Month: September 2019

8 Ways to Find Feel Less Frazzled and Time in Home

8 Ways to Find Feel Less Frazzled and Time in Home

In the ping of our devices to the endless items on our to-do lists, we are often pulled in several directions at once. However, when you are spread too thin, you not only end up doing less, you probably aren’t having much fun performing some of it. Thankfully, you do not have to be a fulltime yogi or move on a lengthy retreat to reclaim your own time and bring a little Zen to your home.

Learn to soothe those frazzled nerves, so use your time more efficiently and find more distance in your days to do what you love with those eight viable tips.

Holly Marder

1. Eat when you’re hungry; sleep when you’re tired. So simple, yet so few of us follow this information past the time of approximately 3! Anxiety eating, skipping meals and staying up too late can wreak havoc on the human body. Cut yourself some slack and take that nap or refuel with a nutritious bite when required.

Martha O’Hara Interiors

2. Slow down. When you end up feeling frazzled at home, take a breath and literally slow down. When you walk slowly, you are less likely to bump into things, forget things or leave messes lying about.

Cheryl Burke Interior Design

3. Finish what you start (unitask). Now you have slowed down, focus on completing just one task at a time. Whether you are making the bed, sitting down to consume or helping your child tie her or his sneakers, just do that one thing until it is done. Multitasking is only going to drive one nuts.

Residents Understood

4. Reduce screen time. Make a plan in the morning for how much time you will spend on email, browsing online and watching TV. Frequent email assessing, texting during meals and late-night online shopping can make us feel less connected and more stressed. If you feel you’ve been overdoing it, then cutting back might do wonders for restoring your awareness of well-being.

5. Keep a couple of simple habits up. The key word is “few.” Trying to take on a lot of changes at once is bound to backfire. But sticking with a handful of patterns until they become habits — such as setting the table for dinner each night, making your bed in the morning and cutting off the TV an hour — can be incredibly relaxing.

Molly Frey Design

6. Cut back on visual clutter. Each to-do list, schedule and unread piece of email your eye lands on is a reminder of things undone, and just looking at them can grate on the nerves. Obviously, we might all want immaculately clean homes without piles of things threatening to slip off the tables — but when a major decluttering spree is not in the cards, at least we can conceal some of it behind closed doors. Stick piles of paper and papers in coated baskets, or conceal them in a closed cupboard.

Clutter vs. keepers: a guide to purging

Mindful Designs, Inc..

7. Buy less. Buying new things can be a major time drain: shopping, unpacking your finds, carting the boxes into the curb and arranging your new items at home — and that’s not even mentioning the effect it has on our pockets. There is no requirement to forgo all buys, but purchasing even a little less and considering more can save some time and hassle.

Malcolm Davis Architecture

8. Wake early. Set your alarm for 10 minutes earlier than usual tomorrow. Don’t spend the extra time planning, looking at your telephone or watching the news. Rather, just sit there. Breathe. Maybe stretch a little or sip some water. Notice how you are feeling afterward — great? Relaxed? More ready to greet the day? If so, think about repeating the procedure the following day and the day after that. Oh, and guess what? You just meditated.

More: Feeling Stressed? Consider Hitting the Woodshop

See related

Movin' on Up: What to Consider With a Second-Story Addition

Movin' on Up: What to Consider With a Second-Story Addition

Adding space to your home in the second or maybe third story can capture views, optimize square footage onto a little lot and allow you to find all of the bedrooms onto a single degree. All that distance can come at a high cost. Another story can greatly affect the rest of your home, which frequently implies structural reinforcement on different levels.

Is constructing up, digging down or incorporating on the perfect approach to make the most of your home’s potential? Here’s what to think about before adding a different story to your dwelling.

COOK ARCHITECTURAL Design Studio

Whole-house impact. The layout and function of a second-story inclusion is going to have a ripple effect on the remainder of your home — everything from finishes to mechanical work to structural work. A good design will create the second story seem as it was always supposed, so take the essential time to be certain that the inclusion does a favor to your curb appeal and your home’s functionality.

Before Photo

Ventana Construction LLC

Structural demands. Another story with occupied rooms will weigh much more than your previous roof system, so engineers will need to calculate how much weight that the main-floor walls and base will carry and the way to maintain that weight up. Second tales require structural assistance that includes adding steel and plywood links in main-level walls and down into the base to meet code requirements. This is particularly important in regions with seismic risk and with older homes.

M. Designs Architects

Stairs. A new staircase usually means taking a bite out of your present main-floor rooms, which can affect the usage of those rooms and the traffic flow. Occasionally it’s a no-brainer, such as over present ones. But there is a little creative thinking necessary. Working with a good architect to thoroughly examine all the alternatives for stair location will yield the best outcomes.

Morrison Heating & Cooling

Mechanical. Your furnace, water heater and electric panel all operate based on your home’s square footage and the number of fixtures you’ve got. When you increase the dimensions of your home, you have to revisit each one these systems.

