A Winter Walk in Hopewell Along the Bedens Brook

The last two storms have presented lovely opportunities to cross country ski behind our home in the Gazebo Park which is preserved open space. As we have walked through the fields and outer woods of this space, we have noticed that the winter song birds have really stripped the berries from the flowering trees and shrubs.

We are able to walk to Beden Brook and share some time with the blue heron that resides there. This beautiful, cherished parcel of 50 acres that abuts the Johnson property of 400 acres is a wonderful gift for Hopewellians to enjoy. It allows those of us that reside here in Hopewell Borough to live in a walkable village and have access to preserved open space shared by all.

Water Conservation through a Weathered Watering Can

Here is a simple thing we all have on our properties even if we just have only a deck! A watering can left out,  saves on your water bill and is a good conservation step. I happen to leave out a watering can in the back yard for the perennials and one on the sun deck that is meant to tend to my window boxes.  Why not capture a bit of water runoff?
Here are some important things to remember.  Water only once a week and water deeply.   Plant your natives or ask your garden designer to do this for you.  They are easier to take care of and are happy living where they are suppose to! Best to not water at night.  Fungus loves the night. Try to detox yourself from desiring the large lawn that is a chemical lawn.  I got rid of half the lawn that was on this carriage home's property.  And the lawn was tiny to boot.  I can literally cut the grass with a reel mower as in a push mower on this property! Instead I am looking to filling the beds with perennials that will mostly take care of themselves.  They really do take care of themselves.  I don't have to cut them every week. And anyone frugal will be happy to know they grow and grow!  I can't wait to share with you the garden this spring.

Touring a Light Filled Basement with Princeton Design Guild

I loved checking out this Princeton built home by Princeton Design Guild.  Whether or not your design element is modern,  how fabulous to think about  a basement in a whole new way and with a lot of light shining through! Imagine the light in your bedroom or office with a garden that will give you a unique feeling,  really down below ground level. Cork flooring,  though hard to see here is sustainable and warm to the feet.  Blue stone caps on the patio walls and a peak at a  swiss pine which is low growing.

A Day with Kevin Wilkes of Princeton Design Guild

I got to spend the day with Kevin Wilkes, founder of Princeton Design Guild, a complete design, build and install firm based in Princeton, NJ. They engage craftsmen and artisans at each step of their process. Thought it would be fun to brighten our day with some orange after seeing this floor to ceiling chimney tiled in glass. This reminds me of Rosa Mexicana, a great restaurant space in NYC by Lincoln Center. The color just makes one want to celebrate at the boldness to do it. Right? I love the windows that let the light stream on it. This Princeton home sits proudly in an established neighborhood. Solar panels are hidden on the roof and add the sustainability factor that we are all thinking about these days.

Sculptural Bench by Local Princeton Artisan

I just love this Viggiano bench matched with the bamboo by Jonathan Shor.  This is a single piece of granite and has been salvaged from a Perth Amboy bridge.   Jonathan did a similar piece for one of my clients.  Something as simple as pairing sculpture with landscaping really is a perfect marriage.

Artisanal Stone Sink by Local Princeton Craftsman

What a stunning entrance! Here we get to look at a most raw honed piece of granite selected as an all in one countertop and sink. I spent the morning with Jonathan Shor who designs select furniture, benches, fountains, and one of a kind sculptures. Here is another example of taking a simple purposeful sink and making it an actual piece of art. I am honored to have had Jonathan design a bench for one of my own landscape clients. I am looking forward to sharing with you more of this home and garden design aesthetic in and around Princeton!

Herbs and Hat Boxes

It is another day of winter, mild and rather dry.  My herbs are waiting for a little bit of plant food to nourish them while they wait to return outside. Some Guy Wolff pots snuggle my herbs and scented pelargoniums.  Personally,  I would rather have a few hand throw pots than those made by machines. Since most of the plants are dormant they don't look as stunning,  but won't it be nice to stay frugal and let them grow and return bigger in the spring to the outside wee patio.

