How Words of Legendary Architects Live On

I was influenced by the architects I analyzed under who were subsequently influenced by the architects that they analyzed under. For instance, I feel that design is in its best when all the unnecessary elements are stripped away to show the fundamental basis of the design. In other words,”Less is more,” that the great modernist architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe once said. I learned this from my third-year studio professor, that was able to work for Mies. My fourth-year professor would ask us to discover”what the building wishes to be,” that is a term he learned from the great Louis Kahn, who he studied under in the University of Pennsylvania. Now I use this term once a week.

All these are two facts I shall mention to you within the first 10 minutes of our interview because basically I studied under Louis Kahn and Mies van der Rohe, once removed.

That is how it works. It is just like the telephone game. Vitruvius whispered something to Palladio hundreds of years past, and Thomas Jefferson thought he noticed what Vitruvius said but totally got it wrong, and leaned over to Christopher Wren to repeat it, however, Christopher Wren was sketching a church trophy on a napkin, which McMead and White stole and utilized for their layouts in the White City in Chicago, which deeply offended Louis Sullivan, so he moved back into the workplace and fired Frank Lloyd Wright for stealing his clientele. At least that’s what Wright’s pupil Kevin Bacon told my second-year professor, that told me this story, though I was sketching a church steeple on a napkin in the moment, so that I may have misunderstood him. This is the way architecture works. It is a flawless system.

Listed below are a couple of of the phrases I learned from the architects I studied below, who tell me that they learned them by the architects whom they analyzed under, who said them first. And they state architects aren’t good with words.

Pllc, jody Brown Architecture

Pllc, jody Brown Architecture

Louis Sullivan may have”borrowed” this expression from the artist Horatio Greenough. At least that’s what I discovered.

Pllc, jody Brown Architecture

This construction by Louis Kahn clearly”wants to be” circles.

Pllc, jody Brown Architecture

Pllc, jody Brown Architecture

You may think your way through a construction, but you really shouldn’t.

Pllc, jody Brown Architecture

This is quite correct.

Pllc, jody Brown Architecture

Pllc, jody Brown Architecture

Pllc, jody Brown Architecture

Philip Johnson was more amusing than I can ever hope to be. I believe he is loved by me.

Jody Brown Architecture, pllc

I can only suppose that Frank Gehry was saying this”ironically.”

Pllc, jody Brown Architecture

Technically, Victor Hugo was not an architect, however, he wrote a novel set in Notre-Dame Cathedral, so that’s close enough.

Pllc, jody Brown Architecture

Ayn Rand is also not an architect, but she wrote a novel about an idealistic architect who blew up a building that was not constructed exactly as he had designed it, and Gary Cooper played in the film they screened at the atrium of the design school that I attended. Essentially I analyzed under Gary Cooper.

Like I said, it’s a flawless system.

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The Underdog Color That Fits Any Backyard

Imagine you could only select 1 color (besides green) to enhance your garden. I’d want to add gray. Now, that might sound crazy considering the possible rainbow of hues, but gray is the best complement in almost any garden. This silvery tone works beautifully with green, and there is a huge assortment of plants with gray foliage to choose from. Restrict yourself to a single bloom color and your garden might be very boring indeed. Add layers of green and gray, and your garden will be interesting all year.

Genevieve Schmidt

If I could have only three colors in my garden, I would incorporate an orange or a red into the mixture of green and gray. This orange-red color lies round the color wheel out of this steel blue-gray, making both of those colours stick out.

Debora carl landscape layout

Best Colours With Gray Plants

All colors of orange work well with grays and blue-grays, including this yellowish orange. Consider putting a photo of gray everywhere you would like an orange-colored blossom to glow. You’ll be surprised by the comparison.

Donna Lynn – Landscape Designer

Vivacious magenta is just another classic pairing with gray. The 2 colours bring out each other’s blue tones.

Wake Up Your Garden With Magenta Magnificence

Timothy Sheehan, ASLA

Lighter pinks, colors of maroon, aubergine and even lipstick red are also great pairings with gray.

Donna Lynn – Landscape Designer

Consider using grey against aluminum accents. The two metallic tones complement one another and give a cool and refined look to any room. Slightly aged aluminum paired with gray plants is one of my absolute preferred mixes in the garden.

SP Gardens – Susanna Pagan Landscape Design

Designing a Garden With Gray Foliage

Gray provides a nice contrast and grounds bigger plants when it’s set around the foundation of a green tree or tree. A second layer of gray in a slightly different colour adds more texture and thickness.

