Kids Information on Willow Trees

Though you might think about willow trees mainly as interesting-looking plants that sway in the end, there are a whole lot of interesting facts concerning these trees you might not have realized. Willows possess their own unique look and special care needs. Even though you might be most familiar with weeping willows (Salix babylonica), that might be found in U.S. Department of Agriculture hardiness zones 2 to 9, this is not the only sort of willow tree you might find growing in a friend’s garden.

Willow Care

Willow trees are species of the Salix genus, pronounced “Say-licks,” and require special care, exactly like any plant. In the event that you should grow a willow tree in the backyard, it might need full sunlight or light shade, meaning it needs to be planted away from your house or other bigger trees which may block out sunlight. Willow trees like moist soil, so they grow very well near bodies of water, such as streams. As an alternative, you can water them to keep them healthy.

Willow Sicknesses

Similar to you and your pals, trees can get ill, too. If you see something on a willow tree that does not appear normal, tell an adult so that you can assist the tree return to good health. Trees that are sick might have a white powdery coating on their leaves, also called powdery mildew. Very similar to when you see mold growing on a fruit, then this illness is brought on by a fungus. Willow leaves might also seem rusty and have places all over the years. This might result from another respiratory disease known as rust. Taking great care of willow trees helps them avoid coming down with sicknesses.

Interesting Willows

You probably imagine a weeping willow tree once you hear the phrase “willow.” These trees have an interesting shape with branches that droop down toward the ground and appear sad, which explains the reason why the tree is thought to be “weeping .” This type of willow can grow up to 70 feet tall and 70 feet wide. Corkscrew willow trees (Salix matsudana “Tortuosa”) have also an interesting look. These trees are smaller, measuring only 30 feet tall and 15 feet wide, but their divisions are twisted. You might hear someone call this tree a curly willow, instead, because of the divisions. Both weeping willows and corkscrew willows exhibit green leaves that turn yellow during the fall.

Animals That Eat Willows

Certain animals seek out willow trees since their food. While you probably will not see many birds floating through your garden to eat from the willow tree, in the event that you watched a willow tree in the mountains, then you might observe both small and large animals eating, also known as foraging or grazing, from willow trees. Larger animals include elk, deer, moose. These animals feed on the trees’ stems. Smaller animals, such as rabbits and grouse, eat out of the willow tree, as well.

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DIY Backyard Playground Equipment

In the tire swing to the old oak tree, to a sand box at the corner of the patio, a family-friendly yard with do-it-yourself playground equipment is limited only by available space, your budget and imagination. Designated play areas with age-appropriate structures and open space for free-play really are all you have to keep the kids happily busy for hours. Prior to getting out your hammer, however, consider putting pencil to paper and doing a small site preparation.

Toddlers

To help toddlers explore, consider building a two-sided, four-step stairway with a platform at the top and cover it with one-half inch foam, and then outdoor rug, making sure it stays solid from the grass and wo not tip over. Build a sand box and include buckets and shovels. Little ones enjoy playing in playhouses: build an open-concept structure with an open door to protect little hands, or build a tepee and cover it with outdoor cloth. To beat the summertime heat, build an outdoor shower within an arbor or pergola; just make sure that there is no chance of standing water.

Ages Three to Five

Kids in this age group will still play things from the museum group, but now you want to make it a little more challenging. Build a pathway together with hardened for riding a bicycle, tricycle and scooter. Build a 6-inch high by 5-foot long balance beam and a sturdy seesaw. Paint the side of a shed or your garage wall with chalk paint; include a sill and box to your chalk and erasers. Build an open-concept fort with a stockade that encloses a lookout platform. Consistently include a soft landing material, like rubber mulch or outdoor foam tiles, beneath any play structure 4 feet or taller.

Ages Six to Nine

This age group is learning about their environment, and about raising and growing plants. Build a raised or terraced garden to plants seeds and harvest create. Build a treehouse, fort or a climbing wall with ropes. Build a small workbench and outfit it with age appropriate tools, some wood, nails and screws. Numerous home-improvement shops have kits you can build with them, or you can create your own. Kids this age should have the ability to follow instructions and assemble projects with a little patience and advice from you.

Ages 10 to 13

Have your child help you build a more elaborate treehouse with a walkway, porch, roof, windows and a door. Build a putting green full of synthetic turf and teach your child about golf. If you have two sturdy trees at least 30 to 40 feet apart, then you can build a cable ride where your child grips a trolley device, lifts their feet and zips down a length of steel cable, stopping as the cable rises near the end of the line. For youngsters interested in skateboarding, consider building ramps or a small garden skateboarding park.

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How to Display Mixing Bowls & Bath Utensils as Decor

The kitchen is the heart of your home and sometimes you’ve just got to wear your heart on your sleeve. Mixing bowls are the birthplace of birthday cakes, bake sale cupcakes along with your special vacation stuffing, and most cooks have favored utensils that they treasure like a extension of their hand. Whether you’re a busy cook or a motivated grandfather, taking your mixing bowls and utensils from the cabinet and displaying them allows them to be as appealing as they are helpful.

Useable Decor

Mixing bowls and utensils which are still in use do not need to be hidden away, but you also don’t want to get rid of a silk flower arrangement from the main bowl each time you would like to make a cake. Arrange pretty mixing bowls together open shelves, or supporting glass-doored cabinets. Mix and match solid and patterned bowls in a china cabinet or along the back of a buffet. Arrange wooden spoons and shiny serving spoons, ladles and whisks in a crock, jug or small metal bucket to get a homey look that keeps your tools close at hand.

Decorative Ideas

Sometimes even the most treasured of kitchen equipment outlives its ability to be helpful. Turn mixing bowls you will no longer use upside down on a shelf and place potted plants on top of them. Hang utensils like old-fashioned egg-beaters or ladles from hooks or pegs on the wall.

Functional Ideas

Just as your mixing bowls and utensils maynot be used in the kitchen doesn’t mean that they can not be used at all. Put a pretty mixing bowl on the hallway table to collect email. Decide on a small, complementary one alongside it for keys and an even smaller one for spare change. Wooden spoons are fantastic for propping open a double-hung window which tends to slip, and look cute while doing so. They also work nicely as dowels from which to show antique aprons or linen dish towels. Mixing bowls offer attractive storage for cookie cutters or other small kitchen things as well as hair toys and manicure provides in a bedroom or bath.

Safety

All heavy glass or crockery mixing bowl which are on high shelves must be secured if you reside in a place prone to earthquakes. Several big dollops of museum wax will hold them tightly without damaging either the cups or the shelf they are sitting on. Don’t hang sharp liquids of any sort.

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The way to Use a Curtain Rod as a Quilt Hanger

Quilts are works of art and it’s a pity to leave them folded in a cupboard where no one could see them. Hang your favourite quilt to the wall and create instant artwork for your home. Quilts may also be hung behind a bed instead of a headboard. Frames, permanent mounting or tacks that could damage the quilt aren’t crucial to hang a quilt on the wall. A fast modification to the back of the quilt allows you to hang your textile in a curtain pole. Utilize a rod with decorative finials for a showy display, or a go with a more subtle style if you would like the quilt to take center stage.

Assess the width of the quilt with the tape.

Cut a piece of muslin 8 inches wide and provided that the width of the quilt minus 1 inch, with scissors.

Hem the shorter sides of the muslin by turning the ends under 1/2 inch to the incorrect side of the fabric. Stitch the hem with running stitches with a needle and thread.

Put the muslin to a table with the ideal side down. Pull the underside, long border to the top in order that the muslin is folded in half an hour and you’ve established a pocket. Pin the long edges together. Iron that the muslin so there is a pressed fold along the other long edge.

Put the trapped edges of the muslin pocket to the top, back portion of the hammer and pin them in place. Hand stitch the edges of the muslin through the entire depth of the quilt. With the pocket apartment, then hand stitch the underside, creased border to the quilt. Both edges of the pocket have to be stitched to the quilt or the pocket will lift and be observable when the rod is inserted.

Pencil the positions of the curtain pole brackets on the wall with the width measurement of the quilt for a guide. The brackets will be attached marginally wider than the width of the quilt.

Slide a stud finder over the wall to find the studs. Screwing the brackets into studs is the perfect situation, but that might not be possible with both brackets. If you can’t screw into studs, use drywall anchor screws for a safe installation. If you just drill the screws into the drywall and never to your stud, the weight of the quilt on the screws will pull the bracket off of the wall.

Slide the curtain pole into the pocket. Hang the curtain pole on the brackets.

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An Urban Home Nestled in a Thicket

When famous landscape architect Richard Haag along with his spouse, political activist Cheryl Trivison, were looking to move, they had several priorities and inspirations. They wanted to create a house they can live in for the remainder of their lives; they adored the calm spaces provided by Japanese houses; they desired to enjoy the sweeping views of the University of Washington campus, Mount Baker and the Cascades; they desired to use plants to display and enhance perspectives, as well as for sustenance; they desired rooms for entertaining; plus they desired space to host their large family, who visited often.

The few hired architect firm Studio Ectypos, whose team equipped with a very deep comprehension of the couple’s vision and way of life. I talked with architect Lucia Pirzio-Biroli about how she included universal design, maximized using natural light, made the most of the perspectives, provided flexible spaces and weaved together spaces for spaces and tranquil for actions, as well as private and public zones, into one harmonious home.

Before Haag and Trivison built this house, the lot contained a dilapidated ranch home that had been full of rowdy renters who pulled loud, wild parties — a source of controversy in the neighborhood. The new home sits atop the older footprint with one small addition, and the parties held in it today are family vacation get-togethers complete with skits, as well as political fundraisers and University of Washington college parties.

at a Glance
Location: North Capitol Hill neighborhood of Seattle
Who lives here: Richard Haag and Cheryl Trivison
Size: 3,500 square feet, 6 bedrooms/multiuse rooms, 4 bathrooms

Studio Ectypos

Even though the home is just about 10 feet from the pavement, the topography and landscaping provide solitude. The architects paid very careful attention to using natural light into the max. “Westerly light is deadly at the summer in Seattle,” states Pirzio-Biroli. She used deep overhangs to shade the home where needed and corner windows to provide the insides with natural light.

