Month: September 2019

Install Your Kitchen Sink for How You Like to Cook Clean

Once you’ve decided on the material to your next kitchen sink, you will want to determine what sort of installation to perform. There are four basic classes of sink mounting types:
Apron front sinks, also known as a farmhouse sinks, have a wide, exposed front border and are often quite wide and deep. Undermount sinks get attached to the bottom of the countertop for a clean appearance. Drop-in sinks are set up at the top of or over the countertop. Integral sinks are created from precisely the same substance as the counter tops, frequently manufactured as a seamless unit within the countertop.Usually aesthetics and price rule this decision. Drop-in sinks have a tendency to be the most budget-friendly because you can easily install yourself in an affordable laminate countertop. Undermount and apron front sinks often require professional installation and can only be mounted to a sturdy and non-porous countertop material, which can add significant cost to the project. Integral sinks are generally the most expensive kind, due to the price of this material and manufacture. Read on for more information and illustrations of each to help you make your selection.

Gage Homes Inc..

Apron Front or Farmhouse Style

These charming countertops are right at home in traditional or cottage-style kitchens using their vulnerable fronts and possible for cosmetic detailing. Apron front sinks are generally wider, deeper and heavier than another sink types, so they require no less than a 36-inch-wide sink cupboard. The sink cabinet must also have the ability to accommodate the apron front.

Rick & Cindy Black Architects

Obviously, apron front sinks are not just for old-world or farmhouse-style kitchens. There are lots of stunning modern versions of this apron front sink available today, like the brushed stainless steel beauty pictured here. Additionally, while these sinks have have one bowl, they also arrive in split, two-bowl versions.

These are certainly attractive countertops, but if you are thinking about installing one in your kitchen there are a few issues to remember. I’ve heard a few complaints about how easy it’s to inadvertently break a dish or glass contrary to the apron when planning to place the item in the sink.

Furthermore, if you go for a stainless steel or aluminum version, be aware that the apron could get scratched up out of contact with belt buckles or metal buttons onto your jeans. And, unless it’s set up as an undermount (together with the countertop extending across the sink border), there will be a seam between the sink and countertop, where moisture and gunk could collect.

McClellan Architects

Undermount

That really is my favored mounting kind for a sink. I like the clean appearance, not to mention the easy-to-clean design. It’s possible to undermount a sink to any sturdy, non-porous counter tops, including natural stone, concrete, quartz and solid surfacing. I have heard of successful applications to wood countertops, but extra care needs to be taken to protect the timber. There are also laminate countertop manufacturers that claim you can undermount a sink to their material. Talk with your countertop retailer to see if this is an option for you.

Trueform Concrete

Based on your individual undermount sink, you might have some options regarding the show — or how much or little of the top of the sink is visible just below the inner edge of the countertop. I tend to prefer a no-reveal, or zero-reveal, look — just a sleek, straight fall from the countertop to the sink. This makes the sink and surrounding countertop space super easy to wash, as there is no ledge for food particles to collect in. You can even specify a “negative show” where the countertop extends across the edge of the sink.

I think that a slight negative show –⅛ inch or less — is nice, but any more than that and you run the danger of breaking dishes onto the eyebrow of the countertop as you lift them out of the sink. I would also be wary about not being able to see and keep the water-tight seal between the sink and countertop — it can be tricky to view with a negative show.

OLSON LEWIS + Architects

Drop-in

This is a favorite sink design for people on a strict budget, for those installing a sink within a porous countertop body substance (such as wood or laminate) or people looking to repurpose a vintage sink or receive a vintage appearance.

This type of sink is set up over the countertop, to a cutout, then sealed around the border where the sink meets the countertop. The obvious downside to some drop-in sink is that the increased lip makes it increasingly difficult to wash food particles directly into the sink, as possible with an undermount sink.

Highline Partners, Ltd

Where undermount sinks have a clean, minimalist feel, drop-in sinks are extremely charming and operate nicely in rustic or farmhouse-style kitchens. Similar to apron front sinks, drop-in sinks might be real eye-catching decorative element in kitchen.

AlterECO,inc

Integral

If you’d rather your kitchen sink mix in, and you are installing stone, metal, solid surface or quartz countertops, consider using an integral sink fabricated. Your countertop fabricator simply creates a sink utilizing the countertop material. The look is quite smooth and clean — perfect for a modern kitchen.

AlterECO,inc

Here’s a close-up of a integral sink. These sinks have no nooks and crannies for food particles to collect in, making cleanup a breeze.

Solid Form Fabrication

An integral sink is just one of the more expensive mounting types since these sinks are often custom designed and fabricated. You are paying for the raw material as well as fabrication and installation, which is pricey. However, for those who have the budget for this, it’s certainly an appealing option.

More: Guides to kitchen sink materials and styles

Tell us, kitchen fans: What type of sink installation do you like best?