CLK Construction

In precisely the same fashion, a foundation of gray encircling a small tree divides a sea of green here. The comparison draws the eye instantly to the focal point of this planting.

Colors Of Green Landscape Architecture

Consider using gray as an edging plant to place off bigger yellow-green plants. The comparison makes a specified line and lifts up the eye into the focal-point plant.

Colors Of Green Landscape Architecture

Great Gray Plants

Lamb’s ear is a prolific, spreading bear of a plant, but I still love it for its gray tones. Despite its soft, fuzzy leaves and ability to flourish in harsh locales, the color is the very best aspect of this plant.

Stout Design-Build

Consider using mounds of H’s ear to break up banks of green along a walkway, or even try making a pathway completely from H’s ear. Can you imagine how wonderful that would feel in your feet? Watch out when they bloom, however — the bees love them too.

Grays are fabulous for a shady garden, particularly in lighter colour. A painted fern or gray-leaf astilbe will light up a shady spot in your garden.

Glenna Partridge Garden Design

Whether you’re adding a tiny Sea Holly to cheer up a cottage garden, brightening up shady corners with silver standouts or accenting a path with gray foliage, then this subtle hue can make a giant effect.

Working in the background, it sets greens in relief from one another, brings out trendy tones in various colours and serves as a visually interesting component of the garden even when nothing is in bloom.

I can’t say enough about the advantages of a couple shades of gray in your garden. Perhaps you could even locate 50. Wouldn’t that make for a garden?

More: 6 Beautiful Silver-Leaf Plants

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Top 10 Tips for Choosing Shower Tile

Several things come into play in deciding on the ideal shower, and often the bathtub’s design will dictate the sort of tile that can or should be used.

By way of example, if you like a curved shower bench, you’ll have to use a smaller tile. That might seem to be a simple task, but keep in mind, you want a tile that’s suitable for floor and wall use. This same tile also needs to be approved for a moist site. So when it’s set up, 95 percent of the rear side of the tile has to be in contact with the thinset (tile concrete). Many times, thinset is set up using a notched trowel, and not all tiles — such as many mosaic tiles — can reach 95 percent protection.

Using a large-format tile is great for barrier-free design and aging in place. However, is that tile safe? Smaller tiles provide more grout lines and slip resistance, so if you’re searching for a large tile, look for one with a good slip-resistance rating. A tile using an A or B rating is far safer than a tile using a C slip-resistance rating.

A little-known truth is that if you’re using glass tile or any sheet mosaic tile, it is up to the retailer or manufacturer to notify you if the tile is more acceptable for submersion or pool usage. Like it will be submerged, your bathtub flooring should be constructed. It is also the obligation of the producer of glass tile to specify the kind of placing materials you want.

Keep searching for 10 more important things to keep in mind when picking your shower.

John Kraemer & Sons

1. Use smaller tiles. Depending on your shower bench design, you may want smaller tiles to handle the curves. Tiles handle curves far better. By getting the tile on site prior to the shower’s bench is designed, the angle of the curves and natural arcs could be worked out.

T.R. Builder, Inc..

2. Consider how it will feel. A slab feels nicer to sit over smaller tile, along with a curved edge will feel great on the back of your legs. Sitting on a bathtub bench without a eased edge can be difficult on the backs of your legs. Plan to use a slab or a tile that provides a bullnose or a radius edge for your shower bench.

RID, Carolina V. Gentry

3. Be cautious when selecting mosaic tile. Pick out a mosaic tile that provides at least 95 percent contact from the tile to the backer board. You need that contact from the wall to the tile! You don’t want to trust the glue on a sheet of tile.

Here is a wonderful example of mosaic tile set up by Carolina Gentry. I would wager that the tile is a paper- or film-faced mosaic, because the installation appears seamless.

Christopher’s Showroom

4. Small colored glass is a lot easier to work with than big clear glass. Glass is tricky to work with. A few crystal clear glass tiles can display moisture trapped behind these and make a fantastic shower seem awful after only a few uses. Picking smaller colored glass is better. Many glass tiles also have directional arrows so they all can be set up with the same orientation.

Prestige Custom Building & Construction, Inc..

5. Use another tile option to make a feature wall. Including another tile option for a feature is a superb appearance I see more and more nowadays.