Studio Ectypos

A very long ramp navigates the 4-foot tier change from the street level to the front door. It is only one of the many universal design components. Others incorporate a very complete first floor that the few can live on when they ever want to, including a bedroom, full bath and a design with all the spaces wide enough to accomodate a walker. In addition, there is a basement apartment which could serve as a house for a live-in caregiver or provide rental income.

Studio Ectypos

Haag, a pioneer of urban landscape design, carefully planned the yard to develop into an urban thicket, shading the home and providing privacy where necessary, exploding with colour in the autumn and dropping leaves before winter to let in the light. He also planted many edible plants for humans and urban fauna alike.

Studio Ectypos

Within the front entrance foyer, a thick library wall divides the public areas from the personal areas, also known as calm and active zones. The side facing the front door is an art wall; the side facing the bedrooms retains hundreds of novels — which, Pirzio-Biroli points outside generates depth. “When you have to check at the conclusion of a lanky wall, it’s bad architecture,” she says.

“A hallway that just functions as a corridor is wasted space,” she adds. “We create spaces which do at least three things at once. For example, this hallway screens the private bedroom and toilet from the entrance foyer; it serves as a library and as a hallway.”

Studio Ectypos

Moving to the dining room and kitchen, an open bookshelf enables someone who is cooking to peek through and see who is coming in without being a wide-open floor plan. “A kitchen is part of this social area, but let’s face it, as soon as you’re finished cooking, there is a major mess that you want to be able to overlook — we wanted it to be open but not at the center of everything,” Pirzio-Biroli states.

An upstairs balcony connects the two floors and encourages conversation between the two. “This family loves to put on theater performances throughout the holidays, along with the balcony becomes part of the stage set,” she states.

Studio Ectypos

A thicket of deciduous trees provides solitude and creates a gorgeous fall perspective out this first-floor window.

The windows are commercial-grade aluminum, and the sills are easy maple. The fir and beech doors throughout the home are also commercial grade. “We use commercial grade a good deal; commercial grade signifies better immunity and a simpler aesthetic; it is not as gimmicky as a great deal of residential products,” Pirzio-Biroli describes.

Studio Ectypos

Part of this first floor appreciates a two-story volume, which lets in more light and perspectives and lends a very spacious feeling. This wall faces west and is shaded by a deep overhang, which forms a rain patio past the glass doors. “My clients had invested some time in Japan and enjoyed the notion of doors which opened into a secure outdoor room,” Pirzio-Biroli states. “Here in Seattle, it’s really quite pleasant outside when it’s raining provided that you’re covered.”

Eggshell-hued walls are punctuated by dark aluminum-trimmed windows. The door and baseboard trim is painted the same colour as the walls but at a semigloss, giving it a very subtle distinction.

Studio Ectypos

“My clients use the woodstove all the time,” Pirzio-Biroli states. “This is a good case of where the more public areas meet a more personal area, a cozy reading area.” The line between the two is demarcated by where the hardwood meets the tight, commercial-grade Berber carpet. Additionally, this calm, personal space has a lower ceiling and thus a cozier feeling.

The floors are oak.

Tip: Should you enjoy variant in your floors, do not splurge on a high tier. “Oak comes in various grades. We like to install the lower levels, since they have more life in them, whereas the higher levels are very consistent,” Pirzio-Biroli states.

Studio Ectypos

“You can observe that the master bedroom is a very easy room without a great deal of pretense,” says the architect. “It is composed to take in the stunning perspectives … and corner windows like these catch the light in various ways.”

She adds, “The home is quite flexible, and we designed the home to exactly how the clients desired to live. There’s a logic to the sequence of spaces, from public and active to relaxing and relaxing.”

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How Toxic Are Geraniums to Dogs?

Many plants contain toxic substances which could harm dogs. Your dog might experience severe or mild symptoms depending on the plant’s chemicals and the area of the exposure. The widely used geranium (Pelargonium spp.) , planted in pots and gardens, are toxic to dogs. Puppies are especially vulnerable, because they will try to taste almost anythingelse.

Geraniums

You may be confused regarding which of the two sorts of geraniums is toxic. Every type of geranium comes in hundreds of varieties, but the geraniums of this genus Geranium, also referred to as cranesbill, are not toxic. Cranesbill contains annual, biennial and perennial plants, bearing pink, blue, purple or white flowers with five symmetrical petals. All these low-growing geraniums with stems that spread out make useful rock garden plants. The other common geranium (Pelargonium spp.) Has asymmetrical flowers in enormous variations depending on the cultivar. It’s toxic to cats and dogs. These frost-tender geraniums include the zonal and ivy-leaved geraniums. The stiff leaves of those geraniums have scalloped leaves and dark markers surround the borders. The leaves contain aromatic essential oils.

Geranium’s Toxins

Two chemicals at geraniums — geraniol and linalool — are toxic to dogs, according to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Geraniol and linalool give fragrance to botanical oils, and also cause skin irritation and skin allergies in susceptible men and women. These substances can also be used as insect repellents.

Toxicity Symptoms

The signs and symptoms of geranium toxicity are vomiting, lethargy, lack of appetite and skin rash. Vomiting, soon after eating geranium leaves, might be the first indication that your dog is sick. Other symptoms, such as lethargy or depression, are caused by the slowing of the human body’s metabolism. Your dog’s heart rate and blood pressure may become lower. Loss of appetite may cause anorexia and nutritional deficiencies if it continues. It your dog’s skin contacts geranium leaves, especially chewed or torn leaves, a skin rash may develop in the affected regions.

Treatment

Observe your dog if you believe it chewed on geranium leaves or rolled about among geranium plants. Some puppies may only have mild symptoms, but if you become aware of geranium toxicity symptoms, call your vet or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Hotline (888-426-4435) for guidance. Wash affected skin areas with large quantities of warm water featuring some dishwashing liquid.

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Instructions for Sewing Curtain Panels Together

When the curtains you have your heart set on only aren’t wide enough for your window, there is a solution: Stitch two panels together to create an extra-wide curtain. This job takes a bit of attention and time, but it can be achieved with basic machine-sewing skills. It’s easiest to use unlined panels which are simply hemmed on all four sides, but it is possible to adjust the procedure to rod pockets and other header fashions.

Put two curtain panels together, right-sides facing, and upper and bottom hems matching. Pin along one long side. Using scissors or a rotary cutter and mat, cut off the hem on that side, cutting through both panels and the top and bottom hems. Remove the pins.

Open approximately 12 inches of the top and bottom hems of the panels with a seam ripper and beginning at the cut edge of their hems. Iron the opened hems to eliminate the folds and flatten the stuff.

Pin the two panels together, right-sides facing, together with all the cut edges and top and bottom edges matching. Stitch a plain flux along the cut edge, from the very top to bottom of this panel. Use a 1/2-inch tolerance for closely insulation, or even a 5/8-inch if the material is gauzy or loosely woven. Trim the seam allowance with pinking shears to prevent raveling. Press the seam open.

Fold the opened top and bottom hems along the flux to coincide with their initial positioning. Press and pin in place. Stitch the hems throughout the opening, extending 1 inch above the stitching on each side. Pull the thread ends into the incorrect side of the hem; tie in a knot and trim. The enlarged curtain panel is now ready to hang.

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How to Hang Wreaths on Big Front Doors

Big front doors make impressive entryways, but can be embarrassing to dress using a turtle. A good-looking turtle is frequently the expected adornment for seasonal curb appeal or holiday festivity, but only as long as it suits the door. Get the look you are after by hanging the best sized turtle at the appropriate height, employing a suitable hanging method.

Door to Wreath Ratio

An average door is 80 inches high and 36 inches wide, and also an average-sized wreath is all about 23 inches in diameter. Using these dimensions to your door-to-wreath ratio, select a wreath that suitably fills or covers about two-thirds of the door’s width. As an example, if your door is 42 inches wide, opt for a wreath that is approximately 28 inches in diameter.

Wide Ribbon

Strong ribbon can support a wreath on a big door and look good doing it. Loop a long enough period of ornamental ribbon through the wreath’s center or its hanger so it can go from the door top, centering the wreath at eye level, and back up. It should be 3 inches or so broad to appear substantial against a oversized door. Use a couple of flat-head tacks or a nail to attach the ribbon ends to the door top.

Sight Line

For a cleaner or more compact wreath, hang it with invisible monofilament or fishing line instead of decoration — 5- to 10-pound test line should suffice, based on the wreath’s weight. Tie or wrap the line around a flat-head nail on top of the door before hammering down the nail.

Up and Over

As the name implies, an over-the-door wreath hanger simply hooks in place over the door. The hanger might not bring the decoration low enough, but on a very tall door. If a long, sturdy hanger designed for big wreaths does not bring the wreath to eye level, utilize broad decoration or durable garland within an extension. Alternatively, make your personal custom-sized over-the-door wreath hanger using sheet metal, if you are metal-work savvy. File and sand the edges smooth, so they’re hand and door safe. Utilize steel crimps to form the fundamental square folds to get over the door, and also the hook-like folds to hold the wreath.

Window of Opportunity

Should you door has a window, then hang the wreath on it to enjoy from either side. Utilize a heavy-duty suction-cup hook to get this hanging method. A 20-pound-capacity hook ought to be powerful enough to hold a large wreath set up as the door swings opened and closed.

Scratch-Free Remedy

A large wreath or hardened hanger can leave scratches in your door. Reduce the chance of unsightly damage with bubble wrap or felt. Secure the protective material to the door, the back of the wreath or the hanger, as needed, using low-residue painter’s tape.

