Month: November 2018

Breathe Easier from Allergyproofing Your Home

For people with allergies, springtime means over sunshine and fresh flowers — it’s the start of the inevitable hay fever season. Whoever has allergies understands how embarrassing this time of year may be and just how important it’s to have a safe place to retreat to.

It’s possible to create your home clearer of seasonal allergens, dust and mold by developing a consistent routine. Cleaning clutter out, finding problem zones and sticking to certain materials may also help to make your home a haven from pollen. Read on to learn the best approaches to eliminate allergens from your home, room by room.

VisuaLingual

Living RoomChoose easy-to-clean furniture — prevent too much upholstery. Use washable curtains and substitute flat blinds with washable roller shades. Keep flowers and potted plants outside. If mold sensitivity is a issue, consider placing aquarium gravel over the dirt to contain mold growth. Keep away from fireplaces or stoves — smoke is a irritant. Natural-gas fireplaces should be fine. Clear out clutter — piles of magazines, papers and other knickknacks collect dust quickly.

Design Set Match

Kitchen
Utilize a vented exhaust fan on your stove to totally remove cooking fumes out of your kitchen. Scrub sinks, faucets, refrigerator trays and door seals to remove mold. Maintain under-sink cabinets and countertops clean and dry. Utilize a cleanser. Get a secure trash bin, and empty it frequently to keep insects away. Cockroaches are a frequent cause of indoor allergy asthma and allergies — yet another reason to keep them out of the home.

Amoroso Design

BedroomWash bedding in hot water at least once a week to kill dust mites. These critters love dead skin cells, and hot water is the best way to get rid of them. Purchase dust mite covers for cushions, mattresses and box springs. Use synthetic materials for bedding — they’re less likely to carry allergens and trigger reactions. Stay away from goose down.If carpets is a must, elect for low-pile carpeting, which is less likely to attract dust mites and other contaminants. Do your best to keep pets out of the bedroom, particularly during allergy season.

Bathroom

Make sure your exhaust fan is functioning correctly, and run it after each shower or tub to remove extra moisture.
Eliminate any wallpaper, and put in tile or a mold-resistant paint.
Dry the bathtub and shower after each use, and wash with bleach frequently.
Get rid of any moldy bath mats or shower curtains.

Smith & Vansant Architects PC

More Allergy-Fighting Tips

Brush or wash any pets at least once a week to get rid of dander.
Close windows throughout pollen season — rely on air conditioning if you can.
Choose an air filter that has a small-particle or HEPA filter. Direct one toward your face while you sleep to ensure a full night’s rest.
Maintain your house’s temperature about 70 degrees Fahrenheit and humidity at 50 percent. Anything higher will create a breeding ground for dust mites and mold.
Have a shower right after doing any work outside to prevent spreading allergens and pollens inside.
More:
Spring Clean Your Own Kitchen
Principle: No Dogs Allowed?
Tackle Home Junk With Appropriate Disposal

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Sourcebook Style

Conventional design can have the reputation for being dated and dark. However, by following a few simple principles, you skip the stuffy vibe and might have a proper look. Start looking for furniture in traditional shapes and use symmetry and match pairs to arrange them in a timeless way. Keep everything refreshing with lighter, brighter colors and by updating particulars like lamp shades and curtains to provide a nod to present trends. Listed below are a few great resources to keep on hand in case your style is traditional.

Related: So Your Style Is: Conventional

Garrison Hullinger Interior Design Inc..

While shopping for traditional furniture, then look for antiques or antique shapes, like a bergère (shown here), wingback or slipper chair. Curvy thighs and detailed carved timber are indications of traditional design. Instead of rigid and uncomfortable upholstery, look for down-filled cushions that are more forgiving for contemporary pursuits like watching TV.

Ballard Designs

Bergère Chair – $959

You do not need to buy antique for conventional design. You may discover a great deal of classic furniture shapes online that you could customize with various fabrics.

Where to find it:
• Ballard Designs includes bergère chairs along with other classic furniture.
• Horchow has many beautiful seating options.

Wisteria

Wisteria, black Bow-Front Four-Drawer Chest

If your preference leans toward more formal and elegant traditional bits, you might find what you’re looking for in Wisteria. The website provides some antiques.

Where to find it:
• Wisteria has case goods and other traditional styles.
• Home Decorators Collection offers many classic bits.

