How to Solve the Biggest Problems with Interior Design

Photo via WikiCommons

When you think about interior design, thoughts of beautiful upholstery, decorative wall hangings and more may come to mind. While a thoughtful, effective interior design will improve the look of your space, it also can solve many of the functional challenges that you face in the home. For example, the right design can help you to save energy or can improve storage space. If you are looking for some wonderful design ideas to incorporate into your home, these are some thoughtful options to consider.

Add Etched Glass Doors to Your Study
When study doors are solid, they will block light and can make the space look closed off. However, you may desire privacy in your study and need to keep the doors closed. Glass doors may allow light to filter in, but they will not give you the privacy you desire. Etched glass is a gorgeous, practical option that resolves this challenge. The etched glass provides privacy in the room when the doors are closed while also allowing light to filter into the space.

Add Upward-Facing Wall Sconces and Lamps
If your ceilings are rather low and you are looking for a way to make your space appear to have more height, installing upward-facing wall sconces is a great idea. An alternative to this is to choose lamps that radiate light upward. When light streams upward, the desired illusion of height is created.

Install Wood Beams in Narrow Rooms
If there are rooms in your home that are long and narrow, you can create the illusion of width by installing wood beams in these rooms. The beams can run lengthwise along the narrowest dimension of the room, and this can play with the eye to create a space that looks wider than it actually is. The wood beams should ideally be a contrasting color from the ceiling for the best results.

Select Window Treatments With Care
Window treatments can be used for everything from promoting privacy to controlling sunlight and improving energy efficiency. Each room may have a different combination of needs that you need to fulfill with your window treatments, and each window treatment type can provide different benefits. While it is critical to select the right type for the space, it is also important to focus on style and how the style impacts the look in the room. Professional design assistance from a window treatment specialist may benefit you.

Place a Focal Point Behind Large Furnishings
Large furnishings can be a focal point in a room, and this can include your bed, a sofa or other large pieces. However, you typically do not want a focal point to be a piece of furniture because this can draw the eye downward. Therefore, placing a focal point on the wall will draw the attention of the eye upward. The wall covering should be large enough so that it balances the weight of the furniture that it is next to.

Use Hanging Shelves and Cabinets When Floor Space is Limited
In many rooms of the home, you may need more storage space than you have available, but it may not be practical to add a shelf or cabinet to the room because of limited floor space. While horizontal space on the floor may be limited, vertical space may not be. Hanging shelves and cabinets can be placed in strategic locations for storage, and if you choose decorative pieces, you can also dress up your room while adding the extra storage you need.

Add Mirrors to Smaller Rooms
In some areas of the home, the rooms may feel closed off and cramped. This may be in a smaller living area that has little windows, a cozy bedroom or even a long, narrow hallway. Many smaller rooms also can feel darker, and a great way to resolve both of these issues is to add mirrors to the walls. An alternative would be to add furnishings that have mirrors on them, such as a mirrored china cabinet in a small dining room.

Install a Decorative Overhead Light in Small Spaces
In many rooms, creating a focal point on the wall is a great idea. However, when a room is small, when a ceiling is low or when you are dealing with a combination of both of these, it may be best to draw attention of the eye upward. A smaller decorative light fixture is a great option because it places a focal point in the upper center of the room.

Interior design is about adding style to the space, and it also can improve many of the functional challenges that you are facing. Take time to pinpoint all of the challenges that you are facing in each room before selecting design ideas to incorporate into your space. This will help you to generate the best results possible.

Mikkie Mills is a Chicago native who loves to save money and help others do the same. When I'm not writing, I'm chasing the little ones around or rock climbing at the local climbing gym." 

4 Tips to Give Furniture a Rustic Look

Vintage furniture are back, so it is time to visit your grand parents' attic to find a few hidden gems. Many of you might have pieces of furniture that need a little touch in order to look perfect. Here are four tips that can help you in the process.

1. Distressing

You would initially have to start with distressing your furniture. This means you would have to scrape off any old paint that is currently on the piece. You can either use an electric sander or sandpaper to wipe off the paint. You might be required to use a chemical cleaner if the paint is applied quite thickly. Once you are done with the cleaning part, dry the furniture using a rag to remove any dirt that is left.