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Assistance for Homeowners Facing Foreclosure

If you are facing foreclosure, you are by no means alone. Thousands of homeowners in the United States are facing exactly the exact same problem. The good thing is there is help available. Federal, state and nonprofit agencies are set up to supply you with the guidance and financial aid you require. This doesn’t mean every foreclosure can be avoided, but you might have the ability to avoid yours. Act quickly. Even in the event that you can not save your house, there are alternatives that may protect you from some of the unwanted financial, legal and tax implications of a foreclosure.

Instruction

Knowing what mortgage aid programs are available for you, how to apply for them, how to negotiate conditions with your lender and the consequences of foreclosure avoidance methods may mean the difference between losing your house and saving it. According to a report from the Mortgage Bankers Association, nearly 60 percent of foreclosures in North Carolina occur to borrowers who have good credit–many of whom would probably have qualified for mortgage assistance plans. Assuming different nations have similar statistics, mortgage education can go a long way in avoiding foreclosures. The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) certainly feels this way. HUD subsidizes housing counseling agencies across the United States so fighting debtors may get free (or cheap ) professional guidance.

The Big Plan

The leading supplier of assistance to homeowners facing foreclosure is the Department of Treasury’s Earning Home Affordable Plan. This program comprises four programs: the Home Affordable Modification Program, the Home Affordable Refinance Program, the Second Lien Modification Program and the Home Affordable Foreclosure Alternatives. Find out what program can assist you by greatest by calling (888) 995-HOPE or seeing the Plan’s official site (see Resources).

Legal Help

Foreclosures are complex legal procedures. Expert legal advice can make the difference when dealing with a lender. There are scores of legal aid bureaus that provide low-cost or free legal aid to homeowners facing foreclosure. In California, for example, the Department of Consumer Affairs provides an up-to-date collection of legal aid agencies by state. The County of San Francisco alone has three legal aid institutions willing to assist low-income debtors (see Resources).

Foreclosure Tax Relief

Taxation might be the very last thing in the mind of borrowers facing foreclosure. Regrettably it ought to be in the forefront. The IRS believes debt decrease by a lender as taxable income. In regards to debtors whose foreclosure or foreclosure alternative (mainly short sales and deeds-in-lieu of foreclosure) sale price doesn’t include the outstanding balance on the mortgage. That clarifies most foreclosures. Luckily the Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Act of 2007 allows debtors to exclude such an”income” when the property is their main residence.

Misconceptions

Misconceptions and urban myths may lead to homeowners facing foreclosure to make bad decisions or ignore opportunities for locating help. For example, many borrowers believe that their lender wants to foreclose on them. In fact, lenders attempt to avoid foreclosures because they’re costly and time-consuming. They foreclose only as a last resort when delinquent borrowers cannot afford their mortgages. Another common mistake is to underestimate the seriousness of delinquency. In some nations, for example California, the time from one missed payment to foreclosure is typically just four months. Borrowers should start looking for help till they overlook one payment, when help is easier to supply and more options are available.

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Layout Icons: Evolving Architect-Artist, Rudolph M. Schindler

Rudolph M. Schindler (1887–1953) is generally associated with Los Angeles, making sense, considering that most of the Austrian-born architect’s output in the middle of the 20th century was in and around the metropolis. His influence on subsequent generations of California architects is normally ascribed to the plasticity of his forms (which he focused on over function and technical aspects) and the connection of the rooms in his houses to outside spaces. But he also contributed several ideas about collective dwelling, going past the single-family houses that dot the landscape.

R.M. Schindler, because he was known, was trained as an engineer and an architect in Vienna. He worked for only about a couple of years until he awakened the United States to work for a company in Chicago; he set sail the identical month as the outbreak of World War I.

Although he did not see the move as a permanent one at the moment, the war along with his employment by Frank Lloyd Wright a few years after the transfer colluded to maintain Schindler in the U.S. His transfer to Los Angeles and marriage to the sexually and socially involved Pauline Gibling at the end of the decade cemented his stay.

Over the course of his career by his training in Vienna to his apprenticeship in Chicago and years working in Los Angeles — Schindler moved from an architect-engineer to an architect-artist. Wright hired him due to his engineering knowledge, but lately after Schindler set out on his own, he had been charting a exceptional route with a distinctive style. Let us take a peek at a few of Schindler’s endeavors to see that the evolution of his formal and aesthetic sense and how he went beyond in his design.

Related: 10 Must-Know Modern Homes

The job that Schindler is famous for is the eponymous dwelling he built for his family and for buddy and engineer Clyde Chace in 1922. The Schindler House now serves at the home of the Vienna-based MAK Center, holding exhibitions of art and architecture. We’ll go into more detail about the house in a bit, but first it’s worth looking at a job Schindler worked on during his tenure with Frank Lloyd Wright.

