Design Q + A: Making a great room in Harthaven
The project: A family wanted a renovation of a Harthaven home that would include creating one large gathering space from several smaller rooms. The new great room would feature a large kitchen, a dining...
Design Q+A: How can we prepare our lawns for the winter?
What are the best ways to prepare our lawns for the winter?
You really should aerate your lawn every year and the fall is the best time to do this. Aerating is super beneficial for...
Design Q+A: Natural swimming pools
Daniel Whiting, owner and operator of Next Generation Natural Pools
Native Islander Whiting shared three recent natural swimming pool projects, as well as facts about his eco-friendly business, and how natural pool installations compare with...
Design Q+A: Little changes, big impact
Danielle Zerbonne, Interior Design Consultant, Vineyard Decorators
Danielle recently helped client Anna Marie D'Addarie redesign her living room, including a new sofa, chair, ottoman, and a wild-colored rug. Anna Marie has since made her own...
Design Q+A: How do we design our homes so we can ‘Age in Place’?
Have you designed a house, or even just a room, to accommodate the needs of older or handicapped people?
“Aging in place is important to South Mountain,” said John Abrams, CEO and founder of...
Design Q+A: Fireplaces
From traditional and wood-burning to modern and gas-powered, fireplaces are undoubtedly the snuggest spot in the house. We’ve reached a point in design innovation where most ideas of what a homeowner might want can...
Design Q+A: Screened-in porches
First of all, do you say "screen porch," or "screened porch," or "screened-in porch"?
Typically "screen porch" because it is the shortest term.
In your design experience, are screen porches added to existing open porches, or...
Design Q+A: A Julie Robinson kitchen
So, tell us about this kitchen.
This was a renovation; the owner is a man with two sons. The goal was to have an open kitchen area where people could gather and cook together.
The...
Design Q + A: Jenny Slossberg’s outdoor shower and porch
Tell us the story of your front porch.
Last summer I was able to install a roof on my front porch, finally making it the farmers porch I had hoped for but could not afford...
Kitchen Design Q + A: Food for thought when renovating
Catherine Walthers, private chef, West Tisbury
Describe the process of designing and building out your home kitchen. When did you build it? How long did it take?
This is the first house and kitchen I’ve ever...
Design Q +A: A mid-century Farm Pond renovation
Design by Jill Neubauer
How large is the home?
Roughly 2,500 square feet.
Was the footprint changed, or just the interior?
Just interior.
What were the goals of the client at the outset?
Two generations from the D.C. area...
Design Q +A: Power to the powder rooms
What's the smallest sink you've ever had installed?
An undercounter pounded copper sink, it was 12 inches by 8 inches. Tiny for a quick hand wash, is all!
Are there "rules of thumb" about scale and...
Design Q and A: Patrick Ahearn, and a certain little yellow house renovation in...
What’s the background on this house?
The Yellow House was built by Edward Worth during the Island’s golden era of whaling in 1838. In 1840, Captain Rufus F. Pease bought the Yellow House for $1,650...
For the love of pantries
A pantry is a room apart. You can stock it with whatever you want to protect or store away from the bustle of kitchen life. At its best, a pantry is not just a...
What I know about outdoor showers: Ten tips for getting the most out of...
First of all, I’m not an architect or a builder, just a civilian who over the years has had a couple of outside showers built, and we’ve learned from our mistakes. Although we’re still...
The Artisans: Island craftsmen and women make our houses home
An artisan (from French: artisan, Italian: artigiano) is a skilled craftworker who makes or creates things by hand that may be functional or strictly decorative. Five Vineyard craftsmen who rely on the handmade process...
The Designers
Six interior designers discuss the challenges unique to working on Martha’s Vineyard — whether it’s designing an addition to an antique house for elder newlyweds, or creating a comfortable seating area for a new...