Be cautious about using little ledgestone tile unless you know your water doesn’t leave staining on your tile. Ledgestone accomplishes the stacked-rock appearance — like with this shower wall — with the rough face of this stone facing outside. The rough surface means that it’s slow to drain , and water using a heavy mineral material will build up quickly. In Vancouver, British Columbia, the mineral material in our water will blot the rough surface of ledgestone in a couple of months’ time.

David Johnston Architects

6. Decide on a smaller tile for a sloped ceiling. Constructing a sloped ceiling is among many requirements of a commercial steam shower. Using smaller tiles makes for more graceful slopes.

This steamer by David Johnston Architects is one of my favorite examples of what is possible from a master tile setter.

7. Consider universal design. Pick a large-format tile along with a one way slope for simple entry to the shower if you’re planning to age in your house. Using one tile throughout the installation can also make the room seem much bigger.

Werner Construction Ltd..

8. Keep cleaning in mind. If you despise cleaning your bathtub, use bigger slabs or glass panels, because they making cleaning much easier than little mosaic-type tiles.

ID by Gwen

9. Utilize your primary tile to frame another tile. If your primary tile of choice doesn’t offer decent slip resistance on your shower floor, you can frame a smaller tile using a bigger tile.

Remember you’ll have to miter the corners so they can tip in the shower and you can achieve the pitch you want.

Helen scott

10. Use smaller tiles for better traction. What a wonderful bathroom! Here, designer Helen Scott used the same smaller tile across the toilet as accent tiles.

Notice the way the shower spout and the shower pub are set up on the middle of that 1 tile. I am certain that was no crash.

More:
Top 10 Strategies for Getting Bathroom Tile Right

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Bohemian Cottage and Vegetable Garden

Erin Waldman is not afraid of color. Her cheerful purple garden shed bright orange living room and bold turquoise sack signify her bohemian spirit and ability to decorate from the center. Her fearlessness with color and DIY projects has afforded happy consequences as her home continues to evolve. Although her house stands out from her Cedar City, Utah, community, her neighbours have adopted her eclectic style and have just made her adore her house more.

in a Glance
Who lives here: Erin Waldman husband Lannie Achord, kid Addison, puppy quad and cats Norman and Charlie
Location: Cedar City, Utah
Size: 2,700 square feet; 5 bedrooms, 2 baths

Sarah Greenman

Waldman and her husband, Lannie Achord, are committed to sustainability and develop a variety of corn, beans, peas, root vegetables, raspberries, herbs, horseradish and heirloom tomatoes in their garden. Their daughter’s purple playhouse matches the rampant larkspur.

Sarah Greenman: What made you fall in love with this house?
Erin Waldman: We were looking for a little more space following the birth of the daughter. Our property agent took us to the “wrong side of the tracks” so to speak, but when I walked in I knew this was the house. It had a fantastic irrigated garden space that has been in great shape.

Sarah Greenman

Waldman and her daughter, Addison, maintain a chicken coop into their garden, which houses four laying hens. All of these were called by Addison: Beauty, PoopFeathers, Chickadee and Speed Racer.

Sarah Greenman

Addison assisted paint the doorway to her father’s toolshed, in which the family stores gardening gear and house construction materials.

Sarah Greenman

SG: Inform me about the art you display in your house.
EW:
The Klimt-like painting has been performed by an art student from New York as part of a design. My most recent splurge was the encaustic painting by Fiona Phillips to the lower left. The framed blue painting over it is a first by Randy Rasmussen, along with the mask above the mantel was performed by Kevin Copenhauer, a costume designer in the Utah Shakespeare Festival.

I have so many talented friends who generously give us their “throwaway pieces” The best thing you can do to help your house is befriend a lot of artists.

Sarah Greenman

SG: Who inspires your personal style?
EW:
My mother. We’re very similar in style, and a lot of the things which I have came from her. She’s quite eclectic. She inspired my love of antiques. She sees something she enjoys and will arrange a place around it.

Art (left to right): “My Petunia Can Lick Your Geranium,” by Dolores Padilla, insect artwork by Micah Thompson, New Orleans town scene by Colisha; paint colours: Humble Gold, Sherwin-Williams and Copper Penny, Ace

Sarah Greenman

SG: What’s the biggest design dilemma?
EW:
I would adore my kitchen to become less of a galley and somewhat broader. After we pulled out the cabinets and removed a coat cupboard from the front room, it left us with a lot of drywall work. A friend helped us with the walls, but we needed to go back a few decades later to fix it. We did most of the work ourselves and learned where to employ out: drywall and floors.

