Furnish Burnish

Tri-Folds Sofa: Perfect For Reading

Strega — Sat, 25 May 2013 12:04:11 +0000

Do you enjoy reading magazine and books, while seating on a couch or a sofa? If yes, then perhaps you might encounter a problem of storing the magazines or newspapers while you read. Camille Paillard has designed the Tri-Folds Sofa that seems to be perfect for reading and storing the magazines that you might be reading.

Tri-Fold Sofa by Camille Paillard

Tri-Folds Sofa By Camille Paillard The Tri-Folds sofa is distinguished by the three folds at each armrest that are quite convenient for storing of the magazines or books. The sofa is made from leather and an idea for the design came to Paillard during the workshop with the Swiss brand de Sede where she was working with leather.

For me, it was interesting to play with the beauty of the folds and the material's innate sensitivity. I designed the sofa with this motif in mind in terms of the armrests. The folds are not only aesthetic, but also practical for slipping in magazines and books or hiding items.

Making Of Tri-Folds Sofa The Tri-Folds sofa is quite contemporary in its design, except the little armrest makeover. The sofa is made entirely according to the choices made by de Sede, including the material and sketches, all of which were first approved by the company. Then, after the approval, Camille Paillard was able to design a prototype. The work took about several months, and throughout all of this time, the artists had regular meetings with the company to follow the request from de Sede. Despite the mentorship from Sede's, this sofa was designed under the guidance of a tutor Nicolas Le Moigne. The Tri-Fold sofa was displayed during the Internation MöbelMesse in 2013, an exhibition dedicated to furnishings and interior design that is held annually in Cologne, Germany. Camille Paillard is an aspiring designer that has recently graduated from ECAL, where she acquired a Master Degree in Advanced Studies in Luxury Industry and Design.

Spectacular Tones In Project Begovaya

Strega — Fri, 24 May 2013 12:33:46 +0000

If you are a fan of contemporary design, but also tend to like the luxurious curves of the baroque era you might be curious about this residence. The Project Begovaya residence by Geometrix is all about the modern approaches to decorating and most importantly it sports the baroque prints and posh furnishings throughout the whole house. But the attention stealer among the monochromatic interior is luxurious royal purple armchair.

Posh Black & White Interior By Geometrix

Incredible Interior by Geometrix You might remember Geometrix design company by the projects, such as Modern Art Deco Moscow Apartment also in monochramatic hues and Futuristic Kitchen Design. Both of these projects sport the incredible contemporary style and unique approach to decorating. First of all it is the living room, full of glazing white and black. The illumination is highlighting the reflective glass surfaces of the room. Although the white is a leading color, there are many black accents, including the gorgeous baroque artwork on the floor. Another baroque highlight waits patiently in the center of the living: the luxurious armchair in surprising purple color. A very surprising detail of the interior, it fits perfectly into the picture highlighting the personality of the residence. Although the furniture of the house is all rather sleek and contemporary, the decor items are more elegant and delicate. There are low-rise sofas and rectangular cupboards, but then again we see elegant glass vases, sculptural chandelier and floral wallpaper. The interior design is certainly meant for the brave people, that enjoy being the center of attention: just imagine how it is to live in a house that is full of reflective surfaces, with only two colors and one bright purple hues. [gallery]

Silver Plants For Beautiful Gardens

Strega — Fri, 24 May 2013 11:37:34 +0000

Do you want to have a unique garden and just love silver color? Why not try to go with just silver? It will make your garden look exotic and amazing, as there are many different plants that are silver in their foliage or blooms. Not sure where to start from? Well, best idea is to start from here.

Best Silver Plant Gardening Ideas

Artemisia ludoviciana By Dorling Kindersley

Valerie Finnis

This one is a perennial plant with outstanding silver foliage that is good for sunny locations. The plants can produce clusters of creamy flowers in July. This plant is perfect for container gardening along with other perennials. It is hardy to zones 5 to 10, and can tolerate dry climates.

Lamb Ear

Stachys Byzantina By Costa Farm This variety of a perennial doesn't produce the flowers, but has dense silver foliage. This plant can be evergreen in mild climates. Most often this perennial is used as a groundcover. Hardy to zones 4 to 8, it needs regular watering and full to partial sun exposure. This plant spreads really fast, so be careful when planting it or it can become invasive.

Salvia Argentea

Salvia Argentia By Missouri Botanical Garden Its other name is silver sage, and it is also a perennial with fuzzy silver green leaves. The leaves are arranged in huge rosettes presenting an interest as a groundcover. In summer the plant produces creamy white flowers, however, if you want to enjoy the silver carpet, it is best to remove the flowers.

