What Are the Benefits Derived From Cleaning My Upholstered Furniture?

Upholstered furniture gets stale and dirty no matter how small you use it. Cleaning it not only retains it looking its best, but in addition, it can help keep dust, cobwebs or pet fur off your clothes. Normal upholstery cleaning might even benefit your health, especially in the event that you have allergies or asthma.

Clean Looks

One big benefit to cleaning upholstered furniture is the fact that it looks clean. Visiting family and friends won’t be appalled by crumbs, dirt or pet hair scattered all around the fabric because there won’t be any. Upholstery is a bit like clothing: When it begins to get dirty, it is only a matter of time before it looks filthy as well, if the upholstery is a textile, leather or faux leather. Spills of sticky liquids attract dirt and debris, making the stains much more evident as times pass. Likewise, spaghetti sauce, tea or wine might soak into fabric, making the upholstery look anything but welcoming. Wipe away spilled items immediately, and pick up or vacuum debris and lemonade to keep such problems from working their way deeper into the furniture.

Clean Clothes

If you have ever sat on a couch covered with pet hair, you have probably found it in your clothing hours after you leave your seat. Guests wearing sweaters might not enjoy leaving your house with unexpected added fibers clinging for their apparel. Likewise, sitting extremely dirty upholstery whilst wearing light-colored clothing may mean stains, marks or stains from grease, dirt or food on your clothes. Keep the upholstery tidy so you and your buddies don’t have to question whether it is safe to sit down. When you have pets, then vacuum the furniture often, or use a lint rubber or rubber glove to roll up the loose pet hairs away. Use an upholstery brush attachment and vacuum the furniture every few weeks at minimum to keep it clean, even in case you have no pets or don’t sit on that particular piece of furniture.

Fresh Scents

Upholstered furniture maintained clean is more likely to smell clean, free from cigarette and pet odors in addition to overall stale smells. To keep the furniture smelling fresh, sprinkle it with baking soda and allow the powder to set for half an hour or so. Baking soda absorbs odors from upholstery, like it eliminates unpleasant odors in a fridge. Vacuum the baking soda away with the upholstery brush attachment on your vacuum cleaner. Excellent air flow and dry states also help to prevent and eliminate scents embedded in furniture.

A wholesome Environment

Maintaining upholstery clean, especially by utilizing natural rather than chemical-based cleaners, results in a healthier indoor environment. Vacuuming often removes dust and other potential allergens like pet dander. Use a vacuum cleaner with a HEPA filter to pick up mold spores in the event the fabric smells moldy or musty, as it most likely includes mildew or mould. Inspect the vacuum cleaner bag and replace the filter outdoors while wearing a dust mask. Keep the furniture out of excessively dark and humid environments, as moisture may cause mold, which might exacerbate allergy and asthma symptoms.

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Tips on Cleaning Kitchen Towels

Kitchen towels might be one of the very germ laden in the house, subjected to all kinds of food substances and bacteria. The longer the same towel is used between washings, the more the bacteria breeds, potentially spreading back on your hands or about items you wipe with the towel. Frequently wash towels in warm water to keep them tidy.

Kitchen Cleanliness

Your kitchen towel might be used to dry dishes, wipe your fingers or wipe up spilled water on the countertop — sometimes all three. This amounts to a lot of bacteria that has been multiply the longer the towel stays around the kitchen, particularly if the towel is moist. Wash it in the hottest water possible and dry it on a popular setting to kill bacteria. In case the towels smell less than fresh, add a cup of white vinegar to the rinse cycle. The vinegar helps remove odors like powerful food or grease smells. Use the towels for just a day each. Wash them collectively, ideally without other laundry, to avoid cross-contamination.

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DIY Rolling Storage Drawers for Under the Bed

If you suffer from a shortage of square footage or are missing a cabinet or two, or you just need a handy place to stash additional stuff in the bedroom, use the wasted space under the bed. Custom storage units aren’t required for those winter blankets, guest cushions, kids’ toys or board game set — all you need is an old dresser to cannibalize and a few screw-on casters.

Measure the distance from the bottom of the bed frame into the floor to ensure that a drawer in addition to the height of the casters will easily clean the framework and the bottom of the bed.

Clean the drawers and remove the hardware to paint or whitewash the wood. Sand any rough spots and apply a coat of primer. Give each drawer two coats of paint, or even, to get a shabby chic-style finish, paint the bottom coat and follow instructions for applying crackle glaze into the exterior of the drawer just, before inserting the final coat of whitewash. The glaze causes the top layer of paint to craze into fine lines which symbolize the effects of aging.

Protect your work with a final coat of clear lacquer, allow it to dry, and bend the casters on each of the four corners of the bottom of the drawer. Duplicate for each drawer to provide storage under the bed.

