w i x h a c k a t h o n s f

Author: Aved1961

  • Is It Better to Do a Dark or Light Hardwood Floor Stain?

    Is It Better to Do a Dark or Light Hardwood Floor Stain?

    If your floor is oak, maple or a different light to medium-light hardwood, you may opt to make it darker by staining it — and a lot of people do. A dark floor provides visual grounding in a room with light walls and a light ceiling. On the flip side, a color closer to the natural wood color may better match your room’s decor. Floor color is the choice, and it should be an informed one.

    Stain Options Depend on the Wood

    You can’t lighten flooring that’s already naturally dark without resorting to drastic measures, like bleaching. Deep, rich hardwoods — like walnut, mahogany or Brazilian cherry — look attractive with no stain, but if you need to hide defects, the stain should be darker than the wood. Lighter forests, however, like oak, can look attractive with a light stain or a dark one. You may use the stain to darken the floor or to change the hue. You may also utilize a whitewash stain to make the wood even lighter.

    Dark Floors Are more difficult to Keep Clean

    If cleaning floors isn’t your favorite usage of time, remember that dark hardwood floors are harder to keep clean than light ones; that is mostly a result of the way that dark stain reflects light. The propensity of dark stains to highlight defects also makes little scratches and scrapes more visible than they would be on a light floor. This is especially true if the stain is dark enough to provide the floor a mainly uniform color. A semigloss sheen increases the reflectivity and further highlights little imperfections, whereas a satin sheen mutes the effect.

    Dark Colours Hide Problems

    When you’re refinishing a well-used hardwood floor, the capability of a dark stain to mask major defects may outweigh its propensity to highlight small surface issues. Even though you can lighten dark water stains by bleaching them, often it takes a dark surface color to hide them completely. A dark stain may also create uniformity within an older floor that has endured gaps brought on by dry air. Filler colors are infrequently an exact match for the wood they’re designed for, and a dark stain mitigates the unsightly contrast. A dark stain may also hide fading caused by sunlight exposure.

    Visual Coordination

    In case you’ve got a brand new floor of light-colored wood, the question of whether to darken it becomes one of color coordination. In general, a light-colored floor attracts more attention than a dark one and, because the wood grain is visible, the floor may clash with other features within the room. Lightness isn’t always a bad thing; it may be a virtue if you want to produce a frosty impact with blond cabinets and light walls. A dark floor, on the other hand, produces the visual perception of earth beneath your feet, which your eye may interpret into a feeling of security. That could assist a room feel relaxing.

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  • Mexican Design Ideas for Painting Wood Chairs

    Mexican Design Ideas for Painting Wood Chairs

    Paint your own Mexico-inspired wooden seats with designs found in Mexican art, home textiles and goods. Mexican color schemes vary greatly from color-washed light tones to main colours and deep colours. Pick a color scheme for your layout which suits the room in which the seats will be used.

    Serape Style

    Look to serapes or Mexican handwoven blankets and table runners as inspiration for colorful striped chairs. Choose 4 or more colours suited to the room space, including either white or black for thin color bands. Paint the seats a base color — whichever color you would like to see the most on every seat. Once the paint dries, use painter’s tape implemented in several straight vertical or horizontal lines of varying widths to create borders for every band of color as you paint. Plot a repeating pattern should you wish the colours to duplicate in a particular sequence, or even a mirror-image design featuring blue on the exterior, green next, and so on, depending upon your intended layout. For the simplest styling, then copy the basic colours from an image of a real serape which you enjoy.

    Day of the Dead

    Day of the Dead, or Dia de Muertos, mixes beautiful floral designs with skulls and skeletons in a distinctive style. Paint the whole seat a vivid color like green, red or yellow, then paint a huge skull contour on the chair. Paint bold flowers all around the skull contour, using images of Day of the Dead designs to motivate your work till you get the hang of it. In some instances, these themed designs look somewhat psychedelic, with the abundance of blooms in graphic cartoon-style illustrations. Add smaller or flowers decorated skulls throughout your layout.