1stdibs

English Tea Table/Candle Stand

When you’re ready to splurge on a legitimate antique but can not make it to the flea market in Paris, 1stdibs has an unmatched assortment of antique and vintage pieces, and you’ll be able to sort by age and price.

Where to find it:
• 1stdibs has tables along with other beautiful antiques.
• Look for local shops that specialize in”fine antiques” to observe bits in person before buying.

New England Classic

Vintage Traditional Raised-Panel Wainscoting – $239

Section of conventional style is architecture, usually that which you might discover in a turn-of-the-century home. It’s possible to restore or add architectural details like wainscoting, crown molding or beadboard to elicit a more conventional design.

Where to find it:
• New England Classic
• Hardware stores and lumberyards. A designer can help you consider the fashions, and a builder can install your choice.

Ethan Allen

Vintage Ginger Jar Table Lamp – $829

A temple or ginger jar lamp (whether accurate or just the same shape) is a very conventional and versatile light that will always be in fashion. Colors, though, can date immediately. To keep your conventional lamp from feeling stuffy, try a simple pleated colour like this one or a lace or paper colour with no pleating in a solid color like black. Keep away from off-white, which looks obsolete.

Where to find it:
• This one is from Ethan Allen.
• Lamps Plus has many ginger jar lamps.
• Hunt Etsy for terms like”ginger jar,””temple jar” and”chinoiserie lamp.”
• Browse ginger jars on .

Elizabeth Dinkel

Designers famous for their conventional style:

• Legendary decorator Billy Baldwin adored slipper seats (like those shown here) and used them frequently — always skirted. Check out his book Billy Baldwin Decorates.
• Suzanne Rheinstein’s insides are extremely elegant and use ample antiques and fine fabrics.
• Bunny Williams loves color and has an amazing eye for detail, both in accessories and furniture.
• Tobi Fairley utilizes conventional shapes and structures but with a Southern flair for hospitality.
• David Mitchell’s smart use of colour and interesting furniture layouts breathe fresh life into traditional bits.

Browse more designers

More inspiration on conventional style:
Traditional-Style Townhouse in Colonial Williamsburg
Get Started With Conventional Old-World Decorating
Home Designs: New Traditional Style

Tell us: Is your home decorated in the traditional fashion? Share a photo below!

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California Law: Permit to Exercise Interior Design?

In March 2012, California assemblywoman Fiona Ma introduced a bill (AB 2482) that could take a license to practice “registered interior layout.” The bill is set for an April committee hearing and could eventually become a part of the California codes only when it passes both legislative houses and can be accepted by the governor. As you may anticipate, the pending legislation is getting a lot of ers talking.

For those of you not familiar with the proposed legislation, here are the nuts and bolts.The bill would require a license to practice “registered interior layout. “To qualify, an individual would have to procure an interior design diploma or a certification by a two- or four-year college.Interior designers would be required to pass the NCIDQ exam.The invoice would create practicing without a license a criminal offense, with fines of up to $2,000 and prison time of up to one year, or both, plus civil penalties of up to $10,000; criminals also would be prevented from collecting any charge for services.Registered interior designers are limited to working on small single-family and four-unit multifamily residential dwellings with timber frame construction no longer than two tales high.Registered interior designers could still be able to decorate, prepare layout drawings and pick decorative materials in structures over two stories, as long as they are coping with non-structural or non-seismic elements, as outlined in the invoice. Current Requirements

In California, anyone can call himself or herself a interior designer. But to use the name “Certified Interior Designer,” an individual must demonstrate education and experience, and must pass an examination (IDEX) that deals with California-specific building codes and systems.

California Council for Interior Design Certification (CCIDC) executive director Douglas Stead says his issue with the pending legislation is that it requires interior designers to take the NCIDQ examination — a general, nationwide examination that doesn’t deal with California building codes and systems. “Can you hire a lawyer in Texas who has not passed the Texas bar examination? No,” Stead says. “You’d hire a person who’s quite comfortable with and has passed the Texas bar examination. The identical logic must apply to any sort of interior design licensing examination in California.”

The Opposition

Others say the bill is a misuse of legislative efforts as customer confusion regarding interior design services has not been demonstrated to necessitate industry-wide licensing; present building codes and systems adequately protect customers.

A fact sheet released by the National Kitchen & Bath Association adds, “The public does not lack the ability to make informed choices about who they keep for design services; they are very effective at reviewing portfolios and websites, interviewing prospective designers, and checking references and personal accreditation credentials to determine what degree of designer matches their undertaking.”

