Interior Design

Love the elegant, architectural lines of the Aspen Tunic from the Soyer fall/winter 2013 collection — perfect.(via soyer)

So far you have voted for your favorite white kitchen and your favorite kitchen with wood cabinets in my ongoing contest. Today I’m showing you 5 readers’ kitchens with cabinets painted black, gray, blue, red–anything but white! Take a look and then tell us which one you like best (email subscribers will have to click over to my blog to vote). Click the pics and links to see the original posts about these kitchens: 1. Alyson’s Kitchen 2. Chris’s Kitchen 3. Sylvina’s Kitchen 4. Penelope’s Kitchen 5. Kimberly’s Kitchen After you vote for your favorite in each of the 5 categories (2 more to come!), you’ll choose the overall winner, who will get a $150 Visa card and bragging rights. You can see more kitchen contest entries here. VOTE: poll by twiigs.com Have you voted for your favorite white kitchen yet? Favorite with wood cabinets? Looks like Kay and Jodie are in the lead in those categories right now. Check ‘em out! // //

Guest Blogger #989, Entry #2537, June 18, 2013 While the home has traditionally been the domain of all womankind, society has changed its attitudes regarding traditional gender roles significantly over the last several decades, so that now, women are not only able to work outside the home, but often it is expected that the household will enjoy an income from both parents. In some cases, women are even the primary earners or sole breadwinners for their families, leaving fathers home to care for kids and manage household affairs. And for many women this shift has brought about the realization that the man cave might not be such a silly idea after all. When you’re working all day and you come home to a house full of raucous kids, you too may want your own private space where you can relax for a few minutes, switch gears, or even get in some meditation or yoga to help you transition between your professional and personal spheres. In other words, you need a mom cave. Here are a few tips to create the space that’s just right for you. Mom cave ideas – create a space with plenty of light Image via: Buckboard Hill Talk to your spouse. The first thing you may want to do when you’re planning to build a mom cave is discuss the prospect with your spouse. Just like you wouldn’t want your partner to plan a major home project without consulting you first, it’s important that you not assume you can utilize space in the home that might otherwise serve the whole family just because you’re making the most money. Your partnership should be equal in all possible ways, so discuss your plans with your significant other so that you can agree on a space in the home that is suitable and set a budget for your project. Consider your goals. Before you start picking out paint and wood flooring, it’s important to take a moment to think about what you want to do in your mom cave. Will it be a personal office space? Do you want to use it as a yoga retreat? Or would you rather fill the room with flowering plants and a comfy day bed for napping? The ways in which you plan to use your space will have a significant impact on every aspect of the renovation and design process. So make a solid plan ahead of time to save yourself from expensive and time-consuming changes later on. Mom cave ideas Image via: Heartbeat Oz Find sufficient space. Many families are at capacity when it comes to using the space in their home. Even if you have an extra room, it may currently be a home office, a play room for the kids, or even a storage space. However, you can always consider alternatives such as an unused attic, a garage conversion, or perhaps even building a small granny flat or installing a prefab unit in the back yard to house your mom cave. Make your space multifunctional. You likely have several ideas about how you want to use your mom cave in those rare moments of respite from the demands of your daily life. You might have to get creative, but by doing a little research you should be able to find ways to make even a small space multifunctional thanks to convertible furnishings and hidden storage options, just for example. Mom cave ideas Image via: Southern Exposure Outfit your space appropriately. Once you’ve painted and installed some plush, new carpeting, it’s time to start collecting the pieces that are going to turn your empty space into a mom cave. This could include an ergonomic office setup, a stressless recliner from Ekornes furniture, or some of your favorite pieces of framed artwork. Lacking the budget to buy new? Check out estate sales and reclaimed furniture outlets for affordable alternatives. Just make sure that whatever you choose to put into your space, you make it your own. For more home decor ideas on Stagetecture, click here.

