The Finer Points of Style: Eclectic

What exactly does eclectic style actually mean? For starters, it’s not about showing and arranging a random mixture of stuff all around your house. There are a number of simple rules to follow, lest your home wind up looking much like a junk shop compared to comforting sanctuary you had in mind. Regardless of what you might think, there are rules to diverse decorating — and most of the designers I have spoken with say it’s actually one of the hardest styles to successfully master.

Fougeron Architecture FAIA

Eclectic. Eclecticism. Sure, you’ve heard these words in everyday phrases, describing everything from someone’s individual fashion sense to a restaurant’s cuisine. But what do they mean in an interior layout circumstance?

Rebekah Zaveloff | KitchenLab

Yes, decorating could be catchy. Particularly when you’re attempting to wed different eras and styles — and that’s actually the crux of eclecticism. Aim for a carefully edited mix of furniture and decorative accessories, and you’ll surely strike the proper balance. Always remember: There’s a fine line between “living area” and “crap store.”

Design Manifest

Start with taking risks you are unaccustomed to taking. Coupling dissimilar colors, furniture and other bits that look “out there” initially just could be the ticket to making a standout vignette.

Here, a set of Queen Anne–style arm chairs sit across from midcentury modern amounts upholstered in a vibrant faux-zebra stripe. The cheery Nina Campbell Paradiso wallpapered accent wall is also a wonderful surprise.

Georgetown Development

The element of surprise is a key aspect of eclecticism — and it’s often the very thing which makes an eclectic room appear cohesive. Color is a superb tool you can use to that end. The cobalt La Cornue range against the robin’s egg blue wall in this kitchen is a surprising, yet lovely, comparison — as would be the red cushions, mahogany stained chairs and washed-out pink cabinets. None of it matches precisely, but it works to make a magical modern-rustic vibe.

Low, dark ceilings give the room a sense of closeness, and each decorative element attracts the following. The stainless fridge picks on the range’s stainless accents, and also the hand-carved bolt seats mirror the deep brown ceiling and metallic garage door monitors. The two-tier trestle table has been equipped with casters and overlooks the first turn-of-the-century cupboard doors.

Neuhaus Design Architecture, P.C.

This bathing room is completely eclectic. First, it’s completely surprising, as the gorgeous (clearly first) Victorian-era fireplace is much more appropriate to your living room or dining room than a bathroom. Secondly, the gorgeous Wetstyle freestanding tub is so obviously contemporary. The muted olive-tone wallpaper, though vintage inspired, is not first (though it could just as well be), and the furniture is midcentury modern, with a lovely Norman Cherner molded plywood armchair off to the side. And it’s all overseen with a sparkly, contemporary chrome and chrome chandelier.

Although there are not many elements within the room, each is tonally unified. And their natural curves are yet another connective factor — down to the horns on the serving tray. Quite easy, yet brilliantly executed.

Erika Bierman Photography

Contain fun, quirkier decorative elements as your colour and furniture pairings begin hitting the mark. This vintage Turner flamingo print is a far more interesting alternative to a staid mirror or generic piece of art. There’s typically a fantastic story behind bits like this too. If you are having trouble melding eras, a coat of paint does wonders — white or otherwise.

Jerry Jacobs Design, Inc..

Keep a watch out for lines and scale also. You’ll understand when things look off. Here, taller seating options just wouldn’t work — however they might in a less traditional room lacking seat rails. Yellows and golds are the neutrals here, and accents are kept to a bare minimum. The result? A welcoming, comfortable living room.

Surprise elements are twofold: The scenic, mustardy Susan Spies subjective and the mirrored coffee table are equally lovely anchors. The round lines of the Michael Taylor club seat set nicely with the timeless, silk velvet Century Furniture roll-arm sectional — also nicely contrast with the angular moldings. Sharp marble, obsidian obelisks and jutting black sconces tie it all together while contrasting colorwise.

Winder Gibson Architects

The dichotomy of this 1800s Renaissance revival cottage–style bedroom place and another modern bits is eclecticism at its very best. The abstract art, the chrome chandelier and coffee table, and also the knotted wrought iron arm seat (reminiscent of Marcel Wanders’ 2006 “fishnet” plastic/epoxy rendition) comparison beautifully.

Neuhaus Design Architecture, P.C.

Height and scale also play a major part in diverse style. The designer lets the floor-to-ceiling windows, empire chandelier, piano and opulent molding take centre stage here while furniture plays second fiddle. Hulking bits not only would ruin the lush view, but they’d make the room look too serious. Instead, low-slung modern sofas and a brief glass-top table almost fall away — and let the room communicate elegance without being overly precious.

Catalina Estrada

This wallpaper is wonderful. Lt’s made by the Colombian graphic artist Catalina Estrada. As you can see, you don’t need much else in a room with this on the walls. Here, a simple 1950s-style linoleum checkerboard floor, what looks to be a formica-topped side table in the exact same era and a vintage step stool finish the hacienda-inspired vibe inside this vignette.

CONTENT Architecture

The great thing about raw lofts is they provide such interesting palettes. Whether you decide to go totally modernist or industrial, you can’t fail. I adore this chamber since the designer incorporated a well-worn Chesterfield sofa that looks as if it’s been around for ages with sculptural and chic classics: the beechwood Marc Newson for Cappellini seat and Pepe Cortés’ aluminum Jamaica bar stools for Knoll.

More:
So Your Design Is: Eclectic

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Modern, Entertaining Home in Florida

When a few with three boys purchased this house, it was a typical Mediterranean-style Miami house, with closed-off rooms, windows covered panes and a lot of clutter (see “before” images here). “My customers wanted to open up the house,” says Karina Donadel, lead designer in DKOR Interiors. “The wife loves very minimal contemporary, while the husband needed to make sure it still had heat.”

Meeting the couple’s needs meant a gut renovation which involved tearing down walls, using transparent and translucent glass to raise the natural light and incorporating natural textures and finishes to add heat to whitewashed walls. At the exact same time, the designers and the customers had to create a house that could stand up to boys ages 2, 6 and 4 and grow with the family. Now, “people are shocked when they walk through the door and find out how contemporary the interiors are,” states Donadel.

in a Glance
Who lives here: A couple and three boys
Location: Aventura, Florida
Size: 4,500 square feet; 5 bedrooms, 5.5 baths
That’s intriguing: A dining table custom created to accommodate extended family was long, the house needed to be expanded.

DKOR Interiors Inc.- Interior Designers Miami, FL

This striking wall is actually not a slab of stone, but rather a massive picture covered in acrylic, made by artist Alex Turco. “You can order these in any dimension, and they are completely waterproof, so you can use them in the shower or as a backsplash as well,” explains Donadel.

The warm timber is a green product named Havana Strand by Plyboo, and it wraps up across the ceiling, offering a warm contrast to the ceramic flooring, which continue through the first floor.

DKOR Interiors Inc.- Interior Designers Miami, FL

The layout moved some chambers opened the floor plan. Beyond front foyer, the house opens into this living and dining space. It had been extended out the back beyond the column as part of the renovation, because the customers had a dining table that could seat 14 people.

“The customers entertain all the time,” states Donadel. “My client is like Martha Stewart; she always has a beautifully set table” Donadel differentiated the two spaces with a dramatic change in floor texture. The dining room floor is raised and has light underneath the stage.