2.Painting

The next step is to paint the furniture in a manner such that an anti dilutive look is achieved. Do remember that rustic furniture does not have heavy coats of paint and therefore you must dilute the paint. You can choose any kind of paint such as oil based paints or water based paints. Apply the paint by using a rag or brush although a rag results in better effects. Once the first layer is applied allow it to dry off and then apply the second layer. You can add more layers if you want to but do remember that rustic furniture is all about less paint and have a more worn out look. In case you have applied more paint than you want, you can use a sandpaper to wipe off the excess paint.

You can also apply opaque color paint directly and then wipe it off the cloth immediately after applying. This way any excess paint would be removed immediately and you would need to spend less effort and time.

3.Drying

Although this might seem quite obvious, this is nevertheless an important step. If you do not allow the paint to dry off and move to the next step, all your effort would not be realized as the furniture would fail to achieve the desired look. You need to make sure that the furniture item is allowed to dry off in a ventilated area, away from people or pets who might ruin the paint job.

4.Sealing

Once the paint has dried off, you would now need to seal it with satin polyurethane that would act as a sealant and protect the furniture. However, do not apply the sealer with a rag but rather with a brush to ensure smooth application.

The simple process of whitewashing can allow you to bring a rustic charm to the interior of your room. The process is quite simple and does not require a person to master any specific technique and therefore is a must do it yourself project.

Chris is an experienced interior designer and craftman. Chris regularly writes for Christophe Living. Over the last 4 years, Chris has written numerous articles and is an active forum contributor.

5 Things to Be Careful About When Buying Antique Furniture

Antique furniture makes a wonderful addition to your home. The look and ambiance created by it are splendid but you need to be careful when buying it. Antique furniture costs more than new pieces and you have to make sure that you are spending your money carefully. Here are 5 things you have to be careful about when buying antique furniture.  

Is It Antique?

A piece of antique furniture will not have the answer written on it. You have to make sure that the furniture you are looking at is really antique. There are fraudulent sellers who pass off new furniture as antique and sell it for more than its value. A careful examination of the furniture shows if it has been around for a century or just a few years. If possible, have an expert determine the exact date of production. Ask the seller himself to tell you about the furniture. If you are doubtful about the authenticity, it is better to keep your wallet in pocket.

Additions or Removal

The furniture should be intact with no additions or removals made later on. Antique furniture has full value if it has been intact throughout its life. Any alterations made to it will reduce the authenticity and design. Everything attached to the furniture including handles, buttons and stands should be original. Otherwise, the furniture won’t be worthy to purchase.

Working Condition

The furniture you’ll buy should be in perfect working condition. Age causes deterioration and wear and tear and you should ensure that there are no such issues with the furniture you’re eyeing to buy. After all, antique furniture is old and it is prone to some wear and tear.

If it’s in good working condition, this means that it has stood the test of time and will last for a while. Scrutinize the antique piece you are yearning to buy.  Find someone who has an eye and knowledge on antique to boost your confidence when buying.

Licensed Dealer

The furniture dealer you are transacting with should be licensed and reliable. There are many fake suppliers who sell bogus antique furniture. You don’t want to lose your hard-earned money to cons. Check the reliability of the dealer before you make the final purchase. Moreover, trusted furniture dealers have the best antique furniture to offer. If you want to buy the best antique furniture, you need to find the best dealer.

Time Period and Style

Find out all you can about the time period and style to which the piece of antique furniture belongs. That way, you can decorate a whole room in the same style and theme. If you already have a themed room in your home, you can find the right antique furniture to go with it. You can adopt a new theme for your sitting room or lounge.

These are 5 things you have to be careful about when buying antique furniture. Make sure you follow these tips so that you can buy the best antique furniture for your home.

Chris has a passion for antique furniture and he writes about his expertise in Christophe Living. When he is not working, Chris enjoys blogging.

