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  • Using the Color Orange in Kitchen Window Treatments

    Using the Color Orange in Kitchen Window Treatments

    You can expect to see lemon from the kitchen fruit bowl but probably not at the window treatments. This punchy shade, nevertheless, enlivens or spices up the food-prep area, like a dash of cayenne in aioli wakes up a tired, everyday sandwich. Incorporate orange through window treatment for improved lighting and atmosphere and to initiate your preferred style.

    A Sunny Disposition

    Good lighting, such as natural light, is a kitchen needs to, from breakfast time on. Curtain shade can alter or stifle daylight, especially if the rod is mounted narrowly, restricting fabric stack-back and limiting glass exposure. If your window treatment blocks some of the glass, or you’ve got window-blocking cafe-style drapes, orange-colored fabric enhances lighting, giving even a muddy day just a little sunshine leverage as daylight filters through.

    Orange and Adventurous

    Bright orange decor is not for the layout timid. It is in-your-face shade that is as modern as it is vivid, which may be why you are attracted to it. Opt for orange plastic blinds, if you are choosing a minimalist take and wipe-clean ease. Semi-transparent roller blinds or cotton drapes with a stylish white-on-orange motif, from a tangle of leafy vines to your bold geometric layout, behave as a full-time focal point, getting back-lit art during the day. Should you would like, use earthy burnt orange to present your kitchen rustic warmth or a cultural “curve,” whether you are aiming for Asian influence, African inspiration or another color-rich layout.

    Only a Little

    Should you find that orange is too bold to implement fully, only incorporate it a bit. Start with orange tiebacks clasping white drapes. A orange topper or window scarf is not as all-impacting as is all-orange drapery or blinds. Mixed-color patterns featuring orange specifics or white drapes decorated with orange liners require some of the “fear” from full-on orange-curtain committal.

    Layout “Salad:” Working Together With Oranges

    A orange window treatment is not going to make sense by itself. Dot the room with a few orange components and plenty of clean white and medium gray for a modern finish. For something fruitier, pair orange with other citrus colors, like lemon yellow, lime green and orange-red, speckling these throughout — the cookie jar, canisters, tea towels and dishware on open shelving — for just a small shade connectivity, or go bold with a different citrus shade painted on every cabinet door. Alternately, use coolly complementary blue art, flowers and table linen to temper orange accents. Should you add blue into the plot, go for balance; bright aqua or electric blue with bright tangerine, or cornflower or indigo blue with burnt orange, for example.

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  • How to Update a Bathroom Having the Avocado Green Toilet and Tub

    How to Update a Bathroom Having the Avocado Green Toilet and Tub

    While a cultural revolution has been underway in ’60s society, a color revolution was taking place in America’s bathrooms. Avocado green and other colors were all the rage starting in the late ’60s and lasting through the late ’70s for bathroom tubs, toilets and sinks. Over time, avocado bathrooms went out of fashion, but not all them went away. If your house has a bathroom with avocado fixtures, then you’ve got a lot of options for supplying it an update.

    Go Retro

    If you inherited a bathroom with avocado green fixtures from your house’s previous owners, then consider taking an if-you-can’t-beat-them-join-them approach. Embrace your toilet’s retro vibe and decorate it 1970s style. Paint the walls pale green and choose mod-print fabrics for your shower curtain and window treatments. You want the result to look retro and cool, not dated and dingy, so choose accessories that are true, but in good shape. Search secondhand stores for wall art, vanity mirrors and other period pieces and give them a good cleaning before placing them on display. To finish the look, cover the floor with a fluffy green rug and illuminate the vanity with vintage sconces or pendant lamps.

    Earth Tones

    Although an avocado green bathtub may not represent your design aesthetic, it doesn’t have to be an eyesore. Use browns and neutrals to complement your avocado bathroom fixtures and create a soothing earth-tone palette. Paint the walls beige or mocha and, even if possible, paint cabinetry a deep shade of brown. If your budget allows, install ceramic tile that mimics planks of wood. Otherwise, camouflage existing flooring using a textured cotton bath rug. When decorating your own earth-tone bathroom, choose items made from natural materials, such as wood, stone, terra-cotta and cotton. Tuck a basket full of brown, beige and avocado green towels in a corner to unify the room’s palette. Botanical prints in simple wood frames and potted plants improve the toilet’s earthy feel.