SG: What do you want to do with your house next?
EW:
we’ve been saving up for a tile backsplash in the kitchen. We’ve had the tile chosen out for two decades!

Sarah Greenman

A vintage swag lantern and boudoir painting put a silent and peaceful tone from the master bedroom.

SG: What’s your proudest homeowner second?
EW: My 75-year-old conservative neighbor came and told me she really enjoyed all the color in my walls.

Sarah Greenman

Waldman paired a vintage embroidered pillowcase with a new comforter from Anthropologie.

SG: Did you make major changes to your house if you moved in?
EW:
We had been fortunate to have five weeks from the time we took ownership of the house before we proceeded in. I would place my daughter to bed and come over and paint till 3 in the morning.

Paint color: Aquarium, Sherwin-Williams

Sarah Greenman

One of Waldman’s favorite DIY projects is the tile wall in her toilet. She utilized Interceramic ceramic tiles and produced a mosaic mix of blue and yellow. She also set up a solar tube in here to create more light in what was formerly a dim area.

Sarah Greenman

Outside, a whimsical bronze sculpture by Dolores Padilla is framed by hand-stacked stone columns and welcomes people to the front doorway.

SG: Where is your favourite place to shop for home products?
EW: I adore secondhand, consignment, thrift and antique stores. I don’t usually enjoy anything mass produced. My favourite shop is Recycled in Cedar City. I would like items to be original and nicely crafted.

Sarah Greenman

Wife, mom, homeowner and Montessori school instructor Erin Waldman takes some time to enjoy a quiet moment on her front porch in a retro patio chair together with the family dog Lightning. A container garden of potted plants, overseen with a sitting Buddha, perches at the edge of the front porch. Waldman offers the following guidance to other homeowners: “Do what seems great and makes you happy. You’re the 1 residing in it.”

c: Do you have an eclectic house with a garden that is successful? Discuss it with us!

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Decide on the Ideal Flooring for Your Space

A handful of components go into establishing the perfect creative space: sufficient space, the right supplies, simple access to resources and easy organization — there is a lot to think about.

And if you are constructing your studio from scratch or remodeling an existing space, you want to consider surface materials, too. What flooring are you going to set up? Is wood or tile best? What are the alternatives? Not all surfaces are made equal. The key is to find the ideal option for the specific art or craft you practice.

Here are the advantages and disadvantages for the most common surface materials, including examples of perfect environments.

Ehrlich Yanai Rhee Chaney Architects

Hardwood

Experts:
• Durability
• Could be refinished multiple occasions
• Warm appearance and feel

Cons:
• Not excellent for regular contact with water, which can cause warping
• Can dent or scratch readily
• Color fades in sunlight

Wood flooring has a timeless beauty that complements any decor design and provides value to a property. It’s a larger investment up front, but it is very durable and has a very long life. Even if it scratches and dents, hardwood can be refinished several occasions to recapture the first appearance.

Though it’s not as soft as carpeting, hardwood is thicker than concrete or tile. If you are a painter who stands at your easel or even a photographer who goes round the studio to capture your own shot, this flooring option is best. Just be wary of fluids and water. If they come into contact with the timber frequently, your flooring could become permanently stained or weathered.

Koydol Inc..

Laminate

If you want the appearance of stone or wood with no price tag, laminate floors is a less expensive option. Laminate flooring has a photographic coating on top that reproduces the texture of natural materials.

Experts:
• Less expensive than other alternatives
• Doesn’t stain or fade just like hardwood, or scratch or scuff as readily as tile
• Easy installation without professional assistance, as a result of snap-together panels

Cons:
• Damaged surfaces cannot be refinished such as hardwood and will need to be substituted

Tile

Experts:
• Durable
• Less absorbent; good for wet environments
• Easier installation than stone or concrete; could be DIY job
• Many design options

Cons:
• Sharp items can crack or chip the surface
• Transmits noise
• Hard and slippery surface

With countless design options, tile can work for almost any aesthetic. The tile in this example appears like hardwood! It’s also very durable, so it is practical for high-traffic areas. Since tile is less absorbent than concrete and timber, it is excellent for environments with water, paints and other fluids. Like concrete, tile is a tricky surface and transmits noise readily, therefore it may not be fitting as floors in a audio room or within a area where people are standing for lengthy periods of time.