How Interior Design Has Helped Define the World We Live In

Through the years, interior design has both taken inspiration from the changing world and offered inspiration in turn. From incorporating new promising technologies to suggesting new intriguing color combinations, designers have partnered with culture to advance innovation and creativity the world over. Some interior designers have become world famous as a result of their impact while others have gone quietly with their legacy largely unrecognized.

Regardless, it has become nearly impossible to separate out culture and the design that defines it — so much so that historians often comment on the interior design customs of different time periods as a matter of routine. In this post, learn more about how interior design is even now helping to define the world we live in today.

Designing Accommodations for World Leaders
Perhaps one of the best known modern interior design artists is Philippe Starck. In 1982, Starck received a commission to design the interior of then-President of France Francois Mitterrand's apartment.

Suffice it to say he has been a recognized world leader in interior design ever since. As well, many of his designs have become incorporated into popular design trends of this century, most especially his chair and stool designs.

Integrating Design Elements from Different Fields
Another way interior design has helped define the culture of each time period is in its efforts to show how different fields complement one another in a design space. For instance, combining sleek glass doors with flowing neon light tubes, translucent Lucite with minimalist architecture such as Egypt's Karim Rashid has done can take an average space and create an all-inclusive cultural experience.

From advances in lighting and art to developments in music and metals, taking different elements from various fields and bringing them together helps define what that period's culture is really all about.

Finding the Midpoint Where Divergent Materials Can Meet
Architects-turned-designers such as Federico Delrosso are modern masters of making divergent groups of materials work and play well together. By pairing concrete and glass, wood and metal, and other unexpected duos, Delrosso makes his own statement for finding ways to work together, get along and appreciate differences as cultural strengths rather than weaknesses.

This is a particularly important message as the influence of the internet grows and the world it connects begins to feel increasingly smaller and more homogeneous.

Saving the Planet One Eco-Friendly Design at a Time
Another way that modern interior design is increasingly helping to not just define but save the world we live in today is through incorporating eco-friendly, environmentally sustainable concepts into today's designs. Famous designer Robin Wilson, "designer to the celebrities," is just one such interior designer who is becoming well known for her commitment to using "green" materials sourced from the local communities where she lives and works.

Her own interest in such an endeavor began when she was a child plagued by allergies. Today, she is not just an ambassador to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America but a well-known interior designer who favors soy mattresses, rubber-backed tiles, non-toxic dyes and paints, organic linens and other planet-friendly choices.

Making a Political Statement Through Interior Design
One only has to take a tour of the White House to realize the vastly different preferences and tastes of various United States Presidents. Often termed a "living museum" for this and other reasons, many rooms bear the unique design stamps of both the historical period it was designed in and the reigning leader during that period.

In some sense, historians even view this as a type of "political branding" which helped that President establish and maintain consistency of message and policy during the term(s) served. Here, this view is inclusive of selected colors, rug weaves, furniture, curtains and even personal emblems.

Forecasting the Future Before It Arrives
Finally, interior designers play an increasingly significant role in helping to determine what the future holds in terms of cultural preferences as they play out in color, style and texture. For instance, this year's forecast includes rug types, metals choices, artistic/graphically influenced rugs and textiles, glass treatments and more.

In a similar way to how red carpet couture influences mass marketable fashions, world famous interior designers pave the way for commercial replication of the future's designs one "predicted trend" at a time.

With each of these factors at work through the efforts of each time period's reigning interior designers, the world we live in takes shape around us in color, form, shape, texture and other ways —and is thus preserved for future generations to study and learn from. As well, some facets of our shared past move forward with us as designers reference both the past and the future to create the designs of the present.

Mikkie Mills is a Chicago native who loves to save money and help others do the same. When I'm not writing, I'm chasing the little ones around or rock climbing at the local climbing gym." 

Shut the Front Door: Key Ways to Improve Home Efficiency

When it comes to thinking "green," few things are more important than the doors that lead into the home. In addition to serving as an entryway for the home's occupants and guests, doors almost always serve as an entryway for excess heat or cold air throughout the year. The result is a significant drain on home energy efficiency, increased home heating and cooling costs, and an unnecessarily large carbon footprint in virtually every season. There are some key changes that can be made to combat energy loss through a home's doors and entryways, however, and many of these improvements are cost-effective over the long-term. That's especially true when homeowners consider the long-term cost of energy savings versus the long-term cost of energy waste, just by making a few changes.

