Monthly Archives: December 2018

8 Pool Water Characteristics That Venture Into Fantasy

Extremely hot temperatures can take away your breath and leave you begging for relief. For many people, floating in a swimming pool can only proceed so far. Water features can offer another welcome reprieve from hot, hazy days.

From easy, sheer descents to numerous swim-through waterfalls, these spectacular pool designs incorporate some sort of water. Did you know the sound of moving water has been proven to lower the heartbeat? Still another reason to add a water feature in your next outdoor design.

Harold Leidner Landscape Architects

This pool has a custom made water display that enables TV and pictures to be viewed from the pool and the patio.

Systems with rear projection and a water display bundle, for example Tsunami Waterscreens, start at around $7,600. And keep your surroundings in mind — if your garden is rancid, this kind of water feature is not the best bet.

CAVINESS LANDSCAPE DESIGN, INC..

Natural boulders incorporated with a faux stone grotto give swimmers multiple places for sitting and interacting on this particular pool. A variable-speed pump provides different water flow amounts, from intense to soft. The Jandy ePump variable speed pump retails for approximately $2,000.

Here is another great example of enormous waterfalls that result in a hidden grotto. Smart-phone programs like iAquaLink or Pentair today allow you to control your pool or pool with one touch.

Phil Kean Designs

Who says water features need to be enormous? I really like the easy design of the feature and also the calm spillover of water in the table leading to the pool.

The Garden Consultants, Inc..

This water feature doesn’t spill in the pool but complements the modern design and provides the homeowner a beautiful and tranquil focal point.

JM Lifestyles

This wonderful water feature has one large entry to the grotto for swimmers. The innovative use of lighting produces an excellent ambience at night.

Landscape Techniques Inc..

Do you have a yard elevated above the home? Landscape designers love a yard in this way! The topography allows for different levels of entertaining, for example with this water quality that connects the upper-level pool with a lower spa.

Highline Partners, Ltd

Another example of utilizing the terrain is this water feature, which fits perfectly into the landscape. This majestic swimming pool has a meandering water quality that blends with its surroundings.

Watch more of the house and swim-up pond

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13 Ways With Window Valances

Versatile fabric valances in a variety of fashions can add that extra finishing touch to windows in every room. A brief length of decorative drapery, valances are usually hung above windows to disguise curtain rods or simply offer a space polish.

From super simple to extremely customized, these remedies can be installed on formal image windows, on functional doors and even above beds. Use a valance alone or combine it with draperies, horizontal blinds, cellular shades or shutters to create the appearance that works best with your home.

Tewes Design

1. Box-pleated valance. This photograph illustrates a formal box-pleated valance with centre and corner pleats. The cloth valance covers the bar for the draperies underneath.

Styling suggestion: This crisp treatment is excellent for master bedrooms and living rooms if a more formal sense is needed.

Sew Unordinary

2. Arched valance. An arched valance is a highly proportioned, decorative cloth valance with a high arch and centre pleat. The base of the valance has a coordinating group of fabric to get an accent.

Styling suggestion: Use this stylized valance to break up the tough horizontal and square edges often found in kitchens and breakfast areas.

3. Rolled valance. This valance can do double duty as a curtain when necessary. A very cabin chic treatment, a wrapped valance is made from fabric that is simply wrapped to the desired elevation and supported by contrasting ties. Use bows or knots in the cloth of your choice to dress it up or down.

Styling suggestion: With a fast change of substance, it’s simple to produce this casual, formal, contemporary or traditional. A valance that is rolled is an easy and inexpensive DIY window treatment.

Gavin Rae / Legacy Kitchens

4. Stepped valance. High modern design satisfies elegance with this straight-edged valance, which has many tiered fabric peaks to make a stepped appearance.

Styling suggestion: Carry the valance from window to window into a room — or perhaps across cabinetry — to make a visual bridge for your eye to follow.

Sew Unordinary

5. Ring-top valance with jabots. This strategically placed valance has top and underside scalloping that’s symmetrically assembled to make a centre fold, called a jabot. The bottom hem of the valance and the jabot are adorned with a decorative beaded fringe. On a drapery pole with sewn-on rings, this valance was installed for a conventional design.

