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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Man Space: A Guy Likes a Nice Closet

Take just about any closet space shared between a woman and man. The man’s portion will probably take up one of their distance, while the girl’s dominates the rest. Sure, we all guys know: You’ve got more things than we do (despite hating 95% of it and just needing to wear clothing).

But a man still needs his own well-designed and organized distance, also. Our style collection might not be as massive as most women’s, but it encompasses nearly as numerous categories: jewellery (ties, cuff links, rings); accessories (belts, pocket squares, watches); bags (briefcase, knapsack); and, yes, sneakers (work, play, exercise, summer, winter). And since you have made it crystal clear that the bathroom floor, hallway floor, bedroom floor, desk chair and kitchen counter tops are not appropriate storage alternatives, it all has to go somewhere.

The very best part of our transformation from apparel piles to organization is that lots of dudes are realizing that their closet is the one place where they can excercise a little personal style. Our girls might not want dark, classy wood along with a shoe-shining station in the living room for all the visitors to view, but we can still have a small bit of liberty in the closet.

Branca, Inc..

Custom closets vary from a few thousand bucks for a small corner area all the way up to an great walk-in for $200,000. But for some the splurge is well worth it. That’s because getting ready in the morning is a ritual. Whether you are heading to a job interview or an important meeting, or you only want to feel energized and confident throughout the day, choosing time to pick out the perfect outfit and wear it well is important.

Using a distance that keeps things organized makes this process easier. Here a pullout shelf and brass wall hook allow the homeowner display and select his outfit carefully, while rich, classy wood, a Persian-style rug along with a tufted foot stool help set the tone for your day.

Atlanta Closet & Storage Solutions

A closet doesn’t need to be on the top to make a big impact. David Buchsbaum at Atlanta Closet and Storage Solutions created this smart custom-made unit to perfectly match a corner area.

Since guys do not generally have long articles of clothing, piled double hangers for tops and trousers help maximize space and keep things organized. A oversize bottom drawer here’s really a pullout hamper.

Cost: About $1,200 to $1,500, such as installment

Boudreaux Design Studio

“Believe it or not, guys do have a lot of sneakers,” says Jessica Boudreaux, who designed this custom-made system to get a minimalist homeowner’s slim closet in Miami. Open shelves hold numerous pairs of sneakers, while pullout drawers have holders for multiple pairs of sunglasses, a must in Florida.

Boudreaux believes the closet is one area where guys can get creative with fashion. “You might love the colour green but do not want to do this colour on your living room, in which you entertain frequently,” she says. “But a closet can be a fun place to play up your character.”

Cost: Around $6,000

Tim Barber Ltd Architecture

Floor-to-ceiling storage units can turn tight and narrow spaces into absolutely coordinated solutions, while masculine materials and colors create a private, inviting area where guys can start and end their day.

Poliform USA

This freestanding unit with vertical panels by Senzafine is among the most well-known designs at Poliform, a company that produces custom closet spaces. Elena Sladkopevceva, a marketing partner at Poliform, says dark colors tend to work better for men’s cabinets. “They seem organized, along with the richness shows off the substances longer,” she says.

These units have inside light, are simple to install and include custom enhancements like glass doors, pullout hangers, drawers with coordinated dividers for cuff links and links, and even room for a briefcase.

Poliform USA

Poliform’s Ubik unit can also be popular. It attaches to a wall — unlike a modular unit — and comes without doors for simple access. The shelves have been melamine board, whereas the drawers are sold in eight different types of wood and lacquers in more than 30 colors and textures, such as leather.

Poliform USA

California Closets Twin Cities

“Men do have a taste for dark colors,” says Ginny Snook Scott, chief design officer at California Closets. Scott has been making custom cabinets for more than 25 years; she’s discovered that guys lean toward modern aesthetics to get a more streamlined and clean look without overpowering detail or decor, unlike girls, she says.

“Girls like more cubbies and containers,” she says. “Men want more open baskets and shelves they can see”

Smart and fashionable closet theories aren’t only for walk-ins. Custom modular units can turn into a tight place to a stunning area.

Cabinet Innovations

Having a place for each and every item is key to creating a walk-in cupboard. Suit trousers, for instance, are always the bane of a guy’s existence. Twist and hang them wrong, and you’ll receive awkward, messy creases up and down the pant legs. Hang them correctly, and they’ll remain neatly pressed.

