Month: February 2019

How to Clean the Inside of a Crystal Decanter

With their typical slender necks and wide bowls, crystal decanters gently aerate fine wines, enhancing aroma and flavor and allowing sediment to settle. Their shape also means that they can be tough to clean. Insert the reality wines may leave deposits on the inside and you may shy away from using those serving pieces.

Tips and Techniques

Cleaning beads, very similar to miniature metallic ball bearings, are a one-time investment you rinse clean and reuse. Gently pour in the beams, add water, then gently swirl the beams around inside the decanter. As they swish from the crystal, the beads clean off deposits and film. For harder deposits, then let white vinegar sit at the decanter to get a few minutes to a couple hours, then swish the beads. As an alternative to cleaning beads, use uncooked rice grains. Decanter cleaning brushes are made out of long, flexible handles that reach the recesses of their bowl. Sometimes tipped with bristles and occasionally with sponge fingers, they help scrub a long-necked decanter from top to bottom. When you have hard water, then make the last rinse with lukewarm water to prevent spotting. Dry the decanter upside-down, supported by means of a rack to prevent breaking and rolling.

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The way to repair an LG Washing Machine With an LE Code

LG, the electronics and appliances conglomerate, manufactures a variety of high-efficiency washing machines. Whether you’ve got a front- or top-loading model, then your LG washer is equipped with an error-monitoring system. When the LE code appears in your screen, it indicates a problem with the motor. The problem can be linked to a number of different issues. In order to clean the error, determine which issue is at hand.

New Installation

The LE error code can appear in an LG drier’s screen if setup issues exist. It indicates a miscommunication between the clean motor and the control panel. Generally, you may simply reset the drier to solve the issue. Unplug your drier before pressing and holding the Start/Pause button for about five seconds. Plug it back in and set the washer to a rinse-spin cycle to find out whether the code has cleared. If the code reappears from the screen, contact LG in the phone number in your owner’s manual for aid.

Thermal Overload Protection

Your drier may display the LE code if the thermal overload protection circuit in the motor has been tripped. The attribute is designed to prevent the motor from overheating and causing irreversible damage to the drier. To clear the error code, the motor must cool down. Allow the drier to sit for about half an hour before restarting the cycle. If the code reappears, the motor may have an issue that needs a support call. Unplug your drier and contact LG.

Excess Suds

If your washer finds excessive soap suds from the drum, the LE error code may appear. Normally, excessive sudsing takes place when you use too much high-efficiency detergent or a detergent that is not especially high-efficiency detergent. Always follow the guidelines in your owner’s manual and on the soap label to determine what kind of detergent, and just how much, to utilize. To get rid of soap suds from the drum and clean the code, unplug your washer and let it sit for a half hour in order that the suds may dissolve. Plug the washing machine back in and turn it on, hitting on the Spin Speed button and then choosing “No Spin.” Press the Start/Pause button to turn on a drain just cycle. When the cycle is completed, remove the load from the bathtub. Begin a rinse-spin cycle to clean away any deposits. You may want to repeat the cycle to eliminate all the suds.

Load Issues

The LE error code may appear in an LG drier’s screen because of specific load conditions. If you are washing a massive load, then don’t pick a gentle cycle such as Delicates, Hand Wash, Perm Press or even Wool/Silk. Reserve them for smaller loads. To reset the drier, unplug it and then press on the Start/Pause button for five seconds before plugging it back in. The LE code may indicate that the washer has been overloaded; large loads and bulky items may strain the motor. Eliminate a few things from the drier to decrease the load size and then restart the cycle. If the code looks again, allow the drier sit for a half-hour therefore that the motor has time to cool down until you restart the cycle.

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Information About Deodar Leaves

Tall, lush, cone-shaped deodar cedars (Cedrus deodara) possess feathery foliage. Deodar cedar grows in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 7 through 9. These trees may grow very tall, frequently putting on 30 feet of increase in no more than 10 years, so they’re ideal for bigger yards where the full majesty of the form and leaves may shine.

Leaf Attributes

Evergreen, needlelike leaves grow in a whorl encircling and traveling the length of each budding branch. Each leaf needle measures approximately 2 inches long. You will find 20 to 30 needles in each whorled cluster, providing the deodar tree its dense foliage. Leaf color fluctuates depending on the cultivar, but many varieties are medium to dark green. “Aurea” deodar, which rises in USDA zones 7 through 9, produces yellow foliage, while “Kashmir,” which grows in zones 6 through 9, attributes silvery-green leaves.

