Interiors

Small Space… Big Character! Week #5

  • Posted on Sep 14, 2016

Staying on the house we’ve been looking at for the last few posts, this week we have what seems like a no brainer but takes some effort and planning.  The big ideas is… the less sheetrock the better! Any time we can showcase more interesting building materials, we seize the opportunity. [Mowery Marsh Architects, Photo ... Read More

Let’s Talk Kitchens! Week #4

  • Posted on Sep 5, 2016

Storage is always a top priority when starting any kitchen design, but we like to think beyond the standard upper cabinets.  They are what make everybody’s kitchen feel like… well, everybody’s kitchen!  The proportion is low visually and spatially, making your cooking environment feel restrictive.  [Mowery Marsh Architects, Photo Credit: Blackstock Photography] In this kitchen, ... Read More

So What’s The Big Idea? Week #3!

  • Posted on Aug 29, 2016

Let’s stick with the bathroom we talked about last week.  If we look through those wire glass doors, you’ll see another suggestion I’d like to offer to anyone renovating their bathroom.  Why not put more effort and funds into a beautiful vanity that works for you rather than splurging on expensive wall tile!  Yes, fancy ... Read More

So What’s The Big Idea? Week #2!

  • Posted on Aug 21, 2016

Let’s look at the same project as last week with another planning trick to make what would be small rooms feel more spacious and airy.  It’s an en suite bathroom that can be fully open to the bedroom. Not just a dinky little doorway, but a full-on glass wall of sliding doors so these separate ... Read More

What’s The Big Idea?

  • Posted on Aug 12, 2016

This is the kickoff to a new MMA weekly series…”What’s the big idea?!”  Okay, it’s actually the opposite.  They are little ideas… but that can have a BIG impact on a design. So what’s lined up for this week?  It’s pretty ‘straight’ forward (pun intended!)…  do you have a bedroom wall with a bunch of jigs and ... Read More

Tours, Posts, Magazines, & Books!

  • Posted on Oct 24, 2015

There are lots of exciting things happening for us here at Mowery Marsh Architects! This weekend the house we have been documenting on the blog will be on the Hoboken House Tour.  I’ll be there to answer any questions about the home… and renovation in general.  Joanne Laurie the owner and designer for the interior decor will be there ... Read More

Hoboken Brownstone- Interiors

  • Posted on Jul 17, 2015

Time to wrap up this brownstone series that I started talking about in 2012!  Where does the time go?  We had new shots taken recently that capture the spaces beautifully so I thought it would be a nice way to share some final thoughts on the interiors.  In our practice, we draw no line between ... Read More

Hoboken Brownstone- Electrical

  • Posted on Nov 16, 2014

Next up on our brownstone renovation… Electrical! Outlets, switching, light fixtures, fire detection, data… it’s a lot to think about.   It takes a methodical approach to get everything in just the right spot.  It starts with solid initial planning during the construction documents to get it all on paper. Not only will the building ... Read More

Hoboken Brownstone: Stairs

  • Posted on Jun 9, 2012

We had the stairs fixed pretty early on in the project.  At first I thought we would wait to do them so they didn’t get beaten up during the construction, but the fact is… the workers need to be able to get upstairs! And we didn’t want them to further deteriorate with all the traffic. The existing railing was ... Read More

Hoboken Brownstone: Demolition

  • Posted on Jan 22, 2012

This is the second post in the series, Hoboken Brownstone.  I plan to document the entire construction process so we’ll start with the not so glamorous stuff… demolition!   But first, we needed to do some exploratory work at the basement slab to finalize the drawings for the building department… and in our case zoning approval.  ... Read More

Hoboken Brownstone

  • Posted on Jan 8, 2012

I thought I’d start off the New Year with a series of posts recapping a full brownstone renovation project here in Hoboken.  I’m excited as it’s coming together in the final months, but before we jump to the final product, I’d like to look back at the progress… maybe along the way we’ll shed some light ... Read More

Back On Bloomfield!

  • Posted on Nov 21, 2011

I can’t believe it’s been a year since my last post…and what a year it has been!  Last September we were knee deep in our own renovation, living in my sister-in-laws house… all 4 of us bunked in one room.  It was quite the bonding experience and we owe Karen the world! And we said what everyone says… “Let’s ... Read More

Hey, What’s My Style?

  • Posted on Aug 28, 2011

Now that the eye of the storm has passed but we’re all still trapped inside… let’s talk about renovating!  We’ve started (again) on the design of our own house renovation… We’ve gone around with so many ideas over the years that I thought maybe I should step back a minute and do what I tell ... Read More

Kiddywompus!

  • Posted on Jan 29, 2011

I recently received a post from Remodelista in my email and it featured this great way to display kids art.  I have piles of my daughter’s drawings and this inspired me to ‘someday’ put together a project like this.  It makes me feel better that I’m holding on to oodles of artwork, some of which are not much ... Read More

10 Design Topics For 2011

  • Posted on Dec 31, 2010

Another year has come and gone.  We asked our daughter this morning if there was anything she didn’t get to do this year… ’cause today is the last day!  She replied that there’s always next year.  Well, I guess that’s true but most of the time I feel like we’re trying to cram one more thing in the day just ... Read More

Not Exactly A Farmhouse

  • Posted on Sep 11, 2010

I’ve been meaning to write the second half to my previous post:    New Windows: Part I.   Well, here it is!  I’m sure you’re excited, so let’s have at it… I have a project that is just finishing up (and for sale) and it dawned on me that it’s a good case study on how to ... Read More

