To Hide Those Messy Wires

To Hide Those Messy Wires

As we all become more and more tethered to our digital devices, wire direction is a challenge just about everyone faces. It’s especially tough when trying to achieve timeless, uncluttered design. Who wants to see wires mucking a beautiful composition?

Thankfully, our reliance on technology has created a market for managing it there are tons of products on the market to help us out, while creative architects and architects are coming up with solutions of their own to maintain wires under control and out of sight.

Of course, the best solution would be to completely incorporate cables into a style (where possible), which demands a great deal of preparation and and healthy dose of structure. Let’s look at a few examples of how to build in wire management, as well as working it into houses, for those people who can’t create permanent changes to our houses, for one reason or another.

Scheer & Co..

In my previous apartment, my husband took great pains to maintain the floors in our house office wire-free. He used zip ties and eye hooks to mount all our components to the underside of our wood desk. If you are not the DIY/handy kind and prefer to buy something to handle wires, you are in luck…

Room & Board

Cord Management Straps – $9

Room and Board’s cable management goods (leg, horizontal and flexible) are fantastic solutions for those pesky-but-essential computer wires.

Bluelounge

CableDrop – $10

If you are anything like me, keeping components nearby and accessible is perfect, but they can be unsightly, or fall to the floor and immediately become”lost.” Blue Lounge’s smart CableDrop is a nice solution.

Bluelounge

CableBox – $29.95

Don’t have the choice of mounting wires and other components to a hidden-away place? Pop your power strip (along with the mangled cables attached to it) into this neat little box and the issue is solved. Vacuum, dust, mop — do what you need to do; so this little guy is on your side.

Everyone appears to want to mount their flat screen TV on a wall nowadays, and it’s easier than you think — even if you are a renter and you are not supposed to penetrate walls.

A small hole can be bored in wires and shingles can be brought up to the desired elevation without a lot of fuss. Obviously, it will help to get built-in bookcases like these, which provide a bit more room for pulling wires around.

The Red Jet

If you are in love with a light fixture or a sconce like this one, but don’t have the choice to hardwire it, then install it near window or door trim, in which you can frequently staple the wire and also paint it so it blends in a bit.

Rodriguez Studio Architecture PC

Have a queue from lofts and let conduits do the hiding.

Scheer & Co..

Some wall-mounted light fixtures come complete with a conduit which matches the finish and is much more than presentable.

Like built in shelving, wood paneling provides you a little extra drama in terms of wire-hiding and electronics-mounting capabilities.

ZMK Group, Inc

If your house or apartment did not come complete with flooring outlets, place area rugs to function to conceal cords and wires so that you may float furniture without fretting about how to plug in such matters as lamps, computers and clocks.

Alexander Johnson Photography

Furniture with back panels create our lives easier. If your outlets are located a little high on the wall, then a table like this will help conceal any wires. If outlets are closer to the baseboard, the panel shields a great deal of the wire, which makes it far more inconspicuous!

Kristen Rivoli Interior Design

Wires are an inescapable part of our lives, however minimizing how much we see of these makes our living spaces a lot more serene. This little table lamp must plug in somewhere, but hiding the outlet behind the drawer section of the desk hides the”ugly” section of this lamp.

Roger Hirsch Architect

Desks with extra thickness, like this one, which has pencil drawers, give us more flexibility in terms of hiding wires, as the lip of the desk can conceal all types of industrial-looking wiring.

Made in Layout

Cable Turtle by Pop Corn – GBP 5.90

Untangling wires likely eats up 15 percent of my daily life — an unacceptable percentage. I’m very seriously considering obtaining Pop Corn’s Cable Turtle to maintain my iPod and hands-free mobile phone ear buds in check. The less time I have to spend unfurling them, the better off we ALL are.

More:
5 Ways to Construct About a Flat-Screen TV
Well-Styled Electronics

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The Ideal Mat for Your Artwork

The Ideal Mat for Your Artwork

The mat you use in your framed art is more important than you might think. There are just two reasons for matting art: It keeps the glass separated out of your art work so that it will not adhere to the glass, and it enriches your art.

