Home trends for 2011

It appears that 2011 is our year!  Pat yourself on the back, Small Homeowners. We are ahead of the curve.   Furniture makers, homebuilders and appliance manufacturers are finally targeting US!!!

"The lagging economy, a slow housing market and still higher than normal unemployment rates all have contributed to what members of the National Association of Home Builders, the American Home Furnishings Alliance and the International Housewares Association have observed as a new frugality among buyers. It applies to everything from house size, to the cost of furnishings and the features of home appliances. The same consumer caution that brought us the “staycations’ of the previous decade will continue to drive many of 2011’s home-related trends." -The Star Ledger

Whatever it means to them, to us it means the Jewel Box® home and lifestyle are finally being recognized as good things. 

Trend #1:  Smaller houses.  No more McMansions!  With the shrinking carbon footprint trend and the smaller budget trend and the seeking simplicity trend, the square footage of the American home is shrinking.  Smaller homes have the appeal of being more energy efficient, more affordable and easier to maintain!

 Kathy's lake house from 

Jewel Box® Friendly Fridays.

Trend #2:  Staying put.  People are remaining in their current homes.  They aren't trading up, they are making improvements to their existing home, making it more livable and more valuable. 

The window seat from my sister's home. Notice

the storage underneath.  She and her family have lived

in this house for over 20 years.

Trend #3:  Colorize!  Even if remodeling isn't in the cards, homeowners are adding punch and pizzazz to their home's decor by adding color to sofas, lamps, pillows, accent pieces and wall color.

Mary's house from 

Jewel Box® Friendly Fridays.

Trend #4:  Get back to basics.  With all the technology running rampant in today's modern world, who would have thought that 2011 would  bring a return to old fashioned ways such as canning, preserving food, gardening and home crafts?  For many this year, remembering our American roots is the path to leading a simpler life.

Dwell magazine

Trend #5:  Time savers!  In the rush to beat the clock, crunch the budget, make the meeting on time, shuttle the kids and pick up the dry cleaning we homeowners are searching for ways to save time.  This creates a renewed reliance on faithful old appliances such as the slow cooker crock pot, the 15 minute cleaning routine and the good old-fashioned calendar!

The 2011 calendar in my kitchen.

Small home living is finally trendy.  I like 2011!

~Amber

Beauty and Laughter Happen

Flowering Magnolia Tree

Life at high velocity speeds your own evolution.
- 'Mind Over Water', Craig Lambert

I am writing this post while enjoying a glass of white wine - Fetzer Gewurztraminer a favorite of mine - and appreciating the sun shining on the Magnolia tree in full bloom just outside my study window. This beauty exists even though my husband has been out of a job since August 2008, I am still recovering from mass lay-offs in December where I work, a family member needs to be moved to assisted living, we are struggling to pay out-of-state tuition for my son and to top it off, my camera is not working. (That's why the picture above is not my magnolia tree, although mine looks almost exactly the same.)

This is probably way too much information, but I wanted to let you know why I usually post only twice a month and sometimes just once. (And my glass of wine is definitely making this easier.)

Frankly, I have been awed by the fabulous bloggers out there who manage beautiful posts almost everyday. I just love Melissa at the Inspired Room and Joni at Cote de Texas. Someday I hope to be able to send in comments to these inspiring blogs. Right now all I seem to manage is reading the posts.

As for coping with the roller coaster that is my life right now, everyday I force myself to find a bit of beauty and something to smile about. Many days this feels like pulling teeth, but if I just pay attention, beauty and laughter happen. Today, it was the magnolia tree and hearing my son's remarks about 'Dancing with the Stars'. He caught a glimpse of the show while I was cooking dinner. His comment about Gilles, "Sit down sexy dancing man! How can anyone take you or your haircut seriously," had me laughing out loud.