The Hollyhock House, East Hollywood. Wright began designing the Hollyhock House for Aline Barnsdall in 1918; it had been finished in 1921, the year Schindler set out on his own. During this three-year period, Wright had been spending most of his time in Japan, overseeing the big Imperial Hotel. Therefore Schindler and Wright’s son did the drawings and oversaw the structure, respectively. Eventually Schindler took over all aspects of the project, also Barnsdall became a regular customer of Schindler’s after her house was finished.

As with most of Wright’s projects, the cost ballooned as the job went on, and Schindler had to make changes on his own, instead of wait for Wright’s acceptance from Japan. Schindler did not like the heavy and sculptural nature of the design, and changed a few of those aspects. Wright wasn’t delighted with the house’s outcome, saying: “It was finally completed with great difficulty … partly because I had to abandon it in amateur hands.”

The Hollyhock House reopened in 2015 after a huge renovation project.

The Schindler House, West Hollywood. The house Schindler built for his family and also the Chace family is exceptional for being a double dwelling, but also for its structure, its floor plan along with also the connection of the rooms to outside spaces. This perspective of Schindler’s study (his wife had a study nearby( both overlooking the identical patio) reveals the technical innovation: Walls are made from tilt-up concrete panels instead of wood framing; the hybrid structure of concrete walls, concrete flooring and timber roof provides the spaces their solid atmosphere. Narrow differences between the panels function as windows which maintain solitude; those walls confront the neighbors and the outside spaces of the Chace family.

Here is yet another perspective of Schindler’s library, showing the big windows and whistles overlooking the patio.

loc.gov

The type of the building reacts to the dual-dwelling nature of the project and also the production of outdoor spaces through three L-shaped pieces. The one in the foreground served the Schindlers, the one going away from us was to the Chaces, and also the one on the left contained the communal areas (kitchen, garage, guest room).

The elevated parts visible in the previous drawing, occurring at the knuckles of the Schindler and Chace volumes, function as entrances, as halls linking the two portions of the Ls, while also home bathrooms and, above all those, sleeping porches. The character of the spaces suggests that Schindler was influenced by Wright’s time spent in Japan.

loc.gov

The plan is exceptional not only for the way it defines indoor zones and outside spaces (seven distinct living spaces outside!) , but also since it’s totally without bedrooms. Inspired by prospective client Phillip Lovell’s thoughts on health and outdoor living, the households slept in the open in “sleeping baskets” which were lofts above the entrances. Schindler wasn’t the sole architect to embrace this idea (that the Greenes incorporated sleeping porches within their Gamble House), but sleeping lofts in a communal dwelling were exceptional.

Pueblo Ribera Court job, La Jolla. Schindler’s thoughts on communal dwelling continued in the Pueblo Ribera Court job in La Jolla, near San Diego. Hired to design a dozen dwellings on some land near the Pacific Ocean, Schindler put the bungalows in L-shaped pairs, each taking up one leg and overlooking to its own patio.

The architect also continued his stubborn focus on concrete over wood construction, designing banded walls which recalled some of Wright’s houses in timber. Reportedly the concrete structure, among other things, did not work well in the polluted atmosphere (deteriorating concrete and flows were common), but the dwellings remain to this day.

en.wikipedia.org

An endearing element of the layout — something which enabled the consumer to put up with all the greater cost of concrete and expected technical problems — would be that the rooftop terraces, marked with the timber trellises. Due to Schindler’s preparation of the bungalows and the incline of the website, every unit has views of the Pacific.

commons.wikimedia.org

J.E. Howe house, Los Angeles. The house for J.E. Howe in Los Angeles resembles the Pueblo Court job, but cement enclosures were eschewed in favor of timber (concrete remains to be found in the website walls in the foreground). Even though the plan and amounts of the house point to Schindler’s own style, the horizontal battens remember Wright’s architecture.

commons.wikimedia.org

Lovell Beach House, Newport Beach. Another beachfront job, in addition in cement, is back in the L.A. metro region, at Newport Beach. The beach house for healthy living urge Phillip Lovell is analyzed in detail in a Must-Know Modern Home ideabook, but the focus is on Schindler’s shift from architect-engineer to architect-artist. The impressive concrete framework propping the living spaces above the beach level could be seen as strictly in the realm of technology, but their sculptural character points to their form’s being as important as their technology attributes.

As in Schindler’s own house, sleeping porches are all provided in the Lovell Beach House. They were enclosed; examine this photograph to a taken earlier.

The plasticity of the house’s interior (the articulation and therapy of the surfaces and windows) is another sign of Schindler’s shift from technology to art. The house also plays a significant role in this shift, since he finally gave into the pressure to build with timber framing after this bravado concrete construction.

Even though Schindler’s Lovell Beach House wasn’t contained in the powerful 1932 “International Style” series at MoMA (buddy Richard Neutra’s Lovell Health House was, though), a few years after the exhibition Schindler established designs in accord with the curators’ aesthetic definitions of modernism. The light wood framing gave Schindler more liberty with all the volumes, and he treated their surfaces with stucco painted white. However, like his own house, this one is a multiple dwelling: The main house is to the left of the garage (the front door is right outside of the “no parking” sign), along with a rental unit is above the garage.