    Develop a Spa

    When paired with white, avocado green looks clean and fresh. To create a spa-style bathroom around an avocado tub and toilet, keep the decor light and easy. Paint the walls with a satin or semi-gloss finish white or linen paint and choose a crisp, white shower curtain and window coverings. Consider installing pure white wainscoting on the walls to get a cabin feel. If the sink is freestanding, as most are in old bathrooms, add a tiny white or pale green cabinet to the space to take toiletries. Insert a stack of fluffy towels to add texture to the space. To keep your spa bath from feeling sterile, sprinkle the green of the fixtures in accessories, such as throw rugs, apothecary jars, storage bowls and soap dishes.

    Go Wallpapers

    If budget constraints stimulate you to live together with your house’s avocado bathtub and toilet, use them as inspiration to your bathroom decor that’s bold and new. Rather than trying to play down or camouflage the green, pair it with yellow or orange for maximum impact. Paint the walls or cover them with wallpaper in a graphic print in your new color scheme. If you are able to spend the splurge, then swap out old faucets and grips for slick, modern fixtures that provide your tub an instant facelift. Decorate using an eclectic blend of art and accessories to produce a look that’s innovative and cohesive.

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  • The Best Doors for Beach Houses

    The Best Doors for Beach Houses

    A beach house may be a summer escape or a year residence, but it is tough to dismiss the place once you’re designing for curb appeal and decorating the inside. The front door announces the sense of the ocean or your whimsical flexed. Inside doors can present challenges in cramped quarters. Regard every door for a portal site to your own creativity and express some personality — and your preference to get shipshape, spindrift or ocean lore — together with your choices of style and color.

    Breezy Screen

    The point of this beach cottage would be to live in character — and delight in summer breezes off the water. So don’t block all that cool atmosphere with a good door, but do put your entry up for security when you’re not in house. Add a screen door to the front entrance so that your shaded porch funnels the ocean breeze right into your house. Paint the frame across the screen and the inside, solid door in faded shades which mimic the sea-worn paint in an old fishing vessel. Then use the inner door for a canvas to get a double-sided seascape or nautical motif which turns the door, open or closed, into an object of art in your entrance. A three-masted schooner at sea, a lighthouse on a cliff, a tidal pool using vibrant animals, a reef scene with mermaids and seahorses, or raging Neptune with his trident in a storm camouflage the door that remains open most of the time.

    Space-Saver Sliders

    Beach cottages are famed for their small sandy footprints — meaning quarters are generally tight. Ease the traffic stream between the most-visited rooms in the house with sliding or pocket doors into the bathroom and the kitchen. A door onto a monitor takes up very little room, either open or shut, and you’ll be able to use driftwood veneer or weathered barn siding to boost the rugged appeal of this decor. Pocket doors are more discreet, but that is generally a decision to make when building a brand new cottage or re-configuring for a major renovation. Sliding glass doors resulting in a balcony or a protected porch are functional and view-enhancing on sunny or stormy days. Just be sure they are clearly marked, so nobody thinks they are open when they are closed.

    Light and Louvered

    Louvered shutters can be re-purposed as inside beach-house doors, saving cash, modestly improving air circulation and adding a decorative note to a prosaic necessity. Short louvers make a cafe door between the dining room and the kitchen when they are hinged to the door frame. Paint them a beautiful colour like intense yellow, bright orange or nearly-neon chartreuse. Tall, distressed, whitewashed shutters are a romantic substitute for bedroom doors and act like privacy drapes inside a room with French doors leading to a terrace or garden. Louvers also let air circulate more freely when they are pantry or cupboard doors, a consideration in a cottage which gets lots of damp days and foggy nights.

