CasaSugar

How-To: Stay Safe During a Wildfire

CasaSugar — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 11:00:24 -0700

Since the breakout of the August wildfires north of Los Angeles, at least 53 buildings have been destroyed, and 4,300 people have been evacuated. As of this writing, more than 12,000 homes are under threat.

While some families have been reluctant to leave their homes, in the end, your home is just a house. It's the nonmaterial things you fill it with - namely your family, pets, and memories - that make it truly a home. This is why I urge readers to listen to firefighters' warnings, and to leave their homes if a mandatory evacuation is issued. Your life is much more important than any piece of property, no matter how much you love it.

Want to know how to protect your family and your home from a wildfire? Check out these smart pointers from the City of Napa, CA's fire safety page:

Maintain a "defensible" space around your home by clearing all flammable vegetation a minimum of 30 feet around all structures.
Clear dead leaves and branches to leave widely spaced ornamental shrubbery and trees.
Clean all needles and leaves from the roof, eaves, rain gutters, and yard.
Trim tree limbs within 10 feet of your chimney and trim all dead limbs hanging over your house or garage.
Cover your chimney outlet or flue with a spark arresting half-inch mesh screen.

To see the rest of the tips, read more.

Make sure your address is clearly visible for easy identification in an emergency.
Check to see if a fire hydrant is located near your home. If not, you should have a water storage supply of at least 2,500 gallons for use in an emergency situation.
Stack woodpiles at least 30 feet from buildings, fences, and other combustible materials.
Clear all vegetation and other flammable materials from beneath your deck. Enclose undersides of elevated decks with fire-resistive materials.
Remove "ladder fuels." They link the grasses and the tree tops.
Create "fuel breaks" - these can be driveways, gravel walkways, or well-maintained lawns.
Maintain your irrigation system regularly.
Prune tree limbs so the lowest is between 6-10 feet from the ground.
Dispose of cuttings and debris promptly, according to local regulations.
Keep at least two means of escape (either a door or window) in each room.
Mark your driveway and access roads clearly.
Keep ample turnaround space near your house for fire equipment.
Prevent sparks from entering your house by covering vents with wire mesh no larger than 1/8 inch.
When possible, use construction materials that are fire resistant or noncombustible.

How-To: Protect Your Family and Home From a Wildfire

CasaSugar — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 05:30:12 -0700

As most of you probably know, California has been ravaged by fires this Summer. As I write this, one of my friends awaits evacuation notice at her Southern California home, and several others are keeping a close watch on fire patterns in their area. Fire scares me - it is erratic and unpredictable and frighteningly fast. And while I can understand why some homeowners are reluctant to leave their homes, in the end, your home is just a house. It's the nonmaterial things you fill it with - namely your family, pets, and memories - that make it truly a home. This is why I urge readers to listen to firefighters' warnings, and to leave their homes if a mandatory evacuation is issued. Your life is much more important than any piece of property, no matter how much you love it.

Here are some smart pointers from the City of Napa, California's fire safety page:

Maintain a "defensible" space around your home by clearing all flammable vegetation a minimum of 30 feet around all structures.
Clear dead leaves and branches to leave widely spaced ornamental shrubbery and trees.
Clean all needles and leaves from the roof, eaves, rain gutters, and yard.
Trim tree limbs within 10 feet of your chimney and trim all dead limbs hanging over your house or garage.
Cover your chimney outlet or flue with a spark arresting half-inch mesh screen.

To see the rest of the tips, read more.

Make sure your address is clearly visible for easy identification in an emergency.
Check to see if a fire hydrant is located near your home. If not, you should have a water storage supply of at least 2,500 gallons for use in an emergency situation.
Stack woodpiles at least 30 feet from buildings, fences, and other combustible materials.
Clear all vegetation and other flammable materials from beneath your deck. Enclose undersides of elevated decks with fire-resistive materials.
Remove "ladder fuels." They link the grasses and the tree tops.
Create "fuel breaks - these can be driveways, gravel walkways, or well-maintained lawns.
Maintain your irrigation system regularly.
Prune tree limbs so the lowest is between 6-10 feet from the ground.
Dispose of cuttings and debris promptly, according to local regulations.
Keep at least two means of escape (either a door or window) in each room.
Mark your driveway and access roads clearly.
Keep ample turnaround space near your house for fire equipment.
Prevent sparks from entering your house by covering vents with wire mesh no larger than 1/8 inch.
When possible, use construction materials that are fire resistant or noncombustible.

