Joy Borden and Sarah Kuhn discuss china patterns and cooking with homeowner and Villager member Ilaria Belloni-Barreto.

Six unique homes in Pinecrest and Coral Gables provided the backdrop for hundreds of local residents interested in architecture, history and home dcor. This years tour theme Then and Now featuring architectural changes throughout the years set the tone for an interesting and entertaining event.

People were guided through homes beautifully decorated for the holiday season by members of The Villagers, an allvolunteer not-for-profit group dedicated to raising money for the restoration and preservation of historic sites in Miami- Dade County.

The Old Cutler property of Hank and Ilaria Barreto features two unique homes the striking contemporary residence designed by famed architect Robert Bradford Browne, with lush gardens by the well-known landscape architect Raymond Jungles; and the 118-year-old Maud Black Cottage, first built as a stable and later used as a home by the Seibold/Black family. It now serves as a charming guest cottage.

Visitors also enjoyed the renovated and expansively decorated Old Cutler home of Megan and Steve Weber, a casually elegant and ambient home in a classic traditional style. Favorite points for visitors included the framed menus from restaurants around the world in the dining room and the enchanting butterfly tree on the terrace among the three lovely Christmas trees.

Vintage cars were on display at the home of Gary and Rosemary Metal, whose house has been in the family for 52 years and is thought to be the oldest post-World War II residence in Pinecrest. Notably, it features slump brick, a brick-making process by the original builder in 1950. The slump brick is used on both the interior and exterior, and the fireplace surround.

Villager Toni Garcia (left), shows off some of the Allen nutcracker collection to Ana Cristina Schaps, Anita Alvarez and Maggie Brenen.

Architect/artist Carola Bravo and her husband Cesar Prato have filled their Pinecrest MIMO-style home with an impressive collection of contemporary Latin American art, including work by Carola. Designed by prominent MIMO architect Robert Fitch-Smith, the 1952 home features red concrete floors and extensive use of wood and glass. As a bonus, there is a Cold War-era bomb shelter in the backyard.

Carlos and Liliana Allen bought a Pinecrest home in disrepair and renovated it to the beautiful family home it has become today. Visitors particularly enjoyed their impressive collection of colorful Christmas nutcrackers. Guests were also invited to a garden setting to enjoy complimentary homemade refreshments and a holiday boutique offering some gift-shopping opportunities.

Villager President Beverly Loftus and board members worked with House Tour chair Kathleen Bowker and committee members Gayle Duncan, Desiree Anthony, Lynda Randolph, Sweet Pea Ellman, Alexis Ehrenhaft, Aleida Martinez-Molina, Kathy Marlin, Bonnie Hutton and Renee Betancourt to make the event a success. The next Villager event is the annual Garden Tour on March 7. The Villagers were founded in 1966 and have contributed almost a million dollars in support of the preservation of local historic sites, as well as scholarships to students pursuing careers in architectural preservation.

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OPB | Dec. 30, 2014 11 a.m. | Updated: Dec. 30, 2014 4:38 p.m. | Portland

The ultimate home-improvement project is about to hit the market in Oregon. And if you have a few hundred thousand at your disposal, it could be yours nextyear.

The Daily Astorian reportsthat the historic Flavel House will go to auction next month, with aminimum bid of $180,000. The buyer will also be required to pony up for restoration costs because the home is on the National Register of HistoricPlaces.

Potential owners can tour the house next month, and must have$25,000 available for a downpayment. After 30 days, the top two bidders will have another two weeks to up the ante for the four-bedroom, 2 1/2 bath home, which has been vacant since1990.

Built in 1901, the 4,644-square-foot Colonial Revival-style house will be sold asis.

Earlier this month, owner Mary Louis Flavel and the Astoria City Council reached an agreement to sell the family home. Flavel conservator Caroline Evans was appointed to sell the residence and other family properties after Flavel racked up more than $1 million in fines for the abandonedbuildings.

Evans said only serious buyers will be allowed to tour the property. To deter tourists, viewers will have to pay $100 per person and must be accompanied by a contractor. Potential buyers will also have to sign liability waivers before entering the boarded uphome.

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5771 Valley Oak Dr, Los Angeles, Ccalifornia For sale: $9.995 million

When Lenny Fenton first saw Artemesia, he was in his 20s and the owner of a successful advertising firm that Microsoft would eventually buy.

Fenton was put off by the home's exterior, which was dark brown and sun-damaged. "Then I walked in the front door, looked left to the dining room and right to the salon and decided to buy the house right then," he said.

Blair Chang of The Agency

His only familiarity with the term craftsman was "the tools you buy at Sears," but the place reminded him of a Scandinavian ski lodge.

So began a quarter-century restoration of one of the country's largest craftsman homes, a 13,290-square-foot beauty in the Hollywood Hills with eight bedrooms, seven baths and a ballroom that easily fits 500 people.

