Category: Fireplaces

Whether your lawn plants cover yards or a few square feet on the deck, then they are exposed to thrips infestations. Thrips are slender, winged insects with the nasty habit of piecing plant tissues to suck their mobile contents, including chlorophyll. Affected leaves develop a tell-tale silvery sheen and dark speckling in the insects’ waste. Removing thrips does not remove the sheen in an infested plant, however it will not prevent the wind in spreading the insects. Although chemical insecticides are largely ineffective against thrips, several organic alternatives control them fairly well.

The Cold Water Treatment

If your lawn is small, removing thrips may be as simple as turning your hose’s spray nozzle into its finest spray atmosphere and washing the pests from your plants. Do this early in the morning, once the water is still cold and the insects are lethargic. Direct the spray in the undersides of their leaves, where the pests normally feed, and then continue till the plants are dripping. For the best results, repeat the treatment on three consecutive mornings. If that’s impossible, aim for every other morning.

Organic Pyrethrum Spray

Organic, ready-to-use pyrethrum spray contains pyrethrins extracted from dried Dalmatian chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum cinerariaefolium) blossoms. Use this organic insecticide to eliminate heavy thrips infestations. Spray a calm early morning or late night when no bees are foraging and the fever is between 50 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit. Dress in protective clothing, including a long-sleeved shirt, long pants, closed-toed shoes, safety goggles and a hat, and coat your crops till they drip. Because pyrethrum loses its effectiveness within one day, two follow-up software spaced three weeks to kill newly hatched larvae and any survivors are wise.

Lacewings and Pirate Bugs

Enlist support from green lacewings and minute pirate bugs, two notable thrips predators. Should you employ this tactic, however, keep in mind that pyrethrum eliminates the predators as well as the pests. Attract the beneficial insects into your garden by planting shallow-flowered, pollen- and nectar-producing plants such as variegated bishop’s weed (Aegopodium podagraria “Variegatum”) or sweet alyssum (Lobularia maritima), perennial in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 4 through 9 and 5 through 9, respectively. Periodically rinsing dust from your plants additionally makes your lawn more inviting for all these beneficial bugs.

Spinosad Spray

Organic spinosad spray — a bacteria-based insecticide — contains neurotoxins that disrupt thrips’ nervous systems. As soon as they ingest it, then the insects stop eating and generally die within two days. To protect honeybees, apply spinosad just to plants which are not in bloom. Dress in protective clothing and mix 4 ins, or the manufacturer’s recommended number, of the spinosad concentrate in 1 gallon of water. Pour the mix into a hand-held, backpack or hose-end sprayer, and treat your crops at the early morning or at night, when no honeybees are energetic. Repeat weekly for up to five more weeks prior to the thrips are gone. Always follow the label’s instructions when working with any insecticide.

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Brazilian pepper plants were brought to Florida but they are very invasive. The crops are most common in Florida’s swampy areas. It’s possible, although they are likely to grow at San Francisco. Destroy the plants can disrupt the growth of other plants and trees which grow in the Bay region. The plant may also be detrimental to people.

Put on safety goggles, gloves, long-sleeved shirt and long pants to protect your eyes and skin.

Cut off any large branches of the plant together with gardening shears.

Cut the rest of the plant with a chainsaw. Cut it at ground level for a successful eradication.

Sweep off.

Apply herbicide straight away. Place into a spray bottle and spray on the stump or paint it on using a paintbrush, following the directions included with the item. Coat the stump using the herbicide.

Eliminate by pulling on them or simply by spraying them with herbicide.

Eliminate the Brazilian pepper plant based on your San Francisco ordinance. Call your regional trash company to find out what the rules are.

Reapply herbicide to any new expansion for four to six months following your first program. This will assist in preventing Brazilian pepper plants.