This hideaway pullout for match trousers keeps each pair only far enough apart for them to remain immaculately folded.

Richard Ross Designs

Sure, hanging all of your knotted ties on a single hanger and then shoving it in your closet worked when you were in school and owned department store ties. But expensive wool and silk ties can’t take that sort of misuse.

Custom drawers, revealed here and below, keep them wrinkle free and simple to access.

Twin Cities Closet Co..

Cabinet Innovations

This vertical drawer creates an organized mini wall for ties and other accessories.

Cabinet Innovations

In precisely the exact same area, acrylic dividers keep undershirts and socks colour coordinated and coordinated.

Cabinet Innovations

Meanwhile, a clever wooden plank folds out to make a shoe-shine station.

Cabinet Innovations

And figurines create suit jackets easy store to get a clean look and to rifle through.

The Closet Lady/Manhattan Murphy Bed Inc..

Even a few straightforward options for hanging trousers, ties and shirts can turn an average closet into a fashionable space.

Hall Developments

Richard Ross Designs

If your wardrobe does not contain dozens of matches, smart storage can still jazz up your closet.

TransFORM | The Art of Custom Storage

Small closets get the most benefit from high-minded design. This cool sliding door helps hide a perfectly organized area.

Jill Greaves Design

With graphic carpet, rich wood, marble flooring, cool light and black and white photographs, this closet and the one over rival any ritzy country club.

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Toilet Design: How to Pick a Vanity

It’s not necessarily the most glamorous part of a bathroom remodel, however deciding on the ideal vanity can break or make your bathroom’s layout. If it’s placed awkwardly in a traffic path, uses poor or mismatched stuff, or does not have enough storage, the rest of your bathroom will suffer.

We talked with six bathroom and dressing table designers to get the professional spade. Here are their tips for this bathroom cornerstone.

Erica George Dines Photography

1. Placement

Access. Choose a spot for your dressing table that won’t mess with your bathroom’s traffic stream or block your bathroom door or shower door fold. Beth Fillerup of Native Trails counsels homeowners to consider cleaning and on the vanity door swing area, too. Very good questions to ask, she says, include: “Are the surrounding areas available for cleaning? If the vanity has doors, is the distance around the dressing table sufficient for foot traffic when they’re open?”

Designer Robert Berkovich of European Cabinets & Design Studio indicates that homeowners take other architectural features into account when choosing a location, also. Ensure any windows nearby will allow to get a wall and mirror cabinets over the dressing table. “Remember the dressing table has an integral role in the purpose of the bathroom and demands the room around it to function correctly,” says designer Steve O’Neill of Van-i-tY.

Globus Builder

Plumbing. Should you have to change your bathroom’s pipes to install your new vanity, it is likely to account for a chunk of your budget. Even switching from a classic floor-mounted vanity into a wall-mounted version will mean rerouting drains and pipes.

“Finding the dressing table far from other tub fixtures requires a greater cost for pipes,” says contractor David Lawson of Ironwood Builders.

Katerina Vallianatos

2. Materials

“Vanities are set in environments that are humid, wet and busy,” says O’Neill. “The substances that make up your dressing table of choice should have the ability to stand up to this environment.” Wood veneers, laminates and thermofoil (such as on the dressing table in this photo) often work well in bathrooms. Wood should be properly sealed and lacquered — although Lawson does warn that lacquer is not indestructible.

“We do caution our customers that clear endings are generally lacquer and water will affect the finish if it is left standing on it,” he says. Designer Gina Adamson of Cab-I-Net recommends preventing pressed MDF too, as it is vulnerable to water damage.

Niki Papadopoulos

Start looking for a durable vanity shirt as well, and try to prevent anything using hard-to-clean grout. If you are redoing other bathroom finishes, consider choosing your dressing table top first. “It’s so much simpler to locate a tile and cupboard to match a exceptional countertop than attempting to locate a shirt to match a unique tile,” says designer Lori Hethmon of Granite Grannies. “When you choose a dynamic tile first, you may be limiting yourself to more mundane countertop options that won’t compete with your specific tile”

anat shmariahu

3. Storage

Taking account of what you truly use will help you determine how much storage you will want in your new dressing table. Take inventory of what you store in your current dressing table. Organize everything from what you will have to have in reach and what you will simply have to get nearby.