    Ancient Inspirations

    Ancient cultures indigenous to Mexico created a wealth of art in the forms of pottery, ceremonial objects and stone carvings; many such items still exist today. Use the art of the Olmecs or Mayans to create chairs inspired by artifacts displayed in museums or in pictorial form in novels. Print bold figures like warriors or birds and copy them onto your furniture. Give the seats an artifact-style finish by adding a yellow or brown glaze on the top once you’ve completed the art, sanding off the paint in some areas to make the furniture look older.

    Cozy Kitchen-Tile Traditions

    Paint the seats in designs reminiscent of Mexican tiles found in kitchens and throughout Mexican abodes. Blues, yellows, greens and oranges dominate the shingles. Many of the tile designs feature flowers or plants. Trace a tile layout onto contact paper to create your own stencil, or on a piece of artwork or foam foam to create a stamp for a single-colored layout. Paint a big tile-style design freehand on the seat or seat back, then add smaller versions or tiny flowers and doodles across the remainder of the seat by means of a color pulled from the tile.

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  • How to Reupholster a Vintage Sofa

    How to Reupholster a Vintage Sofa

    The not-so-modern couch that is Mid-Century is a hand-me-down that the household was happy to part with. It’s showing more than a bit of wear, and it really drags your exuberant decor. However, the cost of re-upholstery is as much as purchasing a new couch, and the point of this gift wasn’t nostalgia. You can’t live with this, and you can’t live without it, so roll up your sleeves and get to work. A subdued, closely woven fabric, like charcoal wool or grain sacking, will highlight — and upgrade — the lines of this couch.

    Wield a mean screwdriver and start eliminating the principles. Plan to spend some time at it — there is going to be a lot of staples. Take every piece of fabric off, Since you work, label it and record the order in which it was removed by you. If you can’t salvage it, do the exact same for the cushioning. Save zippers from cushions that are removable.

    Tackle the vulnerable legs and frame while you have the couch. Strip, sand, re-stain and lacquer, any wood that is , or paint. Clean up and repaint chrome that is scratched. Allow the frame upgrade to dry before reassembling the couch.

    Lay the upholstery fabric face-up on a dropcloth and place the previous bits on it, also face-up, adjusting them to adapt stripes from the grain sacking or any pattern or visible direction at the weave. Pin the upholstery to the new fabric and cut bits , leaving a border around every piece.

    Confirm your notes and set the couch starting with the piece you eliminated and working backwards to the first. Staple any padding that is fresh . Then staple the outer fabric, pulling before tacking it down each bit tight. Maintain the line of principles close to the border of the fabric. Trim the excess fabric close to the principles, as you finish each section.

    Check constantly as you work to make sure your stripes or pattern line up and the fabric lays smoothly. It will help to have a friend available even though you can manage it.

    Sew couch cushion and cut out covers using fabric cut on the bias. Recycle the zippers in the previous cushions and plump up cushions with fill when you are able to reuse the old stuffing.

    Tack a deep border of twisted knee, at the exact same colour as the upholstery, around the base edge of the couch. This step is completely optional, but it was a popular look during the first portion of this period that is classic, from 1930 through the’50s approximately. Fringe is a kicky and clever homage to the age that created your sofa. The fringe may be eliminated when you want an even more couch profile if it tacks securely.

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  • California Foreclosure Process

    California Foreclosure Process

    In the United States, there are two types of foreclosures–judicial and non-judicial. In judicial foreclosure, a lender files a civil lawsuit against the debtor, and the entire procedure is handled in court. Judicial foreclosure is lawfully available in all states. But many states, including California, allow lenders to handle the foreclosure procedure non-judicially. Lenders include a”power of sale” clause in the mortgage or deed of trust which states that borrowers acknowledge that should they go into default, the lender has the ability to begin the foreclosure process outside of court. In California, judicial foreclosures are rare; most creditors use the non-judicial method.

    Notice of Default

    In California, as soon as you default on a mortgage payment and have been delinquent for 15 weeks, your lender has the legal right to begin the foreclosure procedure. Step one your lender or third party trustee takes is to file a Notice of Default with your county recorder’s office. The Notice of Default allows you, the public and any junior lien holders to be informed of the default. You own a reinstatement period of 90 days from the filing of this Notice of Default to make your loan current, or the foreclosure procedure continues.

