ALL DIY INFO - Home Improvement Blog » Green

Paint Chips Turned Wall Art

admin — Mon, 02 May 2011 21:21:51 +0000

Filed under: Crafts , Crafts & Celebrations Decided on a color and left with a pile of those tiny paint chips? Display them on your newly painted walls! Maybe you just painted your walls and have a stack of reject paint colors from the job. Or maybe you’re the kind of obsessed that makes you pocket a few paint chips every time you saunter into a hardware store. Either way, your extra chips can make for some pretty fantastic art. Check it out: Apartment Therapy Yes, yes, this one will make your guests gasp “How on earth do you have so much free time?” But the truth is, they’re just jealous. REALLY jealous. Because not only is your artwork cool and original, it’s free! Get the full details at Apartment Therapy . Angelina La Dawn via Curbly Over on Curbly , they’ve discovered a fun project that takes those chips to a new high. Love the graphic feel. Get those scissors ready! Get the full step-by-step on Angelina La Dawn . The 3 R’s Blog And then on the terrific The 3 R’s Blog , there’s instructions to credit this beautiful piece. Doesn’t it look like something you’d snatch up at a boutique? Tired of tiny paint chips? Check out the World’s Largest Paint Swatch- 68ft ! All DIY Info | All DIY Info | Linking Blogs | All DIY Info

View original post here:
Paint Chips Turned Wall Art

Polycarbonate Take Table Lamp From Kartell

Mon, 02 May 2011 08:32:30 +0000

The classic bedside table just got a contemporary twist courtesy Ferruccio Laviani. Designed for Kartell, TAKE is made in Italy and the light fixture articulates the current craze of modern furniture. The Take Table Lamp is available in two avatars : transparent polycarbonate in seven varying shades (crystal, yellow, green, orange, red, blue and smoke grey), and in solid colors, in white and black. Measuring 7.3″ w | 11.8″ h | 7″ d, the TAKE Lamp makes quite a visual imprint with its luminous crystalline effect. Available for purchase on hive modern , the the TAKE Lamp can be yours for just $119.00 so order it, and enjoy its imaginative design.

Here is the original post:
Polycarbonate Take Table Lamp From Kartell

How to Coordinate Colors for your Outdoor Home

Sun, 01 May 2011 14:04:28 +0000

If you are challenged in choosing exterior colors for your home, join everyone else who thinks the same as you do! Unlike your interiors that depend on your mood, furnishings, and adjacent finishes, your outdoor home has many factors to consider as well. Factors like adjacent neighboring homes, natural habitat and surroundings, can be a challenge when trying to coordinate colors and choosing trim, accent and main colors for your home. While paint manufacturer’s and home improvement web sites may be helpful, don’t overlook observing the existing environment for helping you coordinate exterior home colors. Draw inspiration from nature: Walk around your home and see what colors occur naturally around your home. A house located in the mountains with evergreen trees in the vicinity will be a different inspiration from a home that’s situated on the beach with sand and water as the backdrop. Coordinate colors of your home to mimic nature, or to compliment it. Homes in the mountains do well with rustic tones of browns, deep burgundy, and greens. While homes near water do well with inspiring blues, sandy beiges and soft yellows. Get inspired by nature, it will never lead you astray when choosing coordinating colors. Get help from professionals: Depending on where you live, local paint manufacturer’s and exterior home designers can help you choose the perfect mix of colors for your exterior home. Most manufacturers websites will feature paint combination’s for your main home, accent colors for shutters, and trim, and even suggestions for color families that will coordinate well with the colors that you may or may not like. Decide if you want your exterior home to match in the same color families as your neighbors, or if you want to be a rebel and go totally opposite! Visit other neighborhoods: While you can get inspiration from your own backyard you can also get inspiration from visiting different neighborhoods, vacationing and searching the internet for inspiring exterior color combination’s. If you see a home you like, and you can talk to the owner, ask them what coordinating color combination’s they used. Many homeowners use resources from architects and designers that are pre-selected and are featured in designer lines and features. While some people come up with coordinating colors from their ‘eye’ of good home inspiration. Color your home with what YOU love: Whether you like the color of the setting sun or you enjoy the blue of a perfect cloudless day, color your home with inspiration from your life. Many of us get caught up in the latest trends from designers or what your neighbors are doing, instead, be original and love your home. Exterior colors should reflect your own personal style, and make you feel good every time you pull into your driveway. When coordinating your exterior colors, also consider coordinating them with your life! Whether you are building a home, or have decided to change the exterior colors on your 100 year-old home, coordinating exterior colors should be enjoyable and purposeful. Ask your family members and friends for help if you are having troubles deciding. Visit your local home improvement store and ask for trial size paint quantities in the shades you are considering. Go home, and paint a small area on your exterior home, and let dry, and observe the different shades. This will help you decide before you make a commitment. Go ahead, be bold and feel confident now in picking out your coordinating colors for your exterior home. Freshome readers do you find it a challenge to choose exterior colors? Do you have any suggestions for those that do? Ready for more amazing design ideas? Check below ! How to Choose Welcoming Walkway Elements for your Exterior Home Bayside Outdoor Modular Sofa Set How to Design your Room Decor around your Bold Area Rug How to Choose Modern Garden Furniture for your Patio How to Maximize your Interior Views with Outdoor Landscaping B&B Italia’s Crinoline Collection: Outdoor ecstasy Click here to connect with Freshome on or on