Electrical panels are typically upgraded to 200 amps, and HVAC systems can be replaced, added on to or possess new zones included, depending on if they are forced-air or radiant systems. Hot water can be delivered in a number of ways — by tankless heaters with recirculating pumps to tank systems and separate on-demand systems only to get a master bathroom. You could think about adding an energy-efficient method also, such as ductless heat pumps, geothermal heat pumps and solar-assisted warm water or photovoltaic panels.

Madson Design

Chimneys. When you add a story to your home and have a masonry chimney, then you need to eliminate the chimney or build it up (with brick or a metal flue) to above the roof level. This can be a very simple choice, especially if you never use your fireplace or need to convert to a natural gas fireplace.

In addition, it is possible to save a wood-burning fireplace and eliminate a separate mechanical chimney by replacing old equipment with fresh energy-efficient units that can vent horizontally (rather than vertically). The distance that a mechanical chimney took up can also become a handy pursuit for ductwork, plumbing or electric to operate to the second floor.

Meyer Design

Windows, doors and siding. The vital elements of the building envelope become big question marks with second-story improvements: Should you match them? Start over? Do half and half an hour? If structural work in the main degree requires removing half of the siding, you might wonder whether the whole house should have new siding. If main-floor windows and doors are tired, rotting, don’t meet energy or are simply out of fashion, should they all be replaced?

Creating these choices early in the process is key. Going back to purchase windows for half of a house once the job has started is guaranteed to cause flaws.

grouparchitect

Insulation. When engineering requires old siding and sheathing to be eliminated from your home’s exterior, it also presents the chance to install new insulation. Homes built from the 1950s or earlier tend to not have insulation in their walls (besides the occasional newspaper). Installing fiberglass batts or even rigid insulating material from the studs is a great way to improve the energy efficiency of your whole home.

Gelotte Hommas Architecture

Finishes. Frequently the endings of your current home — door style, trim sizing, Sheetrock finish, flooring — can dictate the finishes on your addition. But adding a new story allows you to revisit every finish. If you’ve textured walls, for instance, you might decide to choose smooth walls in the whole house or only from the inclusion.

RA, Jeff Wilkinson

Roofing. Component of the demolition process for second-story improvements is removing the whole roofing system. A builder experienced with these types of remodels will possess protection systems to keep rain out, but it won’t be possible to live together.

A job of this size almost always requires vacating your home for the duration. However, you’ll get to move back into a home that’s doubled in size and is 100% ready.

More:
When to dig down
When to add on
For those who need just a little more space

See related

Turn Off the Video Games and Switch On Your Child's Creativity

Turn Off the Video Games and Switch On Your Child's Creativity

As an introvert I have a way to summer entertaining, and household activities generally, that could be described as relaxed or, even if you are less altruistic, lazy. I’m dedicated to being charitable in most things, even private, so let’s stick with “relaxed” Too many parents error childhood for a protracted cruise and cast themselves as the activities’ directors. That can be a mistake.

Raising humans is tough enough, but including the needless duty of supplying your child’s amusement is much too much. I want to raise the banner high, but this ideabook is all about lovingly doing less, therefore I’m likely to lead by example. If you would like to join in spirit, here are a few things to remember.

Alison Hodgson

What do you see? Two small girls and a pug perched on a wall of boulders? Wrong. That is an ice cream stand in its third season of company.

1. Creativity comes from limitations. Overloading our houses and lawns with toys can have a crippling impact on our children’s imaginations. I really like playhouses, but once I see elaborate ones stuffed with so much stuff — even electronics — I wonder if it’s more for the adults than your kid.

Give your child the raw stuff of play — in your yard or at a park — and also observe imagination take over. When I was 6 or 7, on a visit to the shore, I left a very small house from driftwood, sand, beach glass and dune grass. I played by myself to get a blissful hour and, obviously, still remember it today.

The origins of trees are just another wonderful basis for your youthful home builder.

Alison Hodgson

Our mountain was only dirt once we moved in, but it did not maintain my daughter Eden along with her cousin Ren from instantly setting up shop.

2. Let them make a mess. The ideal play generally involves sand, dirt, water and rocks.

Once I was a child my father built my siblings and me a large sandbox that was also deep.The four people all could play, usually one to a corner. We would dig down at least a foot and a half and create massive cities with tunnels. We had shovels and trucks, but our own hands were the key tools, and leaves and leaves our sole accessories. Do you know the lovely feeling of digging a tunnel, delicately excavating and packing and finally having the ability to slip your arm at the cool depths?

I can only envision the gritty mess the four people monitored daily after day — my poor mother!

Alison Hodgson

The ice cream shop. So that is why Eden desired to understand where the package of food dyes was! They also crushed and picked serviceberries to create a “topping.”

Alison Hodgson

3. Welcome collections. To assemble items is a natural compulsion. Collections kept outside are not any huge deal, but some are delicate and will need to come inside. Dedicate a menu or shelf for cherished indoor collections to keep things neat and included.

Alison Hodgson

No time is too early to go out and play. In summer time we don’t always get dressed!