    Notice of Trustee Sale

    In case you have not made your loan current within the 3 months of the Notice of Default being registered, the trustee elicits a Notice of Trustee Sale (NOS), stating the date, time and location in which the auction of your residence will take place. By California law, the trustee must do all of the following together with the NOS at least 20 days prior to the auction sale: mail a copy to you by certified mail with a return receipt requested; mail copies to all other interested parties; publish the NOS in the regional newspaper; article the NOS in your home (front entrance or gate); and post the NOS in at least one public place near where your house is situated. Additionally, the NOS has to be submitted at your county recorder’s office at least 14 days prior to the sale.

    Auction

    If after 21 days of this recording of the NOS you have not made your home loan current, the trustee may sell your home on behalf of the lender by auctioning it off to the highest bidder. In the auction, one of four things could happen: (1) The auction is canceled because you’ve brought the loan current or was able to refinance it; the trustee made a mistake; or you sold or property before the auction . (2) The auction is postponed by you, the lender or the trustee. If you file bankruptcy, then this may also delay the procedure. (3) A third party individual or business purchases your home (usually to get a bid greater than the lender ). (4) Your home is sold back to your lender because it makes a credit bid up to the amount it’s owed.

    Trustee’s Deed

    Your home is officially foreclosed after it’s offered at auction. The highest bidder (a third party or your lender) will receive ownership of your residence via a document called a Trustee’s Deed. This will lead to all junior lien holders to eliminate any secured interest they hold on your property, and you will lose the right to redeem your home. Furthermore, if you do not leave the house, typically within 72 hours, then the new owner may file an unlawful detainer lawsuit to get an eviction judgment in which a sheriff will physically remove you from the home. But if you’ve tenants living in your home, they are protected under President Obama’s Helping Families Save Their Homes Act. This law allows tenants to get at least 90 days or the rest of the rental after foreclosure to stay in the house till they have to move.

    California Non-Judicial vs. Judicial Foreclosure Laws

    In California non-judicial foreclosures the projected time period for the foreclosure procedure to be finished is about 111 days. Once a lender accomplishes a non-judicial foreclosure, it has the right to seek a deficiency judgment against you personally. (A deficiency judgment makes you legally responsible to pay the lender any gap between what the lender may sell your house to get and what you owe on your loan.) In California judicial foreclosures, the process is handled in court and does not necessarily occur in an expedited time period. Following the auction sale in juvenile foreclosures you’ve got the right to redeem your house within a single year, unless the lender makes a full credit bid; in this example, you will only have three months to redeem. In judicial foreclosures, the the lender is permitted to seek a deficiency judgment.

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  • The Average FHA Loan Rates

    The Average FHA Loan Rates

    FHA loans are house mortgages insured by programs supplied by the Federal Housing Administration (FHA). The rates for FHA mortgages will be similar to conforming rates for lenders such as Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) site provides historic rate data on FHA-insured 30-year fixed-rate mortgages going back to 1992.

    Identification

    There are several different kinds of FHA-insured mortgages. The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage has become the most popular. Also available with FHA insurance are 15-year fixed rate mortgages, 1-year flexible rate mortgages (ARMs) and hybrid mortgages using the initial rate fixed for 3, 5, 7 or 10 years before converting to ARMs. After the 30-year fixed rate, the most commonly quoted rates will be the 15-year fixed, ARM and 5/1 hybrid rates.

    History

    The HUD site provides a downloadable spreadsheet of yearly and annual average rates for FHA 30-year mortgages. In the very first monthly average in October 1991 until May 2010, the FHA 30-year mortgage rate ranged from a low of 5.21 percent up to a top in 8.28 percent. The highest rate was in the very first month of this report, and the lowest rate was in the last month. Computing some averages in the HUD data shows that FHA mortgages averaged 7.14 percent from the 1990s and 6.15% for the first decade of the 21st century.