Bubeshko apartments, Los Angeles. Schindler designed apartment buildings in Los Angeles for A.L. Bubeshko, realized in two phases. The sloping site and also the angle where the street cut across it meant that the apartments were stepped in both plan and section. The former is most conspicuous at the garages, where every stage includes three bays. The stepped section gives each apartment a terrace, atop the ceiling of the one under it. Wright’s enduring impact can be seen in the powerful horizontal rooflines as well as the cosmetic caps of the walls by the garages at appropriate.

The Droste house, Hollywood. In his authoritative monograph on R.M. Schindler, David Beghard defines the time in the late 1920s to the second world war because the architect’s de Stijl period. This relates his work to the art and design style of the identical name, but the author asserts that it was a personal style that involved “the use of intersecting instead of singular volumes to set up their forms,” he states. The Droste House in Hollywood is a late example of the de Stijl, where the junction of volumes and planes is especially pronounced.

commons.wikimedia.org

Laurelwood Apartments, Studio City. Schindler’s postwar work isn’t as memorable as what he accomplished previously, particularly in the 1920s, but projects such as the Laurelwood Apartments in Los Angeles’ Studio City went well past the so-called “contractor-investment apartments” being built at precisely the exact same moment. He found auto courts in two volumes at the front of the complex (accessed from drives on both sides), also put a walkway between the two which resulted in the long outdoor distance between the splayed and mirrored apartment buildings.

Schindler’s biggest job, it utilized modular structure developed in the war and was designated a historic landmark. It received an outdoor recovery in 2011, and much more appreciate of the complex are seen in the flag below the American flag, proclaiming “Schindler Design Apartments.”

More: 10 Must-Know Modern Homes

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23 Ways to Place Your House in Hipster City

Most of us have that one hipster friend using a style that’s easily way more creative than our own. However, without spending our time and money at thrift shops, taking art classes or magically bending the space-time continuum to return and create our parents have cool furniture which we may now inherit, what can we do to make our houses look cool?

After sifting through heaps of houses, I’ve landed 23 spaces with cool design methods which everyone can benefit from.

Laura Garner

Laura Garner

Choose sensibly. A couple of well-chosen bits can oftentimes create a bigger design statement than attempting to force harmony among all your belongings. Montreal couple Marie-Laurence Tailleur Tremblay and Johan Högdahl are cautious to hold off buying any supplying unless they both know it is the ideal piece. “I know it when I see it,” Tailleur Tremblay states. “If I find something that I love, I won’t think twice about it.”

Watch more: Vintage Cool Style to get a Montreal Apartment

Lucy Call

Lucy Call

Kick it old. The older, more beat up and from date a bit is, the more hipster possible is available. Fashion boutique co-owner Ian Wade and freelancer programmer David Kamp mix a reclaimed wood dining room table, midcentury modern furnishings and DIY approaches — such as repurposing an old ladder as bookshelves — to create a potent recipe for hip decor. “My decorating style is one which adheres to usefulness,” Wade says. “I really don’t like clutter, and I don’t like things to be there with no real function.”

Watch more: Eclectic Repurposing Fits First-Time Homeowners in Utah

Jeff Jones Snap It Photography

Jeff Jones Snap It Photography

Go retro. Josh and Veralynn Kaiser, daughter Saoirse and puppy Calvin of Toledo, Ohio, have one keyword you’ll need to know before embarking on a hipster overhaul: retro. Checkerboard floors, ’50s-diner-inspired furniture and also a repurposed picket fence all nail the hipster profile. “Sometimes I think I was born in the wrong age,” Veralynn states.

Watch more: Retro Fun Brings an Ohio Home to Life

Lucy Call

Lucy Call

Buy industrial. Any space that was a former industrial something is the perfect hipster haven. That is why communications pupil Spencer Steed and his fiancée, Alex Tovey, a college admissions adviser, shack up in an old automobile garage.

Additionally, consider leaving things unfinished for a carefully orchestrated “Who cares?” look. “The appeal of living in an old automobile garage and designing with that aesthetic in mind was different and fun,” Steed says. “We likely won’t ever reside someplace quite enjoy this space again. It is our first place living together, which we’ll always remember.”

Watch more: From Deadly Space to Hip Home in a Converted Utah Garage

Lindsay von Hagel

Lindsay von Hagel

Display everything. Framing is not only for family photographs. Use small, big and medium frames to mix up everything from landmark photographs, old-timey portraits, little modern artwork pieces and collectibles. Then create a graphic wall along with other items and shelving. This VW-van-driving family paired their wall using Victorian-style chairs to get a winning mix.