Styling suggestion: employing a drapery bar with finials and rings can help add those additional details that may be lost in your home’s architecture.

6. Gathered valance. This very conventional valance is made by using twice the needed fabric width to make the gathered effect. Decorative fringe on the bottom of the valance adds extra flair.

Styling suggestion: When choosing coordinating or contrasting fringe, consider using a fringe that has crystal or glass beads to grab the incoming light in the window.

7. Sculpted valance. This architectural valance combines a daring style with contemporary simplicity. The bottom hem, which can comprise several geometric patterns, supports a contrasting band to accent the cutout. Within this room, the same valance is used again over the mattress to make the most of drama.

Styling suggestion: When designing your very own sculpted valance, organize your cloth color together with the area’s paint colour. You are going to want this exceptionally dramatic valance to accentuate, not to define, the area’s decor.

Jack and Jill Interiors

8. Balloon valance. Extra cloth is cinched proportionately in the ends to make a balloon valance. Within this room, the conventional style is installed on a decorative drapery rod with finials and underside fringe for a elegant appearance.

Styling suggestion: Use a heavily assembled bead skirt to give balance between the two flanking window treatments.

ECOterior Solutions from Carolyn Tierney

9. Straight valance. Simple and minimal, the basic right valance will help soften an area’s hard edges and is easy to install and design.

Styling suggestion: Your valance must hang between 16 and 21 inches, depending on the elevation of your window. A valance that’s too brief or too long will distract the eye.

Home Staging Career for Less

10. Tie-top valance. This carefree valance often is achieved in a lightweight fabric that is hung with ease on a simple pole. Tabs made from exactly the same cloth were sewn on and used to hang the valance in this photograph to get a more put-together appearance. The fitting shower curtain is attention to detail in its very best.

Styling suggestion: For just the ideal fullness when using this kind of valance, double the amount of your cloth dimension.

A.HICKMAN Design

11. Valance with cafe curtain. Blend a highly stylized valance with a cafe curtain at a coordinating fabric for a conventional, layered appearance. The mix provides the style of heavy draperies while still allowing for privacy and light.

Styling suggestion: when choosing a pole and rings for your cafe, make sure you coordinate with another metallic finishes inside the area.

12. Queen Anne valance. This stunning valance has a horizontally set cord detail near the top and a scalloped bottom edge. A fan pleat for a sense divides each space. In this area, fitting functional draperies are pushed into the side for needed privacy.

Styling suggestion: To completely organize your draperies in your area, consider adding the exact same fringe from the valance round the edges of your comforter or duvet cover.

Robin Baron Design

13. Gathered valance with finials. This gathered, conventional valance hangs hangs on ornamental hooks installed on the wall above the window.

Styling suggestion: Browse your favourite home products store to find decorative hooks at a style that matches your decor. The more you add, the more striking the valance becomes.

More:

Locate Your Window Treatment Style

Custom Draperies 101

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The Honor Roll is Made by homeschool Spaces

Each of the homeschool spaces below earns an A-plus for challenging work. Not only are they soothing, beautiful and clutter-free, but they also provide intellectual stimulation — not a simple task for even the very experienced designer or DIY-er. Here’s a look at four houses that do not just aid their owners teach their kids, but help to teach us also.

Julie Ranee Photography

1. Industrial Farmhouse in Ohio

This family’s homeschool is located in a loft above the kitchen. Homeowner and photographer Julie Ranee purchased the hammock on a trip to Ecuador 22 years ago. “I’ve been carting the hammock around for so long and now I’ve finally put it to good use. The kids love using a relaxing and new reading nook,” states Ranee.

Julie Ranee Photography

A farmer’s table and four blue chairs from Target compose the major gathering room for Ranee’s three kids.

Hint: if you’re able to, carve out a dedicated space for homeschooling. The physical and visual separation between the learning region and the remainder of the house helps kids mentally prepare for a day’s work if they enter the school distance.

Julie Ranee Photography

Ranee, an enthusiastic DIY-er, salvaged an old wooden electric spool left from her house’s construction. She uses it as a shelf for textbooks and other reading material.

