Category: Fireplaces

The way to acquire a Squirrel Out of Your Yard

Even though they might be interesting to observe, squirrels frequently create enormous problems for gardeners since they chew on blooms, eat spring bulbs, strip bark from trees or dig holes in the flower bed to bury acorns or nuts. Eliminating squirrels completely is almost impossible, but making a lawn less attractive might encourage the furry pests to seek seek a friendlier surroundings. Employing a blend of approaches is frequently the most effective method to keep squirrels at bay and decrease the harm.

Protect trees by wrapping the trunk with sheet metal. Use sheet steel which measures 2 feet in width and place the alloy on the trunk about 6 feet in the bottom. The steel prevents the vomit from climbing the trees and from jumping from tree to tree. Adjust the alloy as the tree grows.

Trim branches growing lower than 6 feet in the ground. To prevent squirrels from jumping from tree to tree, prune the trees therefore divisions are at least 8 feet apart. Likewise prune branches that are less than 8 feet in a building.

Spray ornamental plants and other problem areas with commercial squirrel repellent, available in most garden centres. Danny Lipford writes about the Today’s Homeowner website that, as an alternative, you can make a repellent by combining 1 gallon of water with a bottle of cayenne pepper sauce and a few drops of liquid dish detergent. The unpleasant flavor and aroma can keep squirrels at bay.

Protect flowering bulbs with a layer of 1-inch chicken wire, and subsequently shake the cable with a layer of mulch. The cable stays in place annually since the shoots grow through the cable. Daffodils are protected to plant since squirrels do not like the taste.

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Ornamental Fence Programs for Sloped Yards

Using a decorative fence in a lawn is a design challenge which demands a compromise between architecture, utility and appearance. The weapon’s purpose — whether for privacy, safety or decoration — helps determine which design is ideal for facing the problem of the incline.

Perimeter Fencing

If the primary aim of this fence is to specify the boundary without supplying safety or privacy, open ornamental styles such as vinyl fences, wrought iron fences or picket fences that imitate traditional ornamental designs are options. Assembling the fence so it accommodates the incline of the lawn will need using either fence panels or fencing panels which are able to stand to follow the contour of the floor.

Containment and Safety

As soon as an ornamental fence needs to contain pets or keep wildlife out, a gap at the base is a problem, and the gap beneath one end of stair-stepped fence panels is larger than the gap at the opposite end. The base of fence panels that are rackable follows the slope of the floor, so the gap beneath the fence is constant, making them a more secure choice. To have the ability to correct to the incline, so ornamental designs made from materials such as aluminum, aluminum and iron work this kind of fence, rackable panels need to have an open design.

Privacy

Designs, such as lattice fences, which provide privacy when they are covered with climbing vines, and shadowbox fences, which use pickets that are staggered to obstruct the view through the fence, are great choices, but they pose design difficulties in sloped lawns. Stepping the fencing panels each panel is higher or lower than the panel next to it, to adhere to the incline, is one way to adapt a privacy fence. The other choice is to get custom panels constructed to conform to the incline.

Screens and Trellises

Using a decorative fence as a display, trellis or decorative backdrop for plantings have become the role to get a fence in a lawn that is sloped, because all of the fence has been asked to do will be to look great, so any design works. If the slope is minor, installing the fence so its base is parallel to the incline might be okay, but when the slope is important, install the fencing so its perpendicular lines are plumb; mounting fence panels between posts of unequal height will allow you to achieve this.

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The way to Upholster a Rocker

Upholstered rocking chairs come in various styles, from streamlined bentwood chairs to fully-upholstered versions that are like club chairs to a rocking or swivel base. The current condition varies, also. If your chair is in good condition, you might be able to simply staple fresh material above the existing fabric or padding. If the chair is badly deteriorated, however, it might take a complete teardown and rebuild. The basic steps are like all chairs, however you will need to observe the specific manner your chair is constructed. Taking photos as you see and tear down the old upholstery provides you a reference when you reconstruct the chair.

Protect your work place by spreading a dropcloth, tarp or old sheet on the ground. Place the rocker on the tarp and examine the chair to determine what state it’s in and the way the current material is attached. Take photos from all angles to serve as references when you replace the cloth. You can also tag each cloth section with a marker to ease the task of reconstructing the upholstery. In addition, note the order in which the pieces were attached, which usually is from top to bottom and from inside to outside to rear.