    Resources

    The hottest average rates for several kinds of mortgage products can be obtained in the Mortgage Bankers Association weekly poll as well as the Bank Rate interest rate roundup. These reports provide the averages across the United States for mortgage rates such as the 30-year and 15-year fixed rate, 5/1 hybrid mortgages and ARMs. The rates for FHA loans will mirror these national average mortgage rates.

    Considerations

    FHA-insured mortgages have some limitations and restrictions that influence those loan rates compared to mortgages offered through other programs. FHA loans are assumable and have no prepayment penalties. FHA loans are also offered to borrowers with lower credit scores than other mortgage solutions. These FHA attributes lead to FHA rates which are usually slightly higher than the national average for similar mortgages. In 2009, the average rate for 30-year FHA mortgages reported by HUD was 5.63 percent. Freddie Mac reported a typical mortgage rate of 5.04 percent for the exact same year. For the first five months of 2010, FHA rates averaged 0.30 percent greater than the rates reported by Freddie Mac.

    Potential

    Using historic data, an estimate to the typical FHA rate are the overall average rates for all mortgages written in the United States plus 0.30 to 0.50 percent. Individual creditors are free to set their own rates and additional costs such as origination fees and discount points. Your knowledge of the current average rate for similar mortgages will allow you to effectively negotiate with your mortgage lender or store different creditors for the best rate in your region.

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  • The Way to Acquire a Subprime Loan

    The Way to Acquire a Subprime Loan

    Refinance home loans or subprime mortgage products are used to help consumers who have credit buy. Subprime loans are also used by consumers with excellent credit ratings that require flexible underwriting procedures, for example stated income loans, exotic adjustable-rate mortgages and low down payment options. According to the Department of Housing and Urban Development,”Subprime loans have a higher interest rate than prime loans compensate for greater credit risk.” The availability of loans supplies additional choices for consumers.

    Create an inventory of your needs for a loan. Purchasing a home or refinancing using a subprime loan might help accomplish your aim ; however, the cost to acquire credit will typically exceed Federal Housing Administration (FHA) interest rates. Using a subprime loan to consolidate your bills may offer monthly savings which warrant an above-market interest rate.

    Increase your reserves. Lenders base their operations. Additionally, their customers consist of applicants who pose higher than normal credit risks. Your chance for obtaining a loan approval increases whenever you have liquid assets which may pay two mortgage obligations or more. Possessing the ability to pay six mortgage payments can allow you to qualify for a loan. Liquid reserves that could cover several mortgage obligations will indicate to an underwriter your capacity for making payments in case a hardship happens.

    Pay a visit to a home-loan site to compare subprime mortgage lenders. By completing a few basic questions apply for mortgage offers. You will get up to four loan offers to consider. Compare the program offerings and select the lender that’s best for you.

    Complete an application to get a subprime loan. Will provide a loan program package for your review and signature. Forward the necessary items such as your income history, credit justification letters and bank statements to your loan officer. Typical underwriting time may take 48 to 72 hours until you get a last loan approval.

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  • Bills: Apartment Vs. Home

    Bills: Apartment Vs. Home

    Purchasing a home is one of the biggest purchases most people will ever make. The choice to purchase or lease is often driven by financial variables, such as income, job stability and savings. It is important to examine the gaps between the bills of a tenant and people that a homeowner is responsible for before making any long-term home choice.

    Shared Bills

    Both homeowners and renters are often responsible for some of the same monthly invoices. Specifically, utility bills are difficult to avoid. Paying for natural gas and power is ordinarily the responsibility of the consumer, who must set up an account and pay an activation fee upon taking a new residence. Other bills that renters and homeowners often share include cable television, Internet service and phone bills.

    Rent Inclusive

    Among the greatest economic benefits of renting an apartment would be having several invoices covered by the landlord. Property owners generally cover invoices like water service and garbage pickup. Some landlords may also supply free utilities, or free heating (meaning they pay for natural gas service). Nonetheless, in order for a landlord to make a profit and pay for expenses, she must incorporate the cost of these bills in the monthly lease tenants pay. While simpler for the renter, free utilities may mean higher rent every month.

