Who Pays for What?

April 21, 2022April 21, 2022Teresa Byrne-Dodge

It’s exhilarating to buy – or sell – a home. But sometimes that excitement is mitigated by the slew of closing costs added to the transaction. By the time you’re at the closing table, they can really add up. This is true for both sellers and buyers. The good news is...

Hospitality in Early Houston

February 15, 2022February 19, 2022Teresa Byrne-Dodge

Recently spotted on eBay: a vintage cookbook titled Harris County Heritage Society Cook Book published by Houston’s own Gulf Printing Company in 1964. As a former food/wine writer, I was keen to order it immediately. This little 144-page treasure does not disappoint. The recipes are all from ladies with well-known Houston...

Secrets of Glenwood Cemetery

January 13, 2022January 20, 2022Teresa Byrne-Dodge

In Houston’s fervent embrace of the new and shiny, there’s not much in our city that dates from 1871. A notable exception is Glenwood Cemetery, which last year celebrated 150 years of providing a burial place for Houstonians. Located at 2525 Washington Avenue just west of Sawyer Street, Glenwood is an...

The All-Important Inspection

November 19, 2021November 19, 2021Teresa Byrne-Dodge

If you are a home-buyer, the very first thing you will do after the seller has accepted your offer and everyone has signed the purchase agreement is book an inspector to check the systems of your new house. This is not the same as an appraisal. A home appraisal is an...

Universal Design for All

October 19, 2021October 20, 2021Teresa Byrne-Dodge

Let’s say your spouse’s elderly mother is moving in with you. What kinds of accommodations should you make for her? The answer is the same whether you plan to age in your own home or simply want to add features to make your property safer and more accessible for others. In...

Kitchen Perfection

September 16, 2021September 16, 2021Teresa Byrne-Dodge

If Cameron and I were to poll homebuyers as to what single room can make or break a home purchase, the winner would be the kitchen. (Duh!) The kitchen is the source of food and drink, comfort and relaxation. And even if you don’t cook much, you probably find that the...

Some of Our Favorite Kitchens

April 26, 2021April 26, 2021Teresa Byrne-Dodge

Guests always seem to congregate in the kitchen, right? Even if you set up the party buffet and bar in other rooms, people wander into the kitchen. And they often stay there all evening. Is it the messy informality of the kitchen? Do some shy guests need a place to hide...

5 Changes for Your Garden

March 21, 2021August 16, 2021Teresa Byrne-Dodge

It was just four weekends ago that we all emerged, kind of numb, from the mid-February deep freeze and took a look around. Even if you were among the fortunate who did not have damage to your pipes and home, you surely were disheartened to view our Houston landscape … the...

Nosy Questions with Karen Pulaski

January 16, 2021January 17, 2021Teresa Byrne-Dodge

Building a new nest or refeathering an old one? Either way, we can probably agree that the bedroom is life’s most personal space, a retreat that should look good and feel good. After all, we spend about a third of our lives in our bedrooms. Meet Houston designer Karen Pulaski, who...

Add Some Zing to Your Life!

December 14, 2020December 15, 2020Teresa Byrne-Dodge

Cameron and I were talking about ginger. It seems like every time you buy a plump hand of ginger at the supermarket the darn thing dries out in the vegetable drawer before you get around to trying some new recipe for Thai-inspired coconut soup. I’ve spent years buying fresh ginger, only...