Tropical Style

Great Design Plant: Lavender Cotton

Intense summer sunshine can render plants scorched and depleted by late night, making for a tired-looking garden when the mercury settles down and we can get out to appreciate the outdoors. For lavender cotton (Santolina chamaecyparissus), it’s the opposite. Bring on sunlight, because this plant can take the heat. WBLA_Corky Botanical name: Santolina chamaecyparissusCommon name: ‘Lavender cotton’USDA zones: 6 to 9(find your zone)Water necessity: routine water to establish root system; intermittent once recognized Light requirement: Entire sunMature size: 2 feet tall, 3 feet wideBenefits and tolerances: Tolerant of deer, drought, heat, wind and coastal states; firewise plantingSeasonal curiosity: Flowers in mid to late summer; evergreenWhen to plant: Plant seedlings in early summer; split in spring or autumn WBLA_Corky Distinguishing attributes. Santolina is a sun lover, also its look conjures everything bright — by the bleached gray foliage to its sunny yellow button flowers. It is a densely clumping and mounding…

Kitchen Guides

Kitchen of the Week: Streamlined and Smart in Montreal

The charm of this 1880s home in Montreal can’t be beat, but the family of four who live here had a hard time getting used to the first old-fashioned kitchen. The couple and their two teenage boys desired space where they could consume and prepare meals with ease, with hassle-free modern appliances. Hubert Taschereau of Gepetto and designer Laure Guillelmi exercised a renovation within the layout of this 19th-century brick townhouse — among the earliest on the street — to think of a streamlined design that integrated easy-to clean materials and a lot of storage. Gepetto Guillelmi and Taschereau needed to design the kitchen about four doorways, a large window and one pass-through to the dining area. This limited wall space for cabinets, so they have creative with storage and spacing. The appliances were bought and brought in beforehand to plan outside spacing, smoothing the procedure. Range: Electrolux; oven: FCI;…

Tropical Style

Pick the Ideal Front Walkway Material

If it comes to placing a home aside, few things are as crucial as curb appeal. That all-important walkway to your front door is likely the very first thing that guests see, so making a great first impression is crucial. Brick, slate, gravel and bluestone are only a few of the superb go-to alternatives for creating a walkway with pizzazz. Here are a few things to think about when choosing a material that matches your home’s exterior. Environmental Landscape Associates A long, straight path instantly leaves your house the focal point, adding a feeling of grandeur. Brick and slate are both great options for complementing a white exterior, and also the 2 materials pair nicely together. Verdance Landscape Design Slate is a exceptional walkway substance because it doesn’t absorb water, isn’t influenced by direct sunlight and will stand up to extreme weather conditions. The subtle color palette coordinates nicely with…

Eclectic Homes

10 Best Ways to Get Organized for a Big Move

Whether you’re going across town or across the nation, moving an entire household can bring on meltdowns, even among the best of us. But by starting the planning process as soon as you realize you’ll be moving, you can minimize stress and boost the probability that everything will go smoothly on moving day and later. Read on for 10 ways to get ready for the big move. Witt Construction Picture how you need your new house to feel. The best thing you can do to get ready for any movement is to give up excess possessions. Get motivated to clear clutter by viewing this as an chance to streamline your possessions and forego stuff you are wishing you could get rid of. Now’s your chance! Whenever you’re thinking about whether to maintain an item, envision packaging it, physically transporting it from your old house to the new one and unpacking…

Patios

Dovetail

A dovetail is a mortise and tenon joint employed in carpentry to join two pieces of wood. The alternating projections and recesses are fanned and fit together, and the outcome looks similar to a dove’s tail. Dovetail joinery has been utilized since early times and is the most powerful of all joints. MAK Design + Build Inc.. Dovetail joints are typically found in drawer structure. They are a sign of pieces nicely constructed with solid wood versus chipboard. MN Builders The advantages of this counter are linked with dovetails that were appealing. Whitten Architects Quite similar to a dovetail joint is a box combined, differing only in that the projections and recesses are square and not fanned. John Senhauser Architects The corners of this contemporary home have enormous tails and pins, which are the alternating projections of a dovetail joint. LLC, Clark & Zook Architects This log house is built…

