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To-Dos: Your October Home Checklist

By Press

Cover or store outdoor furniture and grills, and get your home ready for more time spent indoors

BY Laura Gaskill
Originally published in Houzz on October 1, 2024.

The leaves are falling, pumpkins are showing up at market, and the cozy comforts of home beckon — it must be October. Make the most of this month’s bountiful harvest, get some exercise raking leaves in the brisk air, and button down your house in preparation for winter. Then sit back, relax and warm your hands around a mug of hot apple cider. Fall is here.

Things to Check Off Your List in an Hour or Less

1. Neaten up the mudroom. The flurry of activity this time of year can leave the mudroom looking a little worse for the wear. Take some time to regain sanity — sort through papers and put away stray summer items. Clean the floors and invest in a new doormat if needed. Keep a recycling basket near the entrance to make sorting mail and school papers easier, and dedicate a tote or bin for items that need to go out.

2. Keep seasonal decorating low-key with natural finds. Pumpkins, gourds, fresh heirloom apples, quinces, pomegranates, figs and fall foliage make wonderfully simple decor. Bring in cut branches from your yard, stop by a pick-your-own farm, or scoop up fall’s bounty at a farm stand.

3. Vacuum radiators, baseboard heaters and heating grates. Prepare for heating season by vacuuming up dust from radiators, baseboard heaters and heating grates. If you have radiators with covers, remove the covers and vacuum beneath them before replacing.

4. Check safety devices. Test smoke and carbon monoxide detectors in the house, replacing batteries as needed. Check the expiration date on the kitchen fire extinguisher and replace it if needed.

5. Start a gift list. It may seem as though the holidays are a long way off, but that’s why it pays to start getting organized now. Start a list of everyone you plan to give gifts to this year, and as ideas strike, jot them down on your list. You can also use your list to keep track of a holiday gifting budget. And if you want to make any gifts by hand, October is a great time to get started — handmade gifts always seem to take longer to make than expected.

Tackle These Tasks Over a Weekend

6. Rake leaves. To make quicker work of collecting leaves from a large lawn, rake the fallen foliage onto a large plastic tarp. Then bag it or add it to your compost pile.

 

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The Berkshire Edge: A minimalist condo with maximum light

By Blog, Press

We often referred to this project as the “house of glass” because there is glass everywhere.

BY PAMELA SANDLER
Originally published in The Berkshire Edge on May 10, 2024.

Condominiums are tough. When I was just starting out in the Berkshires, one of my earliest jobs was a condo back when condos were not “a thing” here. Obviously, a lot has changed since then. But what hasn’t changed is the limitations of condominiums, and this one was no exception. It was very chopped up, typical late 1980s design. We couldn’t make any structural changes to the exterior, so we had to utilize the space we already had. That included the screened-in porch, which we brought into the square footage of the house, enclosed it, and it became the main living space. Multiple French doors—French doors everywhere, really–and angled windows (all custom, and cut flush with the roof line) opened the space up tremendously. That was one of the main goals our client had. Even when you are inside the living room, you feel like you are outside because of all the glass and light.

In fact, we often referred to this project as the “house of glass” because there is glass everywhere. The windows, the doors, those are the obvious features. But then there is all the glass detail. Tiny, tiny glass tiles in the kitchen, concave and convex glass tiles in the bathroom, plexiglass stairs and glass risers, frosted glass cabinets; no view inside or out is obstructed. In fact, glass is the true “canvas” for our client’s expansive art collection. So expansive, that we catalogued the art before we began the build and afterwards hired someone specifically to hang the art.

Everything is custom built. Everything. Glass shelves are backlit and filled with sculpture and other art. We made light boxes for specific pieces, and when younger, more curious guests would come (the kind who can really do some damage to glass), we designed wooden panels to cover the light boxes…just in case. Every corner of this house is a curation. A vignette that you discover as you wander through. And, of course, the stairs, which are central to the entire space. We’ve started calling them the “Pam stairs,” as they have turned up in subsequent projects. (I am mildly obsessed with stairs. My team and my kids might argue more than mildly.)
During the build, the grandchildren started arriving, and the space needed to take those curious visitors into consideration. And it needed to be fun! The loft area is one of my favorites. Everything is multi-functional. The L-shaped seating area transforms into a bed and the coffee table surface can be flipped over and used as snack trays. There are drawers built into the steps leading up to the loft that are used for extra storage. The office off the first-floor bedroom—the headboard and adjustable lamps as well as the closet behind it all custom—is still called the “baby’s room” even though the babies are all grown up. With our client’s feedback through every step of this project, we were able to achieve a modern space that would allow for growth—with the art, the grandkids, and the changing needs of our client.
Ironically, the more limitations we have, the easier it is to be creative and to allow for a vision to come into focus. Inspiration comes directly from the needs and desires of the client, and the functionality of the space. That’s why I sit and observe my clients in their home. It’s part of the process because with architecture, the end user is always right!