Watch more: Swanky Vintage Style in Texas

Jeff Jones Snap It Photography

Jeff Jones Snap It Photography

Get a cool pet and paint a portrait. Danielle Herrera painted a number of the artworks inside her family’s home, for example, portrait of the pet parakeet, creating an eclectic, indie-art-gallery vibe.

Watch more: Quirky Art and Oddities Intrigue within an Ohio Lease

Lindsay von Hagel

Lindsay von Hagel

Add decorations and toys. Brian Gibb and his wife proudly exhibit a limited-edition toy collection in their home, such as these characters, which were created by Gibb to portray himself and his wife.

Additionally, they have a chandelier within their chicken coop. Enough said.

Watch more: Toys and Art Make Merry in a Texas Home

Madison Modern Home

Madison Modern Home

Find the proper words. Slightly provocative signs within an oversize font provide a hint of casual hipsterness, as in Angel Quintana’s home.

Watch more: Bohemian Elegance in a Little Space

Rikki Snyder

Rikki Snyder

Get a cat. The accession of a cat immediately raises your hipster intelligence capacity (HIP) with a factor of 3. However, you have to consider the way the cat’s color will fit in with your decor. Here, Caitlin Mociun and cat Judas perfectly complement the monochromatic, minimalist space.

Watch more: Eclectic, Minimalist Brooklyn Apartment

Alex Amend Photography

Alex Amend Photography

Blow it up. Oversize black and white photographs of hot landmarks create a stunning focal point that states two things: You are creative and you’re well traveled.

“I love Paris and Rome and nearly moved to Paris before deciding on San Francisco,” states Jason Galloway, shown here on the right. “It could be better to be in love with Paris than reside there, I guess.” Concerning the mural, he states, “I believe it really defines our space. The Eiffel Tower steel beams amidst trees and old buildings is my design.”

Welcome to hipsterdom.
Watch more: Comfortably Modern in San Francisco

Emily Campbell

Emily Campbell

Chill out. Kicking back is exactly what a hipster home is all about. So you can never have enough cushions, blankets, rugs and beanbags. (A hookah is discretionary.)

Watch more: Ultimate Live-Work Space Adapts to the Needs of the Day

Sarah Greenman

Sarah Greenman

Show people what you love. The type of music you enjoy speaks volumes about your character. Dallas couple and avid music lovers Joseph Rogers and Felix Lopez show some of their favorite recordings to add a dash of character to their living space.

Watch more: Eclectic Coziness in a Dallas Studio

Heather Merenda

Heather Merenda

Go highbrow. By all means, hang whatever art you desire. However, every home should have a minumum of one art piece that reflects a hint of elegant taste. Sandra Zovko and Simon Woodcock added a wall screen of Helmut Newton photographs.

Watch more: Vintage Charm in Vancouver

Becki Peckham

Becki Peckham

Be cool as a household. A glowing and well-organized playroom is a hallmark of a hipster home. And this Canadian household understands a thing or two about being hip. Eight-year-old Brennen has skulls on his sweater, so therefore he is cooler than you by default. So is their greyhound, Rumble, who has a skull-print collar.

Watch more: Universal Design Makes an 8-Year-Old texture at Home

Theresa Fine

Theresa Fine

Be sociable. Where’s the TV, you ask? Not only in this living area. Noelani Zervas, such as most hipsters, opts for much more social areas, where hanging with friends and participating in conversation trumps staring at a flat-screen all evening.

Watch more: Antiques Mingle With Modern Style in a 1920s Tudor

Sarah Greenman

Sarah Greenman

Mix it up. “I think for us the largest challenge is avoiding this generic impression on a tight budget,” states Rebecca Tourino Collinsworth. “Nobody wants to feel like a McFamily in a McNeighborhood.” Her layout success stems from blending hand-me-down bits and original art so everything is not matchy-matchy.

Watch more: Deadly Character in 1,000 Square Feet

Lauren Mikus

Lauren Mikus

Add yarn cupcakes. Show me a knitted dessert item and I will show you a hipster’s home. “From the minute you walk in to my home, you can sense my adoration for cupcakes,” states Denver resident Caylin Engle. “I have gathered quite the collection through the last few years and love showing them in miscellaneous nooks.”

Watch more: Color and Cupcakes in a Denver Loft

Sara Bates

Sara Bates

Expose that brick. Gritty, raw elements balanced with comfy, lighter accents create a exceptional style blend. Philadelphia couple Percy Bright and Tara Mangini removed a large cabinet system in their bedroom, revealing a brick wall using cracked plaster. Instead of plastering over the wall, they must work with a chisel.

Watch more: DIY Efforts Transform a South Philly Row House

Chris A Dorsey Photography

Chris A Dorsey Photography

Be a kid. Sometimes being stylish is as straightforward as celebrating your childhood. Laura Lee Gulledge channels her inner child within her Brooklyn, New York, flat, complete with a tiny Alice in Wonderland–recalling doorway. “Everything in my flat is inspirational. It’s fine, because writing can sometimes feel like a solitary endeavor. When I’m here I’m surrounded by imagination,” she says.