Landscape Tips

Deodar, like most cedars, has exceptionally fragrant leaves and bark which adds a pleasant scent to your lawn. The mixture of year round colour and a well-balanced form, even without pruning, makes this tree a standout. Even though this tree can grow 80 feet or taller with a spread of 40 feet, annual pruning can keep it in a shorter height more suitable for a lawn. When pruning, disinfect the shears by wiping them with an isopropyl alcohol-soaked cloth. Cut just into green, leafy wood. Pruning woody stems which are no longer generating leaves results in bare patches in your tree.

Cones and Catkins

Nestled in the leaves, the green 3-inch-long cones mature to brown and also hold the seeds to your tree. Each cone stays on the tree for approximately two years before releasing its own seeds, hence that the cones are a year feature on most deodar cedars. Newly emerging leaves in spring are far lighter than the old needles, usually a striking silver-blue which provides a colour contrast. The tree also creates long pollen catkins in spring. These discharge yellow pollen, which may leave deposits on exterior furniture or parked automobiles under the tree. Seasonal needle drop is not heavy, however, the large cones can give rise to a litter issue.

Care Factors

A site with all-day sun provides for healthier growth and the very best leaf look. Deodar trees are drought-tolerant and rarely require watering, obtaining all of the moisture they need from rainfall and encompassing landscape watering. The tree doesn’t require fertilizer and may prosper even in poor soil in the event the site drains well. Pests, such as borers, weevils and scales, may sometimes infest a deodar but controller is not essential. Diseases seldom cause problems, although foliage dieback near the top of the tree might happen if there is a frost.

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A New Decorating Book Celebrates Expert Style Mixing

This selection of 16 projects by Stephen Sills will give your coffee table elegant touch and teach you hundreds of lessons on how best to mix styles with careful editing. Sills is one of America’s premier interior decorators, and the novel features his projects from Aspen to the Hamptons, in addition to his personal labour of love and also design laboratory: his house in Bedford, New York.

Though the book features houses where the sky appears to be the limitation concerning budget, there are many lessons to be learned from them. Additionally, the stunning photos, by François Halard, make the book a joy to pick up if you feel like performing any daydreaming.

Rizzoli New York

Raised in Oklahoma, Sills moved to New York City in the 1980s and honed his unique ability to equilibrium classical and modern elements. He is also an extremely keen shopper, collecting antiques and art from all over the world.

Calming yet energetic, traditional yet avant-garde, his style has been awarded the ultimate compliment: Karl Lagerfeld asserts if he purchased a house in America, Sills would be his choice as the interior designer. (He has also done work for very discerning style divas such as Anna Wintour, Vera Wang and Tina Turner.) Below are a few key design classes from the book which can be applied to almost any home.

Rizzoli New York

Make an effect in the entrance. Yes, I know, the entrance in this Gilded Age–inspired home is larger than a great deal of our whole dwellings, but the mix of elements is a lesson. The house was decorated with the owners’ extensive modern art collection in your mind, together with classical decoration supplying a background to enhance the pieces. Museum-quality antiques complement the museum-worthy paintings.

Sills made the unique rock and wood flooring after a middle-of-the-night revelation which the keys required to go in different directions. Architectural details such as the molding, French doors and arched elements include classical refinement.

Rizzoli New York

From the kitchen, consider work first, then equilibrium styles. This kitchen has modern purpose, complete with a large island, two sinks, two dishwashers and a table. To create a rustic, comfortable European-inspired farmhouse design, the subsequent elements mix in harmony. A neutral palette featuring biscuit-white paint, and warm wood flooring, tie them together.

European design: Rustic wood beams, a large vent hood, antique plates hung on the wall and a simple square tile backsplash.

Farmhouse design:
Bin pulls, an apron-front ceramic sink and Shaker cabinets.

Modern elements: Stainless steel appliances, a pot filler over the cooker, tulip-style dining chairs and a faceted pendant lighting.

Rizzoli New York

Play with scale until you get it right. This Fifth Avenue apartment has amazing classical proportions which required furniture to match.

High ceilings and huge windows with transoms that extend virtually all of the way to the ceiling highlight dramatic height in this bedroom. This meant the bed required to highlight these proportions as well; its warm metal complete and striking shape make it a focal point, while its elevation stands around the high ceilings. Swing-arm reading sconces keep the area about it uncluttered. Additionally, easy window treatments brought right up to the crown moldings highlight the window.

Rizzoli New York

“Modern living can be achieved in classical backgrounds,” writes Sills. This 1908 Renaissance revival landmark building in New York City, The Apthorp, was sliced up and revived; Sills was tasked with bringing it back to its original glory while adapting it for modern lifestyles. Excavating through renovations which had happened over the past century to get down the initial bones, Sills prioritized restoring the building’s first classical proportions and architectural information.

