American firm In Situ Studio has overhauled a mid-century modern dwelling in Raleigh, North Carolina, that had been "haphazardly chopped up" over the years.

The Ocotea House is situated within a suburban neighbourhood dotted with mature trees. The brick, ranch-style home was built in 1959 and had been significantly altered over the years.

"What was originally a clean image of midcentury residential architecture had fallen into disarray," said In Situ Studio, a local firm established in 2010.

"The basement had been haphazardly chopped up to accommodate additional bedrooms, the main floor and public spaces had been reconfigured in an odd way, and a very poorly built sunroom had been added to the right side."

The architects set out to remove the modifications and uncover the home's original character. In addition to new finishes inside and out, the firm added and removed elements and restructured interior spaces.

"The house now sits comfortably in its midcentury neighbourhood, a stark alternative to the method of buy, bulldoze, build-out that currently plagues Raleigh's first-ring suburbs," said the studio, which previously designed a cabin in a North Carolina forest.

On the east side of the home, the team did away with the sunroom and replaced it with a covered carport that extends the line of the roof. A new elevated deck was added to the street-facing elevation, which introduces "a floating, thin aesthetic to the formerly heavy front facade".

Red brick was painted blue, and soffits were painted white.Trim and mullions were painted black, which lendsa crisp look to the exterior.

"We considered a range of colour palettes, from light to dark," the architects told Dezeen. "In the end, we felt the darker colour made the house feel more trim and worked well with the palette of the surrounding site, including several large white oak trees and a beautiful cedar tree at the front of the property."

The team did remove select hedges and trees that were overgrown or needed to be cleared to make way for a new, buried power line. "In the front, we kept a planted area of trees, but limbed them up to allow screened views of the house from the street," In Situ said. The rear yard was also cleaned up, with plants like gardenias and white oaks left in place.

Inside, a wall between the living room and kitchen was removed, resulting in an open area punctuated with a large brick fireplace. The ceiling, including its exposed beams, was painted white, giving the room a light and airy feel. In the kitchen, the team replaced dated decor with modern walnut cabinetry.

The cramped master suite, located on the ground floor, was overhauled. The team raised the ceiling and enlarged closets.

It also redesigned the bathroom, adding a shower with frosted glass walls that are visible in the bedroom.

"While it is only marginally larger than the tiny original bathroom, the main feature is what we call a lantern shower," the studio said.

"This shower is about half the square footage of the bathroom, is surrounded by frosted glass on the two sides that face the bedroom, and has a large skylight in the ceiling. This fills the entire master suite with light."

In the basement, the architects created a new bedroom and family room. The lower level also contains a garage, laundry room, bathroom and storage area.

The old stairs leading to the basement were removed and replaced with a more open scheme.

"The original stairs ran in the other direction, dead-ending at a dark landing in the corner of the basement with a door," said In Situ. "We flipped the stair to open it to the main space of the basement and left it open (no door)."

The team also added a skylight over the stair, enabling more natural light to enter thebelow-grade space.

Photography is by Keith Isaacs.

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In Situ Studio revives mid-century modern home in North Carolina - Dezeen

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Mr. Veevers-Carter does not intend to return the kitchen to the look of the 1950s, when Mrs. Child cooked on an industrial-sized stove she bought from Sherman Kent, a friend and towering figure at the C.I.A. (The stove is now featured in the Smithsonians National Museum of American History.) When she talked of Washington, she would always mention the stove, said Alex Prudhomme, who helped Mrs. Child his great-aunt write her memoir.

The Olive Street kitchen, last redesigned by the architect Hugh Newell Jacobsen in the 1960s, will be modern, Mr. Veevers-Carter said. Julia Child had all the latest gadgets in her kitchen, the latest conveniences, he said. (Including her garbage disposal, which she lovingly called her electric pig.) Why wouldnt you have that today?

The story of the house begins in the years after the Civil War, when it was built by a black carpenter. At the time, the black population of Georgetown had swelled to more than 3,000 in a city of 100,000. By the turn of the century, signs of change were afoot: A police record in The Washington Post on Nov. 16, 1913, noted that the owner of the home at 2706 Olive Street was riding a horse and wagon when he collided with an automobile at 1st and F Streets.