Expand the drawer-pull hardware to each drawer to make it easier to retrieve the drawer when you need to get the storage.

Cut a piece of fabric to just cover the inside bottom of each drawer and secure the fabric to the drawer using a dot of glue in each corner. This measure is optional and is not required if your drawers have a smooth paint or lacquer finish inside.

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Teatime to Get a Tiny Portable Home at Oregon

Architect Todd Miller was determined to help his Japanese customer create a home she could both afford and love — which meant including a tea ceremony room. There is a lot to remember when you’re designing a traditional Japanese tea ceremony room in any scenario, however squeezing one into a 134-square-foot home is especially tricky.

The solution — combining the living space together with all the tearoom — not just gave the customer what she desired, but it also cut costs, removed the necessity to own property and reduced the customer’s energy bill. All these very small homes certainly are not for everybody, however they can”help free people from extra baggage, including high monthly mortgages and home duties,” says Miller.

in a Glance
Location: Marcola, Oregon
Architect: Todd Miller
Size: 134 square feet
Cost: Around $34,800, including materials, labor and design fees

Oregon Cottage Company

Miller used as many renewable and nontoxic materials as you can, including cedar for the exterior which has been sourced by a local mill, and no- and – low-VOC products. He avoided glues whenever possible.

Building such a small home required fewer materials, of course, reducing expenses and waste. The energy bills average $20 a month.

Oregon Cottage Company

The customer, who grew up in Japan, desired her home to be a soothing, quiet area where she can host and meditate traditional tea ceremonies. Miller split the area into a private bathroom and a spacious kitchen and tea ceremony room with a lofted sleeping area. The kitchen sits between the bathroom and the tearoom, which allowed him to pile functions and reduce pipes expenses.

The kitchen is small but efficient, with a 5-foot red oak counter, a double burner plus on-demand hot water. The streamlined kitchen leaves just enough space for a dining table on the opposite wall.

Oregon Cottage Company

Puck lighting recessed into the thick black walnut top shelf provides task lighting for your kitchen.

Oregon Cottage Company

The tearoom required a warming hearth for the pot. Miller hid the mechanics of the system below the floor; its streamlined coiled heating element can be switched on and off with a switch.

Oregon Cottage Company

An alcove emphasized by a single slab of walnut retains a hanging scroll an significant part the tea ceremony. A branch out of a madrone tree, found in the woods behind the home, sits between the scroll alcove and the customer’s tea ceremony chest.

Oregon Cottage Company

This custom red oak ladder on a black walnut trail leads to the loft. When not in use, the ladder can be stored upright alongside the counter top, as shown here.

Oregon Cottage Company

From the loft three easy tatami mats surrounded by a pine and black walnut framework compose the customer’s bed.

Oregon Cottage Company

The bathroom sits underneath the sleeping loft, behind the kitchen. The owner wanted a Japanese-style soaking bathtub, which reminds her of her childhood bathing regular, and this streamlined model worked perfectly in the tiny bathroom. A showerhead above enables the bath to double as a shower.

The property’s graywater is steered via an RV waste flange, which can hook up to a septic system, mobile waste system or custom system. A streamlined composting toilet on the opposite side of the bathroom eliminates any blackwater waste.

Oregon Cottage Company

A standing-seam Galvalume roof tops the comfy cabin, while wheels underneath make the road-legal structure entirely mobile. “Portability enables the owner the flexibility to really have a home wherever she goes, in addition to independence from property acquisition and rates of interest,” says Miller. Presently the home is parked on private, rural property which the customer has permission to use. She plans to stay here for the upcoming few years.

This very small house suits the customer’s independence; she owns a home that has been a small investment also has the freedom to go where she pleases.

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11 Pantry Doors Which Capture the Kitchen's Spirit

Even if you never receive a full tour of an individual’s home, a peek in the kitchen may tell you a good deal about the owner’s preferences and fashion. A pantry door may play a big role in that, encapsulating the spirit of the kitchen and offering an chance for creative expression. Let the 11 pantry doors that follow inspire your own design journey.

Home Systems , Wendi Zampino

Traditional

This pantry doorway, which looks as though it might just as easily lead out, catches the old-world essence of the kitchen designed by Wendi Zampino.

The custom-made door features classic bronze woven wire backed with seeded glass. Oil-rubbed-bronze hardware mirrors the rest of the area’s bronze finishes, for a look that blends seamlessly.

Murphy & Co.. Design

This home’s traditional-style cabinetry is a mix of solid wood and obscured-glass doors. The abundance of glass at the large pantries on the best generates a gorgeous wall of mild and pops of colour.

The remaining portion of the home continues this windowed motif as efficiently.