Big Sur in the Berkshires

By Blog, Press

Originally published in Berkshire Magazine’s 2020 Winter Issue

PHOTOS: Lisa Vollmer

The Seibert’s

Fred Seibert and Robin Sloane Seibert stumbled upon their Stockbridge home quite by accident. Robin grew to love the mountains while a student at UVM, but Vermont was too far from their residence in Manhattan, and ocean-front homes on Long Island felt too elitist. The couple stopped in the Berkshires on a whim, after dropping their son at college in Maine. They traveled with a shortlist of wishes for a second home: a vista location while avoiding isolation; a house with an open living space; access to a good, local bookstore; and a place within close range of Tanglewood.

They liked the very first house realtor Tim Lovett showed them, which had a few of the sought-after elements but needed some major changes. Then they met architect Pam Sandler. “If we do this house correctly, we can grow old here,” Robin remembers seeing it. And that’s what they did. After an 18-month renovation, their wishes became reality. The home was transformed into a sanctuary to harbor their creative pursuits, where they could take time away from the city and immerse themselves in the beauty of nature.

The House

The house, a 1970s post and beam, was incredibly dark. Every column and ceiling board on the first floor was stripped to expose the natural knotty pine. Sandler then turned her attention to

moving walls to create more openness, reminiscent of her clients’ loft in the city. Robin, an avid cook, wanted the kitchen open to the rest of the living area, and Sandler created a proper entrance—one that precluded guests having to navigate a dark mudroom-turned-laundry area. Perhaps the pièce de résistance is the spa-like master suite, an addition that hinges upon a seamless connection between inside and outside spaces. Sandler calls it, “feeling at one with nature,” which is entirely evident through expansive glass on two walls. In fact, the remodel effectively resembles a cabin in Big Sur, where Robin and Fred eloped 25 years ago—a feel Robin was striving for all along.
A key factor in designing spaces for her clients is not only listening to what they want, but also getting to know them and their personalities. “I find Robin and Fred so down to earth,” says Sandler, who opened her architectural business in the Berkshires 30 years ago. “They are not pretentious; they are humble people, and the house had to feel that way.”

Sandler configured the clean, soaring space—effectively combining elements of wood, glass and metal—to include large, open living areas with several intimate niches. The house contains thousands of books, and Fred has a particular affinity for the library niche. (They are also in close proximity to one of their favorite places, The Bookstore in Lenox.) When she is not tackling a culinary feat, Robin gravitates toward her grand piano, a rebuilt Steinway from Flynn Pianos, that takes center stage in the living room.

Backstory

Robin was in the rock-and-roll business for two decades, including a ten-year stint at Geffen Records as creative director. While at Elektra Records, she directed the Cars’ video, “You Might Think” which went on to receive the very first MTV Video of the Year award in 1984. She retired 20 years ago to raise the couple’s two sons—and her timing was spot on. “It’s a changing business,” she recalls. “Rap was coming in, and I wasn’t relating to rap.” Robin promptly switched gears to pursue classical piano and creative writing—regularly attending BSO open rehearsals and recitals in Ozawa Hall, both at nearby Tanglewood.

red has been referred to as the “cartoon king.” He was president of Hanna-Barbera’s cartoon studios in the 1990s. He is credited with discovering Seth MacFarlane, the creator of the TV series “Family Guy,” fresh from college, when he hired him to work on Hanna-Barbera cartoons. Seibert’s biggest audience is online through his Channel Frederator network. Cartoons run on YouTube, but his network promotes them, sells ads and distributes the proceeds to some 2,000 of his video makers. He still serves as executive producer of “The Fairly Odd Parents,” a TV series he began producing in 1998.

In The Berkshires

photos by Lisa Vollmer for Berkshire Magazine

In the Berkshires, Fred likes to stay put. “I’m an introvert in an extroverted business. I need a place where I can recharge,” he says. He has a workshop where he continues to feed his lifelong affinity for building. Pieces of his original design punctuate the home, ranging from wood and metal bookshelves to a live-edge desk; the bench, just inside the kitchen entrance, was the first piece he built for the couple’s Berkshire getaway. He also regularly adds to what he calls “an obsessive poster collection,” many of which are on display throughout the house.

“We agreed we would do what it takes to make it the home we wanted,” says Robin of the enormous undertaking that included exterior landscaping. Save for ripping out the ragweed and goldenrod lining the driveway and planting a row of Hemlocks to screen their addition from the neighbors, the Seiberts let the property sit for two years without alteration. Slowly, Robin began landscaping. With the help of Rob Genarri of Glendale Botanicals, the two worked together carving out more lawn, putting in beds, and creating meandering paths.