Read the original post:
How to Coordinate Colors for your Outdoor Home

Delightful Penthouse in Stockholm Combining Function and Aesthetics

Sat, 30 Apr 2011 07:57:33 +0000

Designed by Ulf Nelson , this beautiful penthouse is located in the heart of Vasastan, a district in central Stockholm. The apartment has an area of 118 square meters and a total of four rooms. Built in a tasteful and minimalist manner, the home is opened towards a charming terrace, perfect for relaxation and having friends over. An open fireplace, custom designed lighting and built-in speakers are just a few of the “treats” this loft offers. The design is clean and stylish, ideally combining function and aesthetics. The bathroom happens to be quite appealing due to the decorative stairs that can be used for storing several small objects. Enjoy the photos and give us your feedback! Ready for more amazing design ideas? Check below ! Amazing Penthouse Apartment for Sale in Stockholm, Sweden Another Delightful Swedish Apartment That Stuns With Its Chromatics Green Design: Synagogue Turned Into a Modern Penthouse Luxury in Every Detail: Extraordinary Penthouse Apartment in Sydney Luxurious Penthouse Apartment with Breathtaking Colour Composition Luxurious Russian Penthouse Apartment Balancing Light and Dark Accents Click here to connect with Freshome on or on

See more here:
Delightful Penthouse in Stockholm Combining Function and Aesthetics

The Lacquered MDF Be Tall Wardrobe For Children

Fri, 29 Apr 2011 09:29:27 +0000

Introduce you children to style at an early age by doing up their rooms with chic decor. The Be Tall Wardrobe is a good way to start since it reverberates with individuality and makes quite a statement. The stunning wardrobe is available fab colors like lime, white, blue and has been manufactured from lacquered MDF. Measuring 181 x 107 x 60 cm, the closet has three doors in total with a hanging rod and internal shelves which can be positioned as required. The Be Tall Wardrobe can be purchased from Nubie and for more information head over here.

