Decorating Guides

Talk: Learn Cushions' Lingo

Cushions and pillows in almost any space introduce colour, texture and form — all vital design elements when you’re finessing a room. These days we’re bombarded with all kinds of styles and shapes of cushions, and here you’ll learn the ins and outs of the amazingly complex part of decor. Then you can impress your cushion maker with your knowledge of terms such as “bobble fringe,” “knife edge” and “Turkish corner.” Deborah French Designs The term “cushion” was used in writings as far back as the Middle Ages. Made of sackcloth or leather, filled with wool or hair and often embroidered, these big items were much more like the floor cushions of today. In the U.S., the terms “pillow” and “cushion” can be interchangeable. In a number of other Western nations, a pillow is usually larger and for sleeping, while a cushion is used for lounging. Most standard cushions available…

Tropical Style

California Gardener's December Checklist

As a way to make us love what we needed, I suppose, my mother used to tell a girlhood story about trudging through the California foothills gathering red toyon berries to sell for holiday decorations. She was not the sole toyon bandit. In the 1920s collecting toyon berries has been so popular in Los Angeles, specifically, that the state of California passed a law against it. Thus we still can admire the toyon’s December series of bright red berries in our parks and wild spaces. Toyon is also an superb garden plant (see below). Its other name, California holly, suggests a California”lite” version of traditional English holly; it has larger, brighter berries and larger, glossier, greener leaves. I love to look at toyon for what it is: a distinctive reminder of California’s own international melting-pot traditions in our gardens as well as in our houses and parties. As a continuous…

Fireplaces

Trundle Beds Double Away On Design

I have always been partial to trundle beds. My youth bedroom features a white iron daybed with a pop-up trundle underneath, and buddies who slept over thought that it was the funniest thing to have a “secret” bed that pulled out at a minute’s notice. Originally designed as a sleeping pad for servants that remained by the family’s side during the night, trundles have evolved into a time-honored solution for optimizing overnight quarters without consuming undue space. These trendy trundles choose the old favorite to a new level of chic. Which one is your favorite? Inform us in the Comments. Malcolm Davis Architecture This trundle expands the functionality and spices up the design of a spare, slender guestroom/office. The desk appears as though it would be useful for keeping nighttime reading than for doing actual work — you would have to sit cross-legged to write or type. Casart Coverings Trundles…

Eclectic Homes

Bold Wallpaper Kicks Up a Century-Old Craftsman

After purchasing her dream home, a traditional Craftsman bungalow, Lisa Hebner Vila started searching for pieces to fill the new space for her and her loved ones. Vila understood what she wanted but was having trouble making her full vision. One day while sofa shopping with her mother, Vila met Matthew Brenner of Matthew Craig Interiors. “I told Matthew that I wanted quite big, bold background in my living room,” Vila states, “and he encouraged me to do it. When I walked into the shop, I did not expect to walk out with a designer” Together with Brenner’s aid, Vila managed to design a kid-friendly and modern but appropriate interior for her newly renovated Craftsman home. in a GlanceWho lives here: Lisa Hebner Vila; her husband, Gilbert Greenman; and her 3 kidsSize: 2,700 square feet: 4 bedrooms, two full bathroomsLocation: Wallingford neighborhood of SeattleThat’s intriguing: whilst renovating the house, Vila…

Fireplaces

Rooting for Indoor Trees

Trees are for forests; they can live inside. In fact, indoor trees are a wonderful way to bring a bit of the outdoors in your home. Just be sure the tree you’re planning to get is suitable for indoor usage. Ficus, jade, Norfolk Island pines, citrus trees and palms are some common indoor trees. Whether you opt for a regular ficus tree, which can be purchased at most home improvement centers, or a rare specimen, a tree adds a exceptional presence to any interior. Be sure to follow the maintenance instructions for your chosen plant, and prune trees to keep their shape. Listed below are a dozen insides that feature indoor trees. In the bathroom to the entryway into the dining area, there’s no area of the house that can not benefit from a living, growing accent. Island Architects Ficus are a common indoor tree, and here you can see…

Porches

Update Your Front Entry the Budget-Friendly Way

Although the outside front entrance is among the most significant spots in a home to maintain tip-top shape, in addition, it tends to become among the most neglected. A lot of us don’t even use the front door on a regular basis. If you’re like me, you head indoors right from the garage and think about the front door just when guests or package-delivery people come knocking. Next chance you get, measure out, stand in front of your entrance and examine it as though you’re a visitor. You may be amazed by what needs tweaking — a lackluster sconce, crumbling mortar on brick measures or a doorway which blends into the surrounding walls. In case your porch, stoop, door and other components could use a little oomph, try out these budget-friendly pointers and finds to bring them to life. Camber Construction 1. Swap your light fixture out. It’s wonderful how…

Eclectic Homes

Home Tech: Too, Pets Need Gadgets

Sure, most of us love our cellular phones, tablet computers, Internet-connected TVs and other consumer electronics toys. However, what about our furry friends? Cats and dogs can benefit from the same technologies humans do. New technology can improve the health, safety and enjoyment of your pet — and also make the whole pet experience more enjoyable and enjoyable for you, also. Actually, you could argue that pets need technology more than we do. With no opposable thumbs or the capacity of language, pets need that the empowering technologies even more than we do. Electronic Pet Door With One-Touch Programming – $1,149 Wireless for Simple Access Pet doors are typical. They’re also debatable. The most well-known types are little more than heavy rubber flaps that dogs and cats can push ahead with their minds, providing them access to the great outside and then back into the home. However, such doorways also…

Color

5 Easy Tips To Choosing Your Own Exterior Paint Palette

Since I live in an older neighborhood without a homeowners association or bylaws, there are no rules and regulations that dictate exterior paint colours. The majority of the time, that is a very good thing. Recently, however, our neighbors adorned their home a color of green that … well, let’s just say it has gotten a lot of stares, rather than the flattering kind. Unlike inside colours, exterior colors can influence the whole road — and that puts a lot of pressure on homeowners in regards to choosing a palette. A number of factors come into play that you don’t have to manage on the inside of landscaping a home, hardscaping, roofing and much more. Follow this advice to choose a colour scheme that works both for your own style and to your home’s surroundings. Sicora Design/Build Plan around the elements that are hardest to change. Unless you’re doing a…