1. Low-E Coatings Keep Hot Air Out
One of the most important and impactful changes that can be made to a home's doors is to find glass with a "Low-E" coating on exposed glass. This coating is extremely thin. In fact, it's a microscopic coating that can't be seen, felt or noticed in any significant way. Despite its microscopic nature, however, the presence of a Low-E coating on an interior glass doors windows has a massive impact on how much heat is transmitted into the home from the sun.

The coating works as a UV radiation block, essentially creating a microscopic layer of "cool" glass, even when the door's glass feels hot to the touch after being warmed by the sun all day. Because the Low-E coating is on the interior side of the door's window glass, it actually keeps heat outside. In fact, homeowners might notice that the glass inside the home feels significantly cooler than the glass on the other side of the door. Over time, this lowers home cooling costs in the summer months and reduces the use of air conditioning. This can result in significant energy savings each year, helping the Low-E glass pay for itself in a relatively short period of time.

2. Cracks and Leaks Should Be Found and Blocked
The glass in a door is one of the easiest ways for outdoor weather conditions to significantly impact energy usage, but it's not the only way that doors could be making it harder to control the home's temperature and minimize its use of heating and cooling throughout the year. In fact, one of the biggest sources of energy loss each year is the cracks that often are found throughout the door's trim, molding, and mounting materials. These cracks may not be visible to the naked eye, either because they’re very small or because they're hiding underneath decorative trim. Even so, they're definitely letting outdoor weather conditions into the home and undermining the home's installed heating and cooling systems.

3. Fix Improper Door Hanging and Alignment
Another cause of home energy loss, and one that's easily fixed by a qualified contractor, is a door that has been improperly hung or aligned with the door frame itself. An improperly installed door often angles up, away from the floor, and fits poorly into the doorframe. This means that there will at least be a significant gap toward the floor, which allows cool or hot air to come into the home and waste energy. It also means that, more likely than not, the door is doing damage to the doorframe and creating several gaps on either side of the frame when the door is closed. The solution to this problem is to inspect hinges and mounting hardware after the door has been removed, making adjustments as necessary so that the door closes easily, creates a tight seal between the home's indoor and outdoor spaces, and stops damaging the doorframe in the process.

4. Replace Old or Faulty Hardware
An old doorknob could secretly be letting air into the home that produces a significant drain on heating and cooling systems. Old or faulty hardware often gets looser over time, creating cracks and crevices that undermine a home's energy efficiency. The solution is pretty simple: Uninstall old, faulty hardware and opt for a strong, attractive, reinforced doorknob instead. For example, old door hinges can cause home energy efficiency. Installing new sliding door hardware instead of hinges is a simple yet efficient way to improve your home's energy efficiency. New hardware will look great and be just easy to use, but it will block cracks and crevices that old hardware created, providing greater energy savings.

Excellent Opportunities to Conserve Energy and Save Money
It's natural for some cold or hot air to make its way into the home when a door is opened, but homeowners shouldn't expect this air to make it sway through the door's cracks and crevices all day long, every day of the year. By making a few important changes to a home's doors, energy loss can be stopped and real, substantive cost savings can take place. This can have important benefits to a home budget over the long-term, making each change recommended above into a major benefit for the whole family.

Mikkie Mills is a Chicago native who loves to save money and help others do the same. When I'm not writing, I'm chasing the little ones around or rock climbing at the local climbing gym."

Common Kid Messes and How to Clean Them

New parents are always asking, "Why does my toddler make such a mess?" A better question might be, "How soon can we open a bottle of wine after the kid goes to bed?" Kids are going to make a mess. That's their mission in life at this stage of development. 

You can fight it or embrace the mess. Thankfully, there are plenty of tried-and-true methods for cleaning up the most common of kid messes. This is one blog post you'll definitely want to bookmark!