Big Thoughts

If you have double front doors, hang a wreath on each one. For an extra-tall door — 8-feet high or so — hang two or three wreaths, one below the other, joining them using fishing line or decoration. If your door is flanked by big sidelights and a transom above, hang beefy garland round the perimeter to complement the wreath and finish your festive appearance.

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A Family of 4 Unwinds in 540 Square Feet

Interior designer Jessica Helgerson and her household had every intention of spending just a few nights in their new summer home. However, the weekend turned into a couple weeks , and up until today, the Helgersons can’t bring themselves to depart. “We came over on the weekend of my birthday rather than left,” states Helgerson.

It’s easy to see why. The small home, located north of Portland on picturesque Sauvie Island, is part of a agricultural and wildlife preserve. “We fell in love with the area after our first hike, but it took some time before we found our home. We saw so much potential in this house despite discovering it at an entirely run-down state. Its dimensions is definitely out of the ordinary for this area, but since we must scale things down, we’ve become more educated in regards to what we eat and bring in the house,” states Helgerson.

Who lives here: Jessica Helgerson; her husband, architect Yianni Doulis; plus their 2 kids
Location: Sauvie Island, Oregon
Size: 540 square feet; 1 bedroom, 1 bath, 1 sleeping loft
That’s intriguing: The home is located in its fifth usage. Previously it was a single-family home in Vanport Village, a shipyard employee’s abode, a goose-checking channel and an auto mechanic’s run-down lease.

Jessica Helgerson Interior Design

A green roof planted with moss and ferns in the surrounding Columbia River replaced a deteriorating roof and decorate the home economically.

“Every room in the house works hard, and that is really the point. We built everything and gutted it flipped the insides into an extremely efficient distance,” states Helgerson.

Jessica Helgerson Interior Design

A dining table that is flashed and white oak floors hot up wall cladding and the white cabinetry. Helgerson found the vintage selection on Craigslist, and a wood-burning stove heats the small house.

“The stove occasionally works just a tiny too well in the great room. We usually crack open a window in the winter, because it can get pretty hot,” she states.

Table: habit, Yianni Doulis; chairs: vintage, Paul McCobb; cladding paint: white opulence, Benjamin Moore; pendants: purchased in France

Jessica Helgerson Interior Design

The great room “takes quite a beating,” Helgerson states. It houses the kitchen, the dining room and the living room. Her husband made the built in sofas with drawers; they twice as twin beds for guests and toy storage.

A walnut ladder leads the eye upward to Helgerson and her husband’s lofty nest.

Sofa, bookshelves, walnut ladder: habit, Jessica Helgerson Design

Jessica Helgerson Interior Design

The sleeping loft requires the few to think carefully before bringing anything into the space.

“Our general thinking is that if it is not amazing and helpful, then we probably do not want it,” she states.

Jessica Helgerson Interior Design

Two bunk beds with built-in storage, a pullout closet and a complete guest bed (not shown) make up the kids’ minimalist room.

Jessica Helgerson Interior Design

Helgerson flashed the soaking tub from a buddy’s demolition site; her husband built the tub’s wood feet.

The developer admits that sharing a single bathroom with three other folks proves difficult at times, the benefits far outweigh the inconveniences.

Water plants: Digs

Jessica Helgerson Interior Design

“It is not a perfect means to live,” states Helgerson. “The bathroom gets runny from working hard, and we know that the clock is ticking when it comes to our kids’ sharing a bedroom. But despite all this, we get along pretty well for living in such a small space.”

Jessica Helgerson Interior Design

The house sees its fair share of friends and family coming through its front door. Only a few weeks before, Helgerson (along with her husband and daughter) hosted a birthday party for her son, Max.

Knowing that storage was an issue, Max emailed his friends and asked for no gifts at the party. “We got him a beautiful bow and arrow, which is what he had wanted, so he was not deprived. One buddy cheated and brought him a tiny box of Mexican jumping beans,” states Helgerson.

Jessica Helgerson Interior Design

The designer, who as a kid divide her time between France and the States, employed her grandparents’ smaller, scalable European plantation model as inspiration for her own garden beds and greenhouse.

Today, the household is self explanatory for food, except for “alcohol, caffeine and most carbohydrates,” states Helgerson. They develop their own tomatoes, cucumbers, pumpkins, onions, okra and “every kind of berry that springs to mind.”

Jessica Helgerson Interior Design

Even though the small footprint is an organic extension of Helgerson’s design ethos, she finds herself enjoying the practice of looking around for a customer and creating somebody else’s vision of a home.

“I’m not about to confer with somebody else in regards to how to live their own lives,” she states. “However, I think most of my customers know my coworkers and I are pretty thoughtful about what we do. We need each and each of our remodels to be our last [for this home].”

She admits part of her carries the romantic belief that her kids will someday inherit the land of their youth — but she would not be surprised if both her daughter and son declare a preference for city living once they’re a little older.

“They could just come home one day and say they want to live in nyc,” states Helgerson.

See more creative Tiny homes

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Do-It-Yourself Children's Night Stand Made From Colored Storage Cubes

Kids have a good deal of stuff. They also demand a surprising amount of furniture, so it is a bonus when you are able to double-purpose necessary furnishings with storage, and even better when the storage can be reconfigured as children grow. Visualize those vibrant storage blocks you snagged to hold the toddler blocks as nightstands and bookshelves plus concealed storage which needs almost no effort from you and may be broken down tomorrow and then reconfigured into something different.

Plastic or Wood Cubes

Come up with the notion behind the type of storage you need from bedside blocks. Bookshelves need the blocks to be stacked with both open sides facing the exact same manner. Hidden storage allows you set one cube open-side-up and top it with the next cube, open to the side.

Drill a hole an inch in the edges in all four corners of the base of the greatest cube. Drill a hole in each of the front and back faces of the bottom cube, which will sit open-side-up on the ground. The holes in the bottom cube must be 1 inch from the top and one inch in from the side. Measure before drilling to ensure the holes in the bottom and top cubes lineup.

Place the items to be seasonally or longterm saved in the lower cube. Establish the side-opening cube in addition to the decrease cube and secure the two together with cable ties threaded through the holes in each of the four corners.

Place a lamp, clock and other bedside comforts on the flat surface of the highest cube. Use the reachable open inside of the highest cube for a shelf to store objects which are frequently used, like novels, favorite toys, bedtime animals or a audio player.

Clip the leading cable ties to lift the top cube up and eliminate seasonal storage items in the bottom cube. Alter the cable ties to re-secure both blocks collectively.

Wire Cubes

Assemble individual cable cubes according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Most cable blocks only snap with plastic links.

Snap two constructed blocks together, one in addition to another with both openings facing the identical side, utilizing the straps offered by the manufacturer. If the straps don’t look secure enough, then see Step 3 for an alternate fastening approach.

Stack 1 cube on top of another, with both open ends facing the side, in the exact same direction. Combine the blocks with plastic wire ties.

Cut a piece of thin plywood the size of one side of a cube. Sand the edges until they are smooth, prime and paint the plywood with high gloss enamel on either side.

Drill a hole in each corner of the painted plywood. Set the plywood in addition to the greatest cube. Thread a cable tie through every hole, grabbing a strand of the cable cube from the wire loop; pull the loop tight to secure the plywood into the cube.

Decide on a lamp or nightlight and a box of tissues on the nightstand and stash novels or stuffed animals from the cube shelves.

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Get the Scoop on Dish Screen

Do you have that one plate that you never use since you can’t endure to view pasta sauce smeared all over it? Or have you eyed a fairly dish at a shop and wished you had a use for this? Rather than relegating it into the dark of your cabinet, show it off. After all, integrating plates into your decoration — whether they’re heirloom bits or mismatched vintage flea market finds — can be a playful, inexpensive way to liven up your home.

Shirley Meisels

1. Produce wall artwork. A brilliant montage of dishes is a great way to add interest and whimsy to any wall without needing to invest huge bucks. It’s possible to locate plate hangers at most craft and home shops.

Step-by-Step: How to Hang Plates

Shirley Meisels

Tired of fundamental paintings or artwork prints over the couch? Start looking for musicians, for example Piero Fornasetti, who use ceramics as their moderate.

Neuhaus Design Architecture, P.C.

2. Show off your collection. A cube shelf along one wall is an excellent way to store and display favorite kitchenware.

3. Have fun! Pick a motif and play with this. Grouping similar plates in a variety of sizes causes an eye catching montage. Or, if you’ve plates of different colours and designs, pick similar-size ones to hang together to get a more ordered but visually intriguing appearance.

Leslie Goodwin Photography

4. Accentuate a motif. Punctuate a room by displaying corresponding plate artwork. Here, the playful arrangement of white plates on a gray wall perfectly offsets this black and white dining area. Why don’t you display white and blue china within an Asian-theme space or Talavera plates at a Spanish colonial revival house?

Kati Curtis Design

5. Fill a little space. Pep an otherwise insignificant corner of your house by closely grouping a set that incorporates a variety of shapes and dimensions.

CapeRace Cultural Adventures

6. Ditch the cabinets. Allow your taste in kitchenware to glow by adopting open shelving. Neat piles and artful arrangements would be the trick to fairly screens.

Beach Vintage

7. Rack them up. An open cottage-style plate rack is a great space saver which also permits you to showcase your collection. While a monochromatic set of dishes will achieve a clean appearance, an eclectic assortment such as the one pictured adds a welcoming pattern of colour.

Browse plate racks

TILTON FENWICK

8. Create unforgettable table settings. Like the perfect fashion accessory, the right dishes can set a table off beautifully. Invest in china which will accentuate the decor of your dining area. Breathe life into a normal table setting by mixing and matching — pair your grandma’s china with modern pieces, for instance.