Ashley Anthony Studio

Farmhouse

This home wears its farmhouse style proudly, down into the screened pantry door painted vibrant yellow. Although its colour does not match other prominent characteristics in the area, the doorway vintage style blends in perfectly with all the home’s diverse, down-home vibe.

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Rebekah Zaveloff | KitchenLab

This barn door is in keeping with the kitchen’s architecture without calling undue attention to itself. It blends in with the remaining white kitchen via its colour and through hardware that reproduces the cabinetry.

The doorway’s track is hidden behind a wood valance that was painted to match the wall.

2fORM Architecture

Modern

These imaginative sliding pantry doors were created by 2form Architecture. The Lumicor resin panels possess fine metal threads embedded within, developing a near-opaque surface that’s just as interesting as the adjoining metal and resin backsplash out of Alkemi.

SEE MATERIALS INC..

Watch Materials created this modern kitchen with Scavolini cabinets. Dark walnut frames the smoked-glass pantry doors, making a look that welcomes audiences into wanting to find out what’s beyond.

Mary Prince Photography

A series of tall built-in pantries fitted with slick Poggenpohl doorways is a quiet backdrop that does not distract from the dining experience here. The shortage of hardware to the doors echoes the clean lines that the rest of the home celebrates.

Watch the entire Residence

RemodelWest

Transitional

This doorway plays off of the kitchen’s red birch cabinets and striking geometric motif. The glass panel is composed of an array of different-size rectangles that line up vertically, providing contrast to the backsplash’s flat arrangement.

Watch the rest of this kitchen

Antonio Martins Interior Design

Eclectic

Antonio Martins needed a pantry door as abrupt and fascinating as the rest of the home he designed. This one-of-a-kind barn doorway has about $300 worth of Plexiglas from TAP Plastics, matched with $100 worth of basic barn-door hardware in The Home Depot.

Berkeley Mills

Asian

Shoji screens made by Berkeley Mills conceal the cleaning pantry that flanks the kitchen’s laundry centers. The doors slide on aluminum hardware hidden behind a wood valance, to get a clean appearance that resonates with the rest of the home.

Sunscape Homes, Inc

Country French

This custom doorway was created to follow the kitchen’s endings into a T. It was painted and distressed to match the island, and fitted using fabric from the exact same manufacturer that made the fabric used for the window treatments. The wrought iron detailing and dark wood frame remain true to the kitchen’s material palette, which in turn matches the entire home’s resounding style.

Show us: Does your pantry door reflect the unique style of your kitchen?

More: 11 Ways to Wake Up a Walk-in Pantry

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Luxury of Space: Designing a Dream Laundry Room

Few people prefer to do laundry, and an space could make it even worse. These are not rooms we prioritize spending time in and cash on, but making layout choices which emphasize comfort and practicality can create laundry less of a chore. Rather than shoving your washer and dryer into the cellar, try following some of these tips to lay out a fantasy laundry room you will really enjoy spending time in. Helpful improvements — drying cupboards, elevated appliances, great lighting — will boost your laundry room’s design and function, also.

Abbey Construction Company, Inc..

The 3 Laundry Zones

There are three distinct zones in every thriving laundry room. The dimensions of each zone will probably be different based on the laundry room dimensions, but having all three will earn a laundry room more effective.

First there is the preparation zone. This areashould have space for baskets of dirty clothing, overhead cupboards and a sink that will help you get your laundry prepared for washing.

Tip: A deep spout can help when you are soaking woolen things and delicates. A tabbed tap, such as the one in this photo, can also create watering plants a cinch.

The Berry Group

The wash and dry zone must include your washer and dryer, and shelving or alternative storage to your cleaning products.

Tip: if you’re designing a galley laundry, make sure you have at least 36 inches in the front of the washing machine (front-loading washers need less) and 42 inches before a dryer, so that you can access your appliances without repainting cabinets.

The Kitchen Supply

Create a folding zone with a basket for wash clothing, a counter top for folding and hanging rods for anything that needs to air dry.

Tip: If you are renovating your laundry, ask your cabinetmaker to install pullout baskets inside cupboards for your own dirty and clean laundry.

ASKO Appliances, Inc..

Useful Laundry Room Additions

Drying cupboards use high airflow and low heat to dry just about anything. These components come with adjustable pullout racks — several have up to 52 square feet of hanging space. They are great for cold climates and apartment dwelling, or for anytime air drying large amounts of clothing or heavy duty items is difficult.

Tip: Some drying cupboards are far better than other people, so do your homework. You’ll also need adequate ducting or a very well-ventilated area for a drying cupboard to function correctly.

Sullivan, Goulette & Wilson Ltd.. Architects

Drying racks tend to be less expensive than drying cupboards. Installing drying rods above your sink or counter and leaving enough room in the back for hangers can help double up on available room, also.