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Wood flooring is a floor option that reduces the likelihood of allergens. You must consider doors if you plan to incorporate tongue-and-groove wood flooring into your real estate layout. Installing wood flooring and running the wood under doors requires installation processes. Wood flooring is a hot, functional and long-lasting home improvement project that is generally worth the investment.

Elect for a T-molding if you don’t mind a small wood hump in the 24, to transition your timber flooring. Measure the T-molding to match the door, and cut to the appropriate length using a circular saw or a table saw. Twist the bottom section of the beginning plank in a different and the molding involving the ending plank in 1 room. Overlap the top T-section over every one of those adjoining planks. Use wood glue onto the T-molding’s surfaces and below the to secure the molding in place.

If you’d like a smooth transition between rooms install a wood spline to connect wood planks below a door. According Hardwood Flooring Guide, there is a timber spline a strip of timber that functions as a splice to. There is A timber spline exactly the same width as the tongue of a timber plank. Measure and cut the timber spline to match the doorway. Insert the spline in the groove-side of the ending plank in a room. Use a bead of wood glue along the edge of the spine to adhere it to the timber plank. The timber spline’s elliptical convex aspect acts as the tongue for the plank that is connecting.

Insert residual wood planks in each room. Boards in groove section or the adjoining tongue, based on which direction the planks are situated. Each door only needs timber spline or one. A T-molding or timber spline lowers the need to break or splice two pieces of timber.

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If you’ve found an apartment to reside in while you’re away at college, you know what it is to call a location your own. It might be a small, cramped apartment, but it’s home. Real estate, big or small, can be made warm and comfortable by adding your personal touches. Nothing has to be expensive, and probably will not be if you’re on a student’s character, but it can be exceptional.

Walls

There’s a possibility that you will not be permitted to paint your walls if you’re renting an apartment. Even should you get permission, you are going to need to consider the trouble and expense of changing them back to their original hue before vacating the apartment. Standard egg-shell white apartment walls don’t need to be dull, though. Use liquid fabric starch or decorative tacks to attach fabric to a single wall in colors that coordinate with the rest of your room. Stand a glowing surf board at the corner or hang a row of vibrant flip-flops in various blue colors in a line along a wall. Color doesn’t need to be in the form of paint whenever there are several creative choices.

Illusion Of Space

You are able to make any room seem more spacious by doing three simple things. Use as little furniture as possible, make sure it’s not overly big for the space, and arrange it in a means that enables foot traffic to pass through unobstructed. The same principle holds true in the kitchenwhere keeping the tiniest possible coffee maker and food processor on a counter top devoid of clutter will make the room feel larger.

Bedroom

Gone are the days when you had to invest a fortune to provide a room a designer touch. Several popular manufacturers create what they call”bed-in-a-bag,” offering a coordinating comforter, pillow sham, and bed skirt. Find something you’d love to come home to every day and layout the rest of the room .

Space Savers

Space seems to be at a premium in most apartments, so try to find items that have a double function or maximize your storage area. A storage rear can also serve as a side table and a little cafe table with a lamp for a desk for dining and study area. It’s possible to find the most out of limited closet area by investing in closet organizers. Bed risers will provide you added storage under your bed where plastic bins can save your publications, out-of-season clothes and shoes. Do not forget about flea markets. It is simple to add a coat of paint and new knobs into an inexpensive piece of furniture for a dresser or night stand that is”brand new” for you.

Windows

You don’t even need to be able to sew to create curtains. Buy a flat sheet in a color that works with the space, cut a slit on both sides of the top hem and slip a curtain rod through it. Hang them and you’ve instantly created a homey space.

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For many of us not blessed with a open floor plan, maneuvering around closed doors is an annoying daily occurrence. Sure, it might not seem like much, but if you are carrying a lot of tons of laundry or bags of markets, it can get frustrating quickly. For a cheap alternative, consider swinging doors.

Though they are above all practical, swinging doors also instantly evoke a touch of old-fashioned elegance. They help our houses mimic our favorite Italian restaurants, or even bring us back to yesteryear by simulating the times of fancy butlers and proper teatime. Despite their historic background, they’re being used again today because they’re really easy to modernize and customize.