Designs for Living

Supporters of Licensing

Interior design student Jill Roberson Awbrey shares her stance on the problem: “As an interior design student who has also practiced inside design prior to working towards a level, I find some significance [in accreditation]. There is a large difference between decorating and designing. Any time you are dealing with building codes, then there should be a license [requirement]. Decorating is a talent that can’t be learned through schooling, but architectural and structural elements should be educated, the identical way as electrical or plumbing knowledge is educated.”

Launched in the Middle

Others in the industry say that a fine line distinguishes professional interior designers who are educated in surface maintenance, light fixture choice, fireproofing, soundproofing, material types and durability, and green issues, among other things, from decorators who may or may not have too much instruction but can compose a balanced, beautiful area. Green certified interior designer Tineke Triggs says that although she doesn’t think that it’s required to have a license to decorate a house, it’s important for a interior designer to have a certified engineer or architect in the image when structural materials are transferred or remodeled. “Personally, I believe experience is actually the most important factor to think about,” says Triggs.

A typical contractor from Oasis Design and Remodeling says, “Great design isn’t just about throw cushions, it is about balance, scale, light, color, among other things. Some elements of that are educated, some are innate.” consumer cjbirk adds, “a license won’t create a designer but in hiring a certified designer, the customer will be certain that the professional has fulfilled the minimum competency of the profession”

ers, tell us : Should a license be required to practice interior design? Please share your ideas below.

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Tackle Home Junk With Appropriate Disposal

No matter how thorough you are throughout your rounds of spring cleaning, it might look like there’s an inevitable pile of crap that can not locate a home. Things like older lightbulbs, batteries and boxes of tangled cables wind up pushed into the rear of the closet again, concealed until next spring.

If you are finally ready to tackle those difficult things, then here is the way to do it the right way.

LLC, summit Design Remodeling

Unused electronic wires and remotes. Everyone has that leftover box of unfamiliar cables, wires and remotes. Some of these cables have been found to have harmful toxins in them which are released when they’re incinerated, so avoid throwing these in the trash. Because they have aluminum in them, cables are of value to recyclers, but finding a recycling centre does require some research. Consult the Electronics Takeback Campaign or the EPA’s eCycling site for official facilities, or simply do a quick Google search for an electronic recycler near you.

Broken glass. If only thrown into the trash, broken glass (or any glass) is just like a concealed weapon — it could quickly cut through plastic and paper and lead to severe harm to others or yourself. The best thing to do would be to wrap glass in some kind of disposable cloth and lightly hammer the glass so it divides into much smaller pieces. Set the cloth in a box or bag and tag it”broken glass” before placing it in the trash.

IKEA

Sparsam Low-Energy Bulb E12 – $6.99

Lightbulbs. Assess your package to affirm, however, most LED lights may be recycled, since they don’t include any hazardous chemicals. Incandescent and halogen bulbs can not be recycled, but they can be thrown in the trash. Set them in a plastic bag to contain any broken glass.

CFLs (compact fluorescent bulbs ) and fluorescent tubes have mercury in them, which makes it illegal to throw them in the trash in certain nations. Your town may have a neighborhood drop-off for all these bulbs or you may have a look at large retailers like Home Depot and Ikea, which provide recycling solutions for bulbs purchased through their shops. You could even check out Earth911.com for different choices.

Beach Vintage

Old dishes. Glass dishes could be recycled, but ceramic dishes are more complex. Thrift shop are normally the best place to choose ceramic dishes — even when they’re chipped or cracked, folks may want them for crafts. If you’ve got ceramic dishes which are entirely broken, hunt online for an art course or a craft group that’s in need of mosaic supplies.

Batteries. There’s some debate, but generally it’s a good idea to recycle batteries. Because they contain trace quantities of mercury (and even more mercury if they had been made before 1997) and other toxins, even though, you can not put them in a normal recycling bin. Check with your trash-removal firm for safe recycling choices.

It is illegal to throw off rechargeable batteries in certain countries — this includes batteries to your mobile phone and laptop, which include toxic heavy metals. Most consumer electronics chains, such as Best Buy, Circuit City and Office Depot, provide recycling solutions for dry mobile and recyclable batteries. You could even check out Earth911.com to obtain a battery recycling facility near you.

