Home. Design. The Beauty of Both.
Using repurposed window frames and lumber, stained glass artist and jeweller Neile Cooper has created a tiny retreat in the woods that features dozens of her stained glass artworks. Glass Cabin looks like the perfect escape to recharge and even has a little working desk and couch. The New Jersey-based artist also sells unique…
via A Stained Glass Cabin in the Woods — TwistedSifter
Love this! Very creative, very colorful, and what appears to be such a peaceful setting.
Summer is waning in the northern states and most people probably aren’t thinking about gardening. I’m fascinated by gardens any time of year. Here’s a post I found on designing garden transitions. If you have a patch of land, why not create a design that enhances it and provides you a beautiful view and a place to unwind, play, entertain, etc.
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If I had a choice between having a porch or a deck, then a porch would win any day of the week. I’m devoted to screen porches in particular. There’s nothing like having a shaded or sunny spot with no bugs and a breeze. And if it’s raining, you can still enjoy a screened porch despite the weather(provided the rain is coming down rather straight and your porch is large enough to allow you a sitting spot away from the screens).
I spend time on decks but they can get too hot in the middle of the day. The mosquitoes can eat at you in the evening, or even dusk. Forget being out there when it rains, unless you want to be wet.
Here, then, some images showing a variety of porches. Summer is on it’s way after all.
A traditional porch in Boston
Note the blue ceiling on this porch
This one has a rustic feel with its wood furnishings
A conservatory style porch in London
Another conservatory, this one in Philadelphia
A sweet porch in Charleston
An octagonal porch in Chicago
A porch with motorized Phantom screens and a fireplace
A small cottage in Los Angeles with a sweet and inviting front porch
A porch decorated with colors and plants
A wraparound porch in Portland, Maine
This porch feels very open and airy with its high ceilings
I had to include this one because I know exactly which house this is. I’ve been inside this house and this porch! The views are lovely.
Painting the front door of your home a different color than the rest of your home makes a statement and draws attention to your entry. Here’s a Cape Cod style home in Minnetonka.
I’ve tweaked the front door with Photoshop to show the difference with a door painted another color. An actual paint job would retain the depth of the panels on the door. See how the eye is drawn to the front door?
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Looking to transform a room with color? Ready to get moving with rollers and brushes? Now’s a good time to get paint at a discount! And you don’t have to paint right now to get the discount. Paint next week or the following week. You get the picture.
Look to nature when considering color palettes for your home. Learn what colors you are drawn to. See which color combinations catch your eye and please you. Some colors are calming, soothing. Others pop out such as these wine and red-colored leaves against their green background. Bring the beauty of the earth into your interior spaces.
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This is my second food photo this week and it’s unusual for me to post food photos. I’ve been the recipient of home-grown vegetables this week and I can’t resist the brilliant colors and the beauty of this food. My own basil plants are growing like weeds. Many of us use our homes for cooking and eating. This is the perfect time of year to cook, making the most of the summer harvest. Bon appétit!
A medley of zucchini, red pepper, garlic, slivered almonds, fresh basil, Parmesan cheese, sea salt and pepper.
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What do you think of when you contemplate the word merge?
A piece of art becomes a moon on Nicollet Island
A view of the Minneapolis skyline through bridge supports
Merging nature with a man-made structure
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I came across this art and met the artist, Louise Harris, at the “Fall into the Arts Festival” in Edina. I was first struck by the three-dimensional aspect of the artwork. I then learned they were made from recycled furnace filters. Talk about creativity and vision!
Can you see the undulating waves of the smaller circles over the larger circles in this piece? I loved both of these pieces when I saw them.
Here’s a sampling of her smaller works. Ms. Harris is producing unique, beautiful and green art; she‘s also donating profits to non-profit organizations around the world. For more information, visit her website:
lhoriginals.com – The artwork of Louise Harris
Edina Fall Into the Arts Festival – Sept 8-9, 2012
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Week Beginning June 1, 2012
This week’s challenge is to go out and take a photo rather than dig through our archives. I headed out with my camera, not exactly sure where I’d go or what I’d photograph. I took a lot of pictures and it was tough deciding which ones to post today. I finally settled on these garden shots because they aren’t the oft seen rose, tulip or other popular flower photos. (Yes, I have rose photos as well.)
There’s also a photo taken on the way to the garden–of a scene just begging to be photographed!
These flower photos were taken at the award-winning Lyndale Gardens by Lake Harriet in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Lyndale Park Gardens encompasses four distinctive gardens: Rose Garden, Annual/Perennial Garden, Peace (Rock) Garden, and Perennial Trial Garden and Hummingbird/Butterfly Garden.