    Batten the Hatches

    In a place where serious wind and storms frequently batter the landscape, then you need a solid, secure door as part of the defenses. But that does not signify the entry for your beach cottage has to look as a bank vault. Paint and distress a good hardwood door to resemble a piece of driftwood you picked up along the tide line. Pick a marine color from nature or the nautical world — seafoam-green, lagoon, sky-blue, coral, cloud-gray or sea-buoy-red. Paint the door and add distressing and aging using dry-brush streaks of salty white to “fade” the color, and a light spatter of charcoal paint to simulate pock marks or flecks of tar. Change the hardware and house numbers for brass — shined or tarnished — and use a brass anchor door knocker for nature.

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  • How Do I Prevent a Tax Lien Foreclosure?

    How Do I Prevent a Tax Lien Foreclosure?

    A property tax collector secures interest on your property utilizing a lien to ensure payment of taxes, limiting your ability to sell or obtain a mortgage while taxes are owed. A lien is a legal hold or claim against property to ensure payment of owed cash. The local authorities you owe property taxes to possess the legal right to foreclose the lien and sell your house utilizing the court system and procedures dictated by lawenforcement.

    Set up with the agency. Fill out the tax office’s repayment plan types, and attach any documents, such as proof of earnings, pay stubs, and statements showing your assets and debts, as requested by the tax collector. Pay any deposit on your tax debt as needed to prepare the repayment program. Be ready to answer any questions the tax collector may have about your finances or personal hardships.

    Get a loan to repay your taxes; look for a lender with a loan program specifically for the payment of delinquent property taxes. Provide all of your financial records to the creditor.

    File for bankruptcy. Filing for bankruptcy frees you to an automatic stay, or stop, of actions by lenders. The property tax jurisdiction is advised of the stay by the court once you file the request.

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  • What's a Secondary Mortgage?

    What's a Secondary Mortgage?

    In many cases, the initial creditor that funds your home mortgage and receives the monthly obligations sells your promissory note to an investor in the secondary mortgage marketplace. The creditor continues as a servicer, without changing the conditions of your arrangement. Private and public investors buy mortgage notes developing a secondary mortgage market. The federal government dominates the U.S. secondary mortgage market throughout the associations Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, accounting for 20 percent of all mortgage funds exchanged annually.

    Misconceptions

    The secondary mortgage market is confused with funding. Where the secondary mortgage market entails investor earnings and purchase of promissory notes, secondary funding is a second or junior lien put on an already mortgaged property. Financing is also referred to.

    History

    The Federal National Mortgage Association, better known as Fannie Mae or simply FNMA, was created by the U.S. Congress with President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1938 through the Great Depression to combat a housing catastrophe. FNMA was split into a shareholder-owned corporation and an organization known as the Government National Mortgage Association in 1968. The authorities established Freddie Mac in 1970 to handle the growth of Fannie Mae and stop a monopoly in the secondary mortgage marketplace.

    Function

    Lenders sell shareholders a pool or even some group of mortgages in the kind of mortgage-backed securities that represent an undivided interest in its respective loans. The holder of the securities is entitled to the interest and principal payments. The government uses funds from overseas authorities, pensions and mutual funds to finance the purchase of main mortgages. Tasks of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are audited by the U.S. Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight.

    Benefits

    The secondary mortgage market arouses the housing market in general. When a mortgage creditor sells interest in a mortgage, extra funds are free which can be loaned to more borrowers. The secondary mortgage market helps facilitate homeownership. Investors benefit through a diverse investment portfolio also by regularly earning money through interest charged on the loans.

    Considerations

    Investors in the secondary mortgage marketplace have loan standards set up to discriminate which kinds of loans are acquired. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have a maximum loan cap that changes annually and can be adjusted for regions with lower property values.

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  • What Is Needed for Insurance in a Condominium Community?

    What Is Needed for Insurance in a Condominium Community?

    In many situations, a condo association will require each unit owner to purchase a set minimum insurance policy. When a property doesn’t have a specific insurance requirement, an owner can evaluate his unit and possessions and evaluate policies to find adequate coverage to protect him and his house in the event of a catastrophe.

    Misconceptions

    Some condo owners wrongly assume that their association’s policy will protect them. The condo association’s policy doesn’t cover within the walls of individual units. Often, an owner is responsible for harm due to her unit even when it was brought on by a common building problem or a neighbor’s neglect, and must endure a legal procedure to sue an insurance company for repairs, in the meantime footing the bill for alternative living arrangements.