Tip: If you would rather not cramp your walls, look at utilizing your ceiling to hold a drying rack. A pulley system can keep it neatly out of sight if it is not being used.

E3 Cabinets & Design

Raised appliances are great ergonomic choices and will help free up storage area. Certain front-loading versions come with an optional drawer beneath. If you do not have a lot of space for baskets, you can use one drawer for wash clothing and one for dirty items.

Tip: If your laundry is close bedrooms or living areas, choose appliances with extra insulation and superior suspension to keep the noise down. Dryers without a decibel rating and washing machines with a high-speed spin cycle of more than 1,000 revolutions per minute will probably be noisy.

Haefele Design

Wide lighting can allow you to see and fight stains better. Use a mixture of task lighting installed below your cabinetry and ambient ceiling lighting.

Tip: Install double wall sockets over countertops for apparent task lighting. My rule of thumb is to install one fixture every 6 feet.

Ellen Grasso & Sons, LLC

Laundry flooring requires just as much attention during the design procedure. With this much water in the room and a probability of leaks and flood, you ought to apply a waterproofing membrane before you lay down your flooring. Nonslip tiles are the most practical in high-moisture zones, since hardwood flooring may swell over time. Tiles are also a way of bringing a design feature into a laundry that is bland.

Tip: To prevent flood ask your plumber to install a washing machine valve shutoff kit. These kits include a sensor which can find any puddles and immediately shut off the valve.

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Give Your Baby the Healthiest

Infants spend the majority of their first year sleeping. So naturally they ought to have the most secure, most nurturing space possible, right? The Environmental Protection Agency has found that indoor air is two to five times more polluted than outside air, and many of the pollutants and chemicals that could harm your baby aren’t observable to the naked eye. Plastics and vinyl may off-gas potentially harmful phthalates and BPA, and many textiles are treated with toxic flame retardants. Luckily, in light of the marketplace has responded with chemical-free Automobiles and furniture and organic mattresses and sheets, all of which feel much better, smell better and keep your baby comfortable, healthy and safe.

ella+elliot

To locate the safest crib, prevent medium-density fiberboard, plywood, particleboard and laminated wood, which virtually always contain carcinogenic formaldehyde, which may seep into the air of your infant’s room. Solid wood with a nontoxic, water-based finish or wicker produced from natural fibers like rattan, willow or bamboo are your best bets. The Kalon Studios crib shown here is made from Forest Stewardship Council–certified raw walnut and finished with nontoxic finishes.

Keep in mind as you search for a wholesome crib:
If you are buying used, locate a crib made after 1990, when the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s criteria were upgraded. Cribs made before 1990 could be structurally weak and also have loose components. Antique Automobiles may have lead paint.If you are unsure about your crib’s wood or finishes, put it outside or in a well-ventilated garage for at least a month prior to using it. This will make it possible for any problematic substances to jelqing before you bring it into infant’s room.If you do buy or inherit a crib which contains particleboard, seal it thoroughly utilizing a specially made sealant paint from AFM Safecoat to prevent any chemicals from entering the air.

Fawn&forest

Naturepedic Organic Cotton Quilted Deluxe 252 Crib Mattress – $359

Traditional crib mattresses are made from plastics, which leach BPA and phthalates, and therefore are treated with flame-retardant chemicals called PBDEs. Each of these chemicals can be absorbed through infant’s skin and ingested or inhaled, harming developing hormone and nervous systems. Some are possible carcinogens.

You can prevent putting your infant to sleep in a bed filled with chemicals by opting for vinyl-free wool and cotton mattresses like this one from Naturepedic.

Keep in mind as you search for a wholesome crib mattress:
Soybean foam, which is often advertised as “green” and “healthful,” is generally polyurethane foam combined with 12 to 17 percent genetically engineered soybean oil and treated with toxic flame retardants. It is risky and much better avoided.Any mattress with an organic cotton surface or filling cloth can be called organic. Some “organic” mattresses have vinyl coverings. Vinyl, which is made using lead and potentially carcinogenic chemicals, is best prevented. “Organic cotton” doesn’t meet the very same criteria as organic cotton and is likely to be filled with chemicals.Look for mattress interiors made of untreated wood, metal and nontoxic adhesives.Look to get a mattress that satisfies the Global Organic Textile Standards (GOTS), meaning it is free of toxins and produced from fiber and materials certified by Europe’s National Organic Program.

ABC Carpet & Home

Coyuchi Organic Cotton Baby Blankets – $50

Organic cotton and wool are your best bets when it comes to bed pads and beddings, but bear in mind that wool mattress pads can not be machine washed. The very best mattress pad is made from tightly woven cotton. Coyuchi makes organic cotton mattress pads in addition to the vibrant organic cotton blankets shown here.