Domiteaux + Baggett Architects

Concrete

Experts:

• Durable when sealed correctly
• Easy to clean and maintain
• Ecofriendly and energy saving
• Many design options

Cons:
• Requires resealing occasionally to stop staining
• Transmits noise and creates echos
• Requires professional installation

Concrete is becoming more mainstream for creative spaces due to its durability and easy maintenance. The installation process is more expensive, but overall it can offset energy costs.

Concrete is porous, therefore protecting it with sealant is crucial. The foot traffic, the less frequently it’ll need to be resealed. A busy gallery will need to reseal frequently, while a home studio will rarely have to. It’s vulnerable to cracking too, and items such as heavy machinery might increase this possibility.

Cathy Schwabe Architecture

Concrete would not be excellent for audio studios or small rooms with loud machinery noise. In case you or anybody else will be standing on concrete for extended periods of time, you may need to consider rugs or cushioned mats for cushioning.

REFINED LLC

Carpet

Experts:
• Adds an Excess layer of insulation and boosts energy efficiency
• Cushioning
• Greatly reduces noise
• Nonslip surface

Cons:
• Collects dust and dirt
• Stains will need it to be substituted
• Consistent moisture makes it prone to mould

Modern Craft Construction, LLC

Carpet is generally the least expensive option for floors, but the upkeep and cleaning that go along with it are significant drawbacks. In temples that are creative with a great deal of messy tools and materials, the potential spills and stains on the carpeting pose an issue. An entire roll of carpet may want to go replaced due to a single injury.

Nevertheless, it offers an extra layer of cushioning and insulation that is ideal in environments where individuals are standing for lengthy periods of time. Sound reduction qualities could help prevent machinery noise or loud music by disturbing neighbors. A superb option is carpet tiles, which come in a number of colors and designs. The tiles are easy to assemble, and only tiles could be phased out if something spills.

John Kraemer & Sons

Cork and Linoleum

Experts:
• Made from renewable resources
• Quiet and warm like carpeting
• Linoleum is good for wet areas

Cons:
• Uncoated cork is readily stained
• Linoleum is porous so that it needs frequent refinishing

Cork and linoleum are both eco friendly options, since they come from renewable resources. Both possess a natural pillow to them, which can be beneficial in high-traffic areas. Cork is an insulator and will help lower heating costs. Like hardwood, cork is absorbent and fluids can cause it to harden and blot, although little spills are fine — it is actually a mould inhibitor.

Leslie Saul & Associates

On the flip side, linoleum fares well in wet areas. Linoleum would be a great choice to cement at a garage. It’s a cozy surface and it could manage oil spills and also be readily washed down. It’s offered in sheet and tile forms, and both can be a DIY installation. Pick linoleum tile to get a cheaper alternative in regards to replacement.

More floors guides:
Your Own Floor: An Introduction to Solid-Plank Wood Floors
Laminate Floors: Get the Look of Wood (and much more) For Less
The Case for Linoleum and Vinyl Floors
Your Own Floor: How to Locate the Ideal Stone Tile
Select the Ideal Carpet Material

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Assist Your Stair Landing Eliminate

I have a nightly ritual. After we place the kids to bed, my husband and I head back downstairs to see a show before hitting the hay ourselves. Yesterday evening, when our stair landing was wash out of the toys and mess of this afternoon, I had been struck by the expanse of it and could not believe I’d missed it for so long. Our home isn’t large — it’s a modest size for our loved ones, and there’s potential in that little landing. After doing some research I decided on a program. A very small seat, a few art and quite a narrow bookcase are now in my stair landing wish list.

It doesn’t take much to make over a stair landing. See how adding shelves, books and artwork can turn your stair stepping right to a usable, functional and gorgeous area for your loved ones.

Archer & Buchanan Architecture, Ltd..

Make it cozy. I would probably say that this is the stair recording of my fantasies. There is nothing I’d change about the distance. The cozy bench under the window is my favorite part.

Shannon Malone

Keep it simple. If the distance in your stair landing is minimal, keep things simple. Collect a gorgeous mirror or artwork and a couple of decorative vases. The attention you give that this distance will not be dismissed.

Smith & Vansant Architects PC

Contemplate how it will operate. Novels are lined up on those shelves, but the mom in me sees an chance for organization and storage. This little nook looks to be about a quarter of the way up the stairs.

