Coastal Style

Kitchen Workbook: 8 Elements of a Farmhouse Kitchen

Farmhouse-style kitchens remember a time when rural communities and customs were still at the forefront of American dwelling. Spacious, warm and homey, they anchored life involving the land, and today they evoke a bygone interval that whispers of a simpler time. Try out these eight components to reinterpret the look for your kitchen. More on Modern Rustic Farmhouses Smith & Vansant Architects PC 1. Open shelving. In a classic farmhouse kitchen, wall-mounted shelves and doorless cabinets keep dishware and utensils easy to locate and grab. If your kitchen includes conventional upper and lower banks of cabinetry, then consider removing a few of the doors to the look of open shelving, or replace upper cupboards with floating or floating shelves. Philip Clayton-Thompson 2. An range. Just like with any kitchen, the stove is the heart of a farmhouse cooking area. This AGA model requires to mind a vintage unit, right down…

Fireplaces

Fixing the Mantel

Decorating a mantel does not sound hard, until you really try it. Although the mantel is a little sliver of space, it starts to feel gigantic once you’ve got no idea how to accessorize it. The key with creating an eye-pleasing mantel screen will be to improve visual attention as far as possible. No, this does not mean cramming it. Instead, focus on creating a look which allows the eyes to travel and focus on more than 1 object. Melaragno Design Company, LLC Among the more well-known strategies to decorate a mantel is to apply the “three-plus-one” trick. This design technique is dependent upon different objects of different heights to create visual attention. Locate three similar items and set them on a single side of your mantel. Try not to line up them — coating and stagger them. Play around to find what seems and feels best for you. As…

Eclectic Homes

Mobile Microliving at Oregon

Tammy and Logan Strobel’s house is the size of a parking space. In 2005, after watching a movie on the Tiny House Movement, the couple chose to radically downsize their lives. “At the time we were living in a 1,200-square-foot apartment with two cars, Tammy recalls. “We offered our cars and slowly pared down by shifting to smaller and smaller apartments.” Both Tammy and Logan were enamored by the idea of microliving. Tammy says, “It disturbs what simplicity means to me personally. It’s beautiful, cheap housing, and we could take it with us when we want to move.” Tammy and Logan hired Dee Williams and Katy Anderson of Portland Alternative Dwellings to construct their house. They moved in October 2011 and couldn’t be happier with their small house, which contains a front porch, a kitchen, a bathroom with a composting toilet and convertible shower, a living area and a loft…

Eclectic Homes

Beachy Townhouse Getaway at San Diego

After Mark and Debbie Clausen bought their San Diego townhouse, they had been seeking a change of scenery from their mountainside Craftsman at Mammoth Lakes, California. They sought sea breezes and minimalist design, and bought the 1973 home as an occasional shore retreat and a place to their 24-year-old daughter, Tessa, a teacher, to live year-round. To integrate flexibility and function using their outdoorsy design, Mark and Debbie aimed for a clean, hotel-inspired look that wasn’t overly stark. “If a couple of grains of sand creep in front door, it’s all part of this aesthetic,” Debbie says. The townhome underwent an eight-month renovation such as new flooring remedies, bathrooms and furniture, and retextured ceilings and walls. “Our Mammoth home is mountainy and dark, so we needed it light, airy, open rather than a lot of stuff on the walls. Clean and simple, but maybe not supermodern,” she says. in a…

Fireplaces

Built-ins Boost Storage in Small Baths

I have the world’s tiniest master bath. Though it’s plagued by a grab bag of design problems, such as brass sconces that somebody inexplicably dangled at chest height, my most pressing issue is storage. The skimpy cabinets and pint-size vanity shirt sometimes make me want to yank out my hair (particularly as I blow dry it in a room the size of a breadbox). My present “alternative” is really a basket that corrals toiletries, at least when I remember to stick back in there. But hope is on the horizon: We’re planning a remodel, sooner rather than later. And though we will not be gaining square footage, I have been on the search for storage approaches that can help us squeeze the most from the space we’ve got. These 10 clever built-ins are going into the idea file. Amoroso Design This slim structure packs at a lot of work, from…

