A lot has happened since our last River Oaks Letter. At the same time, almost nothing has happened. Every day we get up early (the dogs don’t know we have a stay-at-home order), make the coffee and toast, read the news in The New York Times and online, listen to Morning Edition and then …
We’ve all been hard at work on 2300 Timber Lane for the past 14 months. If you get the print edition of the River Oaks Market Report, you’ve seen renderings for this big-deal house. Finally, as of late September 2019, it is complete and about to be unveiled. Here’s the scoop: In the late 1960s,
Fall in Texas often means storms and heavy rains that saturate the ground. While trees in the region are accustomed to this amount of rain, too much water threatens trees’ ability to stand tall, strong and steady. Just like most living things, your plants, shrubs and trees can only handle so much water. When torrential
Maybe you’ve seen that t-shirt that has a cartoon drawing of a bee followed by the quote: “If we die, we’re taking you with us.” Or perhaps you’ve read the newspaper and magazine articles that discuss bee colonies collapsing at a rate that beekeepers seem helpless to staunch. In any case, bees are commanding more
You’ve heard that expression – variously credited to Mies van der Rohe, John Ruskin and Friedrich Nietzsche – that God is in the details. I often find myself whispering that affirmation as some stupid insignificant thing has me bogged down. And it’s never truer than with a whole-house renovation. Take our house for an example.
Calling all Houston architecture buffs: We have a new River Oaks listing that just went on MLS earlier this afternoon. It’s not the most expensive or largest home we’ve ever listed. But its pedigree is outstanding. If you like classic American architecture, you will love this house. Winner of the 2011 John Staub Award from
If you live in an older home dating from, say, the 1920s through the 1960s, chances are your kitchen pantry is inadequate. Some grand older houses have butler’s pantries, where final prep was performed before service. But I’m talking about those catch-all kitchen closets where one keeps canned food, paper goods, spices and such. As
What’s the single grossest thing at your home? Chances are it’s your garbage bin, the nasty outdoor one with the cruddy food spills, dripped paint and who knows what else in there. If you’re like me, my daily deposit of kitchen refuse into the outdoor bin is usually accomplished by lifting the lid with just
We Texans observe Texas State Arbor Day on the first Friday of November. With our wicked hot summers, it’s kinder and often smarter to plant young trees in the fall so they can become established before summer’s searing heat. However, National Arbor Day is always observed the last Friday of April. With that in mind,
If you’re serious about gardening, then you’ve at least considered composting. It’s the classic and old-fashioned way to build better soil, foster a healthier ecosystem and, not least, save a little money over the long term. Composting is also a simple and inexpensive way to reduce and reuse kitchen and garden waste. Gardeners know that