To upgrade the appearance, he bleached a few of the dark paneling and added modern lighting fixtures to “lift the whole thing up,” he says. In this event a habit gilded cage adds feel round a midcentury modern world light. Carefully placed antiques and a great deal of space lead to a pleasing balance. Items such as the French wooden display add depth, texture and color to the light-colored room.

Rizzoli New York

Create versatile spaces, especially if you entertain a great deal. Within this dining area, Sills used four square black lacquer small tables which can be pushed together into one big dining table or split apart for more intimate seating arrangements.

That is in the same building since the previous photo. The mid-century light fixture has been crafted by artist Christopher Trujillo from paper plates.

Rizzoli New York

Look to Europe for garden inspiration. Back in the day, architects, designers and landscape architects used to go to Europe to get “The Grand Tour,” gleaning inspiration in the excellent gardens of England, Italy and France. Now we can have a virtual Grand Tour free of charge, thanks to the Internet and the public library.

About Sills’ land in Bedford, New York, boxwood hedges, pathways, walls and patios create distinct backyard rooms and vantage points. Antique objects such as the obelisks in the end help specify different spaces, draw the eye and create driven perspective.

Rizzoli New York

At the end of the pool, American columns topped with French urns create a border between the pool area and the woods.

Rizzoli New York

Relaxed country style doesn’t need to imply classic Americana. Sills approached this traditional 18th-century saltbox house with his clients’ desire to get a lighter and more austere take on the age. American colonial architecture, European antiques and midcentury modern furnishings play nicely together.

Bleached oak plank flooring and a Swedish painted tea table include Scandinavian country simplicity. A classic French display and modern stools include unique character. Oversize green glass bottles having big leaves play with scale, and extensive windows bring the pastoral views to the room.

Rizzoli New York

A mirror is just one of the easiest ways to make a big design effect. Sills seeks large and unique mirrors for his design projects. While the remainder of this transitional area is tailored, this intricate Roman mirror is a standout among most of the clean-lined geometric bits, including the bronze fireplace surround below.

Sills frequently puts a mirror over a fireplace, so the full tableau becomes a focal point rather than just two strong elements dueling for focus.

Rizzoli New York

Permit a favourite work of art determine the colour palette and tone of a room. This home in Aspen, Colorado, is filled with iroko wood and hot neutrals, but a painting by Joan Mitchell amps up the colour palette. With his careful editor’s eye, Sills played the reds and blues with a few other colorful pieces scattered around the area.

Rizzoli New York

Stephen Sills: Decoration – $41

Stephen Sills: Decoration premiered October 22, 2013. If you are feeling generous, it would make a superb gift for the design enthusiast on your life.

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Bridging Past and Present in a California Craftsman

It is a problem every proprietor of a historic house faces: How do you change your life to adapt your residence? And just how much can you change your home to accommodate your lifetime?

When a California couple purchased a turn-of-the-last-century bungalow on a tight-knit Santa Monica street, they were charmed by the house’s period detailing and closeness to the shore. However, the dusky woodwork cast a gloomy pall over the inside, which was at odds with their modern tastes and set of fine art photography.

The group asked Los Angeles architect Erik Evens and Woodland Hills interior designer Alana Homesley to aid them with the house’s upgrade. A specialist in historic architecture, Evens balked at the idea of painting the vintage woodwork. “My initial response was to attempt to renew the public spaces into how they were,” Evens says. “Over time the customers and Alana brought me to the point of view this home required to work for the customers’ lifestyle and aesthetic.”

Treated into a revivifying coat of white paint, the walls and woodwork still have their historic character but now reflect light and improve the furniture and artwork. “Now that I have seen the final solution, it absolutely feels like the right decision,” Evens says. “The home straddles the line between traditional and contemporary.”

in a Glance
Who lives here: A professional couple and their 3 children
Location: Santa Monica, California
Size: 2,965 square feet; 4 bedrooms, 4 baths
That is intriguing: The houses in this area were originally built on sand dunes, together with boardwalks leading to every residence.

Evens Architects

The spacious front door opens directly into the living room, dividing the room into two seating areas. Here Brenda Anton wing chairs are paired with a lithe custom coffee table designed to evaporate into the setting. Bleached colors underscore the coastline setting without resorting to shore house clichés.

Evens Architects

The seats group is more informal on the opposite side of the living room, where a custom chaise was used instead of a sofa to preserve views of this fireplace. The chairs are from Christian Liaigre.

The living room ceiling felt especially low before the painting job, due to the unpleasant distinction between the brown white and wood coffers. Now that both are painted the exact same colour, one notices the craftsmanship, not only the contrast.

Evens Architects

The owners’ photographs set is exhibited on the plate rail in the dining area, where the original built-in buffet has been treated to a coat of paint. (The walls are probably painted Pith out of Martha Stewart Living, the programmer states; the trimming is your brand’s Bright White.)

