Sneak Peek at the FitHouse
Struggling to cook healthy? We'll help you prep.
Associate Editor Cindy Hatcher just called from Portland, Oregon, where she's currently on location to shoot the 2008 Cooking Light FitHouse. She and a team of photographers, photo stylists, designers, and an associate art director are working their magic to produce the story you'll see in our August 2008 issue.
This year's house incorporates elements of green architecture and universal design. See that wood beam on the front there? That's made from local reclaimed Douglas Fir. The Arts & Crafts style fits its location in the Pacific Northwest, in Wilsonville, a suburb south of Portland.
Cindy works with a team of designers and builders to create the FitHouse each year -- from concept to blueprint to ceremonial ribbon. (She also edits the FitHouse column in the magazine, as well as the Beauty and Travel sections.)
Like this? Check out other idea houses on our sister site, MyHomeIdeas.com. They're giving away a $10,000 kitchen makeover.
(Read on for more photos, details, and the scoop on how to win a trip to Portland...)
"This is my favorite part of the house--the reading nook," Cindy says."It's great to have a quiet place to read or just sit and enjoy the natural light."
Plus, she adds, the built-in book cases go well with the Pacific-Northwest style of the house.
Designed to accommodate a diverse range of occupants, the house incorporates many elements of Universal Design, such as a curbless shower.
"A wheelchair user could roll right in," Cindy says, "and someone with limited mobility wouldn't have to worry about stepping over a high tub edge."
One thing we're most proud of with this year's home is that the UD features don't compromise the aesthetic appeal of the home.
"Being here and seeing the home, you realize that UD features are contemporary and can look great," Cindy says.
The 2008 FitHouse will be open to the public on May 31 and June 1, 2008. We'll kick off this year's open house on Live Well Day, a festival we're hosting in the community of Wilsonville. Meet Cindy, Chef Billy, and other members of the Cooking Light staff and tour the house to get great ideas for your own home.