Stone wall: Vena Grigio limestone; chandelier: Atlantis Suspension Light, Tarzani

DKOR Interiors Inc.- Interior Designers Miami, FL

The artwork draws the eye upwards and fits the space perfectly. “We had something bold that could resist the scale of this wall,” states Donadel. “Each panel of this triptych is 60 inches by 60 inches.”

Floors throughout the house are covered in Kerlite, which is a very thin porcelain. “This is a superb product which arrives in 48-inch by 48-inch by one-sixteenth-inch pieces. Although we didn’t do it here, it could be laid atop existing floors,” states Donadel. “It is very durable, easy to maintain and it’s a seamless appearance.”

Artwork: Blue Movement, commissioned through Art Design Resources; dining table: two foundations by Minotti with custom glass top

DKOR Interiors Inc.- Interior Designers Miami, FL

After the more open plan brought in a contemporary feel, Donadel had to add in the heat. “We cozied up the space with a careful balance of substances,” states Donadel. “Using very clean sharp lines keeps things from looking cluttered.” Case in point: To keep it clean lined as possible, the glass railing you visit upstairs has a support system concealed within the floor.

Here, a sharp line between a limestone wall and more Plyboo wood differentiates the two floors. The timber proceeds up the wall and across the ceiling. “The element of wrapping is a significant one we carried through the house, to give things continuity,” explains Donadel.

DKOR Interiors Inc.- Interior Designers Miami, FL

The previous photo shows the translucent doors which mark the entry for this workplace. Donadel added them to provide privacy yet still let in light from the living space. She also designed custom cabinetry to make sure that the room worked for everybody, as the whole family uses this room for work, crafts and crafts.

Pops of yellowish within the shelves and cubbies add a few bright color to the space. Dashes of colour like this can also be used in many of the other rooms.

This staircase was closed off and included a closet they didn’t need, therefore it had been gutted and opened up. The wall was reinforced to encourage the floating risers. A glass railing and also the open risers continue the open topic, and the circular stone sculptures create a strong contrast to each of the right lines.

Stairs: Bella Stairs; sculptures: Michael Dawkins Home

DKOR Interiors Inc.- Interior Designers Miami, FL

This former bedroom now acts as a comfortable family gathering spot. The whole wall on your left has been covered by a custom built-in storage system which holds movies, games and press equipment. Additionally, it has a full size bar such as storage for wine and wineglasses and a refrigerator.

“It had been very important for my client to have a place for all, thus we planned out the storage quite carefully,” states Donadel. Like the workplace, pops of chartreuse split the long storage wall.

Sofa: Arravanti; java table: Pool Coffee Table

DKOR Interiors Inc.- Interior Designers Miami, FL

The kitchen used to end at which the first group of cabinets finishes, and the breakfast room had a big wall unit blocking the windows. A pop of green is provided by the Panton chairs and plays off the vibrant foliage seen in the backyard. “We designed the house to bring in as much of the outdoors as possible, from expanding windows and bringing in plants,” explains Donadel.

The cabinets continue the subject of blending natural textures, in such a case glass and walnut, and the backsplash is white back-painted glass. “The pendant lamps would be the very first thing that my client and I picked out on our first shopping trip together,” states Donadel. “We didn’t know where we were going to utilize them, but we knew we needed to have them”

Kitchen created by Mia Cucina; Bertoia counter stools: Knoll; Saarinen kitchen table: Knoll; Panton kitchen chairs: Vitra

DKOR Interiors Inc.- Interior Designers Miami, FL

Donadel took this downstairs bath and turned it to a cabana toilet by replacing an existing window with a door that contributes to the lawn. “This space is transitional between the landscape and the house, so that I used ceramic tile which resembles wood, pool towels and those interesting ferns,” she states.

DKOR Interiors Inc.- Interior Designers Miami, FL

The extension in the dining area below supposed the master bedrooms gained a certain length. “We had to break up the long walls and include a softness, thus we made three sections down the side that the bed is on,” Donadel states. The wall composition alternates between wood veneer and fabric-upholstered panels.

The storage system on the opposite wall mirrors the three sections as well and contains a desk, a press centre, dresser storage and even a refrigerator.

DKOR Interiors Inc.- Interior Designers Miami, FL

This bath continues a wrapping theme, with the Vena Grigio stone stretching round the floor, around the tub, up the wall and to the shower stall (look carefully; this image was taken from within the shower stall, which can be covered in a pebbled tile).

The stone contrasts using a ceramic backsplash behind the vanity. “The backsplash is a ceramic matrix which has a slight shimmer that adds only a little glitz,” states Donadel. This can be representative of this subtle glamour that’s woven through the house.

In accordance with being a place for all, the habit vanities have built in hampers. Even some of the light is built in. “We chose a mirror with integrated illumination for a very clean appearance. We didn’t wish to mess up the wall with separate sconces,” she states.

DKOR Interiors Inc.- Interior Designers Miami, FL

This bedroom has been shared by the two youngest boys, and making it interesting was the most important matter to Donadel. While function was brought in by lining desks and beds together opposite walls, fun was brought in through brightly patterned and coloured MDF panels, that continue the wrapping element seen throughout your house.

She also included an area rug made up of Flor tiles, which can be replaced in case of any harm.

DKOR Interiors Inc.- Interior Designers Miami, FL

“We wanted to keep this tub minimal and clean, but not institutional,” explains Donadel. A exceptional wall made up of white stones embedded in grey resin adds natural texture, interest and gloss.

Natural light streams in thanks to its crystal clear glass shower enclosure. “We extended the glass to the ceiling so it didn’t create an extraneous line,” she states.

Tile: Riverstone, Artistic Tile

DKOR Interiors Inc.- Interior Designers Miami, FL

The boy’s area is cool, futuristic and fun. It gets plenty of bright blue colour from painted Inhabit textured wall flats, an FL/Y pendant lamp and an Eero Arnio Ball Chair. The wrapping motif is continued from the floor up the wall and round a part of the ceiling. The occupant’s favorite thing? The glowing green headphones.

“My customers were very fearful, but their entire trust let’s accomplish this job together,” states Donadel. Their leaps of faith resulted in a unique and gorgeous house that works for their loved ones. Donadel is currently working on altering the lawn. We look forward to watching it when it is done.

More:
The House That Launched Naked Decor
New Spanish Style in San Sebastián

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Creative Collector: Vintage Vessels

Vintage items (those dating from 20 years past; antiques, by contrast, are at least 100 years old) are crucial in adding style and history to spaces and give a custom, storied look to any home.

What is a vessel, just? Though a vessel is, in its truest sense, a bottle, bowl, cask, cup or kettle (thanks, Merriam-Webster), let’s think about the term loosely, as who wants limits in regards to creative collecting? Thus, consider beakers, jars, pails, vases, vases and urns as well — you name it ; they are all vessels.

Where can you find older vessels? You can find vintage vessels in obvious places like flea markets, estate sales, antiques shops and auctions, in which you will likely pay top dollar. But less probable spots include church rummage sales, thrift shops, Goodwill and your regional recycling center’s or dump’s thrift shop (yes, I stated dump!) , where items are generally priced by a flat fee per item, like eyeglasses for 10 cents or dishes for $2. Head to those areas and dig up piles of attractive containers and home goods from the ’50s and ’60s, and often sooner.

