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By candace kramer, November 18, 2011 3:32 pm

I am so excited to introduce you to Michele Reeves, I just met her myself this week at the Waluga Masonic Lodge in Lake Oswego. The meeting that Michele was presenting was “Fundamentals of Thriving Downtowns”. You all know how I thrive to promote urban downtown living and that I am very active in being a stakeholder for a vibrant downtown for Lake Oswego, marketing two condo projects, Stafford Commons and 555 2nd st Condos for the last five years.

Foothills Park

Michele is an urban strategist with extensive background in commercial real estate, development consulting, project management, and retail leasing. She founded Civilis Consultants to help cities improve their downtowns by teaching the building blocks found in successful commercial districts. Working together with stakeholders, she takes those essential elements and uses them to help communities construct detailed and achievable plans for revival.

Who would not love this savvy consultant and her fast paced informative presentation- she is known nation wide!

Lakeview Village

The next series of workshops will included the following-                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               Analysis and Recommendations Presentation- short term goals and concrete steps

Field Trip of “Do’s and Don’ts” in the City

Marketing and PR workshop “every downtown should have a clear idea of the experience it wants to provide”

Be sure to connect with Michele at www.civilisconsultants.com and www.cityoflakeoswego.com for more information.

See you downtown at the Saturday market for all the Turkey fixins! Cheers ck

George Rogers Park

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By candace kramer, November 17, 2011 4:31 pm

With the biggest food themed holidays just around the corner, not many of us are focusing on skinny (there’s plenty of time for that in Januray)!  But it looks like “skinny” is a growing trend around the world as land becomes more scarce and people continue to downsize! Check out these “skinny” homes from around the world.

Amsterdam is no stranger to skinny housing and these homes are common through out the city. At one time, there was a tax based on the width of a property – thus inspiring a lot of folks to go up instead of out! To read more about each home, click the city name.

{Amsterdam}

{Philadelphia}

{Boston}

{Scotland}

{Seattle}

So could you live in one of these Skinny Homes?

Images via here.

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By candace kramer, May 13, 2011 2:45 pm

Just because you are downsizing doesn’t mean you have to get rid of your favorite antique pieces! With a little creative thinking and good space planning those beloved hutches, chests, secretaries and bookcases can come along with you. They often provide ample storage, which is key in a downsized home and they almost certainly hold memories and special meaning – so bring them along! Let’s peek into the home one of my own “downsizers” and see how she incorporates her much loved, large scale pieces into her 1,800 sq. ft. abode.

Oozing with European style and opulence, this client plays with scale and challenges her space by not being shy about large pieces. Balancing light and dark prevents the room from feeling heavy. High ceilings and ample natural light makes the space appear larger.

An antique silver tray adds sparkle to this tufted leather ottoman…

By creating stylish vignettes, she tells a story and creates layers of personal interest with her collections.

This majestic hutch is right at home in this open floor plan.

And who would have guessed that this painted bookshelf would fit perfectly into this hallway! A great place to grab a good book and smile at family photos on the way to bed.

An eclectic sitting room is full of antique finds. The different styles blend effortlessly, resulting in a room full of character and warmth.

So, don’t get rid of all your favorite pieces, thinking you must go buy a complete set of small-scale furniture for your new downsized home. Mix it up, keep what you love, get rid of what doesn’t work, play with scale and create balance within your new rightsized lifestyle.

Need help? I’m here for you!

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By candace kramer, April 25, 2011 1:03 pm

In many downsized homes, bathrooms inevitably get smaller too…so how can you make them appear more spacious? The answer : get that vanity up off the floor. Wall mounted sinks and storage not only make the bathroom easier to clean they visually trick the eye by revealing more floor space – instantly the room feels more open! The vanities at our 555 townhouses are all like this and people always wonder why…it’s smart design!

For more inspiration, check out this fabulous round-up of “floating” vanities…

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By Ivette, April 13, 2011 4:49 pm

Hi all,

My name is Ivette and I’m guest posting on Candace’s blog today.

She sent me out on assignment yesterday! Where? On a huge, red, London-esque double-decker bus, of course! Yup, at 10 am me and a gaggle of Windemere real estate agents boarded the cherry red bus for a royal real estate tour. Like most places, Lake Oswego is aflutter with talk of the upcoming Royal Wedding, so why not view homes via a Brit approved bus! We sipped mimosas and watched the gorgeous scenery of West Linn, Oregon City and Lake Oswego whizz by.

Our first stop was Candace’s listing…a lovely home in West Linn…click here for the listing info and more pics.

From house to house we traveled, up winding hills and over bridges, laughing at the crazy hair pin turns and gasping as our big red bus careened down hills and narrow passes. The sun finally made an appearance and brightened the experience. Each home offered something different – a beautiful view, a glamorous bathroom, a slice of history. It was a lovely way to spend a few hours and I felt lucky to get the chance to go!

Here’s a little slide show of the tour…

Here is a list of the homes we toured with corresponding links…

1. 1494 Skye Parkway, West Linn MLS# 11184239

2. 4145 Horton Rd. West Linn MLS# 11333578

3. 2510 Oregon City Blvd. West Linn MLS# 10075196

4. 812 John Adams St., Oregon City MLS# 11591359

5. 3520 Riverknoll Way, West Linn MLS# 11482902

6. 1956 Cheryl Ct. Lake Oswego MLS# 11437047

7. 2070 Ridge Point Dr. Lake Oswego MLS# 11665122

8. 1196 Fairway Rd. Lake Oswego MLS# 11086534

Go take a peek at these gorgeous homes! Thank you Candace, for sending me on this adventure.

I had a blast!

xo,

p.s. Looks like the bus was spotted around town (it’s kinda hard to miss) and was featured on KATU…see here!