Famous Holiday Homes

Recognize these houses? They all were the setting for classic holiday movies. So where are they now?!

This Colonial Revival beauty was featured in "Home Alone, " recently sold for $1.6 million. The four-bedroom, four-bath house located in Winnetka, IL, is 4,243 square feet and as depicted in "Home Alone" the quintessential family home.

Ralphie’s memorable Farmhouse style home in Cleveland, OH, has been turned into a museum, where visitors can come to view it and even purchase a leg lamp just like the one in "A Christmas Story."

Also called the "Ghostbuster Building," this building has made several cameos on the big screen including Buddy's dad's downtown condo in "Elf." Built in 1929, this art deco beauty has been home to many famous residence and continues to be desirable New York real estate today.

What is Your Architectural Style?

Photo credit to http://blog.miragestudio7.com/6-architectural-christmas-posters-diy-cards/4823/

Decorating for the Holidays

A Few Helpful Hints for Professional Looking Outdoor Lights!

 

Follow these easy steps to become the talk of the 

neighborhood, just like Clark Griswold!

Step 1 : Have the Right Equipment

You will need:
Christmas Lights
Times and Controllers
Christmas Light Clips
Ladder

Step 2 : Measure First

The professionals always measure. Start by measuring the base of the house, going along any turns and corners. Measure doors and door frames, window frames, and any columns that will be lit. If hanging Christmas lights on peeks, climb carefully up a ladder and measure along the area of peak to be decorated.


Step 3 : Evaluate Hanging Surfaces
Begin by studying the roofline, gutters, and shingles. Christmas lights can be installed on any of these surfaces, but there are specific clips for each type of surface. Inspect how thick the gutter lip is, and how loose or tight the shingles on the roof are. Do the gutters get in the way of the shingles?
Locate power sources. Measure how many feet of power cord will be required to extend from the power source to the beginning of the roofline.

Step 4 : Choose the Right Lights for Your Job

Purchasing bulbs and stringers separately has many advantages, including better selection in wire color, easy replacements of bad bulbs, and ability to change out bulb colors each season. For large or custom lighting projects, purchase a spool and cut wire as needed, keeping in mind that a shorter runs of lights is easier to handle when perched on a ladder.

Step 5 : Calculate Power Wattage

Lighting professionals calculate power wattage to prevent overloading the circuit or blowing a fuse. To determine wattage multiply the wattage of the bulb by the number of sockets, and divide by 115 to reach total amps. For example, 5 watt bulbs x 125 sockets / 115 = 5.43 amps. The total amps must be less than 10% of the total amps the wire is rated for.

Step 6 : Chooses the Right  Christmas Light Clip

Choosing the best clips for the project is key. There is a large selection of clips for every application in hanging Christmas lights, whether hanging Christmas lights from gutters, high peaks, flat roof tops, siding, paint, or brick. Study which clips will work best with the roofline, shingles, or gutters, and pay attention to which bulb sockets will fit in each clip. All-in-one clips are a great pick because they work with the largest variety of bulbs and applications. It's usually better to attach Christmas lights to the clips on the ground, climbing carefully up the ladder with only one string of lights at a time. Take caution not to let bulbs hit the ladder or walls while climbing on the ladder to prevent bulbs getting broken during installation.

Step 7 : Stand Back and Enjoy!

Thanksgiving Safety

 

According to the US Fire Administration it is estimated that 4,300 fires occur on Thanksgiving causing nearly $27 million dollars in property damage and 15 deaths. The cause of most of these fires is deep frying turkeys which is becoming more and more popular.

Although it is strongly advised to use alternative cooking methods, if you must fry a turkey this Thanksgiving, please follow these safety tips to protect yourself and your home:

• Turkey fryers should always be used outdoors a safe distance from buildings and any other flammable materials.

• Never use turkey fryers in a garage or on a wooden deck.

• Make sure the fryers are used on a flat surface to reduce accidental tipping.

• Never leave the fryer unattended. Most units do not have thermostat controls. If you do not watch the fryer carefully, the oil will continue to heat until it catches fire.

• Never let children or pets near the fryer even if it is not in use. The oil inside the cooking pot can remain dangerously hot hours after use.

• To avoid oil spillover, do not overfill the fryer.

• Use well-insulated potholders or oven mitts when touching pot or lid handles. If possible, wear safety goggles to protect your eyes from oil splatter.

• Make sure the turkey is completely thawed and be careful with marinades. Oil and water do not mix, and water causes oil to spill over causing a fire or even an explosion hazard.

• The National Turkey Federation (NTF) recommends thawing the turkey in the refrigerator approximately 24 hours for every five pounds in weight.

