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Friday, April 30, 2010
Design tips for smaller bathrooms
It's that time of year again ...
Why is it so ubiquitous? Probably because it's almost impossible to kill the stuff. It was the only succulent on my balcony which survived the exceptionally cold temperatures we had this year, and despite the fact that I overwatered it pitifully when it was still far too cold to do so, it bounced back. Leaves dropped, others turned brown, and for a while it looked considerably shell-shocked - but back it bounced.
The only thing you can do with it is give it away. And this I think is the clue. for I have never, ever seen it on sale anywhere. But it's the pass-along plant par excellence. When it gets too large, just break off the stems, stick them in another pot of earth - and give them to your neighbour, smiling sweetly as if you're doing them the greatest kindness on earth while secretly chuckling to yourself that you've managed to halve your stock in one fell swoop and make it sonmeone else's problem. Of course, she won't be able to kill it off either, so the following year she'll pass some along to her neighbour ...
And so it spreads inexorably, haunting the balconies of non-gardeners throughout the city. They'll scorch it all August, leaving it waterless while they're at the sea. They'll leave it to freeze all winter. But next spring, there it will be, proudly lining the balcony.
What type of sedum is it? No idea. I call it Sedum milanensis. And if that's not its name, it should be.
I have a love/hate relationship with the stuff. (As I said above, I have my obligatory container. Two in fact. Guess how I got them ?) For most of the year it just sits there, looking boring, grey and unattractive. And then for a couple of weeks in April, it explodes and it's glorious. And not only do I enjoy miy own but I'm also fascinated by looking up and seeing all the yellow-lined balconies. Why else do you think this is the second post on the same topic in three years?
So hooray for the sedum. If only because it encourages non-gardeners to have at least one plant on their balconies, to my mind it's earned its place on mine.
Warm Bedroom Interior Decorating Ideas by Huelsta
Bedroom furniture by Huelsta gives an unlimited amount of decorating ideas. Bedrooms in warm and natural colors are great place to relax and recharge. Thanks to modernism of Huelsta collections such bedrooms are also great addition to houses decorated in most styles. You can’t say the same about Maura Taft decorating even though it doesn’t look worse. We spent most of our time in bedrooms with closed eyes, but despite of that waking up in warm decorated bedroom will be better and more refreshing than waking up in colorful bedroom for most people. Some people of course think that colorful bedrooms are more modern and choose them but Huelsta has furniture for such people too.
Futuristic Italian kitchen with Retro Shades
Outdoor Rooms Help Expand Homes
“Most do-it-yourselfers will find that a brick patio is less expensive than a comparably sized wood deck — and there is much less upkeep,” said Laura Schwind, a registered landscape architect for Pine Hall Brick, America’s largest manufacturer of genuine clay pavers.
To get started, place your outdoor furniture, the grill, kids’ toys, and other objects that you will want on the patio in the area of the proposed patio. Outline the area with a garden hose to see how much square footage you will need. You’ll also need to choose a pattern, keeping in mind that some patterns require more cuts than others.
To install, dig approximately eight inches down and six inches out beyond the area you will pave. Slope the soil about one-quarter inch per foot to allow for proper drainage.
Next, tamp the soil down with a hand tamper or a vibrating plate compactor.
Put down four inches — eight inches for driveways — of crusher run gravel, and compact it well with the tamper or plate compactor. Lay down two lengths of one-inch PVC pipe, parallel to each other and several feet apart. Cover the pipes with concrete sand, which is course and jagged, then use a board across the top of the pipes to screed the sand level.
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Design Xil Bathroom Furniture from Karol with Uncommon
7 Home Decoration Secrets
Kitchen Design Italian Company Futura Cucine
Potting on ...
Back at the beginning of March I wrote about pricking out my wallflower seedlings and potting them up as plug plants. This is what they looked like then ...
After about a month it was clear that they needed potting on. So I duly transferred them. In theory they should all have gone into 3" pots, but there were over sixty of them, and sixty 3" pots would have taken up more space on the balcony than I had to spare. So about twenty of them went into their own pots while the others went straight into the final containers where they'll grow till they flower next spring.
Would it make a difference? All the gardening books and experts are stern about it : never give a young plant more space than it needs at that moment, or it will just put down roots and "forget" to develop above ground.