Witt Construction

Expired canned food. Let us face it, you are not likely to use that last can of lima beans — it’s time to throw those expired cans and spices. Some food banks may accept expired goods within a certain time frame; call your neighborhood and inquire what its policy is. Otherwise, dump the food in your garbage disposal or compost bin and then rinse out the can for recycling.

Plastic bags. Plastic bags can be recycled, but not in a standard recycling bin. Many supermarkets offer plastic bag recycling boxes. Obviously, it’s always a good idea to reuse as many plastic bags as possible beforehand.

Inform us: What else would you’ve got trouble getting rid of correctly? What are the tips to get rid of crap and mess around your property?

More:
Lose It: CDs, DVDs, Cassettes and VHS Tapes
How to Eliminate Old Keys
How to Eliminate a Mattress

See related

9 Flowers That Draw Butterflies

With spring blooms come the birds, butterflies and bees. Wherever you’re your local butterflies will crave the nectar out of your native flora. Here are a couple of of the crops I love to use in California to lure a visit from my fluttering buddies.

Las Pilitas Nursery

Horse mint (Agastache urticifolia). Mature butterflies are mad with this fragrant flower.

Las Pilitas Nursery

Silver Bush Lupine (Lupinus albifrons). Lupine is your butterfly hostess with the mostest. With lovely purple blooms, it is indigenous to the West Coast from Oregon down to Baja, Mexico, preferring dry locations. There are a whole plethora of native California butterflies which will reproduce only in Lupine! Among the loveliest is Mission Blue Butterfly, with delicate blue wings fringed with white and purple.

Las Pilitas Nursery

Purple Sage (Salvia ‘Celestial Blue’). This hybrid enjoys extreme warmth and is great for the sunny areas of your backyard. Besides butterflies, swallowtails adore the nectar of its amazing blue blooms.

Las Pilitas Nursery

When these blooms are lighter, they still do just fine!

Las Pilitas Nursery

False or Desert Indigo (Amorpha fruticosa). If you are hoping to see what goes into the making of a blossom, plant False Indigo. Southern Dogface Butterfly larvae rely on it for food. Indigo thrives in Arizona, New Mexico and California, from San Diego to as far north as Riverside County.

Las Pilitas Nursery

Desert Agave (Agave deserti). Agave’s spikes are dramatic, but where would be the blooms we all anticipate butterflies to love? Butterflies adore the little yellow flowers that emerge out of agave’s 15-foot blooming stems. Obviously, agaves love dry, exposed regions.

Las Pilitas Nursery

Narrow-Leaf Milkweed (Asclepias fascicularis). If you live in a milder climate, milkweed might be more appropriate to your backyard. Its stomping grounds vary from Washington to Idaho, and from Oregon through California and into Mexico.

Las Pilitas Nursery

California Yarrow (Achillea millefolium var. californica). Among the few plants which can tolerate swamps and it tolerates drought, yarrow enjoys an assortment of soil from clay to sandy loam — and the butterflies love it.

Las Pilitas Nursery

Rabbitbrush (Chrysothamnus nauseosus). Rabbitbrush is indigenous to California and parts of Utah, in which the indigenous tribes say it saved the bunny from a fiery moon. It also provides a safe house for the Buckeye Butterfly.

Las Pilitas Nursery

Joaquin Sunflower (Bidens laevis). This daring daisy attracts Mormon Metalmark and a variety of other butterflies. Can you imagine the stir that the friendly, yellow blooms of the daisy would cause if paired with a tiny lavender Lupine?

More:
Pacific Northwest Gardener: What to Do in April

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20 of Those Coziest Bedrooms on

After the short days and the chill of winter are upon us, it’s time to cozy up the bedroom. Soft rugs, table and wall lamps, throws, throw pillows, rustic touches, quilts, puffy down duvets, antiques, sloped ceilings, dormer windows, custom moldings, fireplaces and tight but comfortable proportions are all snug and inviting touches in the coziest bedrooms on . I expect you’ll glean inspiration for cozying up your bedroom from such great nests.

Lands End Development – Designers & Builders

A curtained-off nook carved from rich wood is likely a favorite place within this house.

See more bed cubbies

Sroka Design, Inc..

Jolts of red in the toile bedding, quilt, plaid rug and lacquered door warm this cozy bedroom. A stone fireplace, an overstuffed reading chair along with also a traditional farmhouse fourposter bed finish the cozy room.

