The Cambridge Blog

What do your answers to these questions tell you about yourself and your preferences???

The first thing to look for is repetition.  For example, does the same color repeat itself in your answers?  Or does a certain style keep appearing in your answers?

If you notice that a consistent style appears in your answers, you may be on to something.  For example, if you see yourself as “out-doors-y”, your favorite vacation spot is the mountains, and you consider yourself to be very casual, that might mean you like a more rustic style.

On the other hand, if you prefer elegantly formal entertaining, your favorite room is the great hall at Versailles, and you consider yourself to be a sophisticated, formal person, this might indicate a more classical, formal style.

Here’s a personal example:

My two favorite vacations are traveling through Italy and Sailing in the Caribbean.

What I love most about both is the casual atmosphere, the emphasis on living & dining outdoors, the vibrant colors all around, and the palm trees & lushly wild landscape.

My favorite colors are bright pastels: Green, Yellow, Hot Pink, Bright Aqua, etc.

My two all-time favorite “rooms” are the Garden Room at The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs and the late, much lamented Tavern on the Green in New York City.

My favorite painting is Matisse’s The Open Window (see previous BLOG:  “Mastering the Art of Outdoor Living”).  My preference in all things is Casual, and I love the idea of anything outdoors.

My ideal environment would be 75 degrees year round (with no insects!) so my home could be completely open air.

There would be little difference between the inside of my home and the outside.  I’d have only very casual outdoor furniture and enough green plants and flowers inside that it would be nearly indistinguishable from the outside. 

Although our temperatures in north Texas are too extreme for living “open air” year ’round, I did my best to create that same feeling as much as possible in my own Cambridge patio home - as you see in these photos.

If you’d like help interpreting your responses to the Questionnaire, feel free to send me your answers and I’ll be happy to offer you my thoughts.  And, of course, if you’re in the process of building a new Cambridge Homes luxury patio home, bring your answers with you when you come to our Design Studio and we’ll help you create your new home around your preferences, so you truly can Have it Your Way!

At Cambridge Homes, we believe that attractive & comfortable outdoor living spaces contribute greatly to the graciousness of living in our luxury patio homes.  Designing an outdoor living area that “lives” well and creates pleasing views from inside the home can be both challenging and fun.  What one needs is INSPIRATION.

Here’s one of the places where I find mine:

Since the first time I saw it, one of my favorite paintings has been The Open Window by Henri Matisse.

I think often of this painting and believe it has much to teach - especially when planning an outdoor living space.  Among the lessons it has taught me are these:

1. CONTINUITY of COLOR
2. Windows as “PICTURE FRAMES”
3. The Importance of MOTION/MOVEMENT/ANIMATION
4. Soften with VEGETATION

Let me elaborate on each:

One of the things I love most about this painting is the use of similar colors in both the room in which we, the viewers, “stand”, and in the view beyond the window.  This CONTINUITY of COLOR brings the outdoors in and the indoors out, tying the two together in a very pleasing way.

  

Another profound lesson of the painting is the use of the window as a “FRAME” for the view beyond.  When planning your courtyard, think of each window and door as the “FRAME” for your view from inside your home.  The brick wall of your neighbor’s home provides a handsome canvass on which to create the picture.  Consider attaching attractive and unusual items to the wall to create visual interest.

                               

Even though the painting itself is static, one experiences a feeling of MOTION in the view - the sailboats on the water beyond appear to be bobbing on their moorings.  Including motion within the view from your window will contribute as much appeal to your composition as it does to Matisse’s.  There are two especially effective ways to create motion in your courtyard.  One is to attract “wildlife” to your patio.  Monarch Butterflies and Hummingbirds are delightful, animated additions to your courtyard that add movement and interest, as well as excitement and fun.  Brightly colored, flat-topped flowers attract a variety of butterflies, and Hummingbirds as well.

       

Because it engages the senses in multiple ways, another effective way to create MOTION is with moving water.  Visually, the sparkle of the sun’s reflection on the water adds a subtle excitement to the experience, and the sound of moving water is soothing and refreshing.

Even though the prominent view from the Matisse’s window is of water, you’ll notice that VEGETATION, in the form of flower pots on the window sill and vines growing around the window itself, contribute to the attractiveness of the view.  As in the painting, vegetation in our courtyards helps “soften” the outdoor space in much the same way that draperies around a window help soften an indoor space.       