So what keeps me blogging even though I don't have nearly the talent of other designers out there and obviously I can't keep up with their beautiful prose and frequent posts? For me, the friendly and warm people found in the design blogging community are a little bit of heaven. Especially at this time in my life, it is a joy to contribute and participate in my small way to such a lovely group of women and men.

For those of you who are interested, a few short blurbs about me and Jewel Box Home appear in the following magazines this month:

Little Boxes
The New Movement to Seriously Downsize Our Homes

Cottage Living
Small is Beautiful

10 ways to get a small-space lift
(No link yet, to see the article go to page 38 of the May/June Midwest Living)

Until next time,

Genevieve

Barack Obama and The Jewel Box™ Home

Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change that we seek. - President Elect Barack Obama

We can't drive our SUVs and eat as much as we want and keep our homes on 72 degrees at all times... and then just expect that other countries are going to say OK. That's not leadership. That's not going to happen.- President Elect Barack Obama

Ever since Barack Obama became President Elect, I have toyed with the idea of sharing my small story about his campaign and the Jewel Box™ Home connection. Today I have decided to throw caution to the winds and for the first - and likely last time - allow politics to make an appearance on the Jewel Box™ site. First, a little background. All my life I have voted a straight Republican ticket. In fact, when I turned 18, I proudly cast my first ballot for Reagan. As a young single woman in Chicago, I volunteered downtown as a Republican Precinct captain. Since Chicago is fiercely Democratic, this was a lot like being a goldfish in a pool of sharks. Regardless, I persevered in my dedication to the Republican party. This was in large part due to my upbringing in a diehard Republican family.

Obama first made an impression on me when he ran for the U.S. Senate and won. After he declared for President, I immediately volunteered to help with the campaign. My father and husband - both hard core Republicans - could not resist teasing me as a traitor to the family's political heritage. So where does the Jewel Box™ Home come into this story? I volunteered to host a get-together at our home in the first round of house parties for Obama. My husband found this especially humorous since Senator Obama would not be coming to our house, but 'speaking' from a town hall meeting in Iowa via the internet. No matter, I was throwing this party and to his credit, my husband helped set up the computer screen hook-ups. True to the Jewel Box™ party staging rules, I served buffet style - sandwiches, sides, wine, beer and soda - in the dining room, while people talked and listened to Obama in the the living room. Because my son was 18 at the time and voting the following year in his first election, several of his friends came over along with life long Democrats and fellow Republicans. It went beautifully and the comfortable, smaller scaled proportions of our home made it easy for people from every political background to mingle. And we were all surprised when several TV stations showed up later to interview us as 'Republicans for Obama'. I made my first - and so far only - TV appearance that night on ABC and WGN in Chicago.

Aside from the house party connection, what does President Elect Obama have to do with the Jewel Box™ Home? The hallmarks of a Jewel Box™ home in a much smaller way parallel the Obama political philosophy. Obama by recognizing the needs of Americans from all walks of life, has brought together liberals and conservatives; black, white, latino and asian Americans into one community with a desire to create a better nation and world, through the collective actions of a united people. I have not met President Elect Obama, nor do I ever expect to have that privilege, but on a much smaller scale, Jewel Box™ follows Obama's unifying vision. The best traits of both large and small houses are embodied in the Jewel Box™ Home satisfying the needs of all households and lifestyles - singles, downsizing Baby Boomers, young couples, families, and single parents. The focus is on livability not size and human needs take priority. The Jewel Box™ lifestyle also teaches us the skills of functioning in a multi-dimensional society. Spaces have to be shared and the ability to respect the needs and desires of others is learned. As I mentioned earlier, most of my family, including my husband, are lifelong Republicans. Still, aside from some good natured teasing, my decision to support Obama was not only tolerated, but respected. This is the direct result of the spirit and atmosphere of a Jewel Box™ home, whose primary purpose is to enrich the lives of its people.

May your home and your life bring light and love to the world.

Until next time,

Genevieve

The Jewel Box™Home: What's for dinner?

