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A house with good bones has pleasing lines on the outside, but that artful composition has to be echoed on the inside, too. And nothing’s better for giving rooms a handsome, well-built look than wainscoting on the walls.
A combination of decorative boards or panels and moldings that extend partway up a wall’s face, wainscoting is a centuries-old marriage of form and style. Dating to the 1300s, the Dutch used it to shield the bottom half of plaster walls from such hazards as jostled chairs, spurs on riding boots, perhaps even carelessly swung scabbards. Wainscoting still guards our walls, but today it’s from dirt-caked gardening shoes in mudrooms, olive-oil fingerprints in kitchens, and the inevitable scuffs in the close quarters along hallways and stairways.
A demand for a modular kitchen design continues to grow as small living space nowadays are becoming a problem in almost all major cities of the world. The Kit-Cub kitchen is a modular kitchen design concept that surely will answer your kitchen need in the future. This cute cubed kitchen house a fridge and numerous storage cabinets for different needs including your cutlery storage, water tank, and garbage bin. Complete with tap, sink, cutting board, electric cooking top, and oven, cooking in this modern modular kitchen will surely be a comfort. The two water tanks holds fresh and grey water, which will allow users to recycle water as well if they are just careful enough in using green products in cleaning the dishes.
An outdoor fountain makes a lovely addition to a yard, patio, deck, or garden. The gentle sound of the continually flowing water is calming, and it provides a great deal of pleasure to anyone who wants to sit back and unwind while taking in the beauty of nature. When embellished with beautiful polished stones, colorful beach glass, shells, flowers, and foliage, an outdoor fountain is an extraordinary way to add considerable beauty and significance to any outdoor area.
One of the many different types of building bricks, limestone bricks are highly popular because of their durability and hardiness. Limestone bricks are one of the oldest types of building materials. Many ancient structures, like the pyramids in Egypt, were built with large limestone blocks cut directly from quarries. Today, limestone bricks are still popular in new construction and landscape elements.
Adding character to your cook space doesn’t have to put you in the poor house: The secret’s in the finishing touches. See how fresh paint, new lighting, and smart use of colorful tiles and vintage accents can personalize the hub of your home.
Reinvent dark wood or white cabinets by painting them a refreshing hue. Here, a pale sage green reminiscent of vintage jadite dishware balances the intensity of the red floor. Premium Plus Ultra interior semigloss acrylic latex in Frosted Jade, $34 per gallon; behr.com.
Those flimsy bamboo and coconut torches of luau-themed summer shindigs and Gilligan’s Island reruns now come in durable materials such as copper, iron, and steel. They illuminate all manner of outdoor living—not just in warm climes, but also points north, even after the temperature drops.
“You wouldn’t believe how many we ship to the Northeast in November,” says John Manning of BuyTikiTorches.com, whose most popular model is the Maui, a hammered-copper torch that’s sturdy enough to hold up well in any weather.
Carpets have been around for a very, very long time ? one carpet from the fifth century BC still survives today, and there is evidence that carpets had been made for thousands of years before that. These carpets were more decorative than the practical version we know today, however, and they were often hung on walls as a kind of art. It was only in the 18th century that carpets became really popular as a floor covering.
Don’t let the title, “How to Reupholster Furniture” scare you off! Upholstery is just one more activity that’s wrapped in mystery for no good reason whatsoever. Once you get past your mental block about reupholstering furniture, you’ll find that every piece of stuffed furniture is made so that the fabric can be replaced when it wears out, and anyone with basic sewing skills and simple tools (hammer, screwdriver, pliers, staple gun) can do it. There’s no need to take an expensive course, or any course at all. Your own sofa or whatever will give you all the instructions you need as you go along. You will be pleased with the final product and the fact that you saved money in the process.
Plants are unique decorations that pay off in other ways besides aesthetics. Besides improving the air quality — and the overall smell — of a room, plants create a calming environment that’s perfect for hardworking students. But having a plant does require a little responsibility, so make sure you choose one that will definitely pay off!
The perfect dorm plants are tough enough to tolerate low light and water levels (just in case), and won’t grow too big for an already cramped room. Check out our list of the best dorm room plants to decide which is right for you!
Cottage Life handyman Wayne Lennox talks about materials, design features, and building tips for your very own outdoor shower.
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