Thoughtful Home Design

By Adeel Ali The 21st century has definitely seen a rise in the level of awareness regarding environmental conservation and sustainability. From efficient waste disposal to water conservation, everybody is looking for ways to make sure that the earth stays green. But, if you are still wondering if switching off the lights when not in use is enough on your part, then think again. There are more things that you can do to not only reduce your electricity bills but also save energy. Here are some eco-friendly ways to brighten your home. With these tips, you can give your house a completely fresh and vibrant appeal, while at the same time reduce energy consumption significantly. First of all, ditch those old tungsten coil bulbs. The rusty 70s look is not what you want to welcome your guests too. Prefer lighting up your living room with calm lights using LED bulbs. These are not just energy-efficient but also last reasonably longer than the traditional bulbs or CFLs. And the best pa...

By Kim M Ward Good design is defined as the unity of design and a timeless look. But to achieve unity and an evergreen look one must give consideration to all the principles of design. Remodeling your kitchen and bathroom is so much more than selecting fixtures and painting the walls. A good remodel will have a well thought out design concept that begins with the principles of design as its foundation. The principles are balance, rhythm, emphasis/focal point, scale, proportion, and harmony/unity. In order to have a better understanding of these concepts, we will look at each at it pertains to bathroom remodel planning and kitchen planning. Let's start with balance which is the distribution of the visual weight of objects, colors, textures, and space. On a recent powder room design, a client requested tile to be installed above the vanity all the way up the wall and considered tiling the whole wall not just above the vanity. The powder room being very small could only visual...

Mid-Century Modern Eclectic Decor By Era Chandok Mid-century modern eclectic decor brings in the energy of the vital source, grounding the space with natural materials and old rustic woods, and then brings in beautiful textures and brilliant hues with new and vintage artistic accents. Renovating a building that has historical character, like the 1920s Spanish Colonial home in Miami, it's all about striking a balance between the old and the new, making the home holistically complete while still honoring its heritage. Keeping the original rustic oak ceiling beams, floors and the french windows intact is crucial to the renovation. While the main footprint of the home did not change, almost every other element of the kitchen, bathrooms, guest room, and living room changed. Elegant and simple lighting, barn doors, marble tile floors, and breathtaking design, the energy flows in the house very simply and systematically. Mixing a cool hip New York style with contemporary Southern ...

What Is a  Sit-Stand Desk ? An employee can raise or lower the sit-stand desk, otherwise known as a height-adjustable desk, based on his or her needs. One can adjust the desk to comfortably stand while working or to sit in an  office chair . Even with these capabilities, sit-stand desks blend seamlessly into  office design , as they look no different than ordinary furniture at first glance. Why Is a Sit-Stand Desk Important? Employees who stay in the office from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. have limited opportunities to perform non-work-related activities, like going for a walk. They do, after all, have to work. However, sitting for hours on end yields serious consequences for a person’s health. Multi-tasking is the answer to this issue. A sit-stand desk gives employees the chance to stand while still working. This way, they get that much-needed stretch time without falling behind on productivity. How Do They Help One’s Health? Between driving, watching TV and workin...

By Edmund Brunetti While most people think about wanting their flooring redone when it's old, cracked, and eaten away, that's often the most expensive time to do it. Your floor gives you plenty of warning signs when it's time to be pulled up and replaced with a new one, so knowing when to redo your floors and when not to is a good bit of knowledge to have. First, you don't always have to redo all of your floors. Sometimes only certain parts of the floor are damaged while the rest of them are completely fine. So before you start tearing out every bit of floorboard, make sure to assess which parts are damaged and which parts are still good. You might be able to just replace the broken tiles or the rotted wood, for a much lower price. You can spruce up most floors with a bit of sanding and scrubbing or, if they're tiled, by redoing the grout. However, if the flooring is old, smells, or the damage has gone through most or all of the floor, then you probably need...