It’s dog show season again and I’m getting excited! I love dogs. I think dogs are the best thing ever. I really, really, really love them. I used to be an adoption counselor for a local dog rescue here in Chicago and I loved helping people find new family members and helping them learn how to acclimate to each other. As I write this, I’m struck by the similarity to what I did in the dog rescue and what I do helping people find their next home, a recurring theme about what makes life satisfying for me.

My specialty in the rescue was the tough to place, big and/or scary dogs. I might not be Cesar Milan but I’m pretty darn good. I remember one of my pups looking for a home, a Tosa Inu, a Japanese Mastiff. He was so freakin’ handsome I kept threatening to put him in a suit and take him to dinner. So, yes, I am a crazy dog person. BUT, I am also a super responsible and reasonable dog person.  I expect excellent behavior, respect and manners from all the living things in my life- children, dogs, adults, whatever.Both my kids piled in my lap, all 230lbs of them. This is the dog that’s scared to let strangers touch him.

My current rescue, a 180lb English Mastiff grew up pretty isolated in the country without much socialization and was terrified of absolutely everything when he came to live with me in the city. He has come a really long way but is still very hesitant to let strangers touch him.  His family he can’t get close enough to, he just has some pretty strong boundaries when it comes to strangers. He won’t act out if people don’t respect his boundaries, but he might try and climb into my arms to escape—which, at 180lbs, presents a bit of a problem as you can imagine.  Respecting boundaries is extremely important to me and while I can’t teach every person I see how to be better with dogs (or people) it is worth a moment of everyone’s time to learn enough to be safe—and teach our children how to be safe around strange dogs.  Here is a super easy to digest, lighthearted diagram of what to do and not to do when meeting dogs.

For anyone who shares me love of dogs or is curious about them, there are a ton of good resources out there. My favorite is www.dogbreedinfo.com which does a nice job giving you the details about breeds and characteristics which will help you decide if a particular pup is a good fit for your family. Obviously, I want everyone to rescue instead of go to a breeder, but even mixed mutts display the characteristics of their different breed combos.  Take your time to do the research and you’ll be happier with your pup. Of course, computer research isn’t nearly as satisfying as going out and meeting the pups!  And you are in luck.  The International Kennel Club of Chicago will be at McCormick Place February 24-26^th. It’s a fun, inexpensive way to spend a day and there ARE rescues as well as breeders there.  If you prefer to learn about the breeds from your couch—or just want to look, the Westminster Kennel Club dog show kicks off Monday and welcomes 6 newly admitted breeds—American English coonhound, Cesky Terrier, Entlebucher mountain dog, Norwegian lundehund, Finnish lapphund and the Xoloitzcuintli (formerly and commonly known as the Mexican hairless).

Anyone who knows me knows I love to find unique things–gifts, furniture, art etc.  Another thing I love is my job–and that’s because in addition to seeing an unending array of homes and style, I get to meet tons of new people all the time. Making someone feel special is all about paying attention to the little things–that goes for gift giving AND finding them the right home and since everyone IS unique, we all like things that fit us in our own special way.

Today I had one of those moments when all the unrelated parts of the universe came together to provide me with a really awesome idea delivered by a client. Let me tell you about my brother-in-law. He’s a super charming, fun entreprenuer who actually went to the CIA (Culinary Institute of America)  in between his last acquisitions because he likes cooking that much. This is a guy that likes the finer things in life and knows all about them.  But, let’s face it, all guys want to be manly men at times and so he added camo and hunting to his repertoire.  Of course, tailgating is one of the perfect activities for him, combining food and drink with a manly sport.  Here’s where the great idea comes in. Wine Botas–and here is the local seller WineBotas.

Now, there is a definite chance you aren’t familiar with them, or at least didn’t know what they are called. You’ve undoubtedly seen them in movies featuring medieval monks and the like. Essentially, its a soft leather carrier made specifically for wine, liquor etc. They hold the equivalent of 1.33 bottles of wine.  Can you imagine how much more convenient it would be to strap this baby on at a tailgate instead of finding a pocket for a flask? And let’s be honest, flasks are too small anyway.   That hunting trip is another great time have this puppy on under the camo! Or on a bike, or horseback ride, or hike- the uses are endless!

For the rest of us, it’s a perfect solution for picnics at the park and lakefront–no worries about sneaking glass in and one less thing to have to carry/pack. I love the convenience factor and I love how unique it is.  Remember my bro-in law? Well, it just so happens he and my sister are traveling to Tuscany this summer–this Bota folds small and light and will be a perfect traveling companion for them!!