Great Design Resource

  • Posted on Jul 24, 2010

Now that summer is in full swing (and whoa, is it swinging!), I’ve cut back on all the extra stuff I do (like blogging!) and I’m sticking with what has to be done.  However, I have continued to follow one blog… Remodelista. When I first started Cattywompus, I thought I should check out what’s out there in the blogging ... Read More

Double Island Counters

  • Posted on Jun 19, 2010

I’ve been working with a client on a kitchen with two islands.  It’s a big trend but there’s always the question whether you want to differentiate between them or tie them together stylistically.  Right now we’re trying to figure out the counters.  We are set on the surrounding counter as soap stone and we’re thinking about a big slab ... Read More

Sweet

  • Posted on May 23, 2010

A few blocks from my house is a delightful little cupcake shop called Sweet.  It’s appropriately located next to a park teaming with wide eyed kids looking for a sugar fix and desperate moms and dads looking for a caffeine boost.  It’s one of those local establishments that makes me love living here.  Not only do they make ... Read More

Splitsville

  • Posted on May 14, 2010

I’m really excited about a current project of mine…but you might think I’m joking, ’cause it’s a split-level!  Yes, that ubiquitous housing type that was created during the suburban sprawl boom of the 50’s and 60’s.   Here’s one we all know and love… Brady Bunch house as of 1995 Photo: Flickr Actually this house is much more interesting than the split-levels we ... Read More

Wall Of Curtain

  • Posted on May 7, 2010

I took this photo the other day of the kids hanging out in the windows.  It’s their favorite spot and rightfully so.  Even though I snapped it on a whim to capture a childhood moment, it also happens to document the first ‘design move’ I made on our house.  It’s a simple one, but bears mentioning… ... Read More

Dining Table Pendant

  • Posted on Mar 29, 2010

The much anticipated dining area light came in last week!  In a previous post, Time Together, I talked about installing a pendant fixture with a drum shade over our dining table. My hope was that it would bring some focus to our meals together and at the same time help delineate the small dining area in our open ... Read More

Back To The Kitchen

  • Posted on Mar 22, 2010

Wow, what a weekend…yes, spring is here! And with that comes the desire to fix up my house. We are back to thinking about our kitchen again.  It’s for real this time… my husband started sanding the cabinets! We’ve been debating what to do with the kitchen since it may get ripped out if we renovate the whole house. ... Read More

Apartment Therapy Kitchen

  • Posted on Mar 11, 2010

A friend of mine, who happens to be an architect and blogger (you might want to check out some of her great recipes!), came across a kitchen on the Apartment Therapy website and said….’Hey, this work looks familiar’.  Well, it turned out it was! Mowery Marsh Architect designed the kitchen which received many envious comments!  When she emailed me, I realized I should spread ... Read More

Let’s Talk Table Lamps

  • Posted on Feb 15, 2010

As I wait for the light fixture over my dining table, I’ve been thinking about lighting in general…especially now that the days are so short!  Table lamps are an easy and inexpensive way to change the feeling of a space.  When we added this floor lamp from Crate & Barrel, it instantly created a new cozy place to read… Pockets ... Read More

A Useful Hallway

  • Posted on Feb 20, 2010

As I was picking up clothes this morning (mom task #1 out of 250) and placing our pjs on the hooks in our hallway, I realized how great it is to have them… and that everyone should!  Usually, you see them in mudrooms for coats, but why not use this organizing idea in other areas of ... Read More

Interior Design Tool

  • Posted on Feb 24, 2010

Here’s an eco idea (both environmentally and economically speaking),  instead of buying a stack of magazines to find inspiration for your next home project, go to the Decorpad website. It’s a great resource for seeing lots of interiors in many different styles.  So rather than flipping through countless magazines looking for particular images that might inspire you, go to ... Read More

Time Together

  • Posted on Jan 29, 2010

Another house project I’m tackling right now is where we eat dinner. It’s important to me that as a family we have our meals together so we can talk about our day. But I find our table uninviting and I tend to eat quickly so I can go sit somewhere more comfortable… like the couch! I decided ... Read More

Shiny & New

  • Posted on Jan 25, 2010

I treated myself to something shiny and new for 2010. As you can see, it’s not jewelry… but knowing myself, I thought I’d enjoy this much more than a trinket for my wrist. Yes, it’s a boring faucet but it’s already making my dishwashing more delightful! It’s something we can move to our new kitchen ... Read More

Preferred Seating

  • Posted on Jan 20, 2010

What is it about a window that makes a child want to play there? The other day my son spent almost an hour playing with his cars on the window sill. Makes you want to go buy some lumber and build a window seat! I personally love to work in lots of light with a ... Read More

Living With Less?

  • Posted on Jan 17, 2010

Every once in awhile I treat myself to 10 minutes of Oprah. I figure it’s the one perk of juggling work and kids… the opportunity to watch a little daytime television if I’ve got a free moment. We don’t have Tivo or cable so the slim pickin’s keeps me focused on work. But if I ... Read More

Storage Real Estate

  • Posted on Jan 15, 2010

In my last post, I showed a glimpse of our new improved bathroom and miraculously it was clutter free. Well, in the spirit of being real, I thought I should show you how we can do that. Now that’s what I call a medicine cabinet! This thing holds everything we need in the bathroom, it’s ... Read More

One Space at a Time

  • Posted on Jan 14, 2010

Here’s a beautiful space I just found online. It’s an interior by Debora Berke. Clean, simple, bright, organized. Imagine how much work I could get done in an office like that! I’d love to have a space like this in my own house someday. Unfortunately, we don’t all have the money, time, or energy to withstand ... Read More