• Keep an all-purpose fire extinguisher nearby. Never use water to extinguish a grease fire. If the fire is manageable, use your all-purpose fire extinguisher. If the fire increases, immediately call the fire department for help. 

 
Under no circumstances should you ever fry a turkey in your garage, and since this is one of the most common places turkey fryer fires start we will send you off with a little bit of garage code trivia! Did you know:

• Garages must be separated from the main residence by ½” gyp bd or 5/8” Type X gyp bd for rooms above a garage.
• Doors opening from garages directly into sleeping areas are not permitted.
• Doors leading into you home per code must either be 20 minute fire resistance rated, solid wood or solid core steel doors.
• There are minimum garage size requirements set by your local zoning codes or design standards. 

Have a wonderful and safe Thanksgiving! 

Amazing Ski Houses!

With the weather getting colder, we at Godden | Sudik are dreaming about fresh tracks on a powder day and our ultimate ski house.  What do you think of these???

 

 

Ski prep rooms with boot warmers, kid bunk rooms that sleep eight, soaker tubs with mountain views; living in Colorado, we all fantasize of one day owning a sprawling ski home at our favorite resort. If you're currently in the market, there are some amazing homes available in some of Colorado's most sought after mountain towns, if you can afford it. 

This Old World charmer is on the market is Aspen.

For a mere $18,950,000, this 6 bed, 6 bath, 15,889 square foot home in Aspen can be yours. Key features include his and her offices, a floor to ceiling fireplace in the great room, a library, a spa/exercise wing, temperature controlled wine room, infinity pool, hot tub, sprawling master suite and several generous guest suites.

If Aspen isn't for you, how about Telluride? This 24,124 square foot home sitting on 3.33 acres has 8 beds and 13 baths. For $18,500,00 it can be yours.   

Beautifully manicured grounds come with this Telluride ski house.

This home boasts a 75-foot indoor pool, AMF bowling alley, 2-lane indoor commercial shooting range, golf fairway and putting green with bunker. Outside, extensive landscaping, magnificent water features, a gazebo with wet bar and a 7-person hot-tub, and a full-scale replica of the Labyrinth at Chartres France can all be yours.

This Vail home modeled after an Austrian chateau has direct ski access.

Located in Vail, no expense was spared in the creation of this old world estate. With direct ski access to the largest ski area in North America, this 6 bed, 8 bath stunner can be your for a mere $25,000,000. At 6,563 square feet, the luxury home comes complete with a warming hut, game room, beautiful master suite, cedar lined storage closets, wine closet, library, sunken wet bar, and amazing chef's kitchen. 

Maybe these homes are a little out of your price range, but it doesn't hurt to dream. Perhaps a condo in Keystone is a little more realistic...

Happy Halloween From Godden|Sudik Architects

Godden|Sudik Architects' annual Halloween party & costume contest.

We hope you all had a safe and fun Halloween! We had a little fun ourselves yesterday during our annual Halloween Costume Contest! The competition was stiff but Kellie Rowan stunned everyone with her creativity and took first prize with her "School Picture" costume. Coming in a close second was Doug Walter with his "Sir Walter" costume, and Kyle Conley came in third as The Big Lebowski's "The Dude." Who's costume do you think should have won?  Keep checking back to see what else is new at Godden|Sudik Architects.

A Denver Haunting!

The Croke-Patterson Mansion is said to be one of Denver's most haunted sites.

This beautiful  residence with attached carriage house is a rare example of Chateauesque style architecture in Denver. Using local sandstone, the red castle stands tall with parapets, turrets and stained glass windows. The home is an enormous 12,000 square feet with four levels and an attached carriage house. Originally commissioned by Thomas Croke in 1890, the mansion has a peculiar history. Rumor has it that when the home was completed and Thomas Croke entered it for the first time, he felt terrified by something he couldn't explain and he never returned to the home again. Two years later, the mansion was sold to Thomas Patterson who resided there with his family until his passing in 1916. Over the next century, the house served many purposes--a dance studio, radio station, boarding house, and eventually, an office building.

A ghostly image has often been sighted gliding up and down the main floor stairway.

Legend recounts tales of suicidal guard dogs jumping from a third story window, lonely mothers mourning the loss of children, loud parties on the third floor when no one is there and crying babies when no children are present. A secret chamber in the basement supposedly entombed the body of a young  girl and unexplainable drafts are a constant reminder of the chilling history of this mansion. Perhaps most frightening of all, Thomas Patterson is rumored to haunt the courtyard between the home and carriage house.

Whether you believe in ghost tales or not, you can now experience the Croke-Patterson Mansion for yourself. Opened as the Patterson Inn this January, supernatural experiences seem to have subsided and guest now can enjoy nice luxury rooms in this one of a kind carefully restored historical mansion.