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Naperville Living: Terrariums made easy
For those who either do not have the space or the time to cultivate an outdoor garden, terrariums offer a compact indoor solution. Joannie Rocchi is one Naperville homeowner who has found this form of gardening to be easy and satisfying.
Naperville Living: Tropical plants make sunroom feel like Florida
Naperville homeowner Terry Ryser has found a way to overcome the long, cold feeling of a Midwest winter by creating a room filled with tropical plants. Ryser did not set out necessarily to create a tropical room in his Italian-style house, but little by little kept adding a couple new tropical plants each year that interested him.
Naperville Living: Husband expands Department 56 collection
Steven Janis started his Department 56 collection with three small buildings on a piece of Styrofoam in his Naperville home — with the encouragement of his wife. The display has turned into a massive display of 125 Department 56 houses and shops, complete with accessories and a working train. That’s to the delight of his four children and to a bit of his wife’s chagrin.
Naperville Living: Homeowner sells sports films from his basement
Naperville resident Doak Ewing’s basement is one that might surprise his neighbors. It holds more than 2,500 sports films, and that is just the beginning of the hobby turned profession that he keeps in his basement.
Naperville Living: Jefferson Estates home models for Kmart Christmas ads
Last summer, the Dieter home, in the Jefferson Estates neighborhood, was used as the backdrop for Kmart’s fliers, Internet and global holiday store pictures, and on tags for the company’s outdoor decorations. As such, the entire house was decorated in June with Christmas cheer, complete with fake snow.
Naperville Living: Family’s conservation plan includes rain barrel, push mower
As more rain barrels dot the Naperville landscape, the Marks family decided that adding one to the overall conservation plans for their home made sense. This summer the family purchased a 55-gallon rain barrel from The Conservation Foundation on Knoch Knolls Road. They already notice the difference.
Naperville family installs solar panels
Since he was young, Andrew Close always has been fascinated by solar energy, most recently by subscribing to blogs and reading to stay informed on the topic. When he moved to the Timber Creek subdivision on Naperville’s south side three years ago with his wife, Deanna, and son Zac, his interest in green building projects was finally realized.
Naperville Living: Garage gets makeover with kids in mind
After living in her River Run home with a “regular” garage for almost 15 years, Mina Singer decided she wanted her three-car garage to feel like the rest of her home. When she first moved in, she was childless, but five kids later, all their equipment and the clutter took over.
Naperville Living: Shell Lake Estates, a year-round retreat
Shell Lake Estates is a residential community in unincorporated Naperville tucked a few blocks off Book Road. And, for the families who live there, the manmade lake is not only a summer respite but a place for year-round enjoyment.
Naperville Living: Effective use of space key to making home, experts say
These days, a variety of reasons influence people’s decision to buy a smaller house, or at least a house that does not feel as big. Whether homeowners are downsizing because of the economy, or making larger homes feel cozier because of the backlash against “McMansions,” every room in a home can be made into usable space to match its owner’s lifestyle.
Naperville Living: Homeowner builds model railroad in basement
For some, hobbies become passions, consuming every waking moment — a way to demonstrate creativity and fulfill dreams. That is exactly what happened to Bob Rogers when he was introduced to the world of model railroads.
Naperville Living: Feng shui approach to redecorating
Feng shui is based on a Chinese system using the laws of heaven and earth to help improve life by receiving positive energy and creating positive energy flow. Lisa Rooney is one Naperville homeowner who, in 2006, turned to feng shui as part of an entire lifestyle change.
Naperville Living: Life after Disney leads them home
If a house is a reflection of those who live there, there is no doubt when stepping into the home of R.J. and Suzanne Ogren that they have a passion for Disney. In May, the couple moved into their downtown Naperville home and immediately made it a place where they can display the years of influence Disney has had on them.
Naperville Living: Garden Club prepares Nance home for house walk
The Naperville Garden Club’s elves arrived last week at the home of Chris and Kip Nance to adorn it for their annual Cup of Cheer House Walk. However, it’s not magic that gets a house ready for the event, but the culmination of a year of planning and preparation.
Naperville Living: Homeowners use backyard tree on addition
When the Wernekes decided they wanted to add on to their historic Naperville home, they knew they literally would not be able to work around the beloved Norway spruce in their backyard. So, they did the next best thing. They incorporated the tree’s wood into their addition.
Naperville family says living close makes life better
One Naperville family did not start out here, but one by one, family members purposefully moved to the area so they could all live close to each other. According to a survey conducted by Coldwell Banker in July 2010, many of today’s homebuyers are appreciating the benefits of living closer to their relatives: 72 percent of homeowners that are parents choose to live within 30 minutes of extended family members, and 42 percent live less than 10 minutes away.