Crayons

The hope of every parent is that children find a way to express themselves. This usually starts with a handful of crayons and a coloring book. Good luck with getting the crayons to actually show up on the book. Instead, once a kid learns crayons are for drawing, you can expect those drawings to show up on just about any surface of your home. That includes walls, countertops, floors, televisions and furniture.

Thankfully, crayon makers have heard the cries and answered the call by coming up with washable crayons. At least, that is the theory. Often those crayons will end up on a fabric sofa or carpet. If they aren't wiping up, then blast them with a hair dryer. That will soften the wax for more efficient removal. It's always best to attack the crayon stains as soon as they happen. Of course, snap a picture of the art first.

Spilled Milk

This is nothing to cry over. Actually, spilled milk is only a problem when it gets on fabric. If left to dry, that old milk can create a sour smell. Blot the spill on a carpet. For extra absorption, try lemon juice on the stain but test a small area first to make sure it won’t discolor anything.

Permanent Marker

Permanent marker isn’t so permanent when you know these few tricks. For marker on wood, use toothpaste to get it out. If your child (or you, because we know that’s happened) gets permanent marker on upholstery use rubbing alcohol or non-oily hairspray.

Juice Spills

Just because it comes in a box doesn't mean it won't end up on your rug. As with most messy fabric stains, it is best to blot as opposed to rub. Once the blotting is complete, whatever is left behind can be treated with one quart water, a tablespoon of white vinegar and a teaspoon of laundry detergent. Let the mixture sit on the juice stain for several minutes then rinse with water.

Chewing Gum

Once your child has mastered the concept of chewing gum without swallowing it, they will begin to find other ways to dispose of the confection. That will usually involving putting it in a sibling's hair, on a car seat or in the carpet. When that happens, it's time to break out the ice pack. Freeze the gum and it will be easier to pull up. If there is some residue, then freeze again and use an old toothbrush to scrap it off.

Stickers

As soon as your kid discovers the simple joy of stickers, you can count on them showing up everywhere. To get them off the things they shouldn't be on, try rubbing them with baby oil or WD-40. That should help with the gluey residue.

A rapid response to these common kid messes is vital. However, sometimes those stains can go unnoticed or you don't have the time to tackle them right away. For a stubborn stain on the carpet you might need to bring in the heavy guns. Professional carpet cleaning extractors will certainly get the job done. They're also easy to rent on an as-needed basis.

Once you tackle those stains and get the kids to bed, you can finally relax with that bottle of wine. Just be sure not to spill any on that clean carpet …

BIO: James works in construction and blogs in his free time at Homey Improvements. He also enjoys hiking, photography, and buying new gadgets. Follow him on Twitter @DIYfolks.

Bring Your Lawn and Garden Into Balance: How to Measure and Correct Soil pH

Since the Neolithic Revolution, which occurred 10,000 years ago or so, human beings have been struggling to help plants grow. Sometimes, this has led to a bountiful harvest. Other times, there has been terrible drought. Even with 10,000 years of experience under our belt, humanity has had a difficult time in farming and gardening. This is largely because there are so many factors interacting at the same time.

Plants require water, sunlight and food – typically in the form of nitrogen. But they require these three elements in precisely balanced quantities, usually formulated by the plant’s evolutionary history in a given environment. Plants from tropical rainforests, for example, will require daily watering, while a cactus may not. We’re all basically familiar with those concepts of ample water and ample sunlight.

The story is different when we start talking about plant food. Many people – even professional farmers and gardeners – are unsure how much nitrogen any given plant should receive. And here’s where things can get even murkier: Adding too much nitrogen in the form of fertilizer can alter the pH levels of your soil, and that can have disastrous consequences for crops and gardens alike.
In a nutshell, the pH level of your soil is how acidic or non-acidic it is. In chemistry terms, high pH means high alkaline, also known as “basic” (the opposite of acid), while a low pH level means the substance is acidic. Citric acid, for example, has a pH level of roughly 2.2. This explains why you pucker when you drink lemon juice. But not everyone knows how to test pH levels in soil.