Julie Ranee Photography

This old barn torso, bought for $10 in an auction, is a homeschooler’s dream. Ranee spray painted the drawers metallic silver and black; every drawer is large enough to store documents and papers.

Julie Ranee Photography

Hint: Sprinkle inspiring and inviting messages throughout your school region to lift the kids’ spirits.

Amy Renea

2. Conventional house in Pennsylvania

Interior designer Darlene Weir is about flexible seating options. Though her boys use a conventional chair and desk set up for writing assignments, they perform virtually all of their reading, researching and memorizing together on a beanbag, preferring to break away from the heirloom table handed down from Weir’s husband’s family.

Says Weir,”My boys love drawing and doing math on the floor. Flexibility is a perk of homeschooling, so why not work on the floor once in a while?”

Hint: If you opt for a conventional chalkboard, try to find one that is antique — the chalk won’t squeak as you write.

Amy Renea

Homeschooling calls for several tiny things: glue sticks, tape, crayons, pipe cleaners and more. Weir finds storage and storage clutter-control comfort in baskets. “Baskets leave things readily accessible, but they conceal the distinct miniature parts from perspective,” she states.

Weir additionally uses the workbox system, where all her kids has his own workbox that has his individual assignments for the day. Each child returns all things to the box when finished. “The machine keeps the daily newspapers manageable,” says Weir.

Hint: Although it’s great to have a designated homeschool area like this, Weir likes to break up the monotony of daily education by changing to a different place in the house occasionally. “Sometimes we’do school’ from the kitchen because it divides the speed; the new setting reinvigorates us,” says Weir.

Natasha Barrault Design

3. ‘Gentle Modern’ Home School in Malibu

Interior designer Natasha Barrault and architect-designer Hervé Daridan made this family house with education in your mind.

“We utilized the present rooms of the house and enabled each space to change to the demands of the school. In essence, the chambers could actually shape-shift [into ] a homeschool in the morning and then return to being a normal living room or dining room for the remainder of the moment,” states Barrault.

This picture shows a part of the living space, used as the language arts room when school is in session.

Hint: Don’t underestimate the ability of slipcovers and furniture protections. Barrault added specially designed and elegantly shielded decor and furnishings so that every piece can survive the wear and tear of school days.

Natasha Barrault Design

Barrault and Daridan custom made fabric-covered boxes with metal frames to fit from the bookcases. Each box is full of letters, numbers, toys and other educational products.

Natasha Barrault Design

“The customer did not need to sacrifice the beauty of every room. I think we proved that practicality and prioritizing kid-related activities in the house aren’t detrimental to good home layout,” states Barrault.

Hint: Homeschools don’t necessarily need to be full of dispensable furniture. Beautiful, elegant interiors can serve these requirements; you just need to find the most flexible, flexible pieces.

Amy’s Affordable Interiors

4. Homeschool Remodel in Florida

Interior designer Amy Steenson’s homeschool works really difficult for her loved ones. The efficient space does triple duty as a school, a home office and a guest room for friends and loved ones.

Hint: Maximize your distance by aligning furniture from the walls, freeing up the center of the space for reading and creative group activities.

Amy’s Affordable Interiors

Steenson enjoys versatile storage options, such as table legs with storage room and wall-hung shelves and cups. “Locate storage boxes that can fit under desks, sofas and tables, and elastic furniture options like end tables that twice as filing cabinets,” she states.

Hint: Source furniture from other Areas of the house. A futon, sleeper or daybed sofa may be a good addition to a homeschool. “This sofa is a place where my kids and I will read together during the school day, but also doubles as a full-size bed we could use for seeing guests,” states Steenson.

ers, do you own a homeschool? Tell us about your style challenges and reveal images from the Remarks section below.

More:
Children’ Study Spaces Make High Marks
Get Your House Back-to-School Ready

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Amazingly Low-Maintenance Picks for Outdoor Planters

Between the scorching summer sun and extended holidays, it is probably no surprise as soon as your outdoor plants begin looking like they want a little love. Rather than paying the neighbor children to keep your vegetation hydrated every time you reach the shore, rethink your landscape strategy to need less maintenance and be sun tolerant and much more in accordance with your carefree summer attitude.