Eclectic Homes

10 Modern Marble Appears

Granite was used in kitchens and bathrooms for years. But this traditional substance is now making a big splash in new ways. At the 2012 International Contemporary Furniture Fair (ICFF) along with the High Point Market, visitors got a peek at just how this timeless stone is on trend with new programs, bold colors and interesting installations. If you like the beauty of marble however are craving a brand new look, have a cue from these spaces. Studio William Hefner Rather than applying it to your floor or walls, present marble to a space in a sudden manner. Inside this bathroom, the tub features a marble backsplash made like a headboard, whereas the doorway frame stands tall and sophisticated with a marble trim. The best aspect of the trend? When marble is used in smaller doses, it is much more easy on the budget. There are ways to get innovative…

Roofs

Cone Roof

A cone, or conical, roof is in the shape of a cone, set on top of a structure that’s cylindrical. The sides of the roof can curve or be flat. Cone roofs are very popular in Queen Anne–style homes. Here’s a good example of a Queen Anne–style home with a prominent curved cone. Distinctive Dwellings – Thayne Hillrichs These will also be cone roofs, but because the towers beneath hold eight sides, the roofs have flat panels. Sullivan partners architects A metal cone roof has many panels in order to give it a more rounded look. Joseph T. Deppe, Architect, P.C. This cone roof has two tiers and can be topped with a weather vane. Marcus Gleysteen Architects A cone roof that is shingled is got by A second-story balcony. Shingles work for curved surfaces. McKay Architects Many narrow and tall windows have to be utilized when working with curved…

Porches

The Sunporch: A Room for All Seasons

A sun-drenched room filled with expansive exterior windows goes by several names: sunporch, sunroom, solarium, Florida area, sun parlor and in some cases even conservatory. Conservatories often had glass roofs and served as greenhouses or even orangeries as well, but the definition has become squishy over recent years. A sunporch is protected from the elements more than the usual screened-in porch is because it’s windows that shut. While older sunporches are generally three-season rooms (maybe not needing insulation or HVAC systems), newer sunporches are usually constructed to be occupied year-round. Whatever you call this light-filled area, it is often the most popular space in the home. Decide if converting an existing porch or adding a new sunporch is right for you. Tara Seawright Interior Design In a small cottage where space is tight, a sunporch may function as the sole dining area. Giannetti Home In warmer climates, like that of…

Fireplaces

8 Incredibly Clever Organizing Tricks

It would be wonderful to have a professionally designed closet or a spacious laundry room with a custom organizational system. But most people are dealing with small spaces, limited funds and big imaginations. Oh, and materials. A Great Deal of stuff. The very first trick to great organization would be to purge (you can call it curating if that feels better) frequently and ruthlessly. If you haven’t used it in a year, out it goes (unless, obviously, it’s authentic sentimental or monetary value). Once you receive your things down to a nice, manageable heap, you’re going to want a way to arrange it. Listed below are 8 smart, cute and affordable techniques. It’s so Straightforward and yet so revolutionary. Label, label, label. I especially love this method of coordinating beauty goods into bins tagged for skin, hair, face and other. This would do wonders for my only jumbled bin of…

Eclectic Homes

Get Glass Windows and Doors Gleaming Clean

You’ve noticed the stunning architectural photos of sparkling glass windows and doors on , and now you could be wondering how to get your own glass surfaces clean, gleaming and ready to their own close-up. “Not all of glass windows and doors have been created equal,” says interior designer Anne DeCocco. “There are several alternatives in glass, and some need special cleaning and care. My primary advice to clients is to read the glass installment literature and talk to the installer for specific care instructions, and also do your job with daily upkeep.” Apart from this, these general tips and suggestions will help keep your glass windows and doors sparkling and clean. Birdseye Design Shower Doors and Windows The glass shower doors and windows in this Vermont home provide unobstructed sightlines to surrounding scenery. The vista would blur. For soap scum and film: DeCocco suggests using a product called Bioclean…