Entry #2537, June 18, 2013 We all love guacamole because of its versatility, and it’s delicious combination of avocados and spices. It’s safe to say that everyone has their favorite guacamole recipe. Well, this is not surprising because of its nutritional contents and sumptuous taste. Guacamole is a perfect appetizer for any occasion. If you’re looking for exceptional guacamole appetizer, try this southwestern guacamole recipe with chips. This is an exceptional recipe that is so easy and quick to make. You will never get enough of its taste and will definitely boost your appetite. Southwestern Guacamole Recipe with Chips  Southwestern guacamole recipe Image via: Pinterest Ingredients 4 Hass Avocados, peeled and seeded 1 1/2 Tbsp fresh lime juice 1/2 tsp salt 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper 1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp finely chopped red onion 1 large Roma tomato, seeds and pulp removed then diced 1 clove garlic, minced 2 Tbsp chopped cilantro 1/8 – 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (optional) Guacamole recipe chips Image via: Cooking Alamel Procedure Partially mash avocados with a fork on a plate or cutting board (or using a mortal and pestle), pour lime juice over the top and season with salt and pepper and continue to mash to reach desired consistency. Transfer to a mixing bowl. Run chopped red onions under warm water (to remove harsh bite from onion) and add onions to avocado mixture, along with diced tomato, garlic, cilantro and cayenne pepper and stir. Serve with tortilla chips or alongside Mexican entrees. The whole ingredients should yield a bowl of delicious guacamole appetizer. Remember the secret of this southwestern guacamole recipe with chips is the quality if your avocado. So, you have to be very picky in choosing the main ingredient. You don’t have to worry if you don’t have chips. This guacamole recipe can be paired up with another foodstuff other than chips. For more food recipes on Stagetecture, click here.

Southern Living Idea House, Charleston. Margaret Donaldson Interiors. This is a wonderful use for an upstairs hall landing, isn't it? via

Entry #2535, June 18, 2013 When you finally purchase a home safety is a big concern and you’ll discover that there is a certain amount of pride and accomplishment wrapped up in the process. But you’ll also find that your worries multiply. When you rent a property, you are certainly responsible for keeping the place clean and trying not to cause any damage. But you don’t put a lot into it because you know you’re not going to get any real value out of improvements you make during your lease. When you own a home, on the other hand, every upgrade is not only for your own benefit, but it also has the chance to increase your return on investment. The other side of the coin is that anything that happens to your home in the way of damage stands to devalue your investment. And of course, you want to see to the safety and security of not only your property, but your family, as well. So here are just a few essential safety items that you should consider adding to your property. What safety devices do you need in your home? Image via: Martinkovic Milford Architects 1. First aid kit. Strictly speaking, this won’t protect your home, but having a first aid kit on hand can certainly come in handy when it comes to delivering temporary medical care to anyone injured on your property. This kit should include Band-Aids, gauze (plus scissors and tape), antiseptic, styptic powder, ipecac (in case poisonous substances are swallowed), aspirin, tweezers, a thermometer, and perhaps even a first aid instructional guide of some sort. The American Red Cross advises adding some kind of face mask (for protection during CPR) and rubber gloves. You should also include a list of relevant phone numbers for your area, such as a nurse hotline, your family physician, the local fire and police, and so on. 2. Home alarm system. Even in areas that enjoy very little crime it’s not a bad idea to ensure early warning in the case of home intrusion. An alarm system can help to protect not only the valuables in your home, but your most valuable asset of all: your family. And with smarthome options from companies like Vivint and ADT, you can control the alarm system, as well as lighting, thermostat, and even electronics remotely from your smartphone or tablet, making the house look lived-in even while you’re away on vacation. 3. CO2 – Carbon Monoxide detector. Carbon monoxide is often called the silent killer because it is a colorless, odorless gas produced by common household appliances like the furnace, not to mention your car. The point is that you’ll never know it’s there unless you have a CO2 detector to warn you when levels in your home become dangerously high. 4. Smoke detectors. Perhaps even more dangerous than carbon monoxide is fire, which can take both your family and your home in one stroke. So installing smoke detectors in every room is of the utmost importance. However, you also need to make sure that they’re functioning properly. It’s best to swap out the alkaline batteries every six months, so you might want to do when the time changes in spring and fall as an easy way to remember. Ensure your home is kept safe Image via:  Applegate Tran Interiors 5. Fire extinguisher. In addition to the warning provided by smoke detectors, you should have a way to put out any fires in your house. This is especially important in the kitchen or other areas where fires are more likely to occur. But you should also place them along escape routes (staircases and doors, for example) to ensure that your family can escape in the event of an unstoppable blaze. For more emergency preparedness on Stagetecture, click here.