If this were my home, I would purchase baskets which fit closely on the shelves and then assign one to each child. During the afternoon as out-of-place things are collected, I would put them in the appropriate child’s basket. At the end of the afternoon they’d be responsible for removing the items out of their basket and putting them off.

Brennan + Company Architects

View it from every angle. When designing your stair landing, look at it from every vantage point and be sure you like the view.

John Maniscalco Architecture

Stick with the total design of your dwelling. It would not make sense for there to be a cushioned seat, comfy cushions and overstuffed chairs in this contemporary area. Decorating the stair landing with amazing photography works together with the design of the home.

Farinelli Construction, Inc..

Pay attention to the specifics. Details matter, even on a stair landing. Among the first things I noticed about these pretty built-in shelves was the wallpaper that supported them.

Smith & Vansant Architects PC

Optimize your distance. When you have the budget, ability and room to put in a built-in shelving unit, then take action. You will love having the extra space to store things.

MuseInteriors

Get that high-end texture. By adding a wonderful stripe on the wall, a custom-made pillow for your seat and shutters, this stair landing includes a well designed, thought-through feeling.

Inform us What’s in your landing?

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Awning

Awnings protect windows and structures using a rooflike shelter made from any material, but the most frequent awning is stretched canvas.

Asher Associates Architects

The awning within this covered porch is created from fabric treated to resist the elements.

The Ranch Mine

A modern spin on the traditional awning causes this covered patio safe from the sun.

Texas Construction Company

This awning is stretched between two beams, creating a sort of fabric pergola.

Solar panels make an energy efficient awning.

Exteriors From Chad Robert

Scalloped edges decorate these awnings protecting the French doors.

Feldman Architecture, Inc..

A glass awning juts from a contemporary home, seemingly weightlessly.

Frederick + Frederick Architects

When opened, this timber shutter becomes an awning that is instantaneous.

Hull Ancient

Here’s a copper awning supported by metal scrollwork.

Read more awning photos

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Boost Your Energy With Natural Light

Abundant all-natural lighting in a home not only saves electric energy, but it gives you more private energy also. In a standard construction, lighting comprises 25 to 40% of your energy consumption (and energy bill), states that an architecture professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. That is one good reason to incorporate clerestories, tubular daylighting devices and much more windows.

Another reason to get additional lighting is due to the positive effect that natural lighting has on well-being. I can speak from some personal experience: After moving from an apartment with a sofa which was dark all the time into an apartment with three windows which get morning sunlight, I can tell you I am more rested, more ready to get up in the morning and also much more cheerful throughout the day.

Medical professionals are just at the start of this study, however so far, it looks like natural light can benefit homeowners in many rooms by reducing seasonal dips in disposition, promoting healing, increasing productivity and much more.

LDa Architecture & Interiors

For those who have seasonal affective disorder, getting a lot of light early in the morning can help reset their internal clock. 1 way to do this in your home is to make sure the bedroom will get lots of dawn light with windows and skylights. But I imagine that once you get out of bed, down a trip light-filled staircase such as these would help jumpstart your day.

John Maniscalco Architecture

Natural light penetrates just so much through every window, so consider installing multiple points of light. You can also organize your furniture so the most-used pieces sit where there’s the most light.

David Vandervort Architects

Obtaining light in is important for your health, studies state, but is looking out your chimney. Looking out in gardens brings faster healing in patients, claims a paper by HMC Architects. And should well-lit perspectives help those that are sick, how much more will they assist those that are well?

Jay Hargrave Architecture

Some studies show that a lack of natural light in dining places might raise the odds of obesity. In 1 study, mice that ate beneath daylight gained 50 percent less weight than those which didn’t. Makes you wish a glass-walled dining area like this one, does not it?

John Maniscalco Architecture

As long as there’s no warmth, light in a home office can increase productivity, minimize mistakes, lessen eye strain, and increase your mood. That’s a lot of profit for some easy window installations — or to get some proper furniture placement, as in this office, where the desk is positioned to maximize daylight exposure.

One study showed that standardized test scores in students improved 26 percent when they obtained natural rather than artificial light at school.

Sutton Suzuki Architects

If you are thinking about optimizing natural lighting, also consider minimizing fluorescent lighting — particularly in kitchens.

If you are a stay-at-home mother or dad and devote a lot of time in the darkened area of the home, you ought to be certain your body can remain in tune with its own biological clock. Being out of sync can mean fatigue, depression or what The Washington Post calls for a months-long case of jet lag.