To be sure, over-fertilizing is not the only way to lower the pH levels of your soil. Much depends on local geology and agricultural activity, in addition to topography, history and other factors. In other words, there are so many variables that sometimes it can be difficult to pin down precisely what might be causing your acidic soil.

Luckily, that doesn’t mean you’re helpless to combat it, especially if you use lime for soil pH control. There are several ways you can decrease the acidity of your soil and restore balance to your garden or fields. This is good, because controlling soil pH is essential for the health of your plants.

James White has a lot more to say on this subject. For more click here.

Rammed Earth: Affordable, and Relatively Unknown

Back in 2009, I wrote a piece about my discovery of construction using Rammed Earth. James White has re-visited the topic in Rammed Earth: Affordable, and Relatively Unknown.

They are comprised not of stone or brick, but of a material called rammed earth. Considering that both structures have been standing for well over 1,000 years, doesn't this process deserve a second look?

Rammed earth is created when clay-rich soil is mixed with lots of water and a natural construction stabilizer. In ancient times, stabilizers often included animal blood, urine, bitumen and even certain plant fibers.
Structures designed with rammed earth can be further reinforced and supported to optimize sustainability. For instance, various timbers can be used to offset heavy weight and offer additional stabilization. In modern day, one only need to substitute cement for those aforementioned stabilizers, and the structure is made exponentially more secure. This new mixture—referred to as cement stabilized rammed earth or CSRE for short—has the same strength ratings as cement. For reference, that means it can withstand about 6,000 psi of pressure.

Read More - See more at: http://www.greenbuildermedia.com/buildingscience#sthash.EzOXfEne.dpuf

5 Creative Ways to Upcycle Pallets for Home Décor

If you’re looking for a unique way to add personal touches to your home décor, look no further than your garage. Many people have a décor gem stored there: pallets. Wood pallets are incredibly versatile and can lend a hand in projects that are DIY-friendly but look professionally done.

Upcycling a wood pallet – or using it for something new – is a great way to recycle used materials.

Here are five creative ways to upcycle pallets for your home décor:

1.    Book Shelf

It seems like there’s never enough space for book lovers to store all their favorite reads. Pallet bookshelves are a great addition to any room, and can be made to be the perfect size for housing and organizing thick novels, magazines or children’s stories. Plus they make a great conversation piece.

2.    Towel Rack

Tired of wet towels on the floor? A pallet towel rack – easily made from one piece of wood sanded down from a pallet – is the perfect solution. You can customize the piece with hooks and a coat of paint to turn it into a truly one-of-a-kind – and functional – part of your bathroom or kitchen.

3.    Coffee Table

Finding the right coffee table for your décor may be as easy as stepping into your garage and grabbing an old pallet. All right, so it may not be quite that easy, but you’ll have a good jumpstart on the materials needed. The project can be as simple or as elaborate as you’d like, but this double-decker pallet coffee table is a perfect meeting point. With enough storage for electronics, magazines and books, you can’t go wrong adding this piece to your home furnishings.

4.    Pallet Wall

For small spaces that could use a little texture, a wall of pallet boards can be just the right touch. The wood can be stained different colors to warm up a cool-toned room, and you can easily add pegs to give it just a little more function for hanging up hand towels, washcloths or even pictures. This project may need a little assistance since an indoor renovation of your walls can be tricky.

5.    Bench

If you’re in need of some additional seating in your living space or outdoors, try putting together a pallet bench. There are so many different styles and types to consider, depending upon how the bench will be used. A pallet bench propped up against a wall in a mudroom, for example, would have no need for a back to be built on, as the wall would support the person using it. A bench outside, though, may need a back, so it’s readily available for lounging. 

Pallets are an excellent asset to have around, as they can be used in many home décor projects. The options are nearly endless. Try tackling one of these five upcycling projects, and bring an old pallet back to life. 

Note from Mike, here in San Miguel, there’s even a very good restaurant whose walls are made from pallets.

BIO: James White works in construction and blogs in his free time at Homey Improvements. He also enjoys hiking, photography, and buying new gadgets. Follow him on Twitter @DIYfolks.