Read more about the weekly photo challenge at the DailyPost.wordpress.com.
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The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee is currently underway in England. It marks the 60th year of Elizabeth serving as Queen of England. Pretty impressive.
The Queen always looks great. She wears wonderful clothes in colors that always suit her, along with fabulous and beautiful hats. Her knack for being stylist is evident from a young age. (Princess Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge, is already following in her footsteps in this regard.) Just look at these photos of Queen Elizabeth to see her stylish self at this link to the 2012 Diamond Jubilee site. (I’m not sure how long it will remain online.) I enjoyed reading the Queen’s special Diamond Jubilee message.
And here are photos of the rose created for her:
These photos were taken at the Lake Harriet Rose Gardens in Minneapolis. Here’s more information on this popular, award-winning rose:
Parentage: Charlotte Armstrong x Floradora
Fragrance: Mild
ARS Color: Medium Pink
Bloom Size: Large
Awards: Portland Gold Medal 1954, National Rose Society President’s International Trophy 1955, AARS Winner 1955, American Rose Society Gold Medal 1957, Golden Rose Of The Hague 1968, World’s Favorite Rose 1979
Queen Elizabeth Grandiflora Rose History
How does your (royal) garden grow?
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–Number 2–This is the second image in a series on the master bedroom. I’ve changed the title of this post to Master | Mistress Bedrooms for several reasons. First of all, the main bedroom of the house used to be referenced as the mistress bedroom rather than the master bedroom. The master had to be invited into this room by the mistress.
Secondly, a majority of real estate purchases made today are by single women. I suspect most of these women would prefer to call their bedroom the mistress bedroom rather than the master bedroom.
The word mistress has several definitions. The first definition listed in the Merriam-Webster dictionary is “a woman who has power, authority or ownership”. Here’s the link to the Merriam-Webster site with the definition for mistress. I’ve given the abbreviated version.
And now on to the space pictured above. This bedroom features a vaulted ceiling, colorful walls and bedding, and an eye-catching graphic piece of art over the bed. Does this style suit you?
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The other day I wrote a post about getting inspired and adding color to your home. One way to do this is to add colorful pillows. Here are some that are not only colorful, but artistic.
Some of these pillows can be found at Three Rooms at the Galleria in Edina, Minnesota. Here’s information on the shop Three Rooms:
“A gallery devoted to the ingenuity of American artists and craftsmen, Three Rooms, with its 38-year history, is an art institution in the Twin Cities where you’ll find fine art, unique lighting, furniture, decorative accessories and hand-crafted jewelry.”
Three Rooms is one of my favorite shops in the Twin Cities. It appeals to the artist in me. Here is a link to the hours and directions to Galleria.
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It’s been beautifully foggy for a few days this week. No sunshine though. I miss the sun. This photo reminds me of sunny, colorful days.
If your home is beginning to feel a bit dull and uninspired, try adding color. It can be as simple as pillows, artwork, a rug, towels, or the like. Use your imagination. Find something you love. Sometimes small changes make a big difference.
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I always seem to notice pink homes. Perhaps it’s because they are rare. What sort of person lives in a pink house? Creative? Confident? Artistic? Fun? Bold? Gentle? Caring? Content? Blissful? Loving? Sweet?
What if I wrote those same adjectives in another way:
Creative.
Confident.
Artistic.
Fun.
Bold.
Gentle.
Caring.
Content.
Blissful.
Loving.
Sweet.
If a home is going to be pink, it needs to be the right shade and hue of pink. This Victorian wears its pink well. Some homes will wear pink better than others. Victorians, yes. Cottages, yes. These styles generally have some architectural detailing that works well with pink. Your basic 1950’s rambler? Probably not so much.
Locale makes a difference. Southern states may have more of these pink homes than northern states. This home is here in the northern state of Minnesota. I get the sense winter wouldn’t be quite so dreary coming home to a pink house.
Landscaping can make a difference as well. Note the variety of landscaping here that softens the overall ambiance.
Would you live in a pink house?
I would.
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As a Realtor, I am always looking at homes as I walk and drive and bike around town. I usually look beyond the basic facade. What else is there to see? What details does the home have? What is the landscaping like? What colors have been utilized? Is the front yard gated off or open to the street?
The foliage here created a window to the side yard. And here was the view.
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Adirondack Chairs Outside a Cape Cod Style Home
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DesignHouse9