The peeve of mine that gets the best workout has to be improper detailing of porches or porticos that folks are trying to make appear classically-inspired. Seems like most of the time the lintels are larger or thicker than the column underneath - a big no-no. Then, the entablature is compressed to fit under the eaves or second floor window line so much so that the proportions are further distorted. It is also likely that the columns are some mishmash of style, composition or proportion. If the beam is arched, it appears it was cut freehand with a jigsaw, without regard to any evenness or flow to the curving line. The overhanging portions are quite often botched, too. From zero overhang to a fascia that is equal in visual weight to the lintel, we see it all around here. You might expect this on starter homes or where an owner/builder is in charge, but on houses double the median price? I do go on, but I'll finish with this-- good proportions don't cost more than poor ones. Casey

My requirements are that: 1. PEOPLE HAVE INTEGRITY, ARE TRUTHFUL, AND USE QUALITY MATERIALS 2. PRICE & PRICING FORMULA IS FAIR FOR ALL CUSTOMERS: pricing cabinets should be fair and not be reduced to a subjective formula, i.e., "10% the value of your home" or such nonsense. This is criminal in my book. It's not "what the market can bear" pricing that is fair. I TRULY BELIEVE THAT IS CABINET MAKERS PRICED CABINETS MORE FAIRLY THAN THEY DO NOW SO THAT THE AVERAGE HOME OWNER COULD "DO THE MATH" AND KNOW WHAT "X" CABINET WOULD COST TO BUY OR HAVE INSTALLED, THEN MORE KITCHENS WOULD BE REDONE. There would be so much business that you could not keep up. But no, NOT ONE CUSTOM CABINET/ OR SMALLER SHOP I WENT TO PRICED FAIRLY. ALL PRICING WAS SUBJECTIVE AND CONVOLUTED. THEY WERE SIZING UP MY BANK ACCOUNT BASED ON HOW LARGE OF A HOME I HAVE. 3. TALENT & PRIDE = QUALITY PRODUCT 4. SERVICE In a nutshell, I, too, went with the guy that had been in business for a long time and had a HUGE portfolio. He was not organized with that portfolio and I even offered to organize his thousands of photos and put them online! THIS is how impressed I was about his work. Furthermore, my bro is a builder and cousin is a builder here in Jax and used this guy's shop before. MY SISTER's kitchen was done by this guy two years earlier. I was very confident with his talent. I'll bet I went to his shop over half a dozen times just to see his work because they made FURNITURE, these HUGE phenomenal stained glass windows for a church in D.C., pulpits, GORGEOUS entertainment systems, etc. This guy's bread and butter works were affordable, custom cabinets with beautiful paint techniques. His work was like buying Tommy Bahamas cabinets by Lexington for half price. THAT being said, when I hired him, I had my ducks in a row and contract very detailed. I'm not a kid, nor am inexperienced in business. I KNOW WHAT I'M DOING. MY KITCHEN WAS DESIGNED AND NOT COMPLICATED. My problems stemmed because he just flat out lost his talent; over 80% of his workers had QUIT and he did not tell me. He later told me he had spent my $10K he had for work so far and he was left to do my kitchen himself. And it was a crap shoot! He didn't do ONE, SINGLE CABINET CORRECTLY. NOT ONE. AND HE LIED CONSTANTLY. He mis-measured, no appliances fit, installed shoddy and unleveled, mis-ordered the door profile, and made me madder than I have EVER been in my 49 years of living. I HAVE NEVER, EVER DEALT WITH SUCH A NICE, BELIEVABLE LIAR. I trusted him and he $crewed us. We have had to have 30+ doors reordered because of all of the mis-measurements, etc. I am almost three years into this fiasco and got motivated to get back to it. I went to install two drawer fronts last month and they were 1" too short. I'm going to have to reorder two drawers more. It's like a case of never-ending-BS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The end of this story is CabFiascoGuy changed his inc.'s name before our court case came up. He sued, we countered, I won but got nothing because of how crappy our laws are. The State of Florida allowed a thief to steal $10,000 of our money. We've put over $38,000 into them trying to FIX them. I just wish I had gutted everything and started over. It would have been CHEAPER. But no, I thought we could work this out and I had our granite installed so I'm now stuck for many years. I have a horrible ordeal detailed here on garden web. What a can of worms you opened this morning. I think Ill work on these cabinets today. IÂd like to be done before I hit the three year anniversary of when they were installed. I need to re-order two drawer fronts tomorrowÂ.

Howdy, y'all. Native westerner, I now live in a Vermont village, just two blocks from the village green, in a 1300 sq foot house. This is the largest house I've ever lived in. It's also the first not in the country (or in the wilderness) in a good few decades! This house began as a 14 by 18 foot post-and-beam two-story cottage sometime in the mid-1800s built from trees on the property on a native dressed marble foundation. One room down with cooking porch, one room up. Over the years it has accreted 7 additions (which is why my kitchen has 8 doors and no window). It was neglected and in sad condition when I bought it, and is gradually recovering. Dayle Ann Here is a link that might be useful: Pics of my house when I bought it...

This has been an interesting discussion about the definition of "pretty", which, of course, has no universal definition. What's pretty and appealing is as different as all of us. When it comes to the appeal of "farm house", however, there are some universal characteristics which may be important to recognize: --Usually simple, almost utilitarian, shapes, many like the old Monopoly houses and hotels; --Sometimes the simple "house shapes" may have a "notch-o" and/or "bump-o" and/or a clearly added simple shape, as if the house grew over time to accommodate new/changing needs (which is what happens in every home over time--there is no "forever" house and farm houses are living proof of that); --These first two characteristics often make possible pleasing and humane overall proportions; --Simple (mostly) gable roofs, made possible by interiors that are only 1-2 rooms wide; --Roofs may often be strongly pitched, but not overpowering because they are enclosing only 1-2 rooms in width; --Porches (the more the better, often found on multiple sides); --Smaller detached garage and out-buildings; --Unpretentious materials and consistent overall usage; --Simple windows and doors (often imaginatively ganged together for their interior purposes) Just look at the previous three photos and you will see all of these characteristics in each home. Now compare these characteristics with many of the tract and custom homes we see here and in our neighborhoods: --Complex, pretentious and bulky shapes, often with no architectural character or recall of history; --Huge, "fat" plans which are as deep (3 rooms or more) as they are wide, resulting in huge, overpowering roof shapes; --Complex and mixed roof forms--gable, gables within gables, hips and more, often all in one house; --Small, ill-proportioned porches or none at all; --Huge garages, with multiple doors which dominate the exterior of the home (often used for storage, leaving vehicles outside on the drive or street); --A potpourri of exterior materials used on the front elevation of the home, while the remainder of the elevations may be ignored and inconsistent; --Little or no thought about the type and placement of windows and doors So which set of characteristics results in a "pretty" home? I guess everyone will have their own opinion, which, in the end, is as it should be. What do you think "pretty" is?