Orson Klender's (oklender) Blog

New windows and a dining room addition help a Northern California home thrive right along with its bounteous garden. A California couple spent years cultivating a garden of oranges, lemons, persimmons, olives, lettuce, tomatoes, herbs and more. But their oddly configured Victorian farmhouse lack...

So you want a flush refrigerator but aren’t flush with funds. We’ve got just the workaround for you. Counter-depth refrigerators are popular appliances for new kitchens. Their appeal is that they save precious aisle space by sitting flush with the cabinets rather than sticking out. This makes th...

Judge the problem-solving ability of these rotating shelves for yourself, but we think it’s an open-and-shut case. Small homes are notorious for two things: lack of storage and lack of privacy when guests are over. But Australian architect Ben Milbourne solved both of those problems with one tra...

QUOTE OF THE WEEK... "I was obliged to be industrious. Whoever is equally industrious will succeed equally well." --Johann Sebastian Bach, German composer INFO THAT HITS US WHERE WE LIVE... We who toil in the housing market may not be as successful as the Baroque musical genius, but we should do ...

You've done everything you can to make your house picture-perfect, but don't forget about the real big picture. Maintenance and repair issues that may lurk beneath your beautiful facade could turn any dream home into a nightmare on Elm Street. Photo: Shutterstock There are some maintenance and re...

As temperatures drop and the weather chills during the winter, it may not seem like the ideal time to buy a home, but if one can bear the cold, then there are many advantages for buyers to consider if they are in the market for a home. For example, there are typically fewer buyers during the wint...

QUOTE OF THE WEEK... "But to look back all the time is boring. Excitement lies in tomorrow." --Natalia Makarova, Soviet-Russian-born prima ballerina INFO THAT HITS US WHERE WE LIVE... Fannie Mae's December National Housing Survey asked consumers to look into tomorrow and it was somewhat exciting ...

Hear the stories behind homes ages 1 to 171, then share yours. Houses come in all shapes, sizes, colors and, of course, ages. The latter is one of those things that stirs up all sorts of emotions. Some people revere old houses for their charm. Others shy away from them for the upkeep. Some think...

New project for a new year: Update your cabinets without replacing them entirely, as a DIY project or with help from a pro. It may not always be practical or affordable to rebuild the cabinets in a kitchen or bathroom. Refacing them might be the best solution. But what does “refacing” involve? As...