Because the view from  Matisse’s window is high above the ground, no beach is visible.  If the window had been lower, Matisse probably would have included interesting stones and boulders on his beach, since strategically placed rocks and boulders can add a great deal of interest, as evidenced in the photos below.

I hope this little tutorial from a painting by one of the world’s great artists is helpful as you plan and implement your own outdoor living space and the “view” of that space from the windows of your home.  Undoubtedly there are other lessons to be learned from Mattise’s painting, and I’d love to hear what you discover.

For more information about attracting butterflies and birds to your garden, refer to the following websites:

The National Wildlife Federation - www.nwf.org

Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center at the University of Texas in Austin - www.wildflower.org

With record-setting cold and snow visited upon us in North Texas this winter, we’re all looking for the residential equivalent of “comfort food”:  A warm, welcoming, safe place to call home. 

The word COZY comes to mind…. 

“Cozy” can be defined in a number of ways, but I always think first of “scale”:  Human Scale. 

Cozy is impossible to achieve in an over-sized or ill-proportioned space.  No amount of chintz could ever make a European cathedral feel cozy.  Cozy can only be achieved in a space where the ceilings are the right height for the width and breadth of the room.

Another important element of COZY is color.  It’s easier to achieve that cozy feeling with WARM colors than with cool.  Even if your wall colors are cool (gray, blue, green), you can still achieve a feeling of coziness if you accessorize with warm colors and comfortable furniture.  Down-stuffed decorative pillows in warm colors can make a sofa or chair feel cozy and inviting.

Of course, the ultimate in coziness is achieved with the dancing flames of candles and, particularly on a cold winters day, with a fire burning brightly in the fireplace.

At Cambridge Homes, we design our luxury patio homes with the possibility of COZY in mind.  Yes, all of our designs are bright and airy, but they can also feel cozy because of their “scale”.  In most of our designs, the twelve foot ceiling is the smallest of the three dimensions of the room; the width and depth are greater than 12 feet.  For instance, a typical gathering room is 20 feet deep by 18 feet wide by 12 feet high.  Such a gathering room feels bright and airy, but it can also feel warm and cozy. 

The photos below illustrate what I mean:

Luxury Patio Home in Colleyville - The Kensington Gathering Room

Luxury Patio Home in Far North Dallas - The Habersham Gathering Room

Luxury Patio Home in Allen - The Buckingham Study

Luxury Patio Home in Colleyville - The Westminster Study

Luxury Patio Home in Far North Dallas - The Mayfair Gathering Room

Nancy Stuckey, Co-owner of Cambridge Homes, understands what women want and need in a home.  Having been single most of her adult life, Nancy knows first-hand the priorities of women seeking a safe, gracious, easy-to-maintain new home.  Along with her husband, Kent Roberts, Nancy ensures that each easy-maintenance Cambridge Homes design is replete with features that are particularly appealing to discerning women.

Nancy Stuckey, Vice President

Easy Maintenance:

• Front Yards Maintained by HOA - You won’t need a lawnmower!
• Full Yard Sprinkler System assures easy watering of lawn & gardens
• “Right-Sized” Homes Live Large, but Cost Less to Heat, Cool & Maintain
• Exteriors of stone, Brick & Cement Fiberboard with 50 year warranty are easy to maintain

Yea! No more yard work!

Security & Peace of Mind:

• Full Home Security System with each door & window wired for protection
• Attached Garage with Electronic Openers for your personal security
• Ample Exterior Lighting
• Safety Concious Neighbors who look out for each other

Award-Winning Designs:

• Open Plans ideal for Entertaining, yet perfect for Quiet Contemplation
• Exceptionally Spacious Interiors with 12-Foot Ceilings
• No wasted Space:  Large Rooms, Few Hallways
• Award-Winning Portfoilio Plans for You to Customize to “fit” your Lifestyle

Luxury Finishes:

• Exquisite Custom Cabinetry, Granite Countertops, Stainless Steel Appliances
• Lever Door Hardware, Gracious Arched Openings with Rounded Corners
• Extensive Trim & Moldings, Sophisticated Kitchen & Bath Design

Outdoor Living Space:

• Walls of Windows bring the Outdoors In
• Gracious Outdoor Living Area brings the Indoors Out
• Possible Options include Outdoor Fireplaces, Party Pools, Arbors & Decks

Pride of Place:

• Each Cambridge Luxury Patio-Home is nestled in a Distinctive Planed Community; some in multi-phased Master-Planned Neighborhoods; others in Small, Intimate Enclaves
• Because all front yards are maintained by the HOA, the entire Community is always well-kept
• And Cambridge Homes’ Truly Classic Architecture assures beauty & value for years to come

We actually found the inspiration for Mike & Linda’s Kensington right in our own Cambridge Homes Design Studio.  My colleagues Paige Bryant & Sharron Winn were eager to showcase a spectacular granite from our collection.  Called “Red Dragon”, the color was - well - “out there”.  Courage is what we needed to say “yes” to that one!!  LOTS of courage.

Paige was tenacious and insisted we “step out”.  So we did; we built the entire design around that “out there” Red Dragon granite.  Although the granite appears only on the Gigantic Island in the Kitchen, the same color is reflected boldly on the walls of Mike’s Study, and subtly in the fabrics throughout the public areas of the home.

Paige & Sharron selected the Red Dragon Granite, The "Inspiration" for the new Kensington Model Home in Colleyville.

The proverbial "buck stops here" with Steve who is ably, and with constant good humor, managing the entire project of creating the new Colleyville Model Home

Years ago, I found a gorgeous, camelback settee in a wonderful red & gold tapestry fabric at Weir’s, one of my favorite places to shop for furniture.  It had just been placed on the floor, and when I came through the front door of the store, it took my breath away.  I couldn’t imagine how I would ever be able to use it; it was too small for a gathering room, and too formal for a study.  But I HAD to have it!  I’d just have to find a way to use it somewhere!  And I did.  I loved it so much that I ordered a second one, identical to the first.  Then I had a 6 foot square formal dining table custom made with a maple top, and four amazingly handsome stairway newel posts as legs.  I placed the two settees on opposite sides of the square table, with two chairs on each of the two remaining  sides.  It looked fantastic!!!  And although using settees as dining room seating is increasingly popular in 2009, it was a rare idea in 1998 when this photo was taken in our model home at Lakes on Legacy in Frisco.

That chance find of a single red settee became the INSPIRATION for an entire model home!  As You’ll see below:

But that was many years ago.  NEXT time we’ll get back to Linda and Mike!

Any number of our Cambridge Homes Portfolio Plans would work for Linda & Mike, but we’ve selected the Kensington design because it offers them terrific space for entertaining – both indoors and out.  (And it’s handsome & appealing from the street!) 

The Kensington includes a first floor guest suite that will be ideal for Linda’s mother when she visits.  And upstairs is another, larger guest suite that will accommodate lots of grandchildren slumber parties in the years ahead.  The Kensington offers Mike a home office that, when we add a cozy fireplace, doubles as his personal “Den”.   Linda will love the “Buffet” Kitchen, because it is perfect for both formal and informal entertaining, and the Dining Room is large enough to host large formal dinners.  And the coup de gras is the Al Fresco Room where, again, we’re adding a fireplace so the two of them can sip coffee by the fire on cool mornings or a glass of wine at the end of the day.  What is more, the Al Fresco Room and Private Patio will provide a lovely & distinctive venue for outdoor entertaining at almost any time of year.

First Floor Guest Bedroom for Linda's Mother

Attached Bath for Linda's Mother

Mike's Cozy Study

Linda's Fabulous "Buffet" Kitchen

Spacious Formal Dining Room Seats 8 - 10 Comfortably

Over the last 16 years, we’ve built a number of Model Homes in a number of communities in a number of cities and towns around the Dallas/Fort Worth area of Texas.  Each time we’ve begun the planning process with two things:  First, a homeowner - a hypothetical someone or a couple of someone’s who live in this home.  Second, some small, but profound “inspiration”.  Ironically, the hypothetical homeowner is much easier to acquire than the “inspiration”!

First, let me share with you the “identity” of the hypothetical homeowners for our new model home at CAMBRIDGE PLACE in Colleyville.