Artisan Books

For further inspiration, check out Shax Riegler’s stunning book Dish: 813 Colorful, Beautiful Dinner Plates (Artisan, $35).

More:
Decorating With Dishes

Create the Dining Room More Fun

Calling All Dishaholics

House Planning: How to Set Up Your Kitchen

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Handmade Home: Construct a Simple Flower Box

This DIY blossom box adds charm and curb appeal. And once you’ve obtained the basic steps down, you can easily personalize yours by producing your own mounts, including decorative molding, angling the endings of the box, creating a curved edge or adding any other unique details that make it feel like your own.

Materials:

1-by-8-by-10-foot plank in #2 pine (that is what I used)
Pair of saw horses (I used two old chairs)
Tape step, T square and hammer
Drill with large bit
Nails (I used #6 penny-finish nails)
Circular or hand saw
Primer, paint and brushes
Metal or wood mounts (available at home improvement stores)

Step by Step

1. Measure your window and then decide the period of your flower box. Mine was 30 inches. Measure and mark with a pencil.

This tier pine is the least expensive, but it’s a couple of knots in the wood — with a little paint they may be camouflaged. You can always use the superior pine, but the cost for the identical size board is about three times as much.

Use the square to make sure your line is directly, and mark it in pencil.

2. Saw the line across.

The regional lumber yard or Home Depot may be able to make direct cuts for you. In case you’ve got the measurements, a pencil, tape measure and square, all you’ve got to do is make all of your markings and have someone cut the wood.

Utilize the first bit as your template to the subsequent two. You should end up with three pieces of the desired length, one for each long side and one to the floor.

3. Nail the sides. It is much simpler if you begin the nails prior to placing the pieces completely together. This way, you have to hold the pieces together only while hammering them and you do not have to worry about holding the nail in place.

The nails I used have heads. When they’re hammered in they aren’t too noticeable.

That is what you’ll have after attaching two of the boards you cut.

Do the identical thing to attach the side.

4. Together with the leftover bit, mark and measure the short end pieces.

Again, use the T to make sure the line is even. Draw your line and use the piece as a template to the other end.

5. Begin your nails as you did before and nail in every end.

6. Drill drain holes. Using a ⅜-inch drill bit, drill three holes in the base of the box for surplus water to drain out.

7. Insert finish. If desirable, prime and paint the box in the color of your choice.

Optional: If you want to Create Your own mounts, then you’ll want:
Added woodScroll sawTo create a more detailed box, then you’ll want:
RouterDecorative molding

8. Line the box with transparent plastic. Staple lining into position to prolong the life span of the box.

9. Fill out your box. Choose a loose soil, the identical type you’d use for a marijuana or alternative planter, from any home improvement store or nursery.

Susan Duane

10. Hang it! Here is my finished box. I did this project. Come spring it’ll be full of beautiful and bright blooms.

Tell us have you got a window box or a location for one? Please share a photo below.

More Handmade Home:
Revamp a Seat
Antique Castoff Emerges as Wall Art

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Can Worms Eat Coffee Grounds?

Composting kitchen scraps with worms, although regular composting creates healthy food to your crops, however vermicomposting, enriches the compost even more. Castings that provide nutrients for your backyard are excreted by the worms. Worms prefer to eat coffee grounds, but provide them to keep their house in acidity levels that are appropriate.

Worms Like Coffee Grounds

Worms enjoy many of the very same foods you do, such as coffee grounds. They enjoy coffee grounds so much that Cornell University recommends lining a composting pile that is conventional to attract worms. The coffee grounds create a yummy addition to other kitchen scraps such as vegetable and fruit waste, leftover pasta or oatmeal. Worms need some gritty foods to help their gizzards with digestion, and that’s where java grounds actually shine in the vermicomposting bin.

The Downside

Adding a massive volume of coffee grounds adversely impacts the vermicomposting by making it acidic bin. Too much acid in the bed, or a low pH level, can burn off the worms’ skin. Use a pH test strip in the bedding. Worms live best in an environment with a pH of 6.0 to 8.0. If the pH is lower than 6.0, then add crushed eggshells into the bin to help neutralize the acid.

How Much Is Too Much

No exact rule exists about how often to include coffee grounds to your bin. It depends in part on the size of the bin, what foods you include and the number of worms reside in the bin. Generally, it should be safe to include coffee grounds when you place other food if you are adding some grains and fruit stir in the day’s coffee grounds. You may not feed your worms when it’s not time to feed the 27, so don’t add java grounds. In addition, don’t add mostly coffee grounds with a few other kitchen bits the java should make up a portion of the meal, not the majority. If you notice rather than creating a nice odor the bin smells somewhat like vinegar, you may be adding too many coffee grounds. The vinegar odor means that the bin is becoming too acidic.

Feeding Worms that the Filter

About trying to shake coffee grounds off the filters, do not be concerned — that the worms enjoy the filters. Vermicomposting bins use bedding such as shredded newspaper or cardboard. When kept moist, the bedding provides a secure house for worms to burrow through. The used coffee filter functions as additional bedding for the worms.

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How To Separate a Room

San Francisco’s rich architectural history has filled the city with buildings — a few of which have floor plans which don’t match modern residents’ expectations. If your new apartment used to be a part of a house, you might want to divide an mystery room. Easy partitions can be convenient for privacy if you’re sharing a one-bedroom using a roommate or two.

Curtains

In the old tradition of roommates the easiest way is probably to hang a curtain in place of a wall. Though it doesn’t provide much barrier that is sound, curtains are relatively cheap, easy to install and easy to remove again when you move out. They are also more versatile than sturdier choices: shut them for privacy, or pull them out of the way to start the space for roommate or business hangout time. A folding screen that is tall works.

Bookcases

To imitate the solidity of a wall, divide a room with bookcases. To provide shelving on each side of the partition, then put two bookcases side and confront one in each direction. Hang tapestries or wallpaper on the backs to hide the wood. If each side of the room has its own entry, install the bookcases across the width of the space to make a wall that is complete. Leave 3 or 4 feet open on one side if you need a door through the partition and cover the gap using a folding or curtain screen.

Closet Doors

If you have the property or your landlord gives you permission, install folding or sliding closet doors to get a more permanent solution. Because closets arrive in all dimensions, it is possible to find closet doors narrow enough to fill in a vacant door or wide enough to partition an entire room. Runners on ceiling and the floor add sliding wooden or mirrored panels to divide the space. If you’d like the option of opening the doors to restore the room utilize doors.

Open Floor Plan

Old apartments feature spaces which were small areas at a large residence, hallways or closets. They might have a kitchen at the rear of the dining room. Utilize the arrangement of the scheme and the furniture without shutting them off to divide spaces. Paint the walls in each space distinct colours; carpeting the den area and tile the kitchen area; put a sofa so that it faces the area and backs onto the dining room. Experiment until you find.

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How to Insulate a Basement Cinder Block

Buildings constructed from concrete cinder blocks offer long-term strength and durability against weather, wind, fire and pests. Regrettably, concrete cubes also provide hardly any natural thermal resistance. With insulation, cinder block walls enable unwanted cold air from the outside to go into your home, particularly in the basement. Add insulation to your cellar walls to improve energy efficiency, decrease heating and cooling expenses, and improve the comfort of your home.

Visit the Department of Energy site to find out how much insulation you need. Most homes need thermal resistance of R-13 on outside basement walls, though houses in the coldest areas of the country could gains from around R-21. Your uninsulated concrete cubes offer just about R-1 or R-2, therefore subtract this from the R-value you’re trying to achieve prior to buying insulation.

Install 2-by-2 wooden furring strips along the length of the cinder block wall. Set the strips perpendicular to the floor every 16 inches and secure them to the block utilizing masonry or concrete screws.

Cut your foam insulation to match between the furring strips. Keep the foam panels tightly to the edge of each strip to minimize air leaks. Cut your foam boards using a utility knife.

Put a double layer of foam board involving each furring strip. Two layers of foam offer an R-value between 8 and 16. Together with the insulation already provided by your block wall, you’ll achieve roughly the R-value advocated by the Department of Energy. In very cold climate zones, then you may need to use 3-inch furring strips to match one extra layer of insulation inside the wall cavity.

Use extra masonry screws to anchor the foam board to the wall every 6 to 8 inches. Choose screws to pass through both layers of foam and into the wall. Think about purchasing specialty foam board anchors designed for this type of program to make the job simpler.

Put in a coating of any typical vapor barrier across the whole wall. Overlap the seams by 6 inches and use nails or screws to secure the vapor barrier to the furring strips.

Insert a layer of 1/2-inch drywall to complete the basement walls. Even if you’re delighted with your unfinished basement, most building codes require foam insulation to be covered with 1/2-inch shingles to improve fire resistance.

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Budget Decorator: 8 Ways to Make Mature Furniture Look Brand New

Staining, stripping and whitewashing, oh my! If you would like to revamp a well-loved old piece of furniture but are not sure where to start, this manual is for you. Here you will find tips for when to use what technique, along with some invaluable how-to advice.

Susan Duane

1. Strip finishes. This is not an easy task and definitely is not advisable for anybody with respiratory issues to tackle — but aside from those caveats, stripping your own old furniture may save you money and produce good outcomes.

Tools of the trade: Chemical stripper (note the faster-acting strippers will also be the most poisonous), solvent respirator with new filters, safety goggles, chemical-resistant gloves, work apron, brushes, scrapers and steel wool.

DOXA Home

How-to: Move the piece to an outdoor location or well-ventilated garage and remove any hardware. It is crucial to protect yourself from the caustic fumes of a chemical stripper (see the list of safety equipment above).

After you brush the stripper, the paint must start to bubble up. Use a scraper or steel wool to remove the layers of paint. Afterward, be sure to give the piece a coat of mineral spirits or denatured alcohol to remove traces of this stripper.