    Mortgages

    While renters are responsible for a predetermined monthly lease payment, homeowners must pay back the mortgage used to buy the home. In the case of an adjustable rate mortgage, or ARM, the total amount of the monthly mortgage bill may increase over time since the creditor increases the rate of interest. However, as soon as a mortgage is repaid, the homeowner will observe the bill disappear, while renters must keep on paying each month until they move out.

    Insurance

    Both homeowners and renters may buy property insurance. However, this represents a much higher bill for homeowners, who are generally insuring not only their possessions but also the house itself. Renters’ insurance covers only the contents of the house, whereas the landlord’s own insurance handles the apartment building and grounds. Renters insurance may be optional at the discretion of the renter, but a few landlords require tenants to buy insurance upon proceeding in.

    Taxes

    Taxes are also very different for renters and homeowners. For the homeowner, mortgage interest may be tax deductible, providing an advantage that renters lack. However, only property owners are accountable for land taxation, which relies on the value of the property and belongs to fund local government services and public schools.

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  • How Can I Buy a House?

    How Can I Buy a House?

    Communities that were developed on a land-lease program were designed to offer affordable housing for people that could not afford to purchase property. Normally the property is under a long-term lease of 99 years, and although you do not purchase your part it’s yours to use only within the details of the community property trust regulations. You can purchase a land-lease home much because you would a normal home.

    Visit your local lending institution and get pre-approved for funding. Since banks will generally use the value of their property as collateral, they’ll think twice as approving one without some method of protecting their investment. Look for other kinds of collateral like a good down payment, the home of a cosigner or a credit line. Needless to say, your credit score is going to be a major influence on this type of conclusion, so take care to keep your score very high.

    Get a good realtor that will work for you in negotiating the sale of this land-lease home you wish to purchase. Make sure that it is someone with whom you are comfortable enough to be able to disagree without personal crime. As your agent she’s required to submit your fantasies to the proprietor, but as a professional she’s expertise in real estate transactions: you should take her advice into consideration when making a determination.

    Look over the home thoroughly after scheduling an appointment via your agent with the seller, and request to have a home inspector look through the place. You may choose to cover this all on your own or include it within the price negotiation when you come to the table. This is a significant step in purchasing a home whether or not the property is leased.

    Look around the area. Since the land-lease plan is intended to make housing available to individuals who otherwise could not buy, don’t expect posh neighbors, but insist on a safe area where homeowners maintain their properties satisfactorily.

    Read over the community trust’s regulations and requirements prior to making any offers. You will be legally bound to abide with these requirements and must know just what they do not allow. As an example, they might prohibit boat parking in the driveway, although the property is near water. Others might ask that you take part in a neighborhood watch program. Just be sure you understand what you are getting into.

    Negotiate a purchase price by submitting an offer for a land-lease home through your realtor. The price should be a lot lower compared to comparable homes in the region. Do not be discouraged if at first your offer is rejected–it is part of this negotiating procedure. Simply respond with a adjusted offer.

    Arrange to visit the closing with the seller after finding out if your bank agrees to offer you a mortgage. Your realtor will walk you through every step your condition requires. After all the files are signed (and there will be a good deal of them), the house will be yours to utilize or sell and the property will be yours to utilize, but not sell.

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  • A Texas Home Goes Big for Your Kids

    A Texas Home Goes Big for Your Kids

    Greg and Holly Homer had a vision for their loved ones home. “Because we both work from home and homeschool our three children part time we needed a home that will allow for play, work, friends, family and meet all our everyday needs,” Holly says. This included a home theatre, a fire rod for the kids plus a Lego playroom with a slide.

    After purchasing a heavily wooded 2-acre whole lot near the Dallas airport, the Homers tapped architect Bill Brown and Noble Classic Homes to create their dream home a reality. They tested prospective contractors by sharing their own design ideas with them if the contractors balked, the couple moved on to another corporation. “We don’t have any design history, but we knew what we wanted,” Holly says. “I’m so happy we stuck to our guns and didn’t let anyone talk us out of it. We love it.”

    at a Glance
    Who lives here: Greg and Holly Homer and their children, Ryan (age 12), Reid (10) and Rhett (7)
    Location: Flower Mound, Texas
    Size: 7,200 square feet; 5 bedrooms; 7 bathrooms

    Sarah Greenman

    A massive living room exudes warmth with exposed wood beams, a central stone hearth and pumpkin-hued walls. “Orange and red are neutrals for me,” says Holly.