Thursday Night Dinner

Flank Steak
Risotto with Asparagus
Red and Yellow Tomatoes with Basil and Olive Oil

One of the greatest joys of small home living is the time "freed up" for the daily rituals that bring friends and especially family together. In our home, an important part of the day is dinner. Most nights we sit down to eat as a family and often one of the boys will have a friend join us.

Our dinners are simple, but simple is not the same thing as quick. I don't care how fast Rachel Ray can whip up a meal, it takes time to make something that tastes good. I usually spend at least one hour or more in the kitchen. That does not mean, however, that I am slaving away. Making dinner is not about racing to put food on the table. I cook at a leisurely pace and the boys stop in grab a snack and chat, or my husband joins me to share a glass of wine.

Still, don't get the wrong idea and picture this perfect family sitting down to dinner. The reality is that I dirty a lot of dishes when I cook, one of the boys usually doesn't like what I make and someone is always complaining about school or work. And don't forget that my husband is Italian, so our dinner conversations often border on yelling.

Yet the routine of making a meal and eating together is an important way in which we connect as a family. So what do I make at dinner time? Monday is reserved for fish, Tuesday is pasta, Wednesday is Chicken, Thursday is beef or pork and Friday is pasta again or pizza. I usually don't plan weekend meals in advance.

The dinner pictured above is a family favorite - Flank steak, risotto with asparagus and red and yellow tomatoes with fresh basil and olive oil. The tomatoes and basil are from my garden. I like the look and flavor of the sweet yellow tomatoes combined with the sharper taste of the red variety. Let me know if you would like the recipes.

Until next time,

Genevieve

Happy Mother's Day!

Sleepy Baby c.1910 - Mary Cassatt (1845 - 1926)

Mary Cassatt is well known for her pastels and oil paintings of mothers and children involved in the rhythms of every day life. Cassatt beautifully captures the deep love mothers have for their children, as well as the warmth, comfort and security children feel in the presence of their mothers. It is almost as if we are intruding on an intimate moment between mother and child.

My mother passed away over 20 years ago. I am always reminded of her by the lovely expressions on the faces Cassatt's mothers. These are perfect replicas of my mother's expression while having dinner with her family or throwing a party for friends. She had created something beautiful and brought joy into our lives. Her family, her home and her friends were her life's work.

Although my mother died before I was married or had children, she passed on to me and my sister what she considered the foundation for keeping a beautiful home - a schedule/routine. During the week, establish a time and place for all basic household tasks. By keeping to this routine, family life runs much more smoothly than it otherwise would. Children know when laundry will be done - or for my boys, when they should do laundry. Everyone knows when grocery shopping takes place, when sheets are changed and when dinner is served. A routine is especially helpful in the case of a smaller home, where bathrooms and bedrooms are shared.

Basic tasks to include in your household routine/schedule:

• grocery shopping
• laundry
• changing bed linen
• dinner time
  
• bed time for younger children

So how does my weekly schedule look?

• Sunday - Grocery Shopping - Plan for two hours round trip to the grocery store and back, then another hour to put away groceries. I usually cook a very simple meal on Sundays, because I'm exhausted after the grocery store!
  
• Monday - Bed linens are changed every two weeks - But don't beat yourself up if it slips to three weeks or more. No one is going to die because of dirty linen! And I usually have pasta for dinner on Mondays because its easy.
• Tuesday - No big chores on Tuesday, but I cook a more substantial dinner. Usually chicken.
• Wednesday - No big chores and I cook a simple dinner or we have sandwiches. At this point I have cooked three meals in a row and I'm ready for a break.
• Thursday - No big chores, but I cook a larger meal. My boys enjoy beef, so I often try to serve that on Thursdays.
• Friday - Take a break! Pizza for dinner and no chores.
• Saturday - Clean the house and do laundry. This is a big day for chores, but I prefer to get everything done in one day. Usually I work with the kids cleaning the house and doing laundry until 3:00 pm. Then we are done and ready to entertain guests or go out. The laundry is usually not all folded, but that happens a little at a time during the week.

