By Pat Allin

So, it's the month for love and Valentines. Bring this theme into your home by loving where and how you live. This goes beyond just saying, "I love my house". Become an active participant in the creation and care of your home.

For Christmas, I got a copy of Greene & Greene: The Passion and the Legacy by Randell Makinson. Charles Sumner Greene and his brother Henry Mather Greene were architects who worked in the Craftsman style in the late 19th and early 20th century. They studied classic architecture in Boston before moving to Pasadena, California. Although they began their careers using classical elements in their work, they developed their own style and are best known as creators of the California Bungalow Style.

The Greene brothers' work is breathtakingly beautiful. Few of us can afford the houses they designed. So what is the point of reading about their lives and work? Simply this: you can discover principles you can use for your own house.

The brothers developed an appreciation for craftsmanship at the Manual Training High School of Washington University in St. Louis. Charles Greene said, "I seek till I find what is truly useful and then I try to make it beautiful." You can do the same.

Charles and Henry developed an interest in Chinese and Japanese art. They were drawn to the work of Gustav Stickley through his "Craftsman" magazine. They collected clippings of articles by Will Bradley from the "Ladies Home Journal." They traveled, observed and read. So can you.

They were passionate about their work. They developed an architecture that was especially suited to its environment. Consider Charles' advice to prospective homeowners: "Good work costs more than poor imitation… No house, however expensive, can be a success unless you, the owners, give the matter time and thought enough to know what you want it for."

The Greenes were known for their resistance to stylistic pressures, their attention to detail, and their love of materials and craft. The standard of craftsmanship in their homes is beyond the reach of most of us. That should not stop you from working to improve what you have. Pay more attention to what goes into your home. Become actively involved.

Small details can make a great difference. In my own house, I decided to add a bit of dash to my kitchen by having new window sills made. They are deeper than the original and curve around the vertical trim. I simply screwed them in place over what was there and added an apron underneath. Then I painted the sills Chinese red. I painted my wood backsplash red as well. I enjoy this bit of color every day, and my black and white cat looks especially fine sitting on a red window sill.

Study. Travel. Read. Collect ideas. Become passionate about the way you want your home to be. Someone once told me that she loved her house so much that every year she gave it a present-a new coat of paint, a better carpet. Be very particular when you make choices for your home. Do not settle for something that you believe is not quite right.

Make your home your Valentine.

Published in The Monitor, Montrose, CO. Copyright © 2005 by Pat Allin