Living Rooms

Find a Fitting Place to Store Your Own Firewood

One of those often-ignored sections of designing a brand new wood-burning fireplace is deciding just how to house all the essential wood. What is the ideal way to store the firewood you want while still keeping a fantastic focal wall? Whether you select a symmetrical or asymmetrical style, a modern or classic style, below are a few fantastic suggestions for wood storage which can boost a fireplace — rather than being a messy distraction. Crisp Architects Under the hearth. The spot beneath a raised hearth often goes unused. Make the most of it by developing a spot for wood storage beneath. Design suggestion: When designing for storage under the hearth, remember a raised hearth was designed to sit . Do your best not to expand the height of their wood storage past 18 inches, which is the standard sitting height. Into the ceiling. Take your wood storage all the way…

Eclectic Homes

Love Luxury? Comb Through the Wonders of Cashmere

We deliberate for hours over the finishing touches in our homes. We want our couches to have lovely throws our curtains to feel luxurious, our cushions to be plump and our beds to become havens. Cashmere is one of those textiles which may help in all those areas. It offers texture, warmth, lightness and sheen. Surprisingly flexible, cashmere is an unbelievable cloth that has to be touched to be considered. Cecilie Starin Design Inc.. The origins of cashmere. The word “cashmere” originates from two words : “Kashmir,” from the Kashmir breed of goats that initially produced the wool, and also “pashm’,” that the Persian word for “wool.” This luxurious fabric is referenced in Indian papers as early as the next century. However it was not until the 16th century that the word “cashmere” was first used, when spinners traveled to India along the Silk Road and spun and traded shawls….

Fireplaces

3 Extreme Chair Makeovers — Plus DIY Reupholstering Tips

Sitting on the side of the road, left in a dark street or shoved in the back of a garage — chairs of all shapes and sizes are located and return to life courtesy of Andrea Mihalik. Working out of her studio, Wild Chairy, at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Mihalik reinvents lost designs using a no-holds-barred strategy and most of ecofriendly materials. Employing old-world tactics and new patterns, she generates boldly designed chairs that not only look good but feel great too. Curious about what is needed to create these wonderful layouts? We sat down with this reupholstery whiz to select her brain on her favourite endeavors, ecofriendly reupholstering and tips for DIYers. Wild Chairy Q. How can you begin doing this? A. I got started in upholstery almost 3 decades back. In my career, I was a photojournalist, traveling the globe shooting everything from popes to presidents. Upholstery sort of found…

Kitchen Guides

Kitchen of the Week: Budget-Friendly Boosts in Toronto

Not every kitchen upgrade has to get four zeros attached to it. This Canadian family wanted to dress their bland kitchen but were functioning with an extremely limited budget. Designer Gillian Lazanik of Affecting Spaces helped them get a new look without spending a lot of money. Sticking with the present appliances, using Ikea cabinetry and having dramatic colors resulted in a bold transformation. Currently this Toronto couple and both kids have the space and storage to take whole benefit of their trendy new kitchen. Affecting Spaces A bold backsplash originally wasn’t a part of the design plan. “But the more the children came up, the more I realized that we ought to give them something special to remember about growing up in their kitchen,” says Lazanik. Backsplash: Olympia Tile; countertops: Caesarstone, Espresso; undercabinet lighting: Ikea; stove: Crosley Affecting Spaces Chalkboard paint dresses up a previously blank wall, though a…

Eclectic Homes

Contractor Tips: 10 Hats Your General Contractor Wears

Contrary to a specialized contractor, a general contractor (GC) oversees all onsite aspects of a construction project. Whether the GC, any personnel or any subcontractors do the work, this is the person you call about everything. A good GC needs to know enough about everybody’s job on a construction site in order to estimate and oversee the work happening, but must also know about more than just painting and plumbing. To get through a substantial remodeling job, the GC fills any number of these roles. 1. Therapist. Remodeling or building is incredibly stressful. Delays, dust, design flaws — when customers will need to port, it’s frequently the contractor who listens. We may not be especially interested in hearing about your brother-in-law’s issues, but when we believe we could get you to pick a toilet paper holder when we stick with it, we’ll talk you through almost anything. 2. Mediator. Neighbors,…