The ideal plant picks can endure extended sunlight and a tiny neglect. You can save your plant guilt to get ice cream!

Debora carl landscape layout

For extra-hot outdoor conditions, extended holidays or people who just can’t appear to keep a plant alive, succulents really are a wonderful option. Most survive very well in sunlight and need at least one to two hours per day of sunlight. For larger planters or spaces that call to get a taller plant, then consider using American aloe or Parry’s Agave.

Susan Cohan

Aloe, scilla, gasteria and haworthia are a few examples of succulents that flourish in the hot, bright summer sun. If you’re looking to increase the beauty of your outdoor scape, consider planting flowering Fall Joy — that not only is pretty in its own right but also attracts butterflies.

Kate Michels Landscape Design

Succulents tend to require less water than other plants. But be wary when using terra-cotta baskets — they tend to dry out quickly. To see whether your plants need to be straightened, put your finger a centimeter or two below the ground. If it’s moist, no water is necessary.

More fuss-free ways to garden

Sandy Koepke

Bear in mind, lots of succulents thrive on neglect. Always err on the side of underwatering, not overwatering. If they look a little limp, then it is time to water.

Notice: Some succulents are frost tender and may require a cover in chilly weather.

If you’re really concerned about your outdoor plants, then a crate like that one does double duty. It looks good hanging on your walls, and you can always pull it down and take it with you. For succulents who do double duty, consider planting edible succulents. Yuccas, aloe vera, prickly pear and night-blooming cereus are yummy varieties.

If succulents aren’t something, many green shrubs result in clean, easy-to-maintain exterior planters. Boxwoods, by way of example, demand afternoon shade and need to be pruned but need watering only every seven to 10 days — more frequently if you’re using a scorcher.

Exteriorscapes llc

Ornamental grasses are another fantastic low-maintenance alternative for exterior planters. They need to be cut back only once per year in the spring and, following the first year of expansion, need very little water. They tend to flourish in regions of total sunlight.

MySunnyBalcony

An outdoor scape like this one, where plants are divided into separate baskets, is not difficult to maintain. When one plant begins to look a little wilty or needing replacing, it is no problem to just remove one without bothering others.

Max Crosby Construction

Topiaries are a very simple method to keep your outdoor planters looking refreshing. For a burst of electricity through celebrations or special events, a brightly colored perennial around the foundation adds pizazz.

VivaTerra

Driftwood Succulent Garden Basket – $89

Create your succulent scheme even easier by ordering a prefilled planter.

More:
Amazing Succulents for Your Garden

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14 Ways to Reduce Your Summertime Laundry Load

The very last thing you probably need to do in the middle of summer is spend a good deal of time cleaning. But with each one of the beach days, pool parties and picnics, the house can easily be overrun with sand and moist towels. Discover how to establish a smart laundry system which will see you through the summer with ease.

First, prepare for summer with a seasonal swap. Have a day to go through every drawer, closet and cabinet, pulling things out which are no longer appropriate. Stow off-season clothing and equipment in an out-of-the-way spot and dig out the beach towels, swimsuits and sarongs. Often after a season in towels, storage and other items end up a little musty; if so, throw everything in the wash before using. If you come across any items with tears or stains, now’s the time to toss them out.

Jackson Cabinetry LLC

Minimize laundry lots. Doing a load here and there works best for most people. When laundry builds up to giant mountain levels, it may feel overwhelming to tackle. Utilizing smaller baskets can be a helpful reminder to take the laundry and start a load. If doing regular loads of laundry doesn’t work for you, a fantastic choice is to invest in a sizable three-bin laundry sorter that can keep things tidy until you’ve got a chance to get to it.

Tim Barber Ltd Architecture

Cease moist, sandy clothes until they enter your house. Putting up a simple peg rail or some row of pins on the exterior of your house makes it effortless to remember to hang moist beach towels to dry.

Munger Interiors

Keep new towels and matches in a designated spot. Inside the doorway, a second set of hooks or hooks can hold fresh, clean towels ready to grab and go.