The Childs, who had met in what was then Ceylon when both worked for the O.S.S., bought the house in May 1948, after they returned to Washington from overseas. In their first year on Olive Street, Mrs. Child struggled to impress her new husband with a limited culinary repertoire, and toiled in the kitchen late at night. Id usually plop something on the table by 10 p.m., have a few bites, and collapse into bed, she wrote in her memoir, My Life in France.

The two soon left for France, where Mrs. Child discovered the wonders of French cuisine, and returned to Olive Street eight years later. What fun to feather our own little nest, the only nest we actually owned, she wrote. By then she had become a classically trained chef and was well into her work on her masterpiece.

Most of my time was spent revising and retyping our now dog-eared, note-filled, butter-and-food-stained manuscript, Mrs. Child wrote of her time in the home. It would be years before a pared down version of these early drafts of Mastering the Art of French Cooking was published, in 1961.

In 1956 on Olive Street, American cooking was almost foreign to her. As she wrote in her memoir, the veal was less tender than in France, the herbs harder to find, the turkeys much bigger.

In retesting certain dishes in my American kitchen-laboratory, I discovered that hardly anyone used fresh herbs here, she wrote in My Life in France. She complained to her co-author, Simone Beck, that my beloved crme frache was nearly impossible to find in America.

See the article here:
Mastering the Art of Home Restoration: A Julia Child Sequel - New York Times

A number of automakers have launched in-house restoration services for their models, and they will soon be joined by Mazda, which has announced a restoration program for the first-generation MX-5 Miata.

Starting in 2018, the Hiroshima-based automaker will offer complete restorations as well as a parts support program for the NA-generation Miata, known as the Eunos Roadster (it's a long story) back home. The automaker has already performed a test restoration and is currently accepting applications for customer restorations scheduled to start next year. Each restoration will be tailored to the requirements of each car and customer, which will open up some customization options, but we suspect that applicants will be those seeking to keep their cars stock or return them to stock condition.

For now this service will apply only to the first-gen Miatas and will only be offered to customers in Japan, but rereleased parts such as the Nardi steering wheel, the convertible top and Bridgestone SF-325 tires (for those who demand originally supplied tires) should be available worldwide via mail order. Of course, if you're already shelling out some yen for a factory restoration for your Miata, the cost of the car's round trip to Japan is a pretty modest expense, so we expect to see some Miatas from other countries make the pilgrimage back to Japan.

Along with restoration, the factory program will produce some spare parts that are now in short supply.

The NA-generation MX-5 Miata (as if it needs any introduction) debuted in the U.S. in May 1989; its 1.6-liter and later, 1.8-liter engines complimented a short wheelbase, compact exterior dimensions and a choice of five-speed manual or a four-speed automatic transmission. The pocket-size roadster was a hit from the outset, ruling its segment with little to no direct competition and offering plenty of thrills despite the relatively modest horsepower output. The Miata was about driving dynamics rather than sheer power, which were slowly coming back into vogue in the early 1990s, but with a curb weight of just over 2,000 pounds, the roadster didn't need much zoom-zoom underhood to game the traffic.

For a car approaching its 30th birthday, the Miata's design has aged remarkably well, but it's still the roadster's driving dynamics that attract new fans. The first-gen models now have a cult following, so it makes perfect sense that Mazda wants to preserve the legacy of the debut model.

H/T: Japanese Nostalgic Car

Excerpt from:
Mazda is starting Miata factory restoration program to celebrate the roadster's 30th birthday - Autoweek

Luxury Portfolio International, the luxury face of Leading Real Estate Companies of the World (LeadingRE), is hosting the 2017 Affluence Forum this August in Chicago, Ill., the network recently announced. The two-day Forum, be held August 22-23 at The Merchandise Mart, is open to staff members at Luxury Portfolio member companies and select invited guests.