Edelweiss

Leontopodium Alpine By Anne Elliot This is an alpine flower with a silver bloom. It grows in cold conditions, preferring high altitudes. This hardy perennial blooms in late spring through summer, and it is perfect in rather harsh conditions of the mountain climate. If you want to plant edelweiss in your garden, the perennial prefers being planted near the rocks or borders, because that is very close to their natural habitat.

Incredible Gardens At Chelsea Flower Show 2013

Strega — Thu, 23 May 2013 18:41:32 +0000

Chelsea Flower Show is an annual horticultural exhibition held by Royal Horticultural Society on the grounds of the Royal Hospital Chelsea in Chelsea, London. Each year the specialists around the world come to London to present their innovative approaches to landscaping and gardening, with incredible garden designs. Let's explore this year’s incredible gardens that got the attention from the visitors and jury alike.

Best Gardens At Chelsea Flower Show

Alcove Garden By Ishihara Kazauyuki

3. Alcove Garden

The Alcove Garden by Japanese designer Ishihara Kazauyuki was very popular among the tourists strolling around the exhibition. No wonder this garden won a Best Artisan Prize, it is so amazing. This garden presented a peaceful landscape with a playhouse and Japanese still life objects that are traditionally found in Japanese gardening. The playhouse had a green roof, another highlight of the event, and a tatami room. There was also a little pond with a waterfall streaming down.

2. Brewin Dolphin Garden

Brewin Dolphin Garden by Robert Myers The Brewin Dolphin Garden was designed by Robert Myers. Being rather contemporary, this garden also won a golden prize with the streamlined perfectness and native British species. The artist also made use of vertical gardening by introducing the peculiar raised boxwood hedge, that we can see in the background of the garden. Another highlight is the inground gardening surrounded by the above-ground pond.

1. Trailfinders Australian Garden

Trailfinders Australian Garden by Phillip Johnson The Trailfinders Australian Garden got the first place at the Chelsea Flower Show, not only because it featured lush greenery - there was an eco-friendly construction amidst it. What appears like a copper flower is in fact an artist retreat that is powered by solar energy. It also has an indoor shower, by the way. The artist behind this green creation, Melbourne designer Phillip Johnson made the retreat to reference the Waratah flower. What he also meant by creating this garden is to display the possibility of sustainable landscaping within an urban setting.

Restoring House After Disaster: Burkhardt Family

Strega — Thu, 23 May 2013 18:33:35 +0000

This story is very inspirational as it tells about the Burkhardt family who didn't abandon their home after Hurricane Katrina, but came back to rebuild the house that was practically torn down by this natural disaster. Let's explore how they renovated their beloved house piece by piece, room by room returning the comfort and peace.

Burkhardt Family Restoring Their House

Burkhardt Family By Front Door Of Their Restored House When Hurricane Katrina hit the New Orleans, the Burkhardt family like many others had to flee their house with few personal belongings. No one expected the hurricane to be so devastating. When they came back, their worst expectation came to reality - their house, which was built around 80 years ago, was very damaged:

It was pretty much what we’d feared. The house was standing, but inside there was nothing but mildewed furniture and furry white mold growing everywhere.

Even though it was very hard for them to be tough, they decided to stay and renovate their house. Ironically, the façade only needed a new painting coat, new shutters and new brick pavers for the steps. However, the backyard was really destroyed, and even when two years anniversary of Katrina passed, nothing would grow there. The family replanted oak trees, lined the house with boxwood hedges and added the new swimming pool. The indoors kept its own story. The front hall and an entryway, as practically everything in the house, was covered with white mold. The new entryway was rather modest if compared to the pre-Katrina one: there were IKEA slipcovered chairs, pale blue Roman shades that went good with the Sleepy Blue-colored front door. The rest of the furnishings: rug, lamp and rounds side table were found in antique shops in the French Quarter. The new flooring was made from wood salvaged from local houses that got destroyed. The few remaining pieces in the living room were the wood table and 200-year old French cane chairs. The table was too heavy to be destroyed, so it just remained in the living room, while the chairs were floating around somewhere on the first floor. Jeff Burkhardt bleached and sanded the chair frames, leaving them shabby-chic. There is also a beautiful crystal chandelier that was salvaged from a house in the Ninth Ward torn down after the hurricane. The kitchen also suffered badly in this natural disaster, so everything was refurbished including the marble countertop, hardwood floors and white cabinets. The new furnishings in the kitchen included the mirrored cabinet fronts and the Plexiglas stools with velvet cushions that Jeff sewed himself. The porch was another room that got destroyed. The family wanted to revive the original look of it, so they decorated the sunroom in white, with pink splashes. Jeff did the window seats:

I’ve always loved window seats — it’s so nice to read or sit and have drinks with someone in a sunny spot.