Keep in mind as you shop for infant’s bedding:
Hemp, a durable fiber from a plant which grows well with compounds, is also a good choice. Sometimes silk is inserted to make hemp fibers softer.Goose-down comforters may trigger allergies and sudden infant death syndrome.Polyurethane foam pads are treated with fire retardants, and vinyl — which, as already said, is made using lead and may wreak harmful germs — is never a good alternative.

Kalon Studios

Changing Trunk – $520

The fact is, you don’t have to buy a changing table if it is not in your budget or you lack distance. It’s possible to change your baby’s diapers onto a blanket or towel on your bed or on the ground. Changing tables are suitable, however, also this particular one from Kalon Studios is made from bamboo and finished with nontoxic wood oil.

Keep in mind as you search for a changing table :
Look for solid wood with a nontoxic, water-based finish.Wicker, when it is made from natural fibers like rattan, willow or bamboo, is durable and more affordable than hardwood.Look to get a table that’s powerful and secure and doesn’t wobble when weight is applied.Make certain the table has adequate security straps and rails to stop your baby from rolling away.

Buy Buy Baby

Organic Organic Cotton Velour Changing Pad Cover – $14.99

Bicultural Mama’s 100% organic cotton changing pad is a great alternate to chemical-soaked plastic and vinyl.

Homescapes Europa Ltd

Organic Cotton Chenille Shaggy Rug Natural Color – GBP 69.99

Area rugs are excellent in babies’ rooms, because they may be vacuumed or machine cleaned regularly. This undyed organic chenille carpet from Homescapes is comfortable underfoot and sumptuous enough to sleep on.

Keep in mind while looking for carpets:
Even natural carpets can have artificial backing, chemical dyes and fire retardants. Start looking for rugs with jute or natural latex backing and vegetable dyes.Rugs with a green Carpet and Rug Institute label have been tested for VOCs and other emissions.Consider organic wool, organic cotton or hemp. Natural fibers, such as jute, sisal, sea grass and coir, are durable but not very soft underfoot.

Carousel Designs

Flax Linen Hidden Tab Drapes

Natural-fiber shades and drapes, like these linen and cotton curtains from Carousel Designs, are your very best option. Linen holds up well in sunlight but generally requires dry cleaning, which may bring undesirable compounds. After dry cleaning these drapes, take them from the plastic and let them off-gas outside or in a well-ventilated garage before rehanging.

Some things to consider when choosing window coverings:
It is very important that you keep window-shade cords permanently from children’s reach, and never put a crib or playpen in range of a window blind.Curtains have a tendency to collect dust and dust mites, which may cause allergies and other respiratory complications, so scrub them often.Hemp fiber holds up well in sunlight.Solid wood farm colors with nontoxic finishes are easier to clean and collect less dust than drapes.

Traditional paint contains benzene, formaldehyde, mercury, solvents and petrochemicals, and it sends a cloud of VOCs in your infant’s bedroom. Investing in nontoxic, VOC-free paint is a wise choice that will keep horrible compounds from your nursery. AFM Safecoat’s no-VOC paint (shown here) comes in a vast assortment of rich colors.

A few things to remember while you’re picking paint:

Some paints carry a round Green Wise emblem on their label, which might seem like a good indication that the paint is environmentally safe. Green Wise is green scrub. The emblem means the paint meets with criteria. It doesn’t signify the paint is chemical free.
“Low odor” doesn’t mean that the paint is free of chemicals.
Zero-VOC paint is practically VOC free, but no separate standard exists to verify that.
Natural Paint, produced from food-safe ingredients from plants and minerals, and milk paint, produced from milk, pigments, lime, clay and water, are secure, chemical-free alternatives.

All-natural, nontoxic American Clay wall coverings bring a soft appearance to any nursery.

Removing wall-to-wall carpet, which off-gases compounds and harbors pollutants and toxins, is the healthiest thing you can do in your nursery. If that is not possible, seal existing carpeting using AFM Safecoat’s SafeChoice Lock Out, which keeps chemicals from off-gassing and repels dirt and stains. Cork or vibrant natural linoleum, like the kind exhibited here from Eco-Friendly Flooring, are also good bets.

Keep in mind while you’re picking flooring:
If you choose bamboo, store carefully. Prefinished bamboo flooring may off-gas formaldehyde and other damaging chemicals.If you choose carpeting, elect for untreated 100% wool carpet and have it installed utilizing a tack-down method rather than glue.Don’t pull carpeting yourself whether you’re pregnant. Pulling up the cushioning could introduce you into some cloud of PBDEs. After the carpet is eliminated, have someone clean up the tiny particles with a HEPA-filter vacuum and wash.