Jessica Helgerson Interior Design

Ceilings play with a part in bedroom coziness. In cases like this the little loft space beneath the pitched roof transforms into a sweet sleeping area.

See the rest of the home

Tom Stringer Design Partners

Obviously, autumnal colours and warm, natural timber are not comfortable necessities; scale, proportion, finishes and furniture design create snuggley spaces. This cottage-chic bedroom has only enough space for the bed and nightstands. The exposed beams and puffy duvet make an inviting little bedroom.

Birdseye Design

Attic nooks, especially with knotty wood tongue and groove ceiling boards, can be comfy sleeping aeries.

Theresa Fine

This farmhouse bedroom envelops sleepers in classic white with all the soft linens, just-right ivory walls and timber finishes on the bed and wall boards.

Schranghamer Design Group, LLC

The narrow design of the room, together with its slanted ceiling, creates an ideal place for bedding down.

Smith & Vansant Architects PC

A dormer window along with slanted walls create a snug nook for a bed in this Cape Cod–style area. Antiques and layers of bed make it inviting.

See the rest of the home

Bosworth Hoedemaker

This longstanding favorite cozies up with a wall-hung quilt serving as a headboard.

Mandy Brown Architects, PC

These cuties explained that this classic iron bed is their favorite naptime spot.

TILTON FENWICK

Nestling a full-size bed into a corner constantly creates a feeling of coziness, although true, it’s not the most convenient design for a couple. Overhead reading lamps add to the cozy ambience.

See the rest of the home

CapeRace Cultural Adventures

A unique tradition in Newfoundland, Canada, is a bed in the kitchen. I have heard from many Newfoundlers they remember fighting over who have the fun privilege of sleeping in the bed.

See more of the cabin

A bunk room offers unpretentious roosts for lots of people. These rooms are especially well known in vacation cabins, so as many family and friends members as you can sleep over.

Alan Design Studio

Just as a bedroom is large or has a high ceiling, that doesn’t mean it can not be cozy. A warm wood ceiling, a fieldstone fireplace and layers of soft textiles (curtains, rug, upholstery and bedding) make this space a cozy nest.

Teton Heritage Builders

Log cabin walls and handmade vases allow you to nestle in like a classic homesteader.

Woodsy design and just enough space to scoot by near the mattress guarantee a warm winter’s nap.

Natural textiles like wicker and rattan are cozy cottage touches.

Louise Lakier

Bedroom moldings, like this wainscoting, also lend cozy proportions.

Kate Jackson Design

Wide-planked hardwood flooring and rough-hewn rolls beef up the coziness factor within this conventional bedroom. This room has at least three cozy spots: the classic bed, the chaise longue and the desk nestled in the dormer.

This room combines conventional and contemporary touches. An upholstered headboard and a pile of throw pillows in polka dots and toile hobnob with shelves and light fittings.

See related

Spool Furniture Stacks Up Style

Spool furniture gained fame in the 18th century, but like most great furniture fashions of European source, you will find modern translations. Upgraded versions of spool design (also called spindle design) could be seen these days in benches, side tables, lamps and chairs. The appearance can vary radically with cloth and complete, and distinct looks create their own kick for transitional, modern and traditional spaces.

The allure of spool furniture is simply in the insistent ball pattern that provides a textural and whimsical layer to a room. Here are some especially gratifying ways designers are using spool furniture now.

LDa Architecture & Interiors

Within this contemporary-style area, the black seat with white upholstery adds play.

J. Hirsch Interior Design

A similarly constructed seat is completely transformed with white paint and neutral upholstery. Notice how soft and feminine it looks in this traditional setting.

Charmean Neithart Interiors

Try a bolt seat at a desk instead of a chair. This classic bench proved to be a great selection for double-wide chairs in this British colonial–style desk.

Martha O’Hara Interiors

This petite desk chair has only a touch of spool construction on its front legs. I would consider this space to be transitional because of this detail; with no, it would feel traditional.

Kate Jackson Design

Here a pair of spool chairs adds a wonderful visual line of repetition. Repeated spool detail on seats, repeated seats … the eye enjoys this formula. Notice that the great contrast of the green and black palette also.

Tara Bussema – Neat Organization and Design

Quick color change to white for these dining chairs and you’ve got instant modern detail. I love the comparison of the seats against the grey walls. This is precisely what I’d refer to as “soft modern.” The modern lines are there, but they’re softened by feel and slipcovers. Very California.