How can I tell if what I find is … intriguing? Well, for starters, it won’t be something you will see in spades in your regional department store. Though one time status is difficult to confirm, especially if the thing does not have clear markings or authenticity papers, there are a number of telltale signs that an item is exceptional. In case the vessel is handmade, it may be signed by the artist or artisan and devoid of factory-made mold marks, as with thrown pottery and handblown glass. Maybe you can observe delicate paint brushstrokes on the surface, or the product was made in a country that has since been disbanded or renamed, like Catalonia, Ceylon, Tibet, the U.S.S.R., West Germany or Yugoslavia.

Can it be made of an unusual substance? Can it be an intriguing color? Does this have a peculiar, old tag? Perhaps it’s monogrammed with your initials? All that aside, I am a firm believer in this adage: “If you like it and can afford it, purchase it and display it proudly.” And here is what makes it really fascinating: the story behind the way you came upon it.

Madison Modern Home

Old ashtrays are fantastic for storing mementos and seashells — or just some loose change. The ciggie indentations along with the fonts are always enjoyable, and if they’re from hotels, motels and restaurants which are either foreign or no longer exist, they are just a more chic. I see olives in this one’s future.

Etsy

Blue elephant toy planter – $14.95

Occasionally even the most unlikely items can be utilized as containers, like this hollowed-out toy. It is daring, beautiful cerulean blue, miniature size and intriguing shape make it a fantastic conversation piece. Maybe Ellie already had a very small hole in her back and this clever Etsy seller dreamed up a cool way to put her to work? Slightly irregular, chipped and even broken items may be windfall too. Think creatively.

Etsy

Single Small Grey Dish by Cynthia Vardhan Ceramics – $25

Troll any flea market and you will find gobs of saucers and bread-and-butter dishes without partners. Gorgeous ones, to boot.

Ones I find particularly cute for saving jewelry on a nightstand or dresser top are those with chintz patterns, nature-inspired decals and Asian motifs.

Handmade dishes like those pictured here are pretty too. Some cost as little as a nickel! Bring a couple to work and stow paper clips, rubber bands and odds and ends. They will brighten up your cubicle along with your day. Just watch: Everyone may want to steal your idea.

Jennifer Grey Interiors Design & Color Specialist

Cloches are spectacular, and they’ve had a huge resurgence these past four or so years. Traditionally utilized in gardens to protect seedlings in colder weather, they’ve been repurposed throughout the home. If you’re lucky, you can unearth you in a treasure shop.

I love the way that designer put books under the dome and created a weirdly whimsical vignette under there. It just goes to show, you can place anything under a single — food contained. (Mounds of grapes — green and red together –would look so decadent.) Which is the reason I think repurposing a cheese dome is perfectly OK. And people are easiest to come by. Locate a taller one one having a wood or marble base — lovely!

Donna DuFresne Interior Design

I like vintage trophies so much, I have a collection myself. Everything looks great in a decoration: flowers, branches, long matchsticks, rolled-up papers for kindling … I could go on.

Occasionally, they are yucky or a bit corroded indoors, depending on wear and age. If you’re planning to display a bouquet indoors, stick flowers in a glass and then tap it within the decoration. The flowers will stand up better this way too.

decordemon

Tin cans are the ultimate in affordability — and are pretty stylish with no ounce of trying. The iconic Campbell’s soup is a Warholian picture I’ve always loved to departure.

Consider also: big crushed-tomato and tomato-sauce cans. Those colorful labels are things of beauty, and they are so fun on outside tables. They are the perfect size for napkins, condiments and silverware, as seen here.

Recycle washed utilized cans right to the table and search for older java cans (rusty or not, and yes, folks collect these) at thrift shops.

Saving and amassing intriguing wine bottles to decant other items into is superstylish, affordable way to entertain in your home. Plus I find gorgeous crystal decanters on almost every one of my classic shopping excursions. Serving guests (and myself) booze out of a decanter makes me feel like I am Myrna Loy. And look — having a fully loaded bar is actually this easy! Eucalyptus somehow appears key as well.

Lauren Liess Interiors

Victorian-era urns are magic and make the best statements indoors and out. Filled with mosses and climbers, the one pictured here definitely makes the scene. Firms offering architectural salvage market a ton of these, often together with their first, unattached plinths, that are solid pedestals typically made of carved stone and plaster.

Perhaps you have dreamed of starting a collection but aren’t certain where to start? Sometimes all it takes is finding just 1 piece you prefer.

Say you’re fond of white bits, as pictured in this group: Milk glass, first created in Venice in the 16th century (though produced during the 19th century too), now has quite a collector following and will always be seen in thrift shops and flea markets; it’s also quite affordable.

Collecting fascinating pieces in almost any shape and shape and sticking to one basic color will yield a stunning result.

Bubble Terrarium – $150

Terrariums have made a huge comeback as well. Nearly any sort of vessel can be used to create a single. Childhood goldfish bowls, hand-painted cylindrical vases, even classic lidded apothecary jars all work nicely. The attractiveness of terrariums actually lies in having the ability to observe the individual layers which make up the very small ecosystem, so just pick something transparent.

Learn to Earn a terrarium

GPPhotographers

Mason jars have been around forever, and they are as useful in the kitchen as in they are in the tool shed. (This enterprising family utilizes theirs for spice storage; they’ve just screwed the lids up into a wood beam.) I am fond of those older, brown or blue jars using the zinc lids. Some lids are ceramic and zinc, indicators that they are definitely old, as that kind is not made anymore.

I’ve seen people spray paint them matte colours, to match their collections and decor. A wonderful hostess parting present could be a little one filled with dirt and a little basil or lavender plant. Simply wrap the jar with jute twine a couple of times and mix it into a knot for a classy send-off.

flickr.com

Finally, it’s always OK to buy an intriguing piece just because you prefer it. The decanter seen this is a unusual robin’s egg colour with lovely burnt-brown accents, has handmade, applied handles along with a slight iridescence. Chances are, this one is an oldie but goodie — and a real keeper.

More:
Maintain Your Collectibles (Without Losing Your Sanity)

Flea Market Finds: Demijohns About the House

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Set of the Landscape: Coastal Garden Style

Gardening by the sea isn’t for sissies. Even the best day at the beachfront will bring noticeable breezes and salt spray. When the weather is stormy, there’s the added dimension of strong winds, even stronger salt spray and pelting storms. To add to this, at least right on the sea’s edge, the soil itself is likely sandy, salty or both.

Regardless of the difficult conditions, coastal gardens are by and large serene and beautiful — areas where you can relax and enjoy what nature brings. As a gardener, then you simply need to generate some adjustments to work with what nature will throw at you. This may mean picking a rugosa rose upwards of a hybrid or utilizing ice plants as a ground cover rather than Kentucky bluegrass. Your crops will most probably be low and sprinkled rather than tall and densely packed; your trees’ trunks may be somewhat twisted rather than ramrod straight.

Of course, you needn’t reside at the seaside to have a backyard that is reminiscent of the coast. By following the general guidelines for aquatic plantings and picking plants that will mimic the look of a sea garden and thrive in your climate zone, then you may make your own little seaside heaven, even in Kansas. These ideas will get you started.