Thecustomchairs are coated in a watery gray-blue Hampton linen in Mallard out of Rose Tarlow. “I like colours that aren’t easy to comprehend,” states Homesley. “I find it quite soothing, and I think it works very nicely with wood tones and with white”

Evens Architects

The chandelier is a modern creation from Lindsey Adelman. It is an unconventional choice for a Craftsman bungalow, but Homesley believed the room needed something funky and a bit sparkly to contrast with all the natural finishes.

Evens Architects

The kitchen”was pretty dreadful and seriously in need of updating,” Evens says. The plan team gutted the room, creating a generous fresh cooking area designed for food lovers who enjoy fun in their kitchen.

Industrial-style stools cozy up to an island covered with walnut butcher block and illuminated by a pair of vintage mercury glass pendants. New beams and tongue and groove paneling add curiosity overhead.

Evens Architects

The gray-blue colour introduced in the dining area continues in the kitchen, in the form of Dark Grey Whale subway tile out of Heath Ceramics. The counters are coated in Pietra del Cardoso, a sandstone that looks like bluestone but is stronger and more resistant to staining.

Shelves installed facing the windows screen the owners’ ceramics collection and filter views of the neighboring residence.

Evens Architects

Architect Evens was able to squeeze four bedrooms and three baths to the next floor by reconfiguring the staircase and including a dormer back. The master bedroom, shown here, was opened into the roofline and outfitted with structural ties along with a tongue and groove ceiling.

Evens Architects

Woven grass Conrad shades were used throughout the house. “We needed privacy, because the houses are so close together,” states Homesley,”but we did not wish to block out all the light”

The custom walnut credenza in the master bedroom has been created taller than ordinary, to look less modern.

Evens Architects

As you may expect from a house dating back to about 1903, the original master bathroom was considerably smaller. Evens borrowed space from adjoining chambers to create this fresh toilet, aspiring to something that was traditional but glossy. Horizontal planks produce a solid line around the room. The contractor for your remodel was Krassel Construction.

Evens Architects

The iron bathtub has its own nook; recessed shelves maintain toiletries close at hand.

Evens Architects

The extensive front porch promotes interaction with the street.

Evens Architects

Due to the area’s historic temperament, the architect was not allowed to change the house’s facade, save to get a fresh coat of paint.

Evens Architects

The houses on the street were originally built on sand dunes, with board boardwalks linking the homes into the street.

Front doorway bisects the living room, restricting the quantity and positioning of furniture. New glass pocket doors divide the dining area from the analysis; the neighboring stair hallway was reconfigured, also.

Click image to enlarge.

To fit four bedrooms and three baths in the next floor, Evens reconfigured the staircase, inserted a rear dormer and tucked cabinets beneath the eaves flanking the master bedroom. Bedrooms 2 and 3 share a frequent bathroom, conserving space.

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12 Home Furnishings for Those on the Move

How do you create a room look and feel permanent, even when you understand you may be moving? And what about answers to decorating and storage woes that don’t involve springing for built-ins you would just need to leave behind? If you don’t plan to remain in your existing house long term (no matter if you rent or own), then check out these 12 ways to bring the color, style and space-saving storage you’ll need — with bits you can pack up and move with you when you go.

CDA Interior Design

1. A furniture piece with architectural detail. Just one large-scale part of furniture, such as the magnificent armoire shown here, is sufficient to give any room a more permanent appearance. A richly comprehensive piece can also compensate for a lack of architectural detail at the area itself — also, like all of the pieces featured here, this you can go with you when you move.

Sarah Greenman

2. Artistic investments. First paintings, sculpture, handmade pottery, glass art and iconic designer bits you love are all worthy investments to create for the long haul. You can take them everywhere, and they’ll hold — or perhaps profit — value as time passes.

Caitlin Wilson Design

3. An upholstered mattress. Rather than spending fancy wallpaper for the bedroom when you believe you may move, bring in a big dose of color and layout having a upholstered headboard. The height and shape of the headboard, paired with a print that you love, is sufficient to make a focal wall so you can depart the wall behind it bare.

How to make an upholstered headboard you can easily change

4. Portable clothes storage. If you’re short on closet area, pick up a clothing rack appealing enough to be on screen. Store just your prettiest pieces on it, tucking the remainder from sight from drawers or in a cupboard. Should you move to a bigger place in the future, you can always use it in the laundry area, or pull it out at parties to maintain jackets. In case you have the closet area but lack company, start looking for stand-alone storage units that you can tuck in your cupboard to customize the space — without even paying for built-ins.