Blair Chang of The Agency

Built by construction magnate Frederick Engstrum in 1913, the home had not had sufficient maintenance since 1939, Fenton said. He has spent millions of dollars installing new foundations, rebuilding the garage, re-creating a redwood terrace and returning the interior to its early splendor.

The name Artemesia goes way back, although it has sometimes been spelled Artemisia, which is the name of two ancient Greek queens and a genus of plants in the daisy family. Fenton pointed to a 1915 article in The Architect magazine that used the name, and said the property at one point had a sign out front with the name.

Blair Chang of The Agency

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See inside this recently listed 101-year-old California home

To label what happened at an Elk Grove home on Tuesday afternoon as a "close call" might be an understatement -- as a three-decades-old tree toppled into Tracy Tillotson's house.

Tillotson, the homeowner, sensed something before the pine tree came down on Celery Court.

Watch report: Tree falls onto Elk Grove home

"I had a premonition," she told KCRA 3. "Something told me to leave the home, so I left for about 10 minutes. And I came back and the tree was in my house."

Related: PG&E power outage map | SMUD power outage map

Strong winds knocked down trees across Northern California on Tuesday. Two people died in two separate Butte County incidents. And in Davis, a teenage driver escaped serious injury but was still hospitalized after a tree came down on his SUV while driving on Seventh Street.

In Folsom, among other cities, as many as 5,000 people lost power due to a blown transformer. Wind-related issues were rampant by the evening hours.

As for Tillotson, one next-door neighbor heard the crash into her home and came out to look at the damage.

"(I) heard like crack, and something -- like an earthquake or something -- and then, bang! I actually thought something fell on our house," Nicky Slobodnjak said.

Photos: Damaging winds topple trees, cause power outages

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Phase V (2010 - Current) is divided into two sub-phases: Phase 5A will upgrade all mechanical, electrical, plumbing, HVAC, security, fire monitoring and suppression systems in the Martin House. The main house will be integrated into the geo-thermal exchange heating and cooling system already in place on the campus and in use for the reconstructed pergola, conservatory and carriage house.

An education facility - the Junior League / Buffalo News Learning Center - will be incorporated into the lower-level "playroom" of the Martin House. A motorized lift will connect the first floor of the building with the lower level to provide accessible entry to the Learning Center. In addition, a pantry kitchen has been designed for non-public space on the lower level to service programs in the building.

The second phase of interior restoration, 5B, will focus on the extensive interior wood trim, plaster, and paint finishes, and exterior site-work. This highly specialized and detail-oriented work will complete restoration of the main Martin House to its appearance of 1907.

Upon completion of 5B, the extensive collection of original furnishings entrusted to the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, Bureau of Historic Sites, will be reinstalled in the Martin House according to our Historic Furnishings report. Many pieces of original art glass will be reinstalled in the house at this juncture as well.

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Martin House Restoration Corporation

Home Restoration 2014 Recap
Instead of a Holiday Card and Letter, I went the Holiday video route. So, please, catch up with your favorite music teacher duo and what we have done over th...

By: Jenna Hardy Pedersen

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Home Restoration 2014 Recap - Video

Updated: December 26, 2014 8:46PM

Hickory Creek Barrens Nature Preserve in New Lenox is an example of Excellence in Ecological Restoration, and was so honored recently by Chicago Wilderness a consortium of more than 300 environmental organizations.

The 575-acre preserve on the northeast corner of U.S. 30 and Schoolhouse Road has been the focus of a restoration effort by the Will County Forest Preserve District and is home to more than 140 bird species and the states largest population of the threatened savanna blazing star.

The forest preserve district was one of 10 agencies to receive a restoration award for exemplifying the best practices in natural resource management based on rigorous, science-based standards.

This is the second straight year the forest preserve district has received the award. Last year it was cited for restoration efforts at Braidwood Dunes and Savanna Nature Preserve in Braidwood.

Both awards were platinum the highest level.

Hickory Creek Barrens restoration efforts, which began in 1985, include native seeding and planting, erosion control, vegetation monitoring and prescribed burning. The preserve protects a portion of Hickory Creek as well as a mosaic of savanna, prairie, forest and sedge meadow that supports a diverse group of plants and animals.

In addition to the savanna blazing star, the site also includes an experimental reintroduction of the federally threatened Meads milkweed. Bird species that call this home include the pileated woodpecker, yellow rumped warbler, brown creeper and hermit thrush.

We are thrilled to receive an award that recognizes our many years of restoration work at Hickory Creek Barrens, said forest preserve board president Suzanne Hart. Restoring such a beautiful parcel of land back to its natural state is a long-term project that will benefit the region for years to come. Being acknowledged for this work is truly gratifying.

Susan DeMar Lafferty

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Hickory Creek preserve honored by environmental consortium

When Cliff and Marisa Simmons ventured into the attic and basement of their nearly 150-year-old home in Kittanning, they were like kids opening a Cracker Jack box full of unexpected prizes.

