Hard to believe the house in this photo was once a horse stable. Archer & Buchanan Architecture recently won an award for the conversion of this 1898 William L. Price designed stable into a 4-bedroom, 3 1/2-bath private residence in Wayne, Pa. The Heritage Commission of Delaware County praised the "wonderful detail and craftsmanship...(in) maintaining the integrity of the historic structure" when they presented the award on May 6th. I've got to agree with them.
I had heard of 'green roofs'—roofs that are designed to grow vegetation—on homes, but I had never before seen them on doghouses. Sustainable Pet Design's custom-built doghouses have green roofs which provide insulation, filter runoff water and dust while looking and smelling great. The doghouses are built to order to properly fit your dog and include the buyer's choice of style, color and plant type. Construction is done by hand using non-toxic materials. Sustainable Pet's online ordering system is being updated but interested parties are encouraged to contact the company directly.
Even adults dream of hiding away in a cool tree house. WebUrbanist has compiled a list with photos of "10 Amazing Tree Houses from around the World: Sustainable, Unique and Creative Designs." Check out these amazing photos.
I'm not quite the woodworker that Tommy, BobVila.com's My Projects contributor, is but here's something I can handle. 2x4 Basics is a Lancaster, Pa.-based company that sells a system to allow people to build furniture using simple 2x4s. Their first product was an outdoor bench that converted into a picnic table and now they've expanded to include deck chairs, sawhorses, shelving units, sheds and more. Customers are encouraged to get creative and send pictures of their furniture to 2x4 Basics for display in their customer gallery.
Behold the first dog house you'd ever want to live in yourself. Back in my day, dog houses were little more than a couple slabs of leftover plywood quickly hammered together one Sunday afternoon. Dogs made due with the dirt floor and leaky roof without complaint. Those poor dogs were born in the wrong era. The dog houses of today have French casement windows, columns, and stairs. No word on air conditioning. I guess it is true when they say Americans love their pets. If you've got a pet you want to pamper, you can't go wrong with this Colonial mansion dog house from The Well Appointed House. It's available as pictured at left or it can be custom made to match your home. It can be yours for the low, low price of $6,160.
