All posts by admin

Reviving The Past

  • Posted on Jan 28, 2023

So it seems we’ve settled into one blog post a year! Rather than a 2022 recap, this time we thought we’d reflect on a common thread we’ve noticed in our projects that has a huge impact on our work. It came to light as I recently deliberated with my fellow jurors on over 220 amazing ... Read More

Family Ties

  • Posted on Jan 14, 2024

As we enter the new year, everyone asks… “How were your holidays?!”  This year I wasn’t sure how to respond, as it was much like any other holiday, but in many ways it felt very different. In broad terms, we are in a moment in our lives where we have parents that are getting older ... Read More

All That Is Good: A 2021 Recap

  • Posted on Jan 22, 2022

Can’t believe it’s time again for our ‘Year in Review’ blog post! Looking back on 2021, it felt much like 2020? Maybe it was the continuation of online school or the holding pattern feeling of the pandemic. But we came to realize a significant amount of our work this past year has been bringing to ... Read More

What’s Happening?! 2020 Recap

  • Posted on Jan 3, 2021

Well, a lot has happened in 2020 but Mowery Marsh has been plugging along trying to stay focused on creating beautiful spaces for our clients and doing it with comfort and energy efficiency in mind!  We will be part of an AIA NY talk in January that hopes to pull back the curtain on Passive House construction ... Read More

A Big Year: 2018 Recap

  • Posted on Dec 28, 2018

It was big year for MMA so we thought… let’s wrap it up with a blog post!  The three Passive Houses in our last update (it was 2 years ago, yikes) are all complete and photographed.   They have received a great reception and are a significant part of our banner year.  It is super ... Read More

So What Is A Passive House?

  • Posted on Nov 9, 2016

Way back in 2012 we moved into our newly renovated townhouse here in Hoboken.  It was built to the Passive House standards and I had planned to do a post about this type of construction… well, better late than never! Here are three Passive house projects we have currently in the works…yes, THREE!   We’d like to ... Read More

Small Space… Big Character! Week #5

  • Posted on Sep 14, 2016

Staying on the house we’ve been looking at for the last few posts, this week we have what seems like a no brainer but takes some effort and planning.  The big ideas is… the less sheetrock the better! Any time we can showcase more interesting building materials, we seize the opportunity. [Mowery Marsh Architects, Photo ... Read More

Let’s Talk Kitchens! Week #4

  • Posted on Sep 5, 2016

Storage is always a top priority when starting any kitchen design, but we like to think beyond the standard upper cabinets.  They are what make everybody’s kitchen feel like… well, everybody’s kitchen!  The proportion is low visually and spatially, making your cooking environment feel restrictive.  [Mowery Marsh Architects, Photo Credit: Blackstock Photography] In this kitchen, ... Read More

So What’s The Big Idea? Week #3!

  • Posted on Aug 29, 2016

Let’s stick with the bathroom we talked about last week.  If we look through those wire glass doors, you’ll see another suggestion I’d like to offer to anyone renovating their bathroom.  Why not put more effort and funds into a beautiful vanity that works for you rather than splurging on expensive wall tile!  Yes, fancy ... Read More

So What’s The Big Idea? Week #2!

  • Posted on Aug 21, 2016

Let’s look at the same project as last week with another planning trick to make what would be small rooms feel more spacious and airy.  It’s an en suite bathroom that can be fully open to the bedroom. Not just a dinky little doorway, but a full-on glass wall of sliding doors so these separate ... Read More

What’s The Big Idea?

  • Posted on Aug 12, 2016

This is the kickoff to a new MMA weekly series…”What’s the big idea?!”  Okay, it’s actually the opposite.  They are little ideas… but that can have a BIG impact on a design. So what’s lined up for this week?  It’s pretty ‘straight’ forward (pun intended!)…  do you have a bedroom wall with a bunch of jigs and ... Read More

Tours, Posts, Magazines, & Books!