Theresa Fine

2. Stain wood tables and seats. For those who have an old solid wood piece of furniture, then look at staining rather than painting it to show off the wood grain. The walnut dining table shown here was a Craigslist locate — it had been initially orange, along with the homeowners stripped it and gave it a lovely dark end.

Tools of the trade: Sandpaper, wood conditioner, rubber or nitrile gloves, wood stain, soft fabric and polyurethane varnish.

Theresa Fine

How-to: Starting with stripped wood, smooth the slice with vacuum and sandpaper or rub away all dust. Implementing wood conditioner will help the finish proceed more evenly.

Rub the wood stain evenly using a soft fabric (you may want to use a number of coats) and finish with a coat of polyurethane.

Before Photo

Wild Chairy

3. Reupholster a classic. Taking on an upholstery project takes some significant DIY skills — but if you’re patient and prepared to learn, it may be carried out. Andrea Mihalik of the reupholstery biz Wild Chairy learned her craft by studying an upholstery book and recommends that potential DIYers do exactly the same.

Tips: Take photos at every step as you take apart your seat; save the first cloth pieces to use as a pattern.

When to find an expert:
as soon as your bit has structural issues or uncomfortable springs. A pro can completely rebuild your chair … maybe not something the average person ought to try in your home.

Watch our interview with Mihalik for much more seat makeovers and DIY upholstering tips.

How to Work With an Upholsterer

Studio Marcelo Brito

4. Whitewashing, liming and pickling. You can achieve a faded, cursory appearance using lots of methods. What they all have in common is they lighten wood whilst still allowing the grain to show through.

Tools of the trade: Brass or copper wool or brush, sandpaper, liming wax, liming alternative or primer, soft rags and very clear wax or clear polyurethane.

perfectly imperfect

How-to: Rough up the wood using a copper or brass brush to allow the whitewash to stick better. Sandpaper and vacuum the face or wipe the dust away.

To lighten the wood, you may use liming wax, liming wash or a way of primer and water, working it in with a rag. If you’re using wax, remove excess wax with fine steel wool and seal the surface with wax. If you’re using primer or liming alternative, wipe off the excess with a rag. When the piece is dry, then seal it with a coating of polyurethane.

5. Milk paint. The most natural type of paint on the current market, true milk paint is really made out of milk; it comes in powder form and you mix up the paint yourself. It is nontoxic, comes in a wonderful range of customizable colors and functions on unfinished or finished wood surfaces.

Tools of the trade: Buckets and stir sticks for blending, paintbrushes and shed fabric.

Rethink Design Studio

6. Latex and oil paints. First, which to select? Latex paints have the distinct advantage of being water soluble, which means cleanup is as simple as dunking your tools in a bucket of water.

Oil-based paint necessitates taking more safety measures: The fumes imply it is best to work outside; harsh chemical solvents are needed for cleanup; also you must bring all leftovers to a hazardous waste center. The advantages of oil-based paints are better coverage and, some say, richer colors.

Tools of the trade: Fall cloths, sandpaper, mini foam rollers, painter’s tape, primer, latex or oil paint, and solvent for oil paint.

Amoroso Design

How-to: Eliminate all hardware and drawers, and set the piece up on bricks or wood blocks on top of a drop cloth. Sand lightly and wipe out dust. Tape off the edges of the drawers as needed with painter’s tape. Give the piece a coat of primer and allow it to dry.

For painting, then use a small roller to get a smooth program without adhesive lines. Start at the top and work your way down; let the paint dry thoroughly between coats.

Adrianna Beech

7. Spray paint. For outdoor furniture, nothing beats a couple of coats of spray paint. Decide on a formula created for outdoor furniture, and it will stand up well to the elements.

Tools of the trade: Outside furniture spray paint, rubber gloves, painter’s mask and fall fabric.

How-to: Gently wash the furniture, scrubbing off scuffs and rust, and let it dry thoroughly. Wear rubber gloves and a painter’s mask while spray painting. Working outside on a drop cloth, spray on the furniture with even strokes. A number of light coats will provide even coverage with no a lot of drips.

Caitlin Wilson Design

8. Re-cover a seat cushion. Unlike a complete reupholstery job, re-covering a seat cushion is a relatively simple and gratifying project.

Tools of the trade: Staple gun, new cloth and foam or batting.

How-to: Unscrew the seat cushion from the seat. Eliminate the old cloth and use it as a template to cut new fabric. If the batting or foam cushion is very worn, replace it. Wrap the new cloth over the seat and use a staple gun to attach it. Screw the seat back in place.

Step-by-step directions: How to Re-Cover a Chair Cushion

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House Hunting? Look kindly at the Light

When I was growing up, my mum could bemoan others’ restricted imaginations: “Some folks can not see possible; they just can’t picture things.”

My difficulty was not a lack of creativity. An argument may be made that I’ve had too much creativity, bordering on delusion. Take the second house my husband and I purchased. When there had been a category on Facebook for posting the status of someone’s relationship with one’s house, mine could have stated, “It is complicated.”

Let us start with the good things: It was in a beautiful setting with a pool, large yards and many gardens, surrounded by lovely woods. It was near my husband’s office and in a fantastic school district. Most important of all We could afford it.

A wall of windows overlooks natural lighting and the view.

Today you want to brace yourself. The prior owners were DIY-ers from the 1970s. That about says it all, however, I will press on with all the details. There was wall-to-wall carpet everywhere, and I really do mean everywhere: bathrooms and kitchen included. The ceilings laughed at mere popcorn, aspiring to stalactites. Are you seated? Because I am just getting started. Faux beams? You betcha! Cedar shakes? A wall of them! Fake brick? Two partitions! Paneling? Eight rooms and seven fashions! Volcanic-looking rock? Going all the way up the staircase! I knew it was a nightmare, however, I watched all the possibilities. I knew we could sand ceilings and paint paneling and tear out the carpet as well as the faux everything. And we did. We went room by room, including windows and replacing, retexturing and repainting walls, ceilings and floors — from the day we took ownership until days before it burned down. However, all this was only makeup; there was more.

We fulfilled our house on a rainy day so, not surprisingly, it was dark inside. The entrance led to the dining room, which was the center of the house. To the north was a doorway to a hall that led to a bath and bedrooms. However, the east wall was a door to another bedroom. To the south was a large archway that opened into the kitchen and the rest of the house. On the other side of the west wall were the mudroom and the garage. That there were no windows did not register for me as a problem; neither did the home’s deep eaves nor that it faced north and south sat in a valley surrounded by woods.

Bruce Wright

I am sorry to let you know, I saw that the light (figuratively speaking) once we closed on the house, and that was just about the only light we found in that house. We put in so many windows and light tubes, which surely helped, but the overall lack of light was an eye-twitch-inducing source of frustration to me. True, I was sensitive to temptation from sunlight and a bit claustrophobic, but a troll could have suffered from seasonal affective disorder in the house.

My sister, Torey, pooh-poohed me. She recorded all the great things we’d done and our beautiful setting. I gently scratched in my neck and held my peace. A couple of weeks later we were watching a detective series and there was a suspenseful moment when a character is locked in a toilet and might or might not be dead. The detective runs up many flights of stairs, pounds on the door and must break down it.

“If the detective was running up the staircase, you were wondering if another man was dead, were not you?” I asked Torey later.

“Obviously.”

“Well, I wasn’t. I noticed that the stairwell didn’t have any windows, but there was a shaft of sun, and I was wondering if there was a skylight or when the gaffer had lit it unnaturally.” She simply stared at me, all the Pollyanna run dry. Several years later, when she was house hunting, she availed herself of my mania/expertise.

Emerick Architects

This well-placed window lighting a hall and is a beautiful focal point.

If you are in the market for a house, light may not be in your own checklist, but it should. Here are some things to think about:

1. What direction does the house face? Our new house still faces north, but it’s an open floor plan and is filled with windows, so every room and hall has indirect light constantly and direct light at least sometime in the day. The principal living areas and bedrooms all face the south, which here in Michigan allows passive solar energy throughout the winter. Throughout summer time the sun is so large that the light downstairs is indirect and beautiful but upstairs the bedrooms heat up considerably. I wouldn’t ever say we’ve got too much light, but I’ve invested in window coverings to allow us to temper our glorious prosperity.

2. What rooms do you use the most and when? Since we’ve got a wooded hill to the west, the hot and low light of the setting sunlight is filtered. My sister-in-law’s house faces west, but the majority of her living spaces were designed with large windows to take advantage of the lake views to the west. A line of trees to the south shelters the house in the summer from the beams of the intense summer sun.

Shannon Malone

3. What is the window scenario? What was so challenging about my prior home was that the lack of windows. The room shown here is dark, but the beautiful windows makes it feel as if you are in a tree house rather than a cave. Friends of ours designed and built a beautiful, light-filled house. In working out the floor plan, they opted to put their bathrooms and mudroom in the center of the house and hence without windows, an option they regret.

The window scenario goes both ways. Other friends have a house on a hill. A bank of windows in their living room showcases the magnificent view to the east and floods the room with morning light. It was all I could do to keep from throwing myself onto the (bright!) Floor, in a sense of wonder and envy. For my friend it was a nuisance — her blinded toddlers encounter each other while they played. She purchased a huge and expensive shade soon after they moved in.

When a house has an abundance of windows, assess whether you need to add window coverings to your budget. The cost for even the least expensive shades can be considerable.

Kanner Architects – CLOSED

A big corner window is perfect for a modern house.

If we were planning the new house, I made it crystal clear that maximizing natural light was overriding. (Picture Scarlett O’ Hara shaking her fist and swearing she’ll never be hungry again.)

Throughout the framing phase, the builder posted pictures online. The caption next to our great room stated, from the understatement of the century, “An unobstructed, naturally day lit open space was a priority for the homeowners.”