Lehman’s

Galvanized Washtub – $39.95

Make hand washing chores a snap. Keep a washtub at the ready in the bathroom and toss in bathing suits and other fragile items as needed.

CB2

Slat Rack – $89.95

Insert a space-saving drying alternative. Rather than strewing swimsuits throughout the shower pole or dealing with a bulky drying rack, try leaning a magazine rack or a classic ladder against the wall. It’s just as effective and so much sleeker!

backporchco

Keep towels off the ground. Supply wall hooks for every member of their household, and a seat or shelf to stow extras and a small hamper for dirties. For larger households, labeling each hook using a letter or number is an easy way to keep track of whose towel is.

Tara Seawright Interior Design

Try this easy summer cleaning routine. Obviously every once in a while it is a fantastic idea to do a cleaning, but that wishes to deal with that in the summer heat? By sticking with this routine, your bathroom can stay fresh looking in only a couple of minutes every day.

1. Keep a heap of microfiber cloths in the cabinet or under the sink.
2. Whenever you think about it, give everything a quick swipe with a microfiber cloth dampened with plain water.
3. Start with all the lightest region (mirror, sink) and finish with the grimiest (bath, then toilet). Toss the cloth in a hamper.
4. Summer may mean more mildew buildup, so every once in a while throw the shower curtain and bath mat in the wash, also.

Munger Interiors

Put a laundry basket (nearly) every room. Kitchens, bedrooms and baths every need their own laundry basket. I have found that generally, if you keep the basket onto the small side, this makes it easier to keep along with the laundry.

Wisteria

White-Dipped Barrel Baskets – $59

Go for summery baskets. I adore those white-dipped baskets from Wisteria, however you can certainly attempt to create a DIY version with the addition of paint to present baskets. Cute bins like these may be easily tucked into a corner of the kitchen or bath without screaming “laundry basket”

The Container Store

Commercial Garment Rack – $69

Prevent summer ironing. Pull shirts and other items you usually should iron out of the dryer when it is completed, and hang up them on hangers — a garment rack or an extra closet rod is perfect for this endeavor. By simply smoothing your dressy clothing out somewhat and dangling them while they’re still warm will minimize (or even eliminate) the need to iron.

Tracery Interiors

Create your laundry room a location that brightens your whites — and your mood. Keeping things light and fresh in the laundry room can make this chore feel a bit more fun. Sterile white or bright, bright colors are a excellent option. Should you like to purchase giant containers of detergent, decanting them into glass jars will make them more attractive and much more convenient to use.

Pottery Barn

Linen Pin Board – $99

Insert a multipurpose pinboard. Put a pleasant, large covered bulletin board in your laundry room and find out the number of ways you wind up using it. It’s possible to hang household photographs and inspiration, of course, but also attempt dividing wrapped socks, lost items and a fabric care chart for easy reference.

Tina Kuhlmann

Designate a spot for pocket contents. A basket or bowl set on top of the washer serves as a visual reminder to check those pockets before washing that lip merchandise or money. For additional organizing credit, give each person their very own little basket for small items which would otherwise be easily lost.

Atypical Type A

Outdoor or Indoor Summer Trellis Hooked Rug – AUD 60

End the area using a vibrant rug. Since so many laundry rooms are in basements with unfinished cement flooring, it is logical to bring just a little softness underfoot. There are lots of great indoor-outdoor rugs in the marketplace nowadays that would be perfect in the laundry room. These hard-wearing rugs will be easy to care for, yet will still offer a fun burst of colour.

See more ways to make the most of your laundry room

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Tour Comfort in the Hollywood Hills

Interior designer Jennifer Dyer loves you will find 52 windows in her Hollywood Hills, California, home. Dyer prizes organic light, which most Angelenos take for granted. She loves the way the sun’s rays fill her house throughout the day, which makes her feel like the luckiest girl on the block — despite her distinct block is filled with a few Hollywood heavyweights. “This is an easy house to reside in. It is filled with elegant rooms that are not overly formal and have a very lived-in sense of comfort and fashion,” says Dyer, who was happily involved with the remodel and design process of her house from start to end.

at a Glance
Who livers here: Jennifer Dyer, her fiancé and three Yorkshire terriers
Location: Hollywood Hills area of Los Angeles
Size: 2,975 square feet
That’s interesting: Your house is in Outpost Estates, home to celebrities like Ben Stiller, Penny Marshall and Bob Barker

Jeneration Interiors

Red creates its first and only appearance in the front entry, drawing the eyes — and visitors — in.