    Condominium Homeowner’s Policy

    A condo homeowner’s coverage, also referred to as an HO-6 coverage on Insurance Service Office and American Association of Insurance forms, covers the insured party’s unit and its contents out of instances of theft, water damage and fire. Some policies include coverage for up to 150 feet in the operator’s unit. A liability branch of policy would pay for health expenses in the event a visitor were hurt on your condo. Normally, your coverage would have a reduction of use coverage which pays living expenses throughout the time your condo is uninhabitable due to an accident or catastrophe.

    Considerations

    Ensure adequate coverage and potentially save money by considering your geographical and building place when deciding your coverage requirements. By way of example, the owner of a condo on the 30th floor of a high-rise can skip flood insurance but should invest in hurricane policy.

    Savings

    Things you are able to adjust, which influence the price of the condo insurance plan, include the deductible of this coverage and the way that items are replaced in the event of a claim. Normal condo deductibles — the price you pay out-of-pocket when filing a claim for payment — vary from $500 to $1,500 (as of September 2010). A lower deductible effects in a higher annual premium but might be a better choice for people who don’t keep substantial savings. When you submit a claim for loss or damage of personal things, it can be reimbursed at its present replacement price or its actual value, less depreciation for age. The cost of coverage is higher for replacement cost policies, but thus is the payout in claim time.

    Warning

    Condominium insurance policies might have a reduction assessment insurance policy to protect you in the event your condo association makes a building-wide, unplanned appraisal to remedy a problem, prevent a hazard or fix building harm. This policy might not be adequate, so it is important for owners to evaluate this policy and add additional protection if needed.

    Added Coverage

    Aside from condominium insurance, appliance insurance also referred to as a home warranty — can protect you when unanticipated issues arise with appliances. This policy repairs air conditioning, washer and dryer units, refrigerators, stoves, microwaves and grills under most policies for a nominal service fee and an annual policy premium from $150 to $600 (as of September 2010).

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  • The Tax Effects of Foreclosure

    The Tax Effects of Foreclosure

    At a foreclosure, the lender can make a profit or it can take a loss, depending on whether the home sells for more than the outstanding loan amount. Either way, there have been taxation ramifications for the previous homeowner, even though the creditor is the one who has technically made or lost money.

    Foreclosure Profit

    In the event of a foreclosure in which the creditor makes a profit, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) treats the profit for a capital gain for the homeowner, even though he did not get the money. It isn’t important whether the homeowner gets the cash or not–the advantage (home) sold at a profit and resulted in a profit. Federal tax law excludes the first $250,000 of profit from the sale of a home ($500,000 for spouses filing jointly) from taxation, therefore the average homeowner would likely pay taxes in this scenario.

    Foreclosure Loss

    If the foreclosure sells for less than the loan amount, the creditor requires a loss. It can then turn around and sue the debtor for the difference between the loan amount and the sale price of the home. The debtor can’t declare this money for a reduction on his taxation, according to the IRS.

    Debt Forgiveness

    Sometimes the creditor requires a reduction because of a foreclosure or short sale, but forgives all or part of their borrower’s debt. At the end of the calendar year, the creditor sends the debtor an IRS form 1099-C. The sum declared by the lender on this form is included as taxable income on the borrower’s tax return. Because of the rash of foreclosures from the late 2000s, Congress passed the Fund Forgiveness Debt Relief Act of 2007 to pay foreclosures happening from 2007 to 2012. Under this action, if a foreclosure is accompanied by a reduction of value that forces a property to sell at a reduction, the forgiven debt is not treated as taxable income.

    Capital Benefits on a Loss

    A borrower might nonetheless be liable for taxation on a home that falls beneath the Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Act of 2007 when she originally purchased the home for less than the foreclosure cost. Most homeowners took out second mortgages and home equity loans that raised the loan amount on the home. While the home may be worth less than the outstanding loan balance, the homeowner nonetheless shows a profit within his initial purchase price. This is a capital gain and the debtor is liable for taxation on gains over $250,000 ($500,000 for spouses filing jointly).