So, Valentines day is right around the corner–and so is Spring believe it or not–the owner assures me that if you are quick, he can get you your Bota in time for Vday.  Something this unique says all the things the Hallmark cards say but does it with style–and wine!!!  For those that don’t imbibe, it works just as well with water or any liquid so I can’t think of a single person that wouldn’t think this is an awesome gift.

Happy Valentine’s Day everyone!

I noticed a trend, back during the boom, when new construction was popping up everywhere, that developers were opting not to put tubs into guest baths, leaving just the giant fancy one in the master that pretty much never gets used.  This was especially prevalent in higher end homes that could support the costs of extra tilework and frameless glass showers. It seems like a good idea since most people prefer walk in showers anyway. Until you remember that people are still having children. And kids LOVE tubs.  My clients and I have walked out of many a beautiful home, single family and condo alike, because there wasn’t a suitable bath for the children and the parents don’t want to share their master retreat (and I agree with them!).

If you did end up with a developer standard guest bath, there is a good chance you have a shower/tub combo. I do. And while my daughter does still loves her baths, she does jump in my shower now and then too.  So, what to do with that tub? Let’s address it with the two key points important in, well, everything. Function and style.  From a function standpoint, tubs make excellent mudrooms. Huh? Yep. Mudrooms, you know, that luxury that big single family homes boast and most of us will never own.  I’ll explain, I promise.

In addition to baths, my daughter LOVES the snow. Loves it.  Although we haven’t had much this winter, I have been out playing in it with my two kids (human and dog) for hours and hours.  Proper snow play requires proper snow gear. Snowpants (ski pants if you’re a grownup and too cool for snowpants), hats, gloves and mittens (important to double layer), boots, ear muffs etc.  If you’re doing it right, you are going to come home alternately hot and frozen and soaking wet. So, what are you supposed to do with all that snow covered, wet gear? Well, put it in your mudroom and let it drip dry out of the way.

Here’s where the mudroom comes in. These removable hooks might be the best invention ever–and they can turn that unused tub into a mudroom.  They attach to any flat surface and remove with no residue and no damage–easy to take down in a minute if you actually need to use the shower and look decent hanging there if you have house guests that peak behind the shower curtain. The best part is that you can hang as many as you want at any height you want-so everyone can be responsible for hanging up thier own snow things. Don’t worry about them being sturdy enough, I have hung my three-quarter length insulated parka on them with no problem and during the holidays these same hooks hold our Christmas stockings chock full of presents.  As for clean up. once everything is dry, just turn the shower on and all that dried salt and dirt disappear. I’ll take that kind of cleanup over mopping anytime.

Now, on to style.  I think most people would rather not have a shower curtain hanging but what other option do we have short of installing glass? I was in a home at 57 E. Delaware the other day and saw an ingenious idea.  the clear shower liner was still hanging from the shower rod but the entire thing was hidden by a ceiling mounted curtain–a real curtain. When you think about it, the fact that we hang a traditional curtain rod a foot below the ceiling is a big reason it doesn’t look good–of course, that’s important for ventilation but not when its not in use. So, you simply open the full length curtain during the shower and just use the liner. It means you either have to use two rods or mount the curtain from the ceiling but wow, what a difference.

Do you have a great idea? Send it to me!

I rave about Shaker Heights, OH, where I grew up, all the time.  A suburb of Cleveland, it’s certainly a far cry from the big city of Chicago that I love and adore. However, for all its relative small-ness, it’s an impressive community and growing up there gave me the perspective to appreciate living in all kinds of communities and eventually settle with comfort in Chicago’s diverse neighborhoods.  A high school friend recently posted an article written on Shaker Heights and it’s history and achievements. I am reposting it here because I think it hits on so many important and valuable points.

Chicago is a city of neighborhoods and while we are Chicagoans, we are also identified by the neighborhoods we live in-sometimes by the street. One of the key takeaways I see in the article is the importance of true community involvement and buy-in by residents. Living in a big city, we can get lost in the vast administrative machine that is city governance but there are so many smaller levels to be involved with that warrant our attention and time.  The article talks about how well Shaker home values have held in comparison to the city at large despite the tough economy. In Chicago, Lincoln Park homes have held value better than any other area but that doesn’t mean those of us living in other areas shouldn’t take the long view and start making a difference- and an investment of our time and effort- in our neighborhoods now–it will pay off.