Door paint: Vermillon, Benjamin Moore

Dyer plays movement in the entryway: The artfully arranged sprigs reach up to the ceiling, whereas the waves in the wall art and also the hide rug seem to extend horizontally, producing tension and a feeling of movement.

Jeneration Interiors

Here Dyer artfully layers neutral shades of white and beige in varying intensities to create an evolved look that’s anything but staid. A mother-of-pearl mirror frame, damask tufted wingbacks, a bronze ram bust and ceramics occupy the same space, which makes the living room a study in artfully blending styles and elements.

Tufted wingbacks: custom by Schumacher

Jeneration Interiors

Although Dyer’s house is suspended in Hollywood Regency and conventional design styles, her accent pieces look to the Far East. A settee in a whispery blush tone along with a luxe incline chair coexist with a lacquer box along with also a canvas painting of Buddhist monks bought at a weekend market in Thailand.

The horned coffee table base and reindeer table lamp are a nod to creature and rustic chic. Dyer has worked antlers, horns and branches to almost every room.

Jeneration Interiors

The pairing of neutral tones with the blues and grays of the bed frame, fabrics and artwork makes a relaxing and relaxing bedroom space. Dyer added subtle pieces of flair to the room, like a gilded arced table lamp that quietly bows its head in the corner along with an elegant antique brushed brass chandelier.

Bed frame: Hickory Chair

Jeneration Interiors

Designer clothing and accessories abound in the walk-in cupboard of this Tinseltown designer, who changed what used to be a bedroom into a shoe and clothes enthusiast’s haven. “I wanted something with a little bit of glamour, so that I did away with the anticipated built-in island also hampers,” says Dyer. The middle table is used as a location to display outfits and makes for a “convenient place to put stuff on when packing for a trip.”

Straightforward white painted wood has been used for the storage and shelving units so the space could easily be turned back to a bedroom.

Jeneration Interiors

The oval claw-foot tub with a view to the lush environment is perfection independently, but what really elevates this bathroom are the light fixtures, which look like crystal lace earrings in this perfectly written space.

Tub: Circe cast iron, Kallista; light fixtures: Cascade wall brackets, Boyd Lighting; accent table: Midi Furniture

Jeneration Interiors

The four-poster bed ups the luxury of this guest bedroom. Although the overall effect of this space is decadent, nothing ever feels overly formal, and you have the feeling that it is perfectly fine to roll around the bed or toss the cushions on the floor.

Jeneration Interiors

“The house was already wonderful to begin with, but it had a few finishing details. Most of the cupboard doors have been broken, the entire space needed new light, and the kitchen had more shelves and functionality,” says Dyer.

The classic milky beauty of Calacatta marble contrasts with the deeper wooden shades of this dining table and chairs, bought by Dyer at the Santa Monica Swap Meet.

Jeneration Interiors

Instead of going daring with big metallic bits, Dyer artfully incorporates brass and gold accents in the dining area; the glimmer in the utensils, chair finish and furniture grabs the eye at different points of the room.

Dining seats: Thomas Pheasent for Baker; table: Artefacto; driftwood lamp: classic

Jeneration Interiors

Earth tones in the industrial-vintage floor lamp base, pub stools and window dressing hot up the pub at the corner of the family room.

Jeneration Interiors

The living room overlooks homage to the Southern California coastline. Swathed in ocean blue, nautical stripes and flashes of crimson, the distance is bathed in sunshine.

Jeneration Interiors

A dreamy cabana with decadent navy blue drapes provides shade and privacy poolside — but Dyer rarely pulls the drapes, because the 15-foot-tall ficus hedges enclosing the home provide plenty of seclusion.