    Foreclosures and Bankruptcy or Insolvency

    Borrowers are not liable for any debt forgiveness that’s a portion of a bankruptcy or occurs during bankruptcy (complete debt is more than total assets, such as retirement and investments). The borrower’s debt must not happen to be forgiven before declaring bankruptcy or becoming insolvent in order to be tax exempt. IRS Form 982 is utilized to show insolvency prior to debt forgiveness. Advice from a certified public accountant or tax attorney can help in determining the best plan of action concerning tax implications of foreclosure.

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  • Home Equity Explained

    Home Equity Explained

    Most”homeowners” don’t have their homes outright. They borrowed money to buy them and as long as they’re still paying the mortgage off, they’re co-owners of the property with their lender. The homeowner’s talk of the house is called”equity.” In other words, equity is the difference between what your house is worth and what you owe on it.

    Types

    There are lots of methods to build home equity. The first is using a down payment. Say you’re buying a $400,000 house. Many lenders require buyers to make a down payment of 10 percent or 20% of the purchase price. This can be your first equity in the house. If you put down 10 percent, then you start out with $40,000 in equity. Your creditor writes you a 360,000 mortgage for the remainder. As soon as you’re at the house, you start making monthly payments on that mortgage. Some of each payment goes to repay the”principal,” the money that your lender gave you to purchase the house, and a few goes to pay attention. So each month, you gain a little more equity in the house.

    Effects

    After the market value of your home changes, it directly affects your equity–and only your equity. The amount you owe on your house doesn’t change, except as you repay the mortgage. By way of instance, if your $400,000 house suddenly shot up to $420,000 in worth the day after you purchased it, that additional $20,000 would go straight to your equity. You own $60,000 value of the house, and you’d still owe $360,000 to the lending company. But if the value of the house dropped to $380,000, that $20,000 would come straight out of your equity. You would now have only $20,000 value of your home –but you’d owe the same $360,000.

    Risk

    In case your house dropped $50,000 in value the day after you purchased it, then you would be in a really unpleasant situation. You would still owe $360,000 on the home –but the house is worth only $350,000. You now owe over your house is worth. This is called”negative equity”–or, colloquially, being”under water” to a house.

    Potential

    It is important to keep in mind that home equity doesn’t become”real” until you really sell your home, pay off what’s left of your mortgage with the money you get from the purchaser, and pocket the restof the As long as you are still in the home, your equity is present only on paper. But you can borrow against that equity by taking out a home equity loan, even starting a home equity line of credit or performing a”cash-out refinance.”

    Warning

    When financial institutions use phrases such as”tap the equity in your home,” it’s tempting to think about increases in home equity as earnings. And, really, as house prices rose rapidly in the early 2000s, countless people treated their dramatic equity gains as if they were earnings, carrying out loans to convert equity into cash and then spending it. Nevertheless, it was not income; it had been debt. When house prices collapsed starting in 2006, many of these homeowners wound up deep under water. The money was gone, but the debt remained.

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  • Tax Breaks for Foreclosures

    Tax Breaks for Foreclosures

    The IRS viewpoints any debt payable by a creditor –which frequently takes place when a foreclosure sale does not pay for the mortgage balance–as taxable income. Any capital gains on the foreclosure sale price may also be taxed–whether the selling of the house covers the debts secured on it or not. Happily for debtors, the government offers tax breaks for those who have lost their home due to a foreclosure, in addition to those looking to buy foreclosed houses.

    The Mortgage Debt Relief Act of 2007

    The Mortgage Debt Relief Act of 2007 provides a tax break for borrowers whose debts have been completely, or partially, forgiven. Ordinarily, any forgiven debt is taxable, but under the 2007 Mortgage Forgiven Debt Relief Act individuals with mortgages of around $1 million, or $2 million if filing for a couple, may exclude”income” generated by debt forgiven in their principal residence. Foreclosures on secondary houses, such as vacation houses, are still subject to taxes, according to the IRS. Of course, this tax break only applies to federal taxes, individual states can still tax forgiven debt from a foreclosure.

    State Tax Breaks

    Some states are also choosing to offer tax breaks on the country portion of taxes on forgiven mortgage debt. For instance, California passed a bill in 2010 forgiving country taxes on foreclosures and short sales. Check with your state authorities to see what state tax breaks are available.

