Make a Powder Room Accessible With Universal Design

Including a powder room on the primary level of your house ensures that anyone, regardless of age and mobility, has access to a sink and bathroom without needing to climb stairs. At a two-story home, a powder room or a complete bathroom on the main level can be important if someone sustains a serious accident or a progressive disease takes its toll. It ensures everyday grooming tasks, some of which we might take for granted, can continue without interruption and embarrassment.

A closet-size powder room carved out from under the stairs might perform in a pinch, but one which size is generally too small to accommodate those with mobility apparatus. In case you’ve got the choice of including on or remodeling, then consider making the powder room at least 60 inches wide and 60 inches deep, with a bathroom and sink counter tops from each other. This permits the minimum code 30-inch area for the bathroom and a 30-inch area on one side of the bathroom for those needing transport help. As necessary, these tips will probably need adjustment depending on the user. Should you have the space and the budget, then a complete size bathroom on the main level is the thing to do. This provides the flexibility from the off chance that you or a loved one does sustain a major injury, and can no more get to a different level.

Richard Bubnowski Design LLC

Accessing the powder room is the very first hurdle. Aim for doors which are minimal of 34 to 36 inches wide to ease mobility aids, like wheelchairs and walkers. Pocket doors operate well, because they do not occupy any room in the powder room or in the hallway, allowing for maximum floor area for simple navigating.

When there isn’t any room to expand the doorway opening, and a swing door is the only choice, consider installing swing-away hinges to make the most of opening and getting the door open in the bathroom. These attributes can allow for the necessary room for someone to turn around without needing to close the door.

Galaxy Sales, Inc. (Manufacturers Representative)

Weslock Door Hardware

For conventional swing doors, opt for lever handles. People with arthritic hands or limited dexterity can operate lever handles a great deal more easily than round hinges or latch-type handles, which need more stress to grasp and turn.

Stratton Design Group

Based on the kind, vanities can provide much-needed storage in a small room. Wall-mounted vanities, depending on the elevation of the cupboard, provide leg clearance for those in wheelchairs. Pedestal sinks also do the job nicely. This vanity with angled sides provides more floor area for individuals navigating with a wheelchair or walker, and is located far enough from the doorway to minimize obstacles.

LACAVA

ADA-Compliant Libera Vanity

Vanities which have a slanted front — like the Fairmont Design T&C ADA Wall Mount Vanity or this Lacava Libera vanity — provide higher flexibility for wheelchair users, as they allow them to get nearer to the fixtures. The cosmetic slanted cover for the plumbing means users will not get burnt by hot plumbing, and there is bonus storage area.

Archipelago Hawaii Luxury Home Designs

When space is limited or you need higher clearances, a pedestal sink might be the way to go. Pedestal sinks offer you the user, especially those in a wheelchair, a simpler approach from the front or the side. It might also allow space for someone else to stand nearby. Pedestal sinks also offer you undersink space to keep a step stool close at hand for toddlers and young kids.

W.b. contractors

A vessel sink, possibly sitting on the countertop or counter into the countertop, can provide design and accessbility choices. Leaving the space open under the counter allows for leg clearance for all those in chairs. Modifying the depth of the counter permits users in wheelchairs or tiny kids to reach the fixtures easily. Also consider the elevation of the general countertop and bowl, and adapt to match users of varying heights.

Stratton Design Group

Elect for a comfort-height bathroom, usually two inches taller than a normal bathroom, to make transferring from a wheelchair simpler. Allow enough clear floor area on one side of the bathroom for those who need a transfer or need a place to park their walker. Aim for at least a 30-inch width along with a 48-inch length on one side of the bathroom. Additionally, this allows room for an aide. And do not forget to add grab bars at the back of and on either side of the bathroom for both the consumer’s and assistant’s security.

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Pacific Northwest Gardener's November Checklist

November is the final month to prepare the garden for winter. It’s rather like tucking kids into bed at night: They’ve played all day, and now they’re tired. There is the bath-time ritual, followed by a quiet story before they float beneath the quilt for many blissful hours of relaxation — for both of you personally.

The backyard has been playing hard and growing for more than eight months. Now it’s time to have it clean and tidy until its winter break. Only a few hours spent in the garden this month will make certain you equally reach spring with renewed vigor and enthusiasm.

Le jardinet

Keep gathering those leaves. One of the gorgeous aspects of fall is that the wonderful tapestry of autumn leaves is woven over a span of many months. Shades of crimson, amber and gold come and go as each tree and shrub requires its turn in the spotlight. For all of us, but it means that only when we thought we had finished sweeping up leaves, we must begin all over again. Consider it your November work out, grab your roster and gather nature’s black gold just as you did a month.