For Dyer, the coolest aspect of this pool area is its own technologies: The light systems and pool controls are concentrated and can be modulated from her iPad.

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Butterfly Roof

Sharp angled roof lines that incline to the center create a butterfly roof. Popular after the nuclear age, this midcentury roof layout was a response to the boxy brick facades of the postwar norm. The crevice in the middle of the sloping roof was able to collect water in drought-affected locations, and the sharp angles let for excellent vaulted ceilings.

Gardner Architects LLC

This butterfly roof has equal-length sides and acts as an eave for the coated deck below.

Four Corners Construction, L.P.

The downspout of the butterfly roof shows where the water tends to run off, directly at the crevice where the two slopes meet.

Michael Tauber Architecture

This is an illustration of a butterfly roof. The lines of the structure are long and low, feature of contemporary design.

Neiman Taber Architects

Tongue and groove panels line the eaves of the contemporary butterfly roof.

Gaulhofer Windows

Though this looks like a butterfly roof, it’s really comprised of 2 skillion roofs, which both slant inward. The advantage of this is the vertical distance between allows for a wonderful clerestory window.

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Kitchen of the Week: 1920s Renovation in California

Teal closets, Spanish-inspired tile plus a cozy breakfast nook assisted choose this kitchen Los Angeles from packed to charming. The owners, a family of four, wanted their kitchen to fit into the home’s 1920s architecture but have all the modern amenities. For the renovation, designer Erica Islas knocked out walls, played with bright accents and integrated smart lighting to start up the space.

Erica Islas / EMI Interior Design, Inc..

A breakfast nook takes up less space than a normal table and feels cozier to boot. “It is always a great option under windows when you have an empty corner like this,” states Islas. The seat cushions were tailored with a mattress advantage for a thorough finish, and Islas discovered an ideal vintage 1920s lighting fixture at a local antiques store.

Cabinetry: custom by Erica Islas; backsplash: Malecon and White Malecon field tile, Montecarlo Tile; countertop: Blizzard, Caesarstone

Before Photo

Erica Islas / EMI Interior Design, Inc..

BEFORE: The original kitchen was too small for the family to hang in. Islas took the wall separating the cooking distance from the table to open things up and allow light to stream in. Although the kitchen is right next to the dining area, she wished to maintain a casual dining area for breakfast and dinner.

Erica Islas / EMI Interior Design, Inc..

Roman shades open from the surface, in place of the bottom, allowing light in while maintaining privacy.

A kitchen desk becomes the ultimate communication center when equipped with a customized corkboard, a built-in dry erase board and a chalkboard.

Lighting: Dispela; floors: San Felipe, Arto; breakfast: habit by Erica Islas; window seat fabric: Sunbrella

Erica Islas / EMI Interior Design, Inc..

Islas transported the soffit across the whole room, making it feel more intimate and providing her the liberty to use lights down for ambience. “With old houses, electric is obviously a challenge as you are dealing with needing to upgrade wiring and adding in more circuit breakers, which costs money and ends up eating into budgets,” she states.

Sink: Kohler; faucet: Rohl; teal cupboard color: Turtle Lake, Dunn Edwards; glass knobs: Anthropologie

Erica Islas / EMI Interior Design, Inc..

Islas started off with the San Felipe pattern flooring tile and chose up a Spanish tile for the backsplash. A palette of terra cottas, whites and teal accents felt just like a natural fit. Islas utilized the teal on the cabinetry, tile and window seat fabric to tie the room together.

“After” photographs: David Young-Wolff

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Barge Board

A barge board covers the ends of rafters at the gable end of a roof just like a fascia board, but it’s carved and decorative. They’re also called fly gable rafters or rafters.

Landmark Services Inc

The barge board on this dormer has been trimmed with gentle curves.

Landmark Services Inc

Every gable end of the roof and its dormers has a barge board.

Warwick Avenue

Barge board is purely decorative, following the components are complete added.

YuillBuilt

Decorative bargeboards are found on English Tudor, Gothic and Queen Anne style homes, giving a fairytale or gingerbread house quality to the facade.

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