Earthy Cruncher's Profile

Here's a hilarious Feng Shui article from last week's NY Times:
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/11/world/asia/feng-shui-grows-in-china-as-officials-seek-success.html?pagewanted=all

Staging definitely comes down to the price point. Most properties could benefit from a deep clean plus storage, a dumpster, &/or selling/donating "stuff." Edit + delete = a better ROI than a stager for properties under $500K. That said, an hour with a professional "rearranger" would be a great service, if such a thing exists.

This isn't "popping up," it's a common & traditional practice that may or may not have to do with space limitations. Plenty of people share a room - or bed, for that matter - with their infant because they want to, not because they have to.

Most places I've stayed in Europe and Africa don't use shower curtains or any kind of partition. Sometimes the rooms stay dry, sometimes they don't. I remember wishing I'd brought a hook with me on my first trip through Europe, but I've packed one ever since.

As for this bathroom - gorgeous!

I used AntennaWeb to check possibilities and then bought the SuperSonic HDTV digital indoor antenna from Amazon for $20 - it's now $12! Works for me in LA.

Yes, some NYC renters do renovations to properties in which they are tenants, not owners. The landlords will sometimes give a break on rent (like Maxwell's), buy materials or pay for labor. For the owners, they're getting a tenant who obviously cares for the property and an upgrade. The tenants are getting to personalize their space.

I understand it's difficult for some folks to wrap their heads around - a good friend couldn't believe that I even wanted to paint a wall of a rental. To her, only ownership demands personalizing a space. I disagree (see: Apartment Therapy), but different strokes for different folks.

They look rather lovely in The "Moonlight Suites" @ the Montauk Beach House:
http://hamptons.curbed.com/archives/2012/06/12/the_moonlight_suites_at_the_montauk_beach_house.php

@EdmundD: Check the link to Curbed LA I posted above, lots of details there. The Sunia home was $150psf to build.

Proto Homes start at $200psf:
http://protohomes.com/
http://www.treehugger.com/sustainable-product-design/proto-homes-flexible-spaces-and-efficient-core.html

La Vardera Architecture Design does boxy modern work. His worked on this CA pre-fab in 2005 that came in at $115psf (they used a Utah prefab co.).
http://www.lamidesign.com/pages/0499/0499pg.html

More boxy moderns, like a metal erector set, came in at $130psf in Culver City:
http://articles.latimes.com/2008/jun/08/realestate/re-metal8

These Houston architects build similar homes, the one in this article was built in 2004, but it's worth checking out. They spent $70psf.
http://www.finehomebuilding.com/how-to/articles/champagne-house-beer-budget.aspx?ac=ts&ra=fp

Random things I've learned while obsessively daydreaming: Building up costs less than building out since a roof & foundation are the priciest parts of a casa; keeping dimensions even (and placing openings -windows & doors - at even spacing) saves time & money since standard building materials aren't made in odd lengths; A 32'x32' structure should be the least expensive size to build, but if the cube isn't what you're after, a rectangle is where it's at (like all of the above examples!); a shed roof costs less than others to top off the rectangle.

Sorry to blabber, but one more thing - after doing research into these boxy modern homes, I've come to the conclusion that working with a traditional prefab company seems like it would be a much better deal - similar to the Sage house example from above. The costs are much lower and you could then trick it out however.

Nice job! This looks sooooo much better than when it was on the Echo Park House Tour a year ago:
http://la.curbed.com/archives/2012/03/inside_jerome_palayos_quick_and_inexpensive_sunia_home.php

The photo of the mustard stovetop, tea kettle and cast iron pans made me think of my Grandma. I got all weepy thinking about how such a beautiful woman gave me so much love. I wish the same for both of you. Thanks for sharing!