What about you personally? Did you consider light once you purchased your house? Did you overlook or dismiss another fundamental attribute? Tell your story in the Remarks.

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How to Plan a Just-Right Living Room Layout

Whether you are constructing a new home, remodeling an existing living room or just rearranging furniture you already have, laying out your living room is best done with a plan in your mind. It may seem to be a very simple matter of rolling up a chair over here and squishing the couch over there, but even the simplest elements of space planning can get complex quickly. Before you start doing some heavy lifting, consider these professional living room layout tips.

Habitar Design

Planning. Analyze how that you spend time on your living room. Nashville interior designer Kippie Leland suggests writing down everything that you plan to get there. “This can allow you to prioritize when you reach the furniture planning phase,” says Leland.

Then consider traffic and dialogue flow. How can you enter a room? Move between chairs? Get around the corner of a sofa? “You don’t ever want to feel trapped or feel as if you are making laps around an area to get out or in,” states Minneapolis interior designer Lucy Penfield. And “do not locate the back of a sofa by the entry,” says Colorado interior designer Andrea Schumacher. “It should be installed so you could walk in and out of the room easily.”

Don’t leave too much distance between seating, so conversation can flow readily.

The Cross Interior Design

Arranging and rearranging. Everybody has an individual preference when it comes to arranging furniture. Some individuals prefer to take their time and plan out every detail. For those, Leland suggests starting off with a scaled drawing of this room, measuring the existing furniture and making to-scale cutouts of each piece to play with. “It is much easier on your back to rearrange on paper than to transfer the furniture,” she states.

There’s a different route for people who prefer to be spontaneous. “Block out a good hour or so, bring a friend along or your own family, and really move things around,” states Penfield. Move out everything that’s simple to carry first, just to find a new view of this room. Then switch it all up — even take out the carpet to learn what the room looks like without it. “Every time you come up with a fresh configuration, take a little time to sit down and see how it feels,” she states.

A few things to remember, regardless of what arrangement you decide on:Try to maintain 15 to 18 inches involving upholstery and the coffee table. Be certain that you have 2 to 4 feet of walking distance in a most important pathway. If you opt to put your furniture within an angle, know that it’ll take up a lot of extra space. Try symmetry first — that often works well in living rooms.

Meredith Heron Design

Keeping things to scale. All of the designers here highlight the importance of furniture size in a living room. “Properly scaled furniture may make or break a room,” says Austin, Texas, designer Allison Jaffe. “Having too much room or too little room can really throw away the look and feel of this room.”

Just because the scale and size of a bit appears right in a shop doesn’t mean it’ll feel right on your living room. Larger rooms require larger furniture, and bigger rooms require a bigger scale.

But above all else, make sure everything you buy is comfortable too. “Select furniture that fits you,” says Schumacher. “Try out different sized pieces. We’ve found some people prefer larger furniture they could flake out, and some people prefer more miniature furniture”

Terracotta Design Build

Purchasing furniture. A brand new living room usually means some new furniture — at the very least a bit here and there. Jaffe suggests because it will be the piece in the room, picking the sofa first . “When purchasing a sofa, go moderate in proportion, for it may be used at a future home in the library or den,” adds Leland.

Contemplate your entertaining needs and choose furniture which may be used with larger groups if necessary. Slip a bench or locate ottomans which may be used as side tables or seating.

Dana Nichols

Handling the TV. The TV is not necessarily pretty, but for a lot of us, it’s a must-have at the living room. Fortunately, the design issue is lessened by flat-screen televisions. Keep relaxation in mind when putting your TV — make sure not to hang it in a height that will make your throat ache. Above the fireplace may be too large, unless the couch has enough distance so that your neck doesn’t have to strain. But, Jaffe advises to not put the TV over 10 ft or less than 6 ft away from the sofa.

You may not want your TV to become the room’s focal point (regardless of how proud of it you’re). “Do you want a black hole dangling in a significant visual location in the room?” Says Leland. Consider placing it on a bookshelf which flanks the fireplace or on a buffet from the wall.

More about putting your flat-screen TV

Inform us What have you learned while setting out your living room?

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Beat Winter's Chill With an Indoor Picnic

Picnics are among life’s simple pleasures, but winter, naturally, is normally too cold for individuals in most areas to head outside with a basket and blanket. It is still possible, but to enjoy the fun and love of picnic dining now; just recreate the encounter indoors. It is a great way to package in friends and family, even when you don’t have a great deal of traditional dining space. Get motivated by this particular indoor picnic spread.

Holly Marder

The Setting

A indoor picnic is a wonderful opportunity to snuggle up on the floor with a few comfy blankets and pillows with a loved one. And if you are hosting several guests, then it is also a creative alternative when dining room is limited. If your house is blessed with a great view, clear a place beside the window for your installation.

Picnic basket: Picknickshop; plaid blanket: Hermine, Ikea; poufs: Slumber and Bonnet, Casalis; gray platter: Serholt Sweden

Holly Marder

Just as you would do outdoors, make things comfy with a plentiful supply of picnic blankets. Take advantage of being indoors by integrating throw cushions as well as a few poufs.

Holly Marder

Bring the outside in by incorporating some greenery into your picnic setting. The plant is a species of eucalyptus.

When you have a fireplace, make sure that you’re ready with a supply of chopped wood. A crackling fire is a certain way to amp up the coziness element.

Holly Marder

The Meal

Getting your picnic indoors also suggests you could employ your loved ones dishes and cutlery. This picnic set includes cutlery and dishes, but trendy compostable choices will also be available that can make cleanup a cinch.

Holly Marder

Holly Marder

When planning your menu, then think of easy finger foods that are easy to share and serve. The spread displayed comprises cheeses, crackers, salami, pesto, fruit along with a newly baked pecan pie.

Tip: To prevent drink spillage, ensure you have a sturdy tray with a lip available.

Holly Marder

Pecan Pie(adapted from Allerhande)
Serves 12

1 cup (250 g) flour
100 g powdered sugar
1 cup (250 g) butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups (280 g) whole pecans
1/2 cup (150 g) maple syrup
1/3 cup (75 g) sugar
1/3 cup (75 milliliters) fresh lotion

Timing: prep, 30 minutes; cooking, 50 minutes

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (180 degrees Celsius). Blend the flour, sugar, butter and salt in a mixer and mix everything into a crumbly dough. Knead the dough into a ball with your hands and line a greased 8- by 8-inch skillet with the dough to form an even base. Bake for 20 minutes. Roast the pecans in the oven in an 8- by 11-inch tray for 10 minutes.

2. Heat the cream and sugar in a saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil then cook it on low heat for 6 minutes.

3. Remove the gently roasted pecans and pie foundation in the oven. Distribute the pecans on top of the precooked pie foundation, placing them in lines and forming two layers. Carefully pour the caramel sauce on the nuts and put the pan back in the oven for another 20 minutes.

4. Allow the dish to cool completely before serving it in your indoor picnic. Enjoy!

Holly Marder

The Entertainment

After indulging in dialogue, relaxation and food, have a few games available to continue the fun. Ensure that you also prepare a playlist of your favourite holiday tunes to play.

Holly Marder

After unwrapping gifts this Christmas, gather your loved ones for an indoor picnic. Afterward, don’t hesitate to prop yourself in a comfortable spot against some cushions for some quality quiet time with a fantastic book.

Tell us : How will you be getting comfy this winter?

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Southwestern-Style Florida Mansion

When architect Roger Gritton’s customers approached him in a custom house, he knew that his business’s biggest challenge will be their preferred Southwestern style. “We’d never previously created a layout from the client’s selected style. Fortunately for us, the [customers] could see that although this style was new to us, we’d shown the capability to learn and adapt. I think we were able to make their dream home,” states Gritton.

The final result? A home that’s symbiotic with its surroundings, symbolizing the homeowners’ love of horses and deep respect for nature and the outdoors.

at a Glance
Who lives here: An equine-loving couple and their kids
Location: Florida’s northern peninsula
Size: 7,950 square feet
That’s intriguing: All doors and beams were made of laminated barn wood and timbers.

Gritton & Associates Architects

The kitchen materials and color palette embody Southwestern style. Ceramic tiles, a mantel-style variety hood, rough-sawn timber beams and ceiling, rusticated brick floors and stucco walls evoke the feel of Arizona, where the owners previously had a home.

Gritton & Associates Architects

The tall cabinets near the skillet have metal rails installed at the top, and a ladder slides for simple access to items in the bigger cabinets (much like the way libraries use ladders for books). The ladder tucks neatly across the side of the cabinetry when not being used. Gritton states, “The ultimate aim for the kitchen was to be hot, inviting, functional and a bit unexpected.”

Gritton & Associates Architects

The home’s architectural massing divides its profile to avert a boxy look and feel like a hacienda. “We tried to make the house feel like it was added onto many occasions and built organically by using different roofing materials in different pavilions: horizontal roofs with parapet walls or sloped roofs with Spanish clay tile,” states Gritton.

Gritton & Associates Architects

A number of the exterior spaces on the back elevation are coated, due to Florida’s torrential summer rains (as opposed to the uncovered patios of this arid Southwest). The living room windows function as focal point with a number of large, stepped, fixed panes of glass. Wings open at obtuse angles to reach out and embrace the horse pasture and surrounding environment.

Gritton & Associates Architects

The stairway’s natural shape makes it feel like it is carved from a mud wall. A beautiful chandelier in the round tower component generates comparison with the milky, light-washed ceiling. A dried chili pepper garland wraps round the railing, adding a personal touch.

Gritton & Associates Architects

From the covered porch, you may see the pool, horse paddock and side yard. A corner fireplace anchors the porch, and the visible flue accents the ceiling elevation. Splashy colors on the fireplace complement the most vibrant Adirondack chairs.