Cusano Construction Company Inc..

Natural wood floors finished with nontoxic oils are one of the smartest choices you can make in the nursery.

Carousel Designs

Whether you use new furnishings or hand-me-downs, a little maintenance will go a long way toward producing the healthiest room for your infant.

Some more things to remember:

Before you draw anything into the nursery, allow it to sit outside in a covered place or in a well-vented garage for a couple of weeks so that any potentially dangerous compounds can off-gas outside.
Wash everything you bring in the nursery — clothing, drapes, upholstery, and changing pads, bumper pads, even the padding from auto seats and swings with a cup to a cup and a half of vinegar to get rid of flame-retardant chemicals.
Vacuum regularly with a HEPA filter or use a wet mop twice weekly to minimize chemical particles that break off from textiles, finishes and electronic equipment.
Assess all hand-me-downs for rips, chips or tears, and repair or seal them right away.

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Travel Guide: Seattle for Design Lovers

Seattle’s downtown has grown up in the previous 50 years. Its growth spurt didn’t really start until the Space Space Needle, using an observation deck and restaurant, was erected to the 1962 World’s Fair. Over the decades since, the skyline has filled with mammoth office buildings, residential towers and, in 2012, a giant Ferris wheel.

Today the town famous for grunge cutting-edge and music technology is finding its own structure shaped by some of those same influences, particularly the latter. Microsoft, Amazon and Starbucks are making — or have made — their mark around town, with everything in the Gates Foundation’s ancestral headquarters carrying shape to Amazon’s new office towers earmarked for the skyline.

Ventana Construction LLC

It’s easy to spend a week seeing all that the town has to offer you. But allow three or more days to visit the very best architectural- and design-oriented places.

And do not forget your raincoat, no matter what time of year it’s. There is an expression in Seattle that if you do not like the weather, wait for 10 minutes. However, Seattle is not a constant slog; Atlanta really has more rain annually. The weather is simply a little more unpredictable here.

Must-Sees

Duwamish Longhouse:
Tribal heritage museum and cultural centre
Location: 4705 W. Marginal Way
Noteworthy: The Longhouse supplies the people with a unique chance to experience the culture of Seattle’s first Men and Women.

Duwamish Tribe associates — the descendents of Chief Seattle — raised funds to purchase land near the historical village of hah-AH-poos (yes, it’s spelled like that) and constructed a longhouse using traditional cedar post-and-beam structure that was designed by Byron Barnes, a member of the Blackfeet Tribe. The Duwamish Longhouse opened in 2009 and doubles as a place for tribal and other occasions as well as a museum dedicated to the tribe’s history. Tribal members installed the mosaic wood floor, which shows the Duwamish Tribe’s physical place between the Olympic and Cascade mountain ranges.

More information: Duwamish Longhouse and Cultural Center

Ventana Construction LLC

Though Seattle’s skyline is continually rising, the Space Space Needle continues to anchor its identity.

Ventana Construction LLC

Pike Place Market: Stalls for produce, seafood, crafts and much more
Location: 85 Pike St.
Noteworthy: be sure to have a look at the fish sellers, where employees toss fish to one another.

Over a hundred years old, this historical landmark includes a farmer’s market, fresh fish and bakery stands, and dozens of independent busineses and craftspeople. From the multilevel warren of shops that overlook Elliot Bay, it is possible to discover new clams, music, Mexican folk art, Polish pottery and flowers.

More information: Pike Place Market

Ventana Construction LLC

Seattle Central Library
Location: 1000 Fourth Ave.

Drawing on the ability of architects Rem Koolhaas and Joshua Ramus, the new glass-clad 11-story central library opened its doors in 2004. The design includes enormous, light-filled public spaces along with a big public lecture space constructed with interesting renewable materials.

More information: Seattle Public Library

Ventana Construction LLC

EMP Museum: A dazzling construction by architect Frank Gehry
Price: Infants, $20 ($15 on line)
Location: 325 Fifth Ave.
Noteworthy: Over 21,000 custom-made colored aluminum shingles decorate the arch, twisting building. It never looks the exact same way twice.

EMP is the brainchild of Microsoft cofounder Paul Allen, also is dedicated to music and science fiction. It’s exhibitions on musical artists such as Bob Dylan and Jimi Hendrix, and on topics such as “Can’t Look Away: The Lure of the Horror Film.”

Hint: If you ride the monorail into the EMP from downtown Seattle, you’ll ride through a portion of this construction.

More information: EMP Museum

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Location: 440 Fifth Ave.
Noteworthy: The base’s amazing work on global issues such as poverty, sanitation and disease management occurs in an amazing building, which opened in 2011.

