Unique Door Designs for Your Home’s Exterior

29 Saturday Dec 2012

Posted by melissaoconnor in Everyday Design, Guest Posts, Jim Klossner, The Home

Tags

design, double doors, exterior doors, front doors, garage doors, home, Jim Klossner, non traditional, visual impact

We spend so much time decorating the interiors of our houses. When we tackle the exterior we change the siding or shingles, paint and trim, and relentlessly landscape until the lawn is the right shade of green and the flowers are just so. But how often do we actually pay attention to the door that we’re walking through? Much less, it turns out, than we should.

Our exterior doors not only add or detract from our overall look and feel, but they represent the gateway between the outside worlds we’ve so carefully architected and our beautifully decorated nests. When it’s time to look at your exterior door, here are some of the most stunning examples we’ve seen for inspiration.

Non-traditional shapes make an interesting visual impact
Ask any child to describe a door and they’re likely describe a rectangle to you. But many innovative doors have other shapes, from elegant and stately curving archways to more abstract takes.

Arched doorways really stand out, especially when they are accented by stained glass or other glass features.

Photo Credit: Nicks Building

This is an understated and somewhat antique looking approach to an arched oak doors for your home that fit into a variety of settings, including urban buildings.

Photo Credit: Trustile

And here are some interesting abstract doors – incorporating everything from unique materials to shapes and accents.

Photo Credit: Wishka

Photo Credit: Kuhl Doors

What frames and accents the door is as important as the door itself. When we’re thinking about doors, we often overlook the idea of the entire door – including the frame – as an installation. The entire door space can create an artistic impact in your overall design.

This beautiful craftsman door features a striking frosted window with small ledge, and matching panels to either side that create a special look.

Photo Credit: Door

Here are some others with small details and bold frames that stand out for being unique or memorable.

Photo Credit: Art Factory

Photo Credit: Wishka

Photo Credit: Vision Glass

Double doors are distinctive
Some of the designs above were double doors. It’s not the first thought you have when picking an exterior door, but in addition to some practical advantages (bringing in a giant sofa, for example), the look is a stand-out. Here are some of our favorites:

Photo Credit: Art Factory

Photo Credit: Vision Glass

Don’t overlook the garage
When considering exterior doors, it’s easy to not give the garage another thought. But residential garage doors are another great way to work some flare into your home design. The good news is that the options for garage doors go way beyond the gray industrial versions you might be thinking.

Here are some great non-traditional multi-door options:

Photo Credit: Bay Area Overhead Door

Photo Credit: Sweet Marias

Photo Credit: Jay Andre Construction

Colorful garage doors are another way to lend individuality to your design efforts.

Photo Credit: Attention to Detail Greenville

Unique Door Designs for Your Home's Exterior

Let a little light in
Finally, if you’re looking for doors that will let tons of natural light come streaming into your house and give you the chance to enjoy your yard or view more, there are plenty of beautiful French doors that will do the trick.

This floor to ceiling model is ultra clean in its look and lines, and almost brings the feeling of being outdoors right into the home (same effect screen door models – at The Screenmobile).

Photo Credit: North Jersey

Paneled French doors fold back to literally become a collapsible wall, which is perfect for summer barbeques on your patio or kids running in and out of the yard.

Photo Credit: Appliance in Home

There are also classic interpretations that blend seamlessly with a more traditional house design.

Whether you’re replacing your front door or looking for the perfect piece to integrate into a grand design, paying attention to your exterior doors will give you a leg up on achieving your overall desired effect.

Written by Jim Klossner

Creative Ways to Decorate a Small Apartment

27 Thursday Dec 2012

Posted by melissaoconnor in Everyday Design, Guest Posts, The Home

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

benches, bright colors, coffee tables, home, interiors, mirrors, ottomans, painting, small spaces, Storage, Vertical Space

Making a smaller space look great is hard enough if you own it. You have to bend over backwards finding creative ways to get things to fit without making it look cluttered. Now imagine having to do this as a renter since when you’re essentially borrowing someone else’s living area. That can place limits on your ability to express yourself.

Ultimately, you have to remember two things when trying to make your small apartment livable: 1) it’s okay to cheat a little, and 2) as much as possible, everything should serve more than one purpose. Here are several great decorating ideas to make your space shine.

