Archives for March 2015

15 Ideas for a Stunning Garden Path

Screen Shot 2015-03-12 at 4.10.44 PMLet your imagination roam as you consider the many types of walkways possible in your garden

Paths are invitations to explore, to step out of your home and venture into nature — even if it’s your own backyard. In fact, a thoughtfully designed path can turn a simple walk across the yard into an opportunity to slow down and notice your surroundings. From a stepping stone path leading through a shady woodland to a wide tree-lined path meant for walking hand in hand, here are 15 ideas for creating the garden path of your dreams.

Top Kitchen Design Trends of 2015

Planning a big kitchen renovation and want to know what’s right on trend?

Then check out this infographic from Pennywell and start planning!

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Architectural Elegance With the Addition of Built-Ins

Screen Shot 2015-03-11 at 8.30.48 AMCustom shelves solve a clutter issue, while travel mementos add personality to the home of a family of 5 in Ontario

It’s the details that make a difference. For a family home in Ontario, Canada, those details included built-in shelves. “Built-ins provide the wow in our home,” says interior designer Tawnessa Carter. “I have always loved them, and after we bought this old house, I asked my husband to put built-in shelves in every room.” Fortunately, husband Bill Cronin is an artist and a handyman, so he was up to building and installing custom shelves in all of their main rooms to provide storage and display space for treasured items the couple found while traveling and at local stores, secondhand shops and flea markets.

10 Retro Items Ripe for a Revival

Screen Shot 2015-03-11 at 8.28.57 AMTake a trip down memory lane through a world of innovative items from the past

The ceaseless march of progress may have brought smartphones and flat-screen TVs into our lives, but what’s happened to all those technological objects and interiors innovations from the past? Let’s celebrate some of these retro goodies, from the electric blanket to the happy-tappy typewriter. I urge you to browse these much-loved but frequently forgotten items and gadgets and consider their worth once more.

What to Know Before You Paint Your Walls White

Screen Shot 2015-03-11 at 8.26.35 AMA coat of white paint can do wonders in one room and wreak havoc in another. Here’s what to know about using the popular hue

There are few better ways to bring a fresh start to a home’s interior than by painting it white. This clean-slate strategy is often used immediately upon the purchase of a new home. I’ve known clients who prime the walls white even before the boxes arrive on move-in day.

But the same white paint that makes one room seem magical can make another look frighteningly chilly. As with all colors, white has an associated temperature, mood, light reflectivity and style, along with maintenance requirements and history. Ignore these elements, and your seemingly fresh, crisp white paint can make your space feel completely off. But worry not. Oftentimes all it takes is just a little addition of another color to warm things up or tone them down. Here’s what to consider before you paint your walls white.

7 Ways to Work a Deck

Screen Shot 2015-03-09 at 11.21.34 AMLayer it, bump it out, wrap it around a tree. Get inspiration with these ideas for adding a deck to your yard

A deck can beautifully bridge the gap between indoors and out, providing an inviting, comfortable space from which to enjoy your backyard. And far from being a basic rectangle at the back of the house, a deck can be customized to fit your house and lifestyle to a T. Read on for 17 deck designs to get your creativity flowing.

5 Types of Sloping Roofs That Hit the Right Pitch

Screen Shot 2015-03-05 at 3.52.11 PMThese modern houses approach the everyday roof from a different angle

roof is one of the most functional aspects of any house, providing the very essence of shelter. But just because it serves this important purpose doesn’t mean it can’t be an exciting architectural feature. By considering the roof’s pitch — the steepness — and the combination or intersection of planes, you can turn your home not only into something visually unique, but into a more functional space for living. Here we consider five types of sloping roofs and their pitch-perfect benefits.

21 Reasons to Decorate With Purple

Screen Shot 2015-03-09 at 11.24.25 AMWhatever shade you choose — lilac, plum, mauve or aubergine — purple makes a statement

Helen Mirren caused a stir in the media recently when she had the chutzpah to ride the New York subway, sitting next to — shock, horror — a real person. But what also got people going was that she was wearing — wait for it — purple gloves. If she had been wearing black, green or even orange gloves, her handwear would hardly have warranted a mention, but purple, and it’s a headline.

You see, purple can be a quirky color. It’s not always easy to get right (Mirren did), and it’s a color that people tend to either love or find repellent. I’m definitely in the former camp, but I’ve been a bit scared to use it ever since painting my bedroom a pretty shade of lavender, only for a friend to remark some time later, “Yuck, who would ever choose that color paint?” But as these photos show (not one a child’s bedroom), purple in all its hues — whether a little bit or a lot is used — can be lovely and even sophisticated.

The Best NHL teams of All Time

Picking the best NHL team of all time is an easy task for me, because I’m biased to my hometown Montreal Canadiens. There are many stand out teams, many great players, and times where one team dominated for years. The teams selected here were based on the amount of Stanley Cups they have won, the hall of famers in the team, and their period of dominance primarily. There is no team from after 1990 featured which is interesting. This list tracks the best NHL teams from the Ottawa Senators team of 1919 to 1927 to the Edmonton Oilers of 1983 to 1990. This info-graphic from Tucker Hockey outlines the greatest achieving NHL teams and lists the successes the teams had during their periods of dominance.

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