Jocelyn H. Chilvers

You’ve got many options: Insert leaves to your compost bin, then shred them with the mower and reapply them to a shrub edge as winter mulch or subtly corral them into a wire cage somewhere handy so you can spread them next year when they’ve decomposed into rich, dark mulch.

AW POTTERY

Protect your water features. A number of us are procrastinators, and some of us are just plain forgetful. This photograph shows what happens to fountains during a hard freeze either way.

To avoid creating such dramatic ice sculptures, remember to drain tiny fountains and either store them in the garage for winter or pay them to avoid water freezing and entering. Small submersible pumps will also be best removed and kept indoors until spring.

The Pond Pros Of Southern California

Larger ponds and waterfalls may have a sufficient volume of water cascading through them which the entire body of water won’t freeze, and the pump is either too deep to be affected or is in a secure enclosure aboveground. If you are uncertain, contact your regional pond supply firm for advice.

Jocelyn H. Chilvers

This is also the time to winterize your irrigation method. We utilize a very simple drip watering system for many of our containers in addition to for our vegetable garden. The hoses can be left in position, but we disconnect the battery-operated timers and bring them inside for the winter.

Landscape irrigation firms usually offer you a winter service to empty the lines if needed — contact them now.

Margie Grace – Grace Design Associates

Take care of your roses. Traditionally, rose pruning is performed in early to mid-February, but I also like to do a mini prune at this time of year — especially to taller roses.

I eliminate as much as a quarter of this rose height to prevent”wind rock.” In exposed areas taller roses can be vulnerable to being pushed around by strong winter storms, creating huge gaps in the soil level, which can then enable freezing rain, ice and snow to reach the roots. Lowering the height of the roses a little can prevent this.

Do not worry about cutting to an outward-facing marijuana, as you’ll be pruning correctly in spring.

Carolyn Chadwick

I also apply several inches of good compost around the base of the roses as a winter blanket, not to be eliminated until the next growing season.

FRONTGATE

simplehuman Stainless Steel Compost Pail – $59.50

Insert a few inches of compost. I’m a lazy gardener. If I apply compost to the garden today, the rains will help its nutrients leach into the soil, and the worms will till it while I’m nice and comfy indoors. Some gardeners prefer to mulch in spring. If your garden soil is in poor shape, I recommend adding compost in both autumn and spring for three decades and then once a year after that. Both seasons have their own pros and cons, so make it work for your schedule — just do it!

An appealing compost pail, like this one, will place food scraps to good use and lessen the number of treks out to the backyard compost bin.

Grow hardy edibles. It’s very satisfying to collect your vegetables in winter. Leeks, parsnips, cabbage, kohl rabi and Brussels sprouts are simply a few of the simple cool-season crops that could withstand winter chills. Provide a layer of floating row cover or a cold frame, and your options expand to add carrots, lettuce and much more.

Le jardinet

If that seems like too much work, at least maintain an herb pot by the back door so it is possible to add some fresh parsley or rosemary to match your winter dishes.

Le jardinet

Set up a container garden. Together with the scents of hot apple cider and homemade pumpkin pie wafting through your house, you know it won’t be long before friends and neighbors stop by. Welcome them with a vibrant container garden in your porch or patio.

It’s simple to spruce up existing plantings by tucking into a vibrant pumpkin or seasonal accent one of the foliage.

Terra Nova® Nurseries, Inc

Starting from scratch? Look for warm-colored foliage — coral bells (Heuchera) are a great choice and come in a number of colours, from lime to mahogany, because you can see in this photo.

Among my current favorites is ‘Delta Dawn’ (centre ), which is a wonderful colour of buttery yellow accented with rosy hues.

Le jardinet

The fall fern (Dryopteris erythrosora) is just another mainstay for autumn, using its fronds turning to shades of copper as temperatures drop.

To get just a little pizzazz, ‘Goshiki’ false holly (Osmanthus heterophyllus‘Goshiki’), shown here, can be depended on for good color in sun or partial shade. Its holly-shaped green and yellow variegated foliage partners well with vivid gold conifers and vibrant heathers.

Le jardinet

Become a kid again. I visited a pumpkin farm last weekend. I felt a bit silly really. There were all these young families with excited toddlers on a treasure hunt to find the perfect pumpkin to carve, tottering through the rustling corn maze and playing on the old tractors. I began to wonder whom I could”borrow” a kid from!

But of course you are so old as you feel. So you’ll find me crawling through the gourd tunnels, looking for the wartiest pumpkin and kicking through the leaves with the kids.

Fall is for pleasure — have a superb month.

