Out in the Yard: Establishing a Garden

As I weave my way through our garden-clad neighborhood, there’s one thing in particular that stands outside time and time again. While it’s true that the newest flower in blossom is a definite showstopper, it’s not the one thing I find myself attracted to these days. It’s something that’s even more uniquely personal to each lawn, and that is using art in the landscape.

While we are quick to add artwork to our clean walls and accessories to our empty shelves, it seems that garden art remains a concept that is catching on. Adding visual interest to the landscape through the use of sculpture, ceramics or fountains is a great way to add a creative feel to your lawn. Below are 12 different thoughts that to do just that.

Exteriorscapes llc

Unique benches. An interesting bench similar to this one is sure to capture some enthusiastic comments, along with a few lounge-worthy pals. The giant green leaves fit in perfectly with the lush surrounding foliage. I think I know what’s next in my garden wish list. Oh — and that water-spitting frog is magic, also.

JSL Exteriors Landscape Design/Build

Gazing balls. Also known as”lawn globes,” these mirrored spheres might appear somewhat strange to some. During the Victorian era, servants used the mirrored ball as a clever means to test on guests throughout their foods. Ever since I heard this, I have found them to be visually interesting.

Lisa Borgnes Giramonti

Mirrors. These light-reflecting beauties present a new level of whimsy to any outdoor living area. This one is slung low to the floor, giving the area a laid back, easygoing vibe. Increase the appeal of your favourite container garden by putting one directly behind it. .

Jeffrey Gordon Smith Landscape Architecture

Stones. This spiral of stones is quick to draw the eye. An identical pattern could look great under a large birdbath or gazing ball and can easily be acquired on a much smaller scale too.

Paul Moon Design

Birdbaths. Multi-tiered bathrooms are the most visually appealing, thanks to their added height. Draw attention to a gorgeous birdbath by centering it within recurrent groups of varying plants and rocks.

Jeffrey Gordon Smith Landscape Architecture

Urns. Commonly made from glazed ceramic, big urns are a superb way to add color and sheen to your landscape. Although they do not typically offer much in the terms of functionality, they do a wonderful job of including a punch of color to an otherwise dull corner.

Erin Lang Norris

Birdhouses. These small backyard abodes are usually constructed of wood, which makes them great candidates for quick and easy paint jobs. I paint mine using oil paint and although there are longer-lasting paints, so I do not pay much attention to just how much sunlight the oil will endure. Odds are likely I’ll tire of this color before it fades anyway.

AMS Landscape Design Studios, Inc..

Fountains. These moving water beauties offer simultaneous stability for both the eyes and the ears. A few hundred stones plus a kettle and a water heater and you’ve got yourself a fountain. See a very helpful DIY tutorial .

Daryl Toby – AguaFina Gardens International

Raked Patterns. Exotic gardens are a soothing way to add variety and relaxation to a plant-heavy landscape, and are reasonably straightforward to make. The textures made by rakes are most admirable in the morning and night hours, as the shadows would be the deepest during that time.

Barbara Cannizzaro

Salvaged Items. I can practically guarantee this industrial sized fan is the only one on the cube, and very possibly the only one in the entire city, or even county. Salvaged items are an enjoyable way to add charisma to any landscape, and looking for the ideal piece is half the pleasure.

Garden Rant

Bricks. Salvaged bricks appear to be more and more challenging to come by with each passing day, and they’re worth picking up whenever they become available. The smallest assortment of bricks will yield some interesting patterns in the garden. If you’re worried about weeds, then use mortar between them.

Exteriorscapes llc

Sculptures. Metallic work in the garden is always a welcome sight and it’s a good way to enhance the natural sense a garden already has. This heron fits in perfectly with its surroundings, although there are a number of other options when introducing metal art. GI Designs has many offerings in the means of garden sculptures.

More: Read outdoor sculptures and much more from the Products section

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10 Ways To Create Your Neutral Palette Shine

Perhaps you have attempted to make a neutral colour palette simply to end up with a room that’s a lifeless sea of beige? An area that’s not so much relaxing however a complete snooze?

Decorating completely in neutral colors can make a space that’s soothing, sophisticated and warm if it is performed well. A lot of people are afraid to use colour, stressed they will get it wrong, so they end up with all neutral colors by default. But it takes more than a deficiency of colors to make a successfully implemented neutral colour palette. Take a look at those gorgeous examples and my observations on what makes these chambers get the job done.