During the customer’s center excursion, guests learn about the foundation and get a glimpse at the boomerang-shaped buildings in which the base’s employees operate. Besides the innovative design, which comprises a below-grade courtyard and cantilevered segments, the project earned an LEED Platinum rating because of its sustainable design, such as green roofs and a cistern for mowing the landscaping.

More information: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Ventana Construction LLC

Must-Eats:

Sky City Restaurant
Location: Near the surface of the Space Needle
Price: Entrees from $38

Combine top-of-the-Space-Needle views using a restaurant that revolves 360 degrees, and you also have a dining experience you won’t forget. A meal at Sky City — brunch, lunch or dinner — comprises a elevator ride up into the restaurant and accessibility to the observation deck (a $19 ticket for those not dining).

More information: Sky City

Ventana Construction LLC

Marination Mobile: Hawaiian-Korean restaurant with multiple locations
Areas: Marination Ma Kai, 1660 Harbor Ave. (West Seattle); Marination Station, 1412 Harvard Ave. (Capitol Hill); along with Big Blue (food truck that travels around town)

Fabulous food using a Hawaiian-Korean bent, such as tacos, sliders, the inimitable Kimchi Rich Bowl and Spam Musubi. The West Seattle place (“ma kai” means “by the sea”) is situated at Seacrest Park, which is the end of the line for the water taxi that starts downtown. As a consequence, that you may expand your waterfront meanderings into a travel across Elliott Bay to get a meal.

Ivars Salmon House on Lake Union is also worth the trip.In a replica longhouse with an extensive group of native canoes, photos and art, it is possible to dine on alder-smoked salmon and other seafood specialties. Its location along the north end of Lake Union makes it feasible to dock a ship alongside the restaurant’s outside seating area.

More information: Marination Mobile, Ivar’s Salmon House

Ventana Construction LLC

The Pink Door: Italian-American restaurant and cabaret lounge
Location: 1919 Post Alley

There are dozens of stellar restaurants downtown, but not at a construction like this. Here you get just a little bit of everything, and it all interesting. Guests enter the restaurant through a low-key pink door on Post Alley. Take in the spacious and eclectic decor whilst dining on delectable Italian food — and if you time it right, see a trapeze act high over the tables. Cabaret shows go on in the lounge next door, and terrace seats allows Elliot Bay views.

More information: The Pink Door

Ventana Construction LLC

Must-Dos:

The Seattle Great Wheel: Ferris wheel
Price: Infants, $13
Location: 1301 Alaskan Way (Pier 57)

In 175 feet tall and extending 40 feet past the edge of the pier, the Seattle Great Wheel offers excellent views of downtown and the Olympic Mountains, if you’re able to stomach such fantastic heights. Enclosed gondolas imply it is possible to ride rain or shine, along with the LED lights along the spokes are usually lit up in symbolic colours and patterns. (If they’re blue and green, the Seahawks are playing.)

Bill Speidel’s Underground Tour is just another fun experience. During Seattle’s reconstruction after the Great Seattle Fire in the late 1880s, a decision was made to boost the level of downtown roads over the muddy mess they had gotten. After retaining walls went in and were filled in for the new roads, the original main floors of several companies remained buried below. It is an architectural tour unlike any other.

More information: Seattle Great Wheel; Underground Tour

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Kerry Park viewpoint
Location: 211 W. Highland Dr. (Queen Anne)

Together the south slope of Queen Anne Hill is a town park that attracts photographers from all over to get a perfect shot of town. From here the Space Needle is in the front of the skyline, and Mt. Rainier will be to the right. Be warned, however: On a day of ideal shooting conditions, anticipate to jostle for a position on the railroad.

More information: Kerry Park

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Log House Museum: Seattle history construction
Price: $3 suggested donation
Location: 3003 61st Ave.

In a restored hundred-year-old log construction, learn about Seattle’s pioneers who landed at Alki Beach, also see photos of original buildings and homes. The Log House Museum was the carriage house to the first “modern” home on Alki at 1902, known as the Fir Lodge, constructed by William and Gladys Bernard. The Fir Lodge is only down the road — it’s currently called the Homestead Restaurant — though a fire damaged it a few years back and it’s not available to the public.

Walking tours are just another excellent way to learn about Seattle’s history and architecture.The town offers a list of free self-guided walking tours of downtown areas like Pike Place Market and the International District, as well as areas such as Ballard and Columbia City.

The nonprofit Historic Seattle offers guided walking tours of areas such as First Hill. These are on a charge basis and may sell out, so plan ahead.

Another totally free and self-guided excursion consists of Seattle’s many stairways. Considering all the hills, there should be staircase, and the website (see below) maps a number of them. The staircase also happen to take you through areas with some of the best views and many interesting mixes of houses.