More guides to Pacific Northwest gardening | Locate your U.S. garden checklist

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Great Design Plant: Donkey Spurge

Donkey Spurge is not the nicest of titles, but the plant is quite pretty in its own quirky way. It’s a wonderful gray-green, with a lovely blue tint that combines with everything. The surprise in spring is the lime-green shirts that celebrate new expansion as well as any spring tulip.

Join me as we discover this wonderful plant that’s been saddled with such a poor name and try to give a little more credit where credit is due.

Caution: When the plant has been broken, its milky white sap may cause a rash somewhat like poison ivy. Keep children and pets away and use gloves when coping with it try not to break the stems.

Dig Your Garden Landscape Design

Botanical name: Euphorbia myrsinites
Common name: Donkey Spurge
USDA zones: 5 to 9 (find your zone)
Water necessity: Low; requires good drainage
Sun necessity: Full sun to light shade
Mature size: 14 inches high and 12 inches wide
Development rate: Moderate
When to plant: Spurge is tough, so it may be transplanted at any given time of year. I love to transplant it in early fall, so it can get established in time to put on new new expansion by spring.
Advantages and tolerances: Drought tolerant; spring color; blue foliage
Cautions: The sap may cause skin irritation and be toxic if ingested. Donkey Spurge is considered invasive throughout many nations in the American West.

Amy Renea

Spurge also makes a great indoor plant over winter, as long as it is kept out of reach of children and pets. Try it in a hanging basket.

Verdance Landscape Design

The best way to use it. Spurge’s blue color (far left) is just beautiful in almost any garden and is a fantastic counterpoint to the masses of all green plants in a traditional cottage garden.

Amy Renea

I used spurge in this enjoyable and unique hamster wheel, but unlike thicker succulents, spurge lasts just a few weeks within an arrangement.

Amy Renea

Spilling over the edges, spurge creates a great waterfall or tracking plant for any bud or structure.

Amy Renea

Please do not plant spurge in the West, where it is invasive, but do consider it for different gardens to get a shot of quirky motion, a bit of blue along with an excellent show every spring. It’s a wonderful plant worth researching, although it may be known as Donkey Spurge.

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A Modern Barn House Befits Rural Wisconsin

Modeled after the surrounding 19th-century barns, this house takes old-fashioned rural style style to the 21st century. The owners craved the nation life to pack up their city house, buy this farm in rural Wisconsin and employ Alchemy Architects and Empire Development and Construction to help them build a new house to fit the traditional landscape. Salvaged materials, eco friendly features and advanced design alternatives helped the few cut down costs while creating their dream house.

at a Glance
Who lives here: A former city couple, now small-town farmers
Location: Blair, Wisconsin
Size: 1,780 square feet, including basement; 3 bedrooms, 2 1/2 baths

Empire Development & Construction

The house’s simple form and its locally chosen white oak rain display permit the house to match with the barns around the house. The far wall is built out at a slight angle — it goes from 0 to 4 feet outside at the very top, making a slightly angled facade.

Empire Development & Construction

This covered outdoor living area opens just beyond the inside great room. Designed as a cool, shaded place for hanging out in the summer, the distance was built like a post-frame building by by Tony Szak of Empire Development. Slatted siding lets in natural light, but the final roof keeps out the rain.

Empire Development & Construction

The owners wanted their house to fit seamlessly into the rural community, where many families have lived in the same homes for generations. Salvaged and worn wood reflects the subtle appearance that the clients were going for.

Outdoor chairs: Sawyer, CB2 (no longer accessible ); cushions: Goal

Empire Development & Construction

Project architect Geoffrey Warner relied upon his experience with light design — and his Eagle Scout rope abilities — to create the light in the excellent room. The low-tech chandelier could be brought down to a lower elevation or raised for loftier functions. The light itself is made from insect screening, which reduces the bulb’s warmth.

Empire Development & Construction

The team attempted to keep materials cheap and durable, translating the layout in a manner that encouraged the farm-based appearance. The owners selected, planed and sanded the white oak boards for the ceiling and walls in the home living area.

The easy, spacious kitchen has Richlite counters made of ecofriendly paper-based composites, Ikea cabinetry and one splurge: a Carrara marble tile counter tops.

Empire Development & Construction

The house’s eco-friendly attributes include geothermal heating, an incorporated rain gutter and cistern, passive solar shading and concrete thermal mass floors. While the environment was certainly a concern, many of these options came about because of budget. “There has been much attention on making the layout look large while being flexible as effective as you can, which served both the ecological and financial demands,” says Warner.

