Design IDEAS
Old Country style: Using that floor as a springboard, Kendall chose a toile wallpaper to complement it. “It’s classic but modern and will never go out of style,” she says. Below the chair rail, black Anaglypta — a kind of textured wallpaper — grounds the room while adding subtle dimension. The Oriental rug, a gift from a design friend, picks up the black accents while adding a splash of bright color. Instead of a conventional white ceiling, Kendall chose an earthy metallic bronze color to contrast and highlight the crown molding. “When you paint the ceiling a color, whether it be a soft neutral, a bold color or even wallpaper, it really gives an unexpected wow factor,” she says. She plans to add a painted trompe l’oeil design to the ceiling. One of her challenges was finding the right chandelier. “I was willing to wait to find the exact perfect chandelier and did not want to settle,” she says of the vintage fixture she eventually found. “And I have never seen another one like it.” The furniture is a mixture of flea market finds and pieces passed down through the family. At the head of the table sits a carver chair, which has a carved design on the back. Kendall’s father-in-law was...
Wireless networking is known as Wi-Fi, which is the industry name for Wireless Local Area Network communication technology related to the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers’ 802.11 family of wireless network standards. Wi-Fi is a radio signal. But unlike the big radio towers blasting high-powered signals to thousands and thousands of cars, homes and businesses, the Wi-Fi signal only travels short distances.
On the minimalist end of the spectrum: hanging a few small pails across a tension rod in your kitchen as a makeshift herb garden. The mounting hardware can be had on the cheap from your local hardware store, and all you need are a few grocery store seedlings and a sunny window to freshen your kitchen with the scent of aromatic herbs.
Bunker. When a family of four living in the U.S. Virgin Islands asked their architect to build them a compact new home, there was a catch — it had to be 20 feet underground. Taking a minimalist approach, Robeson Design opted for sliding doors and custom-designed furniture that could be extended or retracted to create convertible living spaces.
Try tinted chalkboard paint. There’s more to chalkboard paint than black and green. The paint has come a long way and can now be tinted in any color imaginable. Try taping out a large rectangle and filing it with colored chalk paint to create a fun feature wall in the kitchen, mudroom or play space. Bonus: Get even more from your chalkboard wall by applying several coats of magnetic paint first.
Pickling adds a white tint with the wood grain showing through —accomplished using a stain... whitewashing traditionally means lime and chalk have been added to a binder to both lighten and cover wood grain and stains. Today whitewashing is achieved using a ready-made “whitewash” stain or by painting wood with a diluted paint mixture.
Very interesting! Wing-back chair, Melt lamp, Trace table, by Tom Dixon
A motorized sliding storage element crates distinct spaces within a compact 390 sf Manhattan apartment including a dedicated dressing room. The television rotates 360 degrees for view from the living room or spaces created around the sliding element.
This gorgeous blue metallic wall-covering shimmers in the light. If your taste runs higher than your budget supports, keep in mind that powder rooms are fairly small spaces, so you typically don’t need a large amount of material to do the job.
Because you need an excuse to use up your paint samples. Don’t throw out your paint samples just because you’ve decided against that particular shade for the walls. Instead, save the miniature cans and revamp an old dresser or chair. You’ll end up with something you won’t find anywhere else.
Owners transformed this sun porch (off the kitchen on the main level), With new carpet and a cozy daybed dressed in neutral gray linens, it now is one of their favorite spaces in the house, serving as a comfortable guest room and a gathering spot when no guests are there.
BEFORE garage turned studio apt.
#3: garage turned studio apt.: The living space and a sleeping loft occupy one side of the studio. The wall of the loft that faces the couch has a gas fireplace and a built-in TV. Beneath the loft is a utility closet with a washer and dryer. The loft is reached by a staircase that contains storage as well as steps that slide in and out of a wall.
#2: garage now studio apt.
#1: A double garage turned 'studio apt.'
So Donna would have a place to be creative in, Steve made a concealed studio behind the bookcase in the living room; it doubles as a home office.
WOW...this north-facing wall between two dormer windows features a mural suggesting a view over Manhattan’s skyline, by artist Matt Austin.
Love this.
DYI: cut the back off a cabinet and recessed it into the wall, attached molding overhead to make it look built-in, and designed and fashioned the fold-down, swiveling ironing board system herself. The adjacent side has plenty of room for all of her ironing equipment. Tip: If you set up something like this, make sure it’s close to an electrical outlet.
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