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Coveted Crib: Echo Park Modern

CasaSugar — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 21:08:00 -0700

When a writer and an artist couple bought property in Los Angeles's happening Echo Park neighborhood, they wanted a home that would serve as an urban oasis in Los Angeles. Instead of constructing a home that jutted out from the Los Angeles hillside, they wanted something more discrete and comforting, and envisioned a home that nestled into the landscape.

After hiring architect Rachel Allen, they planned a home that would update the classic California ranch house, emphasizing indoor-outdoor living. The three-bedroom, two-bathroom house is a modest size, at 1700 square feet, and features ample outdoor space, including a bridge entrance, an outdoor deck, and outdoor seating spaces. Eco features include the home's small size, sustainably harvested walnut flooring, a radiant heating systems, and low-flow toilets and shower heads. A recent LA Times article about the home fawned over the outdoor spaces:

The terraced property is a symphony of citrus trees, yucca, bougainvillea, pine trees, and eucalyptus. The couple added a rock garden, organic vegetable beds and native plants and wildflowers. A potting area with a fire pit is not far from where the couple were married. Cozy wooden sitting areas, hand built by previous owners who lived here for more than 60 years, remain throughout the backyard like rustic diner booths.

Finches, doves, woodpeckers, skunks, squirrels, and other animals add to the rural feeling. Goats and chickens will be next, says the couple, who are aspiring urban farmers.

For a complete tour, read more.

View 8 Photos ›

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Q&A With Dream Kitchen Architect Cass Calder

CasaSugar — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 11:00:16 -0700

Earlier today, I told you about Sunset magazine's Dream Kitchen Contest. Now, I want to introduce you to the man behind the Dream Kitchen's designs, San Francisco architect Cass Calder Smith.

Cass Calder Smith's firm, CCS Architecture, has been building and renovating modern spaces for almost 20 years. The San Francisco-based firm concentrates on commercial and residential projects, as well as kitchen design. A native of New York City, Cass has lived in California since 1972. The son of an Academy Award-winning filmmaker and a California landscape painter and designer, his childhood was influenced by both Greenwich Village intellectuals and rural California artisans, and he draws inspiration from history’s great architects and cities as well as the epic filmmakers of the last century. Cass was kind enough to answer some questions about Sunset magazine's Dream Kitchen, as well as kitchen design in general.

To check out the interview, read more.

CasaSugar: How did Sunset come up with the idea for the Dream Kitchen?

Cass: It's an offshoot of their dream house, but more specific. It also has an interactive design process that connects the design to their readers.

CasaSugar: Who owns the dream house?

Cass: DeMattei Construction is building the house as a spec home. It will be sold once the kitchen is completed. Right now, everything in the home is finished except for the kitchen.

CasaSugar: What is the architectural style/features of the San Jose home where the dream kitchen will be installed?

Cass: It's a new house with a Craftsman look and feel. The house is about 3,300 square feet with four bedrooms and four baths.

CasaSugar: What features do you think are essential for a home kitchen?

Cass: Everyday livability. It needs to be a social space for a family to do much more than cooking and eating. The Dream Kitchen is connected and fully open to the family room, so it's very much a large family room with a kitchen in it. Aside from that, the appliances and the cabinet configurations are very important.

CasaSugar: What do you think is extraneous for a home kitchen?

Cass: I don't like overly fancy finishes that are not in sync with the rest of the house.

CasaSugar: What are three things that every home owner should add if the kitchen is being renovated?

Cass: 1) Island for prep; 2) a second sink for clean up with its own dishwasher; 3) sexy/functional appliances.

CasaSugar: What flooring do you prefer for kitchens?

Cass: I like whatever is also being used in the adjacent rooms or areas . . . this tends to be wood, but I also like slab stone if it's honed.

CasaSugar: What do you see as smart new kitchen trends?

Cass: Appliance garages, nice hoods that add rather than detract, walk-in pantries, overall design as social spaces.
CasaSugar: I love the simplicity of the Pt. Reyes kitchen on your website; are you a fan of open shelving, such as the shelving shown in this home’s kitchen?

Cass: Yes I am, because most kitchens have lots of doored cabinets. Open shelving opens a kitchen up, and exposes the home owner's lifestyle, making it more casual.

CasaSugar: What are you hoping to see in the future in terms of kitchens in your work?

Cass: I'd like to see more specific kitchens that are related to each client's dreams and desires. For me, this means live fire cooking.

