Design

The idea started out with an epiphany. Let us explain. As an operator of an online store, we have our fair share of both pleasure and pain. The pleasure part is going to trade shows and buying all these wonderful things. The painful part is sometime we buy too much or when we have returns. What do we do with all these beautiful items that are brand new and absolutely too beautiful to sit in the warehouse? So we are so excited to announce the launch of SecondShowroom.com . This is the site where you can get overstock, showroom samples and excess inventory directly from the manufacturers, retailers and showrooms throughout the country at amazing prices, and we mean AMAZING prices. More often than not you can get new items at savings of up to 75% off. What's more, by buying directly from the retailers and the manufacturers, you'll get the added assurance of buying from a reputable source; and that the merchandise will be in good condition when you receive it. Now, the site is fair...

Satu kamar untuk Semua [Index] Satu kamar untuk Semua "Saya ingin mata yang sederhana namun cathcing," kata Moch. Maulana ZP., Yang didukung oleh istri Kanny Savitri ketika ditanya oleh Ceilano Borndahl Kuropatkin arsitek. Ya, ini yang sangat muda dengan beberapa rumah seperti yang terlihat sederhana namun tetap terlihat menarik dan menonjol. Selain itu, mereka juga ingin bahwa ada banyak ruang dan dapat menampung hingga berbagai kegiatan yang berada di rumah. Pasangan yang suka sepak bola dan warna merah ini, juga sangat memperhatikan detil yang dibuat di rumah mereka, agar tampak lebih indah. Konsultasi dan diskusi dengan arsitek yang juga merupakan teman lama mereka dilakukan untuk mencapai hasil maksimal. Banyak dari ide-ide mereka yang akhirnya dipakai untuk detil desain rumah ini, seperti penggunaan keramik mozaik, dan pemilihan warna. Ruang keluarga yang multifungsi Remy dan Kanny, sapaan akrab keduanya menginginkan sebuah rumah yang tidak terlalu banyak ruang. Bagi me...

Hanse Colani Rotor House Posted by Admin Architecture | 01 Nov 04 | stumble hanse_haus_colani_oct_04.jpgCompact four rooms in a house. Designer Luigi Colani has created space-saving house with six square meters cylinder that has inside a bedroom, kitchen and bathroom. Cylinder rotates left or right bringing the room you want to view the main hall. Has a separate bathroom and a small hallway, and all be controlled remotely. The house was designed for young professionals who need minimal space while they focus on career ... //mocoloco.com/archives/000694.php + Hanse-haus.de

Stolen Nazi Art: Bloomberg .com updates progress (or lack thereof) being made toward settling stolen art claims from the Hitler era. The Nazis stole some 600,000 pieces of art. I had no idea the number was that high. It's been 70 years, let's get this done. Poor Unloved Renters: David Pugh says renters need love. If not love, then at least insurance . Renters need home inventories too, by the way. Insurance Agents Under Stress Too: Claims Journal says that "bad apple" insurance agents are tempted to protect their livelihoods through insurance fraud in tough economic times like these. I want to take this time to emphasize how important it is to have a good working relationship with your insurance agent. This protects you in two ways: 1) Your agent has a vested interest in keeping you happy, and he will be more likely to go to bat for you in a claim situation if he is familiar with you and knows your character, and 2) You will be more likely to get of se...

I've written before about the no-no using bleach with our septic system. There comes a time when even oxy-type stain remover has trouble keeping up with my heavily used white kitchen towels. In grandma's day, they would take a big kettle and steep some tea leaves. I've gone an easier route and have used regular black tea bags. First, take a large pot and fill with water 2/3's full. Add about six or eight tea bags ... the more you add , the darker the tea will stain your fabric. When the water has boiled with the tea for a spell, turn off the heat and remove the bags. Add several dry all cotton towels (that have been washed with mild soap) and stir them around in the tea. After a while check the color ... you can keep the towels in for as long as overnight. Just be sure to stir several times for an even color. When you're ready ... wring out the cooled fabric and rinse in a sink of cool water with a bit of white vinegar 1/2 to 1 cup is good. Rinse again un...

A 'Family Farm Tour' in Western North Carolina (organized by the Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project ) was a rewarding way to spend some time this weekend. ASAP works to keep farmers farming and reconnect people with their food and is a wonderful regional support for small farm operations and promoting eating food grown locally. I've trying to learn a lot more about where the food we (my gardening companion and I) eat comes from and how it's produced (beyond what I grow) and it's a fascinating pursuit - and extremely humbling and not always pleasant. Are we as American consumers ready to pay for sustainably and humanely produced food? Currently, I'm afraid the answer is probably no (based on my question to my gardening companion about chicken $6 for an organically raised, free-range bird vs a $3 mass-produced broiler - but he's not the cook and food buyer in our family). My answer is yes.