    An elevated computer channel at the front end of the living room is a workspace where Holly cranks out copy for both sites, Kids Activities Blog and Business two Blogger. “I know the house is big, but we utilize each corner of it every day,” she states.

    Slipper seats: Sam’s Club

    Sarah Greenman

    A stair comprising colorful Mexican tile to the risers welcomes people when they first enter the home. Holly enjoys the appearance of repeating square patterns, a motif found throughout the home.

    Sarah Greenman

    The architect created a courtyard in the foyer by using substances usually reserved for exteriors, such as concrete, brick, outdoor lighting fittings and dividers which framework a stained glass window. “We really wanted the foyer to have the feeling of being outdoors,” Holly says.

    The entry gives way into a formal dining room that Holly made to feel like an outdoor gazebo. A circular space, vaulted ceilings and oversize windows encircle the 7-foot dining table, especially ordered from IBB Designs.

    Sarah Greenman

    A spiral staircase leads to a backyard bar in the family room. Two stained glass windows showcase more coloured square patterns.

    Sarah Greenman

    Bold red cabinetry and butter-yellow trim wrap the kitchen. Holly needed a large multiuse kitchen to accommodate family dishes, art projects and a host of other home tasks. “We are extremely casual, so most of our entertaining and living happen in the kitchen,” she states.

    Sarah Greenman

    The kitchen opens into a dining area with ample seating. Black frames exhibit black and white family photographs. The painted turquoise seat is all that’s left of a family piano Holly played when she was young.

    Sarah Greenman

    Greg is the chef in the family and enjoys making family dishes at this industrial double stove. An oversize checkerboard tile hood hovers above a beveled subway tile backsplash. “I am notoriously bad in the kitchen,” Holly says. “Greg does the majority of the cooking. He got the stove, and I got a bathtub.”

    Subway tile: Ann Sacks

    Sarah Greenman

    Even a butler’s pantry functions as a hallway to the formal dining room and provides quick access for serving dishes and entertaining.

    When the Homers made their house, a wine rack and glass cabinets to get dish storage were must-haves. “I really wanted to be able to maintain the flat surfaces clean throughout the home with a place for all,” says Holly.

    Sarah Greenman

    A multiuse pantry lies just off the kitchen and also functions as the laundry room, another prep kitchen and storage for homeschooling materials. “Because we entertain in the kitchen, I desired another place to stash things and also have extra prep room,” Holly says. “When the party is going, we can close the mess away.”

    Holly’s children each have a designated shelf in the pantry, where they shop what they need for school — they move into a private academy two days a week and are homeschooled another days. “It makes packing backpacks or preparing for a homeschool day something they could tackle independently,” she states.

    Washer, dryer: Samsung

    Sarah Greenman

    Ceilings soar in the main bedroom. Large French doors open into the yard. Holly’s favourite feature is a pair of stained glass doors she purchased at auction in Sanger, Texas. They came out of an older church and are currently installed between the bedroom and a antechamber. The little room used to function as a nursery into the couple’s youngest kid but now houses personal exercise equipment.

    Stained glass doorways: Carraway Auction House; bedding: The Business Store; cushions: Saks Fifth Avenue

    Sarah Greenman

    Sarah Greenman

    An infinity bathtub is the most important bathroom’s centerpiece. Water falls from a fixture in the ceiling to the basin. “Our plumber hadn’t ever been requested to make water come out of the ceiling, however he did it,” Holly says.

    Sage walls, rattan Roman shades and dark wood cabinetry lend a tropical vibe. “I take a bath in this bathtub each night,” she states. “It is such a treat”

    Bathtub: Kohler; fittings: Moore Supply

    Sarah Greenman

    The house’s upper level is dedicated to children’s drama and family life. A pool table, handed down from Greg’s parents, and an adjoining poker table command the spacious game room. Greg’s Monopoly board set is mounted and framed on blocks painted in primary colours.