Empire Development & Construction

A steel-plated attic above the living space creates a cozy nook for viewing TV. Ikea cabinetry provides plenty of storage.

Empire Development & Construction

A modern bench sits in the stairwell just outside the kitchen. The wood comes from an 8-by-10 beam in the barn on the property. The wife designed the seat, working with the exact same artisan who designed their custom steel handrails.

The few immediately learned how to become useful with all kinds of materials and tools, and fell in love with this low-tech side of their farm lifestyle, bringing inventiveness and enthusiasm to their new residence. “We’d suggest things that they either got right away and embraced for its practical quirkiness, or might kind of grip off before returning almost apologetically with a much better solution,” Warner says.

Empire Development & Construction

A reading nook sits above the house’s main living area.

Empire Development & Construction

The homeowners had a big hand in designing the master bathroom, to the purpose of making their bathroom surround and vanity. Slate floor walnut and tile mosaic wall tiles contribute to your home’s contemporary ambiance. The tub, similar to a Japanese soaking tub, takes up minimum space.

Bathtub: Americh Beverly 4040; wall tile: Sonterra Opalized Glass in Mint and Oyster White

Empire Development & Construction

The fir wood liner this hallway had a previous life as hardwood flooring in the wife’s childhood home. After sanding the pieces down, she utilized a watered-down latex paint to provide them glow.

Empire Development & Construction

The property has several other constructions on it, including a smaller farmhouse the few lived in at first, a granary, a workshop and a large red barn (hardly visible to the right). Initially they considered building a house within the shell of this barn. Now the barn houses sheep, goats, and other creatures as well as their mushroom crop. The few are vegetarians; they grow most of their food on site and sell milk in the goats and sheep into local cheesemakers.

Empire Development & Construction

At night the light filters through the display on the outdoor seating area, creating a comforting glow in the nation darkness.

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Cool-Season Vegetables: How To Grow Leeks

These tall, stately onion relatives are known for their function in soups, but savvy cooks add them to other dishes too. They’re handsome plants that are worth raising in your autumn or spring garden, but plan your own garden area with them in mind. They take at least 90 days to grow, and that’s just for the baby leeks; otherwise you’re looking at four months to more than half of the year. You’ll also need to always mound soil around them to keep the lower part of the stalk white. When you do harvest, then there’ll be a bare place in the backyard. But they love the cooler weather and also can deal with the cold.

More: The way to grow cool-season veggies

When to plant: due to the long growing season, beginning with seedlings is preferable. Should you want to increase leeks from seed, then start about six weeks sooner than you want to set them out. They are truly fall veggies when it comes to planting date. You can set them out on the first frost date in locations where summers are mild. Otherwise set out them in the autumn so they will be older in spring.

Days to maturity: 90 to more than 200

Light requirement: Complete sun, though needs some shade in very hot summers

Water necessity: Regular watering

Favorites: Bandit, Blue Solaise, Giant Musselburgh, King Richard, Varna

Planting and care:
Transplant seedlings into routine, rich ground about 5 inches deep and at least two feet apart (4 feet apart is likely better). Keep the soil consistently moist and fertilize it every couple weeks. Pests are rather infrequent, though you may have difficulties with thrips.

As the plants grow, mound soil around the bottoms to blanch the stalks. Keep the soil just under the leaf joints therefore it will not find its way into the shanks.

Harvest: If the stalks reach 1/2 inch two inches thick, then gently work them from the ground. You’ll probably need a spading fork, as they run deep. In mild-winter climates, you may set out successive plantings to continue harvesting through winter. In cold-winter climates, you’ll want to finish harvesting until the ground freezes.

More: How to Grow Taller in Spring and Fall

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The Way to Get Your Home for Emergencies

Nobody wants to think that a catastrophe, natural or otherwise, will strike at home. However, with the wild weather patterns which have popped up this year, now looks like a smart time to ensure that your home is ready, just in case.

We might not be able to forecast the weather, but we can prevent many home fires, stay calm and cool during crises, access necessities during power outages and minimize harm when a legitimate disaster strikes. Commit to checking off the things on this list, and you can feel good knowing you are doing what you can to safeguard your home and family.

Architecture & Community Design, Union Studio

Put key safety jobs on the calendar now. Take the guesswork out of remaining prepared by scheduling crucial tasks beforehand, just as you would for dentist and doctor appointments.

Here are the basics:
Clean gutters after the last leaves fall and in the spring.
Have chimney swept once a year.
Test smoke alarm batteries yearly.
Replace smoke alarm batteries once a year.

AIA, Bud Dietrich

Know the dangers in your town. If you live in a fire-prone area, it is particularly important to plant fire-resistant trees and plants and keep areas near your home clear. If you reside in a flood zone, you might want to elevate your furnace, electric panel and water heater.

