by Alison Moore Smith | Oct 9, 2008 | Design Your Own House, for Home
In 1992, we concocted a lease-to-own deal with a moderately desperate homeowner for our first home. In June 1997, we signed a contract with a builder for our second home. They called it “semi-custom,” which really meant, you pick one of the three models...
by Alison Moore Smith | Sep 23, 2008 | Design Your Own House, for Home
Three moves are as good as a fire. And as we moved to the rental home to be closer to the build site, we probably did lighten our load of about a third of all our stuff. Two of those things were the small entertainment unit and the television from the master bedroom....
by Alison Moore Smith | Sep 20, 2008 | Design Your Own House, for Home
Focal point. That was the big debate. While I agree that it's silly to position all the furniture in a room so that you have to crane your neck to see the television, the thought of building a family room all around a TV set makes me cringe. It's about family, right?...
by Alison Moore Smith | Sep 10, 2008 | Design Your Own House, for Home
The ambience factor that comes from real wood burning in the fireplace is very attractive. So, in spite of the drawbacks, we're contemplating putting a real wood-burning fireplace in the family room. We have designed the family room fireplace with an area for wood...
by Alison Moore Smith | Sep 5, 2008 | Design Your Own House, for Home
Moving your residence is one of the biggest projects you'll ever undertake. This is amplified exponentially when you have children and/or a home business (or two…or three). And when you have a huge home, it's worse. Even if you are organized, all the extra space makes...
by Alison Moore Smith | Aug 4, 2008 | Design Your Own House, for Home
To maintain sanity while building a custom home, you must come to grips with one sad fact: the construction industry is a living mess. It's rife with inefficiency, stupidity, dishonesty, and carelessness. I don't know if it's the worst industry on the planet, but I do...