Having The Merchandise Mart so near our Chicago office is a real opportunity to do something special, says Paul Boomsma, president of Luxury Portfolio International. We are excited to be joined by many luxury brands and speakers that work with the high-net worth, who will offer education on a myriad of trends in the home/shelter industry and more.

Former CEO of Dwell Media Michela OConnor Abrams, a noted lifestyle expert, will be on hand at the Forum to speak to the growing trend of experiencing marketing, and how brands can use it as a differentiator for their customers.

Luxury Portfolio is committed to providing actionable research and information for their members, says OConnor Abrams. Ive attended their annual conference and been impressed by the variety of speakers they bring together, creating a comprehensive view of the way real estate touches all aspects of our lives.

The agenda additionally includes the latest research on the affluent consumer from YouGov and Leading Real Estate Companies of the World Chief Economist Dr. Marci Rossell, who will share an analysis of the global economic landscape. The Forum will also bring together representatives to speak about the latest trends in home technology, customization, restoration and wealth management, from companies such as Barretts Technology Solutions, The Lord Companies, Fraser Builders and UBS Wealth Management.

Attendees will also have enrichment opportunities, including an architecture cruise which will showcase some of Chicagos innovative local buildings and visits to some of The Merchandise Marts showrooms to view the latest in home renovation.

We are always challenging ourselves to do something different, Boomsma says. This Forum will deliver real value for attendees who need to be conversant with the latest trends in luxury.

For more information, please visit http://www.luxuryportfolio.com.

For the latest real estate news and trends, bookmarkRISMedia.com.

Link:
Luxury Portfolio International to Host 2017 Affluence Forum - RisMedia.com (press release)

By Andrea Rose

Most people who are searching for a home are looking to find something that fits their family's needs, whether it be more bedrooms, a bigger kitchen or a safer community, and they need the home to fit their price range.

But Dwaine Gipe is on a different kind of house hunt. He isn't looking to buy.

Gipe, 81, is searching for homes in this area that were built by his father, Edgar "Murphy" Gipe.

Building a family home

Gipe was born and raised in Franklin County, spending his early life in the Marion area before his parents moved to 606 S. Washington St., Greencastle.

His dad built the stone home over the course of a couple years. The homestead began with a garage. "We lived above dad's workshop and garage from 1945 when I entered seventh grade until the home was finished in 1947," Gipe, 81, recalled. "It was the first home east of Mississippi River with radiant heat in ceiling plaster, installed by Howard Cook, a plumber in Marion."

Gipe said the house was built with local materials. "The beautiful blue limestone came for a mine in West Virginia," he said. "It was my father's dream home.As most examples go, this dream home didn't come without a cost.

"This home, when registered, became one of the highest taxed homes in the county," Gipe said. "Contrary to much of today's thinking, my dad was proud to be paying the fiddler."

The elder Gipe built homes and barns, updated businesses, made bridge repairs and completed church renovations throughout Franklin County, including Marion, Greencastle and Chambersburg, as well as Halfway, Maryland, from probably 1925 through 1970.

"The part of Chambersburg most interesting was a group of properties covering about three blocks from the square to a Waffle House. Dad worked long-term in the late 1930s updating the right-hand side of old U.S. 11 south. The properties were owned by a Jerry B. Hanks or Henks by my memory and guess at his last name. He was a single poor farmer who owned a beautiful farm near New Franklin. I never saw this person wearing anything but coveralls," Gipe recalled. "The faces of the buildings were upgraded, but in keeping with design of the times. On occasion Jerry paid in hams, beef or other farm-raised foods. We ate well when Jerry came up a little short," Gipe said with a chuckle.

"In Fort Loudon, Dad turned a bank barn into the retail and mail-order business, home of the worldwide known Hawbaker's Trappers Supply."

Beyond his childhood home and a few places in Chambersburg he can recall his father working on, Gipe can't identify other properties his dad built or worked on.

He knows the accomplished craftsman sent somewhere in Virginia, working for Civilian Conservations Corps for several years in the 1930s.

His lack of knowledge clearly has nothing to do with lack of memory.

Gipe was just a boy when his dad was zig-zagging across the county working to feed his family. The young man was focused on things beyond his father's construction business.

