Houston Interior Designer

Martha Stewart Sells her Homes

Okay, so she's never actually lived in them, but the houses Martha Stewart has designed and is currently selling with KB Home are inspired by her personal homes in The Hamptons, Maine, and Upstate New York. The only neighborhood selling these homes in Texas is about ten minutes away from me, so I convinced Fabian to go check them out with me a couple of <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1moZR_x2w3mUrlR0n2yCUX9MTi6z8peYSAczeGACwV6WXWQBO6T_QKvFq17IsbERwf-Gg8d37di_LbLxa5nvN6BSm8RfR5TCa-zRxVAcrwbIHH6yRy3sxvDxo_LiPe3Nl9nBiZ9y-dRTM/s1600-h/martha+house.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5105992283434849826" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1moZR_x2w3mUrlR0n2yCUX9MTi6z8peYSAczeGACwV6WXWQBO6T_QKvFq17IsbERwf-Gg8d37di_LbLxa5nvN6BSm8RfR5TCa-zRxVAcrwbIHH6yRy3sxvDxo_LiPe3Nl9nBiZ9y-dRTM/s320/martha+house.jpg" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" /></a>weekends ago. Initially, I was skeptical because KB Home is not thought of as an upscale builder, but after visiting the Martha Stewart model homes, they have convinced me otherwise. Ever since that first visit, I have become a woman obsessed. I <em>must</em> have one of these Martha Stewart homes. Unfortunately, we are not in the market for a new home. We just bought our current house 17 months ago and it wouldn't be wise to sell with the market the way it is right now.<br /><br /><br />Now, as most of you know, I'm constantly talking about how much I miss the city and that we will move back in a few years when we will hopefully be able to afford to live in a beautiful home inside the loop. However, I seem to be regressing. Remember that post a couple of weeks ago when I described the strange force that was taking over me? You know, the one that made me feel like it might be alright to stay in the suburbs. Well, these Martha <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZYEibKVpssgMdec83nnr3aRpmQRSMAGqfTm82Kt7zFJUs_d_6ZXMwjdpkmYnVnA_s3f-qCbxJcy7ii_UwE1wBCSkQmsvo_9KJ8q_thqqDqmivV2vZxINOKfkwnVNw9fXv2Gm7kwZPCf5V/s1600-h/IMG_3542.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" height="188" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5105992725816481330" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZYEibKVpssgMdec83nnr3aRpmQRSMAGqfTm82Kt7zFJUs_d_6ZXMwjdpkmYnVnA_s3f-qCbxJcy7ii_UwE1wBCSkQmsvo_9KJ8q_thqqDqmivV2vZxINOKfkwnVNw9fXv2Gm7kwZPCf5V/s320/IMG_3542.JPG" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 304px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 197px" width="296" /></a>Stewart homes aren't helping my cause. I would gladly move 10 minutes further west than we already are if I could live in one of these homes. They have everything the homes inside Houston's 610 loop have. They have all the charm of old homes: wainscoting, subway tile, hexagon tile, coffered ceilings, picture frame windows, but they are <em>new</em>, so you won't have any of the pesky inconveniences of an older home like small closets. These homes have some amazing features like libraries, 3-way floor to ceiling dressing mirrors, enormous closets, mud rooms, and some seriously gorgeous kitchens. A similar home would cost upwards of $ 2 million in Houston's West University, Southampton, or River Oaks areas, but they are a fraction of that price in this community. You just have to be willing to drive into town.<br /><br /><br />As promised, I went back yesterday and covertly snapped some pictures for my files. In the event that these homes sell out before we are ready to buy, I will have pictures and floor plans to show a custom home builder. There are about 60 pictures, so I created some slide shows for you to see, but I don't think I will be able to add them into the post, so I will post the links instead. On our first visit, I fell in love with the Lily Pond home, but after visiting a second time, I think I love the Katonah home even more, though would choose a different elevation. It is a very open floor plan and would be fabulous for entertaining.<br /><br /><div align="center">Katonah Model</div><div align="center"><a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v80/paloma81/?action=view&current=bbc23f99.pbw">http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v80/paloma81/?action=view&current=bbc23f99.pbw</a></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center">Katonah 2</div><div align="center"><a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v80/paloma81/?action=view&current=30647cd3.pbw">http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v80/paloma81/?action=view&current=30647cd3.pbw</a></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center">Katonah 3</div><div align="center"><a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v80/paloma81/?action=view&current=64deffa7.pbw">http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v80/paloma81/?action=view&current=64deffa7.pbw</a></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center">Lily Pond</div><div align="center"><a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v80/paloma81/?action=view&current=9152d00d.pbw">http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v80/paloma81/?action=view&current=9152d00d.pbw</a></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center">Lily Pond 2</div><div align="center"><a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v80/paloma81/?action=view&current=c2f3cd9f.pbw">http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v80/paloma81/?action=view&current=c2f3cd9f.pbw</a></div>

Martha Stewart Sells her Homes

Okay, so she's never actually lived in them, but the houses Martha Stewart has designed and is currently selling with KB Home are inspir...