Get some ideas from such classy, contemporary examples for how you might try out this appearance for yourself.

ABRAMS

Swinging doors do not always need to be whitened with small round windows. This fun doorway, paired with diner-style chairs and an eclectic chandelier, gives a retro twist that is yet trendy to this space.

Jennifer Grey Interiors Design & Color Specialist

Allow the light in by choosing an all-glass door. It’ll mimic an open floor plan and let you see when people are on their way in or out.

Shane D. Inman

Add twice the fun and double the flexibility by utilizing a double doorway. With all the excess space, you will not have some difficulty with extra-wide loads.

Shane D. Inman

It’s not necessary to specify this heavy laundry basket. Breeze through laundry day with the addition of a swinging door rather than a conventional one.

Tim Barber Ltd Architecture

Give your kitchen restaurant fashion by installing an in and an outside door. It is a great way to turn your kitchen more tasteful when avoiding unwanted run-ins.

Hamilton-Gray Design, Inc..

Customize your swinging door to coordinate with your decor. With oversize black hinges and a iron window layout, this doorway transitions out of stuffy conventional to warm Mediterranean.

Troy Spurlin Interiors

Go bold with a bright red door. It brings in a touch of contemporary style and stands out in this white kitchen.

Crisp Architects

Make serving food less complicated by linking the kitchen and dining area with a formal swinging door. It helps prevent spills and bring elegance to the demonstration.

Braam’s Custom Cabinets

Use a swinging door to conceal pantry snacks from guests. It provides only sufficient separation but still allow for great flow throughout the kitchen.

Terry M. Elston, Builder

Echo an old-school movie theater feel by adding dramatic leather double doors in your home theater.

Gepetto

When you are entertaining, prevent a continuously swinging door by using a doorstop. Once the food is served, get rid of the stopper to conceal the cluttered kitchen out of guests.

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In a classic and quiet area between the middle of The Hague, Netherlands, along with the shore, Iris (who goes by just her first name) has made a warm, light-filled house for her husband and two kids. In the summer of 2010 she began a blog, Irideeën, where she shares her house styling thoughts and all of the lovely items that she finds on the web. “I am so glad I started blogging, since I found a welcoming blogging community that has adopted me from the start and is this important part of my life today,” says Iris, who’s also a jurist.

at a Glance:
Who lives here: Iris, her husband and their two young children
Location: The Hague, Netherlands
Size: 935 square feet
That’s interesting: The house was totally run down and split into smaller flats in its previous life.

Iris

Throughout their house renovations, Iris and her husband kept the original drawing room doors that separated the dining room from the living room. Separations were common in homes a century ago in The Hague, as were high ornamental ceilings, wooden floors, stained glass windows and marble mantels.

Iris

In their previous state, the bookshelves were briefer and covered by doorways. “We had them made a little higher, and we abandoned the shelves exposed at the living space,” says Iris.

Iris

Birds and other nature-inspired prints and elements adorn the inspiration board at the research. “This is where I blog and perform deco projects,” Iris says. “I simply love bringing the outdoors inside, in order our entire house you will find birds and other animals, in addition to many flowers and nature-inspired styling.”

Iris

Although she does not consider herself a card collector, Iris makes and buys printed thing that strikes her as beautiful and beautiful. “My mother has the same flavor and is very good at finding lovely items. I also still have some small trinkets and things from my childhood,” she says, adding that they”incorporate a few fun and playfulness” to the house.

Iris

Iris keeps all of her kids’ toys in neat and orderly compartments. “I enjoy having amazing things around me, so I try and create fine corners and fairly sights and keep the house clean all the time — including the kids’ spaces,” Iris says.