Watch more: The Antidote to Dreariness, in One Little Brooklyn Apartment

Lauren Mikus

Lauren Mikus

Keep it in your family. Comedian Adam Cayton-Holland attributes what he cals his “tenured professor’s workplace” style mainly to family heirlooms and his father’s library in the house they grew up in. “My father had only festooned the area with treasures — Indian arrowheads, old flashes, garudas from Indonesia, Persian carpets, old bulbs,” Cayton-Holland states. “It’s very diverse, but everything has the sense of being a treasure. I’ve always wanted to emulate ‘the library’ in the living room”

Watch more: Travel Treasures Personalize a Denver Comedian’s Home

Corynne Pless

Corynne Pless

Can it yourself. The easiest way to have a space that truly reflects who you are is to design it yourself with custom-made bits. That is Kate Roebuck’s philosophy. She spiffed up her and her husband’s lease in Mississippi with various textiles that she made herself.

“With almost any rental you have to be imaginative to cover exactly what you don’t want anyone else to see,” Roebuck says. “You can slap pattern and something sparkly on anything, and it is immediately better”

Watch more: Artful Character Colors a Textile Designer’s Home

Cynthia Lynn Photography

Cynthia Lynn Photography

Don’t overdo it. “Don’t rush into all your renovations all at one time,” says Chicago resident Susie Daly. “Spend a good deal of time thinking about different styles, layouts, colours — you just get one opportunity with a great deal of renovations you’re going to do, so make sure that you’re going to appreciate it.”

Watch more: Color and Vintage Style Jazz Up Tradition in Chicago

Chris A Dorsey Photography

Chris A Dorsey Photography

Surround yourself with you. Don’t be afraid of embracing the things you treasure. Displaying knickknacks that remind you of an awesome holiday or a dear friend will make you much happier. That is what New Yorker Amanda Barlow does in her home using “things that really reflect me and create the space a bit more personal,” she states. “I feel like this is the weakest space in New York.”

Watch more: Color and Pattern Create a Manhattan Apartment Sing

Your turn: Show us your hipster pad!

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Outfit a Beach House From Deck into Drawer Knobs

Whether you are in the process of fixing up a beach home or dream of owning one, this ideabook is chock full of ideas for fixing up your escape. Here you will find products, ideas and color schemes, from outside showers and whirlpool decks to paint colors inspired from the sea and sand.

Butler Armsden Architects

The ideal beach houses exude a simple outdoor-living vibe, and that implies decks, and tons of them. If you are renovating a shore home, surrounding it with decking is a must.

Go with walnut for a classic look that will weather to a faded grey with time, or choose hard-wearing composite decking.

Design Within Reach

Deck Light | Design Within Reach – $425

Classic nautical-style outdoor light fixtures look at home on shore houses of all kinds. This one from Design Within Reach is magnificent and would work equally well indoors.

Etsy

Copper Steel Outdoor Lighting – $39.99

This cute copper outdoor light provides plenty of shore chic for less than $40.

Siemasko + Verbridge

Think flexible, open and simple. If your existing installation has many small rooms, then consider working with a pro to rip down a couple of walls and open up the space.

FLOR

Side by Side Carpet Tile – $13.99

With sand, salt and damp towels, the floors of a shore home take a serious beating. Avoid wall-to-wall carpeting, which will just drive you nuts — instead, consider carpet tiles in which you desire a little bit of color and softness. They are stain resistant, and also you are able to replace every one as needed.

Ceiling Fan Universe

Emerson Electric CF765 60-Inch Loft Ceiling Fan – $249

A great fan (or two or longer) is essential in a sultry climate. Swap wobbly, noisy old ceiling fans for glossy new versions similar to this stunning and exceptionally powerful version from Emerson Electric.

IKEA

Maskros Pendant Lamp – $49.99

An announcement light fixture is a fun signature, especially in a great area with high ceilings. This pendant light from Ikea is a designer preferred yet costs just 50 bucks.

Sherwin-Williams

Sea Salt SW6204 Paint

When it comes to picking paint colors, allow the landscape outside your windows inspire you. Sea Salt from Sherwin-Williams is a beautiful pale blue-gray reminiscent of morning light in the shore.

Benjamin Moore

Camouflage 2143-40 Paint

A classic sandy impartial like Camouflage from Benjamin Moore won’t steer you wrong.

Rethink Design Studio

Crisp white walls and ceilings create the perfect background for colorful art collections, and a tiled floor feels superbly cool on sexy feet.

Candelabra

Regina Andrew Apple, Saucer and Cigar Jute Pendants

Woven materials and natural fibers are an ideal match with beachfront houses. Jute, sisal and sea grass rugs are a very inexpensive and always-welcome signature, but I especially love these jute pendant lights. Hang a cluster over the table.