Leslie Goodwin Photography

And most of us know that natural lighting in the toilet means more precise makeup application, shaving and self-esteem. If you seem yellowy and exhausted under fluorescent lighting, you are likely to think negatively of yourself. Who knew light can affect so much of your life?

McClellan Architects

Can you get vitamin D from sunlight through your living area windows? The chance is enough to convince people that the windows in this living area are worth it.

Inform us: When did you realize the significance of natural lighting?

More:
Tubular Daylighting Devices Bring Natural Light

Replace vs. Restore: The Fantastic Window Debate

Clerestory Windows Are Tops at Ushering in Organic Light

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Talk: Frameless Showers Get Display of Support

Frameless shower doors convey a clean, modern feel and are, well, sort of sexy. Here are 12 reasons why you should consider installing one in your property.

Amoroso Design

Divide and conquer. “Given that the layout for this toilet placed the shower in the center of the space, together with the vanities on each side, a frameless glass enclosure was the best approach to keep the space open and airy,” says Shelly Amoroso of Amoroso Design. “I understand the need for a few to have separate vanities, but hey, you’d miss a whole lot of amusing banter and together time if you could not find each other”

The Sky is the Limit Design

Turn toward the light. “I changed the layout of the bathroom quite a bit by turning the shower space 90 degrees from its place on the wall to sitting under the window,” says Ines Hanl of The Sky is the Limit Design. “That had a huge influence on the visual aspect of the space. All of a sudden, a somewhat dark, train-compartment-like room became somewhat grand in appearance, and also we did not even need to enlarge the window. And the grey stone is balanced with lots of openess and light”

She adds, “The color scheme was driven by the client, who had spent a summer in Rome and wanted stone in shades of grey. The silver slate has a gorgeous shimmer to it, and I was able to combine lots of different patterns. The ginormous showerhead is a favorite with the whole family”

Hanl did believe “frosting the glass for solitude, but after quite an extreme deliberation, we elected from this because it’d have enclosed the space too much.”

The Sky is the Limit Design

Get the balance right. “This really is really a steam shower, which is why the ceiling is tiled and weathered, the glass goes all of the way up into the ceiling and there is a hinged panel that may be cranked open,” says Ines Hanl. “The shower has white Thassos marble on the walls and a black marble mosaic on the floor, each of which can be inspired by the color scheme in the remainder of the toilet– black and white marble mosaic for the floor and black-stained cherry cabinetry”

She adds, “This bathroom is in a house where there is a more modern-inclined husband and a traditional-favoring wife. To keep things balanced, the shower also got a little more of a diminished treatment”

Murdock Solon Architects

Contrast modern and rustic. “This bathroom was a part of a renovation in what was originally an old stone gatehouse,” says Kelly Solon of Murdock Solon Architects. “We’re trying to insert a clean, modern design into a very rustic and visually significant atmosphere. The frameless enclosure provide a light and airy texture, as well as a comparison to the other materials in the area”

Divine Design+Build

Show off your tilework. “We love to utilize frameless shower doors for a couple of reasons,” says Mariette Barsoum of Divine Kitchens. “Having a frameless door, there is no visual separation, making the space larger. Additionally, unlike framed doorways, they do not conceal the gorgeous tilework in the shower. Frameless doors also sport a cleaner, more modern look — and we enjoy this.”

Studio On Cedar LLC

Make a small room feel larger. “I had been inspired by the frame of the house and its secluded and forestlike surroundings,” says Kimberly Arnold Fletcher of Spectrum Design Group. “My aim was to make an open texture and bring the outdoors to the master bathroom. The frameless door enabled me to not only offer a transparent look that mirrors the dividers added into the space, but in addition, it made a very small room feel larger and more spacious.”

Bring in natural light. “A frameless shower gives the illusion of openness. The metal, the less you notice that a wall is dividing the space,” says Alison Causer of Alison Causer Design. “In this master bath I actually wanted the natural lighting to reach every corner of this space. Since we used dim, natural stone on all four partitions, we actually needed to maintain the light shifting around the space.”

She adds, “We also installed a skylight in the shower, which combined with the frameless shower really helps convey an open feeling.”

Maximize the view. “This house has a classy and subdued palette with walnut casework throughout,” says Kerry Ellis of Benning Design Associates. “It also has stunning views, which is why we chose to maintain the master bath , and shower, so open.”