Remove the fabric in the rocker, setting the pieces apart to serve as patterns for the new material. Some rockers, like bentwood and glider rockers, possess the material attached to another board which you can eliminate from unscrewing the board in the rear or underside of the chair. Most other rockers have the material attached with staples or tacks, which you have to remove individually with a screwdriver, pliers or staple puller. Set the old staples and tacks in a safe container as you remove every one.

Repair the wooden frame as needed. This might be as simple as tightening loose screws, or it may involve replacing lost or damaged wooden parts, removing outdated, deteriorated batting, replacing webbing or replacing and retying springs. You can paint, stain or refinish the wood, if needed, after the repairs are completed.

Pin the old cloth pieces to the brand new material, placing the old cloth right-side down to the reverse side of this new fabric. Allow adequate spacing between pieces so it’s possible to cut a 1- to 3-inch perimeter around each. Cut out the pieces. Be generous when cutting your margin — you can always cut off the excess when attaching the pieces to the rocker.

Replace the cushioning as needed. Most chairs will gain greater comfort if you include a layer of cotton quilt batting over the existing cushioning.

Attach the new fabric pieces to the chair, working in the order in which the original pieces were attached. Use a power-assisted staple gun and pull the cloth over the cushioning so it’s smooth but not overly-tight. If you eliminated a seat or rear panel in the chair, then reattach the panel with screws after stapling the fabric above it.

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The best way to Cover Kitchen Chairs Using Burlap Fabric

Burlap fabric lends a homespun touch when you use it to cover kitchen chair seat cushions, however you could also sew a slipcover that surrounds the whole chair to guard it. The method you choose is dependent upon the final look you’re after. After quantifying for the yardage, prewash and dry the burlap to shrink it before cutting, and eliminate shredded strands.

Measure First

If you plan to only cover the seat cushions, then measure the dimensions of a single seat cushion. This may require that you remove it from the chair. Turn the chair upside-down to examine how the seat is held in place. Often, staples or small nails may keep the seat cushion attached to the chair body. Eliminate the attachments with a similar tool. Measure across the width and length of the seat cushion. Add 2 to 3 inches to every measurement, since you’ll need to bend the cloth over the cushion to staple it on the back. Multiply the longest measurement by the number of chairs to figure out the total number of feet needed. To calculate yardage, divide by three. Select fabric that is at least 45 inches wide.

Disassemble the Cushion

Remove the staples or upholstery nails from the back of the chair to release the cover you’re replacing. Peel the old fabric away. Iron it flat so you can use it as a template for cutting out the new seat cushion covers. Examine the padding to check whether it needs replacing. In that case, replace it, then using the old padding to calculate the amount you require. Cut out the seat covers for the chairs with the old cover as a template.

Re-Cover the Chair

Insert the newest padding, in the event that you decided on this option, and cover one seat cushion using the cutout piece of burlap. Turn the seat over and put a staple on just one side. Pull the cloth taut across the top and then insert a staple on the back, opposite the one previously added, after the cloth is as firm as you want it on the seat cushion. Repeat for the top and bottom so that when completed you must have four staples which represent noon, 3 o’clock, 6 o’clock and 9 o’clock over the back of the seat. Keep adding staples until the cloth is smoothed across the seat. Because you staple, fold beneath the borders to protect against the burlap from shredding on its raw edges. Duplicate for every cushion.

Slipcovers for Chairs

The other alternative is to make slipcovers for the kitchen chairs. Pick up enough burlap to create a template to follow every chair after quantifying the seat’s dimensions. Treat the legs and seat of this chair as a box along with the chair back as a rectangle using the cover which slides over it. Measure and cut out fabric to the front of the chair back, to get the seat and for three sides which hang from the seat. You can use a single piece to cover the seat and two of the sides. Measure and cut on a longer piece which runs from the surface of the chair back to the ground, and teeming with the three sides. Pin the fabric together on the chair, leaving enough borders to get a seam allowance and hems. Cut to fit as necessary. Use that as the template to sew covers for every chair. You can add ties to either side of the chair back to link behind the chair, if needed.

Burlap Factors

After you wash burlap, it begins to fray at the edges. You don’t need to clean the cloth in the event that you just intend to create seat cushions — burlap is so cheap you can just replace as needed. For slipcovers, though, cut away the frayed edges following washing, and sew in where the fraying starts to maintain the burlap from coming apart. As a loose weave, without sewing the borders, burlap will continue to fray.

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Sewing Instructions for Curtain Tiebacks

As a simple sewing project, curtain tiebacks make an opportunity for novice seamstresses or crafters to find out the ins and outs of a sewing machine. Basic long rectangular ties will take you only a couple of minutes, and you’ll have curtain tiebacks that can modify the look of your window treatments. Utilize a 1/2 lawn of the curtain fabric for the tiebacks, or pick a coordinating or contrasting color for pizazz.

