It seems that you can become a king with as little a kingdom as a caravan. Nick Copeman, born a British commoner in 1979, did just that. As described on his Web site: "At 25, after being unemployed for several months and failing to follow in his father's footsteps...
Man-made construction continues to astound me, and being married to an engineer means we watch a lot of shows on engineering feats—bridges, towers, you name it. Curious about the world's tallest buildings? (I know my husband is.) Which, if any, are found in the U.S.?...
I'm fascinated with both very large and very tall structures. (I also love those Discovery Health shows like "World's Tallest Woman" and "America's Shortest Man," but that's beside the point.) And, if you're a regular reader of this blog, you know I'm an advocate of...
Here's a project someone should undertake: rehabbing Mike Tyson's now abandoned estate in Ohio. The property has had a colorful history since Tyson sold it in the late 90s and now it stands abandoned and decaying. It features a 10,000-square-foot swimming pool, sundae...
It was close to a year ago that I wrote about an amazing piece of software called Floorplanner, advertised as the easiest way to create and share interactive floor plans that could save me hours of back-breaking labor. As if it were possible, the product is now...
When it comes to The Lord of the Rings, some people are fanatical. And so it was with this fan who commissioned a hobbit home. The 6oo-square-foot home features a round Spanish cedar door with hand-forged single pivot hinge, handmade clay roof tiles, custom 'butterfly...
It might be described as Indiana Jones meets architecture design. Through a program called Spirit of Place/Spirit of Design, college students are immersed in locations around the world, absorb the local culture and aesthetic, then build a small structure to add to the...
WebUrbanist, a site of "urban design, culture, travel, architecture and alternative art," posts some interesting lists of what it calls "7 wonders." Discover "7 Engineering Wonders of the Modern World" and "7 Abandoned Wonders of the Former Soviet Union." Because I'm...
Take it for what you will...here is Money Magazine's list of 4 home renovation don'ts, which they claim may actually decrease the value of your home. A swimming pool. Unless you live in a hot climate, a swimming pool can be a liability, not an asset. If you live in an...
I love this article and think you will, too. Money magazine has written a humorous yet sensible piece called "5 Dumbest Renovation Fads." Here they are: 1. The great room craze2. The kitchen stadium3. The garage that ate your home4. Porches in the wrong place5....