“This will put into perspective what you have to store and where it needs to be put,” says O’Neill. Lawson recommends adding about 20 percent more space than you believe you’ll want, simply to be safe.

Mahoney Architects & Interiors

Hanging vanities with drawers can supply a good amount of storage, because they make the most of this often-unused space around pipes. Berkovich suggests preventing bulky medication cabinets but frequently uses wall cabinetry (at least 10 inches deep) to add storage.

If you are stuck using a little vanity cupboard, consider adding extra cabinets that break the counters, as in this picture. “You will get more storage without losing floor area,” says Hethmon.

4. Size

Scale. Your dressing table size should consistently make sense for the bathroom’s size. Cramming a huge vanity into a tiny bathroom does not make sense, regardless of what your storage requirements are. “The quantity of storage needed by the client impacts the size of this dressing table,” says Lawson. “But more important is the size of this room it stays in. Working inside the structure a part of this equation.”

“By assessing lifestyle, if it’s the powder room or master bathroom, and the demands that will be put on the dressing table, the size will become clear quickly,” says O’Neill. For frequently used bathrooms, Adamson recommends starting with a dressing table that is a minimum of 21 inches deep and 24 inches wide.

White Crane Construction

Height. “Consider who is utilizing the dressing table to choose the proper height,” says Adamson. “overly tall or too short may be equally frustrating.” Traditionally, the 32 inches will be your go-to height dimension for bathroom vanities. But some designers disagree with that dimension due to modern sink designs. Berkovich suggests aiming for 34 to 35 inches.

The Right Height For The Sinks, Mirrors and More

McElroy Architecture, AIA

5. Custom Designs

The variety of vanity layouts today makes it effortless to get what you need in terms of design and storage, but many designers still suggest buying a customized layout for greater efficiency. “Custom vanities aren’t necessarily more expensive than store bought,” says Adamson. “Plus they have unlimited layout configurations and styles”

“Don’t forget your bowl does not have to be in the middle,” says Hethmon. Such as the sink in this photo, a sink jar that is slightly off centre allows for more countertop space. Consider your bowl dimensions. “Bigger, deeper bowls may mean less mess to clean up,” Hethmon points outside.

Geneva Cabinet Company, LLC

Placing electricity in the cupboard box may be a nice touch as well — if you would like to maintain hair dryers, toothbrushes and other essentials prepared to go. Having a custom vanity design can help you consider all of the little details that often get overlooked, such as attributes that work if you are left handed or right-handed.

Naturally, choosing your dressing table materials, design and style has a great deal to do with the way you feel about your house, too. A custom-designed dressing table in the master bathroom of your “forever home” might make sense, however a store-bought vanity could work just fine in the guest bathroom of a house you intend to sell down the street.

Share your story: Did you upgrade your vanity? Please talk and after photos below!

More
How to Choose the Right Bathroom Sink

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Northeast Gardener's February Checklist

Last year I had a Valentine’s Day celebration with garden buddies and asked everyone to bring some a favourite book to discuss. It was a hit. We laughed and had good conversations as we compared stories and experiences — crops that had bombed, issues with this or that, successes, favored colors and varieties of tomatoes or zinnias. As you probably already know, gardeners like to share, and colorful catalogs were strewn all across the table at the end. Here are some more ways to indulge your passion and beat the winter blues.

More regional garden guides

Paintbox Garden

Fill out your rooms with fragrance. It is accurate: Aromatherapy does help soothe away stress and make you feel better. It is not too late to grow paperwhite narcissus — it is supereasy along with being fragrant. Look for it in garden centers and get a bag of polished stones in a crafts store to grow them with.

Keep bulbs in a cool, ventilated area and pot them up every couple of weeks for nonstop blooms.

Paintbox Garden

To grow paperwhites with stones, anything will do. It is interesting to use interesting vessels, in this way ice bucket, which displays the impressive root expansion around the supporting stones.

The water should come only to the base of the bulbs. In roughly two to three weeks, then they will blossom and fill your house with a new, sweet scent. Hyacinth bulbs can also be easily grown in water.

Paintbox Garden

Visit a greenhouse. A visit to a garden centre or tropical climates this month is crucial. Among my favourite scented crops, white (or pink) jasmine (Jasminum polyanthum), includes a fragrance that transports you to the jungle — entirely heavenly.