    “I love having the kids up here, in which there is enough space for a critical game of group laser label or a struggle with Nerf swords,” says Holly.

    Sarah Greenman

    The game room leads. It has a functional mini kitchen for food prep and entertaining.

    “My husband and I love to play, and our idea for the upstairs was something we had thought about before we had kids,” says Holly.

    Sarah Greenman

    Sarah Greenman

    The soda fountain is the launch of an upstairs hallway Holly made to look like a road scene. Outdoor trappings like shingled walls and brick flooring create the effect.

    Each doorway has a themed entry. The city library is the playroom, the nautical shop is a bedroom, the Laundromat is a laundry room, the automotive shop is a bedroom, and also the movie theater at the end of the hall is a media space.

    Sarah Greenman

    The Homers made a faux theatre marquee at the entry of the media space, which is outfitted with leather recliners, crimson velvet curtains and a popcorn machine.

    “When I purchased the flooring for this room, I told the man I desired the gaudiest casino-like rug he could locate. It is perfect movie theater rug,” Holly says.

    Sarah Greenman

    The boys’ Lego playroom was motivated by their beloved illustrated children’s literature. Holly hired art students from the University of North Texas to paint the murals. ” Alice in Wonderland has ever been in the back of my mind with the playroom,” Holly says.

    At the top of the slide is a little playhouse, which Holly designed. It leads to kid-size tunnels that constitute a small third floor; they lead back into the boys’ bedrooms on the second floor.

    Twist: Home Depot

    Sarah Greenman

    The first bedroom has a wooden yacht bed with actual canvas sails attached to the wall. “I enjoy designing spaces for children, because it is completely okay to be exuberant,” Holly says. “As a mom, I attempt to create the room for kids practical and durable.”

    Sails: eBay

    Sarah Greenman

    Holly made the second bedroom using industrial materials and fittings usually reserved for garages and storage components. Steel bunk beds, galvanized buckets for locker and storage room–style flooring create this boys’ room practically indestructible.

    “They should not be afraid to play in their own area. It should be the place in the home where kids can be messy provided that there’s a place for everything to go when cleanup moment starts,” says Holly.

    Sarah Greenman

    A play structure built into the wall connects through a series of passageways into the next floor and lets out in the playroom with all the blue slide. The boys may either climb down from the play construction or have a shortcut with the fire rod.

    Sarah Greenman

    The second bedroom has a complete bath equipped with garage-style fixtures. Holly used a Craftsman tool drawer as the foundation for the dressing table, black tile in the shower and locker room–style flooring.

    Vanity: Craftsman

    Sarah Greenman

    Holly sits on a sunny window ledge.

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  • Cozy Seaside Cabins Welcome Family and Friends

    Cozy Seaside Cabins Welcome Family and Friends

    If you build it, they will come. “It” in this situation is a scenic beachfront home; “that they” are all of your friends and family jockeying for a place to stay while conveniently vacationing close to you. That is what retired psychologist and holiday rental business owner Brenda McIntyre experienced when she designed and constructed a 435-square-foot hilltop home, dubbed The Crow’s Nest, which overlooks the gorgeous bay and beachfront town of Trinity in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada.

    Dwelling in such a gorgeous place soon led to friends and family flocking to see, and McIntyre was abandoned scrounging for more space. So she constructed an extra 465-square-foot residence, known as The Boathouse, a brief walk down the hill from her main property. But that was not enough additional space. So she constructed a streamlined shack, known as Bunkie, large enough for a more single bed.

    Here’s a peek at all three spaces.

    in a Glance
    Who lives here: Brenda McIntyre
    Location: Port Rexton, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
    Size: The Crow’s Nest is 435 square feet; The Boathouse is 465 square feet; Bunkie is 120 square feet.