4. Dress them for achievement. Allow your children to wear clothes they can get dirty without worry. When my firstborn was a toddler, then I dressed like a politician on the campaign trail: match downs and khaki shorts. Our neighbor boys, who have been a few years old, commented, “You gotta get Christopher some playclothes.” I did not care if Christopher made a mess, but still. Who wants to play with Little Lord Fauntleroy or even the junior junior senator from wherever?

Alison Hodgson

5. Give space to them. Children will need to be supervised, of course, but even once you need to maintain a continuous eye on them, you can afford them mental room. Allow your child time to think quietly and play independently, particularly if this can be a challenge for her or him. The kid who is continually begging you, “Play with me” (and I really don’t mean that an ignored child, but one who can’t deal with a second without outside stimulation) must develop some muscles that are attentive, as a less athletic kid might need to exert herself or himself.

The ability to occupy oneself is a life skill that is getting less and less common and much more precious.

So kick back and relax — you will need practice if you are all twitchy and tired from hyperinvolvement, but stick to it and observe your children and their creativity develop.

A Fine Mess: How to Have a Clean Enough Home Over Summer Break

See related

For Grouting That Appears Its Very Best, 3 Crucial Steps

For Grouting That Appears Its Very Best, 3 Crucial Steps

If the only idea you’ve given to grout is what color it should be, you might have a nasty surprise down the road. There’s a lot to think about: A great grout job can save a poor tile installation, and also a poor grout job could ruin a great tile installation.

for grout to be installed well, the tile and substrates will need to be installed well, too. Make sure that your tile is suitable for showers — I have seen a growing trend of poorly made tiles sold in sheets which aren’t suitable for a wet environment.

Some sheet tiles use pressed paper as one of the reinforcement substances; others use sterile adhesives — both split with exposure to water. Everything in your shower must accompany the proper Tile Council North America (TCNA) or Terrazzo, Tile and Marble Association of Canada (TTMAC) specifications.

It sounds frightening, but do not get intimidated — three easy measures will help make sure that your grouting will be successful and that your new shower will function superbly.

Kayron Brewer, CKD, CBD / Studio K B

1. Find the Right Type of Grout

Choosing the right grout has a lot to do with your tile’s recommendations.

Cement grouts are inclined to be more affordable and are easier to work with, but many require a sealant. This grout comes in sanded and unsanded models to work with different grout joint widths.

Calculate how much grout you want exactly and then receive a security net of 25 to 50 percent greater. If multiple bags are wanted, always blend all of the cement collectively prior to mixing the first batch to get an even grout color all throughout your bathroom.

Hint: Be careful when working with tiles like glass. Test grouts on a sample board to be sure you own a grout that will not scrape the tile face.

Mark English Architects, AIA

Epoxy grouts are more expensive but extremely durable. Laticrete SpectraLock Pro — a fantastic line of epoxy grout — is chemical and stain resistant and comes in many colours. These grouts also offer greater flexibility for thermal growth. Your bathroom’s structure expands and shifts with changes in temperature and humidity, and also a flexible grout helps accommodate these changes.

Hint: Flexibility is a particularly important concern if the room experiences extreme temperatures changes, such as if it’s big windows which let in different amounts of light and warmth when the seasons shift.

Mark English Architects

If you are using wood in your bathroom, like in this installment, consider the transition between tile to wood when choosing your grout.

Considering both the tile and wood will expand and contract with temperature changes, a small expansion area is ideal. Many companies have matching caulking (like silicone or Dap) because of this. Be careful, because not all of these color-matched caulks are suitable from the shower or another wet zone. I personally like to stay with silicone at the shower and depart color-matched caulks to places which are not exposed to water.

MP DESIGN

Many pros advise against making a custom color mix, because it can cause future repairs tricky. I think that is problematic, and habit grout colours can be worth the investment when you’ve got a picture of your dream bathroom set in mind.

For any reason, it’s almost impossible to find plain classic white grout. It’s so hard to find that the more quickly you’re delighted with marginally off-white, the earlier your pursuit for white grout will finish.

My favorite white grout is Mapei’s Quick Placing Ultra Color Plus.

Hint: Epoxy grouts could fade in direct exposure to sun. In case you’ve got a lot of natural light in your bathroom, a lighter shade may discolor with time. A cementious grout might be a better option for these types of installations.

Before Photo

By Any Design Ltd..

2. Grout Your Sample Board

Mark English, a San Francisco architect, spoke with me about his approach to grouting. Like many professionals, English makes sure to utilize sample boards prior to any installation. The grout and tile are all ready on a plank and submitted to the customer for approval.

Sample boards are all vital for security, durability and aesthetics. In case you haven’t seen your tile with a grout sample, then you won’t know whether you’ll even like the spacing between the tiles when it’s grouted — grout joints often look bigger when a tile has a beveled or eased edge.

Michael Tauber Architecture

3. Let From the Light

A perfect tile and grouting project deserves great lighting to show it off. Shown here is a gorgeous accent light attribute — a easy downlight like this could be a ideal bathroom nightlight with a dimmer. But when the tile and grouting were less than ideal, this downlight would just highlight poor tiling abilities.