An evergreen vine indigenous to China, jasmine makes a fantastic houseplant for a sunroom; give it indirect light and cool temperatures (approximately 60 degrees Fahrenheit) for optimal flowering.

Paintbox Garden

Drench your house with color. Hothouse crops, like this lush orchid, surprise that the senses — it is impossible not to feel energized by the visual punch of these voluptuous tones, the most complex variations of color and the curvaceous petals that capture the attention.

Catch some orchids and place them around your house. They’re dignified enough for the dining room and also ideal for a steamy bath.

Paintbox Garden

Relax by a fountain. It is no surprise that the oldest gardens of Persia were courtyards surrounding pools. The sound of running water flow through leafy plants is intensely curative on a bitter-cold moment. As you’re enjoying the fountain, then examine the displays. It is amazing how easy it is to earn a water feature with all the container options available.

Paintbox Garden

Water treatment is good for the spirit, too. We need to develop energy for the garden work that lies ahead (let’s not think about that right now), and just take a couple of minutes to sit and enjoy an indoor garden conservatory is among the nicest things you can do at this time of year. Bring a notebook and make some plans for the forthcoming season, throw some pennies into a swimming pool and make a wish.

Paintbox Garden

Love winter beauty. Branches, berries and bark comparison with evergreens to give winter gardens visual punch. Among the very best crops to grow for winter and wildlife shade is winterberry holly (Ilex verticillata), a U.S. native that’s greatly valued in the home landscape because of its reddish berries.

Paintbox Garden

For Northeast gardeners, winterberry holly is a versatile tree to understand and utilize, as it is adaptable to varying soil conditions and easy to grow in full sun. Plant some at a mass to get the complete impact of its persistent fruits, which stand out in winter snow and are favored by birds. The plants are dioecious, so you’re going to need a male plant to pollinate the females and assure decent fruit set. The cultivar’Sparkleberry’ makes a fantastic wildlife screen in a naturalistic setting.

Paintbox Garden

Update your patio furniture. New seat cushions or pillows in vivid colors can alter outdoor furniture that is weathered from years of use. Take a look at what’s available locally and assess online for options in bold stripes, solids or patterns. It’s possible to get a brand new style for a patio or porch without having to spend a lot.

Paintbox Garden

Midwinter inventory sales are in full swing, which signifies deals on all sorts of things. I discovered these fabulous rockers discounted in my local garden centre on a recent excursion. Love the blue.

Paintbox Garden

Get organized. With our houses lying dormant beneath blankets of snow (it was below zero here now ), use this downtime to get your gear organized. Gardening is a messy business, and also our footwear takes a beating. Perhaps it’s time to get a set of colorful new clogs?

Paintbox Garden

I adore these tubs. They grip tools and garden gloves, and are fantastic for lawn cleanup when you are working in a small area. Everyone has stuff to haul and store, and these tubs are versatile and tough. And did they mention that they also make ice buckets for garden parties?

More regional garden guides

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20 Ways to Work White Magic into Your Lawn

Just like a perfect white coat or a string of pearls, white gardens exude a classic charm. They are classically elegant and never appear to go out of style. If you’re trying to liven up your house or try something new this year, it’s not hard to add a bit of white with flowers, fences and other elements for some oh-so-sweet cabin style, to create a relaxing backyard escape or dress up your front yard.

Wallace Landscape Associates

1. Welcome with whitened. This beautiful entry is balanced with a white flowering dogwood (Cornus kousa, zones 5 to 8) and framed by a split-rail fence. The look is formal but not stuffy, and the fence matches the scale and style of their clapboard buildings.

Denise Dering Design

2. Install a fence for curb appeal. A low fence like this is both playful and appropriate. Filled with roses and fronted with mounding perennials, it creates a welcome entry from the street or sidewalk. The fence can be strung with greens and lights in the winter season.

D’Urso Landscape Design

3. Display a driveway with white pickets. This curved picket fence mitigates unwanted views of cars that may be parked in the driveway, providing the yard a cohesive look. A mix of sun-loving plants softens the hardscape and its exterior.

Milieu Design

4. Top fence panels with lattice. Let’s face it, white fencing can be hard on the eye, therefore soften it with lattice panels like these. Notice the sweet autumn clematis (Clematis terniflora, zones 5 to 9), a fantastic white flowering vine, on the brick pergola.