Pull back each curtain and hold it in the place that indicates where you plan to install the curtain tieback. Hold one end of the soft tape measure against the wall where the hook will opt for the curtain tieback. Keep it in place as you gently wrap it around the curtain you’re holding. Note the measurement. You can correct the tape measure tighter or looser based on the look you want — only ensure that you be aware of the right measurement if you change the curtain of the curtain.

Add 1 inch to the measurement of the looped tape measure. As an example, if you measured 15 inches, allow it to be 16 inches to adapt a 1/2 inch seam at either end. Calculate the width you want the tieback to be. For instance, if you’d like a 2-inch broad tieback, you’ll need a 4-inch broad piece of fabric with an added 1/2 inch for the side seam, for a final effect of 4 1/2 inches broad. If you want a 3-inch broad tieback, make the cutout width 6 1/2 inches broad.

Place the fabric on a folding cutting board. Mark the span measurement with a pin at the top along with the width measurement at the top, middle and bottom stage. Use the grid on the cutting board to cut out the extended rectangular tie. For this tieback instance, you’re going to want a rectangular piece of fabric 4 1/2 inches wide and 16 inches long. Utilize the first cutout fabric for a pattern for the moment, putting it across the fabric and cutting it around.

Fold the tieback in half with the appropriate sides together, and sew a straight stitch 1/2 inch in from the edge on the sewing machine, following the marks onto the bottom plate under the fabric. At either end, push the reverse button on the sewing machine to go backward with your stitches. This locks at the end seams and prevents them from pulling apart. Sew one end in the exact same fashion as the side seam, running the machine in reverse at either border to lock the stitches.

Cut away the selvedge to within 1/4 inch of the stitching. Turn the tieback inside out, but bend the open end over the sewn part, working down it till the tieback is right side out.

Fold under the unsewn border 1/2 inch. Pin it in place and whip-stitch it shut by hand with small stitches to fill out the tieback. Repeat the sewing steps for the second tieback.

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The Do's and Don'ts of Feng Shui in Closets

If your life seems unbalanced or chaotic, your closets may be to blame. For optimum feng shui or energy stream, have a look at your closets’ doors and contents, which may be keeping you alert or causing unnecessary grief. Explore comparatively simple approaches to redirect the room’s flow and help you get back on the right track.

Reflecting on Energy

Mirror-clad bedroom cupboard doors are a feng shui no-no, representing yang energy, which influences relationship, sleep and closeness, explains Ann Bingley Gallops, a New York city feng-shui consultant. Rather than replacing the cupboard doors, simply hang drapes in front of them. That way you can close the drapes before climbing into bed, and then open them once you get up. Should you prefer, cover the mirror with peel-and-stick frosted paper or with wallpaper. Pink, green and blue provide ideal feng-shui curtain or wallpaper colours, representing numerous emotions, including love and elegance.

Uncluttered, Unstressed

Clutter can disrupt positive energy, causing unnecessary anxiety, and few areas are as cluttered as closets. Should you open the cupboard door and do not know where to start, it’s best to remove everything. As you do this, sort each item into boxes or stacks, like what you will keep, what you no longer want or need, what you intend to donate to charity or market, and things you intend to throw away. As you return things to the cupboard, do this orderly, using woven bins to stay small litter items smartly out of direct sight.

Hanger Hangups and Solutions

Something as apparently trivial as cupboard hangers can enhance feng shui flow. Match the hanger with its clothes. As an instance, use durable wood hangers for heavy coats or suits, and satin-covers hangers for lightweight dresses or dresses. Rather than using hangers, use hooks to make space and enhance cabinet organization. To help closet clutter, put in a cabinet organizer program to help keep your wardrobe accessible and organized.

Color-Coordinated Closets

Color plays an important part in feng shui, even within the cupboard. Rainbows, for instance, symbolize blessing, hope, and a good future. Instead of opening your cupboard doors to a chaotic mixture of colours, organize your clothes, using the rainbow as a guide — red, orange, yellow, blue, green, indigo and purple, and then black and white — to boost your home’s energy.

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Eclectic Country Style Relaxes at a Swedish Home

In the U.S., “country style” generally means close and cozy, with lots of dark colors and fabrics. I envision little wooden farm animal figurines and rusty metal signals for milk or eggs.

But this home, in rural Sweden outside Malmo, exemplifies a very different type of state appeal: spare, lived in, relaxed and open. It has quite definite Scandinavian bones, but it’s not a design showroom; it’s a actual family for a family of five with flourishes of design know-how.

