This weekend catch Building 173 at the Peabody Essex Museum as part of the third annual Salem Film Fest. According to the festival and film websites, Building 173 explores three generations of life in downtown Shanghai via seven families who lived in apartment Building 173 at some point since the 1930's. 

The intersection of architecture and the lives of those who inhabit it fascinates me. This is why I'm a fan of house museums. Merge your Film Fest visit to the Peabody Essex Museum with a tour of Yin Yu Tang, the Museum's remarkable example of Chinese domestic architecture from the rural village of Huang Cun, originally built more than two centuries ago. I wrote about Yin Yu Tang here. Wouldn't it be fascinating if the PEM produced a film about life in rural, southeastern China through the stories of the lives lived within Yin Yu Tang? Every building has a tale to tell. Imagine yours.

by Katie Hutchison for House Enthusiast

Click on this photo to see it in the KHS photo note cards/prints gallery.A rich color palette can transform an interior. I selected this "Mineral" wall color by C2 Paint to play off muted green tones in mosaic glass tile we chose for an adjacent new bathroom in this island home. The "Milk mustache" C2 Paint we used for the trim also brightened the old bureau shown here and an antique mirror frame above it. 

I don't often mention specific products in these posts, but if you're not familiar with C2 Paint, it's worth a look. The C2 color palette is dreamy and, according to the C2 website, it's created from 16-colorant tints, rather than the more standard 12. C2 offers oversize (18" x 24") sample swatches coated with paint, not ink. Or, if you prefer, you can ask for a 16 oz. Color Sampler to paint a test wall at home. C2 carries a Low-VOC line called "C2 LoVo". Turns out C2 has an unusual business model too; it was recently featured in Inc. magazine.

Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with C2 Paint. Nor do I make any claims to your potential satisfaction or dissatisfaction with C2 Paint.

by Katie Hutchison for House Enthusiast

There are a lot of reasons to like a cedar shingle roof. Here's one more. A light dusting of snow reveals the texture and hardy character of a weather-worn material. For more shots of the recent snowstorm that battered the East Coast, be sure to check out The New York Times reader-submitted photos "Picturing the Blizzard."

Thanks to Walk Score you can now rank a location’s walkability on a scale of zero to 100. According to the Walk Score Algorithm, the closer a location is to amenities, the higher the location’s walkability. A location with a score of 90-100 is deemed a “Walkers’ Paradise”. A score of 70-89 is “Very Walkable”. 50-69 is “Somewhat Walkable”. 25-49 is “Car Dependent”. 0-24 is "Car-Dependent (Driving Only)". The KHS address in Salem scored an 86. This didn’t surprise me, but I found myself curiously proud. As a fan of the concepts behind “smart growth” and “new urbanism”, I’m happy that my location is a model of walkability.

Walk Score enumerates six factors which contribute to a walkable neighborhood: a discernible center, compact density, mixed income and mixed use, convenient parks and public spaces, pedestrian-centric design, and nearby schools and workplaces. All make for a vibrant neighborhood with positive environmental, social, and economic impacts. I sang the praises of my condo’s interior neighborhood amidst my exterior, walkable neighborhood here.

Walkability should be a primary factor in awarding “green” status. It’s only common sense. Read more about Common Sense Green here.

by Katie Hutchison for House Enthusiast

Image excerpt from Fine Homebuilding Drawing Board column about inglenooksLook for my "Drawing Board" column about designing inglenooks in the February/March 2010 issue of Fine Homebuilding on newsstands now. In it, I illustrate three ways to bring small fireplaces into cozy, everyday living spaces. Each scenario reinterprets the inglenook of yore for today's lifestyles. If you enjoy sharing the warmth of the hearth with good company, consider an inglenook for your own new home, addition, or renovation. Click here for a PDF of the design column. Issue #209, February/March 2010. Reprinted with permission copyright 2010, The Taunton Press.

Visit the KHS publications page to see other magazine columns and articles I've written.

by Katie Hutchison for House Enthusiast