit organization and a home in West Oakland she bought 15 years ago. But in July, she lost that Adeline Street property and for the past several months has been trying to reclaim it. ‘I’m a resident who has decided I’m not going to take this anymore,’ said Newsome, who said she fell behind on a secondary mortgage after she lost her job, sent her two oldest daughters to college and was without work from 2007 to 2009.”
“Newsome joined dozens of others in Oakland on Tuesday for rallies and marches as part of ‘Occupy Our Homes’ day. Similar actions were held in Oakley and other cities throughout the nation as the Occupy movement turned its attention to the foreclosure crisis.”
“Linda Loston said she and her husband, Jerome, sold their home in Hercules and put down a $250,000 payment on a retirement property in Alamo. It took a month before the Lostons realized the bank loan was not what they thought. Their interest rate and principle immediately began to increase instead of decreasing with their payment. Their bank broker told them to ‘ride it out,’ Jerome Loston said. ‘Our story is just one of many,’ he said.”
The San Gabriel Valley News. “Dennis F. Paulaha, who holds a Ph.D in economics from the University of Washington in Seattle, has a plan. It’s a sweeping strategy he says will put more Americans in homes, create more jobs and eliminate the federal debt. The core of Paulaha’s ‘trickle up’ plan would allow the government to offer every U.S. citizen a 30-year mortgage at a 1 percent fixed rate of interest, with interest-only payments for the first two years. That would allow every financially qualified person - not just those in immediate danger of default - to finance a new or existing home, with a $500,000 lifetime limit.”
“‘Instead of a bailout for the banks, this would be a bailout for mortgage holders,’ he said. ‘I haven’t been able to get very far with anyone in Washington. I’ve sent out emails and faxes … and gotten nothing. We’re living in a time when I’m not sure anyone is looking for ideas.’”
“James Joseph, owner of Century 21 Ambassador and Coldwell Banker Ambassador in Whittier, is firmly behind Paulaha’s plan. ‘America has a long history of using the tax code and the American system to help people get in and stay in their homes,’ he said. ‘This is an idea that’s as old as ‘It’s a Wonderful Life.’ This would be good for the country and good for the economy. This is the best idea I’ve heard.’”
“Marty Rodriguez, one of the nation’s top Realtors for Century 21, had a polar opposite view. ‘I think it’s ludicrous,’ said Rodriguez, who owns her own real estate agency in Glendora. ‘We’ve already got people in homes that haven’t made payments in two or three years. So let’s give them more money at 1 percent interest … I’m sorry but I’m just not buying into this. This isn’t what America is made of.’”
“Rodriguez said banks already handed out stated-income loans to people who could ill afford the homes they signed on to buy. ‘We’ve already done this once and you saw what happened,’ she said. ‘People who bought these homes thought they wouldn’t have to go to work and would get everything for free.’”
“When work began on the Grove Station development in eastern downtown in 2007, city leaders envisioned a mini-community where young families, entrepreneurs and retirees could live and work. But hopes were nearly dashed when the housing bubble burst and the project fell into bankruptcy. Later, it was discovered that the sewer system had not been properly installed, causing further delays.”
“Now, more than four years after the project’s groundbreaking, a significantly smaller Grove Station is nearly finished. Most of the residential units will be sold at market rate, but the city’s redevelopment agency has purchased four of them for use as affordable housing. The affordable units, which are being offered for $243,000, have two bedrooms, a den, two bathrooms and an attached two-car garage.”
“Despite these requirements and several others that can be found in the application packet, Mayor Curt Morris said ‘a huge number of people’ have added their names to interest lists. But many of those people signed up for the homes nearly a year ago, so the city is once again advertising the homes and reaching out to those who have previously expressed interest. ‘The recession really hit a lot of people,’ said Diana Kasuyama, housing programs manager for San Dimas. ‘Some of those people who were on the list have changed their plans.’”
The Sacramento Bee. “With sales of new homes near historic lows, Sacramento builders remain in survival mode, but a few say they expect to see demand slowly pick up next year. Sacramento’s five-year housing bust has toppled some of the biggest names in the industry – firms that were once a backbone of the region’s economy. According to DataQuick, builders in the Sacramento area sold just 2,363 new homes in 2010, an 85 percent decline from the 16,000 homes a year the industry produced during the 2004-2006 boom years.”
“Sacramento’s 2010 new-home sales figures are probably the lowest for the region since the early 1950s, said Greg Paquin, a Folsom-based housing industry consultant. ‘I don’t think things will get worse than last year,’ he said.”
The Victorville Daily Press. “Although the San Bernardino County population is growing at a faster rate than the rest of the state, local growth remains much more subdued than before the recession. However, the growth comes primarily from a natural increase — a higher number of births than deaths — rather than people moving to the state. ‘Traditionally, a good portion of California’s growth had been coming from immigration,’ Chief Economist John Husing of the Inland Empire Economic Partnership said. ‘What happened was the recession. People are pretty much staying wherever they are.’”