Original post:
The Lacquered MDF Be Tall Wardrobe For Children

KBIS 2011: What’s New, Who’s There and What It Means For Your Kitchen

Fri, 29 Apr 2011 02:08:40 +0000

Filed under: Kitchen & Bath , Big Projects , Products & Materials Today marks the last day of the 2011 Kitchen & Bath Industry Show, where builders, designers and home enthusiasts take to Las Vegas to preview everything you’ll want for your home in the next few months. KBIS, for the uninitiated, is like Fashion Week for kitchens and bathrooms. Companies are presenting their new and best wares, looking to impress and inspire designers and design fiends alike. But while Fashion Week is all form, KBIS is heavy on the function. Every year, the companies introduce products that aim to make your life easier through Jetsons-style technology. Here’s what’s happening so far: The Builder Buzz At KBIS 2011… The winners are announced ! The winners of the “Best-Of” awards, that is. 500 entries came in across 19 categories, ranging from the simple “Best Kitchen” to more specific ones like “Small Bathroom.” That’s one of the winners in the above photo — Best Bathroom by Holly Rickert of Ulrich, Inc . in Ridgewood, NJ. At KBIS 2011… The stars are out: Great kitchens deserve great chefs, right? The Food Network’s “Cooking for Real” host Sunny Anderson and “Top Chef Masters” winner Rick Bayless are at the show, along with celebrity chef Curtis Stone . Yum! Also attending: Designer Jeff Lewis of “Interior Therapy With Jeff Lewis”, “celebrity carpenter” (who knew that was a title?) Ed Sanders of ” Extreme Makeover: Home Edition ” and the always charming Eric Stromer . Lastly (and perhaps, most surprisingly): Mariel Hemingway , who will present on keeping families healthy through the best local food and products. At KBIS 2011… New product introductions, galore. There’s the NanaWall Kitchen Transition , a custom window-door combo that has the ability to turn your kitchen into an indoor-outdoor paradise. NanaWall Also new, Dacor’s new Distinctive Series , which focuses on affordable luxury in appliances. LG also has announced the new Studio Series a line of energy efficient appliances, from microwaves to dishwashers. And Arne, over at Useful Spaces , has been blown away by a SileStone sink made of a single piece of quartz and the new Hybrid line of outdoor grills from Kalamazoo . Grill with gas, charcoal or wood and have designated areas for fish, beef, chicken and pork. Genius! And just in time for good weather… Want more? Keep checking in on KBIS’s Twitter . And if you want more kitchen trends, check out… 2011 Kitchen Trends – Shelterpop 5 Kitchen Trends We’re Pretty Sure You’ll Regret All DIY Info | All DIY Info | Linking Blogs | All DIY Info

All DIY Infothe original here:
KBIS 2011: What’s New, Who’s There and What It Means For Your Kitchen