Secret storage
It almost seems like a cruel joke, but the smaller an apartment is, the less storage it tends to have. What those people with huge apartments need with all that extra storage space is a mystery (give some of it to us!) but that’s the way it is, and it means that you have to get clever by finding ways to store things in plain sight.

Fashionable ottomans and benches that open up are great places to put your blankets, books, and even things like board games if you have enough room. Stores like IKEA have fantastic-looking hidden storage options, like a coffee table for the living room with large drawers on each end—perfect for hiding away the two dozen remotes, iPods®, and other portable electronics you have.

Photo Credit: Ballard Designs

Photo Credit: Home Decorators

Photo Credit: Ikea

Reflections of you
A big part of successfully decorating a smaller area is tricking you into feeling like it’s bigger than it really is. One easy way to achieve this effect is through a clever use of mirrors. To give the illusion of an open space, larger mirrors in standard shapes are best because they do a good job of sucking you in. Most renters can probably get away with hanging a large mirror or two and simply patching the holes when they leave, but if that idea scares you, it’s not completely out of the question to find tall mirrors that you can carefully prop against the wall.

Photo Credit: West Elm

Photo Credit: Pottery Barn

When painting, go light and bright.
Lighter, brighter colors tend to make a space feel bigger than it really is, so you should always stick with them over darker hues that can create the feeling of being trapped in a cave. But wait a minute; you’re wondering how can you paint the walls as a renter? Who said anything about the walls? If you don’t own the space, redecorate by painting what you do own—your furniture! You’ll be shocked by how different your room looks when you repaint that black entertainment center an electric blue, or change your bed frame from oak to white. Just make sure you do a little bit of research on the best ways to paint furniture before you jump into the project.

Photo Credit: Better Homes and Gardens

Think tall
When your square footage is limited, the best way to get the most use out of it is to look up and try to find furnishings that do a good job of taking up the vertical space. Not only will this help you to store more while making your living areas feel more open, designers say that big furniture often serves to create the sense that a room is larger than it really is. Nice!

Photo Credit: What is Home Improvement

Photo Credit: Remodel

Photo Credit: Free Home Decorating Ideas

Robert Mansions writes for Apartments Management Group. When Robert is not writing or reviewing apartment rentals, you can find him at home working on his garden and landscaping.

Nautical Design and Decor

20 Thursday Dec 2012

Posted by melissaoconnor in Everyday Design, Guest Posts, Jim Klossner, The Home

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

blue, boats, decor, design, home, Jim Klossner, nautical, navy, ocean, redecorating, sea, shells, water, waves

Do you ever crave a moment by the sea? Maybe it’s the tranquility of the waves lulling you to sleep, the fresh salty breeze, or the feeling of sand between your toes. Whatever it is about the ocean that sets your heart in motion, you can carry the look into a beachside house or bring the ocean to you when you’re 1000 miles from the sea. Here are some great designs for inspiration.

A great nautical design starts by leveraging navy blues and bone whites throughout your fabrics, paints, and accents. Navy and white stripes make a great runner and pillow combo, especially when combined with this funky navigational chart wallpaper.

Photo Credit: The Home Barn

White furniture is easily given a nautical flare with some blue pillows scattered about. The boat book shelf is an ingenious touch that leaves you in a “sitting beside the sea” mood.

Photo Credit: Decor Medley

Blue stripes integrate with this ultra-modern nautical take, with sleek clean lines and lots of natural light. Check out the mirror a la porthole for a fun twist.

Photo Credit: At Interior

There are several ways to bring the ocean theme to your bedroom – these striped walls provide the perfect backdrop for an otherwise mellow nautical design.

Crisp modern nautical sheets and coverlets, along with curtains and other fabrics, are a great and inexpensive way to bring this look to the bedroom. Some options hearken back to the glory days of big ships, and have an antique nautical feel like this set.

Other approaches are more minimalist.

Another popular approach is integrating the patriotic with navy themes. These tend to be bolder, and bring in reds and more color to work with. If you like a bigger color palette, this is a distinctive take on the nautical theme.

Photo Credit: Home Decorating Co

If your kids are little sailors at heart, the options are endless. Some light carpentry quickly builds a shell that turns a kid’s bed into an actual boat.