The cute light fixture was found in Renaissance Interiors, a local consignment shop. Overall, the interior design of the house is in cottage style, with few elements of shabby chic. So, isn't that an inspirational makeover of a house that lost all its beauty in the devastating hurricane? It is always impressive when the owners return to the natural disaster spot to revive the house. Scroll down to see the before and after pictures of the family residence. [gallery]

Lush Outdoors & Blue Indoors In Hotel Seven4one4

Strega — Wed, 22 May 2013 13:52:49 +0000

Horst Architects has recently renovated an old hotel using the new technology and principles of sustainable development. The result was rather surprising because the design team managed to incorporate a very lush outdoor area, while making use of contemporary architectural style, retaining the original spirit of the hotel.

Amazing Outdoors In Seven4one4 Hotel

Lush Vertical Garden Façade Of Seven4one4 Hotel Located in Laguna Beach, California, this hotel has a unique charm combining in itself the past and the future of architecture. This luxurious boutique hotel is built for only 13 rooms and it is made with accordance to the adjacent cottage buildings that have their own history. They have been decorating the neighborhood since 1930's, so Seven4one4 Hotel had to make it up for the expectations. It is intriguing to see how the two-story vertical gardening wall revives the old reclaimed wood slats. The reclaimed wood by the way can tell its own story. Each piece was collected from the buildings of the early XX century that were demolished in eastern LA. Another thing that gives the house its old look is the Corten steel. The copper hue of the steel is contrasting pretty well with the lush greenery of the façade and the faded wood. Although being rather small, inside the hotel we can see the same refined contemporary beauty. The lush vertical gardening continues to the indoors of the suites bringing the charming outdoors into the interior. There is a lot of natural illumination, and most of it is reflected from the white background of the rooms. Blue Interior Of Seven4one4 Hotel There is a courtyard inside the building, having the same charming interior feel. The furnishings in the yard are all too contemporary with occasional blue hues as highlights. The rooms in the contrast have a distinct blue palette with some occasional red intervention. The blue of the interior does seem a bit alienating and cold. However, the vast use of textures brings the interior back to being homey and comfortable. Overall, the Horst Architects retained the façade and brought a bit of XXI century to it, while the interior is completely renovated according to the needs of the time. [gallery]

Edible Furniture By Lanzavecchia + Wai

Strega — Wed, 22 May 2013 12:53:48 +0000

Design Studio Lanzavecchia + Wai has come up with an intriguing solution to an economic instability situation: they have designed a furniture collection entitled Austerity that can be eaten. The edible furniture includes a table, chairs and much more, and most importantly, almost everything can be eaten.

Austerity: Edible Furniture

Hard Candy Coffee Table Who would have thought that an edible furniture collection can have such a grim name? When constructing the furniture pieces from the collection, the designers used various edible materials, from candy to corned beef. As explained by the design team Lanzavecchia + Wai , they made furnishings as a reaction to the unstable economic positions of many countries:

How can furniture react to times of crisis? The decorational elements that were once appreciated, suddenly become superfluous and should evolve to reflect a new era of austerity; the objects become edible and offer themselves to be consumed when needed.

For example, the Hard Candy Coffee Table is made from hard-boiled sweet that can be eaten away till there is nothing left but a black metal structure. The Chocolate Chair was made from 24 kilograms of white chocolate that similarly can be eaten away. Just imagine how heavy this chair might be! Now there is also a sofa from rice bricks that have been glued together with starch to form a backrest for a bench. The sofa is draped with a cotton quilt full of dried beans, by the way. There is also a table, which tabletop is baked into a cracker that balances on stacked tins of corned beef. Once everything is eaten, the only thing that remains is the simple black tray. Of course this collection is not accidental. The Austerity furniture was displayed during Padiglione Italia's Foodmade exhibition that took place in the Ventura Lambrate district of Milan. The furniture collection is not only practical, but also very conceptual, as the choice of edible materials is not accidental either. The collection is comprised from basic nutrients, carbohydrates, proteins, sugar and chocolate that provide the needed elements to functioning of a human being. [gallery]

Home Office By Estudio Nidolab

Strega — Tue, 21 May 2013 15:00:13 +0000

With some percentage of people working in their homes, the construction of areas dedicated to work inside their residencies seems rather reasonable. But instead of making a boring home office environment, Argentina-based design team Estudio Nidolab brought a unique outdoor project indoors. They have included a moss carpet that grows inside of the office, that allows to be in touch with nature even while working.