Frederick + Frederick Architects

5. Mark an entry. Arbors make excellent focal points. As an alternative to traditional wood, which needs regular maintenance, look for structures created out of a white composite material, like Azek, for simple care and durability. Experiment with blossom roses and string white lighting for nighttime garden wayfinding.

Deborah Cerbone Associates, Inc..

6. Build a white pergola. There is nothing like a well-built pergola to offer shade and respite outside. If your house is white, consider a fitting pergola — a bonus room from which to relish the view. Flank it with silver and white plants, framed in a classic boxwood parterre for classical elegance.

Derviss Design

7. Frame a garden room. White rising roses onto an arched metal arbor form a romantic entry to a yard enclosure at this San Francisco home. Light-colored fabrics catch the eye and keep loungers cool in the heat while a backdrop of older cedars helps to make the blooming roses stick out.

8. Make chairs a focus. This set of white sling-back canvas chairs pops out of the dappled shade within this cabin garden in Portland, Oregon, where chic meets hip beneath the green foliage of hostas, azaleas and white variegated brunnera (Brunnera ‘Jack Frost’, zones 3 to 8).

Aiken House & Gardens

9. String a hammock. Got a great deal of colour in your flower borders? White goes with everything, and a traditional rope hammock is a practical means to enjoy the scenery. Additionally, it is easy to take down and store at the close of the season.

Austin Ganim Landscape Design

10. Mix white with water. Classical urns with white chaise longues balance well with the creamy blossoms of smooth hydrangeas (Hydrangea arborescens ‘Annabelle’, zones 3 to 9) within this Connecticut poolside garden.

Paintbox Garden

11. Install a white bench. I really like the elegance and simplicity of this beautiful bench placed beneath mature trees. It’s a work of art, with ornamental appeal, but provides comfort and relaxation.

Barbara Cannizzaro

12. Create a little space feel larger. Short on space? Make it feel somewhat less cramped by employing white, as revealed in this rooftop garden. The crisp fabric of the chair cushion allows for a constant scene change with bold colored cushions, cut flowers and ornamental accents.

Margie Grace – Grace Design Associates

13. Go for classic style. White roses are a girl’s best friend (or is that diamonds?)) . Whatever your taste, a lush urn overflowing with blossoms can make the heart swell. And did I mention the scent?

Westover Landscape Design, Inc..

14. Grace a doorway with climbers. White clematis proves with style. Give it support and shade its origins with smaller plants around the bottom of the container, like variegated sedge (Carex morrowii ‘Ice Dance’) or trendy chartreuse coleus.

Paintbox Garden

15. Mount a white birdhouse at a flower border. A whimsical birdhouse makes a fantastic companion to snowy lilies, garden phlox (Phlox paniculata ‘David’) and smooth hydrangeas within this coastal Maine garden.

Verdance Landscape Design

16. Anchor tall plantings. In this San Francisco garden, white tulips lend a pristine formality into a brick-edged, curved rock walkway. Punctuated with columnar evergreens, the look is bright and understated, and can be readily switched once the flowers fade.

Westover Landscape Design, Inc..

17. Fill a room with shrubs. Utilize panicle hydrangea (Hydrangea paniculata ‘Limelight’, zones 3 to 8) with frothy Japanese forest grass (Hakonechloa macro ‘Aureola’) to display a fence and create a complete border with a great deal of visual attention.

Genus Loci Ecological Landscapes Inc..

18. Build a border. When designing white, keep in mind that trees deliver big impact, as shown in this Toronto garden, that has a line of white birch put against a construction as a thoughtful display with harmonious repetition.

19. Design for seasonal impact. In Vancouver, Washington, a stately grid of white flowering trees lends timeless appeal to a formal garden parterre centered around one blue focus. The look is fresh and pure, crisp and deliberately controlled — sophistication redefined.

Paintbox Garden

20. Use plants. White variegated brunnera (Brunnera macrophylla ‘Jack Frost’) is one of the best perennials for Growing shade, and its blue flowers are a joy.