Decorating Guides

Luxuriate in a Gentlemen's Club Look at Home

Out of Africa with Meryl Streep and Robert Redford is my favorite movie. I have seen it at least 50 times over the past 25 decades. The movie is set in colonial Africa around 1915. I have studied each established layout at length; I understand the colors and textures of every scene as well as I understand my own house. One of my favourite scenes in the movie is when Streep’s character is encouraged into a “men only” area of the local social club. The area has beautiful wood information, white walls and taxidermy everywhere. Men lounge in the pub, drinking scotch and whiskey. Numerous tables and chairs serve as the collecting point for dialogue and debate. There are several things in my mind that make a space manly: wood paneling, books, a fireplace and big leather chairs. Furthermore, a masculine space has a feeling of solitude and simplicity. Take…

Fences and Gates

Give Your Garden a Gate Mate

Do you need to keep little critters from your garden? Or nosy neighbors? Or maybe you require privacy in your garden. No matter what your problem is, chances are that a great gate is the answer. It’s easy to discover gates made from iron, wood, cement and more. The materials are numerous, and the design choices are limitless. From contemporary steel sculptures to traditional wrought iron, some great gate is the best way to add privacy, protection and style to your lawn. Zeterre Landscape Architecture This contemporary metal gate offers complete protection. Notice how the dark gray-brown picks up on the colour tones of the surrounding stone. Stark black could have been jarring, but this color choice melds beautifully. AMS Landscape Design Studios, Inc.. Want something warmer? This variant from AMS Landscape Design Studios is wood and has a Mondrian-inspired cutout strategically positioned at eye level. The expansive standard of…

Decorating Guides

Indoor Gardener: Orchids Bring Beauty to Decor

Orchids were much less commonplace than they are today and were regarded as a genuine luxury. In reality, in ancient times, the term “orchidelirium” was coined to describe the frenzy of orchid collectors. Today, you can grab an orchid at Home Depot or Ikea — hardly exotic. However, this doesn’t create these unusual flowering plants any less beautiful. There are thousands of hybrids and species of orchids. Whether you are a collector of rare specimens or a purchaser of a basic phalaenopsis in the home improvement store, an orchid is an excellent addition to any room. But, orchids can take delicate care: They favor bright sunshine and higher humidity (which you can supply through daily misting). Orchids also undergo a very long period of dormancy (not flowering) following their blossoms have faded. Here is a collection of handsome rooms that all contain orchids; take your inspiration from these spectacular specimens….

Decorating Guides

Easels Take a Stand

Easels aren’t just for artists. This portable alternative way to display artwork can look quite chic and match within the context of any area. From tabletop models used to display smaller work to oversized floor bits used to showcase large oil paintings, easels give an easy vehicle to create a statement with your art. The easel itself dates back to ancient Egypt, where large panels rested tripod structures. There are numerous types of it, from the very basic tripod to the travel easel. The screen easel became popular for presentations and also to showcase artwork within the home. There are a selection of versions, from ornate and wooden to sleek and modern acrylic. Outdoor artists’ traveling easels also have become popular for displaying bits and look great in home offices or libraries. Just take a look in any way ways individuals are using the easel — and preventing putting another…

Eclectic Homes

Whether This Shoe Were an Area…

Christian Louboutin, shoe designer of the stars, celebrates his company’s 20th anniversary with the start of a capsule collection at the close of the month. Before you take a look at the shoe-inspired spaces below, here are a few -related tidbits about the craftsman behind the towering, red-soled stilettos: his father was a cabinet maker. And his partner? A landscape artist. I am not much of a stiletto fanatic, but I am motivated by beautiful things, and also the Louboutin has got me thinking: What if the shoe had been a room, a part of the home or a piece of furniture? What could it look like? Only for fun, I used a couple of pairs from the collection to learn. us.christianlouboutin.com Louboutin’s capsule collection is an homage to his love of cabaret and showgirls, and also the Pensee, in this lovely mimosa colour, calls to mind the iconic black,…