In Ancient Alleys, Modern Comforts
Shiho Fukada for The New York Times
UPDATE Liu Heung Shing is among a growing number of foreigners refurbishing Beijing’s traditional courtyard houses with a modern sensibility.
Some of Beijing’s traditional courtyard homes are being refurbished with a mix of modern sensibility and respect for original detail.
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Carlos Brillembourg, an architect, and Karin Waisman, an artist, built a modern house in the Hamptons that is spacious, spare and stylish.
Shopping for New York Necessities With Alisa Grifo
Alisa Grifo’s store, Kiosk, presents a collection of useful, often unusual, products from around the world. She searched New York for unexpected, quirky selections.
In the Garden
Raindrops Keep Falling in My Tank
You won’t save a lot of money harvesting rainwater but you’ll save water.
The Fix
Time to Worry About Heat Bills
It may seem like an odd time to be thinking about heating your house, but this is a good moment to do so.
Garden Q & A
In the Garden, Raised Beds for Plants
Q. I want to grow vegetables in my backyard, but I’m worried about the toxic stuff that might be in the soil. Should I use raised beds?
Currents
Arts and Leisure Preview
Lost in the New Beijing: The Old Neighborhood
A construction boom tied to the Olympics is threatening two types of housing in China’s capital.
In a Hong Kong Flat, Customized Design and Storage
Joanne Ooi spent more than $100,000 renovating her two-bedroom two-bath apartment in Hong Kong.
Property Values
What You Get for...$3 Million
An 1851 brick Federal house with four bedrooms in Savannah, Ga.; a three-bedroom house in Seattle; and a three-bedroom chalet-style home in Edwards, Colo.
Multimedia
Renovating Beijing’s Historic Homes
Some historic homes in the city are undergoing high-end renovations.
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The owner of Kiosk, a SoHo design store, shopped for objects that struck her as essential for city dwellers.
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