Elemental Design Group

Choose Your Style

A coastal cottage garden is a natural alternative in Nantucket, along the Gulf Coast, in Santa Cruz or on Puget Sound. Look for hardier perennials in traditional cottage garden colors, like pinks, purples and blues, and bulk them together to get a magical effect, especially against the weathered grey often found on a coastal cottage. Gravel paths work equally well with cottage and coastal designs, and also the lack of a conventional lawn is completely appropriate for the setting.

Randy Thueme Design Inc. – Landscape Architecture

Modern or modern garden designs also work nicely with coastal style. The clean lines and slick method of plantings pair well with the frequently sparse vegetation to be found at the beach. Here the colors of the house and concrete mix with the dunes beyond just as the purposely planted trees coincide with the colors of the native specimens.

Jeffrey Gordon Smith Landscape Architecture

Another choice is to design a natural landscape which will mix in with the surrounding space. This works tremendously well when your property overlooks an open space or the ocean itself. The advantage of the property, for instance, blurs to the distance outside.

Jeffrey Gordon Smith Landscape Architecture

Use the Components

Constant wind affects tree growth, as noticed from the twisted trunks of the Monterey cypress. When picking on trees for your space, look for specimens which may take these ailments. A local nursery can help you find the best choices for your own location.

Lankford Associates Landscape Architects

The loose, sandy soil of the beachfront allows for great drainage, but in addition, it means that nutrients are rapidly lost. In nature, this may mean crops which are commonly spaced rather than densely packed. But a spare look doesn’t need to imply monotone, especially when you’re in charge of the space. In this garden, purple ice plants lining the road to the sea’s edge lead your eye to the sitting area and encourage you to explore. The entire space looks like the natural bluffs outside, with just a bit more control and planning than nature generally provides.

Gardens by Gabriel, Inc..

However, if spare is not really your style, you still have choices. This coastal planting bed is full of colour, both from the perennials along with the grasses. Additionally, it is full of plants. The overall look is a mix of cottage and traditional, a wonderful mix for a home garden and certainly up to handling coastal weather.

Debora carl landscape design

Meadowlike grasses rather than a close-clipped lawn are another choice if you want a more contemporary look. The gentle waves mimic the look of the sea on your own yard. As a bonus, you get the sense of a lawn with minimal lawn maintenance.

Debora carl landscape design

In warmer climates try using succulents to fill out the distance. They are often adapted to saltier lands, and they are rugged enough to deal with the winds along with the spray.

Noel Cross+Architects

Make sure that your Hardscape Fits In

A wooden boardwalk is a natural option for a natural or cottage coastal backyard. In a just-planted backyard, it is going to function as a foil to the plants…

Randy Thueme Design Inc. – Landscape Architecture

… and as the wood weathers, its gentle grey tones combine with the sea outside.

Lankford Associates Landscape Architects

Gravel, whether used as a route or a patio, helps tie in a backyard with all the landscape around it. This entry patio appears right in your home, as would a patio of decomposed granite; a formal brick patio would look strange.

Lankford Associates Landscape Architects

Add the Finishing Touches

An Adirondack chair is the classic beach accessory, at home on either coast. Weathered gray is the conventional look, but it is also possible to locate them in vivid colors and easy-care plastics.

Jeffrey Gordon Smith Landscape Architecture

A bench set at the middle of a sea of shrubs and grasses is the best getaway for relaxing. Again, the weathered grey look blends in with all the soft colors around it.

The Garden Route Company

Subtle is good, but bold is not out of place. Though these colors are often thought of as tropical, the orange of the cushions will not reflect the shade on the Golden Gate Bridge in the distance — and really is a bright spot in a foggy Northern California location.

Randy Thueme Design Inc. – Landscape Architecture

Do not Forget Comfort

Ocean breezes may be strong, and the warmth could be cool, especially at night or when it is foggy. A windbreak along with a fire pit are two enhancements you’ll use frequently.

Jeffrey Gordon Smith Landscape Architecture

There is no doubt that there are fire components within this garden. These fire features are a good way to enjoy the fires while still keeping them under control and keeping the area warm into the night.

Lenkin Design Inc: Landscape and Garden Design

Whether you’re by the sea or in the Midwest, an enclosed patio like this one catches the ocean vibe. It begins with the wood deck, a classic beachfront attribute, then includes all the other necessary elements. The walls block the end, the plantings are shore motivated, and the colors can not be overcome.

Samuel H. Williamson Associates

Throw in Some Extras

In case you’re by the shore, an outdoor shower is a welcome inclusion. The paving makes it easy to maintain the area under it sand and clean free, and you’ll certainly track less sand to the house.

Rethink Design Studio

Better still, a washer and drier near where you enter the house can easily corral moist clothes. Adding a little changing area would make this area more effective for transitioning from shore to inside.

LKID

Of course, if you have this view, this pool and also this ocean, it may be time to overlook landscaping and just relax.

More:
5 Bright, Cheerful Coastal Garden Flowers
8 Ornamental Grasses for Coastal Gardens

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Set the Landscape: Modern Garden Style

A contemporary or contemporary landscape is characterized by its emphasis on powerful structural and graphic elements, clean lines and unusual materials. It’s bold, often plain, with powerful visual lines running with the hardscape playing a far more significant role than the plantings. It also appeals to contemporary sensibilities by blending the indoors with the external world.

Though such a garden may seem like a complete break with centuries of landscape layout, when you look closely, you’ll find that the same basic elements are still there. They are just reimagined. You will still have your patio, but it will be concrete rather than flagstone. The pergola overhead may be built of steel rather than wood, and industrial watering troughs rather than terra-cotta pots may serve as planters. Your waterfall may drop from the roof rather than meander through the backyard, and what lawn you’ve will no longer be the focal point of this garden.

Surprisingly adaptable. Modern or contemporary landscapes came into their own alongside contemporary and contemporary architecture from the mid-1900s. If your home’s style is bold and powerful, a conventional garden just will not do. But the style and its applications have evolved. It’s surprisingly adaptable, working well with Asian, Southwestern, natural and , with some alterations, cottage designs.

Low-maintenance and relaxing. Folks have also discovered how well a contemporary landscape fits into a contemporary way of life. Using its simplicity and clean lines, the contemporary garden can become a relaxing and relaxing escape. Since there is more of an emphasis on hardscaping, contemporary landscapes are normally more low maintenance. An added bonus in many regions of the nation is a contemporary landscape also will be much more drought tolerant.

More Lay of the Landscape: Conventional Garden Design | Natural Garden Design

Grounded – Richard Risner RLA, ASLA

Everything about this landscape illustrates the best of contemporary design. Taking each element separately, you will find plain concrete measures (that double as seating), a patch of lawn, a raised eating area and plain fencing; in other words, nothing that might appear distinctive. Nevertheless, the sheer general volume of those measures, the intriguing cutout from the expanse of grass and, first and foremost, the unexpected silver balls, give the whole area a look that is clean, simple and strongly graphic.

Arterra Landscape Architects

Geometric shapes as well as concrete and gravel are hallmarks of contemporary design. These pavers, with their alternating spans, create interesting movement inside the distance while still resulting in the fire pit focal point in the end of the lawn. Grasses soften the appearance without overpowering the distance or appearing too frilly. Dark furniture with a contemporary look is unobtrusive enough to practically recede into the fence line.