Cardboard house: Children on Roof; scooter: Boghera

Iris

Round cupboards, pink accents and nature-inspired elements give her daughter’s room a light and lively quality. The sconce foundation and cupboard, both brocante (flea market) finds, were painted in Charleston Gray by Farrow and Ball.

Shelves: Sebra

Iris

Original artwork fills the wall area over the sofa. “The painting on the left is my dad, who paints makes sculptures like a hobby. The center one is with a friend of my parents,” says Iris.

Couch: Byron & Jones; lamp: Artemide

Iris

Like many Europeans, Iris has selected a comparatively inconspicuous TV. “I don’t think televisions are very fairly, but I kind of like this white one. I don’t need it to be a central focus from the living space, but from the couch you’ll be able to see it perfectly,” says Iris.

Iris

Iris and her family eat of all their meals together at the extendable dining table, which also doubles as a crafts table for her and her children. The china cabinet came from an antiques store. “I love cooking, and my husband has a beautiful wine cellar, therefore we like combining excellent wine and food with both fantastic company,” says Iris.

Dining table: Ligne Roset; seats: IKEA; chandelier: classic

Iris

Iris, who considers herself lucky to live in a state where flowers are offered at affordable prices throughout the year, fills many vases and corners with new flowers and plants.

Throws and lounge seats: IKEA; carpeting: Hema

Iris

This Bertolt Brecht print over the bed, a gift from Iris’ parents, is a daily reminder to enjoy life’s simple pleasures.

Bed and headboard: Auping

Iris

The drawing of a mother and son to the right of the mantel was created by her sister, an artist, including Iris on her 30th birthday. Reflected in the mirror is the painting created by her dad. Iris’ home encapsulates a lot of her style philosophy: Shine a light on things that tell a story, since they are the very things that produce a house a house.

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Maria’s Dreamy Whites

Eclectic Coastal Home at Holland

Lofty Living at the Heart of the Randstad

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Concrete Studio is the name for this particular construction designed by Mell Lawrence Architects for landscape designers and two gardeners. Removed from the house proper, the studio, above a garage and storage space, sits like one of the couple’s many items in their own garden. Following is a tour of this little studio, heavy and textured on the outside but light and smooth on the interior.

Space in a Glance:
Who lives here: James David and Gary Peese, David/Peese Design
Location: Austin, Texas
Size: 750-square-foot studio, 750-square-foot garage
That’s intriguing: The studio is a sculptural form cast in concrete and textured like reptilian scales.

Mell Lawrence Architects

The view in the house at dusk shows an asymmetrical form having irregular openings and an angled roof. The construction is built into a hillside, like the garage is hidden from this view, giving the studio the right existence in the yard, one that doesn’t compete with the backyard. Lawrence found inspiration. “I really don’t know of a stunning landscape in our nation,” he says. “And we are living in a large country!”

Mell Lawrence Architects

A daytime view from another angle shows even more asymmetry concerning the roof’s profile and also the window openings. As well, the concrete texture can be observed, although the variant of the substance is much more conspicuous in this view than the actual texture.

Mell Lawrence Architects

A glance from about the same angle when the sun hits the studio eventually shows the texture through shadows. Lawrence explains the surface as “like reptilian scales,” a pattern used “to catch the changing light of the day”

Mell Lawrence Architects

“The surface of the cement is far from perfect,” he says. “We allowed it to be faulty, sort of rough and fall, which makes it feel more forgiving and relaxed. The thick concrete surrounding the studio is really an inside and an outside layer, with rigid insulating material sandwiched in between.”

Mell Lawrence Architects

A balcony juts from 1 side of the studio, but it does not serve the studio space appropriate; it is in fact an extension of the shower. Thankfully the solid guardrails, in addition in concrete, lend some solitude.

Mell Lawrence Architects

Closer to the studio, the association between it and the backyard becomes more explicit, as does the inspiration for Lawrence. He clarifies: “No matter how perfect you try to assemble the landscape, given its substance palette, it is most commonly a small rough and imperfect, a little wiggly here and there, quite forgiving and relaxed all the while being quite composed and scripted and wonderful. I experience James and Gary’s gardens very much that way. I wanted the studio to follow their lead and pick up on the patterns and sensibilities already at play in their houses.”