Who would have thought that a Beastie Boy would be living in such artful splendor? Not us, certainly. Michael Diamond, aka Mike D of the band Beastie Boys, has the interior design world at his feet now, thanks to these recently published photos of his imaginatively renovated 19th Century townhouse in Brooklyn. The renovation that sought “to retain original detail, clean it up and leave it as is,” took about 6 months, and what astonishes about the house is how it manages to look both comfortable and lived-in, family-friendly and joyful, despite a jaw-dropping array of furnishings and objects by A-list design luminaries. Any home which boasts a dazzling crystal Tord Boontje chandelier, more than one Patricia Urquiola chair, bespoke shelving constructed just for heirloom china, a cabinet by Belgium’s  Studio Job, and a specially commissioned lighting fixture by the crochet artist Olek, would be forgiven for resembling an oh-so-hip Brooklyn art gallery. Instead, the judiciously chosen furnishings, lively mixture of styles, color and texture, and knowledgeable eye for both comfort and panache speak to the owners’ keen understanding of the lives to be lived within the house’s walls. Nothing beastly about that. Images: New York Times

Am absolutely in love with this 6 story New York City townhouse. It is in the July issue of Architectural Digest. A luxury home filled with modern art and fantastic furniture and all of the... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

This kit by Royal College of Art graduate Neil Merry allows musicians to control sound and lighting effects at their gigs by slinging the microphone around or waggling their instruments about (+ movie). (more...)

Materials: Akurum Base Cabinet, Akurum 80" Tall Cabinet, Rationell Deep Drawer and Fronts, Tablesaw, Drill Description: One of the biggest questions regarding the Ikea Akurum tall cabinets are how to fit them into a floor to ceiling installation. The 88" cabinet either needs tall legs to take it to the ceiling (leaving a gap at the floor) or leaves a gap at the ceiling that won't line up with the other upper cabinets. My approach to this problem was to actually downsize to an 80" tall cabinet, and build a base unit to bring it all the way up to the ceiling. The measurements below are based on a 96" ceiling, a 3/4" gap at the ceiling for deco strip, and adjustable legs to take care of any irregularities. The height of the base unit was determined by a couple of factors. I knew a general size based on the height that the tall cabinet needed to be raised (10-13"). What wound up deciding the height was my use for the base--a deep drawer. I decided to use the 11 1/4" drawer front (available only as part of a set of 3 drawer fronts). This meant that my cabinet needed to be 11 1/2" tall to give me clearance above and below the drawer front. Knowing this measurement, I purchased standard base cabinets (30" wide for my use, going under a 30" tall cabinet and 2 15" tall cabinets), along with a 30" deep drawer, and drawer fronts. Unfortunately, the drawer front set doesn't come in 30" width. So I bought enough sets to have two drawer fronts on each drawer. I've got a lot of extra drawer fronts now. So, onto construction, step by step: 1. I ripped the sides of my base cabinet down to 11 1/2". The *top* of the sides are going to be your waste here, not the bottom. Since the position of the drawer is dependent on holes at the bottom of the cabinet, the bottom should be left untouched. (A tablesaw isn't critical for this step, but it helps tremendously. Your upper cabinet is using these sides for it's base, so a straight cut is critical. Also, a good blade on a tablesaw will result in a lot less tear out of the melamine than a circular saw.) 2. I drilled new holes for the cam bolts (3/16" bit) and dowels (5/16" bit) for the top stretchers. The best way to locate these holes? Use your waste pieces from step 1 as a template. Line up the top of the waste to the top of the remaining side. Drill straight through the holes in your waste pieces. 3. Rip down the back to 11" tall. As with step 1, the top of the back should be your waste, as the mounting holes will probably not line up with the new location for the braces. 4. Assemble the cabinet normally. Attach the rear L shaped mounting braces to the top most accessible set of holes. Drill new holes in the back for the screws that will go through these L braces. 5. Mount the cabinet normally. I prefer to use a level ledger board, rather than the back pair of legs, but that's up to you. Drawer assembly and installation is completely by the book. If you find yourself having to use two drawer fronts as I did, here's how I attached the two drawers together: 1. Prep a piece of plywood about 8" x 4". Paint it to match your cabinet front color choice. The match doesn't need to be perfect. Since the drawer fronts should have a slight gap between them, this painted plywood plate will give the illusion of cabinet structure behind this gap. 2. Install the drawer front clasps to the drawer fronts normally, except only install one per front. 3. Assemble the drawer normally, and, and attach the fronts to the drawer. 4. Keeping the drawer fronts aligned with each other top and bottom, find the proper gap (about 1/8"). Since they are attached to the drawer already, you'll find this gap naturally. 5. Place your plywood plate (step 1) behind the drawer fronts, with it's bottom sitting on the bottom of the drawer. It's critical that the plywood is in contact with the drawer bottom.