Plant guides: Find white flowers for your own climate

More: What To Do in Your Garden Now

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Fantastic Houseplant: Holiday-Blooming Cactus

Simply because this plant loves the spotlight around the holidays, don’t forget to enjoy it year-round — its striking form and foliage are tough to find in any other plant. You might be wondering why I am writing about Thanksgiving cactus. The solution is: as what most people think of as Christmas cactus, and also exactly what most nurseries promote as Christmas cactus, is really Thanksgiving cactus. True Christmas cactus (Schlumbergera bridgesii) is quite difficult to discover, so the more easily accessible Thanksgiving cactus (Schlumbergera truncata) was dubbed Christmas cactus.

Now our semantics are cleared up, here’s what you need to understand about this omnipresent holiday plant.

J. Peterson Garden Design

Botanical name: Schlumbergera truncata
Common title: Thanksgiving cactus
Water requirement: Typical
Light requirement: Vibrant light until early autumn
Mature size: 12 to 18 inches tall; cascades over the edge of a pot
Benefits and tolerances: Normally pest and disease free
Seasonal attention: Profuse blooms from late autumn through January

J. Peterson Garden Design

Planting notes. Here is where this holiday-flowering cactus becomes tricky. There’s a secret to obtaining these crops to rebloom every year, and I share this trick with one consideration: I know lots of folks, myself included, who do nothing special to their Thanksgiving cactus and are still treated to annual flowering.

That said, traditional guidance for these crops is to give them bright, indirect light (on a covered terrace or through a glowing window) until September or October. At that point, it’s suggested to decrease the light to about 10 hours a day for 20 to 25 days.

Put a box or bag carefully over the plant from 6 to 8 pm or place it into a darkened garage throughout those hours. This imitates the short day cycle that’s necessary for all these crops to set buds for vacation flowering.

Once the buds begin to set, improve watering and bring out the container to a brightly lit place for holiday display, but not allow the plant sit in soggy soil.

Rikki Snyder

Distinguishing traits. Thanksgiving cactus and Christmas cactus are both flat-leaf cacti native to the tropical forests of Brazil, but they’re different in subtle ways. Thanksgiving cactus has pointed or claw-like stem endings, while some of the Christmas cactus are rounded.

Thanksgiving cactus also begins to bloom earlier, putting buds out in mid to late autumn with blossoms in white, fuchsia, pink, red and salmon. Most plants bloom profusely from about one month before Christmas until later in January or even into February.

J. Peterson Garden Design

The best way to utilize it. Plant this vacation bloomer in containers of festive colors (green, red, silver) and show it with different houseplants or other seasonal blossoms, like poinsettias or cyclamens.

If you reside in a really mild place (zones 9 to 11), you may have the ability to depart this plant outside on your patio throughout the season. The rest of the zones should aim to exhibit this plant indoors during the colder months.

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Curio Cabinet

A curio is a special or rare little object, sometimes artwork, typically intriguing, having a special significance to the collector. A curio cabinet is a piece of furniture with glass doors which shows these curious things, often grouped for the similarities.

Charmean Neithart Interiors

Curio cabinets are built to both display and protect the objects within. Glass doors permit the viewer to see the seashells inside this wooden cabinet without handling them, along with the shells are protected from insects and dust.

Jamie Laubhan-Oliver

The objects in a curio cabinet are often related in theme, building a selection which has a purpose, nostalgic significance or personal significance.

Sarah Greenman

Curio cabinets were most popular from the 18th century; they occasionally have glass shelves and mirrored backs to boost the view.

Tracy Murdock Allied ASID

These cabinets home an assortment of liquor bottles. Groups of objects can be visually interesting however trivial the object itself is.

Schwartz and Architecture

Open shelving onto a backlit glass wall produces a contemporary variant of the curio cabinet. All these fossils and other oddities in specimen jars possess the very qualities which make curios so appealing: they’re bizarre, rare or striking.

Plain & Fancy Custom Cabinetry

A curio collection does not have to be behind glass. These antique kitchen tools are artfully shown in the wooden shelves of this built-in hutch; a red theme visually ties them together.

Erotas Building Corporation

These custom wall displays of duck decoys take the idea of a curio cabinet to a grand scale.

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When 2 Chandeliers Are Better Than 1

If you have a long farmhouse dining table, a narrow room or a large expanse of space, you know how tough it is to locate a chandelier that’s appropriate in scale without overwhelming its setting. My suggestion: Just take another tack and try a pair of fixtures rather than a single one. Not only do they provide ample light, but they also produce a pleasing synergistic impact. Check out the double-take lighting in these spaces.