  • Posted on Oct 24, 2015

There are lots of exciting things happening for us here at Mowery Marsh Architects! This weekend the house we have been documenting on the blog will be on the Hoboken House Tour.  I’ll be there to answer any questions about the home… and renovation in general.  Joanne Laurie the owner and designer for the interior decor will be there ... Read More

Hoboken Brownstone- Interiors

  • Posted on Jul 17, 2015

Time to wrap up this brownstone series that I started talking about in 2012!  Where does the time go?  We had new shots taken recently that capture the spaces beautifully so I thought it would be a nice way to share some final thoughts on the interiors.  In our practice, we draw no line between ... Read More

Hoboken Brownstone- Electrical

  • Posted on Nov 16, 2014

Next up on our brownstone renovation… Electrical! Outlets, switching, light fixtures, fire detection, data… it’s a lot to think about.   It takes a methodical approach to get everything in just the right spot.  It starts with solid initial planning during the construction documents to get it all on paper. Not only will the building ... Read More

Hoboken Brownstone- Hvac

  • Posted on Dec 29, 2013

You may have seen one of our projects in the last issue of Hudson Mod… Photography by Elliott Kaufman and it happens to be the same project that we’ve been writing about on the blog.  We hope this series gives ‘would be renovators’ a peek into what’s involved in this type of brownstone construction project.  We’ve gotten lots ... Read More

Hoboken Brownstone- Plumbing

  • Posted on Aug 29, 2012

Time to start roughing in the systems… first, let’s talk plumbing.   After looking through all my site photos I’ve come to realize that I didn’t take many photos at this stage… I guess shots of PVC piping just aren’t that exciting!  So I’ll post what I’ve got and see what we can talk about… Here’s the ... Read More

Hoboken Brownstone: Stairs

  • Posted on Jun 9, 2012

We had the stairs fixed pretty early on in the project.  At first I thought we would wait to do them so they didn’t get beaten up during the construction, but the fact is… the workers need to be able to get upstairs! And we didn’t want them to further deteriorate with all the traffic. The existing railing was ... Read More

Hoboken Brownstone: Framing

  • Posted on Apr 15, 2012

It’s time for framing!  Now with a clean slate, we could start framing the interior walls.  But before we could do that, we needed to figure out the floor. Our floor framing was out by less than an 1″ over the 24′ width so we decided to keep the joists as they were, rather than ... Read More

Hoboken Brownstone: Steel

  • Posted on Feb 26, 2012

In the last post we talked about pouring the new basement slab… so now they were ready to start the structural work in the basement. Many brownstones in Hoboken have a beam or bearing wall that runs the length of the building to reduce the overall span for all the joists. Typically the bearing walls will ... Read More

Hoboken Brownstone: Basement Slab

  • Posted on Feb 5, 2012

On the last post, I talked about digging out the basement. Test holes showed that we could gain an additional 6″ in ceiling height if we aligned the top of the new slab with the top of the existing footing.  If we went deeper, we would have to underpin the foundation or create a new ... Read More

Hoboken Brownstone: Demolition

  • Posted on Jan 22, 2012

This is the second post in the series, Hoboken Brownstone.  I plan to document the entire construction process so we’ll start with the not so glamorous stuff… demolition!   But first, we needed to do some exploratory work at the basement slab to finalize the drawings for the building department… and in our case zoning approval.  ... Read More

Hoboken Brownstone

  • Posted on Jan 8, 2012

I thought I’d start off the New Year with a series of posts recapping a full brownstone renovation project here in Hoboken.  I’m excited as it’s coming together in the final months, but before we jump to the final product, I’d like to look back at the progress… maybe along the way we’ll shed some light ... Read More

Back On Bloomfield!