Browse garment racks

Matthew Bolt Graphic Design

5. A piece with a built-in-quality top. Even renters can have the pride of “renovating” the kitchen with this awesome trick: Purchase a mobile piece having a luxurious surface, such as marble, copper or zinc, rather than the typical butcher block top. A breakfast table, baker’s rack or kitchen island could all work nicely.

Taylor Jacobson Interior Design

6. Colorful furniture and rugs. Small- to medium-size stained rugs can deliver a punch of color to a whole area without painting. Use them in smaller bedrooms or layered on top of bigger rugs in a huge area. Lightweight rattan chairs, small poufs and additional accent furniture can also be perfect for changing the look of a room — they can be the stars of this show in a small room and take on a supporting role in a bigger house.

Lauren Liess Interiors

7. Natural-fiber and hide rugs. You can never go wrong with natural-fiber and hide rugs. They seem great professionally or layered, in living rooms, dining rooms and bedrooms. They can bring textural interest to a neutral scheme or offer a soothing neutral base to a house full of splashes of color. And to top it all off, they are virtually indestructible.

ThinkMakeBuild

8. A fantastic big mirror. An oversize mirror immediately opens up a room and gives the impression you’re fully settled in your house, even if you just moved in. A mirror that looks equally good hung on the wall or discriminated against it is the most flexible.

Emily A. Clark

9. Straightforward shelving units from multiples. You don’t need to spend an arm and a leg shelving unless you want to — only buy multiples of basic bookcases and line them up side by side for a personalized look.

You are able to personalize your shelves by adding a coat of color or patterned paper to the rear wall, or simply by gluing grosgrain ribbon trim across the shelf fronts.

10. Your own light fixtures. You do not need to live with light fixtures that you don’t like, even if you rent.

Most landlords will not have a issue with you swapping out the lighting fixtures, provided that you replace the old ones before you move out — that you are going to want to do anyhow, which means you’re able to bring your classy lighting fixtures along to your next location.

Vanessa Francis

11. Stuff on the walls! Even when you’re in a really temporary location, don’t skimp on putting stuff up on the walls.

Filling holes and touching up paint before you move out will take just about an hour it is worth it. Before moving to your next location, take a photo of your art wall so that you may re-create it in your next flat without starting from scratch.

Taylor Jacobson Interior Design

12. Houseplants and potted trees. Greenery can solve a multitude of decorating dilemmas, from filling blank corners to disguising unsightly features. And plants clean the atmosphere to boot. It is true you need to be cautious when moving your plants to a different residence, but it can be done — and it is definitely worth the effort.

How to care for decorators’ preferred houseplants

Tell us : Can you have a favorite piece that’s come with you on many motions?

More: Versatile Furnishings to Make the Move With You

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A Southern Vacation Home Trots Out Equestrian Style

When Terry Pylant, leader at Historical Concepts, came across a barn conversion in this client’s inspiration record for her family’s next home, the customer told him”I am attracted to this, but I don’t know whether I wish to stay in a barn.” Inspired by the notion and how this South Carolina land was near the horse stables in its private neighborhood, he designed a house that looks like an equestrian building, laid out in a manner which suits the family’s relaxed Lowcountry lifestyle. The house also has a dogtrot house design; separate zones for children, parents, in-laws and frequent use; and a few industrial details. Have a closer look at just how barn design wound up satisfying the customers just fine.

at a Glance
Who lives here: This is a vacation home for a family of 4
Location: Spring Island, South Carolina
Size: 2,900 square feet; 3 bedrooms, 31/2 bathrooms and also a 1-bedroom, 1-bath guesthouse

Historical Concepts

Big sliding barn doors and Bahama shutters punctuate front of the house and also let the owners batten it down when they head home to Princeton, New Jersey. The shutters function like Bermuda shutters but are planked to match in with barn design.

Historical Concepts

Historical Concepts

A cupola and dormers on the roof let in light and make ventilation, important elements in the home’s layout; the windows are open and operational via a motor.

Details like electrified gas lanterns, board and batten siding, a metal roof and exposed vent pipes add to the barn feeling.

Historical Concepts

Historical Concepts

The neighborhood required muted colours; Pylant chose a woodsy palette which blends well with the coastal trees and shrubs around the house. He added a bit of barn red in the window trim.

Paint colours: siding: Norwich Brown; trimming: Mountain Moss; windows: Georgia Brick, all by Benjamin Moore

Historical Concepts

Large barn doors open to the open dogtrot entrance area. (A dogtrot is an open breezeway, and dogtrot homes are common in Lowcountry.) Large displays are wrapped in pockets so the whole opening can be screened, allowing the breeze without letting in the bugs.

Historical Concepts

The dogtrot supplies an open-air entrance that receives light in the cupola overhead. A catwalk connects a bunk space to a sitting room/office upstairs.

