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House Talk
by Valerie Finholm
Recent Entries
How to furnish a living room for $250 or less - 01/01/2009
Even "shabby chic" can be expensive -- if you buy it from Martha Stewart. For someone moving into a first apartment or starting over after a divorce or separation, the thought of furniture-shopping can be scary. If you're on a tight budget, visions of credit card bills for furniture c... read more
Energy Audit Opened my Eyes - 02/01/2008
The last time I got an "F" was on an algebra test in ninth grade.So when my beloved home built in 1915 failed its energy-efficiency test, I took it personally.I had asked Isaac Torres, a home-energy specialist with the Connecticut Home Energy Solutions program, to "grade" my family's 2,000... read more
Falling in Love with my New Toilets - 01/27/2006
Every so often, I take a detour into my just-renovated bathroom to gaze at my new toilet.With its curvy, one-piece design, it has a sleek, sculptured appearance of a piece of ceramic art. I've never gone gaga over a toilet before.But there is something about the snow-white finish that make... read more
 

There's no place like home.

As Americans we are obsessed with the idea of "home.''

Those who haven't been able to afford to buy a house envy those who have. Those who have, envy those who have more.

This blog will be about anything related to house and home. From love to hate to funny. It will be a medley of reported pieces on how we live today, first-person experiences, interesting quotes and opinions.

It will be about the the return of the three-family house, mom & dad as caretakers for the returning college kid and grandmother who needs assistance. The rise of the 55-plus "active senior'' and boomers coming to terms with "senior."

Or not coming to terms with it. 

Instead of going on and on, I'll just start with my credentials. I've been a reporter for more than 25 years.  I grew up in a suburb located on the treeless plains outside of Denver. I began my career at the Associated Press in Denver, and worked at papers in Wyoming, Longmont, Co., Boulder, Co. before moving to my final "resting'' place, The Hartford Courant in Connecticut. I've written for HGTV.com, Esquire magazine, Good Housekeeping, Delicious Living and several other publications.

My last 10 years at the Courant were spent as a features writer, where I covered the home beat exclusively for five years -- a good fit because I've always had the home/real estate "bug." But by the time I took a buy-out in April 2008, I got sick and tired of glossy "shelter'' magazines that came across my desk with their impossible-to-afford rooms.

That's where the idea for this story began.