Contemporary Floor Tiles

These slate tiles really are practical and stunning. Put them in the entry, in the kitchen throughout the whole living area.

Plato Woodwork, Inc..

A beach home is a natural draw for weekend guests, and it is inevitable that everyone ends up in the kitchen. Keep yours open with easy-access open shelves and glass-front closets, and add an ample island.

ShelfGenie National

If it seems there is never enough pantry space whenever you are feeding a crowd, consider devoting an extra corner of your kitchen to storage. Pullout pantry shelves like those shown here keep all tidy and accessible.

Fixture Universe

Kohler Brockway Wash Utility Sink

A triple sink similar to this one from Kohler would be just the thing to keep little ones from tramping through the home without washing up.

Island Stone

Muir Beach Shower

You can not fail with glass tile in Caribbean blue paired with an easy glass shower in the bath. Just remember that if little ones are frequent guests, you may wish to also have a bathtub in one of the guest baths — otherwise they’re bound to wind up utilizing the master bathtub.

Anthropologie

Eight-Arms Hook – $48

This octopus hook from Anthropologie is on the pricey side, but it would add a good deal of bang for your buck in a little bathroom.

The Home Depot

Solistone Anatolia Honed Agate Natural Stone Pebble Mosaic – $13

This textured pebble mosaic tile might look amazing in the master bath.

Andra Birkerts Design

Painted floors feel fresh and calming in the bedrooms. They’re also a great cost-saving tip for covering imperfect wood floors.

Wickes

Matte Aqua Paint

This light colored would look amazing on the floor of a beach home bedroom with white walls and airy white curtains.

Rethink Design Studio

A great budget tip for carving out extra sleeping space is hanging curtains. They provide each guest solitude but keep a fun, carefree camp setting. Fantastic for hosting a large clan.

Colors of Light

Deck Stripe Shade Pendant Light – $159

A good classic striped pendant light such as this is simply the thing in a guest room or child’s space.

Mythic Paint

Sunny Side Up Paint – $6.99

As vivid as the sun shining outside, this warm yellow paint would cheer up a tiny guest room or room.

Etsy

Jute Rope Knot Knob by Kris Krafting – $7.50

Swap out dull old knobs with these jute rope knots for a fast update that may modify the appearance of an whole room.

Shannon Malone

A proper outdoor shower is a shore house essential. In case you have the room, a whole walk-in shower with hot and cold water is a luxury worth.

The Orvis Company

Outdoor Shower – $325

A great budget option is a freestanding exterior shower like the one shown here — simply hook it up to a hose and move.

Frank Shirley Architects

At any time you have the option, add additional ways to get outside — doors and sliding glass doors from every bedroom leading to the deck really are a beautiful touch.

Don Duffy Architecture

Inform us : Do you have a beach home or dream of owning you?

Guides and homes: Find your own coastal style

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What's Mother Taught You About Making a House?

Many of us have learned valuable life skills from our moms. From day one Mother taught us how to take care of ourselves. From feeding us to instructing us how to cook ; from cleaning up after us to creating us clean in our own; from repairing our broken messes into instructing us to fix ourselves, moms have helped us to have our very own houses.

For this Mother’s Day, please tell us what particular thing — large or small — your mom taught you about making a more welcoming, practical home. Post a photo if you can. Your comment may end up in an upcoming showcased ideabook.

Here is my own mother, Carrie, with my sister, Emily, and me.

My mother had me and my three siblings throwing on housework back when the broom was taller than I was. Although we complained bitterly at the time, I’m so grateful to her for stoking my affection for a neat and clean household — especially her handy tip of crossing dust from hardwood flooring onto the carpeting and vacuuming everything up in one fell swoop — and helping me find the sweet pride in a clean house.

Rain or shine, the answer to “I am tired” in my childhood house was, “Go outside and play” Mother believed in clean air, sun and playing living things — and I owe my love of nature, gardening and being outdoors to her continuous prodding. Oh, yes, you will find many Saturdays spent weeding, moving stones and planting flowers — and yes, I hated it. But now I would kill for a garden to muck around in.

Both gardeners in this picture are not related to me, but it seems we all share a love of nature.

decordemon

Obviously, sometimes our mothers teach us what not to do, and we can be grateful for this, also. Hey, nobody’s ideal, and a few of us may owe a specific strength to a mother’s minor flaws.

My mother are the first to admit that fixing things — jiggly doorknobs, clogged toilets and broken dishwashers — isn’t her forte. OK, it is not my forte either, but the fact that both of my little brothers are whizzes using a hammer and a screwdriver helps compensate for it.

Inform us What has your mom taught you to do at home? How has she helped you to make your property what it is today? See a picture of your mother and we’d love to hear your story and you in the home.