“We maintained the catwalk as open as possible so that it didn’t block too much light in the cupola,” Pylant states. “The industrial texture is an interesting counterpoint to the barn fashion.”

A large fireplace draws everyone into the dogtrot during cold months. “The owners tell me that the dogtrot is a magnet for individuals each time they have parties,” he states.

Historical Concepts

The owners wanted the kitchen sink to look out to the dogtrot fireplace; windows share the light and make the idea of a horse stall. “I can’t tell you how essential the common light is in this house,” Pylant states.

Putting the sink on the dogtrot side dictated that the range be placed in the island, and the customers’ variety required a commercial vent hood.

Frustrated with all the options available (too contemporary or overly average ), Pylant wanted something big scale which looked like it had been fashioned from farm equipment. “Our builder, Monty Jones, is a true artisan,” he states. Jones had some metalworkers custom fabricate the drum using a standard commercial range insert. When asked about the finish, the owners instead enjoyed the fingerprints and discoloration and wanted to see what could happen if they just left it alone. Now it’s a exceptional patina that adds another dose of well-worn industrial fashion.

Historical Concepts

The upstairs windows share the light in the sitting room/office with all the downstairs living room.

“We couldn’t do a barn house and not utilize wide-planked pine floors,” Pylant states. He used 12-inch ponderosa pine planks, which stand up to kids and dogs.

Historical Concepts

In the primary living space, spacious planks on the walls include more barn feeling. “These are just pine planks butted up against each other,” Pylant states. “They maintain the simple, clean appearance that conveys the barn look through the interior.” Native Aged Savannah Gray bricks give the chimney an outdated appearance.

Additionally carrying the barn theme through are rough-hewn beams intended to evoke a hayloft.

Historical Concepts

Other parts of the house have concrete floors, for example, dining area, screened-in porch and dogtrot area. All the spaces flow in a logical manner; a few paces permit the family to choose between the indoor dining area and the screened-in porch at mealtimes.

Historical Concepts

Tall pine trees and the screened-in porch along the back of the house mitigate the direct sunshine.

Historical Concepts

The thoughtful design was quite important to the way the family lives here, especially when the children bring friends home. The children have a two-story zone on one side of the house, the communal areas are located at the center, and the parents have a first-floor master suite off the back of the house.

The upper floor would be the son’s domain; it includes a bedroom, a bunk room and a little sitting room (at the end of the catwalk) and a bath. “You will find a bunch of bunks; you can pile up children like a cord of wood,” Plyant states. Downstairs the girl has a bedroom, bath and sitting area.

Historical Concepts

This is the upstairs sitting area, which overlooks the living area. Each one of the great light coming in throughout the dormers is shared with the first floor.

The son’s and kid’s zones will also work when they develop, as guest suites where they can remain with families of their own.

Historical Concepts

On the back, the master suite is at the left; its arrangement is intended to resemble a secure supervisor’s office inserted onto the barn.

Historical Concepts

A glass corridor contributes to the main bedroom and a tiny office. Barn doors create the idea of rooms as former horse stalls.

“One means that vacation home offices differ is that they need to enjoy the view and light,” Pylant states.

Thanks to telecommuting, the family can spend long stints in South Carolina, but it was important for the workspace to also incorporate the gorgeous surroundings.

Historical Concepts

The parental zone also has its own private patio.

Historical Concepts

More pine planks on the walls, pine countertops and a claw-foot tub give this bath relaxed country style.

Historical Concepts

The property also includes a garage with storage area overhead. “The window is great, because no one wants to go as much as a dim and dank loft to locate something,” Pylant states.

There’s a garden between the garage and the guesthouse, which serves as a private space for seeing grandparents.

More: See more converted barns and barn-inspired houses

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The Narrowest House from the World?

Can you work, eat and sleep in a 48-inch-wide studio? This tiny Polish structure, wedged into a gap between two buildings, is 4 feet wide at its broadest point.

The construction serves as a workshop for Israeli author Etgar Keret. Designed by architect Jakub Szczęsny of Centrala, it takes up about 150 square feet of once-unused space, filling the gap between buildings with a tiny kitchenette, dining room, bathroom, bedroom and desk.

Studio at a Glance
Who works here: Etgar Keret
Location: Warsaw, Poland
Size: 150 square feet

Centrala

Inspiration struck Szczęsny when he had been walking down this street. The gap between a postwar co-op building and also a prewar ex-Jewish tenement block instantly caught his eye. The two buildings begged for a certain kind of connection and Szczęsny desired to put something functional in between.

The structure blends in from the main street perspective. Access is concealed from the sidewalk with a 61/2-foot-high wall.

