Spotlight of the Month: An Entertaining Kitchen
With the holiday season upon us, entertaining is easier than ever in this contemporary kitchen that combines style and function.
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Gifts that Give Back
Tis’ the season to give, but this year why not give a gift that gives back? Pay it forward with presents that support worthy causes, save animals and protect the environment. For the foodie to the domestic goddess to your four-legged bestie, we’ve uncovered presents that give twice the joy.
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Design + Construct Spotlight of the Month: Elegant Dining, Just in time for the holidays
Earlier this autumn, SweisKloss finished construction on this SK-designed home in Westchester. Sophistication meets comfort in this modern space.
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Planes, Trains & Automobiles
“Train don’t run out of Wichita unless you’re a hog or a cattle. People train runs out of Stubbville,” Owen explains to Neal and Del in the Thanksgiving classic Planes, Trains and Automobiles. Airplanes get diverted, trains breakdown and cars ignite in Steve Martin and John Candy’s 1987 comedy, making travel a nightmare during the holiday season. However, these train stations make traveling a pleasure – you may even want your train delayed so you can enjoy their unique amenities ranging from a planetarium to a museum or simply to marvel at their glorious architecture.
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Skyscrapers Aim High
November marks the 10th anniversary of the opening of NYC’s One World Trade Center. At 1,776-feet, it is the tallest building in the United States. Skyscrapers not only shape and define a city’s skyline but are an expression of architectural innovation and technical prowess. Recent skyscraper structures have aimed high in their creativity, sustainability and bold designs.
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Design + Construct Spotlight of the Month: Stylish Contemporary Library
When SweisKloss was tasked with constructing a new home for a family of four in Sunset Park, dedicating a space where the adults could find serenity and quiet elegance was crucial. The result was this contemporary and stylish library.
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“Darkness and Claustrophobia are Your Friends” – Leonard Pickel
Creepy ghouls and goblins, spooky skeletons and frightening jump scares may sound like just some Halloween fun – but designing a truly scary haunted house is serious business. According to the Wall Street Journal, “haunted houses are a $500 million industry” visited by 46.5 million people last year in the U.S.
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SK’s 2nd Annual Guide to Independent Bookstores
October is National Book Month and that means it’s time for SweisKloss’ 2nd annual guide to independently owned bookstores in the Los Angeles area. From a store brimming with plants to a club dedicated to YA selections to a haven for Spanish children’s books, this year’s list of independent bookstores offers something for every type of reader and for those who just like to soak in the ambiance.
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PSL Season
All over social media, enthusiasts are celebrating “PSL” this autumn season. At SweisKloss, PSL isn’t about our favorite Pumpkin Spiced Latte. In architectural terms, PSL, or parallel strand lumber, is when parallel wood strands are joined together using structural adhesive. A timber revolution is sweeping the construction industry as wood’s sustainability and environmentally friendly attributes become a key tool in reducing waste.
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Spanish Colonial Revival Architecture
From terra-cotta clay tile roofs and white stucco walls, to soft arches and carved wooden doors, the Spanish Colonial Revival style is prevalent throughout southern California. In honor of National Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept 15 – Oct 15), we thought we’d showcase this early twentieth century style that, “represents an adaption of Spanish missions and Mediterranean-style homes, … while also [takes] inspiration from Mexican, Pueblo and Moorish design styles” (masterclass.com).
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Design + Construct Spotlight of the Month: Window with a View
Blurring the lines between the indoors and outdoors is a SweisKloss’ design ethos and these massive windows in the primary bedroom of our recent new build showcase that philosophy.
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“We Built This City” - Starship
In honor of National Tradesmen Day on September 20th, we are taking this opportunity to celebrate the workers that help us bring SweisKloss’ beautiful designs to life.
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Classrooms Under the Heavens
The Chinese mid-autumn moon festival takes place on September 17, a few of days after an asteroid the size of two football fields is expected to closely pass Earth. No need to panic – collision is highly unlikely, but a celestial spectacle is possible. That got us thinking about skygazing and planetarium design.
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Architectural Design Case Study – Passive & Sustainable Strategies
SweisKloss always incorporates thoughtful solutions in sustainability and resiliency into our projects. Our recent new-build in the Westchester neighborhood is a case study in such solutions. In this home we incorporated passive design, energy efficient systems, natural light, water saving features and recycled materials.
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Design + Construct Spotlight of the Month: SK Makes a Splash
Just in time for the dog days of summer, SweisKloss designed and constructed this modern pool and spa for a recent new build. The homeowner wanted a contemporary pool and spa to be designed and built on the rectangular shaped lot in time for the summer months. Excavation for the 12’ x 17’ 8’ deep pool and 3’6” deep spa were started right away.
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Airports Get Grounded
Air travel can be chaotic and anxiety inducing. Crowds jostling to check bags, long lines at security, no room to sit at the gate, flight delays and cancellations, and this is all before leaving the airport! “Given record-breaking crowds at airports already this year, … this Labor Day weekend could be busier than any prior.. weekend,” according to Nerdwallet. And, during this long holiday weekend, the TSA expects to screen more than 14 million passengers (PR Newswire).
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Designing for “the Universe”
Having grown up with a brother confined to a wheelchair has afforded me a unique perspective on the challenges of adapting a home to accommodate disabilities ---rearranging furniture in the living room, finding space at the dining room table, and I could give a Masterclass on angling into the bathroom!
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Practicing the 3 R’s
It may feel like the summer is just getting started this week with temperatures soaring and the marine layer finally lifting, but it’s back to school for many students later this month. And every parent knows what that means –- endless lists of school supplies, shopping for new clothing, packing daily lunches. This back to school season we thought we would give you some tips on the other 3 “R”s – reduce, reuse and recycle.
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Paris Goes for Green (and Gold)
While gold is the goal of the Olympics, Paris is setting its sights on green, aiming to cut its carbon footprint in half compared to previous Games. “The last three Games produced an average of 3.5 million tons of CO2, which is more than the annual emissions of India and Germany combined,” according to NBC Boston.
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Happily Ever (Before and) After
As Theodore Roosevelt said, “Comparison is the thief of joy,” … unless we’re comparing before and after photos from our projects! Once a project is complete, it’s a joy to look back and see how far we’ve come. These images showcase how SweisKloss’ innovative and thoughtfully designed renovations transformed these spaces from before to after!
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