More: Time Travel into ers’ Childhood Homes

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6 Ways to Rethink Your Patio Floor

Dreaming of making over your patio? Start with a solid foundation. Start your preparation process with this quick guide to patio flooring options — estimate expenses, get to understand the procedure and learn which substances are primed to your DIY jobs (and that can be best left to the pros).

Here you’ll discover the nuts and bolts of working with a few of the most well-known choices, from foolproof classics, like brick and bluestone, to innovative new materials, like wood decking tiles.

Portal Design Inc

Concrete Patios

Concrete is so commonly used that it’s easy to overlook its positive attributes. A concrete patio exudes contemporary appeal, and it is perfect for spaces where you want crisply defined edges.
Estimated price: $5 to $10 per square foot, set up
Guru or DIY? Hire a pro. Concrete sets very fast, therefore it is very unforgiving. Unless you already have experience working with concrete, it is probably best to leave this task to the specialists.
Process photo: First, the area to your concrete patio must be dug out and leveled. Next, barriers are set up that will decide the shape of the patio. Filler material like gravel is spread out, and then the concrete is poured, leveled, completed and cured.

Coates Design Architects Seattle

Get creative using concrete slabs. With this contemporary patio, big square slabs of concrete define the seating area surrounding an outside fireplace. When you are designing with concrete, you can even leave segments open for plantings, trees or other garden features, developing a custom look that fits your space perfectly.

Chioco Design

Wood Decking

Wood decks are classic and comfortable, plus they fit in just about anywhere. Remember that wood does require more upkeep than other substances, though composite decking is an option if you want the appearance of wood with less maintenance.
Estimated price: $15 to $30 and up per square foot set up; $6 to $11 per square foot DIY
Pro or DIY? Most people may want to hire a professional for this — decks connected to the house may require permits. Nevertheless, a little, simple wood deck isn’t out of reach for a seasoned do-it-yourselfer.
Process photo: A ledger is set up to connect the deck to the house. Beams and joists are set on concrete piers, and decking is put on top.

Build a Gorgeous platform deck at a weekend

Koch Architects, Inc.. Joanne Koch

Deck tiles. This innovative material is designed to be snapped together, developing a modular deck virtually everywhere. It is perfect for covering up an unattractive surface or developing a new patio quickly and easily.
Estimated price: $4 to $10 per square foot, depending on the substance and origin
Guru or DIY? Easy DIY
Process snapshot: Snap together the tiles in whatever configuration you select. Depending upon the tiles, you may also have to stain and seal them to protect them from the components.

John Kraemer & Sons

Brick and Stone

A brick patio has a magical, old-world appearance that would be right at home in any number of settings.
Estimated price: $8 to $16 per square foot, set up
Guru or DIY? A little, simple brick patio working with the dry-laid method can be set up in a couple of weekends of dedicated work by someone who’s DIY savvy. A large patio or one with a intricate layout is probably best left to the experts.
Process: A mason laying a brick patio will start by digging and leveling to prepare the ground. He or she’ll then lay concrete on top of crushed gravel or stone to form a base before placing the bricks with mortar.

Legendary Luxury Homes

Dry-laid versus brick. If you decide to go the DIY route with your brick patio, you will probably want to try out the dry-laid method instead of deal with mortar. This involves building a wooden frame exactly the ideal size to include your bricks (which means you’ll want to triple check your dimensions!) And then matching the bricks closely together within the frame. This method is much easier than mortar, and permits you to pull up and substitute broken bricks as required.

On the flip side, a professionally laid, mortared brick patio will likely last longer, have fewer problems with weeds and also be more perfectly level.

Westover Landscape Design, Inc..

Bluestone. A lovely and weatherproof substance, bluestone comes in varied shades, ranging from pale lilac to deep slate blue.
Estimated price: $17 to $32 and up per square foot installed. Note that because bluestone is quarried in the southern U.S., transport costs to the West can add much to the last price .
Guru or DIY? Hire a professional stone mason. Large stones can be extremely heavy and hard to position, and developing a lovely pattern like the one displayed here is an art.
Process snapshot: A mason degrees and prepares the area, and supplies for proper drainage. The dug-out space is full of about a foot of gravel along with a thin layer of stone dust at the top. Finally the bluestone is put closely, generally with no mortar.

450 Architects, Inc..

Flagstone. Common, comparatively affordable and hard wearing, flagstone is a favorite choice for paths and patios.
Estimated price: $10 to $19 per square foot set up; $3 to $5 per square foot DIY
Guru or DIY? A little flagstone patio is a doable multiweekend DIY if you are feeling up for it. Otherwise, hiring a specialist is the thing to do.
Process snapshot: Dig out the patio area about 6 inches deep, fill it with gravel, then top it with a thin layer of coarse sand. Set each bit of flagstone into place just like puzzle pieces, leaving roughly the exact same amount of distance between stone. Gaps can be full of gravel, sand or ground cover crops.

Bagnato Architects

Inform usAre you currently planning to lay a new patio flooring? Which is your favorite material?

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