Huettl Landscape Architecture

Filled with annuals, perennials and roses, this could be a conventional garden in a normal backyard. Filling the same area with symmetrical rows of grasses and shrubs creates a completely different appearance.

Although hardscaping may play a major role, plant selection remains a significant factor in a contemporary or contemporary landscape. Ideally, the majority should possess a architectural personality (believe phormium or blue fescue) with foliage in shades of green or gray. Though colorful flowers and plants may be utilized within this fashion of landscaping, they are best when treated as accent pieces.

Squares and rectangles are generally used geometric shapes in a contemporary landscape, but an occasional circle may work wonders in softening a darkened lawn. Setting circles inside the rectangular tiers and adding a very long, thin planter will help to play up the comparison of shapes here.

Texas Construction Company

A contemporary landscape functions well with an assortment of architectural styles, such as a ranch home. Here the glossy lines reflect the traces of the home and create a tranquil — and also easy-care — distance for relaxing or parties. Contemporary landscaping is often thought of as being showy or dramatic, but it may also be rather subtle.

Ana Williamson Architect

The elements of a regular Southwestern garden might be custom made for a contemporary landscape. The plantings are sparse, typical of an area where rainfall is scarce. The hardscaping materials mimic the colours of the home, allowing the landscaping to feel like it is an extension of the home rather than a distinct space. The only shrub, with its sculptural form, is the sole statement bit required for this entry.

Arterra Landscape Architects

Though most contemporary landscapes have been paired with a contemporary or ranch-style house layout, you don’t need to stick with that. These ornamental grasses work amazingly well at the rear of a conventional San Francisco home and are a nice break from the anticipated cottage or British garden. The muted colours reflect those located in the town’s often foggy all-natural landscape and generate a year-round peaceful retreat.

Jeffrey Gordon Smith Landscape Architecture

A contemporary hardscape, with its simple lines and very low profile, also works well when paired with the natural landscape. Here, the garden itself features a very low profile, allowing the hillside foliage and the opinion are the stars of this series.

Within this setting, the bounds between nature and garden are distinct, but you might also gradually blur the line between the formal and natural spaces. By way of example, use native plants in formal rows to line the edge of your area, then gradually loosen the rows so they start to blend into the free-growing area beyond. Another thought would be to use a water feature for a bridge between the two spaces.

Carolyn Wesling

Elements of a conventional landscape — a paver path, big planters as well as an arbor resulting in a seating area — get a contemporary take within this design. The pavers are set at a geometric grid rather than a wandering path, which provides a patiolike feeling for this narrow area. Other nontraditional features include the heavy, blocklike adobe-colored boxes across the walk that give a contemporary nod to conventional terra-cotta pots, and the pillars of the same substance that tie the timber arbor they are supporting into the remainder of the space.

Huettl Landscape Architecture

Hardscapes play a important part in contemporary design. Here, mixing and matching materials — concrete, gravel and decking — functions. While each substance defines a particular area, whether it’s the backyard bed, entry pathway or area, maintaining each area the same relative dimensions and about the same horizontal plane signifies no single substance overpowers the others.

Huettl Landscape Architecture

Water is a frequent part in a contemporary landscape, but don’t anticipate a rock-filled waterfall or a naturalistic backyard pool. Instead, you will discover something like this installation, where water drops in one stream from the edge of a tall, narrow metal planter into a concrete bowl below. Adding water into planters, whether they are filled with plants or not, is a simple way to add a contemporary touch to any backyard area.

Watch more fountains like this one

Or do a contemporary version of a waterwheel. A water feature sitting in the end of a deck feels like a natural expansion of this space. The play of light onto the moving water gives a nice contrast to the timber, and also the sound of water invites one to linger.

Randy Thueme Design Inc. – Landscape Architecture

Contemporary landscapes in particular lend themselves to odd fencing. In cases like this, the fencing is more than odd; it is the highlight of this distance. Adding the uplighting just draws even more attention to the oversize basketweave design. Note the subtle stripes at the paving, another intriguing feature in what is basically an unadorned patio.

Busybee Design

Developing a contemporary seating space otudoors is amazingly simple as well as comfortable and inviting. A softly coloured but not overly sweetly light rug anchors the space, the dark wood of the deck and furniture is contemporary in atmosphere, and bright red accents replicate the brick of the building beyond.

If you crave a contemporary touch, even at a conventional garden, a patio or deck may be the perfect place to experimentation. It’s usually different from the remainder of the backyard, so a different style isn’t as jarring.

Colors Of Green Landscape Architecture

A front lawn gets a contemporary twist: The concrete patio and edgings divide the space into entryway, play area, and sitting spots, and note the warm color and horizontal structure of their gates, the more simplified plantings, the glowing orange cushions and the contemporary table. The submerged feel of this space, reinforced by the wall with plantings above it, makes the whole space look protected yet open. There’s room to relax and play, all in security.

Blasen Landscape Architecture

Even vegetable gardens may go contemporary. These elevated beds and gravel paths could be straight out of a conventional French potager, but the very simple steel pergola and table underneath give this space a contemporary appearance.

More:
Keep Your Garden at Lines
Give Your Landscape Rhythm

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The Family Home: Wallpaper Kick-Starts Kids' Rooms

Increase your hand if you like background. I must confess my hand is elevated high because I can’t appear to get enough. Wallpaper is wonderful because it may be utilized in any space in order to add color, pattern, texture and attention. Adding background to rooms children frequent is an especially great idea. Installing a bit (or even a lot) of background will add a touch of fun and exude a little bit of personality and personalization to your kid’s space along with your family home.

Tara Seawright Interior Design

If you’re looking to make a serene mood in your little one’s space, decide on a relaxing shade palette such as the one pictured here. The greens and blues include just the right amount of color.

Martha O’Hara Interiors

Wallpaper is the best medium to use if you’re trying to bring some kitsch. This dog paper that is graphic is quirky and adorable. Additionally, it is ideal for a little space, like this toilet.

Flea Market Sunday

Decorating older children’s spaces can be a challenge. This bold wallpaper is a great option. It is fun enough for teenagers but smart enough to keep up even after they head to college.

Michael Fullen Design Group

Use background to kick-start imaginative play. This Woods background by Cole and Son is the perfect background for acting outside Little Red Riding Hood.

Shirley Meisels

Be cautious when choosing wallpaper your little one might soon outgrow. Wallpapering a wall, such as with these robots, is a fantastic way to acquire the impact while saving yourself a lot of removal work when you opt to redecorate.

Dufner Heighes Inc

Installing a massive mural similar to this map from Murals Your Way is both educational and fun. If your family loves to travel, think about adding decals to the areas you’ve enjoyed visiting collectively.

Holly Marder

One other great thing about background: It lets you make any mood you’re looking for. Does your household like whimsy? This nursery was wallpapered in a home filled with random people; I just know it!

Jennifer – Rambling Renovators

If you’re worried about committing to a space filled with layout, you can begin with some simple wallpaper silhouettes such as these in an Etsy store.

More:
Botanicals Gone Wild: Wallpapers That yells
9 Clever Ways to Ease Into Wallpaper
Wallpaper: The Bold and the Beautiful

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Easy DIY St. Patrick's Day Décor

If you want some last-minute St. Patrick’s Day decorations, then here are two DIY crafts you can make in a day. Both are great for home or party décor, and because they are made with spring greens, it is possible to make them long past the vacation season.