As for dinner, we eat very late, usually at 8:30 or 9:00. I always tell the children we are on European time! When they were younger, they ate and were in bed by 8:00. But now that they are teenagers, we eat as a family after they are done with sports, after school activities and homework.

Now back to Mothers Day. Those of you who visit the the Jewel Box Home website, know that I created a cocktail - The Genny - in honor of my mother, the original Jewel Box diva. So for Mother's Day, treat yourself to a Genny and give yourself credit for all the sacrifices you make and love you give without asking anything in return!

The Genny

Champagne
Pomegranate Liqueur (I prefer Pama)
Strawberry for garnish

Fill a fluted glass 3/4th full with champagne.
Top the glass off with 1/4th pomegranate liqueur.
Garnish with a strawberry and enjoy!

Top Ten Reasons to Live in a Smaller Home

Who says you need a big house?
- My son Marc Ferraro at 12 years old asking me why I was obsessed with moving to a bigger house

As many of you who read this blog know, two years ago I was knee deep in big-house envy. And I'm embarassed to admit, but it touched practically every area of my life, including my relationship with my sons. I was convinced that they needed a larger house for their mental and physical health - separate bedrooms with separate study areas, a bathroom of their own to share, or better yet, a separate bathroom for each boy. This would give them their own space, they would be better students because they were more organized. They wouldn't keep each other up at night so they would get more sleep and be healthier. And when one of them was sick, it was less likely to spread across the shared bedroom to my other son.

Anyway, I complained about this endlessly and of course they both heard me. One day Marc had enough. He turned to face me and forcefully blurted out, "Who says you need a big house?" After I recovered from the shock of hearing him say this - up to that point both boys had humored my dream home fantasies - I said, "I want things to be better for my family, especially you boys". I will never forget what he said next, "Mom we don't care about the house. We like it here and don't want to move. This, is your problem and we are tired of hearing about it". This from a 12-year-old!

After feeling somewhat betrayed by my own son, and walking out of the room in a bit of snit - even though I'm middle-aged I can still throw a calculated fit like a pro - I slowly came to my senses and realized that my son was right. This was about me and what society advertised as important for a good life.

So why should anyone not only feel good about, but celebrate living in a smaller home? Here are the top ten reasons:

TOP TEN REASONS TO LIVE IN A SMALLER HOME

1. Greater Financial Freedom. Super-sized houses come with hefty mortgages. Factor in property taxes, homeowner’s insurance, utility bills and maintenance costs, and most of your paycheck quickly goes into housing expenses. Buying a smaller home leaves more money for other investments and activities you enjoy.
   
2. Less Maintenance. Big homes mean more space, more rooms, bigger lawns – all of which add up to more work. Choosing a smaller home gives you more time to do things you and your family enjoy.
3. Closer Family Ties. Families living in a smaller home naturally learn to respect each other’s needs and wants. Children also learn the important life skill of how to share personal and communal living space.
4. More Comfort. Most big houses are focused on size, not livability. The advantage of a smaller home is that living spaces are built to human scale. Rooms feel cozier, warmer and more inviting. Human needs take priority.
5. Less Intimidating. The upside to a big house is having an impressive place to live. Larger houses make a grand display of space and luxury appointments. But this can be intimidating to guests and sometimes even younger family members. In a smaller home common areas are warm and inviting, retreat areas are relaxing and calm.
6. The “Green” Advantage. Smaller homes have a smaller footprint. Fewer rooms and less space mean fewer resources are used for heating, cooling and lighting. Owning a smaller home is a great way to be responsible environmental citizen.
7. Functional, Efficient Living Space. Because of their large volumes of space, many rooms in bigger houses aren’t used efficiently. This is especially true of formal dining rooms, oversized great rooms and two-story foyers. The functional layout of space in smaller homes allows the daily rhythms of life to flow more easily and naturally.
8. Bigger Homes Don’t Necessarily Make You Happier. Many people think moving up to a bigger house will make them happier. But that happiness is never fully realized or is short-lived. Why? A larger home comes with a bigger mortgage and more upkeep. Nor does a bigger house necessarily satisfy more of our needs.
9. More money for Education. A lower monthly mortgage payment means more money is available for education. This is especially helpful for families with college age children, but also gives adults the freedom to return to school and change careers or explore other opportunities after retirement.
10. Decorating and Entertaining are Easier. Decorating a big house is expensive and professional help is often needed. When entertaining, guest may feel isolated and parties unstructured. By contrast, decorating the smaller takes less money and is easy when basic rules are followed. Also, the more comfortable proportions of the smaller home usually make for better parties.

