Category: Fireplaces

While weeds and grass can’t grow under pavers, it’s practically impossible to keep them from springing up in cracks, crevices, joints and spaces between them. If the areas are shaded and stay moist, moss often develops there, also. Unlike weeds and grass, these tiny plants spread across paved surfaces as well as in between. Though some gardeners enjoy the informal rustic look moss can impart others prefer to eliminate it along with paver weeds and grass. You can easily make short work of those landscaping inconveniences with homemade solutions. Eliminating Paver Grass Treat cracks and crevices in spaces between pavers using a pre-emergent herbicide to reduce weed seeds from germinating. You have to do this before the plants begin sprouting, therefore treat in early spring immediately after the last predicted freeze to your region. Some gardeners prefer spring pre-emergent therapies to coping with paver bud later in this season. Hand-pull…

A backyard walkway creates a defined route that provides visual appeal and accents your house’s entrance. A walkway additionally prevents worn paths through your lawn, helps you to keep dirt from being tracked inside and relieves muddy shoes during wet weather. If you want to dress up your front lawn, there is no need to call a contractor; a walkway is a home-improvement endeavor you can design and build yourself. Design A walkway may be straight path from your front door into your driveway, or a winding trail which winds and curves around existing plants and other factors of interest. Straight walkways are more formal than the ones that have curves or loosely defined borders. Draw an aerial view of your lawn and the planned walkway. This gives you the chance to change the walkway’s settings until you are satisfied with the design. Materials Walkway materials vary as to price,…

Glass coffee tables are a spot to display. When determining what to add, decide how often you utilize the table for other purposes, such as holding beverages, bowls of popcorn or children’s coloring substances, and how worried you would be about your items. If your glass table top is removable, That is less of a problem. Vacation Mementos One feature of glass coffee table arrangements is their changeability. Trinkets and valuable mementos of a recent excursion are easy to remove when you are ready for something new, and easy to enjoy if you display them artfully. If your desk top is removable, then slip postcards underneath for a temporary”tablecloth” that allows you to look at the images without hurting them. Pile rocks and shells into saucer or a bowl, or simply scatter them loosely around the table, inviting guests to inspect them more closely. Tiny Collection A collection of items,…

Wiring a brand new toilet while you still have access into the wall studs and ceiling rafters is really a cinch. The few tools you will need are tools which you most likely already have on your workshop. This is also a good job for someone just learning the way to perform his own electric work. Wiring your very own new toilet will save you money and provide you with the satisfaction of knowing that you did it yourself. Obtain A Wiring Permit The National Electric Code (NEC) and the local building codes enable a resident homeowner to do almost anything a certified electrician can perform, but he should follow the same guidelines as the professional. All new electric work requires obtaining the proper wiring permit and having the necessary inspections performed on your work. The application process may differ slightly from one building code’s enforcement division to the next,…

Once home to a rich Norwegian household, this stunning 19th-century Oslo mansion has since become two apartment units for two separate families — one occupying the top floor, along with the other carrying up the ground floor and basement levels. Despite its new two-part layout, the residents on the bottom portion desired the home’s authentic history to shine through its interiors and decor. Norwegian architect Anne Cecilie Ranke chose this directive and ran onto it, retaining as many of the home’s first details as possible and highlighting them via a modern color and material palette. at a GlanceLocation: Oslo, NorwayWho lives here: A household of 4 inhabiting the ground floor and basement. Another family lives on the top floor (pictures not shown). Size: 600 square meters (6,458 square feet)Price: About 2,000,000 Norwegian kroner (US$350,000), inside renovation only ACR Villa Skovly When the house was built 200 years ago, the area…

This contemporary reinterpretation of a 19th century Sydney terrace home takes full advantage of its narrow site. Architect Michelle Walker built the house up instead of out, restoring the second narrative, including two courtyards and constructing a new studio over the garage. New butterfly roofs top both structures, an inverted tribute to the surrounding roof pitches along with an alternative for the tight lot’s limited all-natural light. Who lives here: Two and their two kidsLocation: Paddington, Sydney, AustraliaSize: 163 square meters (1,754 square feet); 3 bedrooms, two baths Michelle Walker architects The house’s location and narrow site directed its new appearance. “The design was about getting natural light, views to the skies and ventilation into the old home, while maintaining privacy,” says Walker. Michelle Walker architects Walker turned into the house’s old patio into the new main living area. A brand new courtyard just past the living area brings welcome…

Holly trees provide the backyard with visual interest using their feature evergreen foliage and bold red berries. Select the holly tree which grows best on your area and provide consistent care. Dahoon hollies (Ilex cassine) reach up to 40 feet in height and also prosper in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 7a through 11. American hollies (Ilex opaca) develop up to 50 feet tall and perform best in USDA hardiness zones 5b through 9. Yaupon hollies, however, grow to only 20 feet tall and prosper in USDA hardiness zones 7 through 9. Cut back with pruning shears any plants which create excessive shade near holly trees, as these plants thrive in full sun to partial shade. Preserve moist, well-drained dirt unless expanding a dahoon holly, which thrives in wet conditions. Increase soil drainage and increase fertility by integrating organic content, like compost, in the uppermost layers of dirt….

The stiff white panels of foam insulating board make it simple to cut and install in many different places, from under a slab to a horizontal roof. Working through construction or retrofitted in an older house, the panels give an R-5 or even R-6 insulation value per inch, depending on the manufacturer. On interior and exterior walls the panels can easily be secured to walls to present a solid insulating barrier to hot and cold temperatures. Foam board is available in many different sizes and thicknesses, suited to home and commercial uses. On New Construction Unaffected by groundwater, the panels of polystyrene, polyisocyanurate or polyurethane insulate a foundation below grade while protecting its waterproofing or dampproofing system when the contractor backfills around it. Retrofitting Metal panels can also be retrofitted under low-slope roofs, adding additional insulation to protect your house interior from the heat in or out through the roof….

The gateway into a home is often a hall, and it is the first impression people get of the inside. Hallways in Victorian homes were no different, however there were different lifestyles and requirements back then, so adapting a hallway in a Victorian house for contemporary use can pose a few challenges. As with the rest of the public rooms in a Victorian home, the halls are full of architectural features. Regardless of whether you want to keep the style of your hall conventional or give it a contemporary slant, your design will show more integrity should you operate with those lovely features. Vestibules, stained glass, dark wood panelling, dados and tiled flooring were usually dark and extravagant, but they can easily be adapted for contemporary tastes. CWB Architects The vestibule is a common characteristic in grand Victorian homes; it was frequently utilised to show standing. This little room connected…

When your customers are downsizing from a 9,000-square-foot home, the first thing you need to do is help them edit. “They had been moving out of a Tudor house in Pacific Palisades with full-time staff to a more modest house in the Venice Canals, so there was a definite lifestyle shift that happened with the movement,” says interior designer Katie Leede. Leede credits the lessons she learned after decorating the customers’ first house in the Palisades as valuable in assisting them ease into a more downsized lifestyle. “When I worked with them in their previous house, I didn’t know how to say no, so the interior reflected their abrupt shifts in design preference,” she says. “With this home, I knew beforehand that we had to stay focused on a particular aesthetic; I feel the consistency shows because the house feels cohesive and unified.” at a GlanceWho lives here: A couple…