I firmly believe that people are happiest in homes in areas that suit their lifestyle because ideally, your home should support and enhances your lifestyle.  Enhance isn’t a monetary value, it means that if you like spending time at the park with your kids, you live somewhere near a lot of parks, if you like to beach, you live near etc. In Shaker, the lifestyle is one I’ve never seen anywhere else–residents wholly committed to an open, diverse and beautiful way of life. Here’s to you Shaker!

Cleveland’s Shaker Heights is a model worth emulating

By John Conti, FOR THE PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW

SHAKER HEIGHTS, Ohio — There are any number of things worth talking about in this famous and wealthy Cleveland suburb, but one large lesson it teaches those of us interested in the design of cities and buildings is that there is enduring value in having a good town plan and good architecture at the outset and then being unwaveringly resolute in preserving it.

That lesson could never be clearer than it is right now as this racially integrated town of 28,400 prepares to celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2012.

Shaker Heights was developed by two brothers — land speculators — who not only determined its layout but also kept tight control over what houses would look like. They prescribed styles, materials, the placement of houses on their lots, and they were strict about demanding good maintenance.

All of this appealed to the upper-middle classes in Cleveland in the 1920s, and the result today is neighborhood after neighborhood of stunningly good-looking houses built in the ’20s and ’30s. Some of these houses are mansions, some are just big, and some are modest. But all are still exceptionally attractive today.

There are, of course, somewhat similar suburbs in other cities. In our region, parts of Mt. Lebanon (which will also be 100 years old next year) and parts of Edgeworth/Sewickley are the closest parallels.

But affluent Shaker Heights, which borders the east side of Cleveland, has achieved one other distinction: It is racially integrated. About 37 percent of the residents here are African American. And while it would be Pollyannish to suggest that this is an interracial idyll, the fact is that this town’s well-preserved houses are sought after by blacks and whites.

Let’s try to unravel some of the history and meaning here, dealing first with the planning and maintenance and then the integration.

The brothers, O.P. and M.J. Van Sweringen, began accumulating land here in the early 1900s. In the teens and ’20s, they laid out lots to sell and developed a rapid transit line directly into the center of Cleveland. They also set down the rules for what the owner-built houses in Shaker Heights would look like.

And some rules they were! They were among the most detailed anywhere.

Houses were to be in the romantic Tudor, Colonial or French styles popular in the ’20s. They had to be individually designed by architects. Brick and stone walls and slate and tile roofs were encouraged. Tudors had to have dark trim; only Colonials could have white. Buff-colored brick and certain colors of mortar were forbidden. Even the look of leaded-glass windows were regulated. Finally, the Van Sweringens had to approve every design.

Within that framework, they laid out lots with varying sizes, reasoning that they had to appeal to more than just the upper crust. They allowed for apartment houses and prescribed in one neighborhood a group of two-family houses that were designed to look like one-family ones. These houses are so remarkable, they make up their own historic district today.

And finally, they established a tradition of maintenance and architectural standards. Right now, the municipality still inspects the exterior of every home every five years. Peeling paint, crumbling porch steps, excessively cracked driveways or walks, sagging gutters and other defects all have to be repaired.

And an Architectural Review Board must approve any changes to the exterior of a house. They discourage replacement windows and regulate those that need repair. (Vinyl is anathema. And cheap sliding windows? No way!) If a house or public building has been designated as a local historic landmark, two approvals — one from the review board and another from a separate Landmarks Commission — are needed.

These are undoubtedly some of the toughest municipal standards anywhere in the United States. And they can cost money. Considering its top-tier school system, Shaker Heights residents pay the highest property taxes in Ohio. Yet real estate people here will tell you that — though the general real estate market in Cleveland has been abysmal in recent years — Shaker Heights houses have held their value.

These standards have held the town in good stead as it has become racially integrated during the past 50 years. With the strict standards, there were scant opportunities for unscrupulous landlords to buy houses on the cheap, divide and rent them, and then let them deteriorate. Besides that, Shaker Heights has long been given credit nationally for efforts that were started in the late 50s by white residents and blacks to promote integration and stave “white flight.”

It’s not possible in a column on “architecture” to fully assess cultural issues. But it’s worth noting that, even with as much integration as Shaker Heights has, a few neighborhoods in town are predominantly African American while others remain predominantly white.

Still, this is a far cry from the days when most of the fanciest suburbs in the United States were built not just with restrictions on the houses, but with restrictions — often written into deeds — that kept out African Americans and sometimes Jews and the foreign-born, as well. All such deed restrictions — including some used in Shaker Heights — were overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1948.