Keeping Our Homes Green – Roofing Options

Thu, 28 Apr 2011 16:04:53 +0000

By Herbert Norton Looking for a way to reduce your energy costs? If you consult your local energy company, you will likely receive a brochure explaining how to wrap your pipes, put a blanket around your hot water heater, plugging cracks and holes through which drafts can flow, and adding reflective coatings to your windows. No harm in any of that, and it’s a good start. But for homeowners, there is a better place to start – start at the top, with your roof. Why start with the roof? For the same reason that your mother tells you to wear a hat outside in snowy weather – just as most of your body heat is lost through your head, most of your home’s heat is lost through the roof. Heat rises. Likewise, your roof is the part of your home that is most exposed to the sun, so the question of whether your home will absorb the sun’s heat or reflect it back into the atmosphere is decided right there – on the roof. Homeowners don’t like to mess with their roofs, and for good reason – roof work can be expensive. But there are a range of options, and if you are considering an ecofriendly option such as installing solar panels, you may qualify for state or federal tax subsidies that will help to defray the cost. (To find out what subsidies exist in your area, check the Interstate Renewable Energy Council’s Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency, DSIRE , or try this calculator ). If you are considering making your roof a part of your home’s energy efficiency plan, you will need to begin by answering the following questions: What material do you want to use for your roof? What color should your roof be? Do you want to add solar panels or solar shingles to your roof in order to capture solar energy for electricity or to provide heat for water? Materials These days, homeowners have many roofing materials to choose from. Most Americans (about 75 percent) go for cheap asphalt shingles – but cheap is the best that can be said of asphalt as a roofing material. It doesn’t insulate well, it is generally not recyclable at the end of its life, and its life is not long. On the other end of the economic spectrum, affluent homeowners will often choose wood shingles, such as cedar shakes, or slate. These options are all natural, insulate well, and are expensive. But cedar often comes from old-growth forests and slate is a non-renewable resource. Moreover, wood shingles will swell and shrink over time, producing cracks and resulting in moisture damage. Clay tiles are more durable and are made from a renewable, sustainable material, but they are so expensive that most homeowners can only manage to use them as accent materials along the edges of roofs. Somewhere in the middle, you have metal roofs. Metal roofs insulate well, they have high solar reflectance (meaning they stay cooler in the summer), they last a long time, and they are frequently made from recycled metals (and can be recycled themselves at the end of their lives). But they can be somewhat expensive. Nowadays, there is another option: recycled roofing materials. Believe it or not, you can now make your roof from recycled plastic, carpet, or tires. You can also opt for reclaimed or sustainably grown wood. Make Your Electric Meter Spin Backward If you want to generate electric power on your roof, or at least collect enough heat to warm up water, you may want to start with a basic metal roof. A standing-seam metal roof can work well as a base for thin-film photovoltaic panels. You’ll be following in reputable footsteps – President Barack Obama is adding solar panels to the White House roof this year, as is Texas Governor Rick Perry. Solar panels can be expensive – most solar panel systems cost at least $2,000 to $3,000 to install, and many cost more, depending on the system and the particular circumstances at your home. Solar panel systems pay for themselves within a few years, but that doesn’t help when you are trying to scrape together the money for the installation. There is also another solar roofing option – solar shingles. Solar shingles may be an ideal solution if by chance you have a roof that is already shingled, but is losing shingles in (preferably) a south-facing location where you can free up 300 to 400 feet of roof space. If you need to replace shingles anyway, you may as well replace the old shingles with matching solar shingles (they are designed to blend in with the asphalt shingles that most American homes use). Like solar panels, solar shingles can be connected to your local energy grid, so that if you produce excess electricity, it can go back into the system and your electric company can reimburse you for it. By absorbing heat from the sun, solar shingles can also reduce the amount of heat that your home absorbs, so you may find that you do not need to run an air conditioner as much in the summer. Don’t expect to go entirely off-grid with solar shingles – shingles do not store solar energy (unless you have also added batteries to hold stored energy, but adding batteries can add as much as $10,000 to your shingle installation costs), so you will need your regular electric grid at night. Homeowners who choose this option find that the solar shingles pay for themselves in about 8 to 10 years, while they last for 20-40 years (depending on climate and maintenance). Solar panels and shingles not only pay for themselves over time by allowing you to sell power back to your electric company, but they add to the value of your home. According to a recent study by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 72,000 California homeowners who added solar panels to their roofs saw their home values rise by an average of $17,000 when they put their homes on the market. Consequently, you may be able to roll the cost of installation over into your mortgage. Caution Unless you are a roofing contractor yourself or have equivalent experience, don’t try to install your own roof. Find a contractor who is experienced in the kind of roof that you plan to put in place. If you are adding solar panels or solar shingles, you will also need an electrician. Be aware, as well, that if you are replacing a roof that was originally installed between 1940 and 1975, you may need to hire someone to do asbestos remediation. Finally, don’t forget to check your local building codes (or better yet, work with a contractor who is intimately familiar with them). Be sure, as well, to check with your homeowner’s insurance company to find out if the change in roofing materials will affect your insurance premiums. Do your homework and use common sense. If you can find a contractor and a roofing system that you are happy with, chances are that you will be very pleased with the results. About the Author Herbert Norton is a roofing contractor that started a website on roofing in the winter months to help educate his clients. Roofery.com has extensive information on many different types of roofing shingles, such as slate, tile, solar and metal shingles , to help consumers make an educated decision. Recently Herbert has been researching the “greening” of asphalt shingles , which are not normally eco-friendly.