7:37 AM

Domestic Divas

<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">How do I love Martha Stewart and Ina <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Garten</span>? Let me count the ways. </span><br /><br /><br /><div><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2CL0ztTFibgZD9PRH0ObRdhvxN2wL067RVyp8ytEkE_UhunvV8ZvMGvfUgJcWY57NrQ8dR7fFAPYl2VncknmQXyRBfzpU8unBfBRbKJZ1E4RPdG1b-DSQd4wGBbuRtMHO4B8iw2hJwyWK/s1600-h/ina+garten1.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5105652049010562546" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2CL0ztTFibgZD9PRH0ObRdhvxN2wL067RVyp8ytEkE_UhunvV8ZvMGvfUgJcWY57NrQ8dR7fFAPYl2VncknmQXyRBfzpU8unBfBRbKJZ1E4RPdG1b-DSQd4wGBbuRtMHO4B8iw2hJwyWK/s320/ina+garten1.jpg" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" /></a> <span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Ina <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Garten</span> is one of my favorite Food Network personalities. She has such a great demeanor. I can only imagine that she would be very sweet in person. Every recipe of hers that I have tried has been delicious. Her food is elegant without being complicated or pretentious. Most recently, I made her recipe for Scallops Provencal. It was easy to make and turned out fabulous. One of the things I love most about watching Barefoot <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Contessa</span> is seeing Ina's gorgeous home in the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Hamptons</span>. I'm always drooling over her beautiful kitchen and amazing gardens.</span><br /><br /><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Always the gracious host, Ina makes even the most mundane event an <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">occasion</span>. Whether she is making dinner for her husband Jeffrey, having some girlfriends over for brunch, or having cocktails and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">hors</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">d'oeuvres</span> with every fabulous gay man on Long Island, she always sets a beautiful table with a lovely floral arrangement. The result is always elegant and inviting, never stuffy. I admire Ina for her kind spirit, killer ability to cook without being professionally trained, and her knack for effortless elegance.</span></div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZSHyA-qBblj5KDO-805OSJDvAAGKDPElLomvpHktb7bmBvjdGDwOUy4iJ0QajAX60mgDmhZIsWVd0p0DOz0G5DLkPM-bh_j7vUA-MIEhsBCER304iyBix8VrOdFN9sOo3lK1XwMSeRfL3/s1600-h/martha_stewart.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" height="314" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5105653002493302290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZSHyA-qBblj5KDO-805OSJDvAAGKDPElLomvpHktb7bmBvjdGDwOUy4iJ0QajAX60mgDmhZIsWVd0p0DOz0G5DLkPM-bh_j7vUA-MIEhsBCER304iyBix8VrOdFN9sOo3lK1XwMSeRfL3/s320/martha_stewart.jpg" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 195px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 280px" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">While some people may not be familiar with Ina <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Garten</span>, it seems that everyone knows Martha Stewart. Martha's empire is constantly expanding. Most recently she has added a <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">home goods</span> line at Macy's, Blueprint magazine, which is quickly becoming a favorite read for me, and a foray into the world of <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">home building</span> (more on that later). She now has her own line of paint and flooring and has 14 brands associated with her name. Although she isn't quite as relaxed as Ina, it seems that Martha has a knack for everything one would expect from a domestic goddess. She does it all and she does it beautifully.</span><br /><br /><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Both Ina and Martha are an inspiration for me. Whenever I need to entertain, it seems that I inevitably turn to them for ideas. One of these days, I will try out Ina's coconut cake recipe. It always looks so delicious, but I hesitate to make it since Fabian doesn't like sweets. One of Martha's new home communities is located less than 10 minutes away from me. I'm going to try to go back this weekend and take some pictures. It is one more thing Martha has executed with her signature style.</span></div></div></div></div>