Uncategorized – Page 17

31 07, 2005

Roadside from the Tour de France

By Steve McKee|2005-07-31T04:58:21+00:00July 31st, 2005|Travel Tales, Uncategorized|Comments Off on Roadside from the Tour de France

It’s probably about 4 in the morning and I’m too cold to sleep anymore in the reclined seat of the rental car. At least I got a few hours of sleep after Melody and I drove through the night from Milan, interrupting for two days our sightseeing trip around Italy in order to be in the French Alps on July 12th. You see, this afternoon the Tour de France, the best and biggest bike race in the world, will come through here about an hour’s drive up the road. If you’re among those who follow the tour on TV for [...]

9 06, 2005

My accidental getaway room

By Steve McKee|2005-06-09T04:59:33+00:00June 9th, 2005|My favorite columns, Uncategorized|Comments Off on My accidental getaway room

When my family and I went through major-remodel-number-two several years ago, it was a chance to remedy some of the rookie mistakes I made in our first remodel. The too small family room was expanded into a side yard and received an extra tall picture window that looks into and under our best backyard tree. The staggered hallway by the laundry room got straightened out. A much needed fourth bedroom was added. Melody’s little secretary desk would find a home in an alcove off the family room. The result of all this was that our two story house was extended [...]

8 05, 2005

Lighting Basics: It’s the layers

By Steve McKee|2005-05-08T05:00:36+00:00May 8th, 2005|Elements of Design, Thinking like an architect, Uncategorized|Comments Off on Lighting Basics: It’s the layers

Have you ever noticed how pleasing the lighting is in a nice restaurant? How rich the setting can seem with just the right features accented, with pools of light in all the right places. It’s because designers in such places are keenly aware of the importance of providing several different “layers” to the lighting. This is something we can do in a home as well, though on a more junior scale. Using lighting to enrich an environment is an inexpensive way to create a feeling of tranquility and luxury. Some light fixtures may not seem cheap when you’re looking at [...]

10 04, 2005

Architecture school: The reality

By Steve McKee|2005-04-10T05:02:04+00:00April 10th, 2005|At the School of Architecture, Uncategorized|Comments Off on Architecture school: The reality

It’s 1982 and I’m halfway through my three year stay at the UCLA Graduate School of Architecture and have come to know the rhythms of life here pretty well. Every semester there will be two or three academic classes such as structures or some history class with a lot of slides, but it’s the design class that becomes the real focus for the students. Every semester we’re given a hypothetical design project. Last time all forty of us second-year students each came up with our own design for a city hall on a vacant lot in nearby Culver City. The [...]

13 03, 2005

Southampton concrete slab floors: What’s to know

By Steve McKee|2005-03-13T05:02:58+00:00March 13th, 2005|Remodeling a Southampton home, Uncategorized|Comments Off on Southampton concrete slab floors: What’s to know

Most Southampton homes are built on concrete slabs, meaning that the floor of the bottom story was not framed from wood (with a “crawl space” below) but was instead created by pouring a thick slab of concrete directly on the ground upon which wood framed walls were then built. Exceptions to this exist, especially if your Southampton home rests on a hillside (the house itself, not just your yard areas away from the house.) Subdivisions often are constructed on concrete slabs because doing so saves money for the developer. That said, it’s actually a fine way of doing things, resulting [...]

30 01, 2005

Some basics to know before you build

By Steve McKee|2005-01-30T05:04:18+00:00January 30th, 2005|Before you begin, Uncategorized|Comments Off on Some basics to know before you build

The good news is that you, as homeowner, will do just fine if you don’t want to learn any construction jargon. Homes have been built and remodeled for years when the homeowner didn’t know the difference between a rafter tail and a grade beam. If your builder needs to explain to you why it will be difficult to add an extra window after your drawings have been approved (because the wall in question is a “shear wall”, or because your “Title 24” compliance will be thrown off) he can take an extra fifteen seconds to explain what it all means, [...]