Stacey Freed
Write, Edit, Manage Projects
For 15 years I've been writing for national consumer and trade publications about remodeling, construction, small business, home design and lifestyle. I work from my home near Rochester, N.Y.
PROJECTS
magazine.thrivent.com
The Power of Pets, Thrivent magazine, p. 14
Whether you have a llama or a lab, volunteering with your pet is a great way to bring the calming power of animals to others.
custombuilderonline.com
Backstory: Sense + Sensibility
Business smarts and old-meets-new design have helped Environs Development carve itself a niche with stately infill homes in Chicagoland
About 170 homes ago, architect and builder Ken Brinkman designed and built his first spec home, a small frame house with vinyl siding on a narrow lot. “We tried to create a configuration that was efficient and gave a future owner a lot of livable space,” says the owner of Environs Development, in Chicago. And, looking back, he wouldn’t change a thing, he says...
democratandchronicle.com
Chappaquiddick film recalls tragic Ted Kennedy scandal
When director John Curran (Tracks and The Painted Veil) first received the script for his new film Chappaquiddick, which opens nationwide April 6, it was 2016 and the height of the primaries season.
Like many voters, Curran said he was “disgusted with politicians...
probuilder.com
Universal Design Is Design for All
Three decades after the term ‘universal design’ was coined, we still struggle with defining it. Here’s insight from builders that are forging ahead with clear ideas in mind
Talk to people in the building industry and they’ll agree that “universal design”—designing products and the built environment to be as aesthetically pleasing and as usable as possible by everyone, regardless of age, ability, or status—is “just good design.” So why is it that 30 odd years after R.L. Mace defined the term u...
HouseLogic
Kitchen Cleaning Tips | How to Clean Kitchen Cabinets | HouseLogic
Kitchen Cleaning Tips | How to Clean Kitchen Cabine...
Issuu
GREEN LIVING by STUDIO Gannett
When it comes to eco-friendly living, the options for your home are ever evolving. And new technology is making it easier for homes to be interconnected and smart, which can also make it easier to be green -- lowering energy use, saving money on energy costs and making your home comfortable, healthy and safer...
Issuu
PET GUIDE by STUDIO Gannett
Steven Siegel's 15-year old Jack Russell terrier fell ill and had to be rushed to the hospital. AFter seeing several specialists, tests determined that Pumpkin was in kidney failure. "I gave her every bit of medicine [that] science could give us," Siegel says.
Nothing worked well...
democratandchronicle.com
Rochester Magazine
The most stunning renovation in Rochester?
One-of-a-kind overhaul creates a kid-centric, California-inspired space for a well-traveled family
democratandchronicle.com
They saved a home, showcased new style, helped a cause...
Every neighborhood has them: houses that need a little TLC. And then there was this Pittsford home, in need of much more than a little TLC.
Custom-built in the early 1990s, the house was overgrown on the outside, with makeshift tarps laid onto a leaking roof. Inside, a floor-to-ceiling aviary had been the home’s central feature, but it had contributed to the interior’s deterioration—and the birds were still in the cages when it went on the market.
Pass no judgment on the owners—things happen. But it would take major vision and commitment to turn the place back into a desirable home...
netassets.org
The New Allergy-Safe Meal Plan
How are independent schools handling allergens in their dining operations to prevent tragedies, abide by the law and serve food that is both healthy and affordable?
probuilder.com
Aging in A New Age: Innovative Models for Senior Housing
“The typical age of entry into [supportive care communities] is in the early and mid-eighties,” says Chuck Harry, chief of research & analytics for the National Investment Center for Seniors Housing and Care (NIC). “A decade from now is when we’ll really start to see the boom in that aging population. Many investors now are gearing up to identify how they want to participate in this sector.” The question, says Harry, is “What properties will be of interest to those people who are expected to be different from the current generation or the ‘silent generation’?”...
USA TODAY
Dog owners pull out all the stops to create canine spaces
According to a recent survey by Houzz.com — an online platform for design and remodeling — more than one-third of homeowners have done some pet-related remodeling in the last two years, including upgraded flooring and reconfigured room layouts....
HouseLogic
Tips for buying in an urban real estate market
The braggable joys of a primo location. The convenience of being able to walk to get your soy latte or see that indie film from the Czech Republic. The frustration of multiple bids. The cost. Buying in the city comes with its own set of opportunities and challenges. But you’ll be prepared if you know a few things...
democratandchronicle.com
Downtown lofts in Rochester offer pop culture feel
Loft living is booming in downtown Rochester, especially among millennials and baby boomers, particularly empty nesters.
Every related project that opened its doors in the last five years quickly filled up, and the vacancy rates are low....
democratandchronicle.com
Deaf jazz musician Jon Seiger plays for his life
It’s a Thursday evening at Wegmans on Calkins Road in Henrietta, and music is playing.
In the back corner of the Market Café, a band plays “West End Blues,” the Louis Armstrong classic. The frontman blows a trumpet while running his fingers along a keyboard; he’s backed by a drummer and a bass player. Couples twirl on what has become a dance floor, and a large crowd has gathered. The listeners show their appreciation with applause....