Home Beautiful Design

Legendary Artist Dale Chihuly Brings His Iconic Artwork to Dallas Arboretum

Sienna Arida — Wed, 16 May 2012 18:52:24 +0000

Renowned artist, Dale Chihuly, has brought his dramatic sculptures and installations to the award-winning, 66-acre Dallas Arboretum, and they will be featured May 5 – November 5, 2012.

Chihuly’s monumental designs appeal to people of all ages and have been seen in more than 200 museums, gardens and other venues around the world. Pre

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Great Craigslist find, better options at retail price

Darcy Wetherspoon — Mon, 14 May 2012 12:59:05 +0000

Note this 4 star rating is not for a brand new 21758. With that said, this is actually a decent planer. Ive been doing a lot of research lately and came across this one on craigslist. Actually I came across a Ridgid R4331 that I went to look at. The gentleman was extremely knowledgeable and had a very impressive and immaculate shop. He had the craftsman for sale as well and was only asking 100.00 with a brand new set of knives installed, and a set in the package still. He was kind enough to show me how they both operate and let me run some rough cut red oak through each.

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Eco-Friendly Holiday Gift Wrap

Joseph Starling — Sat, 12 May 2012 12:57:18 +0000

Holiday gift giving doesn’t have to mean giant trash bags full of discarded wrapping paper. Here are a few eco-friendly gift wrapping ideas to help make your holidays less wasteful. The best thing about these wrappings is that they’re not only earth friendly, but can be reused year after year.

1. Fused Gift Bags Use this tutorial to make beautiful reusable gift bags out of old plastic bags.

2. Cloth Bags Perfect for little trinkets, these simple drawstring bags can be made from scraps of fabric.

3. Fabric Gift Wrap Fabric wraps with ribbon ties provide just as much anticipation as regularly wrapped gifts, but with no paper waste.

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Filter Arkitekter Transforms Education

Darcy Wetherspoon — Wed, 09 May 2012 18:05:53 +0000

Schools are often utilitarian, with their design constrained by budgets and conservative ideas on what makes a school. But then again what is most important about the buildings that play such a central role in our formative years is not how they look, but how they allow us to interact.

Filter Arkitekter won a competition to refurbish and extend Tonstad Elementary and Lower Secondary School in Sirdal, Norway. The competition unsurprisingly asked for proposals to make optimal use of the existing structure. With their proposal, Transform, Filter retained the east wing of the building containing a public pool, gym and some offices.

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Architectural Feature: Arched Passageways

Sienna Arida — Sun, 06 May 2012 15:54:02 +0000

When I wrote this post about hallways, one that particularly caught my eye was in the home of Maryam Montague of My Marrakesh as published by Elle Decor.

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Worth every penny

Darcy Wetherspoon — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 07:57:31 +0000

I bought this machine to replace a Delta 14 bandsaw equipped with riser blocks. That no longer could produce the power I needed. Lets get the the bad news done frist. Yes, this saw is made in China…Dont let that scare you. Yes, this saw cost a lot.But, you get what you pay for.

Set up was easy. All I had to do was, mount the table, and the motar. The hardest part of the job was getting it off the palet it came on. Installing the motar was tricky, only because i was by myself. If I had a second pair of hands it would have been no problem. While assembling I could not help but notice the rugged construction of this beast.

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SEE THIS HOUSE: A GLOBAL ABODE!

Joseph Starling — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 22:45:00 +0000

The centerpiece of this Melbourne Australia home is an elaborate antique carved wood door from the northern Indian province of Rajasthan. With pieces collected from Morocco, Sicily, Tanzania and even California, this home is truly global!

I like. I like a lot. The carved dark wood furniture is a nice contrast to the white washed walls. I like the fact that the accessories and furniture come from all over the world – a truly international home!

