Not the glamorous living you’d expect to see in Vogue or Elle Magazine, right? Nor would you guess this house belonged to John Wells, a New York photographer that shot wildly popular ad campaigns for Calvin Klein, Abercrombie & Fitch, Ralph Lauren, Honda and a long list of others. After stints with the big players, Wells freelanced around New York City before trading in his professional lens for 40 acres of land and the privilege of calling himself a Texan on a mission. (more…)

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On the heels of the successful Cash for Clunkers trade-in program, the government has now allotted $300 million to encourage consumers to buy Energy Star appliances. $35.2 million of that funding has been allocated to the California Energy Commission, which will in turn pay substantial dividends to appliance buyers as early as spring 2010.

The main difference between the clunker and appliance program is that the appliances do not have to be traded in to receive the rebates. You can keep the old refrigerator and still get the discount on a new energy efficient model. The only stipulation is the updated appliance must have the Energy Star seal and be approved by the California Energy Commission (CEC). However, many Californians will most likely want to recycle their old inefficient appliances to reduce their power bills. Recycling old appliances gives others the chance to upgrade their even older equipment while giving the environment a much-needed break. (more…)

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If you want a truly unique landscape wall, then you’ll love straw bale walls – a style that oozes with the charm of yesteryear and offers a remarkable amount of design flexibility. Made from bales of hay, the straw bale wall offers a rich texture and adobe-like sculptural facade. It’s easy to shape, mold, and design, giving you complete artistic control. Rounded edges, sweeping curves, open windows and built-in benches are but a few ideas you can use to create your wall.

Why Build a Landscape Wall?

Landscape walls add detail and depth and serve as privacy barriers. They can be simple or elaborate and made from almost any type of building material, including stone, brick and wood. Design possibilities are limited only by one’s imagination and budget. The storybook Carmel-meets-Hobbit straw bale landscape wall featured above is a perfect example of the various possibilities available today. (more…)

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