“San Bernardino and Riverside counties are seeing about one-tenth of the growth the Inland Empire saw during the boom years of the last decade, according to Husing. He said the Inland Empire had previously prospered because of the rapid population growth that brought in more income and consumers.”
“‘What has stopped is exactly that,’ Husing said, adding that it’s partly a result of the housing market collapse. ‘A lot of people can afford to buy a house, but they don’t because they are simply afraid to move. … Essentially, we are in a period of pause.’”
“But Husing remains positive, though he said the growth won’t happen anytime soon. ‘Once the housing crisis is over and fear has been removed from the marketplace, we will see people moving to places like the High Desert,’ he said. ‘They’ll come back because of the affordable housing.’”
The Santa Maria Times. “There used to be a saying in certain regions of the state, and it went something like this: Welcome to California. Now, go home. The phrase was so popular, someone put it on a bumper sticker. Rather unfriendly, but somehow amusing.”
“Not so much anymore. California is in the midst of redefining itself, based on changing demographics. The 2010 census revealed that the previous decade was the first 10-year period in more than a century during which the majority of Californians were actually born here.”
“We still have that climate, and the beaches, and the mountains. What’s becoming increasingly scarce are good jobs and affordable housing — a reality not lost on tens of thousands of Californians who have flown the coop in the past decade. Since 2005, more residents have left California than arrived here from other states.”
From CBS News. “As a freelance photographer Duane Conder knows his way around a camera. That’s come in handy now that he’s selling a lot of what he owns on eBay. He’s getting ready to move. Duane and his family have lived in their home near San Diego for 11 years. ‘It was like someone turned off a spigot. Where did the work go? It was like literally you woke up one day - and there was no work,’ Duane said.”
“The dot-com boom drew them from Texas to California, and now the prolonged job bust is forcing them out. California’s unemployment rate is 11.7 percent. Duane can’t find work and last week the bank foreclosed on his family’s home. ‘I feel like it’s the land we need to get out of very fast,’ Duane said of California.”
“The Conders are moving back to Texas where unemployment is lower, at 8.4 percent. In 2010, Texas gained nearly 75,000 new residents, while California lost nearly 130,000. The biggest state to state shift in the country was people leaving the Golden State and heading to the Lone Star state. Jobs are just one reason for the migration. Housing is another. A somewhat typical 3-bedroom home in Los Angeles just sold for more than $1 million, yet in a suburb of Austin, Texas, a somewhat typical 4-bedroom home sold for $380,000. The people who bought it moved from California.”
“Bill Gaiennie moved his family and his computer consulting business from California to Austin. They traded in a 1-bedroom apartment for their 4-bedroom home. ‘If we would have stayed in California, in order for us to make it in an area where we would want to live, we would need to be a two income family,’ Bill said. With the lower cost of living and no personal income tax in Texas, Bill’s wife Jessica now stays home with their daughter. ‘We go to gym we go to swimming lessons we do it all and if we lived in California we couldn’t do that,’ Jessica said.”
Shrugging off the trappings of our resource-intensive society for something a little less damaging to the environment is no easy feat, so perhaps it's wise to consider renting an eco-friendly pad before committing to a purchase. To that end, a quick search of the vacation-rental site AirBnb turns up some awesome places to try out green living. Up first is the itHouse in the desert enclave of Pioneertown, Calif. Equipped with solar panels, well water, and glass walls, the one-bedroom house is completely "off-the-grid." The self-sufficient structure rents for $350 per night and lies some two hours outside of Los Angeles, not far from Palm Springs. Like many of that town's modernist homes, the itHouse has a clean aesthetic that makes the sacrifices more bearable.
? Nestled in a leafy jungle environment on the eastern coast of Hawaii's Big Island, Mahi Oli'Oli uses solar panels to power the fridge and "mood lighting," but the house relies on trade winds, rather than air conditioning, to cool the interiors. The well-appointed one bedroom sits on a six acre parcel with sweeping ocean views over the palm tree tops. Renting for just $115 per night, Mahi Oli'Oli takes full advantage of its tropical setting.
? Set on the ground floor of an eco-friendly townhouse in San Francisco's Mission District, this studio is accessed down a gated passageway at the rear of the house. Guests are supplied with two bikes for low-impact touring. The water is heated by solar power and solar provides some of the electricity. The only downside is that the owner is currently constructing the Zero Cottage, a "net-zero solar house," in the courtyard. Rent is around $130 per night.
? Not every green vacation home is located in some sunny locale. This one, in Bishop, Calif. on the interior of the Sierra Mountains, is often covered in piles of snow during the winter, but a litany of features help keep the environmental impact down. There's a "passive solar design for winter warmth and summer cooling, solar hot water, solar radiant floors, heat recovery ventilator, drain heat recovery that recycles the heat from your hot shower, and even a solar heated hot tub!" The rent is $275 per night.
? All of these American attempts at living off the grid pale in comparison to the lengths that the Swedes are willing to go for the environment. The Kolarbyn in Skinnskatteberg, Sweden is, intentionally, the "most primitive hotel" in Sweden. The accommodations consist of twelve huts built from stone, earth, and wood, and cost $50 per person per night. This sort of subterranean living is simply impractical for modern humans, but that shouldn't keep you from trying it out...and feeling much better when you return home.