Jamie Herzlinger

Move for an elegant look. “The inspiration for this particular bathroom was elegant glamour,” says Jamie Herzlinger of Jamie Herzlinger Design. “The easiest way to acquire elegance in your toilet is using a frameless shower, because it keeps the look clean and sleek.”

Webber + Studio, Architects

Embrace minimalism. “We’re seeking to get the colors of this limestone tile bounce light around the room and to use few if any noticeable details, in keeping with our firm’s philosophy of adopting minimalism,” says David Webber of Webber + Studio Architects.

“In my view,” he adds, “the shower glass is really not minimal. The original design was to allow the glass to be slid to a recessed slotmachine, which is exactly what I would have preferred. However, the shower’s framing did not allow us to recess the hardware, so we went with a surface mount instead.”

Justine Sterling Design

Infuse a sense of calm. “I had been inspired by the tranquil river and landscape surrounding this house to make a peaceful sanctuary that attracted the outside in,” says Justine Sterling of Justine Sterling Design. “The frameless shower layout was key in creating openness, transparency and a sense of calm.”

Nora Schneider Interior Design

Invite nature to be your guest. “This master bath is in a summer house on a lake, and the rear of the house faces the woods,” says Nora Schneider of Nora Schneider Interior Design. “The shower faces an entire walls of windows overlooking the woods, and I wished to invite nature in as an evergreen guest”

“The shower tile resembles bamboo, and the glass floor tile echoes the look of sand. The willingness of the entire house is supposed to invite nature in, so a framless shower was the obvious choice.”

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Intelligent Combo: Metal and Aged Wood

The character of wood juxtaposed with the roughness of aged metal makes a marriage so packed with visual and character dimension, it can not help but steal the show. Whether you’re renovating your home or curious to work the tendency into your current area, seem to the following photos for inspiration. The mixing of substances might never be edgy or so gratifying.

Erdreich Architecture, P.C.

Because outdated metal and distressed wood are all organic elements, their attractiveness is obviously exceptional. Full of texture and colour, both of these will set any room aflame with character. The addition of a single copper presence in this primarily wooden kitchen, as an example, results in a potent statement.

AMI Designs

When working with aged woods and metals, elevate the visual measurement by using different species and types. In this kitchen, many different woods paired with bronze fixtures provide a variety of elements to hold interest.

Birdseye Design

A island made from distressed wood and metal is a functional advantage with identifying industrial design. Stools in a milder metal further optimize the mix.

Debbie Dusenberry, aka CuriousSofa.com

Capturing the look can be as straightforward as monitoring the best piece. This island may be small, but with repurposed metal and wood, its aesthetic impact is striking.

Debbie Dusenberry, aka CuriousSofa.com

Instead of pairing a wooden table with wooden chairs, keep a look out for chairs or stools in metal. Carry the alloy throughout the room with different pieces, like a light fixture.

The best thing about this look is that can discover pieces inexpensively once they are on your radar. Hunt down a distressed desk and seat in a flea market or antiques store, and add a metal toolbox for office supplies.

Dana Wolter

Boost an empty corner with a vignette made by a reclaimed wood plank topped with a metallic attachment, even if it’s just a photo frame.

Cristi Holcombe Interiors, LLC

If you presently have a distressed wood bit somewhere in your home, add some metallic pieces. A reading lamp can be an inexpensive choice.

Casatelli Marble

From the restroom, juxtapose a metal sink with wood cabinetry.

Palmer Todd

Entire your Engineered timber drawers with metal hardware for an edgy cosmetic.

SchappacherWhite Architecture D.P.C.

If you’ve got beautiful reclaimed wood walls in your home, you’re already halfway there. Again, this can be a time to keep your eyes peeled for cheap metal steals, like a metallic pot like this one that may double as a place to store blankets or magazines.

Jane Kim Design

If you have recently completed a space with newer metal, then operate in reclaimed wood, like shelving.

Birdseye Design

If you’re renovating or building and want to explore this look, consider walls made with reclaimed wood with corners completed in rustic metal. This is particularly interesting in a modern space.

Jensen Architects

Or try the opposite: a wall completed in metal. Pull in the repurposed wood component through the floor or perhaps a bit of furniture, like this classic mattress.

Don Ziebell

Staircases are excellent places to capture this look. Maintain the stairs unfinished and pair them with an easy wrought iron railing.

More:
Blending Styles: Farmhouse Meets Industrial

Pressure Less With Distressed Cabinets

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