Monday, June 7, 2010

Everything old is new again

From WCBS880:

In a business that loves terms like "curb appeal", Marianne Cusato is known for using words like "affordable" and "sustainable."

Her team has introduced the New Economy Home, its answer to the McMansion, in the Warwick Grove community in Warwick, NY. Unnecessary hallways, and formal dining rooms and livings rooms have been replaced by functional alternatives. Instead of a room filled with furniture covered in plastic, Cusato's houses offer spaces that can be converted to formal areas during the few times in a year the modern family needs them.

"It's actually designed to live through multiple life phases," designer Marianne Cusato said.

A concept drawing of the New Economy Home. Rendering courtesy of the New Economy Home.

The houses have two master bedrooms, one that can be transformed into a elderly parent's bedroom, or a space for an adult child living at home after college.

"You can have plenty of storage and big rooms even. You can have all of that if its designed in such a way to make it liveable," she said.

The company estimates that a 1800 square foot New Economy Home, with four bedrooms and 3.5 baths, will cost about $150,000 to build.

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

$150K with Union labor and DOB fining everything to meet it revenue needs?!?

Good luck with that.

Anonymous said...

Funny, if you look under the unfortunate mutilations and illegal conversions that now characterize most housing stock in Queens this is exactly what you would find.

Go to Elmhust - Conrona - Maspeth - Ozone Park .....

oh, I am sorry, according to the 'taste makers' of Queens the only thing that matters is Bayside and Little Neck.

Sorry....

Helen said...

The "New Economy" home, where an adult "child" is "encouraged" to stay in the parents' home after college. This is a time when people used to start their own families but with this "New Economy" (and the Dems' "health" care)the gov't is actually "legislating" perpetual adolescence.
Anyone interested might want to take a look at the "Cap and Trade" bill that passed in the House but is waiting for the Senate vote. You may have to have a "license" (approval) from the Feds in order to sell your house. (That is if you'd like to move to a "Redder" state or stay in NY with even more tax money going through the gov't shredders of NYS, NYC and the Fed)

Anonymous said...

like the housing stock of Queens, this can be converted easily into multifamily.

welcome to 1910!

Lino said...

"Helen" said:This is a time when people used to start their own families but with this "New Economy" (and the Dems' "health" care)the gov't is actually "legislating" perpetual adolescence.

-Congratulations, you made the stupidest comment of the day here.

As an obvious AM radio/Fox "news" listener this will probably go over your head but, with the rapidly rising cost of our bizarre market based health care system, it is already becoming prohibitively expensive for anyone who doesn't have employer based care to start a family.

Pry yourself away from that radio and read this:

http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/health/2009-09-15-insurance-costs_N.htm

-Here in the NE the costs are much higher. My business partner is paying almost $17K for four young healthy people.

As for your own opinions, get your head out of your backside and do some research for yourself. Think.

Queens Crapper said...

You know Lino, at times you make good points, but your constant "Fox News/AM radio" rants are really lame.

Babs said...

Lino "constantly" rants about Fox/AM - first I'm reading it - anyway -

These are beautiful homes for seniors who love upstate whether to live there year round or as a second home.

Being that it is a "senior" complex Helen - anyone younger than 55 would not be allowed to live there. These types of complexes have on site management offices who oversee a lot of the activities - exercise rooms, pools, etc. NO WAY are you getting past them on anything.

I LOVE the idea of the two master suites - many boomers ARE caretakers of their elderly parents - usually one or the other. Good selling feature. ALSO, two seniors living together who are NOT married or are not partners will be common in the future.

GORGEOUS country up there.

Good for them.

Lino said...

Queens Crapper said...

You know Lino, at times you make good points, but your constant "Fox News/AM radio" rants are really lame.

Q-C I do that because THAT IS where these bizarre thoughts come from.

These people that listen to that crap are being propagandized into believing that anything Obama is bad for them.

Those stupid shows are there not journalism or entertainment, but to keep people from blaming their hardship on those truly responsible.


We've had sixty years of abiding conservative's market based health care, a few have gotten -very- rich on and the rest of us are beginning to really suffer from ever rising costs.

One sector of our economy..one that should be a "right" but is instead a business, is now transferring wealth from the middle/working class Americans to those CEOs who run this insurance and malpractice empire.

We ARE going to have to change this situation and it is going to be a painful mess in doing so. If we had listened to President Truman and several Presidents after him, we wouldn't have to go through this. FOX, hanutty etc are all just mouthpieces for the vested interests who want to keep 'em dumb and distracted.

These types have used this tactic for over 60 years and they are desperate to keep it going.

Queens Crapper said...

And with all due respect, the MSNBCs and CNNs of the world are kind of out there lefty, into brainwashing and doing the same thing but to a different demographic.

Anonymous said...

go rinse the sand out of your vagina lino

Anonymous said...

did you listen to "air america" the left wing AM radio program? lino called it constantly and it went out of business.

it was financed by some of the richest n.y.c. progressive /marxist developers.

research that lino,the liberal/progressive loyalist.

if lino would stop exploiting all the illegal alien workers at his partners restaurants and pay them a living wage ,they would not have to use our medical and educational services for free. that is why these services are closing in QUEENS AND MANHATTAN.
if the mayor REALLY cuts the dept. of eduction budget soon, these "anchors "will be sacrificed.

the "sanctuary" city will soon be eliminated.

see:secureourborders now.org and sign the petition. they invaded our southen border to get to Queens. Arizona's problem is your problem also.

Anonymous said...

Does anyone who doesn't drive to work actually listen to the radio anyway?

Anonymous said...

RE:lino's rants about fox news /AM radio....

the following should solve his problem.

see: bob grant online....6/7/10..."Three cheers for Obama"

Anonymous said...

Front and back porches can be enclosed to provide additional rooms.