Winter Solstice in the Village of Hopewell

As the shortest day of the year approaches, I wanted the folks in the village to feel light as they might walk in the Hopewell boro preserve. It is a simple gesture like this that gives us that feeling of home shared among many. So this year, I decided that one tree was not enough for the new carriage house. This faces the back of the house and sends light over the fields while the garden beds down. The only shrubs holding fast on their own are my English boxwood. The tree is not decorated. It is to celebrate nature in the raw, if you will, and a gift to be simple.

A Copper Cap for the Chimney

I wanted to show you the copper cap that has been custom fit for the chimney. It is rather lovely and gives the carriage house a nod to earlier times. I had a Princeton artisan come and fit it perfectly. This is the very back of the house which faces the open fields. The home is long and narrow and looks rather like a doll's house. It is a bit bigger than it looks, as this is just the master bedroom.
The copper cap is content to rest on this plot of land with a swimming mermaid on top of the garden shed. Small details like these are just the things that can add a bit of value for you to enjoy your home and garden. Much more charming than a cage on top of the chimney to keep out critters.

A Cupola and a Mermaid

As I mentioned in At Home in Hopewell, our renovated carriage house does not have a garage. Instead, I purchased a classic cedar shake shed to hold all of my gardening tools, bikes and other outdoor toys. The cupola on top is made complete and distinguished with a swimming copper mermaid.  Of course, it has a bit of whimsy because where are mermaids really to be found in Hopewell Valley? I also added a complementary accent on the carriage house itself by gracing the chimney with a custom copper cap found on old homes and farmhouses. It is lovely to collaborate with an artisan who still works with copper.

I have found that with a little piece of real estate, it is so important to get the details right. A garden, a bird bottle, a sun dial or a chimney cap all bring eye-catching accents together to make a house a home in our most charming village of Hopewell boro.

At Home in Hopewell

I recently bought a carriage house built in 1890 in the historic district of the borough of Hopewell that backs up to Hopewell's preserved open space. I learned first hand how knowing one's needs and moving swiftly were the keys to finding home!


When I was considering a move in spring of 2009, I concluded that it was definitely the time to buy. Prices are within reach in a way we have not seen in years. I decided to take the plunge myself and move from a more transit centered environment to the walkable village of Hopewell Boro.


Some of the considerations that made it an easy transition was knowing that the schools in Hopewell Valley are very solid and that the village is an easy walkable community.  Its roots feel bit like Vermont. Many small town community events such as films at the historic train station  and farmers market give it a down to earth vibe.


Then what to buy?  I knew that I wanted something that I could manage on my own and a property that would lend to all of the charm of this sweet little village.  Hence, I found something that had been on the market quite a while which had not adjusted in price for the new world order. I went to look at it along with about three other properties in the Boro. What I liked about this property at first glance might have been easy for others to overlook without a clear vision. There is no garage. That is solved with a lovely cedar shake shed charmed with a window box to boot.  Many projects were left undone when I found this property. An old fence was in need of repair and a new fence had not yet been painted to match the house. Appliances needed updating and a water softener would need to be added. A beautiful old brick patio needed to be pulled up and pitched properly away from the house and relaid. The yard is extremely small but will be transformed into a perennial garden with many native plants to flourish.


While I studied all of this I also looked at the comps and prepared my first offer. I knew what had to be done with this house and I knew where to stop with my final offer. This is where I had to be a professional even to myself. I knew the number that this house should sell for and I had to be prepared to walk if I had an unreasonable seller.


I would say one of the most important things to start with in this process is a clear vision of what you need and want. I needed a solid and not overly large house. I needed the backup of great public schools and I needed to be close to the equestrian life that is so important to my daughter and close to her friends.


I knew that I could handle some amount of renovations that I would be pleased to make on my own instead of paying for someone else to have made those decisions on my behalf.


I knew that I would enjoy the 50 acre parcel of open space behind this house that is easily accessible to anyone living in the Boro.


After I was clear about my needs, I made a swift offer with a 30 day closing.


We are enjoying the process of making it our own and folding into an old community vibrant with new life and proud to hold to its village character. Come visit sometime!