Photo Credit: Marine Insight

In any room, small touches that quickly lend a nautical feel include interesting rope designs, like these framed on the wall and used as part of accessories.

Photo Credit: Ocean Home Mag

Photo Credit: Style Theories

Boats are being worked into design in interesting ways, from accent pieces to the furniture itself.

Photo Credit: The HomeBarn

Life preservers have a role in nautical design, both indoors and outdoors. Some are functional, others purely decorative.

Photo Credit: The HomeBarn

A whole other approach works in softer pastel colors, seashells, and sand to give more of an “at the beach feeling.” Shells can actually become part of the structural support of a house or an accent piece.

Photo Credit: Porta Weddings

Photo Credit: Make Merry Events

Outdoor spaces can also be transformed with nautical elements, from lighting to lawn furniture. Any backyard can give the feeling of overlooking the sea.

Photo Credit: Nautical Cottage Blog

Photo Credit: Shades of Light

Photo Credit: Houzz

With all of these great ideas, you can give a nautical makeover to any room of your house in no time. So what are you waiting for? Start redecorating today!

Written by Jim Klossner

How to Make Flower Arrangements

19 Wednesday Dec 2012

Posted by melissaoconnor in Daisy Hart, Everyday Design, Guest Posts

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

centerpieces, decorating, diy, dried flowers, Flower Arrangements, flowers, nature, ribbon, silk flowers

Decorating your house with flowers is a great way to brighten up the interior and bring some color into your home. Creating beautiful flower arrangements at home is quite easy and almost anybody can learn how to do it. With a little practice you can even make them look quite professional.

When decorating your home, you can use both fresh and dried flowers. Both can help you achieve great results. Even artificial or paper craft flowers can do the trick. All you need to do is to provide yourself with the proper materials.

How to Make Flower Arrangements

Carefully choose the proper colors. If you would like to accent a certain room in your house or use specific colors, you will have to do some pondering beforehand so that you are sure you will make the right decision. Pick what type of flowers you would like to use for your floral arrangement. If you enjoy being creative and don’t mind making new displays every other week, use fresh flowers. Some types of fresh flowers, like jasmine, for example, will grant your room with a magnificent aroma. However, if you are allergic to pollen, or would like a long-lasting arrangement, choose silk flowers.

How to Make Flower Arrangements

The room decor needs to be complemented by the colors you choose. If you are a beginner in this field, use the help of a color wheel. As complementary are considered the colors beside the one you have chosen. Similarly, contrasting are those that are on the opposite side. For example, if the main color theme of your room is yellow, pick a color that is next to the yellow color on the color wheel.

Before you actually start making the arrangements, make sure you have nice containers for them. You can use ceramic vases, large coffee mugs, wicker baskets, brass containers, sculpted clay or even small cardboard boxes. Don’t forget that you will need a watertight container if you use fresh flowers. According to the size of your container, cut an appropriate piece of floral foam which will fit just right. Glue it to the bottom of the container. If you are to be using fresh flowers, soak the foam once its glue dries. Thorns and lowers leaves are to be trimmed in order not to rot or mold in the water.

How to Make Flower Arrangements

Greenery as well as the tallest of the flowers should be arranged first. If the arrangement is to be a centerpiece, put them in the middle. If not, put them in the back. While arranging the rest of the display’s components, be careful not to create any single color patches. For instance, if you have a bunch of red flowers, do not place them all right next to each other, but rather put a yellow or a pink one with some greenery among them. This will break the patch.

How to Make Flower Arrangements

If your container of choice is a wooden box or a basket, use some trailing greenery which will soften the container’s sharp outline. Adding plain or scented candles is optional. However, if you decide to use such, make sure everything is properly trimmed in order to avoid setting your arrangement on fire.

As a final touch, you can attach a ribbon, preferably a silk one, which is to be changed throughout the year, in order to match the themes of the different holidays – a green on for St. Patrick’s Day, a red one for Valentine’s Day, red-white-blue one for Independence Day, etc. By making floral arrangements you will bring in bright color and mood in your home, which can last all year long.

Written by Daisy Hart

http://www.flowersbypost.org.uk/valentines-flowers/