Tom Stringer Design Partners

Extendable dining tables are fantastic for gala dinner parties and big family feasts, but just one chandelier tends to get lost above them. Hang a pair to disperse the mild and the style.

Dillard Pierce Design Associates

The double chandeliers in this dining area function to make the space feel cozy.

Don Ziebell

Twin chandeliers also can be a good way to bridge the difference between two separate faces of the exact same room.

Echelon Custom Homes

Within this Granite kitchen, the double chandeliers over the dining table mirror the two pendants over the island.

Dreamy Whites

Chandeliers don’t need to match. Try a pair of classic models with similar scale and lines for an eclectic look.

More manners with chandeliers

Hendel Homes

The mirror in the end of the room expands the impact of the lighting fixtures, making them seem to stretch on and off.

John David Edison Interior Design Inc..

Love not, there’s no denying that these over-the-top black stripes crown a daring room with sculptural dash and pull the high ceiling.

Inspired Interiors

One long fixture might have looked too bulky in this particular kitchen. Instead, two separate ones hang side by side to break up the space.

Guide: Ways to Acquire the Pendant Light Right

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Great Design Plant: Chinese Lantern

Celebrate the delicate, pendulous blossoms that hang against Chinese lantern’s foliage, and you’re going to wonder if this shrub was adorned with handmade paper decorations. Commonly viewed as a potted houseplant, Abutilon hybrids are making the transition outside. And while they hold their leaves yearlong, the seasonal floral screen is without doubt worth loving outdoors. What better way to decorate the patio for summer and spring?

Monrovia

Botanical name: Abutilon x hybridum (name given to hybrid type)
Common names: Chinese lantern, flowering maple, Chinese bellflower
USDA zones: 9 to 11; many can tolerate temperatures down to 25 degrees Fahrenheit (find your zone)
Water necessity: moderate to regular water, particularly in summertime
Light requirement: Full sun to partial shade
Mature size: Up to 8 to 10 feet tall and broad
Gains: Attracts hummingbirds and bees
Seasonal interest: Flowers spring and summertime
When to plant: Plant softwood cuttings after the threat of frost has passed in spring.
Caution: The leaves are poisonous if ingested.

Revealed: Abutilon x hybridum ‘Vesuvius Red’

Missouri Botanical Garden

Revealed: Abutilon x hybridum ‘Bella Red’

Monrovia

Distinguishing traits. Soft, bright green leaves, very similar to those of a maple, cover the tree yearlong.

Delicate, papery lanterns hang against the foliage, in hues from yellow and white to pink and crimson. Most species bloom spring through the summer, though some flower almost nonstop.

Loose and pendulous in shape, Chinese lantern rapidly increases to its mature size — hybrids are available from dwarf to normal heights.

Revealed: Abutilon x hybridum ‘Albus’

Missouri Botanical Garden

Monrovia

The best way to utilize it. Chinese lantern is commonly grown as a houseplant, making it the nickname “parlor maple,” but I prefer seeing it outside, weather permitting.

In temperate climates plant it in which your garden receives morning sun and dappled afternoon shade, and permit the plant to arch and disperse within a casual screen.

If chilly winters prohibit your retaining Chinese lantern outside year-round, grow it like a potted plant instead, bringing it inside until the frost. Some gardeners even develop Chinese lantern as a yearly.

Revealed: Abutilon x hybridum ‘Cascade Dawn’

The Garden Route Company

Planting notes. In cooler, coastal climates, Chinese lantern can tolerate more sun and less summertime water. In hotter areas offer morning sun and dappled afternoon shade — keep it sheltered from extreme sunlight. Plant it into well-drained soil and be sure to mulch, particularly in warmer climates.

While the plant reaches maturity quickly, it has the tendency to get leggy; legginess can be controlled with pruning in early spring, prior to blooming. Pruning maintains a rounded form and retains the size more compact. It is also possible to pinch plants to encourage fullness.

Chinese lantern prefers monthly fertilizing once new growth begins, but it might create leaves rather than flowers if too much is used; it has the tendency to shed leaves if not fed enough. Control scale and whitefly.

Revealed: Abutilon x hybridum ‘Patricia’

Photo by Stan Shebs

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