Patrick Sutton Associates

One great advantage with a spool-style seat is how great it appears from the trunk. The textural back makes this seat versatile for placement.

Anthony Baratta LLC

The spool detail in this petite end table is replicated in the stairs detailing. This table, such as the architectural details in the remainder of this area, is powerful but toned down with a very simple shade. This traditional space feels quite refreshing and curated with a couple stately pieces.

Inform us : How does this furniture detail interpret for you — modern, traditional or transitional? Tell us in the Comments section.

More:
Celebrating a Classic: Spool-Turned Furniture

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The Family Home: Kid-Friendly Bathrooms

Sharing a bath with kids may be a test of patience. Kids can be messy and disorganized, and they usually have a lot of stuff. In my house two bathrooms are shared by my family of seven. Both are spacious, which is lovely, but we did include some elements in the layout that help everyone remain sane and clean. Listed below are my top eight hints if you’re arranging a family bathroom or just searching for ways to make your current bathroom more family friendly.

Searl Lamaster Howe Architects

1. Purchase a step stool. Or even better, have one built into your vanity like the one pictured here. Vanities are usually designed for usage. Should you create the faucet and other necessities your kids will require in easier reach, it makes your job keeping them clean easier.

Chalet

2. Contain shelving. Kids have an easier time locating things when they are in plain sight. The open shelving within this vanity retains towels, but you could also use this space to store bath toys.

backporchco

3. Ditch the towel bar. When planning our bathrooms, instead of choosing towel bars, we picked for hooks. The kids hang up their towels on their own, and I never have to bother with refolding or adjusting.

Abbott Moon

4. Opt for a huge sink. If your toilet has the space, think about a large trough sink instead of double sinks. The bigger sink can accommodate more hands simultaneously and is faster to wash.

5. Use family photos as artwork. Kids love seeing images of these. Rather than hanging a typical landscape, create things private by choosing family photos to adorn your walls.

Courtney Blanton Interiors, CID

6. Install wainscoting. You most likely already know how rough kids can be on walls, particularly in tight areas. Installing wainscoting not only will help protect your sheetrock from scratches and dents, but it is going to add character to your space.

Tara Seawright Interior Design

7. Add more storage. Storage at a toilet is vital. Storage in a toilet that kids use is crucial. They’ve hooded towels, special soaps, toothbrushes that spin and bath toys. Fantastic the bath toys need their cupboard! The cute cabinet over the toilet in this image is the best example of working with every bit of space feasible for storage.

Bernard Andre Photography

8. Consider full wall tile. This is an especially good tip for the backsplash. Kids tend to dash around while washing their own hands on. A backsplash that continues up into the ceiling will protect your wall from becoming soggy.

More Family Home:
A Kitchen the Entire Clan Will Love
Living Rooms You Can Live In

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Wallpaper Inspires Spanish Tile

Among the themes that showed up in almost every booth at the 2012 Cevisama tile expo in Valencia, Spain, was tile with traditional wallpaper patterns. I was amazed by the diversity and abundance of styles on display, from playful to palatial. Some of those looks, especially the fanciest, are for export to Russia and Eastern Europe, rather than the usa, but I’m certain that if you wished to borrow the look, you can do this together with tiles accessible this year.

More from Cevisama: Tile Goes High-Tech | Past Tile Meets Present

Jamie Gold, CKD, CAPS

Regal colours together with traditional emblems as listellos would be the most popular homage to wallpaper… well, the wallpaper you’d see at Hearst Castle, anyway. Aparici made these tiles.

CKD, jamie Gold, CAPS

Gold and classic patterns showed up strongly too, such as in these tiles by Saloni.

Jamie Gold, CKD, CAPS

The wallpaper motif showed a lot of sparkle, and iridescence showed in field tile and listellos alike. Here, Keraben ties in silver with a more contemporary gray.

Jamie Gold, CKD, CAPS

Florals appeared in many offerings too. This mini floral pattern by Grespania evokes a bed-and-breakfast.

Jamie Gold, CKD, CAPS

Grand florals designed to appear like mosaics stole the show. Pinks and reds, such as in these Saloni selections, were especially common.

CKD, jamie Gold, CAPS

Stripes were a sexy theme also and came in numerous tastes. Here you see them in Tau’s cheerful color mix, complemented with linen-line field tile.