Quest for knowledge

Gipe, who now lives in the Williamsport, Pennsylvania, area, kept busy as a young man.

When he moved to Greencastle from Marion, he had a paper route for the Echo Pilot and Grit.

During high school he participated in Fred Kaley's gym circus, played varsity basketball and became a Troop 13 Eagle Scout, working seven years at the Boy Scout's Camp Sinoquipe in Fort Littleton.

He was also a junior Rescue Hose Co. fireman under Chief Dave Warren.

Gipe went on to become recognized as a top amateur Pennsylvania archer at the Greencastle Sportsman's Association's Archery Club and shot in his first Professional Archers Indoor Tournament in Chicago earning 37th among the nations best tournament archers.

He went on to marry his high-school sweetheart, Elizabeth Ziegler, and the couple raised two boys, Daniel, now a dentist in Portland, Oregon, and Douglas, a retiring professional fireman.

He graduated from Shippensburg State College in 1959 and taught for three years in the Waynesboro Area School District at Clayton Avenue and Hooverville elementary schools, before taking a job as principal of a county-run school for children with special needs in Pond Bank.

Gipe then took a job with Boy Scouts of America as a district scout executive in Williamsport, before working a variety of other jobs, including salesman, boiler restoration, tool franchise operator and doll restoration doctor.

Having worked most of his life, Gipe wasn't about to rest on his laurels in retirement. He focuses on his work with a camera as a freelance photographer and is hoping to combine his passion for photography with his desire to document some family history.

Anyone who has knowledge of homes or businesses built or worked on by Edgar "Murphy" Gipe can email Gipe at dolldoc4@comcast.net.

"I'd like to see some of the stuff my dad built," he said.

If he can find the properties, he plans to photograph them. "Hopefully, our children and grandchildren will enjoy the photo scrapbook of our family interests," he said.

Contact Andrea Rose at arose@therecordherald.com or 717-762-2151 or on Twitter@AndreaCiccociop.

See the article here:
Area native seeks homes his father built - Waynesboro Record Herald

Most of approximately 1,000 displaced Bedford County residents were allowed to return to their homes this weekend after a train derailed last week and caught fire.

Tests on air quality led the railroad companyCSX, an incident management team and environmental specialists to decide that it was safe to reduce the evacuation zone to a limited area immediately surrounding the derailment site in Hyndman, about 100 miles southeast of Pittsburgh, a CSX spokesman said Saturday.

The remaining evacuation zone affecting about 30 homes is intended only to protect residents from the impact of site restoration activity, which would involve "heavy truck traffic, movement of derailed cars and other noisy, disruptive activity 24 hours per day," the company said.

Thirty-two cars, some containing hazardous materials, derailed Wednesday morning as a train with five locomotives and 178 rail cars was heading from Chicago to Selkirk, New York. Cars containing liquefied petroleum gas and sulfur caught fire. One house was sheared in half and a garage caught fire. No injuries were reported. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating.

CSX said liquefied petroleum gas, molten sulfur and asphalt spilled from derailed tank cars and caught fire, and nonhazardous soybean mill and calcium phosphate also spilled but weren't affected by the fire. The company said examination of "a highly sensitive air-quality sample" analyzed by an American Industrial Hygiene Association-accredited lab and other tests prompted officials to decide it was safe for residents to return home.

"It is highly unlikely that there will be any long-term health effects from this event," CSX said. The company said, however, that people with asthma, heart disease, lung disease and those who are elderly, pregnant or infants might be more sensitive and should consult with doctors if necessary. There was no indication that city or well water was affected, CSX said.

CSX said it would be setting up an outreach center at the HOPE for Hyndman Charter School to allow compensation for affected residents and reimbursement of related expenses such as lost earnings. Residents were asked to bring driver's license or other identification, proof of residency, receipts for expenses and proof of lost earnings.

Gov. Tom Wolf said his administration would work closely with CSX and federal and local officials "to ensure the safety and well-being of the residents in the days ahead.

