Archives for 2015

10 Rules for Your Next Painting Project

May 4, 2015 By EmmanuelFonte Leave a Comment

Take your next painting journey from ‘argh!’ to ‘ta-da!’ with these designer tricks

Color has always held a special place in my heart. When I was about 9 years old, my parents came up with the great idea that they would let my brother and me redecorate our bedrooms. For me, a young, creative and somewhat excitable child, this was the equivalent of being let loose in a dream world. Off to the paint store we went to choose our new hues. I remember this moment vividly, because I ran around picking out swatches and making color combinations I thought were fantastic. Had my parents known that they would walk out that day with a can each of Sunflower Yellow, Lime Green and Wedgwood Blue, they may have thought twice about giving us the ultimate creative control. Sorry, Mum and Dad!

A little knowhow can go a long way when painting, whether you’re choosing neutrals, pastels or brights. Follow these rules to help guide you to your next color triumph.

10 Rules for Your Next Painting Project

Filed Under: Blog, Home Remodel

Built-In Bed And Storage For Almost Everything

May 3, 2015 By EmmanuelFonte Leave a Comment

Russian design firm INT2architecture, have created a contemporary bedroom that features a built-in bed with plenty of storage. It even has a screen projector.

Filed Under: Blog, Furniture

How High Should Your TV Be?

May 2, 2015 By EmmanuelFonte Leave a Comment

Today we look at an important question to consider when locating your television: How high should you set it?

A home without a television is like a castle in the clouds — it exists only in fairy tales. And that’s only a slight overstatement. The Nielsen Company reports that 96.7 percent of U.S. homes have television sets. In my experience, over the course of hundreds of home construction projects, I can’t recall a single instance in which one of our clients designed a home without the television’s location in mind.

This reality creates design challenges as home designers consider room orientation with the competing possible focal points of exterior views, fireplaces and televisions. Today we will look at one critical factor to consider when locating your television: height. It’s not the only thing you should think about, to be sure, but if you place your television too high in relation to its space and intended use, you might end up with regrets and, quite literally, a pain in your neck.

How High Should Your TV Be?

Filed Under: Blog, Home Care

What to Know About Using Reclaimed Wood in the Kitchen

May 1, 2015 By EmmanuelFonte Leave a Comment

One-of-a-kind lumber warms a room and adds age and interest

Everyone is buzzing about reclaimed wood. But why, how and where should you use it? In the kitchen, there are plenty of fantastic opportunities, from floors and cabinets to island accents and floating shelves, all the way up to ceilings and ceiling beams. You can also add the material in furniture, accessories and light fixtures.

Why choose reclaimed wood in the kitchen? For one thing, lots of these woods are no longer available — today’s lumber comes from much younger, less dense trees. “The warmth from the natural colors from the reclaimed wood’s patina is remarkable, and the integrity of the wood due to the tree’s age is unmatched,” says Malachi Milbourn, who creates furniture from reclaimed wood. “We enjoy uncovering the character, texture and beauty that salvaged timber has to offer.” And so should you. Reclaimed wood will bring warmth, rustic charm, character and a sense of history to the heart of your home.

What to Know About Using Reclaimed Wood in the Kitchen

Filed Under: Blog, Home Remodel

What to Know About Controlling Dust During Remodeling

April 30, 2015 By EmmanuelFonte 1 Comment

You can’t eliminate dust during construction, but there are ways to contain and remove as much of it as possible

Dust is everywhere, all the time. But during a remodeling project, it’s particularly abundant — and potentially hazardous. All sorts of nasty stuff gets kicked up while demolishing walls, taking apart cabinets and removing tile. And it’s not for the faint of heart. Waste from bugs, mice, spiders and bats; silica from drywall; lead particles from old paint — if it was in your walls or subfloor, it’s probably going to be in your home (and lungs). Unless, that is, your remodeling crew has a solid strategy for containing and removing the dust from your home.

“Construction can produce inhalable respirable particles that are regulated pollutants; they’re unhealthful, so it’s entirely appropriate to do some kind of mitigation when doing construction activities,” says Brett Singer, an indoor air quality scientist at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. There are several strategies for doing this, and if dust is a concern to you, it’s important to have a conversation with your contractor when taking bids to determine how they plan to contain construction particles. Here are some things to think about before having that talk.

What to Know About Controlling Dust During Remodeling

Filed Under: Blog, Home Remodel

8 Ways to Use Plug-In Sconces in Your Lighting Scheme

April 29, 2015 By EmmanuelFonte Leave a Comment

Plug-in, wall-mounted sconces help unclutter desks, add visual interest and more. See if they are right for you

If you’ve dismissed plug-in sconces in the past, you may want to give them another look. Without any wiring work, a pluggable sconce can improve your lighting scheme, reduce tabletop clutter and add interest to a room. Here’s how.

8 Ways to Use Plug-In Sconces in Your Lighting Scheme

Filed Under: Blog, Furniture

The Case for Hidden Storage

April 28, 2015 By EmmanuelFonte Leave a Comment

Imagine how much more peaceful your home would feel with cleared surfaces. And that’s just one reason to stow your supplies.

It’s easy to fall in love with beautifully styled open shelves, and to feel swayed by the convenience of keeping frequently used items sitting on the kitchen counter, bathroom sink and desk — but are these methods of storing your belongings really helpful? While there’s certainly nothing wrong with keeping things out in the open, I’ve recently been discovering that making fuller use of hidden storage makes for a cleaner, neater, more peaceful and easier-to-maintain space. Read on and see if you become convinced to give the surfaces in your home a clean sweep.

The Case for Hidden Storage

Filed Under: Blog, Home Care

Lake Lugano House

April 27, 2015 By EmmanuelFonte Leave a Comment

Lake Lugano House is a private house designed by JM Architecture in Brusino Arsizio, Switzerland. Lying on the slope of a hill, on the shores of Lake Lugano , the villa consists of two volumes organized on different levels due to the particular topography of the site.

A polygonal shaped glass pavilion with rounded edges stands above a linear underground block. The living and dining room, the kitchen and storage spaces are located in the pavilion, while bedrooms, bathrooms and garage are in the lower level. Each level relates itself with independent outdoor spaces, which are closely related with the interiors.

The glass pavilion overlooks two very defined areas: the first, toward the mountain, is a very private zone resulted in the area between the property line and the building setback line according to the local building code. The second is a garden overlooking the lake.

In the same way, the bedrooms face a garden enclosed by the building and the perimeter wall. The ring, obtained between the perimeter wall above and the pavilion, amplifies the interior space, with seems much larger than what it actually is.