Gritton & Associates Architects

The living room serves as a gathering space and provides optimum views of the pool and horse paddock. Gritton states, “The substances remain consistent in this room: clay tile floors, stucco troweled walls, wood-beam ceilings. All the accessories are the homeowners’ touch and create a personal feel in this space.”

Gritton & Associates Architects

The foyer hall sets the tone of the home. Openings leading to the wings flank each side. These openings are stabilized by timber beams and shaped to resemble “donkey” door openings — a unique touch.

Gritton & Associates Architects

“Notice the way the clay tile flooring changes pattern into some 45-degree [angle] which helps you to define the distance and anchor the dining table,” states Gritton. Rough- sawn wood timbers framework the tall coffer from the ceiling, and green paint accents the arched market, which uses another beam as a display shelf for more accessories.

Gritton & Associates Architects

The back porch is one of many that include heavy timber columns and beams, coupled with rough-sawn wood mounts. The majority of the porches serve a dual purpose as flow corridors. Lantern-style wall sconces line the porches to provide light as well as Western detailing.

Gritton & Associates Architects

River stones add an outdoor texture to the shower, which has been designed to feel spacious, “almost as though you were taking a shower out in a horse stable,” states Gritton.

Gritton & Associates Architects

The homeowners wanted the tub to create the space feel as rustic as you possibly can. “We did this by putting it on a platform and employing a traditional stand-alone tub with a foundation,” states Gritton. “The tub is lit with a rustic wrought-iron chandelier. Decorative heavy timber beams and the same heavy-duty iron plates continue to give the illusion which the timbers, posts and beams are actually structural.”

Authenticity has been of extreme importance to Gritton’s customers, who wanted both the exterior and interior to stay true to Southwestern style. Gritton says that the residence is “a beautiful, approachable home that doesn’t feel quite as large as it actually is. Kudos to the homeowners for the personalized layout details; they are what attract the home to life.”

More:
Historic Home in Austin, Texas
Tahoe Ridge House
Pattern Play: Subtle Southwest Style
Southwestern Chic
Home Design Suggestions for the Cowgirl at Heart

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White Vases Hold Secret Twist

You only finished arranging all the new furniture and placing the rug in your newly painted room, and yet it seems unfinished and empty. My go-to remedy for adding that well-styled designer touch is to display a cool assortment of white vases and dishware. They’re easy to findeasy to fit to any present décor and simple to integrate into any kind of room.

Leclair Decor

A group of otherwise shaped tall and brief vases that are kept cohesive by using their minimalist white porcelain bodies is the objective.

Atmosphere Interior Design Inc..

Upgrade a so-so room to some showcaseworthy sample with a wonderful arrangement of snowy ceramic vases onto a games console. I love how they match the monochromatic tones of the sitting room.

FrontPorch

You don’t need to invest in many vases. You can test out the look first by clustering two or even three on a games console tablethen grow from there.

Horst Architects

Finding an arrangement of light ceramic vases onto a dining table isn’t what I would expect here, so it seems fresh.

Crestview Floors

I’m actually smitten with a single row of identical white vases, each having a spring of greenery, across the dining table. This type of very simple arrangement really brightens up the space.

Alabama Sawyer

The kitchen is a natural home for your empty vases maintained handy close to the sink to fill with water for fresh flowers. Housed one of other white dishware, especially in open shelving, they look just right.

Ilija Mirceski

White with organic timber is among my favorite end mixes. The combination of pearly vases on white floating shelves against a darker timber panel is stunning in any room.

Anthony Baratta LLC

Alabaster vases need not be simplistic. In this dining room setting, they’re downright exotic and kooky. Think beyond the box when incorporating this idea in your décor.

Dawna Jones Design

And don’t forget the bathrooms. They can use a decorator’s closing touch as well.

IKEA

PERSIKA Vase – $3.99

IKEA is a superb source for a supercheap vase to start your own arrangement. You simply won’t find much variation in size and shape.

West Elm

Pure White Ceramic Vase Collection – $10

West Elm offers an whole lineup of differently sized, somewhat glossy white ceramic vases at moderate rates.

2Modern

Shine Labs – Avalon Vase – $158

2 Modern also has a fine offering.

Etsy

The Bloom Collection Vase by Aedriel Originals – $15.99

I love the cheekiness of concealed colour inside these vases out of Etsy.

More:
Developing a Tablescape

More Than Flowerpots: Amazing Vases

9 Ways to Decorate with White

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8 Natural Home Materials That Can Not Be Performed

Listen, I understand we architects can be difficult. More often than not, we don’t listen and we don’t respect the owner’s budget. Or at least these are of. However, there are many wonderful possibilities and opportunities. It is just that we view every how each job has a really fascinating story to tell, and we want to use the complete selection of our language when telling that story.

A large portion of the language is the materials we choose. My preference, as with all these architects and other designers, would be to utilize natural substances. While human-made substances are good, and oftentimes the best thing to do, natural substances have a luminosity and depth of color that can’t be beat. Along with the uniqueness of every piece of quarried stone, batch of hand-mixed stucco and sawn wood board contributes to the narrative about you and only you.

Some preferred natural substances that just don’t have an artificial equal are under. Which would you prefer to their synthetic counterparts?

AIA, Tom Meaney Architect

Natural stucco. Although it costs a little more and requires a little more upkeep, there are many reasons to utilize natural stucco over synthetic stucco — the best of which is that natural stucco will take on a patina as it ages a synthetic stucco just won’t. So rather than all uniform and monolithic, I’ll choose irregular and full of character.

Mason Miller Architect

Quarried stone. Not one of those laminates or the quartz substances can have the variety and character of quarried rock. So to get a counter my preference is granite, marble, granite, marble or soapstone. The veining and color is exceptional for every single piece, and the visual thickness is unsurpassed.

Carson Poetzl, Inc..

Clay tile. Like the stucco walls which encourage them, clay tile roofs are all made by mixing natural substances and forming the mix into a distinctive form. As every tile weathers and ages otherwise, the whole roof takes on the impression it has been there forever and will continue to be there for some time.

2fORM Architecture

Wood siding. Many will tell you to stay away from wood siding. They will say you’ll spend your evenings refinishing the outside of your house rather than appreciating life.

Not Correct. A well-installed and well-finished wood siding may last a lifetime or more without a longer maintenance demands than any other substance. As an instance, on this home the beautiful cedar shingles protected by the broad roof overhang will age beautifully and gracefully and be present for several years to come.

Jeffrey Gordon Smith Landscape Architecture

Wood decking. Along with also a wood deck is far more inviting than one made from a composite substance. Each plank will weather in its own pace and choose on such a patina that states, “Come, sit and enjoy the view.”

PMWArchitects

Copper. Stainless Steel will constantly seem shiny and new; aluminum has to be painted, anodized or completed; but copper, like a favorite grandparent, just gets better with age. Even inside, where it will age more slowly, copper offers character to this modern and spartan setting.

Stonewood, LLC

Natural stone. Newer quarrying and production techniques enable us to utilize natural rock on walls where previously only artificial rock was accessible.

And while the producers of artificial rock do an excellent job creating some really nice items, nothing beats a natural rock for color and texture.

While we might someday have the ability to immediately manufacture substances which have taken eons to create, we just aren’t there yet.

Bruce Wright

Sunlight. Last, natural daylight beats generated light any day of the week. Does natural daylight make you feel better, but it conserves energy so is more sustainable. Maybe in your new house or another renovation project, you’re search for ways to bring more natural daylight inside.

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Picture: Just How Much Does Your Building Weigh, Mr. Foster?

Even in the event that you don’t know who Norman Foster is, chances are you’re familiar with his work. Take a moment to look the Swiss Re Tower in London or the Hearst Building in New York to refresh your memory — remember now? It’s fairly tough to forget Foster’s unique appearance.

“How Much Can Your Construction Weigh, Mr. Foster?” Traces the existence of the British architect — from his life in Manchester, to his education at Yale, to his very first company in London, to his worldwide triumphs. The documentary is distinguished by its striking cinematography and extreme narration, which only emphasizes Foster’s extraordinary work. But what’s even more fascinating are the pieces of insight that the viewer gets into Foster’s persona. His love of flying airplanes, his personal dress and his distinctive hand drawings are all part of what creates his apparently effortless architectural style.

“How Much Can Your Construction Weigh, Mr. Foster?” Opens at New York’s IFC Center Jan. 25, 2012.

First Run Features

The enigmatic name of this film comes out of a well-known question that American inventor, architect, author and all-purpose genius Buckminster Fuller once requested Norman Foster. Both had a fantastic friendship, and Fuller was always challenging Foster’s views, particularly in the domain of sustainability. Fuller once requested Foster how much one of the buildings weighed. Of course, he didn’t have an answer then, but Foster figured it out a week or so later. By answering the question, he realized that most of his building’s weight has been stored in the unseen concrete areas of the structure — a complete waste of material. To Foster, powerful design was tied into layout which has been lasting and was eco friendly, and he strongly believed that his buildings should do the most with the least way possible.

First Run Features

Directed by Spanish documentary filmmakers Norberto López Amado and Carlos Carcas, the film was created by Antonio Sanz and Elena Ochoa. Although creating a film on Foster was something the supervisors and directors had discussed within the course of many decades, it didn’t quite click until they moved to a trip to Foster’s newly assembled Beijing Airport — what is now the most significant building in the world.

The filmmakers meshed with Foster and his group, and determined that producing this film was a must. “I’m not an architect, nor do I consider myself someone who understands architecture,” states Carcas. “So for me, the main issue in this film is’Why should I care about architecture, and also what does it matter to me?'”

Above: The Millau Bridge in Southern France

First Run Features

The film covers Foster’s life, career, architectural achievements and worldwide influence in fantastic depth. The majority of his primary work is shown at some point in the film, but many of his more famous pieces are discussed in detail. The Hearst Building in New York, The Reichstag in Berlin, the Millau bridge in France, London’s Swiss Re Tower (pictured here), the HSBC Main Building in Hong Kong, along with the Wonderful Beijing Airport are all examined in terms of their structure, inspiration and architectural technique.