I adore layered mild in baths. But each light source subjects a finished tile project to different levels and directions of light, potentially highlighting a tile installation defect or inferior grouting job.

If possible, have all of these light sources exercised prior to grouting, and also have each one of your windows cleaned together with the protective picture outside removed. This will aid your grouters prevent any errors which may be missed in poor light.

Hint: Grouting is one of the very last steps in a bathroom renovation. It shouldn’t be rushed, because the tile installation needs time to dry until the grouting is finished. Pushing your grouting before the finish gives your tile installation more time to heal.

In case this is not feasible, self-curing (rapid-drying) setting substances must be specified.

More: Top 10 Tips for Choosing Shower Tile

See related

9 Power-User Tricks to Get More From

9 Power-User Tricks to Get More From

Whether you love surfing photographs, looking for a builder, conversing in Discussions, reading featured ideabooks or all the above, the staff is constantly working to make your experience better.

Whether you are a fresh er or the one who shows everyone else all of the tips, there is probably a tip in here to expand your expertise, from electricity searches and finding photographs recommended that you seeing on your big-screen TV.

Discover What You’re Looking For

1. Use quote marks to perform searches for terms with two or more words. In case you’re looking for something specific that’s more than 1 word, try looking for the entire term in quotes. That will exclude some pictures that feature just one of your search terms (or both terms in a different order).

Instance: “reddish backsplash”

2. Search with “+”. Searching for photographs with a number of features? Put the and sign before each of the phrases from your search to find photos comprising all those things.

Instance: +blue +dishwasher +marble

3. Refine your search results. As soon as you’ve hit the Search button when doing a photo search, try clicking on one of those area links (kitchen, bath, bedroom etc.) from the left-hand column on the results page. It is possible to narrow down your results by area, location and style.

Want to return? Follow the links at the peak of the page to take a step back into the area, design and location filters.

Tap Into the Library

4. Find related articles and guides. Green links at the peak of each featured ideabook lead to related methods and guides. Hover your mouse over the links to see recent showcased ideabooks in every single class, composed by editors, layout authors, architects, designers and builders.

You could also use the Search bar to find useful ideabooks and guides on your favourite topic. Just type in your search terms and choose Ideabooks in the menu.

You can also browse the archive by clicking “Ideabooks” at the peak of any page on . When you reach the next page, then browse through the links on the left side to explore thousands of decorating and remodeling guides, and a few surprises. Make Sure You check out the Life and Fun segments.

Get Customized Recommendations

5. Recommended photos and followers. Check out the Recommended Photos segment under Your for photographs based on your existing favorites. The Suggestions tab onto your feed will supply you with lots of fresh professionals to follow, dependent on your own style.

Talk With Your Peeps

6. Post a photo or remark to your followers. Ask to your followers’ advice on a design dilemma, or let everyone know what job you worked on this weekend. Posting a photo or comment on your feed will make it visible to your fans.

Add to Your Ideabooks

7. Add photographs straight from websites to your ideabooks. Compile all your inspiring images in 1 place. Use the Bookmarklet or the “Add a photo from site” option from the “Add photographs for this ideabook” drop-down menu in the top-right corner of your ideabook.

8. Copy photographs and remarks into another ideabook. Organize your favourite pictures and divvy up your pictures into different ideabooks. Copy text and photos from 1 ideabook into another with all the “Copy Photos to …” button as you’re in ideabook Edit mode. Simply choose the pictures you would like to move, hit “Copy Photos to … ” and find the ideabook you would like to add it to or create an entirely new ideabook. To move text and photos entirely out of an ideabook, hit “Move Photos to …”

9. Take From Your iPad for Your Big-Screen TV

Join using a cable: Plug an electronic A/V adapter in Your iPad and then plug an HDMI cable in the smaller of those 2 slots. Insert the other end of the HDMI cable to an HDMI jack on your television. Switch your TV’s input HDMI and turn on the app.

Connect: Double tap the house button on your iPad to show the multitask pub. Slide it all of the way to the left to find the sound controls along with an Airplay button. Harness the Airplay button, choose your Apple TV and select “Mirroring on.” Launch the app in your iPad, and it must detect your Apple TV is connected and display pictures in your TV display.

Inform us : What is your favourite suggestion for using ?

See related

Central Plains Gardener's June Checklist

Central Plains Gardener's June Checklist

June brings the first significant flush of summer flowers, and consequently the garden takes on a third measurement as it attracts a wide array of special insects. Plant as good a diversity of indigenous flowers as possible to find a glimpse of what June has to offer.

Benjamin Vogt / Monarch Gardens

June Blooms

From the close of the month, your beds and borders should look like that, right? Shown here is a mattress of mostly native coneflowers, including varieties of Rudbeckia and Monarda, which requires no supplemental watering or fertilizer at all. The ideal native plant for the ideal place means less maintenance and stress. Always do your research online till you find some consensus about the way the plant finest develops and where. Never trust plant tags.

Missouri Botanical Garden

Golden Alexander (Zizia aurea, zones 3 to 8) is one of the first June native prairie bloomers, sometimes even beginning in May. It prefers a moist to medium soil, clay or loam, and full sun; it becomes about 2 feet tall and wide. Besides having cheerful sprays of yellow blossoms, Zizia is a host plant for black swallowtail caterpillars.