Mell Lawrence Architects

Inside, the studio is a mild space, even though its walls are defined by monolithic concrete. Three large openings bring natural light into the pentagon-shape studio: the sliding door, a taller window around the corner (visible in the first photo), and …

Mell Lawrence Architects

… a triangular skylight that contrasts with the walkway to the building (it had been observable in the sliding-door opening a few photos back). This skylight is most likely the most important aperture in the full project, as it strengthens the effort in producing an irregular, faceted form. Otherwise, the construction is all right walls extruded out of the bottom, minus the wall facing the house, which angles in 1 foot in the slab of the studio to the high point of the roof (that is observable in the earlier photo with all the shower balcony).

Mell Lawrence Architects

Given that the little building is used as a studio, it also makes sense that ambient light is exploited. The triangular skylight is set to do precisely that, coinciding also with all the low point of the roof.

Mell Lawrence Architects

The light that comes in from the north is tender, so James and Gary have an appropriate atmosphere for whatever it is that they would like to make. Lawrence hits upon a advantage of the chamfered skylight, which “looks upward to the sky and downward to the valley,” he says.

More:
High Marks for Reinforced Concrete

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My kitchen is yelling for built-in breakfast-nook seating. As much as I love our bump-out corner, I can not help but curse our freestanding dining table and seats. The region is capable of providing us with this much storage, but without the form and function of built-in seats, we’re wasting space.

A built-in chair gets the organic area for tackling storage, and in case you are careful to make that space simple to get, you can unearth loads of untapped spare room. Drawers are a convenient way of providing organized, accessible space.

You may configure underbench storage according to your own breakfast corner’s settings. Window seats and corner chairs promote a broad array of drawers underneath, while U-shape nooks and booths are equipped with drawers in the bench’s finishes. When looking for drawer accessibility, you’ll also want to take the dining table into account.

From the not-too-distant future we are going to be bidding farewell to our freestanding furniture and welcoming a universe of built-in seating and storage. A cozy dining room and additional storage provide me the warm fuzzies!

Venegas and Company

A corner bench offers the coziness of a stall and the flexibility and added storage of a right chair.

Mc Adam Kitchens

A single straight built-in bench allows for easier storage access and more flexibility in choosing a table form and size.

AHMANN LLC

One faceted built-in bench allows for simple accessibility to this timeless crescent bin pulls in polished nickel.

Weedman Design Partners

This house in Portland, Oregon, is loaded with informed storage. I spy an seat a wall mounted hanging and shoe rack hooks.

Goforth Gill Architects

A bump-out with 3 walls of windows is the ideal spot for built-in U-shape booth seats, a cozy dining alternative.

Arkin Tilt Architects

A glowing U-shape corner is equipped with integrated storage concealed behind the chair backs.

Kayron Brewer, CKD, CBD / Studio K B

Does this L-shape breakfast corner boast bench storage, but it’s nestled into an integrated cabinetry arch.

Massive drawers are tucked underneath this 44-inch by 70-inch built-in breakfast area with wainscoting.

Krieger + Associates Architects, Inc..

A faceted window chair adds sitting room and storage into the dining room. Hinged doors provide access to the seat’s cargo space.

TreHus Architects+Interior Designers+Builders

A very low cabinet separates this breakfast space from the kitchen without shutting off the sight lines.

Adrienne Neff Design Services LLC

It is inevitable that your nook will be utilized for more than just breakfast. It is important to groom the built-in with electric outlets for your family’s charging requirements.

Bungalow House Plans

For comfort’s sake make certain the rear of your built-in bench angles slightly and that the chair overhangs the base cabinet. Your back and knees will thank you.

More:
Breakfast Nooks, Sunny Side Up

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