Centrala

Of course, this narrow area presented lots of issues linked to Warsaw’s city building code, extending the construction time to approximately three years. Due to the building’s dimensions, function and location, the town chose to zone it as an art installation. Szczęsny completed the project in October 2012.

Visitors can access the building from a street set away from the main street. Steel stairs fall down, revealing the entry.

Centrala

The building’s most important resident, author Etgar Keret, walks up the steps.

Centrala

The gap between the two buildings is 60 inches at its widest and 28 inches at its narrowest. The triangular construction structure allowed Szczęsny to make the most of this narrow and uneven gap.

Centrala

Centrala

Everything needed to be stored to the basics. The structure is a steel cage position on two tunnel-like bases. The hollow bases permit present city heating pipes to pass underneath the building. The steel was coated with Kingspan insulated sandwich panels and full of nanofoam for additional insulation and fire protection.

Centrala

The front and rear facades are made of translucent 20-millimeter-thick (.8 inches) polycarbonate, with two functional windows for cross ventilation. Although the narrow area could have rapidly become gloomy, the white side panels and polycarbonate facade allow for lots of light.

Centrala

The steep stairs, accessed via a trapdoor in the floor, open up into the main living room.

Centrala

A little bathroom — about the same size as a plane toilet — includes an open shower, a sink and a bathroom.

Centrala

The kitchenette has the basics: electrical stove, sink, refrigerator and microwave. Water and heat come through a few of the buildings next door.

Centrala

A tiny built-in dining room beyond the kitchenette has room for two.

Centrala

Centrala

A ladder leads from the living room to the working and sleeping compartment. The 35-inch-wide mattress (a little smaller than a double mattress) and a work desk capture lots of light from the translucent front facade.

Centrala

Here Keret sits on the border of the sleeping platform — it’s just big enough to allow him sit comfortably. “That is a space for one individual to write and think away from individuals, but still be near to the world when necessary,” states Szczęsny.

Centrala

Steel net on the side of the construction veils the two windows for privacy of the home. More photos from this project

Next: A Family Unwinds in 540 Square Feet

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Know Your House: Components of Efficient Walls

Two of the biggest improvements of the industrial revolution were that the mass production of dimensional lumber for framing, along with the nail. Not only did those 2 products allow to be constructed by the thousands, but they led to a style of architecture. Houses were constructed of rods, instead of heavy timbers or masonry.

From the early 19th century, with the start of stick-built homes, balloon framing became the standard. With this kind of framing, the exterior walls are constructed of wood studs which begin in the base’s sill plate and cease in the highest top plate. The wood studs which make up these partitions can therefore easily be 18 or more feet in length. Balloon framing died out only because of the unavailability of wood studs of such long spans.

Everything came about is stage framing, the process used to build wood-frame homes today. It depends on each story of a house being constructed as a stage so the exterior walls are constructed of wood studs no longer than about 10 or 12 feet.

Here’s a peek at a basic and traditional platform-frame exterior wall, as well as a version of this system which uses far less substance.

Related: Insulated Concrete-Form Construction | Post and Beam Construction

Bud Dietrich, AIA

Fundamental 2-by-4 framing. The most common way of building a wood-frame exterior wall is to use 2-by-4 wood studs spaced 16 inches in the center of one stud to the center of another. These studs are then fastened to a 2-by-4 bottom plate and a double 2-by-4 top plate. Corners have three studs so that there’s always a surface to fasten another material (drywall, sheathing etc.) onto.

Wood-frame walls like these can be easily constructed on the wood floor deck and tilted into place. Once tilted into place and made plumb (straight up and down), square and even (the corners are at 90 degrees or a different angle, based on the layout), these walls are firmly fastened to the ground structure.

Other than the framing needed for openings, like for doors and windows, the closing structural part of a wood-frame wall is the outside sheathing. Sheathing, usually OSB (oriented strand board) or plywood, is traditionally employed in most homes to help make the structure rigid so that the house doesn’t twist or rack.

This type of sheathing also gives a surface that siding could be attached to. You will find other substances, such as rigid insulating material, that can be used instead of OSB or plywood. Whenever these substances, which will increase energy efficiency, are used, structural rigidity will be accomplished through bracing or specific fasteners or other.

Bud Dietrich, AIA

Openings for doors and windows. To accommodate doors and windows, the framings of walls have framed rough openings. In reality, most manufacturers produce doors and windows that fit within a particular rough opening. Knowing the exact window and manufacturer is important in the planning stage so the carpenters build the walls as necessary.

The parts that form a rough opening are the king stud, jack stud (I would love to understand the origin of those terms), header, sill and cripple. Each piece has a job to perform. For example, the jack studs encourage the header, and the header is used to span the opening.