Until next time!

Genevieve

New Features Added to Jewel Box ™ Home Website!

Never be afraid to try something new. Remember that a lone amateur built the Ark and a large group of professionals built the Titanic. - Author unknown

The new features which I promised were coming to the Jewel Box™ Home website have at last gone live! The highlights are:

• Jewel Box™ Living – A quarterly newsletter with the first issue, Spring 2008, now up on the website.
• Into the Homes of Readers – A forum where readers can share stories of their small homes.
• The Gallery – Three photo galleries, the first featuring more photos of my home, the second gallery showing party photos and the third with photos of readers homes.
• Design Consults – A tab that lets readers contact me for design consults in the Chicago land area.

You can visit all the new features at http://www.thejewelboxhome.com/. In the meantime, here is an excerpt from my Letter to Readers in the Spring 2008 issue of Jewel Box Living.

The other day, my 14-year-old son informed me that because of the Jewel Box ™ website, I will never be able to live in a big house. To quote his exact words, “Even if you become rich and famous, you can never have a mansion.”

A short three years ago, the thought that I would never live in a house larger than 2000 square feet, would have left me in a depressed state for weeks. I subscribe to the theory that humans behave like herding animals. We like to group together and then gain status within the group. I had joined the home-owning group, and was ready to improve my status by moving to a larger house. When my husband wanted to stay in our smaller home, I was crushed. If not part of the upwardly mobile home-owning community, who was I? I felt like the lone springbok cut off from the herd.

Given my past obsession with trading up, many of my friends and family are surprised that I no longer want a big house. But I am passionate about creating the Jewel Box ™ look and helping others do the same. And then there are the intangibles. In a larger home, would I hear my younger son whistling in the morning? Or both boys laughing and talking at night in the bedroom they share? Priceless! And would my boys feel comfortable sharing their opinions on the frequent verbal sparring matches between their parents? According to the boys, “Our friends’ parents argue like amateurs. You and dad are professionals”! Again, priceless!

So when my son made his announcement the other day, I said, without hesitation, “I don’t ever want a big house or mansion. But the rich part could be fun; I can take a pass on famous.” Of course, if ever I am rich and famous, you will probably read about my Jewel Box™ vacation house in People magazine.

Until next time!

Genevieve

Small Homes as Status Symbols

To be happy at home is the ultimate result of all ambition.
- Samuel Johnson

George Carlin is known for saying, "A house is just a place for your stuff". Technically, this is true. But for most of us, where we live not only fulfills our need for shelter, but also tells the world who we are. More than any other possession, a house is used by our family, friends and neighbors as a barometer of our status and importance within the community. And that is why our houses are such emotionally charged topics of conversation. We attach so many feelings to our homes; pride, success, satisfaction, power, jealously, belonging, love, the list is endless. And what does all this have to do with small home living? Most people move from a small home to a larger home because by society's standards, bigger is better. Many life events - the birth of a child, a significant job promotion or rise in income - come with the expectation that we will move to a bigger house. Until recently, it was considered unusual for someone who had the financial resources not to trade-up to a larger home. Empty nesters were the only market segment where it was acceptable to go smaller. But this mind set is changing.