It is country cute translated into Swedish —lantligt gulligt.

in a Glance

Who lives here: Helene and Peter; their 10-year-old twins, August and Siri; and their youngest daughter, Vera. There are 5 cats, a dog and two cute hedgehogs who call the yard home.
Location: Near Malmo, Sweden
Size: 4 bedrooms, 2 baths
That’s intriguing: The home is a converted state schoolhouse built in the early 1900s. It is surrounded by wheat and rye fields and horses, but a mile off is the biggest Ikea on earth.

White, white everywhere. As in many Nordic homes, all the walls in this large home are glowing white. There is a white grand piano (using all the ever-present sheepskin throw) from the formal living room. Orchids bloom everywhere.

This is the opposite end of the living room. All the artwork in the room is clustered around the French doors, which open into the backyard. A mix of modern pieces, mass-market bits, design icons and antiques can be seen throughout the home.

Another anchor of the Swedish home: the woodstove. This sits opposite a simple white Ikea sofa and brings coziness to an otherwise very spare room.

All the flooring in the home are wood or slate using throw rugs (you never see darkened carpets in Scandinavia). These stairs lead to the second-story converted attic, home to a large, bright media room and the master bed and bath.

The mudroom, in the entry to the home, is coordinated but homey. Swedes never wear shoes inside the home, and this really is the catchall location for those, together with jackets, sports equipment and shopping bags.

The dining room is your colorful heart of the home, once again combining the old and the new. An Adventures of Tintin poster and a chartreuse Ikea tablecloth work perfectly well with modern Eames chairs, a crystal chandelier and the home’s original stained glass windows.

A detail of the screen onto the dining room’s sideboard: a mishmash which works.

Children’s artwork and an Eames rocker (using the ubiquitous sheepskin throw) occupy a corner of the dining room.

The family room is nearly empty but for a small Ikea sofa, a couple of movable chairs and a round pedestal dining table. It is somewhat stark, but it will result in a clutter-free kids’ hangout zone.

A corner in the living area. All the windows in the home are uncovered, using the incredible Scandinavian light. (But sleeping past 4 a.m. can be hard during the long days of summer.)

An ivy-covered archway leads to a massive backyard.

The backyard. The windows on the roof maintain the converted attic space bright and light.

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How to Make Your Own Dish Soap With Dry Soap Powder

If you wash your dishes regularly from the fridge, the detergent may be a significant cost, and many contain elevated levels of harmful phosphates. By producing your own dishwashing soap, then you’ll have more control over what chemicals you pump in the wastewater system, and you’ll save money as well. Many recipes rely on washing powder, and if you don’t have some of this, you can make it in baking soda.

Get Some Washing Powder

If your supermarket stocks washing powder, you’ll find it in the laundry area. Not all stores stock it however; if you’ve got difficulty finding it, then you will not have trouble locating baking soda, and the two compounds are extremely similar. In actuality, you can convert baking soda into washing powder by baking it at 400 degrees for half an hour. When heated, baking soda breaks into steam, carbon dioxide and washing powder. Expand the baking soda in a thin layer on a cookie pan, and stir it once or twice as it is baking to ensure even heating.

Gather the Ingredients

A basic recipe for a nutty dish detergent involves washing powder, borax along with kosher saltthat is simply coarse salt — not table salt. To produce the mix effective for cleaning streaks and hard water deposits, it’s also advisable to add an acid — citric acid comes in powdered form, and it is safe to use. You may have difficulty discovering citric acid crystals, in which case you can substitute unsweetened lemonade mixture. Once you’ve combined the ingredients to make the powder, you might choose to add some vital oils to provide the soap a pleasant aroma.

Joining the Detergent

To make the dishwashing powder, begin with combining a cup of borax along with a cup of washing powder in a bowl or jar and blend them together throughly. In case you’ve got citric acid crystals, then add two teaspoons to the mix; if you’re using powdered lemonade, then add five bundles. Pour in 1/2 cup of kosher salt and a sprinkle of vital oil — if needed — and blend it thoroughly. Store the dishwashing detergent in a glass jar with a tight-fitting lid; the salt absorbs water and clumps when exposed to the high humidity beneath your sink.

