Another day, another tiny house for us to enjoy. This one is built as a true retreat away from the world, with no running water or electricity. It’s in the middle of a clump of large redwoods, and designed to look as if it was built into the trees (it’s not).

“No water and no lights?” you might think. “Did the owner spend all the money on land and run out?” Rest assured, the owner is a former airline executive, and could probably well afford any number of luxuries. Sometimes a tiny house is beautiful for its on sake.

Images courtesy of Treehugger.

Sometimes a staircase may be necessary to get from floor to floor. And sometimes it can be an architectural marvel. We found a round-up on MSN Real Estate that caught our fancy. Here are two of our favorites. Check out the rest here.

If you have an abundance of books and limited space to store them, why not include them in your stairs?

It can’t be denied that these stairs, seemingly supported by nothing, are chic and modern. Our concern would be safety–how do you prevent falls not only down the stairs but off the stairs?

What are the most interesting stairs you’ve ever seen? Let us know in the comments!

Images courtesy of MSN Real Estate.

A recipient of an “Award of Merit” for Adaptive Reuse in the 2010 AIA New York State Design Awards, this project from James McKinney of Sacco + McKinney Architects was selected as a winner for showcasing adaptive reuse, historic preservation and high performance.

The Mayo Smith, Seelye and Hitchcock Houses at Amherst College are viewed as local historical landmarks overlooking the town common. This project assures their preservation while looking to the future through the use of high performance building envelopes, solar energy for hot water and high efficiency mechanical and electrical systems.

These restored buildings provide attractive living environments with many of the same amenities as the new dorms on campus, including compliance with safety and accessibility standards.

Floor plans include a mix of room types preferred by upper class students, including singles, two-room doubles and suites. Also, common social and study space, music practice rooms, laundries and bathrooms. Existing floor plans were revised to improve space utilization, reclaim under-utilized space and accommodate new egress stairs.

Amherst’s “High-Performance Buildings Guidelines” called for technologically advanced systems and materials. While architecturally preserved on the outside, thermal and air barrier technology was applied at the inner face of the walls and integrated with window replacement to achieve a high performing envelope. Both open- and closed-cell foam products were used in response to differing wall construction in the various buildings. Existing windows were replaced with custom high-efficiency clad units matching existing profiles and sight lines. Marvin’s custom profiles and products, combined with their super energy performance, made them the perfect fit for meeting preservation requirements while addressing future needs.

New mechanical and electrical systems include high efficiency boilers, low flow plumbing fixtures, DDC controls to allow facilities to monitor performance of systems, energy recovery from ventilation air and high efficiency LED lighting. Roof top solar panels provide most of the hot water for showers and laundries and serve as a visible component of the school’s commitment to reducing carbon emission.

Modifications to accomplish modern accessibility were done with minimal impact on the historic nature of the buildings. New accessible walks flow with the site contours and porch decks were raised to eliminate the one-step barriers found at entry doors. Existing doors and entrances were selectively altered to meet width requirements in an architecturally sensitive manner. And historic main stairs were modified to meet current requirements, while maintaining their historic character.

Mayo-Smith, Seelye and Hitchcock Houses are proof that historic buildings can be fully effective in responding to the energy and environmental challenges of the 21st century.

Marvin products used in this project included double hung windows, custom configurations and historical replications.

Photography courtesy of James McKinney.

Ceilings: they don’t matter until they do. People give much more attention to the ceiling’s flashier sister, the wall — so many choices for colors and decor! But the ceiling is just sort of… there.

Nonetheless, there’s a lot of room for a decorating statement on the ceiling and MSN Real Estate runs through various ceiling types. Here are our favorites:

• Panel ceiling: This wood ceiling might scream 70s basement, but with beautiful wood, it can give off a rustic woodsy vibe.
• Tin ceiling: These ceilings are gorgeous and intricate and add a lot of detail to a room. The downside is that they can cause extra noise.
• Cathedral ceiling: This soaring ceiling can add space and light to a room (it looks especially great with large windows!). If you’re going for a cozy look though, this might not be the best choice.