    Becki Peckham

    The Crow’s Nest

    The desire to have as many windows as possible inspired McIntyre’s most important property. “By echoing the design of the ancient schoolhouses in Newfoundland outports, I really could capture maximum light from oversized windows but also in a fashion that didn’t depart from community tradition.” She states. “My neighborhood, a Newfoundland outport, has a silent, slower pace with an emphasis on community and creativity.”

    Exterior paint Timothy Straw, Benjamin Moore; trimming and deck paint: Polar Jade, Benjamin Moore

    Becki Peckham

    McIntyre matched marine blues with creams and used artist’s canvas as sofa slipcovers and drapes for the large windows. “My favourite part of my residence is everywhere I can look out over the harbor, across in the city of Trinity, the lighthouse and the ocean beyond,” she states. “Fortunately, this opinion is observable everywhere except from the restroom.”

    Becki Peckham

    One of her biggest challenges was matching a living space, a dining area, a kitchen, a bedroom and an office to 435 square feet. McIntyre designed Murphy beds to allow for a multifunctional space and a focus for artwork. “Given my love of art, I need as much wall space as possible,” she states.

    To achieve an aged look on the plank flooring, McIntyre had a mill remove ⅜ inch 2-by-6 spruce boards that she then lightly sanded and painted a deep sea blue.

    Flooring paint: Marine Blue, Benjamin Moore

    Becki Peckham

    Becki Peckham

    When the mattress is flipped down to sleeping, McIntyre wakes up to a panoramic view of the ocean. “I experience sheer delight each day looking out in the magnificent view I have,” she states.

    Becki Peckham

    Her home office is tucked in a corner nook in the kitchen, and that, although small, has a gorgeous view of the water.

    Becki Peckham

    The Boathouse

    McIntyre constructed this when she wanted more space for guests. The exterior is based on old structures in the region where top stories were used as lofts and the lower for fishing and boat equipment.

    Trim paint: Polar Jade, Benjamin Moore; doorway paint: Cottage Red, Benjamin Moore

    Becki Peckham

    In a funny twist, McIntyre sold her ship ahead of the distance was complete. She now employs the ship distance — with its 12-foot ceilings — as a workshop.

    Becki Peckham

    A large Louis Vuitton poster McIntyre located in New York, which she shows on the closed Murphy bed, inspired the interior.

    Becki Peckham

    Becki Peckham

    To create the space feel bigger, McIntyre capitalized on the glorious vista that draws your eye out over the water. The elevated kitchen, with its checkerboard flooring, feels just like a room. “Obviously defining all the living regions of the homes enables one to see each area as different and tricks the mind to create the illusion of a bigger space,” she states.

    Becki Peckham

    The kitchen cabinets were custom built. McIntyre subsequently had the doorways sprayed and given a very clear coat at an autobody shop.

    Cabinet paint: Asphalt, Benjamin Moore

    Becki Peckham

    She capitalized on the perspective in the kitchen using a very long horizontal window framed with classic white subway tiles.

    Becki Peckham

    Creating a living area, dining area and kitchen in this space was a challenge due to its narrowness. A lengthy sofa along one wall allows for ample seating but retains the space open.

    Becki Peckham

    Because the colors of these posters and furniture are so intense, she painted the ceiling and walls a neutral shade.

    Paint: Muslin, Benjamin Moore; living room furniture: Art Shoppe, Toronto

    Becki Peckham

    A little corner dining room overlooks Trinity Bay. The floors throughout, made for garage flooring, is durable and easy to wash.

    Becki Peckham

    The bathroom’s shower floor is tiled in a darkened pebble tile. A narrow vanity and white wall tiles create the space feel bigger.

    Becki Peckham

    The porthole mirror is a creative touch in a place without much space for artwork or storage.

    Becki Peckham

    Bunkie

    McIntyre built this third 10- by 12-foot structure close to The Boathouse. It is large enough for a bed and some storage. It’s its own small patio that appears to the water but does not have a kitchen or bathroom.

    Becki Peckham

    Bunkie feels like another bedroom to the other homes, but also like a detached hideaway.

    More: Saltbox Charm in a Heritage Fishing Community

    Your turn: Show us your creative cabin or cottage!

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