Cars are the second biggest purchase people make next to their home. Big cars, long considered symbols of success, are now getting some bad press as gas guzzling polluters. Hollywood celebrities and power brokers who drive small hybrid cars are applauded as role models for good environmental citizenship. Indeed, small cars are now sometimes seen as status symbols.

So can a smaller home be a status symbol? Absolutely! The day is coming when people who have the money to live in mansions will choose smaller houses. Rather than making a grand display of wealth and space, they will live in homes that blend beauty, harmony and function, in spaces defined by their owners needs. They will have stepped out of the large home mentality circle of safety and become enlightened!

Until next time!

Genevieve

The Jewel Box Home and Carlos Santana

Live your Light
- Carlos Santana on Tour 2008

This past Saturday, my husband took me and our boys to see Carlos Santana in concert. In my husband's words, "We are making 'the pilgrimage' to see the guitar god". For those of you not familiar with Santana, he is 60 years old, played at Woodstock and was known by a single name before Madonna was out of her teens. To get a flavor for his music, download onto your ipod, or - if you are in my generation - buy a CD with the songs, Maria Maria, Europa and Smooth. As my boys would say, "This dude is lights out"! Translation, they are impressed.

So what does Santana have to do with the Jewel Box Home? Santana's music has always had spiritual underpinnings and these are especially embodied in his latest tour where he encourages his audience to live with a peaceful purpose and bring light into the world. The Jewel Box Home philosophy parallels these themes. It is all about creating a living space filled with light and beauty that is a comforting haven for family and a welcoming place for friends to gather. This is more easily done in a smaller home where the emphasis is on livability not size and human needs take priority. Without the burden of a larger house and its upkeep, we are freed to enrich our lives with a multitude of experiences and reach out to family and friends when needed. May your home and your life bring light and love to the world.

Until next time!

Genevieve

Who Says You Need A Big House? Celebrate The Jewel Box Home!

Too many people spend money they haven't earned,
To buy things they don't want,
To impress people they don't like.
Will Rogers, American humorist and entertainer, 1879-1935

Welcome to the Jewel Box Home, your ultimate guide to decorating, entertaining and finding happiness in a smaller home. Its good for the environment, good for your wallet and good for your sanity.

Famed architects Louis H. Sullivan and Frank Lloyd Wright called several of their favorite projects "jewel boxes". This term wonderfully captures the richness and potential of small home living. There are many articles, books and websites that talk about living in a small space, or making small spaces look big. But few, if any, celebrate and honor the advantages and beauty of the smaller house, which I affectionately call a Jewel Box Home.

I have fallen in love with the Jewel Box Home, but that was not always the case. As a wife and working mother of two boys, I was convinced our 1800 square foot home with three bedrooms and one and 1/2 bathrooms, was too small for a growing family. Add neighborhood pressure to see home ownership as a competitive sport, and I had a serious case of big-house envy.

Happily my husband did not want to move and my eyes were opened to the ease and comfort of small home living, and the financial freedom that comes with it. I also felt good that my house left only a small footprint on the Earth. The Jewel Box home was born.

What is the Jewel Box Home? Size is the most obvious trait. Rather than making a grand statement, the Jewel Box Home respects the scale of its neighborhood. Compared to the average American home, its size is modest, usually less than 2,000 square feet.

As important as size, is the philosophy of the Jewel Box Home. These living spaces are designed to meet the needs of home life, rather than follow trends or impress neighbors. The comfort of family and friends takes center stage. Beauty and function are valued over accumulating space and things. Just as a jewel box displays the gem inside to its best advantage, the Jewel Box Home enriches the lives of its people.

On this blog you will be able to find updates and news about small home living, along with tips about decorating, entertaining and living happily in a smaller home. For all you ever wanted to know about the Jewel Box Home and how to create your own Jewel Box visit my website at www.thejewelboxhome.com.