  • Posted on Nov 21, 2011

I can’t believe it’s been a year since my last post…and what a year it has been!  Last September we were knee deep in our own renovation, living in my sister-in-laws house… all 4 of us bunked in one room.  It was quite the bonding experience and we owe Karen the world! And we said what everyone says… “Let’s ... Read More

Architect’s Choice

  • Posted on Sep 28, 2011

Residential Architect is a magazine publication distributed within the architecture trade and each year they do the ‘Architect’s Choice‘ which highlights a few architects and the products they like to use in their projects.   I was fortunate to be asked to participate and offer up some of my own valuable product references for high and low budgets.  I was happy that ... Read More

Hey, What’s My Style?

  • Posted on Aug 28, 2011

Now that the eye of the storm has passed but we’re all still trapped inside… let’s talk about renovating!  We’ve started (again) on the design of our own house renovation… We’ve gone around with so many ideas over the years that I thought maybe I should step back a minute and do what I tell ... Read More

Pizza Night!

  • Posted on May 6, 2011

This is my first post about food …and most likely my last.  Cooking is not my forte, but I have gotten better at it over the years. Well today, as I was sliding our pizza into the oven (this doesn’t even count as ‘cooking’) and said to myself  “Self, that is beautiful!”  So of course, the next thing ... Read More

Handmade Friends

  • Posted on Apr 22, 2011

I can’t believe all the talented artistic people I’ve met over the years.   I have some of them listed on the right side of my blog, but thought I should feature a couple that you might appreciate… but do check them all out! I remember when a friend of mine in college started making ... Read More

Weekend Getaway

  • Posted on Mar 27, 2011

A few weeks ago I spent the weekend with my three sisters in the charming town of Stonington, CT. Actually, that’s how we found it… I googled charming Connecticut towns and there it was! My sister scoured the coastal CT rental housing market through http://www.vbro.com/ and http://www.homeaway.com/ and here’s where we landed… an adorable house in downtown Stonington (better ... Read More

Kiddywompus!

  • Posted on Jan 29, 2011

I recently received a post from Remodelista in my email and it featured this great way to display kids art.  I have piles of my daughter’s drawings and this inspired me to ‘someday’ put together a project like this.  It makes me feel better that I’m holding on to oodles of artwork, some of which are not much ... Read More

10 Design Topics For 2011

  • Posted on Dec 31, 2010

Another year has come and gone.  We asked our daughter this morning if there was anything she didn’t get to do this year… ’cause today is the last day!  She replied that there’s always next year.  Well, I guess that’s true but most of the time I feel like we’re trying to cram one more thing in the day just ... Read More

Hoboken Doors

  • Posted on Nov 4, 2010

One of the reasons I love Hoboken is that it’s such a great walking town.   What makes it so ‘walkable’ for me is that every time I’m headed somewhere in town, I see something I hadn’t noticed before.   It has a good amount of character, culture, history, revitalization…  all of which makes for an ... Read More

Not Exactly A Farmhouse

  • Posted on Sep 11, 2010

I’ve been meaning to write the second half to my previous post:    New Windows: Part I.   Well, here it is!  I’m sure you’re excited, so let’s have at it… I have a project that is just finishing up (and for sale) and it dawned on me that it’s a good case study on how to ... Read More

New Kitchen Counter

  • Posted on Aug 16, 2010

We’ve been living with our new kitchen counter for two weeks now… and I have to say, it’s heaven!  To give you a sense of our enthusiasm, as it was being installed my daughter said… “This is the best thing that has ever happened!”  Okay, so maybe my kid is a little bizarre… or maybe she’s just an ... Read More

Great Design Resource

  • Posted on Jul 24, 2010

Now that summer is in full swing (and whoa, is it swinging!), I’ve cut back on all the extra stuff I do (like blogging!) and I’m sticking with what has to be done.  However, I have continued to follow one blog… Remodelista. When I first started Cattywompus, I thought I should check out what’s out there in the blogging ... Read More