Here is the original:
Keeping Our Homes Green – Roofing Options

How to Create a Functional Closet Home Office

Thu, 28 Apr 2011 10:01:40 +0000

If you are trying to determine how to bring a home office into your space, and there just isn’t enough free wall space to do it, converting a closet into one, may be your best solution. Many closets are not used nearly to their best potential, and by converting one into a home office could solve your space issue and help you stay organized and functional in your office. If you’re considering transforming that poorly used hall closet into a worthwhile office space, here are tips to help you. Determine what functions are necessities: When creating a home office in a closet, remember it will take a degree of pairing down from large amounts of storage, clutter and stuff! Since closet offices are generally small in nature, determine what elements of your home office are essential and which ones are for pure decoration and those that take up space. Stream line and organize files, and office equipment into storage containers, file cabinets and stylish desk and shelf organizers. Make your office inspiring: Just because you are converting an existing closet doesn’t mean it has to look like a closet. Before you build your work surface inside your closet, opt for painting the inside walls an inspiring color or plan to use colorful photos and personal touches to bring the walls alive. Many craft and office supply stores have coordinating desk accessories, bulletin and maker boards and wall organizers to bring a personal style to your closet home office. Consider using fabric or colorful window treatments as a way to close off your office closet, if you prefer instead of doors. Accentuate the positives: While it may seem you are compromising to have a closet office, think of all the positives you can accentuate in your office. A smaller space means less to organize, which in turn may help you keep your desk and work area cleaner. Easy accessibility to your closet home office may mean less time wasting time in a large unproductive room, and more time for you to get right into your tasks at hand. One of the biggest positives? You can still keep all of your other rooms in your house looking great, without having to takeover the kitchen table with all of your work related activities! Choose comfortable components: Since you are working in a smaller space, ensure that you are going to have a comfortable area to work in. Ensure desk height, chair, computer and electronic accessibility are comfortable and don’t require you to squeeze into a small space. Opt for adjustable seating, back pillows, and ergonomic office components to make your working environment pleasurable. Also put up inspiring pictures, and bring in plenty of natural and artificial lighting wherever possible. The more you are inspired to work, the more pleasurable your closet home office experience will be. While working in a closet may sound cramped, once you remove the unnecessary clutter, you will see what a prime real estate area it is for your home office. Especially if you live in an apartment, or smaller home, a closet office will help you work from home, and keep your sanity in other rooms of the house. Use these tips to bring inspiring decor and functional organizational ideas to your office space. You will love how your new space inspires you to do more! Freshome readers do you have a closet home office in your home? What are the pros and cons? We’d love to hear from you. Ready for more amazing design ideas? Check below ! Closet Organizers Inspiration Home Office Ideas for Those of you Who are Working from Home Seymour Home Office Armoire How to Develop a Home Office Secret’Air – A Small Office for You How to Maximize Every Inch of a Small Closet Click here to connect with Freshome on or on

Read the original:
How to Create a Functional Closet Home Office

The Typewriter Lives On (Through Crafts)

Thu, 28 Apr 2011 00:58:02 +0000

Filed under: Crafts , Crafts & Celebrations This week, the last standing typewriter factory in the world closed up shop. But you can still keep the spirit alive with these craft ideas. I’ll admit, it was a blow to hear that that no new typewriters will be produced — after all, they have a special nostalgic place in my heart next to Polaroid film . But it’s not fair to get too hung up over the news: If nothing else, it’s highly hypocritical, considering I’m typing this on a computer. But while you can’t expect companies to continue to produce typewriters when the sales have plummeted, you can count on the crafters on Etsy to produce beautiful tributes to the typewriter. As we take a moment of silence, check out the work of these brilliant DIYers. Clockwise from top left: CuteAbility; NoteTrunk, virginiakraljevic, MeadowTea, iloveinkling, MrPS. Clockwise from top left: Typewriter Necklace 18K Gold Plated Brass, $24, CuteAbility Self Inking Custom Ribber Address Stamp, $28, NoteTrunk Olivetti Green Fine Art Archival Print, $15, virginiakraljevic Retro Type Set, $25 for 4, MeadowTea Just My Type Pillow, $22, iloveinkling Background: Proper Coffee tea towel, $14.25, MrPS Looking to create your own typewriter crafts? Check out sites like Oriental Trading and Rubber Nation to buy antique typewriter keys to make your own projects (and don’t forget to share them on Facebook !) All DIY Info | All DIY Info | Linking Blogs | All DIY Info

See the original post here:
The Typewriter Lives On (Through Crafts)

Modern Outdoor Wallter Wall Planter For Smaller Plants

Wed, 27 Apr 2011 15:00:55 +0000

If you have a green thumb then show off your hard work in style. The Wallter Wall Planter will do just that, as it elevates your plants and make them the talk of the neighborhood. The planter is more suitable for smaller plants like succulents, cactus, herbs, or lettuce and there are discreet holes for drainage in each pot. The Wallter Wall Planter has been manufactured from powder coated spun aluminum which can withstand heat and moisture and is ideal for outdoor environment. Available for purchase on Design Public , the Wallter Wall Planter is available in a number of bright hues.