Enjoying the view from the cabin deck at low tide... Oh the peace and quiet and solace of nature... the poetry of Earth. Good tidings! I am still on mini-vacation (tis so hard to tear myself away from this sanctuary splendour) Will be back soon... I promise!!

Floral-bundance ! I just love to make up new words. And 'floral-bundance' seems to fit the description of this lovely bouquet I picked from the garden when my parents were visiting. Included are peonies, cat mint, wild lupine, and spirea. The Beginning: In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of god was hovering over the waters ... Then God said, "Let the land produce vegetation: see-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds ... and it was so." From Genesis, Chapter 1 (NIV)

This 1200 square feet structure was designed as a minimalist sculpture in the landscape. It is part of a 3.5 acre property in Connecticut. The architecture of this pool house is in contrast to the traditional architecture of the existing house yet the design sets up a dialogue between the two. The architecture of the pool house hovers over a 48′x20′ pool like a vessel in the water. On the North there is a spa and an outdoor/ indoor shower, and on the south there is a roofed veranda acting as an indoor/ outdoor dinning area with a large opening on the wall framing the landscape beyond. The area around the pool becomes a sunken courtyard paved in travertine with steps and walls of stone. The interior of this pool house contains a living/ entertainment room, kitchen and bar area, simple bathroom and variety of terraces and decks. It is enclosed by series of metal and glass sliding panels that would allow the structure to be transparent and open up towards outside (

Soap Saver Ideas : The price of liquid hand soap can range from about a buck to twelve dollars a bottle at some higher end bath shops. After using the soap you are left with another plastic or glass bottle to deposit in the landfill or recycle. When I started making bath soap I gave up buying liquid hand soap. I have replaced the fancy store bought products with small guest size home made soaps. One problem with bar soap is that it tends to turn goopy when left sitting in a soap dish. Take a peek at my new method of washing up at the sink. The teacups .. now soap dishes were my husband's grandmother's ... we inherited them (without saucers) when she passed away. They make the perfect soap holders. Teacup saucers work as well. To keep the soap from getting soggy, place a small piece of loofa sponge under the soap. This will allow the water to drain through to the bottom of the dish. About twice a week, I gather up my soap dishes and give them a good cleaning ... wash...

Helpful Hint. My mom gave me this great tip several years ago about getting the most from a steel wool soap pad. After using your soap pad, gently squeeze out the excess water and wrap in a piece of aluminum foil. The pad will be reusable for many more scrubbing chores without turning rusty.

The Modern kitchen Cabinets of the future that adapts to any floor or wall plan thanks to a variety of modules that gives shape and substance to the space by creating segments of varying length to be mixed and matched in order to create endless storage solutions. Give your kitchen a trendy touch with glass and steel. You could also try glass-fronted cabinets with steel borders. You can laminated cabinet shutters in colours like red, midnight blue, oranges and aquamarine greens are very effective. "Coloured laminates give a kitchen a more youthful look. You could complement them with either stainless steel or glass handles."

The Northeast Needs To Get Prepared: The Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency ( MEMA ) recently published guidelines for personal disaster preparedness . As you may know, the Atlantic Hurricane Season runs June 1st to November 30th, and residents of coastal states need to spend some time attending to these tasks in anticipation of storms that will threaten New England this season. Excerpt: Make a record of your personal property. Keep an itemized list of your furniture, clothing and valuables to assist adjusters in case of a claim. Back it up with photographs or video. I know I sound like a broken record regarding home inventory . Crack, pop, hiss. No apologies made. The High Price of Dog Ownership Just Got Higher: I know, I know. Dogs are adorable and bring great joy to our lives. I know that the companionship they offer is without peer. I know that the world is a better place because of our domesticated dogs. Our dog Lucy is a lovable mutt and my family thinks the w...

In our garden, currently, 'our' rabbit hangs out here. the 'front meadow' aka the Piedmont prairie But all of the young okra seedlings, and a number of squash leaves in the satellite garden disappeared yesterday evening, so I don't know whether to think 'rabbit' or 'young woodchuck.' Oh, well, we don't much care for okra (it was an experiment) and unless the squash vine borers hurry up (there have been a few casualties already), we'll have more squash than we can eat. We're fortunate (and I'm grateful) to have plenty of space to spread out herbivore impact. Probably the mama woodchuck will come up from the woodpile and eat all of the squash vines while we're up in the mountains this weekend and I won't sound so positive!

Happy Friday everyone. I thought I'd leave you with some attention-grabbing photography by Elliston Lutz . Have a fabulous weekend!