Benjamin Vogt / Monarch Gardens

Black swallowtail eggs are cream-colored spheres the size of a doughnut sprinkle. The caterpillars spend a few weeks growing, then wander off to become butterflies. Even a caterpillar in late summer will overwinter as a chrysalis in your garden, so don’t cut down your garden in fall.

Benjamin Vogt / Monarch Gardens

Hubright’s bluestar (Amsonia hubrichtii, zones 4 to 9) will be blooming, much to the joy of bees. Though the light blue flowers are comparatively dull in contrast to others aglow at this time, the distinctive thread-leaf foliage that cushions and sprays is rather distinct, including a touch of softness to the garden.

Benjamin Vogt / Monarch Gardens

Amsonia really shines in autumn, as it turns bright yellow and rusty orange. You are able to see how the 3-foot-tall andwide perennial appears like gentle golden smoke rising into the atmosphere by October. In summer it creates the same effect but is green.

Benjamin Vogt / Monarch Gardens

Coneflower Diseases

Watch out for aster yellows disease in your coneflowers. Usually it is more subtle than this crazy Medusa image — a few petals may not unfurl, or the bloom is half green and half colored. Rp outside the coneflowers and plant new ones at circumstance. Aster yellows is dispersed by certain insects, and you can’t save the plant, but you are able to save other neighboring coneflowers from becoming infected by trashing — not composting — plants that are diseased.

Benjamin Vogt / Monarch Gardens

Hummingbird Moths

If you don’t possess hummingbirds, never worry; moths are here in order to take up the slack. This is a bumblebee hummingbird moth on Salvia ‘May Night’. Together with their long proboscis they prefer tubular blossoms like salvia and penstemon.

Benjamin Vogt / Monarch Gardens

Most frequently mistaken for a hummingbird is the white-lined sphinx moth. It’s about precisely the same size as a hummingbird and even seems like a hummingbird. Watch for these insects in the day and toward dusk, when moths become most active.

Inform us What amazing wildlife creatures are you seeing in your June garden, and what plants are you currently appreciating?

See related

Vintage Flair for a Lovingly Maintained Midcentury Gem

Vintage Flair for a Lovingly Maintained Midcentury Gem

“We were meant to be together,” says homeowner Jessica Craig, describing her connection with the midcentury home she purchased in October 2012. “I knew I needed something midcentury with background, and as soon as I walked into the door, I knew I was home.”

Architects Lyle Rowley and Jack Wilson of Ju-Nel Homes constructed the home in 1967, and the layout has enjoyed decades of remaining power. “Their houses have none of the cool aloofness that can sometimes plague midcentury modern houses,” Craig says. And fortunately, the previous homeowners maintained that the home beautifully. A note left by former employer Charles Wilson reads: “I lived in this home from 1967–1999. I adored it. Please love it, too.”

Craig, who functions in the interior design industry, is keeping the tradition alive by elevating the space with a classy, welcoming vibe achieved through clever furnishings and midcentury flair.

at a Glance
Who lives here: Jessica Craig, her boyfriend, Juan Pinzon, along with their dog, June Bug
Size: 1,800 square feet; 3 bedrooms, 2 baths
Location: Lake Highlands neighborhood of Dallas

Sarah Greenman

Many signature Ju-Nel features specify Craig’s living space: vaulted ceilings, exposed beams, paned glass along with an open connection to the kitchen, the latter of which was a charm during its structure.

The mother of Juan Pinzon, Craig’s boyfriend and housemate, owns a Ligne Roset store in Panama and had ordered the wrong color Togo couch one day. She gave it to the bunch, and it’s now Craig’s favorite piece.

The coffee table is from Pace, a prominent designer of metal, marble and glass pieces throughout the 1980s.

Paint: Balboa Mist, Benjamin Moore

Sarah Greenman

The Ju-Nel architects were very interested in producing cozy family spaces, and so they always placed a hearth at the middle of their living room designs.

Craig refinished a classic dresser to use as a TV console. “Sometimes people give me strange looks when they visit bedroom furniture in the living area, but I think that it looks excellent!” She says.

Lamps, wood displays: Round Top Antique Fair; background: Yesterday’s News in Chronicle, Innovations; hearth paint: Wildwood Crest, Benjamin Moore

Sarah Greenman

Craig discovered that this gold bench at a consignment store in Dallas’ design district on Riverfront Boulevard. “It was pretty tarnished, which is why they had been having difficulty selling it,” she says. “But I loved the patina and left it.”

Artwork: Brant Williams

Sarah Greenman

Craig likes to entertain and host friends at the home. The dining area’s dark, moody wall color creates a romantic atmosphere and supplies the white furniture a lot of pop up. A huge picture window faces the front yard. Kelly Wearstler textiles adorn the window and chair cushions.

