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By candace kramer, October 12, 2011 5:36 pm

Hello friends! I’m back! Summer was busy, busy and my time spent with family and friends was top priority! Now that Fall has come and everyone is getting settled back into their schedules, I have found time to work on my blog once more. As I mentioned in a past post, my son and I worked on rejuvenating the garden of my rental home and we were also in the process of building a storage shed. Both projects turned out brilliantly and here are some of the pics to show our fabulous results!

First up, the garden. It was so long neglected, full of weeds and completely overgrown but we brought it back to life!

And yes, that is my “new old shed” back there! Cute right?

Even though our summer was extremely mild, Peter managed to pick a ripe tomato from the vine before heading back to school!

Okay, now for my shed! As you know, I researched sheds online, in stores and just about everywhere! I wanted just the right design. Simple, funky and constructed using some of the salvaged materials from the garage remodel (soon to be granny flat) I’m working on.

Finally, I found a shed builder – Justin Marical – that had great ideas and would build to my specs. Check out his great company here. He was very open to using my salvaged materials and helped me design a 12 ft long and 3 ft deep, lean-to style shed that fit perfectly with the scale of the backyard garden.

This old window was from the main house which I had replaced with a new vinyl double hung.

Peter washed down the old door from the garage, which is now the front door to my shed.

The shed threshold was created with bricks that we found on site. Peter did a fantastic job laying these in.

The beautiful red stained cedar siding was left over from an old condo project I worked on! This siding is usually very expensive but I got a great deal on it and Justin was drooling! ha ha! I added an old flower box that had previously been installed on the main house and the lovely trellis was installed by my very talented Russian carpenter – Eli! He has done some gorgeous work on my beach house too. Even the roof was done with left over composite material. Isn’t it cute!? I’m so happy with the result and it felt good to use materials that most likely would have ended up in a landfill.

What projects did you complete over the summer?

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By candace kramer, May 27, 2011 5:12 pm

A couple of nights ago, I attended a fantastic lecture at Rejuvenation – one of Portland’s most loved vintage lighting and home wares store. This lecture series is sponsored by a wonderful organization called P:ear – they creatively mentor and inspire homeless youth! Check them out here.

A nice bonus to the evening: famed, local architect, Robert Rummer was in attendance and celebrating his 85th birthday too! His wonderful designs were prominent in the 1960′s and still are en vogue today. His homes are modern, one level and abundant with natural light thanks to his signature atrium at the heart of the space. Rummer homes are seen all over Portland…

And a peek inside…

images via here

I really love his clean, contemporary lines and open floor plans! So perfect for us hip Portlanders!

Okay, so I am off to Seattle via train for a fabulous weekend in the city! Stay tuned…I’m sure to bring back some stories.

Have a great Memorial Day weekend!

P.S. If you are going to be in town make sure you don’t miss Rejuvenation’s huge Memorial weekend sale!!

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By candace kramer, May 11, 2011 4:35 pm

In Portland, the first Thursday of every month is celebrated in the stylish Pearl District. Galleries, pubs, restaurants and design studios leave their doors open late to welcome Portlanders seeking out inspiration, delicious snacks and a glass of free wine! What a fabulous combination! I was in the crowd last week, my design radar was on and I found myself enamored with a new interior design firm – bright designlab. bright has over 25 years of experience in the arts of interior design, graphic design and architectural photography, plus they are LEED accredited! Gotta love that plus, who couldn’t like a company with these values:

work hard and be nice to people . design through simplicity and elegance of form . focus intently . behave with integrity above all else . always seek out beauty . never stop growing and learning new things . treat creativity like breathing.

Check out their simply gorgeous retail space…flooded with natural light and a symphony of textures, you can really feel the creative vibe in here!

bright’s partnership with local cabinetry company, Hammer and Hand, is evident and their stunning installations are seen throughout the space.

I absolutely love these retro, bright fridges from Smeg appliances! Perfect scale for smaller kitchens too! They were stocked with beer for First Thursday!

What a wonderful space!

Hope your week is going well!

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By candace kramer, January 29, 2011 2:20 pm

While most couples go out for cocktails and dinner on their anniversary, my husband and I headed to the Lakewood Center of the Arts to attend the open forum regarding the Lake Oswego Streetcar Project. We waited three hours so I could testify my support.  It was well worth it and over eighty people stood up and shared their approval of this very important improvement to our city.

If you have not yet publicly supported the Streetcar and you missed the forum – don’t worry you still can contribute! But you need to hurry, the open comments are set to close on Jan. 31st.  Click the link below and show that, you too, are behind this progressive endeavor to move our community forward!

http://www.oregonmetro.gov/index.cfm/go/by.web/id=35271

and for more info go to Next Stop Lake Oswego.

As for the rest of our anniversary evening…well, we ended up having a wonderful dinner at Tucci‘s, who in my opinion, still have the best steak in town! The wine didn’t hurt either!

Have a great weekend,

Image via Next Stop Lake Oswego

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By candace kramer, January 6, 2011 3:38 pm

By now, I’m sure you have realized that I am really into mass transit. I try to incorporate it into my life locally and whenever I travel. It not only decreases our carbon footprint it unites communities.

As a real estate agent, I am actively involved with my clients and their changing needs. When people want to move, transportation is a major topic. While marketing beautiful condo units like 555 Second Street and the Stafford Commons – it is obvious that mass transit is extremely important to these buyers. One of their first questions would be, “Candace, where can I get on a bus?” or “Where is the future street car going to be?”

Many of my buyers who are downsizing want to completely change their lifestyle. They want to be able to walk to the market or the park. They want to rely on mass transit and leave their cars in the garage. They want to ride their bikes more! They desire healthy, active and accessible community living. I love it! It’s the way it should be. The most beautiful cities in the world are built upon these ideals. Portland being one of them!

The Lake Oswego Streetcar is a hot button topic right now in my neighborhood. I’m sure you can guess how I feel about it but, like any major change that involves a lot of money, it is inevitably controversial.

For more info check out this recent article by Steve Duin from the Oregonian. Go here to the Lake Oswego Project page for more information, how to get involved and an overview of the three options that are being considered. Want the nitty-gritty details? Check out the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS). Get comfy…it’s long!!! A glass of wine may be needed!

In the meantime…here are some shots from my European Mass Transit experiences….

This is in Prague! Trolley, streetcar and cabs all on the cobblestone streets! Love it!

Little ole' me waiting for a train in Halsatt, Austria! Europeans really get mass transit!

What are your thoughts on mass transit? Is their enough of it where you live?

Have a fantastic Friday!