Kitchen Guides

Find the Right Oven Arrangement for Your Kitchen

In the timeless stove setup, the cooktop and oven are combined as a single appliance, most frequently a 30-inch appliance with four beers over an oven. The concept of being able to have a separate wall mount (or two!) Is pretty exciting for many home cooks considering a kitchen remodel. Are you currently considering new cooking appliances? Maybe not everybody’s dream setup will work in their kitchen, and some appliance configurations function better than others in a specific space. Check out the options here. Connected: How to Remodel Your Kitchen thirdstone inc. [^] Double oven. Ovens separate from the cooktop offer homeowners more flexibility with their design. Also, a lot of men and women prefer elevated ovens rather than having to bend down to use a stove. It is definitely better in your spine! If you have room with this arrangement and can get a place for your microwave, then…

Tropical Style

Southwest Gardener's November Checklist

Comparing the American Southwest to colder, wetter regions in November is an intriguing study. While much of the nation is bundling around endure months of winter, the Southwest is embracing this welcome heating to enjoy outdoor living. No matter if you are still wearing shorts or now putting on a sweater, it is time to enjoy and refine our gardens! The dry Southwest has been divided into three zones of overall and extreme temperatures:Low zone: The hottest areas with no winter; includes Phoenix, Arizona; Palm Springs, California; Laughlin, Nevada; and Yuma, Arizona (USDA zones 9 to 10) Middle zone: Hot with Minimal winter; includes Tucson, Arizona; warm Regions of Las Vegas, Nevada; Barstow, California; and Lajitas, Texas (USDA zones 8 to 9a)High zone: Moderately hot using brief, definite winters; includes El Paso, Texas; Albuquerque, New Mexico; Payson, Arizona; Bishop, California; and Saint George, Utah (USDA zones 6b to 8a) Waterwise…

Eclectic Homes

Boutique Hotel Style Reigns in Raleigh

Heather Garrett’s clients had help with a home that had turned into a mixed metaphor. Following an unfortunate inclusion over a decade ago brought traditional architectural details to a “pure midcentury gem” of a house, as Garrett calls her customers were eager to get a change. But they were reluctant to some complete teardown. “They asked me to make it function by stripping down what I could in the existing layout and fooling the eye into overlooking details such as a faux rock fireplace surround in the lounge area,” says Garrett. Her customers, enthusiastic travelers, requested for mix of modern design and the finer elements of a boutique hotel’s sleek, warm layout. They were floored when they watched the change. “We did the bulk of the work at once, over a winter holiday while they were on holiday, so that they came home to a shocking transformation,” says Garrett. at…

Dining Rooms

Jazz Up Your Dining Room for Less Than $500

My husband and I have dubbed 2012 The Year of Thinking Small. Rather than tackling big renovations in areas of our house that sorely want it, we are opting to get instant satisfaction — minor changes that make a major difference. First up: making over our dining room, a dull space with a formal dining room, an outdated chandelier and not much else. I have tons of ideas for giving this room a little more zing, but I don’t want to spend a lot of money. So I’m searching for methods to add panache on a $500 budget, and that means scrimping in some areas and splashing out in others. My biggest splurges would be fabrics — a pricey custom table runner in a design that I couldn’t resist, as well as a complementary print to pay for the seat chairs. But I will need to control myself when it…

Flowers and Plants

6 Unsung Bulbs for Fall Planting

Next year’s garden may seem far away, however you can get it off to a great start by planting magnificent bulbs this fall. Some add much-anticipated color to the bare winter landscape, others jazz up summer boundaries, and others blossom into fall. A number of these options will gradually naturalize if left to drift softly through borders and beds. In moist, well-drained soil, colonization often comes quickly. Overall, bulbs make few requirements aside from well-drained soil. Simply dig a pit in an appropriate location, plant in accordance with package directions, add a light dab of 10-10-10 fertilizer, water, and then forget about it. The bulbs will take it out there and delight you with their vivid surprise. Clinton & Associates, PC Landscape Architects Ornamental OnionsAllium Simultaneously architectural and lively, those oblong, spherical, or globular flower shapes are a versatile addition to any garden. Plus, they’re deer resistant and drought tolerant,…