Picklee.com

Jordan from Picklee created this Irish Rose Wreath for under $10. (Find her original tutorial) Her suggestion: If you do not have green fabric, purchase a few old garments in a thrift store rather than new, expensive fabric.

You’ll want:
3 large pieces of green fabric
Hot glue gun
Cardboard for wreath base

Picklee.com

1. Cut a wreath base from cardboard. Cover it with fabric, and staple or pin the fabric on so no cardboard is visible from front.

Picklee.com

2. Produce the little handmade roses. Cut your fabric into a circle and then cut it into a spiral, gradually getting thicker in the middle. Beginning in the thinner end, roll tightly and pinch the bottom — this will spread the blossom out.

Picklee.com

3. Attach your roses into the wreath using a dab of hot glue. Jordan varied the colors to her liking. Until the wreath is coated work.

Hang and enjoy!

Rebecca Cooper of Simple As That took a few primary materials and created this sweet St. Patrick’s Day banner ads. Find her tutorial here.

You’ll want:
String
Old publication pages
Buttons
Stapler
Green card stock
Glue or other glue

Every flag in the banner is created using pages from a discarded book. Cooper additional shamrocks and switches to each. Customize with whatever you have on hand. Hang every piece on the string using a stapler.

Hang it on a mantel, in a door or on front of dessert table.

Tell us : Are you decorating for St. Pat’s? Share a photograph below.

More:
Handmade Holiday: The Modern Wreath
Hamster Wheel Garden Wreath

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Plantation Home Style Stars in 'The Descendants'

Seeing George Clooney at a critically acclaimed role in The Descendants was undoubtedly one of the film’s main attractions. But layout enthusiasts hightailed to the theater also to observe how the movie’s setting (Honolulu and Hanalei Bay) along with the ancestral house’s importance was interpreted in the creation and set design.

The five layout and décor elements below helped me get a deeper comprehension of the load of property and heritage shouldered by Matt King (George Clooney) at The Descendants. In reality, the pictures below made place decorator Matt Calahan’s brilliance all the more clear. He sourced materials and furnishings from all around Hawaii to make homes that had background, which made the viewer feel like the collections were dwelt in not from the figures onscreen but all those that came before.

Oscar Sunday: 7 p.m. Eastern, 4 p.m. Pacific, Feb. 26, 2012

Sutton Suzuki Architects

1. Old Plantation Style

The style gets its name in the pineapple and sugarcane plantations which supplied the layout for Chinese, Japanese and Filipino laborer homesteads. Hawaiian kitchen and bath designer Cindy Tervola states, “The qualities of the old plantation style are walls made up of beadboard paneling, hardwood flooring, high ceilings adorned with lovers, and large doors opening into a lanai. And most rooms have direct outdoor access.”

Tervola adds, “Architects attempted to overthrow the homes to take full benefit of the tradewinds. They made for big windows, doors and homes which were constructed off the ground to circulate air under to cool the inside.”

This particular plantation house, color aside, reminds me of this scene in The Descendants in which the King clan meets concerning the future of their estate. Rooting the Kings into a farm and ancestral house was pivotal in the film, as it cleared the way for knowing how their lineage traced back all of the way to Hawaiian royalty and missionary settlers on the island.

M Squared Design – Architecture

Wide-hipped roofs with large overhanging eaves and a non traditional wood framework typically characterize a plantation home.

Tervola Designs

2. The Lanai

The outside roofed terrace, or lanai, is the heart center of the Hawaiian home. “It’s where household members and guests can recline on the pune’e [sofa or daybed]. Much of the family’s dining and enjoyable tasks are had in the lanai given the year-round tropical climate,” states Tervola.

K2 Design Group, Inc..

All-weather wicker furniture which could resist the wet and dry seasons is a favorite choice for tropical and farm cabin lanais. This collection from Crate and Barrel’s Ventura lineup is UV resistant and has a rustproof aluminum frame and cushions that resist fading and mildew.

Fox Searchlight

The melodrama surrounding Alex King (played by Shailene Woodley) is often performed on the lanai of her parents’ house and the rented beach house of her mother’s lover. The lanai creates a setting which allows for an intimate and fair exchange — fitting for Alex, as she’s the one who enlightens her father about her mother’s infidelity, which helps spark her dad’s journey toward truth.

Willman Interiors / Gina Willman, ASID

3. Lauhala Weave

Hawaiians use every portion of the hala tree, the origin of their woven lauhala mats, hats, furniture and roofing materials. The lauhala weave ceiling found in this picture is warm, ecofriendly, sound-absorbing and sustainable; it is employed in multimillion-dollar farm houses and small cottages equally.

Willman Interiors / Gina Willman, ASID

The lauhala ceiling with mahogany trim and framed kuba fabric seen here generates a contemporary-meets-traditional Hawaiian farm house makeup. Tervola states, “Island-style layout comprises old pieces with the brand new, mixing materials for a more contemporary look in more of the luxury homes”

Fox Searchlight

I remember watching the lauhala weave in The Descendants when Hugh (Beau Bridges’ character) was introduced. (Hugh is one of the cousins that are eligible, a group which The New York Times aptly describes here as “a gaggle of pale loafers in loud shirts and sandals” who happen to have a valuable parcel of property in Kauai.) From the island restaurant scene, the lauhala-weave walls function as the backdrop to a dialogue between Matt King and Hugh that enlightens the moviegoer to the King clan’s financially-driven interests.

F. Schumacher & Co..

Hot House Flowers, Spark

4. The Hibiscus and Tropical Floral Prints

One of the film stills for The Descendants puts the hibiscus flower front and center as a beachside George Clooney contemplates the future of his family’s Kauai estate. It was no accident that the hibiscus landed so prominently — as it is Hawaii’s state flower, the producers picked it to help root the film to the property.

Olga Adler

Whether King’s aloha shirts, the chair cushions at his in-laws’ house or the art and structures around his own residence, patterns with florals (birds of heaven, plumerias) along with the omnipresent palm tree are widely used in almost every interior framework in The Descendants; they are popular in the tropical clime of Hawaii.

Terrie Hall

5. Ancestral Photos

Prior to deciding the destiny of his family, King stands before a wall filled with his ancestors’ photos, showing a mixture of Caucasian missionaries and settlers with their native Hawaiian spouses as well as the haole (foreigner) kin who make up King’s extended family. Possibly the visual reminder of the ancestors makes King remember a significant thing about heritage and inheritance: You should always try to do the ideal thing, which oftentimes isn’t the most lucrative thing.

More:
Island Living
Sixties Southern Style: Inspiration from ‘The Help’
Design Around the World: Hawaii

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Architect's Toolbox: Vestibules Remake an Entrance

In days gone by, when houses were difficult to warm, an air rifle was made between the outside and the inside of the home. This air rifle, or vestibule, served to control heat loss through the front door and had the added advantage of providing more control over who can enter your home. Typically small and functional, a vestibule occasionally included a coat closet, a location for umbrellas and also a place to gather the email.

Nevertheless vestibules also served more than those simply utilitarian needs. They allowed us to shift involving the great, vast and scaleless outdoors to the secure, comfortable and intimate scale of the interior. These chambers eased the transition between the general public and private domains of our lives.