A pile of dance cards from 1904 found behind a stairwell. A fossil. Ten ornate cornices more than 100 years old. A torch charred from use so many decades ago, likely before there was electricity in the home.

It was always my dream to be living in a house like this, Marisa, 56, said. It's fascinating. I love the history of older homes.

The family was looking to move so Cliff, 58, could be closer to Abarta Oil and Gas in O'Hara, Allegheny County, where he is director of operations. Marisa works part time as a store merchandiser in Indiana County. Whitney Simmons, 28, who said she looks forward to one day renovating a home as her parents have done, is a lab tech at Monroeville-based RG Lee Group.

Originally from the Vandergrift area, the family jumped at the chance to move into the old house from their small raised ranch in Indiana County.

When the couple moved to the stately home at 424 N. McKean St. in June, they never expected to find such treasures. Their interest was simply to buy the Italianate-style home and restore it to its earlier glory. They plan to take the pieces of history they've found handmade nails, wooden paneling and other items and incorporate them into their restoration project.

It makes the home more personal, Whitney Simmons said. It's nice to be able to use the things we found and make something new out of them.

Borough archives list the home's original owners as a family of German immigrants named Moesta, who found success in Kittanning in the clothing trade. The home was built in 1872. Traces of writing still linger on an attic wall where the Moesta children scrawled their names in pencil.

The things we found are part of the past of this home, Marisa said. When I look at a home like this, I wonder what were their lives like?

Bringing old and new together is one of the family's aims as they return the home to a style reminiscent of its 19th-century origins a style that won't include the mint green and bubble gum pink paint someone put on its walls long after the Moestas were gone.

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Historical prizes found by family restoring Kittanning home

The inside of Eltham Palace, built in 1936 for members of the Courtauld family. Photograph: Alamy

In the late 15th century, when it was home to a boy who would become Henry VIII, and again in the 1930s, when it became an art-deco party house for the textile millionaire Stephen Courtauld and his wife, Virginia, Christmas was a hectic time at Eltham Palace, as it filled with holly and ivy, candles and firelight, the kitchens working flat out and the great hall filling with guests.

At first glance the great hall so familiar to Henry, who enjoyed many childhood celebrations at Eltham, looks miraculously unchanged under its great hammerbeam roof, the third largest in England, built for Edward IV in the 1470s. But the historian Andrew Hann stoops and pats the stone flagged floor to reveal one of the innovations introduced by Courtauld when he took on the property in the 30s. On a cold winter evening, the slabs are not as icy as expected: this is a medieval hall with underfloor heating.

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Weve learned a great deal about life in this house from people who visited or worked here, and were trying to put back some of that history, Hann says, of the 1.7m that English Heritage has put forward for a conservation project at Eltham Palace, the first since it took over the property in 1995.

The plan is to open previously unseenparts of what must rank as one of its most eccentric properties: a state-of-the-art 1930s mansion attached to a 15th-century hall, surrounded by a Tudor moat, deep in suburban southeast London.

When Henry VIII became king in 1509 he found his waterfront palace at Greenwich more convenient and Eltham fell into decline. It was used as a barn in the 18th century, and by the early 20th century it was an indoor tennis court. In 1933 Courtauld brother of Samuel, who founded the Courtauld Institute controversially gained permission to build a new house in the grounds provided he restored Elthams medieval hall.

John Seely and Paul Paget were an unusual choice of architects. They had excellent society connections, as heir to a title and son of a bishop respectively, and after the second world war they became known for sensitive restoration work on bombed churches. However, in 1933 their firm was only six years old, and Eltham was their first major project.

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PITTSBURGH (KDKA) The childhood home of famed playwright August Wilson, in the Hill District, is being restored.

At the same time, this project is helping to restore the lives of men whod lost their way.

Steve Shelton is founder of the non-profit Trade Institute of Pittsburgh, which has changed the lives of nearly 100 at-risk men. Three of them are working on the August Wilson house.

We give them a hand up, and not a handout, Shelton explains. Theres no monetary price they have to pay to get into the Trade Institute, but I tell them theyre going to pay with the price of change. Sometimes change is difficult. But these guys have learned well.

Apprentice carpenter Chris Wilson says he was out of work and on the streets, before he enrolled in the the Trade Institute.

Im hoping, few years from now, maybe five years, to have my own company, he said. Real estate, contracting business.

Apprentice bricklayer Scott Snyder served nearly 10 years in prison, on gun charges.

Definitely changed my life, he said. Instead of living on the street, trying to get money, now I can depend on a paycheck.

Apprentice bricklayer Duane Green served time on drug charges.

I went to prison for three years, he said. And when I got out, I needed an opportunity to make some money. I had a family, a wife and kids. And the Trade Institute gave me a way out.

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Restoration Of August Wilsons Home Provides Opportunity For At-Risk Men