Above: The Swiss Re Tower in London

First Run Features

The cinematography in this film is just striking. The camera moves slowly, frequently drifting through foggy skylines as the edges of Foster’s epic designs are slowly revealed. All of Foster’s major works have been shown from incredible angles, and in ways which most people would not see unless they had been right there. Each framework highlights the magnificent intricacy of the design. As somebody who had only the smallest bit of experience with Foster’s job, it was jaw-dropping to see such shots — it’s hard to imagine how beautiful these buildings have been in person.

As a unique contrast to the big and bold shapes of Foster’s buildings, his most delicate hand-drawings look many times throughout the movie to illustrate the structures and techniques he is describing — and frequently his clearly labeled sketches clarify concepts better than the more complex computer renderings. His drawings are extremely controlled — there are no wasted lines or movements — just like his buildings.

Above: The HSBC Main Building in Hong Kong

First Run Features

Above all else, this film leaves the impression that Foster is an artist. The film explains how Foster constantly carries around a pencil and paper, just in case inspiration strikes — and as an artist, he finds inspiration in the strangest places.

Picture: “How Much Does Your Construction Weigh, Mr. Foster?” Opens at New York’s IFC Center on Jan. 25, 2012. More

More:
Eames on File: The Architect and the Painter

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For the Boys: 5 Homes With Masculine Energy

I write this ideabook with my tongue placed firmly in my cheek, as whenever I attempt to strike a few man-centric subject, folks write in and say”you could tell a chick attempted to write this around dudes.” Well, busted, however, these are seriously chic spaces where real guys really dwell. In reality, four out of five of these are bachelor pads, with no table made out of a keg in sight.

Scot Meacham Wood Design

This San Francisco condominium was inspired by fashion, particularly by one of the homeowner’s tasks as a stylist at Ralph Lauren. A rich leather couch, a bearskin throw and pillows covered in suit cloth give the space a warm and manly feeling.

Scot Meacham Wood Design

Metallic finishes, a Chinoiserie cupboard and more menswear-inspired cloths on the window treatments prevent matters from getting rancid.

Scot Meacham Wood Design

An expansive dining room outside extends the house’s living room outdoors. See the rest of the home

NICOLEHOLLIS

This Pacific Heights home was supposed to be minimal, unique, and also have European flair.

NICOLEHOLLIS

An 8-foot-long fireplace keeps the crisp space hot, as do unique accent pieces similar to this classic black rain drum.

What’s a proper bachelor pad with no guy cave? This dark media room is comfortable and trendy. See the rest of the home

This stunning flat in San Sebastián, Spain knocks my socks off. A mixture of vintage, modern and contemporary pieces reside in harmony against a white walls, trimwork and ceilings.

Dark-colored textiles add a manly feel to the bright guest space.

This is still one of my favourite moments of photo styling. In reality, it inspired an entire ideabook about the Seven Deadly Sins. This shot served as gluttony.

See the rest of the home

Dabito

This smart L.A.-based blogger, Dabito, has gathered and curated an impressive collection of thrifted vintage treasures. These bits are arranged throughout his home in a means that makes it seem easy (it is not).

Dabito

A set of his own etchings and lithographs, as well as artwork given to him by friends, decorate the walls.

Dabito

Things like an alpaca blanket out of Ecaudor are cozy not just for Dabito, but also for Beatrice Arthur, a star pet.

See the rest of the home

estudio gutman lehrer

Ultimately, we’ll travel down to Buenos Aires to get a peek at a small but luxury attic. This gorgeous space takes advantage of every spare inch without consuming a bit of polish. There is even a gallery to gaze at above the bed.

estudio gutman lehrer

The home was retreat from the hustle and bustle of city and career demands. Therefore, a custom platform bed bedecked in soft textiles was crucial.

estudio gutman lehrer

While this resembles a slick bar, it is really a fully-functioning kitchen. Appliances and supplies are integrated into the wall and cabinets. See the rest of the home

More:
Pattern Play: Masculine Ruggedness Modernized
Masculine Upgrade: Ladders in the Home
Make Your House More Man-Friendly
The Gentleman Cellar: Anti-Man Cave

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Help! What Colour Should I Paint My House Exterior?

The Discussions section is filled with homeowner after homeowner pleading for help choosing exterior paint colours. Help is on the way for three these homeowners, whose homes have been featured here and a few suggestions for exterior paint palettes. But first, three general hints for selecting an attractive exterior paint palette.

3 Tips for Choosing Your House Color

Contemplate your neighbors. Before you start taking a look at the endless array of paint swatches in the regional paint or home improvement store, look around your area to see whether there is a frequent palette. That is not to say you need to paint your house the specific same color as your neighbor. In fact, do not do that! Nothing looks more cookie cutter than row after row of houses painted exactly the same or very similar colours. But if you discover that the majority of the houses on your street are painted very neutral shades of white, brown and gray, you may not want to paint your house, say lavender. If you reside in a “Painted Lady” Victorian in San Francisco or an art deco style–townhouse in Miami, then you can most likely get away with a daring palette.

Conrado – Home Builders

Consider the style of your home. Along with the age. Some architectural styles — the formerly mentioned Victorian being one of them — have complex details that look fantastic painted at a stand-out colour. Other styles, such as this stuccoed Spanish colonial revival, tend to look best with a more controlled paint palette. Do a bit of research and see what colours a house like yours traditionally was painted.

Ana Williamson Architect

Contemplate going daring. Having said all that, you should not feel bound to paint your house in accord with everyone else in your area or use colours considered de rigueur for your manner of your home. If you’re itching to include more peculiar, eye-catching colours, I say do it! But maybe limit the bold hues to accents — on your front door, the fascia, the door and window trim, and so on.

3 Homes, 6 Palettes

These three homeowners needed some help with a new exterior paint palette to dress their house. Which of the following suggestions do you believe fits best?

Homeowner No. 1. user M E requested for help choosing a paint scheme for a 1964 split-level home. The questions: how to tie into the tan brick and the gray roof, if to provide the columns along with the window trim an accent color, and what daring color (orange? turquoise?) To paint the front door.

Jennifer Ott Design

Option 1. Clockwise from top left, this palette comes with a turquoise shade for front door, a pale gray (that has a touch of green in it) for the columns and trim, along with a pleasant, light taupe-gray color for your siding. The homeowner wanted to move away from the current “vanilla” color of the siding, but I’d avoid going too dim. There seem to be a good number of trees close to the house, casting shadows, as well as the tan brick at the bottom of the house is quite dark. This palette is light and bright with no too sweet.

All colours from Sherwin-Williams. Clockwise from top left: Reflecting Pool SW6486, Nuance SW7049 and Mindful Gray SW7016.

Jennifer Ott Design

Option 2. The siding color (bottom swatch) is comparable to what the homeowner now has, yet this colour has green and less yellow in it. I believe it would work nicely with the tan, and in addition, it functions as a terrific background for a dramatic orange front doorway. The light tan color, in the top right, is your pillar and trim shade.

All colours from Sherwin-Williams. Clockwise from top left: Marigold SW6664, Nacre SW6154 and Rice Grain SW6155.

Homeowner No. 2. Amanda Leigh submitted a photograph of her house and asked for ideas to spruce up the exterior siding and brick.

Jennifer Ott Design

Option 1. It is tough see from the photograph, but Leigh states that the previous homeowners had painted the brick. I’m usually not a fan of painting brick unless you just can not work with the first color or (as is the case here) it has been painted. I believe this brick ought to be painted a grounding color, such as the rich taupe brown shade shown in the bottom swatch. I’d remove the front door door (or substitute it with a retractable screen door) and paint the front door a deep red color. The walls have the darkest taupe color, and the siding gets the lightest tan shade.

All colours from Benjamin Moore. Clockwise from top left: Cottage Red, Midsummer Night 2134-20, Maritime White 963 and Texas Leather AC-3.

Jennifer Ott Design

Option 2. Here is a cooler shoot on the palette. Clockwise from top left: The front door gets a gorgeous French blue color, the walls remain dim — with a profound greenish-gray shade, the siding stays light using a soft gray and the brick gets painted a medium greenish-gray colour.

All colours from Benjamin Moore. Clockwise from top left: Province Blue 2135-40, Mohegan Sage 2138-30, Gray Lake 2138-70 and Carolina Gull 2138-40.

Homeowner No. 3. Tamizami wondered if she ought to paint her house, which is in the streamline moderne (art moderne) style, one color or divide the single colour with accent colours.

Jennifer Ott Design

Option 1. You could do some interesting things with color on this style of house. I’d paint the entire body of the house the lightest shade in the swatch, then paint the flat swaths (that the balconies) with the darker shade in the bottom of the swatch. I’d then use one of the two darker accent colours for your garage door, and, if feeling especially daring, use another accent color to set off the ribbing detail.

All colours from Glidden. Clockwise from top left: Sweet Tea GLO28, Bronzed Ivy GLN23, Elegant Lace and Prairie Sage GLG22.

Jennifer Ott Design

Option 2. Here I’d use one of the darker grays as the main house color and apply the remaining colors as accents for your garage door, the balcony columns along with the ribbing detail.

All colours from Glidden. Clockwise from top left: Dove White GLC37, Deep Garnet GLR29, Pebble Grey GLN50 and Granite Grey GLN59

Keep in mind that you are able to use color as a tool to either improve or conceal architectural information. If you want something to be noticed, paint it a contrasting colour from whatever surrounds it. Conversely, paint any attributes of your house that you want to conceal or deemphasize the same colour as whatever is surrounding them. They will blend in.

Inform us What are the tips for picking the proper colors for the outside of your house?

More: Great Color Palettes for Bold Front Doors

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