In the 1950s and 1960s, as heating systems enhanced, we ceased building vestibules as these rooms were no longer worth the cost. However, in giving up about the vestibule we gave up on the idea of making a distinctive and gradual transition from outside to inside. Now so many houses are made with no transition, resulting in what frequently is a jarringly uneasy encounter when you walk through the door.

So let’s bring back that transition so we can facilitate our way out of one realm to another.

LDa Interiors & Architecture

The traditional old-house vestibule at a new home: a door between outside and inside, and a door between the vestibule and the front hall. The space of the vestibule is compressed and tight, making the space of their home all the more volatile and impressive.

Diana Abrashkin AIA

Vestibules were frequently built outside the wall of the home and were also a device for creating a human scale as you approached the front door.

2D3D Design, INC

What’s your front door? This vestibule functions to transition out of the common areas of the building to the private attic space. Certainly, the more important front door is your interior door from the vestibule into the attic.

Colleen Brett

Are vestibules inside spaces, outside spaces or both at precisely the exact same time? Bringing some of the stuff and colours from the outside into the vestibule blurs the lines between inside and outside.

LDa Interiors & Architecture

Large doors open the vestibule into the stair hall when not shut. The scale of those double doors and opening provides a relationship between the bigger scale of the vestibule and bigger scale of the stair hall.

Brian Watford Interiors

Away to the side and forcing a set of turns to enter or leave the space, this entryway is not shut off with another door. Large windows bring sunlight. And the window chair makes the vestibule all the operational.

Schrader & Companies

A vestibule-like entrance can be produced at a home that’s tight on space. A couple specifying columns, maybe a built in seat and a reduced ceiling create the transition area that eases the movement from outside to inside.

Hufft Projects

Conventional approaches aren’t the only alternatives. Changes in flooring material and ceiling height, plus a screen wall, make that subtle but clearly defined transition space.

CARIB DANIEL MARTIN design and architecture llc

And just as conventional designs may have a vestibule-like transition area on the outside, so too can contemporary layouts.

More Architect’s Toolbox: Scale and Proportion

More:
Decorating Around an Open Entryway

Keys into a Fashionable Entrance

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50 Valentines to Home

Whether you’re an owner or a renter, odds are you have a complicated relationship with your property. Just like with any relationship, there are ups and downs, good times and bad, things you love and things you despise. But despite it all, you stick with it — hopefully because you enjoy it.

And also as with any relationship, appreciate for a home progresses as time goes on. But there’s always that honeymoon stage, when you’re totally infatuated. We asked what one thing left you fall in love with your home — what tipped you over the edge and left you decide it was the place for you.

Here are 50 ers’ home love stories, just in time for Valentine’s Day.

A cozy and warm fireplace brought many ers in.

1. Even though Jodi and Jay Hulbert quickly fell in love with all the riverfront setting of their 1925 home in Alder Creek, Oregon, the original 22-foot-tall fireplace place their own hearts ablaze.

Cozy Home Interiors

2. Allison Maroules of Richardson, Texas, enjoys all her home’s quirky details, however, the fireplace remains her favorite. “Just how many houses do you see a curved fireplace?” she asks.

This er’s outdoor fireplace is the thing that makes it feel just like home. “I adore how soothing my home is,” she states. “Sitting in my backyard is far better than being on holiday!”

For other users, a grand staircase took their breath away.

4. Carl Mattison of Atlanta lived inside this early-20th-century home for six years. “We fell in love with this home on account of the staircase,” he states. “It was originally constructed in 1905, and we love it every day.”

5. consumer Meghan’s home has a contemporary sensibility, and also this steel-lined staircase won her over. “The very first time I watched these stairs, I was sold,” she states.

A single crushworthy feature made some users swoon as soon as they stepped inside.

6. The indoor-outdoor relationship of Paul and Melinda Zanecki’s home in Stevensville, Maryland, tugged in this couple’s heartstrings: Transom windows showcase the view of the Chesapeake Bay on the second and first floors. “Regardless of what the weather or time of day, these windows bring the outside in, shield us from the elements and constantly remind us how blessed we should be living there,” the couple says.

ally

7. Space and ceilings made all the difference for Ally. “We fell in love with all the open — but not too open — space and our 10-foot-high ceilings,” she states.

8. This large, contemporary kitchen island set the tone for homeowner Paul Fleming. “It’s where I serve my boys breakfast across the counter and chat about the upcoming day,” he states.

9. “For me personally, it was the Art Deco tile in the bathroom, each the original 1938 charm — such as the arches replicated in each room — along with the huge blank-slate garden,” states consumer Heather about her pre-war ranch in Portland, Oregon.

anat shmariahu

10. These vulnerable sloping rafters charmed staffer Ofir Zwebner of Mountain View, California. They produce an overall mood of casual elegance.

Overall ambience instead of a single trait created sparks for all these homeowners.

11.
Casey Martinez of Queens, New York, discovered her heart fluttering within her home’s individuality. “I knew this was the one since I drew the floor plan so that I could remember it,” she states. “Some of my favourite items are the perspectives of different houses, old details and the staircase that connects it all. My home reminds me of the home in The Royal Tenenbaums, among my favourite movies.”

12. staffer Annie Thornton was smitten with her San Francisco home’s distinctive personality and architectural charm. “While living in an old place does have its issues, I love the architectural aspects of a Victorian home — and the ceilings also,” she states.

Adoration was not immediate for a few users, but their affection deepened over time.

13. “We didn’t fall in love at first website, but within the past year we have grown in love,” states Ange Hemmer of Troy, Missouri. “The home is similar to our family: crunchy on the outside and eclectic and bursting with colour on the interior.”

14. Brandy Alvaraz was almost overwhelmed with the amazing combination of materials in her home in Plano, Texas, a convergence of wood, ceramic, brick and glass. But she left it work. “The ceilings didn’t hurt,” she states. But that”very first effect of myriad materials and possibilities never entirely left us,” she adds.

15. Emily Jacob of Morton, Illinois, was intimidated by purchasing an older home initially, but she was able to transform it into a cozy haven. “I was able to look beyond the old, dated rooms and imagine what I could do,” she states.

For most users, falling in love was all about the lighting.

16. Becca Bertotti of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, noticed her residence’s brilliant light right away. “The moment I walked in to our home,” she recalls,”I fell in love with the tall ceilings and also the light that pours in during the afternoon — particularly into our dining area.”

Sara Bates

17. The dimensions of the fantastic room in her Pittsburgh home and its normal light won Sara Miller over. “When we found this place with all the large living room, we were marketed,” she states. “And of course all those windows and the built in bookshelves.”

18. The flowing light of the Pasadena, California, home and its backyard view collection Courtney Norris’s and Anthony Chiodo’s hearts aglow. “I will never forget the day that I walked into this home,” Norris says. “Here is the very first home I found, and I was mesmerized by the windows and view of the backyard.”

The prior owner’s daughter shared the superb history of their home with the few, including all the special touches her parents had given it. “We just knew there was a lot of pride and love to the home, and that we wanted to live there,” Norris says.

19. When Marie-France Cyr and her husband, Sandy Greene, first saw their Philadelphia home, it was not the sleek and fashionable place it’s today. But the light along with the open layout helped them see its potential. “It was worth living in for four weeks of renovation,” Cyr says.