Understanding which natural disasters are probably in your town also can help you to choose the right insurance policy. Watch FEMA about preparing for crises for more, and examine whether you reside in a flood zone, the flood hazard maps to determine.

Goforth Gill Architects

Take action to prevent fires. Home fires are all too prevalent, and many are preventable.

Key things to start using:
Position grills and fire pits at least 10 feet in the house.
Regularly clean lint from the dryer.
Do not permit smoking in your home.
Inspect and clean woodstove pipes and fireplace chimneys annually.
Do not run electric cords under rugs.
Have an expert replace outdated wiring, in addition to any light switches which feel hot to the touch or connect to lights that flicker.

Amazon

Kidde Multi Purpose Fire Extinguisher – $19.99

Have the right tools, right where you want them. Most home fires start small, and with the proper tools and safety measures in place, you can minimize or prevent damage and accidents.

Ask your fire department to inspect your home for safety problems.
Seek out training on proper use of fire extinguishers, and find out which are the best types for your property. Extinguishers are used so you might need a kitchen fire extinguisher in addition to an all-purpose model.
Install escape ladders in all upstairs bedrooms.
Check to make sure all windows can be opened. Repair trapped displays and scrape painted-shut windows.
Maintain dual-sensor smoke alarms on each floor of your home (including the basement) and inside and outside of sleeping areas.

Stern McCafferty

Speak with your children about emergency plans. Maintain your talk short and to the point, but reevaluate the subject regularly so it remains fresh in their minds. In case of fire, for example, the Red Cross advises, “Get out, stay out and call for help.” It is short, sweet, and easy to remember even in times of stress.

Be sure children understand how to escape upstairs rooms safely, and practice your fire escape plan twice a year.

Hayneedle

First Alert 2037F Water and Fireproof File Cabinet – $69.99

Maintain your home inventory and other essentials in a safe place. When you have not previously done so, conduct a home inventory for your insurance documents. Contain the stock, along with digital photos stored on a flash drive and a copy of your insurance plan, in a fire- and watertight lockbox. You might want to stash copies of family photos and additional key documents .

Brookstone

Eton American Red Cross Axis Weather Radio – $69.95

Build your emergency kit. Just knowing you have all the essentials accumulated in 1 area can add to your peace of mind.

Top 10 things to have available:
Two-week supply of water (1 gallon per person, per day)
Nonperishable food
Weather radio using built-in flashlight
Extra batteries
First aid kit
Multipurpose instrument
Fundamental toiletries kit
Photocopies of personal documents (passports, birth certificates, home deed, etc.)
mobile phone with charger
Extra money

Depending on your loved ones, you might also need to include baby and pet supplies, drugs and games for children. For a comprehensive collection of things for stocking your kit, visit the Red Cross.

Just a Girl

Store your emergency supplies in a place that make sense. Now that you have all those essential things piled up, fight the desire to stash them in the deepest recesses of your cellar. Remember, your emergency kit is intended to assist you when disaster strikes!

A much better place may be the garage, mudroom or coat closet. Maintain your kit in a container with handles and a lid that snaps shut; that way you can easily grab it and go, should you ever have to evacuate your home.

More: 10 Actual Ways That You Can Help After a Home Fire

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Bahama Shutters Bring the Expression of This Tropics Home

Summer is heating up, and with the hot sunshine comes a demand for ventilation and shade. Installing tropical-inspired Bahama shutters is a great way to achieve a cool house in the summertime. Hung on the outside of your house in the peak of each window, Bahama shutters have an awning-like look that adds a distinctive tropical feel to a house.

Typically made out of stile and rail construction, Bahamas are a true louver camera design. The louvers welcome tropical breezes while providing shade and privacy (eliminating the requirement for interior window treatments). Many Bahama shutters have the added plus of being storm ranked. Code-compliant shutters are strong enough to shelter your house’s windows during hurricanes and other foul-weather bouts. Whether you are looking for shade, fashion or storm defense, the Bahama is the quintessential summertime season portrait.

Barefoot Design Group, LLC

Bahama shutters shield the dormer windows with this beachfront Antigua house. This is tropical living at its very best.

Sennikoff Architects, Inc..

Exterior wood shutters are usually made from naturally decay-resistant Western red cedar.

Summerour Architects

Bahama shutters are also appropriate on lakefront homes. This South Carolina house on The Reserve at Lake Keowee features Bahama shutters with centre stiles.

Applegate Tran Interiors

Bahama shutters can be utilized in Hawaii.

