I’ve been writing professionally for more than 20 years, and my writing experience covers a range of assignments - from magazine and newspaper feature articles, to marketing copy for websites and print brochures. In all cases, though, I bring an appreciation for thorough research and a respect for your intended audience. You can browse these articles and other samples by category, or search the archives by keyword.
Writing
From Chaos to Cocoon
There are two kinds of bedrooms in this world – the restful and serene ideal photographed by home-decorating magazines and the real-world variety the rest of us return to every night. One of the biggest differences between the two, aside from their budgets, is the absence of distracting clutter in professionally designed and photographed spaces. […]
What Lies Beneath
Raised access flooring is becoming a more common feature in today’s commercial and institutional buildings. Long preferred in computer-intensive locations, access flooring is now being manufactured in finishes that fit into more upscale settings as well. For electrical contractors willing to take the time to work through some of the coordination issues required, access-floor installation […]
A Transmission-Line Plan That’s Actually Getting Built
It’s not difficult to find examples of transmission-planning projects gone awry. From Southern California to Wisconsin to Pennsylvania, electric utilities face heavy opposition to their plans to boost transmission capacity.More unusual is the experience of Hartford, Conn.-based Connecticut Light & Power (CL&P), which—with its minority partner, New Haven, Conn.-based United Illuminating—currently is halfway through a […]
Server-Room Service
When it comes to information technology-facility design and construction, large-scale data centers have received more attention lately. But equipment manufacturers now are targeting smaller server-room operations, as well, giving owners new impetus to upgrade while providing savvy electrical contractors with new business opportunities. This article originally ran in Electrical Contractor magazine, March 2008.
Server-Room Service
Media Servers Serving Up New Business Opportunities
Once only found in high-end home theater settings, the residential media server is poised to become the next middle-market must-have. Electrical contractors who aren’t positioning themselves in this low-voltage market could be missing out on a range of future opportunities because these devices are becoming hubs for broader home-automation applications, which also are reaching breakout […]
Sustainable Design Helping To Sustain the Building Industry
One of the bright spots in the complicated economy of today’s construction market is the rapidly increasing interest in sustainable design. Today’s clients are demanding better-performing buildings, and their designers are, in turn, driving manufacturers to increase their products’ “green” quotient. (This article originally ran in the March issue of Architectural Products magazine.)
Sustainable Design Helping […]
The Power of a Pillow
If you’ve spent any time shopping for pillows lately, you know that choosing just one from the variety of options stocking today’s store shelves could be enough to keep you up at night. Today’s pillows mean business – whether you’re a snorer, a side sleeper, pregnant or in need of aromatherapy, the pillow aisle holds […]
From Monasteries to McMansions
Scagliola stone may be a manmade faux stone, but its durability and quality blend with its Old-World charm to deliver artistry fit for a castle. (pdf)
Scagliola: From Monasteries to McMansions
Raising Cane
From attic relic to hot new trend, cane has re-emerged as one of today’s hottest interior design motifs. In furniture, fabrics and even ceramic tile, cane and cane-inspired patterns are sprouting up in showrooms and shops in a range of price points. Combining up-tothe-minute “green” credibility with timeless geometric appeal, cane won’t be heading back […]
Tips From the Top
If the idea of holiday decorating fills you with dread, try putting yourself in Brett Beaudette’s boots. As head visual designer for the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minn., he’s faced with hanging enough lights, wreaths and ornaments to make the 4.2-million-square-foot facility feel warm and festive. Despite the impressive statistics, however, Beaudette faces
many of […]