Claudia Leccacorvi

This gorgeous living room gives us multiple examples of principles that produce a neutral colour palette beautiful.

1. Use many different colors of your neutral colour. Whether you’ve opted to work mainly with taupe or lotion or grey or any other neutral, using a number of shades of this colour will add depth. In this room, the chairs pieces employ four different colors: the draperies and walls are another colour, and the timber is quite dark in contrast to the upholstery.

2. Use multiple textures that contrast nicely. If the chairs bits in this room were microfiber, the room would fall flat. But the fabrics on both sofas and the seats have distinctively different textures, and they contrast nicely with the leather bit in the foreground. The drapery panels will be the same colour as the walls, but the walls are a matte texture, and the drapery shines.

3. Use high-quality texture. Yes, I note that I said “high quality.” When you don’t have vibrant colours to make interest and capture attention, other aspects of your room become much more significant. Texture is one of these. From the room above you can see how the light is reflected and absorbed at various angles on the fabric of the couch by the window. In the photo, I will tell you is just one luscious fabric. Also, the leather onto the chair in the foreground at the exact bottom of the photo is not your economical, bi-cast or bonded leather. Just take a little time to educate yourself on the grades of leather.

Hint: Mix that the “high” using all the “low.” I know we don’t have the funds to use $300-per-yard designer fabrics, luxury furniture, original art bits and one-of-a-kind accessories throughout our whole house. Purchase the ideal seating pieces you can spend. You’ll use them and touch them daily, so you’ll notice the difference. Opt for a few other standout pieces and also the expression of your space will be raised even if you have many bargain bits.

4. Use beautiful and intriguing shapes. Removing colour from the equation also brings contour into the foreground and the contours in this room actually capture your attention. The ottoman is exceptional and so is the side table composed of metal disks. The little swoop of the timber onto the arms of the seats also adds interest and contrasts with the exact straight lines of this coffee table.

5. Utilize a blend of interesting surfaces and materials. From the photo above we see a shiny metal side table and a mica coffee table. They add interest to the room that would be missing if fitting wood coffee and side tables had been selected.

Hint: Do not enter a furniture showroom and purchase the fitting 5-piece-sofa-loveseat-chair-coffee table-side table combo. It might feel like a safe choice, but it is dull, dull, dull!

Michael Abrams Limited

This dressing room’s walls are covered in Beadazzled Flexible Glass Bead Wallcovering. An area in a neutral colour palette gives you an opportunity to include unusual surfaces and materials.

Michael Abrams Limited

6. Contain pattern. The large-scale pattern with this upholstery actually makes the room. The area rug is also patterned, and if you click on the photo to enlarge it on your screen, you can see that there is pattern in the drapery fabric too.

Tara Seawright Interior Design

This chamber is so intriguing and it works on numerous levels. A lot to find out about working with a neutral colour palette. First, I would like to point out each one of the above factors are contained: Different colors of colour, multiple textures that are of premium quality, intriguing shapes and unique materials, and terrific patterns. But there is even more going on this that contributes to the success of the design.

7. It is possible to mix your neutrals. Many men and women think a neutral colour palette is created from a lot of beige. However you will find other neutral colors and you can mix them if you want. In this room, the designer has mixed colors of beiges and browns with different shades of grey: mild silver-gray, medium steel grey and also deep charcoal.

8. Insert black (or almost-black) for punctuation. In this room, the black over the cowhide seats adds a solid bit of punctuation so does the dark colour on the carpets — even more of a charcoal. In fact, note that in all four photos you’ve seen up to now, there is a little bit of black or black near-black. The first room has black lampshades, the second room has black picture frames and espresso wood, and the third room has that super deep almost-black wood.

9. Contain elements from nature for interest and warmth. I am mad about the driftwood lamp bases in this room!

Vanni Archive/Architectural Photography

A neutral colour palette could be creamy and light …

… or it could be deep and dramatic. Do you have the nerve to use black walls? Coupled with abundant timber, deep grays and silvery metal and mirror, this is a fairly striking room.

Your neutral can be grays. If you decide to choose grey as the neutral, I think it looks best in warm colors that lean toward taupe.