But that wasn't the only one of gardening's ten commandments that I managed to break. When I'd transferred almost all of them, I ran out of fresh soil. I wanted to finish, so I just used a container that still had last year's soil in it. How much difference would that make?
Well, here are the results. First the container with fresh soil...
Happy, healthy little plants, coming on well in comparison to their clearly deprived friends in the container with old soil. Most of them haven't made it at all, while the rest remain small and weedy. The self seeded sunflower in there with them doesn't look too happy either ...
But then there are the plants in the 3" pots. Bear in mind that all of these plants were approximately the same size when I moved them a month or so ago.
Will it make a difference to the display next year? The jury's going to have to stay out till next April before we can get a verdict on that one. The ones in the container with the poor soil are clearly going to need some tender loving care. Transplanting to new soil is the obvious answer, but as I've got so many I thought I'd try an experiment and see to what extent I can "remediate" with fertiliser. When you garden on a balcony in the middle of a city, disposing of old soil is a huge headache, and if you can re-use it, it's one less problem to worry about. We'll see ...
As for the difference between those in the container with good soil and those in the pots, I suspect that there'll be time for things to even out. Or there's even the possibility that superior root development will give the container plants the edge in the long run. Again, we'll see.
One thing is clear however. Had these been annuals rather than biennials, it would have made a huge difference - and meant a much earlier flowering period. From now on, any annuals that I grow from seed will definitely get "potted".
Meanwhile, the wallflowers from last year have been giving a wonderful display. Next year's plants will be a mix of the same browny-yellow ones as are here, plus a new red variety. I'm in two minds about it - for me, wallflowers are brown and yellow. But yet again, we'll see...
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Wood Dining Table Furniture Design by Rodam
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Modern Bathroom Designs from Rexa
Modern Bathroom Designs
Modern Bathroom Designs Ideas
Bathroom Designs Ideas
Modern Bathroom Designs Ideas
Modern Bathroom Designs Ideas
Modern Bathroom Interior Design
Modern Bathroom Interior Design
Dorm Room Furniture
For a very own personal space, the company has come up with impressive dorm room ideas. As you browse you’ll notice a few common features in all the dorm designs. The walls are painted in vibrant colors, rooms have space enough to accomodate all a student needs and white is the underlying theme for most of the dorm designs. Check out the duvet and the funky bunker beds. They look darn inviting!
TrueModern: Modern, Minimalist Furniture at an Affordable Price!
Founded in 2005, TrueModern strives to create modern, minimalist furniture at an affordable price. As a modern parent myself, I was bored with the kids' furniture designs in today's market. TrueModern's first line of kids’ furniture is designed to be simple, functional and safe. The color scheme uses familiar colors with a modern twist for an updated feel. More importantly, I understand that today’s parents are busy, so most of our goods come fully assembled and are shipped in one to two days. All of our furniture and bedding has been tested to meet or exceed all American safety standards and the quality is guaranteed.
TrueModern Changing Table Dresser by TrueModern:
Our changing table dresser grows with your child. Just remove the changing table tray for a more grown up look. The dresser features, solid birch wood and wood veneer, full extension ball bearing drawer slides, and child safe anti tipping brackets.The interior is painted and comes in your choice of three colors, Lime Green, Popsicle Orange, and Cool Blue. This item ships fully assembled with no assembly required. Changing pad not included.
TrueModern Lift Sofa by TrueModern:
TrueModern - Lift Sofa by Edgar Blazona. The Lift Sofa combines classic, clean modernism with loungy, comfortable livability. Its simple and lean lines make the sofa versatile enough to fit in any living room. The arms make one continuous transitional line around the back of the sofa, creating a back panel of the same level. The removable back cushions lean up against the slanted back frame. Lift is as equally beautiful from the back as it is from the front. The sofa features perfectly modern metal stiletto legs and is cradled in rectangular frame that is visible from the back. No need to push it up against a wall. It’s a centerpiece! The Lift sofa is available in five color choices: Charcoal, Chocolate, Pewter, White and Khaki. Metal legs are available in White enamel.
TrueModern Scribble Quilt and Sham by TrueModern:
A simple way to transform your child's room. The Scribble Quilt and Sham from True Modern features cool "scribble" stitching that adds that bold, wild look kid's and teenagers crave without overwhelming the room. Bright, youthful colors and crisp contrast trim make this quilt and sham must-haves for kids who are tired of the same old coverlet. With 220 thread count cotton sateen and 100% cotton fill, this set ensures a cozy night's sleep.