Above all else, Robin and Fred exude thankfulness—for having met Sandler and for committing to create a home where they can grow old. “We honor each other’s creativity and respect it,” says Robin of her husband. “As did Pam,” Fred chimes in.

Come Christmas, the Seiberts’ two sons will join them in Stockbridge. Joe, 24, is earning a PhD in physics and Jack, 22, a programmer at a video game company, will both make the trip east from California. Holiday traditions include venturing to Seekonk Tree Farm in Great Barrington to select and cut a tree, walks in nature, and skiing for Robin and her sons at Ski Butternut. “It’s fantastic,” says Robin of this cherished time together.

Pamela Sandler Completes Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Program; Brings Special Needs Housing to Berkshire County

By Press

Pamela Sandler Completes Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Program; Brings Special Needs Housing to Berkshire County

Pamela Sandler joins local small business owners to create new business opportunity in Berkshire County

Stockbridge, MA (June 12, 2017) – Pamela Sandler, founder of Pamela Sandler Architect, located in Stockbridge, MA, completed the 11 week, 100 plus hour Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses, a national program created to help entrepreneurs develop jobs and economic opportunity by providing greater access to education, capital, and business support services. Ms. Sandler fine-tuned the firm’s business growth plan which, along with her residential and commercial full-service architecture, extends the firm’s reach by teaming with groups that develop appropriate housing for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and special needs adults in the northeast.

“Within seven years 500,000 ASD adults will require special needs housing. Currently, 80 percent of these adults live with their families,” noted Sandler. There are parental organizations, groups and governmental agencies that need expertise in the design and development of appropriate special needs housing. “My goal is to be able to answer the question so many parents with special needs children ask, ‘where will he or she live when I’m gone?’” continues Sandler.

Sandler, a mother of two ASD adults understands professionally as well as personally the residential requirements for special needs adults. “When designing full-time living spaces and communities there are considerations most firms would not naturally consider, such as creating visually calm living areas, sound proof rooms, spacious hallways as well as common areas that promote physical activity. The design should include appropriate ventilation and use all-green, non-toxic products. And of course, we need to create a sense of familiarity and security,” explains Sandler.

“The Goldman Sachs 10,000 small businesses program gave me the tools to learn more about the business side of my firm as well as support my passion to develop housing for ASD adults so that they can lead comfortable and productive adult lives.” Sandler continued, “I’m confident that the three months of work and networking will pay off for my firm’s residential and commercial projects as well benefit the special needs adults in the northeast.”

“We’re proud of our graduates of the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Initiative. These entrepreneurs put forth incredible effort to complete this program and we are confident their efforts will continue in growing their businesses. We are excited to watch their many successes,” said Kerry Healey, President of Babson College.

Visit Pamela Sandler Architect for more information regarding Pamela Sandler’s offerings.

For additional information:

Pamela Sandler

Phone: 413.298.4227

Email: Pam@sandleraia.com

Website – www.sandleraia.com

Pamela Sandler accepts Goldman Sachs 10,000 small business certificate from Joy Schaaffe- Lead Faculty- 10,000 small businesses.

Pamela Sandler accepts Goldman Sachs 10,000 small business certificate from Joy Schaaffe- Lead Faculty- 10,000 small businesses.

Berkshire Trade and Commerce March 2017

By Press

Originally published in the March 2017 issue of Berkshire Trade and Commerce

BY: John Townes

Pamela Sandler was recently accepted to the 10,000 Small Businesses program offered by Goldman Sachs:

Sandler is owner and principal Pamela Sandler AIA, LEED AP, an architectural firm she established in 1989. With offices at 31 Main St. in Stockbridge, the firm provides residential and commercial design for new construction, restorations and renovations.

She said she first heard about 10,000 Small Businesses several years ago through a business associate in another area who had participated in the program. She was recently reacquainted with it by Kowalczyk through their mutual involvement in Women Upfront, and decided to apply.

“It’s a great gift of an opportunity,” said Sandler (who was reached while away on vacation just days before the program started.) She pointed that, although she has operated her own firm for over 25 years, she has never had the complete skill set needed to effectively plan for its growth.

“You don’t learn anything in architecture school about running a business,” she commented, adding that she looks forward to addressing that gap through the program’s intensive training and mentoring.

“The key thing I’m looking for from the program is being able to define the direction of my firm for the next 20 years,” Sandler said.

That, she added, is important not just for herself but also for the continued professional development of her staff of three full-time and one part-time employees.

“I have a great team, and I want this to have a positive impact on them, too,” she said.

Preview Massachusetts, February 2011: “View of Water, View of Woods”

By Press

Originially published in Preview Massachusetts, February 2011: “View of Water, View of Woods”

BY: Sarah Werthan Buttenwieser

PHOTOS: Paul Shoul

Displays Pamela Sandler’s thoughtful approach to solving smaller housing puzzles through environmentally-conscious design.