Ground-level Bahama shutters provide privacy from nosy neighbors in the Alys Beach, Florida, residence.

Clifford M. Scholz Architects Inc..

The beachy blue shutters with this Boca Grande, Florida, residence are rated.

Sennikoff Architects, Inc..

This two-story coastal tropical-style house in Orange County, California, features awning windows and Bahama shutters.

Tracery Interiors

Bahama shutters were a must with this coastal house in Port Aransas, Texas.

John McDonald Company

Bahama shutters and Chippendale balustrades combine to make a classic anglo-Caribbean house in Jupiter, Florida.

kelley gardner

While interior shutters don’t necessarily protect you from the elements, they really do encourage ventilation (much like the transom window).

Leaving your Bahama shutters wide open on summer nights permits for breezes to fulfill your property.

Tropical Windows

Storm-safe Bahama shutters without centre stiles are offered from Roll-a-way.

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How to Tap the Capacity of a Big Side Yard

When the property on either side of your home is nearly as large as the structure , you might feel overwhelmed. The apparent solution is to treat it as a personal arboretum or golf course — a distance worthy of grass grass.

But think again: Would you invent a different design motif that provides special focus to this oversized site? Make use of mature trees and shrubs instead of petite perennials or ground covers on your landscaping. Define the wide sweeps by emphasizing the remote vistas. Create a point of view using vignettes of plants, art and furnishings in the foreground.

The huge side yard provides you an opportunity to feel big and go bold. Treat that vast area with thoughtful planning and intentional particulars. You will be rewarded with unexpected beauty each season.

Here are a few of my favorite examples of confident design, especially for the often overlooked plus-size side lawn.

More: Beautiful Tips for skinny side yards

Andrew Renn

Two special details make this expansive lawn feel more romantic, appropriately scaled to the people who walk here. The first looks in the foreground in which two deep planting beds are summarized by low boxwood hedging, mirroring one another on either side of the lawn. Anybody who walks through this opening feels welcome and safe. This detail is much like path treatments that vary in width, encouraging pedestrians to slow down and respect the garden’s sensory abilities.

The second curvaceous detail emerges in the distance — an arbor that acts as a door to the hidden garden beyond. This arbor’s placement is powerful because the lawn continues beneath it such as a walking path — and plantings on either side prevent anybody from side-stepping the journey.

Randy Thueme Design Inc. – Landscape Architecture

Hard and soft components give this side lawn a modern sensibility which makes coming here a cure. This is a clearly linear distance, with lawn, path, planting bed and fencing lined up in parallel.

That kind of treatment could feel quite intense, however, the designer has used several tips to soften the scene:
The blue rock walkway looks like a ring that well frames the lawn.The trees are limbed up and implanted in a row, hedge-like. The small clipped boxwood balls replicate the green, natural shapes of this trees.The cedar fencing is more natural instead of painted, silhouetting the sculptural trees; fence boards are aligned horizontally to fortify the modern vibe.

Re-imagined from ordinary lawn to extraordinary plant set, this exceptional side garden supplies a journey through a verdant, leafy understory. There is a different feeling of separateness, thanks to the mature shade tree that makes a canopy. It filters the sunlight and casts a dappled shadow pattern on the ferns and hostas below.

The winding path, laid with crushed rock, offers a method to easily navigate the distance. It also simplifies maintenance tasks because you’re able to bring a wheeled cart or wagon over the road.

Read photos of beautiful garden paths

Westover Landscape Design, Inc..

The round seating place links a huge side yard using the equally large front lawn, providing both a raison d’etre.

The rounded”carpet” of crushed stone has some fine detailing, including the block edging and the flagstone path that cuts through it. Not overly casual; not overly formal. Definitely inviting.

The rounded area (complete with 2 enchanting turquoise Adirondack chairs and a small side table) serves the same purpose as a front porch, providing bonus seating to the 2 chairs on the entry threshold of the traditional home. This side yard treatment is both appealing and neighbor friendly.

Narofsky Architecture + ways2design

This side lawn has ideal proportions, starting with its own width, which is equal to the elevation of this architecture (this can be an often-used design technique — imagine flipping your house on its side to the lawn — to calculate the measurements of a garden space).

Longer than it is wide, the side garden is well divided into thirds, and every slender band plays with a part to create its energy and drama.

To the left, right against the home: A vibrant bed with permanent plantings closer to the structure and seasonal plantings at the border.

At center: A picture walkway containing 30-inch-square pavers. I really like the rhythmic vibe of the treatment. The strong lines have a magnetic quality which holds the whole side garden together and direct the eye to the seating area/patio because its destination.

