Keeping It Together

January 13, 2016October 20, 2017Cameron Ansari

While the obvious function of cufflinks is to hold your cuffs together on shirts that have no cuff buttons, the more important purpose is to provide an opportunity for a man to wear jewelry without having to appear vulgar. However, it’s not enough to simply rush out and buy expensive cufflinks...

5 New Year’s Resolutions for Gardeners

January 12, 2016November 2, 2017Diane Blazek, National Garden Bureau

A new year traditionally brings about resolutions right? Be they for losing weight, being more organized or simply an overall “being better” wish, resolutions are good goals to have. Gardeners are no exception to wishing for the better: better gardens, better planning, better harvests, better record-keeping, and so forth. Following are...

“Why hasn’t that house sold?”

December 7, 2015October 20, 2017Cameron Ansari

This is the question posed repeatedly of late by one of our favorite buyer clients. The cheeky and obvious answer is, “Because you didn’t buy it.” It is a relevant question in our current River Oaks market where many delightful homes are not selling, and a challenging one to answer –...

All That Glitters is Green

December 7, 2015October 20, 2017Teresa Byrne-Dodge

Click images for source Your house is all decorated, full of holiday greenery and ready for family and guests. There’s an evergreen swag across the mantle and garland wrapped around the banister, a wreath on the front door and the tallest Christmas tree your living room ceiling can accommodate. It looks...

“All Cuffs and Collar”

November 30, 2015October 20, 2017Cameron Ansari

It’s a fairly obscure and sarcastic English observation, with a meaning similar to the sardonic Texan expression, “All hat and no cattle.” Finding common sentiments between English and Texan culture has become a labor of love late in my life. Refreshingly, Google was of little help in finding examples, meaning and...

What’s the Difference? A Guide to Art Nouveau and Art Deco

November 28, 2015April 16, 2023Teresa Byrne-Dodge

Click images for source What’s the difference between Art Nouveau and Art Deco? Many people, even some professional designers, are often flummoxed by the difference between the two styles. Here’s how to tell them apart. Art Nouveau is the older of the two styles, but it overlapped with the Art Deco...

Leading Indicators: A Change in Tone

November 5, 2015October 20, 2017Cameron Ansari

SALES With four houses scheduled to close in November and one in December, total sales for 2015 are expected to be on par with 2014. Those sales in the pipeline for the final weeks of the year include two houses in the mid-$2 millions, two priced below $1.5 million, and an...

The Long Sleep

October 31, 2015October 20, 2017Teresa Byrne-Dodge

Photo slideshow by Cameron Ansari. Click other images for source. Our recent Facebook re-post of a Curbed.com article about the oldest house in New York City noted that the little wood house in Queens has its own cemetery on the property dating back to the 1700s. That inspired a lively debate...

Three Dogs Good … Three Heads Better?

October 28, 2015October 20, 2017Cameron Ansari

Photos by Cameron Ansari & Safa Ansari-Bayegan The trip to Rome was ostensibly for a family reunion, but I went to see Bernini in the Galleria Borghese. While Proserpina struggled with Pluto above, I was focused on the three-headed dog below that propped up the sculpture. Which made me wonder: Instead...

A Stroll Down Jermyn Street, London

October 21, 2015October 20, 2017Cameron Ansari

I slipped off the leash on the eve of our departure from London for a pilgrimage down Jermyn Street. It’s the real reason we stay in Mayfair on recent visits. In the Thatcher years Jermyn (pronounced “german”) used to be a mere cross street for me, a LSE student on his...