Who They Are:

The hypothetical homeowners for whom we’ve designed this home are an empty-nester couple, Mike & Linda, who have lived in Colleyville for the past twenty-three years since they moved to Texas from Ohio.  They met one another while in College at Penn State.  They’ve lived in several U.S. cities and states as he was transferred around in his work as an executive with a large insurance company.

They have two children, a son who graduated from Texas Tech and is now completing his medical internship at Vanderbilt.  Their daughter, who lives in Grapevine, received her bachelors & masters degrees in Art History at SMU.  She is married and has two children of her own.  Mike is nearing retirement from the insurance company for which he has worked for more than 30 years, and LInda now owns her own “Temp Service”, specializing in medical office personnel.

With their kids out of the house & retirement in sight, Mike & Linda have visions of foreign travel, as well as spending time with their kids and grandkids.  They’ve made many friends during their 23 years in Colleyville, and they enjoy entertaining.  They plan to do lots of that in the years ahead.

Over the years, Mike has conducted a great deal of business on the golf course.  He enjoys the game, has a low handicap, and hopes to continue playing when he retires.  Although Linda sometimes plays with him, she is more interested in her garden, her books, and in entertaining their friends.

Linda & Mike have loved their family home and have many happy memories of rearing their children there.  However, they no longer need four or five bedrooms and three living areas.  They’re tired of heating and cooling and cleaning rooms they never use anymore.

The kids used to love to play in the swimming pool and run around the spacious back yard.  But no more!  Mike and Linda are tired of maintaining that yard and pool, and are looking for a new home that better fits their new stage of life:  A home without the rooms they no longer need, but with the spaciousness and quality and luxurious finishes that they’re accustomed to having.

The fact that the HOA will maintain their yard is quite appealing to both Mike & Linda.  Mike likes the idea of having no responsibility for yard work, or pool maintenance - leaving him more time for golf!  Of course, they also like the thought of being able to just “lock & leave” when they get the urge to travel.  And Linda loves the idea that she’ll have just enough yard to satisfy her interest in gardening, but not so much that she’ll have to be a “slave” to it. 

What They’re Looking For:

Mike and Linda want a smaller home that doesn’t FEEL small.  A home with large rooms so they feel as comfortable as they do now in their current home.  A sophisticated home with luxurious appointments and the latest in technological advances.

They would like to have a first floor guest suite where Linda’s elderly mother can stay when she visits, and a separate, really spacious guest room where multiple grandkids can sleep over.  Mike would like to have an office where he can use his computer, manage his portfoilio, and maybe sit by the fire and read the Wall Street Journal or Golf Digest.

Linda wants a small outside area where she can plant flowers, and “putter” around.  Emphasis on SMALL.  She would also like to be able to sit outside - and, ideally, even entertain outside - during the mild months of the year. 

Because entertaining is so much a part of their lives, both Linda & Mike want to have a spacious dining area for formal entertaining as well as an open kitchen for more casual entertaining.  Although they already have a social life, Mike & Linda are hoping to find like-minded neighbors who might become good friends during the years ahead.

They’re even thinking now might be a good time to “reduce their carbon footprint”, to build & live lighter on the land, to use less resources by installing the latest in energy efficiency products.  And they’re looking for a new home that will require less of them in the years ahead:  Less maintenance, less electricity, less natural gas, less water & less of their personal energy.  And they’re looking for a home that is handsome and appealing from the street, a home they can be proud to own.

Stay tuned for our next blog:  “The Hypothetical Homeowner” Part II

 For years I’ve received many questions and comments about our Cambridge model homes:

“How did you get that idea?”  “Can you do that for me in my new Cambridge home?”

“Gee, that’s an interesting idea, but how do I make it work with my current furniture?”

“This home really ‘hangs together’, but I’ve purchased all my stuff over a number of years and it doesn’t hang together like this at all!  How can I make it look like this does?”  Questions like that.

Or they’ll ask my opinion of dark wood cabinets versus white cabinets versus red cabinets…

Or of 18 Inch x 18 Inch Travertine versus 24 Inch x 24 Inch Ceramic Tile….

Or of Oil Rubbed Bronze fixtures versus Polished Chrome fixtures….

Of course, I’m also often asked where I find all the great furniture and accessories you see in our models.

During the next several months, here in this BLOG, I promise to reveal all!  J