Double Island Counters

  • Posted on Jun 19, 2010

I’ve been working with a client on a kitchen with two islands.  It’s a big trend but there’s always the question whether you want to differentiate between them or tie them together stylistically.  Right now we’re trying to figure out the counters.  We are set on the surrounding counter as soap stone and we’re thinking about a big slab ... Read More

5 Steps To A Great Sandbox

  • Posted on Jun 8, 2010

Step 1: Buy Sand! Step 2: Location, Location, Location, Step 3: Measure Twice, Cut Once Step 4: Watch those fingers! Step 5:  Take the kids to the park and come home to a new sandbox!  Okay, so maybe it’s not quite that easy, but I was impressed with how quickly and beautifully my husband whipped this ... Read More

Holiday Weekend

  • Posted on May 28, 2010

Let the summer begin!  It’s time for us to head back to the beach and I’m so ready for it. A friend of mine reminded me the other day of this photo my husband took of our early morning beach set up… he was so proud he just had to document it.  I have to say it was ... Read More

Sweet

  • Posted on May 23, 2010

A few blocks from my house is a delightful little cupcake shop called Sweet.  It’s appropriately located next to a park teaming with wide eyed kids looking for a sugar fix and desperate moms and dads looking for a caffeine boost.  It’s one of those local establishments that makes me love living here.  Not only do they make ... Read More

Splitsville

  • Posted on May 14, 2010

I’m really excited about a current project of mine…but you might think I’m joking, ’cause it’s a split-level!  Yes, that ubiquitous housing type that was created during the suburban sprawl boom of the 50’s and 60’s.   Here’s one we all know and love… Brady Bunch house as of 1995 Photo: Flickr Actually this house is much more interesting than the split-levels we ... Read More

Wall Of Curtain

  • Posted on May 7, 2010

I took this photo the other day of the kids hanging out in the windows.  It’s their favorite spot and rightfully so.  Even though I snapped it on a whim to capture a childhood moment, it also happens to document the first ‘design move’ I made on our house.  It’s a simple one, but bears mentioning… ... Read More

5 Design Ideas From Italy

  • Posted on Apr 30, 2010

The beautifully vibrant artwork in last post got me thinking about my own trip to Venice with the in-laws a few years back.  It was a great experience and I enjoyed sharing it with our family.  Even my sis made an appearance… perfect timing to take this picture! Piazza S. Lorenzo in Lucina, Rome So I went ... Read More

595 Days To Venice…here In Hoboken

  • Posted on Apr 22, 2010

MackeyBlue had a “Meet the Artist” afternoon last weekend and I managed to get over there to check it out.  And I’m glad I did!  There was beautiful artwork, lovely people and I was able to have a glass of wine with no little person tugging on my pants! But seriously the artwork is great; if you’re ... Read More

Still In The Kitchen- Choosing Appliances

  • Posted on Apr 18, 2010

We’ve started selecting replacement appliances for our kitchen renovation and the scope creep is happening!  This all started with just wanting a new counter and backsplash. My original thought was to only replace what wasn’t functioning or aesthetically appealing.  I thought the cooktop could stay since it works fine and the cream color isn’t objectionable.  I ... Read More

“What I Did On My Spring Vacation”

  • Posted on Apr 9, 2010

I spent the week in Carlisle, PA visiting the folks and wanted to share some photos of our trip. I debated whether this is relevant to my blog’s ‘purpose’… but it has a bit of architecture (a beautifully landscaped home), and some design (a fluorescent ‘skylight’), and plenty of life (a toddler loving trains!)  I do appreciate that what I do for a living just happens to blend ... Read More

Outdoor Dining

  • Posted on Apr 5, 2010

The beautiful weather over the weekend got me thinking about outdoor living again.  And so the annual search for the perfect outdoor dining chair begins!  Every year we talk about buying some new furniture for our deck so we can enjoy dining al fresco this summer.  But every year my husband and I debate the price point, material, ... Read More