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Casa Verde: Google Rents Goats For Lawn Mowing Alternative

CasaSugar — Fri, 01 May 2009 15:00:02 -0700

Lately, I've been showing you ways to go green without spending money, since being eco-friendly isn't always about dollar bills. Sometimes, though, all it takes to get into the earth's circle of friends is to spend your money differently.
Google knows what I'm talking about. The Internet monster has switched up its lawn maintenance routine by abandoning a lawn-mowing service for a more holistic approach - the service of goats. To trim the fields at its Mountain View, CA, headquarters, Google has hired the folks at California Grazing to bring about 200 goats and goat-herding border collies to the office for a week to clear weeds and eliminate brush-fire hazards. The service costs about the same as mowing, curbs air and noise pollution (except a few bahhhhs), and eliminates gas usage. Would you consider doing the same at your home?
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Have You Ever Been in a Wildfire?

CasaSugar — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 16:00:25 -0700

In Southern California, homeowners have been in close proximity to wildfires, which have been made even more dangerous by gusting Santa Ana Winds. Even closer to my home, a Napa Valley area fire has threatened homes and wineries. I have, luckily, never been in or close to a wildfire. Have you?

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Casa Capsule: The Week That Was

CasaSugar — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 10:30:58 -0700

Marc Jacobs's Paris apartment is a coveted maison.
Got junk to toss? Freecycle it!
Kyle Schuneman shows you how to make a moss chair.
Beck wants a (sea) change from Hancock Park.
Are you well-read? Get the look of a timeless library.
Up for a swim? Pick up some pool photography.
Pete Sampras scored $23 million - love on his Hills manse.
If the California fires are giving you the creeps, you can still protect your home and family.
I previewed the new CB2 store in San Francisco!
CasaSugar is having a Summer Style Contest! Check it out: you could be a winner!

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Ask Casa: I Need Help With My Pear Tree

CasaSugar — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 13:00:56 -0700

Hi Casa,

I have a pear tree on the side of the house, and it's my first full Spring there, so I want to treat it right this year and get pears I can actually eat from it. I know fruit trees might not be a wide-range enough topic for a post, but if you have any suggestions or websites you could point me towards, I would appreciate your input! I know there is some trimming and recommended spraying involved, but beyond that I am lost.

Thanks for any help!
Adelka

Hi Adelka,

Some of the advice for taking care of pear trees can be extended to fruit trees in general, so I'm sure your question will benefit a lot of Casa readers. I actually have two pear trees in my yard - an Asian pear tree and a D'anjou pear tree.

To see the rest of my answer, just read more.
I've been very lucky with my trees - they've required a minimum of care, and have mostly taken care of themselves. This may be due in part to the fact that Northern California and the Pacific Northwest are two of the easiest climates in which to grow pear trees. I would definitely ask your local nursery for advice about growing pear trees in your specific region.

However, in general, pears like to be planted in a spot that's slightly elevated and on a slope because they bloom early and the flowers may be susceptible to damage from frost. Pears prefer heavier soil types, such as clayey loam with porous subsoil or medium or sandy loam. For fertilizing, organic fruit tree fertilizer spikes are a great choice, as the spikes slowly release nutrients into the soil.

Pear trees will require pruning, which should mainly be done in the Winter, and should be light - don't cut it back drastically. Just concentrate on pruning patterns that will create a well-shaped tree that has strong branches. Remove any central branches that are thin or weak, as well as any that look like they may be infected with blight.

Since pears are self-sterile, they need more than one variety planted within 50 feet of each other so they can cross pollinate. About halfway through the season (midsummer), thin fruit so the branches won't break. This will also help to produce larger fruit. Try to leave one pear per cluster, with clusters spaced about six inches apart. To thin the fruit, just hold the stem with your thumb and index finger and push the pear off the stem with your other fingers.

In general, I would avoid spraying if you can help it. Fire blight is the most common disease for pear trees, If you encounter this disease, contact a local nursery to decide on steps to take, though it's always advisable to prune back any branches (using a diluted bleach and water mixture to rinse your pruning shears in between cuts) that have been affected by blight.

I hope this helps!

Cheers and happy growing,

CasaSugar

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Artist of the Day: Lisel Jane Ashlock

CasaSugar — Fri, 05 Oct 2007 05:15:57 -0700

Lisel Ashlock was born in Northern California and studied Illustration at California College of the Arts in San Francisco. In 2004 she moved to New York City, where she currently resides as a freelance illustrator. Her illustrations have appeared in CosmoGirl, Spin, Sephora ads, and Clamor magazine, among others. She has also illustrated such famous folks as Sofia Coppola, Bob Dylan, Arcade Fire, and Nico. I love Lisel's dreamy, soft style, but I have to wonder: Why do so many of her animals have a tear in one eye?

To see a gallery of Lisel's work, just read more

After you explore the image gallery, you might want to check Lisel's website to find out more about her art.

View 6 Photos ›

http://www.liseljane.com/

Link Time!

CasaSugar — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 15:00:57 -0800

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