    Tax Breaks To Buy Foreclosures

    The Foreclosure Protection Act of 2008 provides individuals who buy a foreclosure with up to $7,000 in tax credits, which can be maintained over two decades. According to the Foreclosure Protection Act foreclosed houses reduce the value of surrounding properties. The point is to provide buyers with an excess incentive to buy foreclosed homes to revive home values for many homeowners.

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  • Guest Groups: Put a Cork in It

    Guest Groups: Put a Cork in It

    Discover all the wonderful uses for freshwater and products which are created from it. Cork is an impermeable, buoyant, fire-resistant, sound-dampening and ecofriendly bark that is discovering a new recognition in today’s modern design. Read on for particular ways to use this natural substance. — Kim from Sand & Sisal

    Modwalls Tile Company

    CorkDotz Cork Mosaic Penny Round Tile

    Lay tile go for bamboo! Cent round tiles in Modwalls are created from recycled cork stoppers. They can be used for kitchen backsplashes, flooring installations, ceiling and bathroom tile. Stunning!

    Wine Enthusiast Companies

    Giant Champagne Cork Stool/Table – $259.95

    Place the party mood with a giant champagne cork stool/table created with solid, fine-quality Portuguese cork.

    Couture Drum Table/ Floor Lamp Shade – $79

    Add a warm glow into a casual or coastal-themed area with this particular cork drum shade from Ballard Designs.

    Phillip Jeffries Ltd..

    Organic Java Cork Wallpaper

    This pure cork background by Phillip Jeffries can add warmth and softness into a modern and sleek kitchen.

    Cortizza

    Cork iPad 2 Case – $69

    Technology meets character with this cork iPad situation by Cortizza.

    Crate&Barrel

    10-Inch Cork Bowl – $34.95

    You won’t feel it, but this bowl is made from cork fabric. It can even be thrown into the washing machine!

    HPP Enterprises

    Wine Enthusiast Wine Cork Trivet Kit – Trivet – $19.95

    Get your DIY on with this enjoyable and easy cork trivet kit. Organize your corks in any pattern you prefer.

    PBteen

    Surfboard Corkboard – $199

    All my kids browse, and my boys are eyeing this corkboard due to their own rooms.

    PBteen

    Cork Desk Accessories, Trash Can at Pottery Barn Teen – Desk Accessories – $16.99

    Keep your kids’ study area arranged and eco-minded with these cork accessories.

    Staples

    Kenroy Home Corkage Table Lamp Cork Finish – $153.99

    I really like the juxtaposition of this sharp cork pillar with the gentle round linen shade. This would be a nice addition to your home office.

    PBteen

    Cork-Framed Mirror – $119

    What teenager girl wouldn’t love this cork-framed mirror in her area?

    The Home Depot

    Millstead Dark Insights Plank Click Cork Flooring – $4.18

    Cork flooring comes in just about any color and variegation which you can envision. I love these rich, dark and exotic boards. They will have everyone staring in your stunning floors.

    FRONTGATE

    Labrazel Cork Bath Accessories – $205

    Spurge on those Labrazel cork bath accessories from Frontgate. They are hand-crafted in Italy from solid brass, polished chrome and narrow layers of bamboo at a strata pattern.

    Williams-Sonoma

    Cork Drawer Liner – $20

    Safeguard your wood drawers by lining them with cork liners.

    HPP Enterprises

    Wine Enthusiast Wine Cork Board Kit – $24.95

    This provides a new and literal meaning to the term “corkboard.”

    Williams-Sonoma

    Bamboo Cork Reversible Sharpening Board – $79.95

    This appealing cork cutting board can help keep your knives sharp.

    Jelinek Cork Group

    Natural Cork Bark Planter, Tall – $22

    Go green. I really like the feel of this pure cork planter in its pure form. Use it inside or out.

    Etsy

    Cork Chair by Quarter Twenty – $675

    Take upcycling into a whole new level and make a statement on this sculptural silk seat. It is made from upcycled bamboo disks in the insides of aluminum baseball bats.

    Next:     Cork Flooring 101

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