Wall paint: Bear Creek, Benjamin Moore; dining chairs: West Elm; table: Crate & Barrel

Sarah Greenman

The area recieves light from the west- and west-facing windows, rare for a dining space. Craig plays up the natural light with gold and brass details around the space. A bar cart holds spirits and classic barware.

Sarah Greenman

Craig has a knack for locating eye-catching classic furniture and decor. “It is not a special gift,” she says. “It is only patience. I will see things in a pile of crap that others don’t see because they’re moving too fast.”

A little bamboo dining table in the dining area carries a pair of midcentury lamps, classic barware and an orchid.

Artwork: Brant Williams; orchid structure: Grange Hall Urban Flower

Sarah Greenman

Craig discovered this elaborate entryway couch table at a furniture consignment store.

Wallpaper: Sumatra in Shell, Innovations; artwork: Brant Williams

Sarah Greenman

Vaulted ceilings, butcher block countertops and spacious shelves that showcase the homeowner’s bright green Fiestaware help produce a sense of space and simplicity in the otherwise narrow kitchen. “I love cooking, and this kitchen is set up really well,” Craig says.

Fiestaware: Macy’s; cabinet paint : Cos Cob Stonewall, Benjamin Moore

Sarah Greenman

Craig likes to groom the kitchen pub with curios and classic pieces. A tiered tray holds photos, potted moss and correspondence supplies. The classic Hermes 3000 typewriter, very similar to the one Jack Kerouac utilized, was a gift from Craig’s sister and brother-in-law.

Sarah Greenman

A sharp white parson’s shelves and desk keep the office clean and organized, even though a seat upholstered in classic fabric adds a little retro design.

Paint: Indian River, Benjamin Moore; desk: parson’s, West Elm (damage stack); shelves: Expedit, Ikea; lamp: Again & Again; classic chair upholstery: Fabric Yard

Sarah Greenman

Craig purchased this table for $20 at a secondhand store. The seat belonged to her grandmother. “There is something about a classic piece that exudes personality,” she says. “The trick to finding good stuff would be not to be judgmental. I tend to feel that a piece rather than see it.”

Wall paint: Indian River, Benjamin Moore

Sarah Greenman

A Jack and Jill bathroom divides the office and guest room. Craig want to replace the vanity with something more industrial.

Wallpaper: Manila in Cypress, Innovations

Sarah Greenman

Sarah Greenman

A classic mirror artwork piece pops over the guest room mattress, giving the space a ’70s vibe. Craig bought the mattress at a biannual pop-up shop hosted by Dwell With Dignity, a nonprofit group of interior designers and volunteers in Dallas who raise money to help create inspirational and soothing homes for families fighting poverty.

Wall paint: Indian River, Benjamin Moore; pendant: Floral, David Trubridge

Sarah Greenman

The L-shaped principal bedroom is a soft, relaxing area full of plush textures, neutral colors and individual touches. “I always tell my clients to stay away from complete bedding collections,” the designer says. “It is more fun to buy single pieces from different places to create your own look.”

Wall paint: Rockport Gray, Benjamin Moore; euro shams: DwellStudio; fur pillow: Anthropologie; coverlet: Bed, Bath & Beyond; headboard, side table: Weirs

Sarah Greenman

Craig infused a nook in the bedroom with a little bit of old Hollywood glamour by way of a zebra rug, a classic love chair, low light and soft curtains.

Sliding glass doors nearby open to a patio.

Wall paint: Rockport Gray, Benjamin Moore; couch: Again & Again; upholstery: Fabric Yard; centre pillow: Missioni; curtains: Restoration Hardware

Sarah Greenman

Craig’s mother made this clock by framing a knitted square where she attached classic buttons from her grandma. “All the women in my family are very crafty, and this clock was such a fun project,” she says.

Sarah Greenman

The designer refinished this classic vanity and cleaned up its first hardware. “I wanted to paint the vanity in a shade similar to the wall, so it didn’t stand out as separate from the space,” she says.

Vanity paint: Gargoyle, Benjamin Moore

Sarah Greenman

The main bedroom opens to the backyard. The first home plans show that all 3 bedrooms once had sliding doors that opened to this outdoor area. “I’d like to renew the doors someday,” Craig says.

Sarah Greenman

A live oak tree in front yard offers shade for 2 rock chairs, where the few like people watching.

Trim paint: Kendall Charcoal, Benjamin Moore; rock chairs: Round Top Antique Fair

Sarah Greenman

“I want to fill my home with things that make me feel good,” says Craig, seen here with June Bug. “I am motivated by texture, people, clothing and artwork.”

See more photos of this home

See related

Homes Away From Home: 6 Appealing International Bed-and-Breakfasts

Homes Away From Home: 6 Appealing International Bed-and-Breakfasts

For some vacationers staying in a home makes a trip more relaxing. A home is often quieter compared to a busy resort. And living like a regional strips off that touristy atmosphere, making the experience of a foreign town more romantic. After all, you are bound to get more of a cultural education out of a local home than a chain hotel.

That’s why bed-and-breakfasts are really great. They provide some amenities of a hotel with the comfort of a home. And with unique decoration and furnishings reflective of local style, these six international B and Bs just may inspire your next holiday — or even your next home decorating project.