Frugal Design – Lenora T. Brandoli, Allied ASID

20. Soft lighting filtered through tree branches creates a relaxing setting in Lenora Brandoli’s Wilbraham, Massachusetts, home. “The light gives you such a feeling of tranquility,” Brandoli states. “Everything about the home makes me feel good.”

21. It’s simple to find the wintertime blues, but the big window in Steve and Gail Castle’s living area makes all of the difference during dreary and dark Illinois chilly days. “For us, it was the window along with the abundant light it brings to us during the darkest period of the year,” Steve says.

22. The light in Lori Facey’s Newport Beach, California, home helped her envision her fantasy kitchen. Bright sunshine pours through the windows year-round, developing a radiant gathering place for her whole family.

Still other users found themselves falling to their houses’ beautiful environment and perspectives until they fell in love with their actual houses.

23. “For us, it was the atmosphere,” says CJ Sebert of Rochester Hills, Michigan. “The forests have a natural spring, and spring water goes through the garden in a little brook.”

24. “We fell in love with our home as a result of this view,” states Linda Rosario of Memphis, Tennessee. “The home might be falling apart around us, however, the view makes us neglect!”

25. Christal Calderon of Oakland, California, enjoys her little downtown loft’s magnificent view of downtown Oakland. The high ceilings and windows concentrate the whole apartment toward the vista.

Calderon’s city view shines just as brightly at nighttime.

Inspire Your Life Style

26. Indra Fortney has a gorgeous home in Napa, California, but it didn’t start out that way. “The house was old, and the floor plan was dreadful,” she states. “But we can see the Napa mountains, and that’s all that mattered.”

Inspire Your Life Style

A glance out the window reveals Fortney’s magnificent view, all of the way into the mountains liner California’s wine country.

27. Gina Kaylor of Beaverton, Oregon, has been won over by the magnificent view of lush Douglas fir trees from her backyard.

28. Carol Campbell’s back-porch vista in Townsend, Tennessee, takes from the Smoky Mountain National Park and”states it all,” she states. “We simply added a new deck and screened porch so we can enjoy the superb fresh air.”

Some ers were swept off their feet before they even set foot inside.

29. “I love the nature that surrounds us,” says Kristina Jones of Ohio. “Even though we live in a city, we have a wooded property with a country view.”

Woven Decor

30. “The log siding and rock outside were what I fell in love with,” says Becky Pickrel of her Moorcroft, Wyoming, ranch home. “The home was constructed in the’30s, and the logs were cut from the property and the bottom of the mountains. The land is quite rocky, and all the rock was culled up from the ranch.”

31. Irene Henry discovered this home online and knew she had to watch it in person. Built in 1969, the Eagle, Michigan, home sits along a ridge and a riverbank that can’t be observed from the road. “The architect nestled the home so thoroughly to the landscape, it is much like living outside,” Henry says.

32. Michael Green and his sister Karen Raczka dropped for the charming exterior of the Cincinatti home and its fairy-tale atmosphere in the Ohio snow.

Summerhouse Style

33. “I’ve always been drawn to tiny little houses,” says Kathleen Murray of Ocean Gate, New Jersey. “Maybe because they remind me of cottages in storybooks or dollhouses. When I saw this adorable little beach house, I knew my search was over. It’s a work in progress and nothing that grand, but it is mine and I love it.”

34. “I’d looked for more than a year, and the moment I saw the home I was in love,” says Betty Millard Stout of Bremerton, Washington. “It talked to me and fit my sense of what a home should be. It reminds me of storybook cottages from my youth and had a particular mythology about it. How can I not fall in love?”

35. The two-story porches did the trick to Camilla Shimonek of New Brighton, Minnesota. “Sitting on the front porch, protected from the elements, enjoying my morning coffee or watching the snow fall softly in winter — I love it,” she states.

Although interior and exterior appeal is vital, history is what got some houses a spot in ers’ hearts.

36. Ann Castro of San Mateo, California, immediately appreciated her home’s history. The prior owner of her 1922 bungalow lived there for 67 years, was an avid gardener and had kept almost all the original information. “I’ve altered the gardens rather a bit, but the interior remains the same, in all its quirky charms,” says Castro. “I love everything original, and I’d never dream of replacing the windows in the home.”

Previous owner Amy Halfpenny presents in front of the bungalow with an armful in the garden in 1926. “It’s an easy, comfy home for me and my son,” says Castro.

37. Marilyn Shannon’s Forth Worth, Texas, home has all of the quirks and imperfections you’d expect in a 1927 abode, however, that’s why she adores it. The gorgeous live oaks that shade the home caught her attention, however, the architectural details — barrel ceiling, original glass, and worn hardwood flooring — sealed the deal.

38. The historic charm of Suzane Beaubrun’s Oakland, California, home made her go weak in the knees. “I was initially intrigued by the brick outside, which is fairly unusual in this area,” states Beaubrun. “Subsequently, whoa, tilepalooza! We had our very first seeing with flashlight, and that I felt like I was on a treasure hunt.”

39. “We adored the age and conventional look of the home,” says Rhonda Day of Suffolk, Virginia. “We just purchased it last summer, and the funny thing is that for many years my husband had rescued a floor plan of his dream home on his computer — it seems just like this one!”

40. Patricia Lotuff’s home was constructed in 1818 as a summer home in Princeton, Massachusetts. The builder was a cousin of John Quincy Adams, who spent several nights here, and every bit of the home is filled with history. “We are the fifth family here,” Lotuff states. “When we moved in, we had to do some significant renovations. But none of it has altered the look of the home, just preserved it.”

Some users are about the outside, so having a gorgeous spot to savor it was crucial.

41. Karen Heffernan could instantly envision the perfect outdoor living area in her California home. By refacing, adding new tile and installing an outdoor kitchen, she made a superb place for her loved ones to enjoy sunlight. “I’m still in mourning over moving out from that home,” says Heffernan. “That outdoor living area was my happy place.”

42. Betsy Hall’s porch is now her family’s favorite spot to unwind all year long. “I love our home because it is where we create our memories,” she states. “From our outdoor living area to our busy family room, it’s never been just a home.”

43. “We love the view — it is a fantasy to reside here on the water,” states a consumer in the Florida Keys. “We purchased this house when we were living abroad. My husband only saw it through pictures and a movie before we purchased it, but my voice uttered my love for the home — a love he shared after he watched it for the very first time also.”

44. The view brought Cindy and David Strobel for the location on Cedar Lake in Texas, and they decided to construct a home on the water in order that they could enjoy it year-round. “The views from our most decks are still an envy to our guests and friends,” says Cindy. “We do not really have a favourite spot — I enjoy it all!”

45. ‘s editor, Sheila Schmitz, couldn’t help but fall in love with her lush garden in San Jose, California — the ideal spot to make a garden. “My home was nothing particular, but I was sold when I found the backyard. My cat was too,” she states.

46. Karen Devlin’s Bend, Oregon, home is place smack dab in the center of Central Oregon’s high desert. Its 102 acres provide her two dogs lots of room to run. “The peace and quiet and endless elegance of our environment make this our dream home,” Devlin says. “We feel as if we have discovered paradise!”

47. “What we love about the home is the garden. It’s huge, and the children get so much joy from it,” says Candy Sethi of British Columbia. “There’s nothing more heartwarming than seeing your children playing and enjoying the outdoor space following a family dinner on the deck.”

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