Prayer beads from Sicily and art from Tanzania adorn the living room walls. (above)
In the dining room, a strategically placed carved white mirror almost looks like a doorway! (a Read full article…

Finishing a Basement, Day 1: Framing the Walls

Sienna Arida — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 16:58:42 +0000

Many of you have expressed how much you enjoy the Pro-Follow articles, and Im excited to kick-off another series. If youre a subscriber or regular reader, you know that every Pro-Follow is the product of shadowing a licensed contractor on an actual job site. Seeing the pros in action, getting expert tips and being able to ask questions is the best way to learn how to accomplish your next home improvement project, and I hope you take advantage of all of our Project Guides.

Ive partnered with contractor and carpenter Steve Wartman on several jobs including Building a Deck, Installing a Patio Door, and more. Earlier this week, Steve and his crew began a new project to finish a basement.

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Rooms with Views in Maruyama House by Atelier Sano

Darcy Wetherspoon — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 05:54:51 +0000

Japanese architects are masters when it comes to making small spaces do a lot. And when given the luxury of a little more space, instead of just blowing everything up, they use that same efficiency so that the space can be enjoyed more completely. Sapporo based practice Atelier Sano has used this extra space by maximizing views in Maruyama house.

This multi-story house is located on a hill overlooking the city of Sapporo in northern Japan. The architects opened up views of the city below and surrounding hills by giving each of the four facades generous floor to ceiling windows.

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Repurposed design at Castor

Joseph Starling — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 18:43:53 +0000

I am totally digging on the design ideas at Castor. Spherical shades salvaged from a defunct lighting factory, coffee table made from 1-3/8 thick marble slabs reclaimed from building, hand carved from a single piece of limestone and, well I think you get the idea. The modern lighting is stunning with exactness and industrial fused together.

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Aquaterra: Plastic Surgery for Homes

Sienna Arida — Sun, 01 Apr 2012 18:28:55 +0000

Aquaterra Outdoor Environments is known for their breathtaking pools and landscape, but their broad capabilities are highlighted in this addition of a one-of-a-kind outdoor veranda structure. The company both designs and constructs these custom-made additions, working within the client’s budget and staying true to the architectural integrity of the pre-existing home. Whether your family is growing, more grandkids are on the way, or you’re looking to entertain on a grander scale, Aquaterra is here to meet your needs.

Design Concept:

The Aquaterra Outdoor Environments experts designed this 855-square-foot, outdoor living addition, for a residence in McKinney, Texas. The

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Contemporary Chocolate Microfiber Sofa & Loveseat Set By Simmons

Darcy Wetherspoon — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 21:21:13 +0000

Chocolate Microfiber Contemporary Living Room Features: Modern Living Room by Simmons Chocolate Microfiber Upholstery Decorative Pillows No sag springs 1.8″ Density Foam Dimensions: Sofa: 91″L x 37″W x 38″H Loveseat: 69″L x 37″W x 38″H Chair: 55″L x 37″W x 38″H

More Than A “Whittle” Fun

Darcy Wetherspoon — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 05:35:07 +0000

This review is from the March 2012 issue of our LJ eMag

Fox Chapel Publishing is donating another book for a free draw! (See below for details)

The Big Book of Whittle Fun by Chris Lubkemann is a little big book filled with a wot of whittlin fun. Small in stature (a great size for taking with you when planning on doing a little whittling) but big in content!

This book has over thirty projects and is an inspiration for many more.

Games check
Jewelry check
Household items check
fun check

and technique: also check.

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The GJ Chair By Grete Jalk

Sienna Arida — Sun, 18 Mar 2012 21:00:17 +0000

I love Danish design, in fact it’s one of my favourite. I’m always happy to find about new versions of furniture design that were very popular back then and now they are making a come back.

The GJ Chair, and the GJ Nesting Table marks the beginning of a new era for Lange Production, who will also start producing furniture of numerous other designers.

Grete Jalk is a Danish furniture designer that built her reputation in 60s with an unusual design.

Due to the complexity of the chair’s design, only around 300 copies were originally produced. Only a few remain in existence today. Lange

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