"I want to thank the residents of Hyndman Borough for their patience as CSX worked to resolve this incident with assistance from many first responders and officials from various agencies," he said in a statement.

See the rest here:
Residents Allowed Home After Hyndman Train Derailment - 90.5 WESA

Francisco Rodriguez wore a white prison uniform with the letters "ICE" U.S. Immigration Customs and Enforcement emblazoned in black across his back. He had a weary smile on his face as we sat down in a family meeting room at the Suffolk County House of Corrections on a recent afternoon. There were games and puzzles stocked on shelves and Sesame Street posters lining the walls. Rodriguez's family, though, hasn't been able to visit him since he was arrested on July 13.

"I miss everything. Honestly, I miss everything," he said.

Rodriguez's wife gave birth to their first son last week, but he has yet to meet the newborn. Rodriguez requested to visit his son and wife in the hospital but his request was denied by ICE, which cited his ongoing court case and potential safety concerns.

Rodriguez says the whole ordeal has been hard on his family, especially his 10-year-old daughter Mellanie.

"She was, she was having nightmares about me that she, she sees me dead," Rodriguez says. "And she was crying a couple days."

Rodriguez, who has no criminal record and works as a janitor at MIT, arrived in the U.S. in 2006 after fleeing gang violence in El Salvador. He was denied asylum in 2011, but had been routinely granted permission to stay in the country under what's called prosecutorial discretion. Then last month he was taken into federal custody during a check-in with ICE.

Shawn Neudauer, a spokesman for ICE, said in a statement that Rodriguez was arrested after he failed to make timely arrangements for his departure back to El Salvador.

The day after he was detained, Rodriguez'sdaughter Mellanie spoke to the media, fighting back tears.

"The president said he was only taking criminals out of this country and my dad doesn't have any criminal record," she said with a whimper. "I hope and I'm going to pray for my dad to be together with all my family again."

Rodriguez has become a public figure in the debate over immigration. His case exemplifies ICE's expanded enforcement priorities, and he's gained the support of the state's congressional delegation, with Massachusetts U.S. Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Edward Markey both calling for his release.

In order to really understand Rodriguez's situation, we need to go back to 2005, before he left El Salvador.

"I study, I do my college in El Salvador. I have my own business selling cars and have a car wash too. And I was, I was doing wonderful but I have an issue with the gang members. They try extortion and they kill one of my employees too," he recalls in imperfect English.

Rodriguez filed a police report in 2005 documenting a fight between one of his employees and a gang member. Rodriguez broke up the fight andthe alleged gang member threatened to kill him.

The gangs showed up later at his car wash demanding money, according to the police report. Shaking down local business owners is a routine way for gangs to make money in El Salvador. The car wash was on a busy commercial street which was good for business but, Rodriguez says, it was also in between two different gang territories: split betweenMara Salvatrucha, or MS-13, and 18th Street.

Rodriguez paid for private security for a while but says he never really felt safe. So in 2006 he illegally crossed the U.S.-Mexico border.

"It was like a life decision, to stay or not stay, because you have to find a way to live," he says.

Rodriguez eventually applied for asylum, but he was denied. Since 2011 he's checked in regularly with ICE agents and has been routinely granted permission to stay in the country under prosecutorial discretion. During that time, he's created a life in Chelsea where he started his own carpet cleaning business.

"I'm focused on, on work and support my family and follow all the rules from the government," he says. "Just try to deal with everything that I had to be responsible. Tried to live, I would say, the American dream. I don't know, now it's the nightmare dream or something like that."

ICE agents have been given broader authority under President Trump's beefed-up enforcement policies,arresting more immigrants with no criminal backgrounds whose only offense may be entering the country without authorization.

Rodriguez pauses for a moment when asked what might happen if he's deported to El Salvador, where he fears retaliation from the gangs. He says he's easily identifiable because of a purplish skin discoloration that he callsa birthmark. He drops his head, full of thick white hair, into his hands and begins to cry.

"I don't know if I can keep helping my children. I don't know howbut I have to be a ghost over there. My problem is, like you see, is I have this birth mark. I'd be so obvious," he says. "That's very easy to get recognized. Over there is a small country."

