Archives for April 2015

What to Know About Controlling Dust During Remodeling

Screen Shot 2015-04-28 at 4.04.07 PMYou 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.

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

SconcesPlug-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.

The Case for Hidden Storage

sotrageImagine 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.

Lake Lugano House

hoooooome_lake_lugano_house_jacopo_01Lake 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.

hoooooome_lake_lugano_house_jacopo_02 hoooooome_lake_lugano_house_jacopo_03 hoooooome_lake_lugano_house_jacopo_04 hoooooome_lake_lugano_house_jacopo_05 hoooooome_lake_lugano_house_jacopo_06 hoooooome_lake_lugano_house_jacopo_07 hoooooome_lake_lugano_house_jacopo_08 hoooooome_lake_lugano_house_jacopo_09 hoooooome_lake_lugano_house_jacopo_10 hoooooome_lake_lugano_house_jacopo_11 hoooooome_lake_lugano_house_jacopo_12 hoooooome_lake_lugano_house_jacopo_13 hoooooome_lake_lugano_house_jacopo_14 hoooooome_lake_lugano_house_jacopo_15 hoooooome_lake_lugano_house_jacopo_16 hoooooome_lake_lugano_house_jacopo_17 hoooooome_lake_lugano_house_jacopo_18 hoooooome_lake_lugano_house_jacopo_19 hoooooome_lake_lugano_house_jacopo_20 hoooooome_lake_lugano_house_jacopo_21 hoooooome_lake_lugano_house_jacopo_22 hoooooome_lake_lugano_house_jacopo_23

Fantastic Fitzroy Park Home

Stanton Williams Architects has designed Fitzroy Park House in 2014.

This private house is located in North London, UK.

hoooooome_fitzroy_park_house_01 hoooooome_fitzroy_park_house_02 hoooooome_fitzroy_park_house_03 hoooooome_fitzroy_park_house_04 hoooooome_fitzroy_park_house_05 hoooooome_fitzroy_park_house_06 hoooooome_fitzroy_park_house_07 hoooooome_fitzroy_park_house_08 hoooooome_fitzroy_park_house_09 hoooooome_fitzroy_park_house_10 hoooooome_fitzroy_park_house_11 hoooooome_fitzroy_park_house_12 hoooooome_fitzroy_park_house_13 hoooooome_fitzroy_park_house_14 hoooooome_fitzroy_park_house_15 hoooooome_fitzroy_park_house_17 hoooooome_fitzroy_park_house_18 hoooooome_fitzroy_park_house_19 hoooooome_fitzroy_park_house_20 hoooooome_fitzroy_park_house_21 hoooooome_fitzroy_park_house_22 hoooooome_fitzroy_park_house_23 hoooooome_fitzroy_park_house_24 hoooooome_fitzroy_park_house_25 hoooooome_fitzroy_park_house_26 hoooooome_fitzroy_park_house_27 hoooooome_fitzroy_park_house_28 hoooooome_fitzroy_park_house_29

Spectacular Tribeca Loft

Tribeca Loft is the 3,000 sqf top floor and roof of an 1884 caviar warehouse was designed by Andrew Franz Architect PLLC in 2014.

This chic modern loft is located in NY, USA.

hoooooome_tribeca_loft_andrew_01 hoooooome_tribeca_loft_andrew_02 hoooooome_tribeca_loft_andrew_03 hoooooome_tribeca_loft_andrew_04 hoooooome_tribeca_loft_andrew_05 hoooooome_tribeca_loft_andrew_06 hoooooome_tribeca_loft_andrew_07 hoooooome_tribeca_loft_andrew_08 hoooooome_tribeca_loft_andrew_09 hoooooome_tribeca_loft_andrew_10 hoooooome_tribeca_loft_andrew_11 hoooooome_tribeca_loft_andrew_12 hoooooome_tribeca_loft_andrew_13

15 Bright Ideas for Kids’ Bathrooms

Screen Shot 2015-04-20 at 1.05.36 PMSplash on the color and have fun with decor to make a child’s bathroom a cheerful place

Whether you have a dedicated kids’ bathroom or share space with the pint-size set, keeping track of whose soggy towel is whose can be made easier — and more fun — with a few smart design moves and cheerful touches. From double (or triple!) sinks to tub-side seats and rainbow-inspired color palettes, see which of these ideas appeals to you and yours.

How to Fix a Stinky Garbage Disposal

Screen Shot 2015-04-17 at 11.17.01 AMNo plumber’s fee or even a trip to the hardware store is required with these easy solutions

Does this sound familiar? You’ve cleaned your kitchen to spotless hygienic perfection, but you catch a whiff of something rotten every time you pass the sink. There’s a piece of something you threw down there and ground up days ago that’s stuck in the garbage disposal, and the smell only gets worse no matter how many times you run it. Inspired by recent events in my own kitchen, I reached out to three experts to get their advice on how to de-stinkify the garbage disposal.

6 Strategies for Making Color Work for You

Screen Shot 2015-04-17 at 11.14.51 AMColor can play up or play down architecture, create a positive experience and more. Here’s how to put it to work for you

We all want our homes to provide comfort and ease. And something instinctual tells us that color — whether a can of paint, a bright new patterned rug, maybe that sun-drenched painting you saw at the last art opening you attended — can change our world for the better.

Springtime home maintenance offers a new opportunity to add the color we crave. And picking the right colors for our homes is not magic. The process simply requires that we look at the physical qualities of our home’s architecture and apply color that will put the focus where we want it. Here’s how.