CKD, jamie Gold, CAPS

These stripes by Plaza offer a neutral palette and feel. They induce bud cloth but at a water-friendly edition.

CKD, jamie Gold, CAPS

Mylar wallpaper never appealed to me, but this mylar-inspired botanical by Keraben is striking. I can easily see it working as a focal-point wall at a master bath or powder room.

CKD, jamie Gold, CAPS

Architectural inspirations showed up strongly also. Here you see gold and white wainscoting along with a chair rail in a bathroom setting. This blend by Grespania was likewise shown in dwelling spaces but at a quieter, pattern-free colour.

CKD, jamie Gold, CAPS

Who says wallpaper has to be about pattern? If florals and stripes leave you dizzy, go glam with an artful choice like this one from Keraben.

Read tile photos

More:
Your Floor: The Way to Shop for Tile

Old Is New: Cement Tile Makes a Comeback

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Italian Country Cottage at California

Nestled near California’s San Jose Municipal Rose Garden is Stan and Cynthia Ostrowski’s 1950s home, where country casual blends with Italian influences. The homeowners had searched the marketplace for a year and almost given up when they stumbled upon the land, which was in desperate need of renovation. Seeing the structural potential, the house was purchased by them. Then, using DIY skills, inspiration in their journeys to Italy, and Cynthia’s childhood memories of her grandmother’s home in Wyoming, the couple remodeled the home into an inviting area.

in a Glance
Who lives here: Stan and Cynthia Ostrowski
Location: San Jose, California
Size: 1,300 square feet
That’s intriguing: Cynthia made many of the curtains and decorative cushions in the home

The kitchen has three big openings to other rooms adjoining it along with a lack of natural light, so Stan and Cynthia’s obstacle was locating a contractor who knew their vision for a comfy, practical space.

Cynthia made the distance himself, plus they finally found someone to attack the little, unique angles. With the addition of yellow fabric she personalized the distance. See-through cabinetry shows off her collection of dishes that are white.

The pair entertains frequently and desired a built-in breakfast bar to serve as a dining room and conversation space in kitchen. The white and blue porcelain sugar, coffee and tea plantations are from Pier Deux in Carmel,California.

Bar stools: Pottery Barn; placemats and napkins: Williams-Sonoma; dishes: Anthropologie

Wood-paneled drawers provide ample storage to the major cooking hub. The couple designed a custom range hood to match the soft golden wall color and chosen complementary blue accent tiles. Upgraded dual-pane ovens are adjacent to the cooker. Cynthia’s collection of cookbooks from her travels in Europe are retained within close reach.

Cynthia’s side-panel curtains are attached to knob hooks on both sides of the sliding patio door; creating a unique alternative to a conventional curtain rod. The dining area is outfitted with an understated chandelier. The fabric and sticks for the curtains are from Calico Corners. The floor is original to the home.

Chairs: Ballard Designs; dining table: Pottery Barn

Stan and Cynthia’s daughter gave them this painting, which utilizes her mother’s favorite colours and Vincent van Gogh because the main inspiration. Accent plates frame the painting, and it creates a cheerful focus for the dining room. The couple purchased both smaller plates in flea markets in France and Belgium.

Cynthia tied in all their design palette colors in the dining room area by creating a custom made chair and cushion in blues and reds, then adding curtains in yellow.

This blue chair is Cynthia’s favorite furniture bit; she enjoys sitting inside to look out on their backyard. It is an inherited antique that Cynthia reupholstered with new fabric, and she included the red pillow.

Stan needed a neutral room in the house to function as a reading den. Cynthia found an antique settee and had it refinished and re-covered with new fabric. A tarnished golden antique lamp has been restored as a lighting source for the room. Cynthia sewed the accent cushions to match, and made the curtains in this area with her Pierre Deux fabric and designed.

A collection of porcelain boxes from antiques shops seen on Cynthia’s journeys is on display in the family room on a reading table.

The snowy, soothing master bedroom offers a place of escape. Dashes of pink in the accent pillow provide a focus in the room, along with the patterned bird curtains invite the outside in.

A rustic blue bird feeder hangs from a tulip tree.

What Stan and Cynthia adore most in their neighborhood is its location in the South Bay area of the San Francisco Bay Area, and that it’s within walking distance to the Municipal Rose Garden, where they may enjoy seasonal blooms.

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