What kind of ceilings do you like?

Image courtesy of MSN Real Estate

The sink is an simple way to provide a bathroom with a focal point — especially a smaller bath where space is tight. Tthe Kitchen & Bath Show is going on this week, and there have been a lot of new and beautiful sinks in the blogosphere. We especially love this one that Bob Vila found. It’s a real stand-out, made with copper and designed to be seen! Made by Premier Copper Products, it is hand-forged from recycled copper. Gorgeous and green!

Real People, Real Kitchens: 15 Small Cool Kitchens You Won’t Want to Miss
The Kitchn
Check out The Kitchn’s roundup of little kitchens with big style.

Boulder Tiny House: Colo. Couple Build Simple, Sustainable 125 Square Foot Home
Huffington Post
“Could you live in only 125 square feet? That’s exactly what a Boulder, Colo. couple are doing now that they have completed building their brand new, tiny home from scratch.”

Death to the McMansion
Slate
“Add it all up, and the National Association of Realtors estimates that—today—56 percent of Americans want the attributes of this new American dream in their next housing purchase. Yet only 2 percent of new units being built today fit these attributes. That’s a massive pool of pent-up demand, locked away by federal policy still supporting suburban growth at the expense of all other types of communities. Change the policy—without having to spend a dime—and we’re off to the races with new jobs in construction and infrastructure, plus homes and communities that reflect the way we want to live today. And they happen to be good for the planet, reducing energy, water, and waste by at least one-third.”

How To Live Well in 1oo Square Feet
Apartment Therapy
“Recently, at SXSW 2012, we had the pleasure of hearing Jay Shafer of Tumbleweed Tiny House Company extol the virtues of living in a small space. While he admits that living in 100 square feet might not be for everyone, his talk contained plenty of tips that apply to anyone looking to live efficiently.”

The Manor Garden, a newly constructed, multi-family residential building designed by Anthony Vandermark Jr. and Frank Minervini of Minervini Vandermark Architecture, successfully blends modern building methods and materials into its neighborhood’s historical context. For many years, the standard for new buildings in and around Hoboken, with few exceptions, had been very poor.

The Manor Garden helped demonstrate new thinking with its honest, straightforward design and construction. Many solid elements (brick, cast stone and metal) were largely predetermined, but the plan called for maximum glazing in an effort to help nature penetrate further into the deep narrow floor plan. Finding the right balance was necessary, adhering to strict city ordinances regarding clear ratios of glass to masonry, etc.

Marvin Windows and Doors were key in maximizing the amount of glazing with consideration for noise minimization on a busy, urban street. And since heat gain and loss were also concerns, Marvin’s range of products proved to be the clear winner. Marvin products used included casement windows.

Since completion, The Manor Garden has become a neighborhood standout and set a shining example for nearby infill projects to come.

Photography courtesy of Frank Minervini.

While perusing Twitter, we came across Nigel Maynard’s Tweet about these interesting hooks. As HomeIQ says, these “will either make you smile or freak you out.”

By artist Nick Davis, these bronze hands and feet are perfect for hanging coats, acting as 3D art and scaring your guests. What do you think? Would you want these in your hallway?

Images courtesy of HomeIQ. 

A while ago, we asked you if you could only change one thing in your kitchen, what would it be? Let’s expand that to asking what one thing in your entire house would you change? Here are some ideas:

• Have you always wanted a fireplace for cozy winter evenings?
• Maybe your “vintage” kitchen doesn’t have a dishwasher
• Are your white walls bothering you?
• Would new windows make your house sparkle? (Hey, we know who can do that!)
• Do you want to rip out your old carpets and install gleaming hardwood floors?
• Does the thought of an additional bedroom or bathroom make your mouth water?
• Or maybe a walk-in closet or finished basement would be the way to go

Tell us in the comments what one thing you’d change in your house if could. And maybe search around this site for some ideas and tips, like in our remodeling category.