Using the Detergent

You don’t require much detergent to clean an average load of moderately soiled dishes; only place 1 tbsp in your dishwasher’s soap dispenser or add it into a sink-full of warm water. You will receive extra disinfecting power in your fridge if you include an ounce of vinegar to the rinse cycle, which is advisable if hard water deposits are a difficulty. Should you prefer to use vinegar, you can eliminate the citric acid or lemonade crystals in the recipe, because vinegar will do the same job. It does not hurt to mix the cleaning forces of vinegar and citric acid, however.

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How to Create Conversation Areas in a Great Room

The great room concept finds its origins from the medieval halls of their castles of year — centralized large rooms which doubled as dining areas, celebratory gathering areas, and living and family areas. In such a massive room which brings together over one function from the modern home, conversation regions help define imaginary boundaries to make the entire room more inviting. To make it easy on your own illustrate the room’s floor plan on graph paper and use to-scale furniture cutouts which you are able to move around until you’re happy with the arrangement. Permit form to follow function when designing a conversation area in your room.

More Than 1 Conversation

In a large great room, do not restrict yourself to creating just one dialog area, especially if you entertain a lot. Designate two intimate conversational spaces by placing two black leather sofas back to back with a pastoral ironwood couch table sandwiched between them. Across from every sofa, set two umber club chairs slightly angled toward a pastoral shadowbox coffee table in the center. A white and taupe chevron jute rug ties the area together. When creating each wonderful room dialog area, be sure everyone who sits there can see and interact with the others in the region without twisting or turning.

The Oversized Ottoman

Put a neutral colored oversized ottoman in which a coffee table would ordinarily be, and include seating around its edges to create a conversation area which sparks over one swap between guests. Set a focal point sofa at a bright color at one end of this big square ottoman and additional seating on each side. Two wing-back chairs to the left having a small end table between them and a different couch at a neutral color on the right invites an interesting tete-a-tete in any home. Maintain the space balanced by adding lights and end tables.

A Visual Goal

A warm, inviting area, where people are able to chat and relax, welcomes them to the space whilst visually splitting it from different zones in the excellent room. A textured upholstered sofa in a mild off-white or beige color, with 2 overstuffed deep red-brown leather chairs to one side and a velvet-covered Victorian Sliding to another creates an eclectic mixture. Set this dialog area just before the fireplace, far enough away so guests are not blasted by the heat, however, close enough to make it feel cozy and friendly. Using a focal point allows you to arrange the dialog area in an interesting manner.

The Big Window Seat

A huge window seat begs to get a conversation place arranged about it. Employing the built-in seating, make a self centered space to chat in a room having a view. This works especially well if the window bench adjoins a angled bay window, since this opens up the space and gives it an interesting form. Arrange a few armless overstuffed upholstered chairs across from the window seats, and put a hexagon-shaped coffee table in the middle for anyone seated to set drinks down.

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Classic White Clapboard Shows Timeless Charm

From the Kennedy compound to FDR’s Little White House, white clapboard homes are a part of America’s history. The timeless design and style of these charming houses might have originated in a different time, but thankfully, they’re far from outdated. Take a look to see for yourself why these houses have a look that has interpreted across generations.

Smith & Vansant Architects PC

Asphalt and slate are fantastic, but there’s nothing like the pitter-patter of raindrops on a tin roof. The darker colours look fantastic on white clapboard homes but may pose an energy difficulty in regards to summer air conditioning. We adore the way Smith & Vansant turned the perceived problem to an advantage by adding solar panels, making this house brightly white and green.

Richard Leggin Architects

Nothing adds instant charm and character to a home like a fantastic outbuilding. A garage, a secure or a guesthouse adds space and function.

Frederick + Frederick Architects

Fireplaces go hand in hand with the historic feel of white clapboard cottages. Inside or out, they’re an ideal place to unwind and get comfy. Plus, they are spectacular for decorating.

Browse fireplaces in the Products section

Greystone Interiors

Cupolas is the crowning glory of any home, but we believe that this one is especially well done. It melds with the feel of the home and balances out the chimney on the other side, adding cohesiveness to the entire residence.

Kikuchi + Kankel Design Group

Outdoor spaces are some of the most important areas of any home. Why don’t you include personality with a pergola? It is aesthetically pleasing and adds a little shade for those hot summer afternoons.

Carr, Lynch and Sandell, Inc..

Shutters aren’t necessarily a terrible place to get creative with colour, but on a traditional white clapboard home, nothing seems as striking as plain black. The contrast is beautiful and the combination classic.

Helios Design Group

Like white clapboards weren’t magical enough in their own right, adding even more style is straightforward. A white picket fence and two or three well-planted window boxes include curiosity in droves.

Watch more about window boxes

More:
So Your Design is: Conventional
Home Styles: New Traditional Layout

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