Super Stylish Bathrooms from Delpha
Each bath area runs on a central theme where the fixtures and accessories are thoughtfully arranged. Most of the designs sport brightly coloured walls with rich use of textures. Some walls have mosaic tiles which are like jewels studded in a luxurious haven of purity. Going by the images, it looks as though this Delpha collection is targeting the luxury end of the market meant for people willing to pay the extra dollar.
Browse through for more inspiration.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
12 Ideas For Small Bathroom Design
Every person that has a small bathroom is interested in ways of making their bathroom appear larger. Remodeling the bathroom is not always an option and in many cases, remodeling the bathroom would be very expensive. There are a number of ways that a person can use to make their small bathroom seem larger without having to undertake any heavy construction. 1. Soft Color for Walls One of the easiest ways that a person can alter their small bathroom design to make it appear larger is to choose light soft colors for the décor of the bathroom. 2. Accent with Color Bright, bold colors can be used in small bathrooms, assuming you reserve them for accents only. Going overboard with bold or dark colorstend to make the bathroom appear tighter and more intimate. 3. Visual Accents If your bathroom has wallpaper, avoid using large prints or busy pattern. Instead, choose very subtle wallpaper patterns. Better yet, keep one wall free from any pattern at all. Consider making the largest wall in the small bathroom into a mural of an open space. 4. Light Tones of Bathroom Flooring Just like light colors on the walls, light colors on the flooring of the small bathroom will help make the bathroom appear roomier and more open. The most popular colors for a light bathroom floor are tans, light grays, and light blues. By incorporating these colors into the flooring of your small bathroom design, you will have the basis for a light colored decorating scheme that will make your bathroom appear more open. 5. Pedestal Sink Another small bathroom design that can be used to make a bathroom appear larger is to replace a large vanity or countertop with a slimmer, pedestal sink. A pedestal sink can be found in many different styles, colors, and materials, allowing them to be matched to any décor. By placing a pedestal sink in the small bathroom, you can open up the bathroom space by another ten percent. 6. Classic Fixtures When selecting fixtures for your bathroom, keep in mind they are going into a small space. Choose simple designs made from smooth surfaces, such as ceramic and marble, and opt for light, neutral tones. 7. Additional Lighting Fixtures Additional lighting in a small bathroom can make a world of difference in the way the space in the bathroom is perceived. Consider adding additional light fixtures or using higher wattage bulbs, as appropriate. By making the bathroom brighter and more inviting, it seems that the space has opened up and the walls are farther apart. 8. Increase Natural Light There are a variety of ways that additional lighting can be added to the small bathroom without taking up more space than is already used, including installing a new window, or even putting in a skylight. 9. Limit Items in Bathroom Many people choose to open up the amount of space available in their small bathroom by greatly reducing the amount of items that they place into the bathroom. Items such as storage shelves, hampers, and decorative items all take up valuable space in a small bathroom and the bathroom will appear much larger if these items are removed and the things that they hold are stored somewhere else. 10. Consider Storage Outside the Bathroom Some people choose to place a small storage cabinet in their hallway near the bathroom as a place to put all of the things that they would normally keep in their bathrooms. It's also a good idea to consider putting laundry hampers in the bedrooms instead of in the bathroom. Extra supplies and paper products can even be stored in the pantry. 11. Adding Mirrors Adding additional mirrors to the bathroom will also help the bathroom appear bigger than it really is. Placing additional mirrors in the bathroom will help to capture all of the available light and reflect it back into the room to make it brighter. Adding extra mirrors to the room will also add depth to the room, as the mirrors reflect each other and make the walls appear farther away. 12. De-Clutter Other ways you can use to make a small bathroom design appear larger include removing clutter and extra items. Instead of storing all of your beauty items on the counter, place them in a cabinet or in the medicine chest when not in use. The more items are visible in a small bathroom, the more cramped the space will look and feel. Using these subtle design changes to modify the look of your small bathroom is easy, inexpensive, and most of these design changes can be completed in a few hours. By changing your small bathroom design, you can make your small bathroom appear larger within the space of a day. |