1. Baixa Hous
Lisbon, Portugal

This enchanting apartment building in Lisbon’s downtown historic district was renovated but retains much of the first structure. Each of the 12 units is named after the backyard in Lisbon that inspired its distinctive design.

Each room includes different features, from soaking baths to outdoor balconies. A breakfast spread is served to each area in the morning.

Bursts of floral wallpaper and modern furniture contrast with this 18th-century room’s beautiful information. Outdoor a quaint streetcar takes guests through beautiful Lisbon.

Price: Contact Baixa House for individual room Rates

2. Casa de Laila
Outdoor Malaga, Spain

A flock of Moroccan-style luxury tents benefit from the hot weather at Casa de Laila, a bed-and-breakfast in Spain’s Andalusia region, about an hour outside of Malaga.

Each tent includes a welcome package (including wine) and comfy Middle Eastern–inspired decoration.

Surrounded by orange groves and white stone houses, the cluster of tents revolves around the property’s key pool. Breakfast is served each morning on the stone terrace.

Price: Beginning from around $91; two-night minimum | Casa de Laila

3. Cube Guest House
Hout Bay, South Africa

This modern bed-and-breakfast in South Africa includes a stunning view of the Cape of Good Hope and postcard-worthy Table Mountain. The Cube Guest House sits in an elevated residential region, with clear views from the ocean from the majority of its outdoor spaces.

Six modern rooms include en suite bathrooms, minibars, flat-screen TVs and amazing views.

A small guest cabin by the pool is also available for overnight stays. Its unique curved ceiling and walls provide it a comfy but modern feel.

Price: $50 to 130 | Cube Guest House

4. Gotten Manor
Isle of Wight, England

Three different buildings make up the quaint and historic Gotten Manor, on England’s largest island. While these 200-year-old buildings have modern updates, they also still have many historic features, including lime-washed walls, cast iron baths and wood floors (now warmed with oriental rugs).

The Old House (shown here) was the first manor residence, while the Milk House along with also the Cart House were different service buildings. Each structure can be rented out individually. While the Milk House and Cart House have their own kitchens, guests at the Old House are served breakfast each morning.

Price: From around $472 per night (entire cottage rate) | Gotten Manor

5. Guesthouse Maastricht
Maastricht, Netherlands

This darling bed-and-breakfast in the historic city centre of Maastricht joins two bedrooms to the first floor of a historic manor. Place on a quiet city street, the two rooms share a updated bathroom, while foods come from a small café around the corner.

A mix of antique and modern elements adorns each room, including coffee, tea, a microwave and a small fridge. Extra-plush mattresses and fresh blossoms in each space welcome travelers into this cute abode.

Price: From around $71 for 2 guests each night | Guesthouse Maastricht

6. La Pauline
Aix-en-Provence, France

La Pauline, named after Napoleon Bonaparte’s sister, has a beautiful 18th-century ambience which pays tribute to its namesake. While the historic chateau was updated, it still retains the quaint feel of Aix-en-Provence.

All the four spacious rooms includes a simple, subtle luxury, with plush beds, nice furniture and gentle colour palettes.

Guests are welcome to enjoy the pool, tennis courts and horse riding on nearby trails.

Price: From about $195 per night | La Pauline

More: 10 Charming U.S. Bed-and-Breakfasts

See related

10 Gorgeous Backsplash Alternatives to Subway Tile

10 Gorgeous Backsplash Alternatives to Subway Tile

It is difficult not to love the look of classic subway tile, but sometimes you’ve only seen enough. And as the options for kitchen backsplashes are nearly infinite, it is well worth considering additional design possibilities for this strip of wall above your sink and stove.

These 10 backsplashes out of Kitchens of the Week usage easy or unusual materials in eye-catching applications, from miniature chevron tiles to painted glass, pivoting windows, mirror and more.

Intimate Living Interiors

1. Turquoise tile in Southern California. Little but subtle details make this kitchen stand out from the remainder, and its bold, turquoise backsplash produces a statement. Clay arabesco tile lines the back of pet food place and the stove, making flow in this space that is stunning.

See more of this kitchen

DHV Architects

2. An painted glass backsplash in Bristol, U.K. Back-painted glass backsplashes have been popping up all over , and subscribers fell in love with this U.K. kitchen’s bold emerald-green installation. Relatively inexpensive and inaccessible, this backsplash substance is guaranteed to stay around.

See more of this kitchen

SchappacherWhite Architecture D.P.C.

3. Translucent windows in a Manhattan loft. In lieu of a conventional backsplash, architect Steve Schappacher installed translucent pivoting windows here. Each window opens up into a pantry place behind the kitchen.

See more of this kitchen

Jute Interior Design

4. A bold chevron backsplash in California. Tiny bits of Ann Sacks tile in four different colors of blue make up this detailed custom chevron backsplash. The family wanted something fun in their kitchen, therefore designer Alison Davin went all out. Surrounded by white cabinetry, the backsplash is more of a focus.