More information: Log House Museum; Historic Seattle tour; self-guided walking excursion; stairway walks excursion

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Must-Stays:

Inn at the Market
Location: 86 Pine St.

Sometimes it makes sense to Keep in the Middle of it all, along with the Inn at the Market is appropriate there. Measures from Pike Place Market, a few blocks from great shopping and surrounded by excellent restaurants, the inn has a small size and excellent company, making it a relaxing and comfortable home base for your stay.

Or visit First Hill, only a fast walk east of the downtown center, to the Sorrento Hotel, with 76 unique rooms and suites. The hotel boasts Italianate architecture and offers an afternoon tea at its historical lobby.

More information: Inn at the Market; Sorrento Hotel

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Must-Visit Shops:

Seattle Design Center
Location: 5701 Sixth Ave. South

Instead of traipse all over town looking for showrooms, start in the Seattle Design Center, home to dozens of designers and a lot of custom furniture, floor coverings, light fixtures and fabrics. Bonus: The area around the SDC is known to those in the biz as Tile Town due to the large quantities of tile and slab showrooms within a block or 2.

Some Luxurious cloth suppliers have their very own downtown showrooms. Start Looking for Ann Sacks Tile & Stone, Flor and SieMatic cabinets, to name a few.

Meanwhile, Pioneer Square provides an opportunity to return in time with your own decor. The company district’s website (see below) includes an entire list of carpet and antiques galleries, all within walking distance of one another.

More information: Seattle Design Center; Pioneer Square

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Hidden Stone

Schmitz Park
Location: 5551 Admiral Way

A 53-acre park with old-growth forest in the middle of a major city? This is Schmitz Park, whose entrance point along Admiral is through a historical bridge. It’s also possible to enter in the park’s easternmost point or in the gate near the southeast end of Alki Elementary. Woodpeckers, streams and other wildlife abound.

There is also Volunteer Park at the heart of Capitol Hill, a neighborhood with diverse restaurants and nightlife and a number of the city’s grandest old houses. Love the park conservatory of plants and flowers and the Seattle Asian Art Museum. Or have a picnic while enjoying the views of downtown and Isamu Noguchi’s sculpture “Black Sun.” When you are done, stroll the neighborhood to observe a number of Seattle’s most amazing and well-preserved houses and mansions.

More information: Schmitz Park; Volunteer Park; Seattle Asian Art Museum

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Book It: Bring a Mini Library For Your Front Yard

Todd Bol has a background in international business growth. More specifically: He was able to help developing countries institute societal change. He had been proven to think big and globally. But this man of social generosity couldn’t have anticipated that, while messing around and constructing things on his deck daily, a dollhouse-size structure he turned into a free community library could have the global effect it does today.

Bol’s prototype spawned Small Free Library, a nonprofit that seeks to put small, accessible book exchange boxes in areas around the world. Users can buy the boxes directly from LFL’s website, download programs to build their own or fully wing it.

The concept is straightforward: A house-shaped box in a neighborhood carries a few dozen novels. Neighbors are invited to share with a book, leave a book or possibly.

The LFL almost always utilizes recycled materials for the custom libraries it sells on line, for an average price of $250 to $500, but in addition, it offers plans for creating your own.

The concept has taken off, growing from 100 libraries in 2011 to 6,000 libraries in 2013, with 2 million novels shared. “That being said, we’ll have 25,000 libraries by the end of the calendar year,” states Bol.

A homeowner or a different local steward, such as the one displayed here, takes possession of this library, which makes sure it is in good form and that book materials are appropriate for the neighborhood.

Small Free Library owners can buy a charter for $35 that places their library in the company’s database and devotes them reductions and information about maintaining, maintaining and encouraging their own libraries.

Bol is most proud of the way Small Free Library is bringing communities together. “It has started a local exchange. It gets people talking and more comfortable with their neighbors,” he states. “This contributes to them helping each other.”

Nearly every library is unique. This one in Northern California was built out of a wine cage that was used.

The libraries operate best in areas where stewards can better keep the box. “In parks you’ll get a box full of reductions for haircuts and burgers,” Bol notes.

Small Free Libraries does custom paint and assemble some of the boxes , even creating memorial libraries for loved ones, such as this one in Houston honoring Donald F. Markgraf.

And there is no limit to the possibilities. For this library, also in Houston, the proprietor added miniature stairs, a drawer manage and colorful Mardi Gras beads.

In Pasadena, California, a brightly colored library has major curb appeal.

Small Free Libraries are all around the world. Go to the organization’s site for a planet map of front-yard libraries and also to see how to make your own.

Poll: have you got a mini library into your front lawn, or are you motivated to try one? Take our poll

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