Crestview Doors recently started following us on Twitter and we checked out their work. Very impressive. We love the concept. Take your existing door and give it a mid-century modern twist with their Doorlite Kits.
They include instructions for this diy door modification and they have kits to fit almost every taste and style. We like the classic Newman for our bungalow but if we had a ranch house we'd outfit it with the Langston.
If you're short on time, money and effort but still need covet a new tile backsplash then it looks like SIMPLEMAT is for you. It literally adheres to your current backsplash of tile or wallpaper and your done! Without grout there's no mortar, mixing, or mess.
They also have kitchen countertop applications as well.
In 2007 I had an opportunity to work with the team from HFM US to build and launch the first home design web portal of it's kind, PointClickHome.com. This website serves as the online home of the design magazines, ELLE DECOR and Metropolitan Home.
Anne E. Collins was also part of the initial launch team and is currently the executive online editor of the website. Her responsibilities as the online curator of two revered design brands is enormous and straddling both print and web properties requires a unique skill set that few editors can adjust to. We asked Anne a few questions about working in the shelter magazine industry as well as her insights into luxury design.
CH: You've worked in both print and online for stalwarts in the home decor magazines industry. Can you share your background and what it takes to be successful in your role as an online editor?
AC: I always knew I wanted to work in magazines so my sophomore year of at Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster, PA., I took an internship at the region's lifestyle magazine. From that semester on I always tried to work in print of some kind--a literary journal, an events magazine, and a weekly newspaper when I studied abroad in Spain. Though the sad truth when I got to New York was that no one wanted to hire you unless you had "New York experience," so I was back to the drawing board with another internship, but fortunate enough to get one with In Style magazine.
It is funny how quickly you can get on a track; I worked in In Style's home design department basically packing boxes but that little home mention on my resume started getting me interviews at shelter books. Soon after, I took a job at House Beautiful and have been happily working in home design ever since. I adore this category and while I love writing and editing as a craft I probably wouldn't have thrived or enjoyed myself as much at a lifestyle or fashion magazine; it's the subject that keeps me ticking.
So that is one part of being a so-called successful online editor--passion for the topic.
With two-more days before Halloween we've gathered our favorite decoration ideas that can all be finished before the guests arrive or the kids come knocking.
We often like to help out readers with design questions and the room that seems to be everyone's priority is the kitchen.
Sarah would like some design input on this blue beauty. If she can deal with the white appliances which these days look dated, she can save a lot of money and with some paint and new drawer pulls the kitchen would look very different.
The white countertop and pink walls also have to go and are an easy fix.
If you want a dramatic change to your kitchen, consider adding a glass front to a few of your cabinet doors. Make sure the insides of the cabinet are painted properly and look good and the stemware and dishes in the cabinet are what you'd like to display.
Transforming your cabinet fronts to glass is a great way to open up more space and lighten up the space. Here is a DIY project to add glass to a cabinet door but note that this style of door uses rabbeted panel moulding, which has a small groove cut into the back side, so that it "wraps" around the edge of the door. The pane of glass is slipped into the cutout in the door against the back lip of the moulding.
Painting a room is a quick and easy makeover that makes a huge impact. But because it does require effort and takes time to change or can clash with furnishings or artwork, most homeowners take their time when it comes to selecting the proper paint color and you've got to consider more than just what your paint selector iPhone app tells you.
Here are some tips to ponder when selecting a paint color.
1. Color evokes emotion and nobody wants to be enveloped in a room that has a "bad vibe" because of the color of the walls. Keep the mood you want to convey at the forefront when considering colors.
2. Think beyond traditional colors for rooms. e.g., Nurseries don't have to be sky blue or pink but any pastel shades could work.
3. If you think you might change your mind later don't go with an initial dark color or you'll limit your options down the road.
One of the easiest and cleanest ways to decorate a room is by hanging photos. Personal photos add warmth and personality to any room but are also perfect in trafficked areas such as hallways and stairwells.
But there are things to consider before you take hammer to nail, or you may damage your walls.
In other words, think about the following:
* Wall material -- Is it brick, drywall or cement? This dictates how to hang photos in your home.
* Weight of the picture or artwork -- If it's too heavy, it may come crashing down. If it's light, you won't need any special hardware, like toggles.
* Hardware on the picture frame -- Is there a wire, a bracket or neither?
It's decorating season and it starts for some by putting up amber and orange twinkle lights for Halloween then continues into late December with hanging Christmas lights. Toolmonger shares these holiday light string hooks that are so small and unobtrusive that you can leave them out year round which would make hanging holiday lights much easier year after year.
The rounded hook prevents the lights strings from being blown down by the wind but the design allows for easy entry and release.
Our favorite design piece last year, Glassybaby, is now opening a second shop in New York's West Village just down the street from our favorite old pub the White Horse.
Glassybaby keeps it simple. Hand-blown glass votives that are nearly indestructible and come in a variety of colors and hues.
November 6, 2009 | Comments ()