Rodriguez'slegal team is exploring the appeals process and in the meantime heremains at the Suffolk County House of Corrections. He says he knows these things take time and he's trying to be patient.

Read the original post:
'I Miss Everything': Chelsea Man Awaits Deportation Ruling From Behind Bars - WBUR

Im adding a 94-year-old company with a 31-year history of dividend growth to the Safe Income Tier of our model portfolio; the company is a leader in the rapidly growing field of sustainability, notes Chloe Jensen Lutts, income specialist and editor of Cabot Dividend Investor.

Get Top Pros' Top Picks, MoneyShows free investing newsletter

Ecolab (ECL) was founded in St. Paul, Minnesota in 1923. The companys original product was a hotel carpet cleaner called Absorbit.

Now, 90 years later, Ecolab operates in 170 countries and still provides cleaning products and training to the hospitality industry. But the company has expanded broadly largely through acquisitions and now also serves companies in the food, healthcare, industrial and energy industries.

Most products are related to cleaning or water, and generally help customers be both more efficient and more environmentally friendly.

For example, Ecolabs 3D TRASAR technology monitors the water conditions in industrial cooling systemslike those used in power plantsso they operate more efficiently and use less water.

In the food processing industry, Ecolabs antimicrobial wash for fruits and vegetables reduces spoilage and food waste, while also preventing food-borne illnesses like E. coli and Salmonella.

But because Ecolabs technologies are indispensable to those who use them and the company is the undisputed leader in the space, the vast majority of its revenues are recurring and cash flow is rock solid.

Over the past five years, free cash flow per share has increased every year by an average of 18% per year.

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Ecolab: Clean Gains & Sustainability - Moneyshow.com (registration)

Vaughan, ON - Finding a reputable and experienced carpet and duct cleaning company can be extremely difficult for a home or business owner. More often than not, an untrained eye cannot assess or examine the quality of service after the service provider leaves. To solve this dilemma for home and business owners, Vaughan Carpet and Duct Cleaning has launched a new website that caters to the York region of Ontario. This will help educate and teach their customers some of the common carpet and duct misconceptions out there.

Vaughan Carpet and Duct Cleaning owes its rapid growth and success to their excellent and high-quality service that leaves fully-satisfied customers. Whether you are a homeowner, condo owner, apartment renter, or a small business owner, our goal is to provide 100% satisfaction guarantee. We are skilled, easy to work with, and we treat the art of duct and carpet cleaning with respect, says company representative.

Aside from duct and carpet cleaning, they also provide an upholstery cleaning service. They understand that every piece of upholstery is different. Hence, they adjust their cleaning techniques depending on the kind of piece they encounter. They couple their 15 years of experience with sufficient technical knowledge and the latest carpet cleaning techniques. More importantly, they keep a consistent price rate for their clients without any hidden or additional charges once the final bill is presented. As true professionals, they will find a way to minimize the expense of their clients never pressuring them into buying something they will not need. They have put that commitment in writing on their 'About Us' section which can be accessed here: http://www.carpetcleanersvaughan.com/about-us.html.

Vaughan Carpet and Duct Cleaning is well known for the affordability of their services. They are fully committed to offering the best quality of carpet, duct, and upholstery cleaning for the residents in Vaughan, Ontario, and the surrounding York regional area. They have been in the carpet and duct cleaning service industry for over 15 years which has allowed them and their technicians to do thousands of residential cleaning projects. To learn more about their company and their services, visit their website at http://www.carpetcleanersvaughan.com/. Customers and prospects can give them a call at (905) 231-3082 or send an email to vaughanductandcarpet@gmail.com for any questions or concerns.

Media ContactCompany Name: Vaughan Carpet and Duct CleaningContact Person: Terence JacksonEmail: vaughanductandcarpet@gmail.comPhone: (905) 231-3082City: VaughanState: Ontario Country: CanadaWebsite: http://www.carpetcleanersvaughan.com/

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Vaughan Carpet and Duct Cleaning Launches their Website and is Serving the York Region in Ontario - Digital Journal