· itHouse Pioneertown [AirBnb]
· Mahi Oli'Oli [AirBnb]
· Mission Garden Apartment [AirBnb]
· Eco-Home with Stunning Views [AirBnb]
· Sweden Subterranean [AirBnb]
Martin and Gareth had three simple wishes for their baby: to be happy, healthy, and infallibly aware of Central American geography.Photo: Erica Brechtel/High Gloss Welcome to Why This Works, a new Curbed column in which decorator and former shelter-magazine editor Alexa Stevenson looks point-blank at professionally decorated rooms and breaks down the elements that make it work. Have a suggestion for someone whose work should be showcased? Do let us know.
Photo by Brett Beyer
Recently we caught up with NYC-based interior designer Drew McGukin to talk about one of his recent projects in Manhattan. McGukin, a 2010 graduate from The New York School of Interior Design, honed his chops at Matthew Yee Interiors and now practices under his namesake firm. He was also recently selected by The New York Design Center as one of 30 designers set to launch Access to Design, a concierge service that connects consumers to design resources and design professionals.
“When I was introduced to the space, every wooden surface was golden-blonde and the client’s first directive was: make this space more contemporary without touching any of the woodwork," McGukin says of this particular project, a multi-level Upper East Side apartment with an open floor plan and double-height ceilings. "Please note: bird’s-eye maple millwork? The space is a touch complicated, architecturally, but I managed to get rid of the '80s faux-painted walls, refinish the floors, replace a few radiator tops with composite white glass, and paint out some of the millwork. In a perfect world, we would’ve taken it a few steps further, although our result is far and above better than where we started.”
1. The apartment is blessed with panoramic, west-facing view of the Upper East Side, but the wall over the sofa was dead space. McGukin employed a favorite decorator trick—mirrors—to give it oomph. “The mirrored panels mimic the ribbon glass windows so it appears as there are windows there, as well,” he explains. Additionally, the mirrors reflect the dining room, making the space seem larger.
2. McGukin cut an existing sofa in half to fit the niche in the room. “Taking the sofa wall to wall actually elongates the space while taking advantage of every inch of floor,“ he says.
3. The sconces could have been easily overlooked, but here McGukin "mounted them so you would see them from profile, instead of flat on the wall. This way, they appear like more of a sculptural element than a light source. Plus, hung from profile they maximize the mirror.”
4. Instead of a traditional coffee table, McGukin grouped three metallic tables together. “The hard, chrome glass balances out all that traditional woodwork," he says. "The tables are easy to move, so if you have four people in the room, you can have a cocktail tables at each spot—no problem!”
5. In this space, the living room opens up to the dining, so McGukin used furniture that could easily interact with the other rooms, such as these swivel club chairs. “At any given moment you can talk to the person at the dining table behind you,” he explains. The chairs' rounded, sculptural shape offset the architectural detail and strongly present straight lines. “My favorite detail is the cut-out. It highlights the shape of the chair and the turquoise gives the room a shot of color.”
· Drew McGukin Interiors [official site]
· All Why This Works columns [Curbed National]
Martin self-righteously crossed his arms and reminded Gareth of his warning that the new terrace fountain would attract some odd creatures.Photo: Joshua McHugh/Arch Digest 
Despite Martin's claim that it adds a nice pop of color to an otherwise neglected space, Gareth was starting to doubt that his mum plant was a welcome gift. Photo: Brian Vanden Brink/Coastal Living 
Quicken WillMaker Premium 2011 Estate Planning Software provides the legal forms required to create an effective estate plan. Just launch the software, follow a simple, guided step-by-step interview, and in 30 minutes or less you can create the following documents, customized to suit your unique circumstances and reflect the laws of your state (Estate planning documents not valid in Louisiana). Also includes 10 essential estate planning, finance and retirement resources.Price: $89.99
Unless there's a dry cleaners on your block, many of us would prefer to just buy garments we can launder at home without the hassle of taking things in, let alone remembering to pick them back up. Well relax, there might be some garments that can easily be washed at home without the headache. Here's what to look for:
The folks over at Whole Living shared a little insight behind the world of fashion. When an item can be either washed or dry cleaned, usually the company will opt to just say dry clean on the label to make sure we don't shrink our shirts and write them nasty letters telling them they told us we could do so.
So many items that are dry clean — really aren't! Some items that can be washed by hand at home are solid-c0lor cotton, wool, linen, rayon and washable silk. Want to learn more? It might just open up a whole new world of shopping and laundering to you. Check out all the details over at Whole Living.
Image: Flickr member vintagedept licensed for use by Creative Commons
After months of daily care, Martin and Gareth were thrilled to see their chain plant thriving.Photo: Martha Stewart Living 
"Well Gareth, my first suggestion would be for the box to be more accessible."Photo: Lisa Romerein/Country Living 