And it should be noted that using a typical 8-foot ceiling, the conventional 80-inch-high doorway fits neatly into a rough opening created out of a double 2-by-12 header. With the header positioned tightly against the underside of the double top plate, then the rough opening steps around 82 inches high. Even though this isn’t exactly the most effective use of substance (the header is often considerably bigger than required), it has become the standard because of its simplicity.

Bud Dietrich, AIA

Optimized framing. Wood framing began when wood was abundant and inexpensive, and a house’s thermal efficiency was not a consideration. As a result, traditional wood framing utilizes far more substance than it needs to, and also the typical 3.5-inch wall thickness doesn’t allow for as much insulation as is needed to get a thermally efficient residence.

More advanced framing techniques now use 2-by-6 wood studs instead of 2-by-4s, a single top plate and 2 studs instead of 3 stud corners. The advantages of utilizing 2-by-6s include:
Increased cavity space to accommodate more insulationStud spacing that’s 24 inches instead of 16 inches on center, resulting in less total materialTo ensure structural integrity and accommodate the installation of materials like drywall and sheathing, particular clips and connectors are developed for this particular framing approach. For example, alloy splice plates can seam together the only top plate.

Optimized framing additionally uses headers which are sized as needed to length door and window openings. As this has the advantage of reducing material costs, in addition, it achieves a distinct architectural appearance, as taller doors and windows could be had.

Next up in this series: the roof structure and how that defines the structure of your property.

More in Know Your Own House:
Post and Beam Construction
Insulated Concrete-Form ConstructionWhat Makes Up a House’s Foundation
What Makes Up a Floor Construction

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Why You Need to Give Brown a Opportunity

Brown is generally thought of as a masculine color that boosts feelings of stability and strength. It is also thought to symbolize reliability and approachability. This functional color is generated by mixing red, yellow and blue. The milder, honeyed browns are warm and comfy, while the heavy red-browns feel more luxurious. But be careful when using this shade that is rich! Too much, or the incorrect color of brown, is assumed to bring on feelings of sadness or gloominess.

Poor older brown. It is quoted as the least loved of colors, and it is the colour of several people’s favourite items — peppermint, chocolate, warm toast, roasted coffee beans and roast beef. Yum! Now that your taste buds are tingling, let’s dispel the myth that brown is dull or boring.

Tewes Design

I have always thought of brown as a masculine color, a safe option for men who dread more womanly creams and pinks. However, Joe Hallock, a student in the University of Washington, conducted a survey in 2003 that revealed brown at the most preferred color of 27 percent of males and 20 percent of females that responded.

This chamber has various shades of brown with contemporary splashes of pink to suit him and her.

Urrutia Design

Winston Churchill once said, “I can’t pretend to feel impartial about colors. I rejoice with the brilliant ones and am genuinely sorry for the poor browns.”

I am not sure he would have said this after viewing the various colors and textures within this cozy but elegant room.

Natalie Younger Interior Design, Allied ASID

In medieval England, brown was correlated with humility and poverty, since the lower classes wore materials dyed brown with the economical madder root.

However this chamber shows no humility at all, introducing gold for a gorgeous opulence — it reminds me of a luxurious chocolate bar wrapped in gold.

Rodika Chi, a feng shui expert, states heavy, rich browns offer a nourishing power and therefore are fantastic for entrance halls, kitchens and feature walls in bedrooms. However, too much brown can lead to a lack of ambition or drive, so be sure you balance it out with another colour.

For me there isn’t any superior contrast to brown than white, and also this hallway manages to look fresh, warm and welcoming all in the same moment.

Elizabeth Reich

Sepia is a reddish brown colour named after the pigment derived from the ink sac of the common cuttlefish, at the Sepia genus. Sepia ink has been used by artists and writers such as Leonardo da Vinci from the Renaissance; later, in the 1880s, it had been added to the positive print of a photo to produce the sepia images we’re so familiar with now.

I adore how the sepia images are used to tie together this chamber, where gloomy cleverly complements the brown.

Millbrook Circle Interior Design

In India brown is the colour of mourning, since it is the colour of leaves. Nonetheless, it seems anything but somber when teamed with pretty pink. This room shows how to utilize brown with no feeling autumnal.

Bashford Design

In aromatherapy nutmeg is used for rejuvenating, energizing and uplifting, though we frequently associate it with the soothing, festive smell of Christmas.

This chamber demonstrates beautifully how well red and brown work together — it is definitely a pairing that’s not only for Christmas.

NOA Architecture Planning Interiors

Look at nature and take a page in the fundamentals of feng shui to utilize brown in your home. Water nourishes wood and generates plant expansion — it is no wonder blue, brown and green match each other so fabulously.

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