Identifying Grass Problems

Growing Green Onions This home office has only 54 square meters of space, enough for working but not enough for meeting with the nature. Well, apparently not in this case - where the outdoors comes into the office in a form of a peculiar alive rug. The space pictured above is of course not a real home office: it is a pavilion of the home office that was displayed during the annual South African design event, FOA. In 2012 FOA took place in Buenos Aires, therefore, the Argentine designers got a chance to display their works. The whole interior of the home office, however, is very naturalistic, starting from the live moss rug to other elements that remind of natural landscapes. The light panels look like natural sunlight; the walkway surrounding the working perimeter is still like water. The center of the office is taken up by a huge conference table, which is held by wooden poles. There are no distractions in the interior, maybe only a focal point - the green moss carpet that induces the calm observing mood and can take your mind off the current business matters. Maybe this is what is needed for those who work at home - a defined space built with environmental materials, and with a little bit of the outside world confined to their offices. [gallery]

Canary & Concrete In Fine Design Group Office

Strega — Tue, 21 May 2013 14:09:52 +0000

When thinking of the official working space that you have to go each day and work in: a dull picture of the spaces that are all alike comes to mind. Maybe exactly this picture in mind the design group Boora Architects was trying to avoid when they made a renovation of this office. Now, the creative studio of Fine Design Group is full of life, art and surprising color combos, such as for instance of canary yellow and concrete grey.

Amazing Office Renovation

Fine Design Group Office Interior By Jon Jensen Despite appearing a little bit cluttered, this office can boast about 5 500 square feet of raw shell space. There are no walls in the conventional meaning of this word - every bit of the internal space of the office is visible to the rest of the personnel. However, no matter how unorganized the office seems, there is an internal structure that was followed by the design team of Boora Architects. There are blocks, or rather program zones each being attributed to the distinct activities. There is a "Barn" area - a prolonged room that gives space for two offices and the conference room. The unique shape of the Barn allows different opportunities for various activities that happen outside of this area: a pool table to one side of the Barn, the kitchen and the open work stations. Nearby the Barn there is also a brainstorming area. The Barn can be recognized by the intense yellow color of its blocks. Other distinct areas include a residential kitchen, where personnel gather not only to eat, but also to socialize. One of the essential things in the kitchen are the unique canary yellow chairs and grey tile by Health Ceramics that are glazed in a custom pattern of matte and gloss. Another area of interest in this office is the paper corner. There is a walnut-clad bookcase that divides the print/copy zone of the office, located on the other side of the bookcase. Meanwhile the space facing the workstations also offers a comfy place for laptop users and a small lounge area. Overall, the contrasting colors of yellow and grey, the ambiguous placing of the working stations and lounge areas as well as various socializing hubs provide a very pleasant and creative impression. [gallery]

Installing Flag Bracket

Strega — Mon, 20 May 2013 18:26:23 +0000

With summer and Memorial Day approaching don't you want to express your patriotic pride by showcasing the national flag on top of your house? Well, today we are going to help you with these tips on installing the flag bracket.

Attaching Flag Bracket

Flag By The Front Door Before going for such grandiose project of installing the national flag, you need to decide on the location of the flag. Most often people tend to place the flag above the entrance, where they can reach it with a help of a ladder. There are several methods of installing the flag, all of them being different according to the structure that you are going to install it onto.

Masonry Method

Once you figured out the location, you need to get the masonry equipment. Next step is to drill a hole to install the masonry anchors that should be the same size with the screws provided for your flag bracket. Now you need to insert the masonry anchor into the wall, and then insert the flag bracket by threading the masonry screw.

Wood Method

If the surface of the space that you want to install your flag is from wood the procedure is slightly different. Locate the exterior wall studs using the stud finder, and then mark the location of the flag bracket. Install wood screws into the holes that you just drilled, and attach the flag bracket. Hold the flag bracket still against the wall and thread the wood screws through the holes into the house structure.

Vinyl Siding Method

Now, vinyl siding installation is a bit harder, because of its structure. You will need to use vinyl surface mounting block to cut into the back of the vinyl siding-shaped groove. It is better to use the one that matches the color of your siding. When installing the bracket check the size and the screws, and make sure to have the holes in the according sizes. The drilled holes on the vinyl siding need to be slighty larger than screws, because it would allow the vinyl siding to move according to the temperature-induced expansion or contraction. Now install the bracket into the drilled holes and secure it with screws. Now you will only have to insert the flag. The tutorial is made by Kristie Lorette.