Month: September 2019

Eclectic Homes

Birdie's Nest: Storybook Style Makes for a Marvelous Playhouse

| Yarstions

A woman nicknamed Birdie has her very own unique nest within an Ohio backyard. It’s a playhouse inspired by her favourite novels, the Beatrix Potter tales her parents really like to read to her. Constructed when Birdie was 3, the playhouse is modeled following the family’s home, right down into the implanted urns on the front porch. Interior designer Susan Lobalzo tricked out the home inside for tea parties, reading and much more kiddo fun. Come like a little playtime inside this dreamy little house. Playhouse at a GlanceWho performs here: BirdieLocation: Kent, OhioSize: 55 square feet and a loft Lobalzo Design Associates The playhouse was modeled following the principal house on the property, such as the lanterns along with the widow’s walk on the roof. Lobalzo Design Associates, Ltd The family believes the home an heirloom that generations will enjoy, and plans to take it upon any future proceeds….

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Fireplaces

Great Design Plant: Red Bird-of-Paradise Soars With Color

| Yarstions

When people first see that the vibrantly colored flowers of red bird-of-paradise, they literally stop in their tracks to stare at them. Flowers in shades appear with this tree in spring through summer. Red bird-of-paradise enjoys warm temperatures and lots of sunlight, which makes it perfect if you reside in the U.S. South or Southwest. Read more flowers by colour Noelle Johnson Landscape Consulting Botanical name: Caesalpinia pulcherrimaCommon names: Red bird-of-paradise, dwarf poinciana, peacock flower, pride-of-BarbadosResource: Native to the West Indies and MexicoWhere it can rise: Hardy to 10 degrees Fahrenheit (USDA zones 8 to 11); locate your zoneWater necessity: Moderatemoderate requirement: Full sunMature size: 6 to 10 feet tall and wideBenefits and tolerances: Drought tolerant once established, however it will best if watered once per week in spring through autumn; attracts butterflies and hummingbirdsSeasonal interest: Bright orange-red flowers appear in April through September. When to plant: Spring, summer or…

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Patios

Patio of the Week: 3 Microclimates and Countless Blooms

| Yarstions

” All I really wanted out of the entire deal was a fantastic porch swing. That is it!” Swears landscape architect Sean Papich about the redesign he did for his own backyard. Following an extensive renovation which transformed the home from a ranch that is ’50s to a traditional New England Cape, his lawn was a blank slate. He flattened a large slope, then designed covered open and semicovered living spaces along the back of the home in the kind of a screened-in porch, open patio and pergola-covered terrace. Patio at a GlanceWho lives here: Sean and Tami Papich and their 3 kids. Location: Hingham, MassachusettsSize: About26 feet by 27 feet Sean Papich Landscape Architecture The backyard faces south and has exposure to sunlight, so Papich created microclimates, providing varying levels of shade from sun to shade to partial shade. A tree on the left side of the porch offers…

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Tropical Style

Easy Decorating: Turn Over a New, Tropical Leaf

| Yarstions

A vase of tropical leaves might be the perfect answer if you crave some easy-care green. These leaves may last for weeks and come in many different shapes and fashions. Palm fronds are breezy and beachy, and they grow in a range of sizes, from small enough for an average-size vase into large and quite heavy — in which case you are going to need a huge floor urn. Large tropical leaves like strelitzia, elephant’s ear and split-leaf philodendron are reminiscent of a tropical rain forest and are able to appear exotic and spectacular. Just imagine your perfect tropical getaway and select your leaves so. More ways to develop tropical fashion Rachel Reider Interiors Vases filled with strelitzia and philodendron leaves are the ideal accessory to this tropical-style porch in Boston. The colorful throw pillows and green leaves attract the room to life. Tracy Murdock Allied ASID Isn’t it really…

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Eclectic Homes

Build Your Own Wooden Deck Chair In a Pallet — for $10!

| Yarstions

iron patio furniture’s times are behind us. We are all about moving green and reclaiming materials for new purposes! Nowadays the possibilities with pallets are endless, and the materials are usually free. If you have got access to pallet timber and basic power tools (and the abilities to utilize them), this project shouldn’t take longer than an afternoon. Make sure you’re obtaining your pallets legally. Just because you find a stack of pallets behind a shop doesn’t mean they’re free and available for you to take. Always ask. You could also search online to find free stashes in your area. If you may find pallet wood that’s already disassembled, I suggest taking that path — some towns and cities have pallet reconditioning businesses that give away pieces they can not use. Ability level: Medium to advanced. You should be comfortable with basic power tools, like saws and drills. Recognizing measurements…

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Eclectic Homes

Opening the Kitchen? Make the Most of That Support Article

| Yarstions

Before you tear down a wall to start your kitchen to the dining or living area, you must determine if it’s holding up part of your ceiling. When it’s, you’ll have to install a header column and one or more articles in its place to provide the required structural support. Your contractor or architect can confirm whether the wall is load bearing and help you sort through the alternatives for post dimensions and placement. Adding a brand new support system into your plan presents some design challenges, but it may also be a practical design component. M.a.p. insides inc. / Sylvia Beez Some of this modern kitchen area has a ceiling, and the post and beams appear as one unit and produce an industrial vibe. Mark Brand Architecture Two articles work well for a wide island, and the symmetry looks pleasing and purposeful. These match the cabinetry. Balodemas Architects Within…

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Coastal Style

Deadly Moves Turn a Toronto Basement Into a Stylish Lease

| Yarstions

A basement flat makes you consider a cramped and dark area with light and ceilings. And that’s what designers Timothy Mitanidis and Claudia Bader of Creative Union faced when they began renovating their dilapidated townhouse from Toronto’s Queen and Bathurst neighborhood. They finished the lower-level apartment first so they may live there while operating on another flooring upstairs. The result of the overhaul: a contemporary, color-happy area that barely feels like a cellar. Working on a tight budget, Bader and Mitanidis minimized walls, maximized light and crafted a cheerfully contemporary home that reinterprets rustic fragments of the older apartment to retain a sense of its history. in a GlanceWho lives here: That is a basement rental unit; Timothy Mitanidis and Claudia Bader reside in the main house over. Location: Queen Street Fashion District of TorontoSize: 650 square feet; 1 bedroom, 1 bathroomPrice: $120 Canadian (roughly U.S.$118) per square foot Andrew…

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Tropical Style

Great Design Plant: Pride of Madeira

| Yarstions

To explain Pride of Madeira’s attributes as anything other than stunning doesn’t do the plant justice. You’ve probably heard that the list of features prior to — purple flower spikes, mounding habit, low water usage, coastal tolerant, sage green foliage — but once you’ve seen a Pride of Madeira and its charms, you’ll never forget it. Such as the island it evolves from, Pride of Madeira allures from both near and far. GARDENIA-Sharly & Tanya Illuz Botanical name: Echium candicans (syn. Echium fastuosum)Common name: Pride of MadeiraUSDA zones: 9 to 10; hardy to about 25 degrees Fahrenheit (find your zone)Water necessity: Small to nonemoderate requirement: Total sunMature dimension: 5 to 6 feet tall and 6 to 10 feet wideBenefits and tolerances: Flowers attract bees, birds and butterflies; deer resistant; coastal and drought tolerantSeasonal interest: Evergreen; blossoms spring through summerWhen to plant: Plant seeds in spring; plant cuttings in midsummer. Caution:…

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