10. Don’t be afraid to bring a little bit of colour to a neutral palette in small doses. I think an all-gray room works best with a tiny hit of colour. This is the identical room as the last picture. The reddish performs the identical function of adding punctuation as shameful would — just more powerful.

Jodie Rosen Design

That tiny hit of colour does not have to be as high-contrast as bright reddish. The purple-blue in the art above adds life to the neutral palette based on grays.

Elliott Kaufman

The soft reddish glass color is lovely next to this serene room.

Perhaps you have decorated a room using a neutral colour palette or finished up with dull and flirty? Share a picture, and I’d love to hear your ideas!

More:
Dare to Opt for a More Vibrant Neutral
How to Pick the Ideal Gray
Going Griege: Tips for Choosing This All-Around Neutral
Taupe: A Sophisticated Backdrop for Today

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Layout Dilemma: Color for a Mediterranean Home

For a new home on Cyprus, Houzz consumer cdemosthenous has chosen for vivid, open and modern architecture. The inquiry is, what color to paint all of it? Click here to answer and to see more photographs of this hilltop home in the making!

Houzz Design Dilemmas

“The house is on a hilltop at Cyprus, and it’s largely unobstructed mountain views and approximately 7 levels of sea perspective,” says cdemosthenous. “Another thing to consider is that in Cyprus it becomes really hot (40 Celsius over 100 Fahrenheit), thus we do not wish to be baking at the house as well.”

Houzz Design Dilemmas

“We wanted to take maximum advantage of the views, that is why all the windows, and I am terrified the house will probably be too bright, even blinding.” Click on this link to talk about your color ideas and suggestions for keeping the house cool.

Houzz Design Dilemmas

Not only composed mostly of windows, this house is also fully open in plan. “The house at this time is being built as you can see — the living room, dining area and the kitchen are all open plan.”

Click here to see the initial question and join in on the discussion.

Discuss your own design issue with all the Houzz community.

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6 Important Tips from a Wedding Planner

Are you in the process of planning your big day and looking for some tips on how to make sure that everything goes smoothly?  Then you’ve come to the right place, because we’ve enlisted the help of a professional wedding planner to give you practical and lifesaving tips for an unforgettable wedding day, from getting Long Beach handyman to choosing the right theme.

Match the Décor to the Location

The setting where you will be holding the wedding is going to be the backdrop for the entire event, so it makes sense to opt for a theme that compliments that setting. For example, if you plan on holding your wedding in the countryside, then a rustic theme will probably work better than a beach chic look, whereas a French chateau deserves the whole nine yards, including an elaborate tent and all the trimmings that come with it. In a nutshell, make sure that the wedding style you go for works with your wedding location.

Don’t Forget Hidden Costs

Whether you’re having a big wedding or an intimate gathering at home, there will always be hidden costs. Before you decide on a budget, consider essentials like tents, furniture storage, kitchen rentals, handyman Long Beach CA, valet parking, an electricity generator and cleaning costs for before, during and after the wedding.

Know the Local Laws

Appropriate social etiquette requires that you inform your neighbors before you host your wedding reception at your home, and consider inviting them if you can, to minimize objections and complaints. You should also consult with your local authorities to find out what type of permits you’ll need to provide parking for all your guests, to put up portable toilets and find out if there are any noise restrictions.

Don’t Forget Good Portable Toilet Etiquette

To cater for all the people who will come to your wedding, make sure you have at least one handyman Long Beach for every 50 guests. You should also place hand washing stations and wet wipes strategically so that people have access to them when necessary, and make sure that there’s ample yet comfortable lighting throughout the area.

Establish House Rules

Create healthy boundaries and make them clear to the family and friends that are attending, so as to enjoy a relatively hassle-free event. For example, if you’re holding the event outside on your yard and want to prevent people from going into your house, then lock the doors to your house, or open a section of it while placing a barrier to prevent entry to the rest of the rooms.

Anticipate Your Guests’ Needs

While this may seem like a mission, you can break it down by considering your guests’ simplest needs, which include being in a comfortable climate (temperature control), creating a comfortable ambiance and providing plenty of food and drinks. If you’re able to cater for these essentials, then you can rest assured that your guests will have a great time.

For example, you can provide them with parasols or individual hand-held fans to keep cool during an outdoor summer wedding, or unique and pretty shawls to cozy up with if you’re planning a winter wonderland setting.