On the right, furthest from the home: An allee of trees. They will soon mature to visually offset the burden of this design — and provide this unwanted garden a sense of enclosure. Brilliant!

The Garden Consultants, Inc..

The side lawn has given way to the side meadow — and nothing could be dreamier than this stunning treatment which uses prairie-inspired perennials and ornamental grasses. The designer calls this installment”drifts of naturalistic plantings.”

The soft, billowy effect is a huge success, mainly because the components are massed into irregular rows tiered by elevation. Closer to the home you find the row of tall, slender feather reed grass (Calamagrostis x acutiflora‘Karl Foerster’) — burnished tips catching the morning light. Following that, there’s a group of Joe Pye weed (Eupatorium purpureum‘Atropurpureum’), together with lavender dome-like flowers on tall stalks. Other perennials and unstructured grasses continue the theme in the foreground.

And while this place could look hard to naviagate, the tall arbor in the distance indicates otherwise. I, for one, want to meander through the meadow to discover where it leads.

Learn more about natural garden layout

AMS Landscape Design Studios, Inc..

A large side garden becomes updated to a private courtyard with complex lines, incredible information and luxe accessories. This is more than an outdoor”room,” it’s a grand, fresh-air surroundings where two or 20 can easily gather.

A low wall encloses the distance and defines it as a different surroundings, while the flooring’s importance is elevated, thanks to rings of rock that turn a mass of crushed rock into an interesting patterned carpet.

Low, closely clipped boxwood supplies”baseboard” detailing, linking the horizontal and vertical planes with precision.

The minimalistic furnishings are all that are needed to complete the scene: Two chaises, placed for impact with lemon-yellow pillows. They visually balance two rounded objects — an oval-clipped tree in the distance and a stainless steel orb in the foreground.

Just like a stone box, this distance opens to reveal treasures within. You might not want to disturb and enter its own perfection. But then again, nothing can be more lavish than to sit here with a tall, cool drink, soaking up the sun.

Woodburn & Company Landscape Architecture, LLC

Sometimes, the simplest solution is easily the most appealing one.

Here, a broad band of lawn turns this side yard into a pleasant trip, linking two shade gardens for a completed composition. The vast proportion of this grassy swath makes it a winning solution.

Instead of limiting the road to something barely broad enough to accommodate the lawn mower, this area of lawn is at least six feet broad and seemingly endless in its own length.

For a design element, the lawn occupies significant”negative” area, in equilibrium with all the side garden’s”positive” components: mature shade trees which flank the middle path.

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Eclectic Tel-Aviv Home Shows Creativity

When everybody else dismissed a construction stuck in the middle of apple orchards and a senior community, interior designer Merav Sade saw a space with loads of potential. The designer was especially attracted to the apartment’s two-floor design and rooftop terrace. The home is 20 years in its interiors a collection of finds, the making and treasured bits while leasing her previous houses that she acquired.

“I’ve always dreamed of having my own master suite, away from the kids. And today I have that and much more,” says Sade.

at a Glance
Who lives here: Merav Sade and two teens
Location: Tel-Aviv, Israel
Size: 1,291 square feet
Style challenge: Converting what used to be a little office and a narrow bath on the upper floor into a spacious, light-filled master suite

Sivan Askayo

Virtually all the decor and furnishings in the house are classic. Sade, a self-confessed gadget enthusiast, considers in new technologies and aged decor. “This is the first time that I’ve lived in my own place; I’ve always leased,” she says. “But I’ve always known what my house would look like and gathered pieces here and there, realizing one day which they would come together”

Cobbler’s shoe kinds: Vintage Mania

Merav Sade Interior Design

Sade revived the original windows with the help of a contractor patient enough to discover the first arch which was reshaped into rectangular frames by programmers.

Accent wall paint: Rediscover, Nirlat

Merav Sade Interior Design

Windows that are unadorned keep the living room and kitchen cheerful and bright, enlarging the spaces and maximizing the sunlight coming in from the windows.

A blue roller chair which was previously in Sade’s house office today has a permanent home at the dining table, where a little work is done as well. “I couldn’t find bar stools which I liked, so I simply took the workplace chairs outside to the dining table for a while and found out that they are actually the ideal height for your table and they are incredibly comfortable. So I bought a lot more,” says Sade.

Classic pendants out of Sade’s grandmother — “likely from Russia,” she says — make for luxurious task lighting at the functional space.

Cabinet paint: Abstract Idea, Nirlat; crystal light pendants: classic

Merav Sade Interior Design

The kitchen floor is given a colorful punch by tiles. An unfinished door that is century-old stands guard in the background, a reminder. “Shouldn’t we get older with grace? Let’s not try to delay or change the inevitable,” she says.