Dining Table Pendant

  • Posted on Mar 29, 2010

The much anticipated dining area light came in last week!  In a previous post, Time Together, I talked about installing a pendant fixture with a drum shade over our dining table. My hope was that it would bring some focus to our meals together and at the same time help delineate the small dining area in our open ... Read More

Back To The Kitchen

  • Posted on Mar 22, 2010

Wow, what a weekend…yes, spring is here! And with that comes the desire to fix up my house. We are back to thinking about our kitchen again.  It’s for real this time… my husband started sanding the cabinets! We’ve been debating what to do with the kitchen since it may get ripped out if we renovate the whole house. ... Read More

Are You Leaking?

  • Posted on Mar 18, 2010

Well, are you?  No, I’m not talking about all you new moms out there….  I’m talking about your house!  Energy efficient homes have been getting more press recently and it’s a good thing. So I thought I should share with you a recent experience I had during a house assessment for energy consumption.   Image from Energy ... Read More

Apartment Therapy Kitchen

  • Posted on Mar 11, 2010

A friend of mine, who happens to be an architect and blogger (you might want to check out some of her great recipes!), came across a kitchen on the Apartment Therapy website and said….’Hey, this work looks familiar’.  Well, it turned out it was! Mowery Marsh Architect designed the kitchen which received many envious comments!  When she emailed me, I realized I should spread ... Read More

“Get Organized, Baby!”

  • Posted on Feb 4, 2010

…I’ll never forget when I heard that quote,  I was watching the movie Niagara in Bryant Park under the stars with my future husband and his sister. Vintage Poster found at Cinema Master Pieces Marilyn Monroe was on the big screen, completely hysterical and going a little nuts. Her husband busts into the room, takes her by the shoulders (see poster inset for ... Read More

Looking Up

  • Posted on Feb 7, 2010

My friend George, a fellow blogger, sent me an inspiring article from The New Yorker  about a female architect in Chigaco that is working on the tallest building ever designed by woman.  Yes, that caught my attention! I found some more photos on Edward Lifson’s blog Hello, Beautiful!, that show the project in its finished state. And I love the seductive curves in ... Read More

Got Cards?

  • Posted on Feb 9, 2010

Okay, so it’s February… and we still have all our holiday cards hanging up.  I think it’s time to move on.  Does anyone have a good idea of what to do with all the wonderful photos of family and friends?  I use to cut up the generic cards for present tags… but I think grandma might get confused if ... Read More

Winter Wonderland

  • Posted on Feb 10, 2010

Our first good snowfall of the year got the Marsh’s out the door early this morning.  I like to enjoy the snow in a pristine state before ‘man and his car’ gets it all messed up!  It’s amazing how a simple white covering can refine our world to pure sculpture.   Here’s some of what we saw on our walk…   No wonder Ansel Adams loved ... Read More

Let’s Talk Table Lamps

  • Posted on Feb 15, 2010

As I wait for the light fixture over my dining table, I’ve been thinking about lighting in general…especially now that the days are so short!  Table lamps are an easy and inexpensive way to change the feeling of a space.  When we added this floor lamp from Crate & Barrel, it instantly created a new cozy place to read… Pockets ... Read More

Snow Architecture

  • Posted on Feb 17, 2010

Look at what we discovered in our neighbor’s backyard yesterday… How’d they build that?! You can check out more cool snow structures at the WebUrbanist.... Read More

A Useful Hallway

  • Posted on Feb 20, 2010

As I was picking up clothes this morning (mom task #1 out of 250) and placing our pjs on the hooks in our hallway, I realized how great it is to have them… and that everyone should!  Usually, you see them in mudrooms for coats, but why not use this organizing idea in other areas of ... Read More

Interior Design Tool

  • Posted on Feb 24, 2010

Here’s an eco idea (both environmentally and economically speaking),  instead of buying a stack of magazines to find inspiration for your next home project, go to the Decorpad website. It’s a great resource for seeing lots of interiors in many different styles.  So rather than flipping through countless magazines looking for particular images that might inspire you, go to ... Read More