See more of this kitchen

The Cousins

5. Playing with light in New Jersey. Even though the side of this home didn’t offer much of a perspective, designers Anthony Carrino and John Colaneri nonetheless wished to allow more light in. Punching a window into portion of the backsplash and installing an adjacent mirror aided reflect light into the remainder of the space.

See more of this kitchen

McKinney York Architects

6. Exquisite artistry in Texas. The architects in McKinney York worked with a local artisan, who installed the whole stained glass backsplash. The calming water-like pattern stands out amid the neutral and easy materials in the remaining portion of the kitchen.

See more of this kitchen

Erica Islas / EMI Interior Design, Inc..

7. Mixing tiles in Los Angeles. Sticking to a Spanish design, this 1920s kitchen includes two different kinds of tile for its backsplash. Designer Erica Islas utilized a simple and more affordable white tile, set on a diagonal, for the majority of the counter tops. However, a border of more expensive, Spanish-inspired tiles lines each wall.

See more of this kitchen

Christopher Michael Interiors

8. Brick from the 18th century in New Jersey. This brick surround was part of this 18th-century house’s authentic kitchen. Intent on saving it, the design team match a Wolf range inside and custom designed a hood to match into the chimney that is still-functional.

See more of this kitchen

AMI Designs

9. Raw stone in a New York cottage. Stone helps set off this cooking nook out of the rest of the clean, white kitchen in this Long Island home. Tucked under a curved enclosure — portion of the house’s front door — it looks almost like a comfy cave to cook in.

See more of this kitchen

The Sky is the Limit Style

10. Glass in Vancouver. Handmade Thinkglass gives this kitchen backsplash color and a textural look, but the exceptional material is really easy to the touch, which makes it relatively easy to wash. The silver hue offsets the rich wood.

See more of this kitchen

More: Compare more inspirational backsplash materials and design ideas

See related

11 Terrific Paint Color Matches for Wood Details

11 Terrific Paint Color Matches for Wood Details

What paint colors work great with wood trim? I generally choose neutral colors when I am painting an area with natural wood information, whether cabinets or stain-grade trim. Greens, grays, whites and beiges are all no-brainers. Warmer colors, like orange, brown, rust and red, work also, but the deeper tones of these colors work best. Here are 11 great spaces that I believe got the option of paint colors right.

Connected: 10 Tried-and-True Paint Colors for Walls With White Trim

jamesthomas Interiors

Creamy white functions with honey – and amber-toned trim; this is Benjamin Moore’s Sweet Spring 1500. I like creamy whites within an eggshell or pearl finish for just a small amount of sheen. Save a flat finish for ceilings; a small bit of sheen is likely to make cleaning minor scuffs on wallseasier.

GoodHome Painting Co..

White is an obvious choice with wood trim. Avoid bright white and try to find something with milky undertones. Here is Farrow & Ball’s Slipper Satin 2004.

Lowe’s Home Improvement

My beloved neutral with wood trim is green. The olive-toned greens are the best. Greenswork with blond, brown and reddish woods. I love this shade by Valspar.

Hendel Homes

Beige, tan and ivory work great with light and dark shades of wood. Here is Mesa Verde Tan AC-33 by Benjamin Moore. Notice the wood flooring are a contrasting color to the trim. The comparison is fine with all the trim, while the darker colors are highlighted again in the carpet.

TruexCullins Architecture + Interior Design

Cream is also a gorgeous option, but you should be careful not to confuse cream with yellow. Yellow isn’t a good pick for wood trim, in my opinion. In Case You Have amber-toned wood trim, like Douglas fir or pine, try Gentle Cream OC-96 by Benjamin Moore or Glow W-B-310 from Behr.

Knickerbocker Group

Gray is a winner with soft, blonde or weathered wood tones. Here the cabinets beneath the staircase and tread shade are Bedford Gray by Martha Stewart Living, a perfect option with all the weathered wood flooring.

Charmean Neithart Interiors

“Greige” is an excellent neutral with wood trim. The secret is the right shade. Go toward a warmer greige in case you have red-toned trim or cabinets, like mahogany or cherry. This one is Benjamin Moore’s Pismo Dunes AC-32.

A.L. Interiors

Light blue with subtle gray undertones works great with a medium-toned walnut. Here Sherwin-Williams’ North Star SW6246 blends beautifully with all the wood beams and white trim.

Katerina Tana Design

Turquoise and aqua sunglasses can work also. This fantastic color of aqua, Blue Ground 210, by Farrow & Ball, evokes spring and looks fantastic with all the amber-toned ceiling.

Lowe’s Home Improvement

Gray and brown can operate with black trim or cabinets. Make sure the color you choose provides comparison. Here Valspar’s Artichoke 6003-2A, a smokey charcoal, contrasts black accents.

Bella Villa Design Studio

Oranges, rust and red operate with many wood trim colors. Strive earthy reds and oranges with brown undertones, like this canyon-inspired color, Baked Clay SW6340, by Sherwin-Williams.

More:
How to Match Colors From Photos to Real Life
Want Gorgeous Interior Colors? Look to the Light
10 Tried-and-True Paint Colors for Walls With White Trim

See related