Flooring tiles: Fabrizio, Oraitaliana

Sivan Askayo

Exposed shelving with citrine, chinoiserie-inspired backs raise this sun-drenched space’s cheer factor.

Sivan Askayo

Sade, a master of many trades, created the self-portraits hanging above her bed. The lamps were salvaged by her and repaired them.

Merav Sade Interior Design

Sivan Askayo

The casual, eclectic design of this bedroom is an extension of Sade’s design ethos: She swears by design that’s simple, functional and cozy.

Case in point: Maple bedside tables along with a matching headboard extend the designer’s penchant for clean-lined furnishings. Color splashes come by means of an indigo vase, floral petals and wall paint.

Sivan Askayo

Sivan Askayo

Sade created an opening out of her bedroom to the outdoor patio. “Before I generated the opening out of my bedroom, then you could only get to the patio from the first floor. Now I have this unbelievable rooftop terrace that’s accessible from my room and out of a separate staircase downstairs,” says Sade.

Merav Sade Interior Design

Here is a view of this antique doors from the patio picnic table.

Sivan Askayo

Four vases with cut branches occupy the sill above the bathroom in the restroom. They bring nature inside and add curves and femininity to a markedly spare room, which comes with an industrial feel that’s improved by the rough feel of weathered walls.

Sivan Askayo

Sade utilized a very simple kitchen sink in her adolescent daughter’s bathroom. “I bought the sink for the equivalent of 20. My daughter loves it because it’s profound, which is great for splashing water when washing your face and hand-washing delicates,” says Sade.

Merav Sade Interior Design

Sade transformed what used to be a little service balcony into her daughter’s bedroom. The message hanging on the wall is an upcycled project by Sade, who found the wood plank on the street and gave it new life.

Sivan Askayo

This key rack retains good-luck protective and charms totems for your household; it’s also a reminder of just how much Sade has come because her design college days. “I was able to innovate to earn some extra money,” she says. “I’m grateful I did not eliminate everything, because it makes my life now all the more sweet.”

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Modern Icons: Kartell Componibili Storage Modules

The cute small cylinder-shaped bodies of Componibili storage units happen to be in homes around the globe for more than 40 years. Designed by Anna Castelli Ferrieri in 1969, they remind me of stashing my books and mittens in my cubbyhole in elementary school — and I mean that in a good way. Of course, they possess the smart Italian touch; you stick your finger in a round hole at the curved doors and the doors slide open to reveal the compartments.

You will find several different configurations for your Componibili; each drawer of the larger system (15⅛ inches high by 161/2 inches diameter) along with the tray top are sold separately, and you will stack as many zoom units as you’d like. The standalone smaller cabinets simplify the procedure; you could purchase a 2- or three-drawer unit that’s 121/2 inches in diameter as just one single piece of furniture (the two-drawer version is 153/4 inches high, and also the three-drawer version is 23 inches high). If you are considering a Componibili buy, have a gander at all the ways to use these pieces in a variety of space styles and types; I expect this will make your decision easier.

Emily McCall

Place a three-drawer Componibili alongside a favorite reading chair and stash your books, newspapers, studying specs, voucher case, ribbons, crossword puzzles, pens and other unpleasant items indoors. Insert a timeless anglepoise lamp on top and you are ready to go.

Leslie Goodwin Photography

Red adds a playful touch and will hold its own alongside some killer racecar bed and giant Union Jack.

Hufft Projects

The red version is a limited edition, so if you are on the fence about ordering one, then you might want to boost your decision.

FORMA Design

Add castors to put make your Componibili even more portable.

Collette Hanlon Home Stagers

The cabinet makes a smashing side table at a modern room; its curves play sculptural furnishings.

Moon Design + Build

Three drawers make the larger standalone Componibili an extremely helpful modern nightstand, with lots of room for your flashlight, night time mask, love letters and anything else you maintain in there which is not one of my business.

Jordan Parnass Digital Architecture

Another advantage is its slim profile; if you’ve only a little over one foot on one side of the bed, you’ve got loads of space to squeeze one in.

sarah & bendrix

The cabinet fits into more diverse or traditional bedrooms too.

Glamour Nest

The nightstand functions not just for small kiddos and adults, but also for tweens and teens also. Should you purchase one, you’ll always find someplace around the home at which you are able to set it to good use.

Jenn Hannotte / Hannotte Interiors

The Componibili cabinet is a genius addition to a bathroom that combines classic and modern touches. It attracts in iconic Italian modern design, it can conceal those additional rolls of T.P., and you can place your towel or a candle on top of it while you soak in the bathtub.

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