Holiday Photo Collage

  • Posted on Feb 26, 2010

So I finally got those holiday cards off the wall!  It made for a fun afterschool activity for me and my daughter.  We cut out all the photos, pasted them to some paper to make a collage, and then scanned it into the computer.  Now it’s a great desktop image! LJ made her own photo collage of friends ... Read More

New Windows: Part IazXC

  • Posted on Mar 3, 2010

In a previous post, I showed some images with black window sashes… and that got me thinking about windows.  I like a window sash that contrasts with the trim and the walls… windows are such a great detail feature, why not make them stand out.  Like we did here with stained Douglas fir windows… But before I ... Read More

Outdoor Living…Hoboken Style

  • Posted on Feb 2, 2010

A friend of mind forwarded me a great NYTimes article about the jobless plight of many architects right now.  A lot of us are taking on any small projects we can get during these tough economic times… like the deck design I’m working at the moment. Which has got me thinking about our own backyard…. Yes, it’s time to start planning ... Read More

Time Together

  • Posted on Jan 29, 2010

Another house project I’m tackling right now is where we eat dinner. It’s important to me that as a family we have our meals together so we can talk about our day. But I find our table uninviting and I tend to eat quickly so I can go sit somewhere more comfortable… like the couch! I decided ... Read More

Another View

  • Posted on Jan 28, 2010

Everyone seemed to enjoy the Italy photos so I thought I’d post some more. As I was going through them, I realized that my daughter had taken some nice shots that capture a bit of Italy from a different view. Here she is taking in a magnificent one… So all these photos are hers, my ... Read More

Shiny & New

  • Posted on Jan 25, 2010

I treated myself to something shiny and new for 2010. As you can see, it’s not jewelry… but knowing myself, I thought I’d enjoy this much more than a trinket for my wrist. Yes, it’s a boring faucet but it’s already making my dishwashing more delightful! It’s something we can move to our new kitchen ... Read More

Outdoor Living… Italian Style

  • Posted on Jan 22, 2010

Being cooped up for the winter is tough. As I said, I love connecting with the outside… it keeps me sane. We try to spend time outside everyday but when I can’t, daydreaming will have to do… Ahhh, the family trip to Italy last June. It warms me up just thinking about the expansive vistas ... Read More

Preferred Seating

  • Posted on Jan 20, 2010

What is it about a window that makes a child want to play there? The other day my son spent almost an hour playing with his cars on the window sill. Makes you want to go buy some lumber and build a window seat! I personally love to work in lots of light with a ... Read More

Living With Less?

  • Posted on Jan 17, 2010

Every once in awhile I treat myself to 10 minutes of Oprah. I figure it’s the one perk of juggling work and kids… the opportunity to watch a little daytime television if I’ve got a free moment. We don’t have Tivo or cable so the slim pickin’s keeps me focused on work. But if I ... Read More

Storage Real Estate

  • Posted on Jan 15, 2010

In my last post, I showed a glimpse of our new improved bathroom and miraculously it was clutter free. Well, in the spirit of being real, I thought I should show you how we can do that. Now that’s what I call a medicine cabinet! This thing holds everything we need in the bathroom, it’s ... Read More

One Space at a Time

  • Posted on Jan 14, 2010

Here’s a beautiful space I just found online. It’s an interior by Debora Berke. Clean, simple, bright, organized. Imagine how much work I could get done in an office like that! I’d love to have a space like this in my own house someday. Unfortunately, we don’t all have the money, time, or energy to withstand ... Read More

Design ENVY

  • Posted on Jan 12, 2010

I can’t help but peruse the latest home design magazine and ponder how I can make my life look like this…so perfect. Everything is in its place with room to breathe and live. It all sparkles… the gleaming floors, the immaculate paint job, the pristine furniture, and the abundance of natural light, even on a ... Read More