Home Décor Portland Oregon

The Irwin Real Estate Group (IREG) at Keller Williams Realty Sunset Corridor, has a blog that today gives us a peak at Home Decor for 2016 from a Chinese perspective.

"Each year as we view the old year in our rearview mirror, we anticipate the start of the new year. What will 2016 bring for home décor Portland Oregon?

"Just like fashion designs and hair styles, home décor trends are constantly changing and evolving. Each new season brings a new must-have feature for your home, new colors and new materials. In order to keep your Portland home looking fresh and chic, what are the hot trends that you can incorporate into your décor?"

The tabletop as art display space: Ceramic mosaic tops by Furthur

The LA Times today reports that for some time "...tables with ceramic-tiled tops have often been relegated to patio and pool areas — strictly outdoors.




But that's changing, says Michelle Arias, who, with her husband, Raymond, opened Furthur on Sunset Boulevard 20 years ago. Tables adorned with 4-by-4-inch Mexican azulejos (ceramic wall tiles) are now in-home worthy because the quality of the tiles that she gets in Dolores Hidalgo, about a 40-minute drive north from San Miguel de Allende in central Mexico, has so vastly improved.




Azulejos can be traced to Moorish influences in the Iberian peninsula. Both there and in Mexico they became an obvious status statement — ornamental wall art that also functioned as a temperature moderator. Azulejos turned up on walls, floors, ceilings and were featured in churches and royal mansions




Read More Here

Screen Door Will Open For Brunch and Lunch Seven Days a Week

The Screen Door has been added to my itinerary for next visit to PDX land.

Image: Allison Jones

A massive bombshell from weekend brunchmaster Screen Door. Starting June 11, the Southern fried East Burnside restaurant will  open for brunch and lunch seven days a week.That's right: chicken and waffles on a Monday, all the grits and Spicy Creole Bloody Marys you can handle Tuesday, Friday, Sunday, whatever—just throw your calendar away entirely. Also, the restaurant will debut a huge new lunch menu, built around a line-up of 13 Southern sandwiches (muffaletta and brisket to po’boys served on custom Alessio French bread). “It is kinda nuts,” says co-owner David Mouton with a laugh. “But we are so excited.

”

Along with that big sandwich roster, expect a half-dozen appetizers and a heavy emphasis on salads and veggie specials at lunch to balance out the restaurant’s meaty eats; a nod to the fact that every Screen Door meal need not be a gut-busting challenge.

Screen Door has had the market cornered on weekend brunch for nearly a decade now, with parody-worthy weekend wait lines creeping around the block and a crack team of 50+ staffers, including a handful kitchen pros whose sole job is to handle the 2,200 pounds of chicken the restaurant fries up each week.

The expanded hours and ambitious new menus have brought their own challenges—first and foremost, a lack of space. In addition to the restaurant’s own kitchen, Mouton and wife/co-owner Nicole now rent a commissary kitchen where the crew does all its batch cooking--like stewing collard greens and gumbo and butchering chickens. They also renovated the Screen Door’s garage to make space for a second “micro-kitchen,” where their baker can churn out fresh biscuits and daily shortcakes and its chefs can whip up dinner specials. 

With August marking the restaurant’s 10 year anniversary, Mouton says it was the right time to make some big changes. “Over the last couple of years we’ve been tempted to open another Screen Door over the river or open different concepts. But instead of taking our eye off the ball, we’d rather expand our hours here and maintain our institutional status,” he says, crediting the restaurant’s staff for giving him and Nicole confidence to undertake the expansion. “The sentimental reason is that I really want to respond to the neighbors. They’ve been asking us to open for brunch on weekdays for years. You know, we didn’t open the restaurant with fried chicken and waffles [on the menu], that was a customer request. In fact, all of our main menu items were customer requests. We just respond to what people ask for.”

“Screen Door is its own beast,” Mouton laughs. “It’s taken on its own life—we’re just here to steer it."

