June 5, 2015

Five Ways to Incorporate Steam Therapy in Your Ranch Property or Multi Generation Mountain Estate

By Ann McDonald | #BlogTourNYC, Design Fundamentals, Income Property, Multi-Generation, Succession Living | One Comment

Fresh off Blog Tour New York, I am delighted to ponder how you, our valued clients and friends, can incorporate some of the products we had the honor of learning about first hand. Today’s post centers on one of the #BlogTourNYC sponsors: Mr Steam. We were treated to an incredible private steam at Aire Ancient Baths.

With Wyoming, Idaho and California Mountain projects swirling on summer drafting boards, my team and I discussed several ways we could incorporate this technology seamlessly into your multi-generational, multi-use, family ranch or mountain estate. We narrowed it to five (5) overall design schematics.

Let me know which you prefer and what your thoughts are. I love this part of being a Designer. As you well know, creativity and Read More

March 25, 2014

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Decorating a Family Trust Owned Property, Solving Problems Virtually by Ann McDonald, IIDA, NAPO

By Ann McDonald | Design Fundamentals, Extended Absence, Income Property, Multi-Generation, Succession Living | No Comments

How We Decorate a Family Trust Owned Property over the Internet

Decorating a home is complicated enough. Add some storied family history, a new family member, a new board appointed trustee by way of Grandfather and the next generation with ideas of green vegan living in a changing environment and the mix can become toxic. What was once a lovely destination cabin on the remote plains of the middle west used for hunting and fishing is now the epicenter of Family Battle Chapter #13, all over a set of Quilts and the next phase of use: green living.

Log cabin ranch-style behind pines

Capable of destroying legacy and leaving shrapnel for generations, this simple plot is enacted hundreds of times over in varying degrees in board rooms and over skype calls in Small Family Foundations world wide every month. Does not matter if it’s the America’s version of the middle west or a Yurt in the middle of Turkey. Seriously. The issues are the same. Legacy intersects children with trustee and/or wife and/or over authority and stuff. The story is as old as Abraham. Older actually… Read More

March 4, 2014

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Luxury Custom Design for Estates, Trusts and Homeowners with Multiple Properties

By Ann McDonald | Design Fundamentals, Extended Absence, Income Property, Multi-Generation, Succession Living | No Comments

2014 has been a year of edits. As my team and I looked over the past to note what we did best at Couture Chateau, it came clearly into focus.

We design rooms to entire estates that are under the ownership of private trusts or families and owners who handle and manage multiple properties as part of their portfolio.

We do so entirely online.

From idea to implementation, from management of installation, coordination of staff, storage, delivery to training of household staff on execution and maintenance of a finished look within a room or entire estate, my fabulous team at Couture Chateau and I had developed a system that worked.

Our guests (old school clients) love the flexibility, the 24/7 access, the follow up and the understanding of how life is really lived in 2014. Read More