Screen Door's new hours:

• Weekday brunch 8 am-2 p.m; lunch served 10:30 am-2 pm (Mon-Fri)

• Dinner 5:30 pm-10 pm Tues-Sat; 5:30 pm-9 pm Sun-Mon

• Saturday & Sunday brunch 9 am-2:30 pm

Screen Door

2337 E Burnside St

503-542-0880

From Mukava, the World’s First Egonomic Reading Table.

From Mukava, the world’s first ergonomic reading table. 

Designed by multi-award winning industrial designer Hiroshi Ono, Mukava is compatible with all mobile and tablet devices as well as books and documents. Mukava features our patented hinge system that adjusts to more than twelve possible positions, making your reading or viewing experience comfortable wherever you are. Feel free to watch their new promotional video highlighting its versatility and design:

https://vimeo.com/125081675

Mukava currently offers three revolutionary products which are listed below

1) Mukava Premium (http://www.mukava-tables.com/?page_id=21825)

2 Mukava Gold (http://www.mukava-tables.com/?page_id=21871)

3) Mukava For Monitor Arm (http://www.mukava-tables.com/?page_id=21874)

Instructional Video (http://www.mukava-tables.com/?page_id=13880)

All of their products are currently in production and they will begin taking pre-orders on May 25 in preparation for a full product launch on 1 July, 2015.

Mükava is about more than selling the world’s best reading table. They are about helping communities at home and abroad to learn to read. Mukava's Project for Adult Literacy and Schools, LLC is focussed on two causes; adult literacy in America and building a school for homeless children in Jakarta, Indonesia. Twenty percent of the total profits of their company go to their causes.

How to Choose Paint Colors to Complement Furniture

Most people already own furniture before deciding to paint and repaint. Choosing a color that complements the furniture you already have only makes sense. Knowing how to choose the right color, texture and pattern of paint can be quite a challenge, though.

Complementary Color Matching

The first step to choosing color for your home should be to find a family of colors that complement your furniture colors. If you’re lucky enough to have neutral colors for your furniture, such as tan, white or black, then you can choose almost any color scheme.

For everyone else, you’ll want to visit your local paint store and choose some sample color strips in a variety of choices. Find one that is as close to the color of your furniture as possible. Now, turn to a color wheel to find complementary colors.

If you have an accent chair or pillow in the room, choose one of the minor, lighter colors in the pattern to paint your walls. The best colors will be directly across from and in the same row as your color. Remember that you want contrast. Everything shouldn’t match exactly or your room will look flat.

Opposites Attract

If you have darker furniture, brighten up the room by adding lighter or “happier” paints. However, there are a few neutral dark colors that don’t dampen a room’s ambience when there is dark furniture as well. Grey is a versatile paint color that coordinates well with many hues and adapts to different lighting.

Choosing an adaptable paint color for your walls makes it easier to change your furniture whenever the need (or want) arises. You can still add personality to your room with splashes of color through throws and pillows.

When and Where to Use an Accent Wall

Is there a wall in your home that you want to draw attention to?

Make sure the color you choose doesn’t clash with any art or furniture on that wall.

This is also a good opportunity to use more than one paint color and add glossy stripes in the same color, texture, sponge painting or other specialized techniques.

In a larger room, it can be tempting to add a lot of special details, such as a textured wall. However, this can be quite time consuming on a large wall. Instead, consider adding these details to just a small area, such as over a fireplace.

Just keep in mind:

·         If your furniture is modern, stay away from antiquing styles or texture. Stick with smooth surfaces and geometric patterns.

·         If your furniture is antique, stay away from geometric patterns and modern designs.

Keep Your Lifestyle in Mind

Ultimately, the paint you choose has to fit in with your everyday life. For example, it probably isn’t a wise decision to choose paint that doesn’t wash easily if you have small children. Maybe you even want to consider using chalkboard paint for kid’s room walls.

Consider all the factors involved in making your house look great, including using multiple textures, complementary colors and adding detail to draw attention. If you take your time and choose based on all these elements, you’ll have freshly painted walls that you’ll enjoy for years to come.

BIO: James works in construction and blogs in his free time at Homey Improvements. He also enjoys hiking, photography, and buying new gadgets. Follow him on Twitter @DIYfolks.