A pad provides needed space so that your eye can hone in on the art and it does not get cut off at the framework, particularly when you use chunky eyeglasses. Here are some tips:

Laura Trevey

What type of mat will protect your art/photos long-term? You have choices, so be aware of exactly what the mat is made of; a few materials can actually damage your art.

There are three common types of mats you can buy: paper mats, Alfa mats, or rag mats. The difference between them is that the acid.

Paper mats, made of paper pulp, would be the most inexpensive and utilized with a great deal of frames that come with the mat. These mats have a great deal of acid in them that causes the borders to turn brown. Finally this can ruin the art as the acid leaks into it. It’s possible to spot a white paper mat by taking a look at the beveled edge where it meets the art. It won’t look pure white.

Alpha-cellulose mats are made of wood pulp chemically treated to remove acids that can decay artwork.

A rag mat is a obviously acid-free mat board made from cotton. These mats don’t have any acid, along with the cut edges remain pure white eternally. Rag mats, used by museums, are a popular choice for keeping art safe.

Go to get a rag or alpha mat to get art you want to protect forever. If you are getting a mat from an expert framer, make sure it does not have any acid in it.

Ninainvorm

The usage of crisp white mats unifies a vibrant gallery of framed pieces of art. The consistent ring of color will also add width and height to each piece, allowing your eye to focus on each individual piece of art.

SchappacherWhite Architecture D.P.C.

Do not skimp on the dimensions of the mat. I believe at least two inches of mat thickness work for art 11″x14″ or smaller, making fantastic separation from the framework. For larger pieces, try a mat at least three inches broad. Even from far away, the large mat draws the eye toward the framed piece, and even toward a particular key element of the item.

Maria Killam

When picking a mat for photographs, go with a wider mat (more than three inches wide) in white or off-white for a sharp look. It will look sleek and modern in a gallery-like grouping.

For Folks design

An oversize mat can provide little art more existence, either alone or within a group.

John Lum Architecture, Inc.. AIA

Layered mats produce an intriguing look for black-and-white art, also. Tie at the base mat color with the framework color (black when using a dark frame, gray or silver when using a silver frame, etc.), then use a nice light neutral on shirt to get a clean, modern feel.

Paula Grace Designs, Inc..

Although white is the most frequently encountered mat color, try other neutrals in the taupe and gray households too. It will add a soft end without overpowering your own piece. The taupe color works particularly well with golden frames, along with the gray colors are nice complements to silver frame finishes.

Elizabeth Hanley Design

Do you have different sized art but need them to fit in precisely the exact same size of framework? No problem! Utilizing the largest piece of art, find the ideal size mat and frame for it. Get enough of these frames for each of the smaller art you need to hang. Subsequently at a professional woodworking shop, get the framer to personalize mats to fit the art on your own frames.

Design+Develop

I’ve worked with professional framers who advocate staying away from mats that are brighter or darker in the art. When I need to add color to my mat, I use numerous mats, using my dark or bold color on the initial layer so only a little complementary color shows through.

VisuaLingual

Select your mat color based on which will best complement the art — not the space you are hanging it. Notice the way the mat color differs on the largest artwork in this picture, yet it suits it perfectly and adds character to the structure.

Kati Curtis Design

If going over a big piece of furniture, equilibrium the piece by employing a wider mat. The piece of art gets large, accountable, and striking with just a crisp white framework.

CWB Architects

If you have a whole lot of photos or art to hang, you can save yourself money by reusing frames you may already have, or purchasing secondhand frames from your local frame shop or art supply shop. Then have an expert framer switch out the paper mat to an acid-free rag mat.

More:
How to Organize Art in an Artful Way

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Book Tour: Founded by Joanna Copestick and Holly Becker

Book Tour: Founded by Joanna Copestick and Holly Becker

One million thoughts? Seriously? Well, if anybody could compile 1,000 layout ideas in a single easy-to-navigate tome, it is probably successful design blogger Holly Becker, who has accumulated thousands of articles on her blog, decor8, over the years. She started the site as a means to catalogue her favourite design discovers, and she wound up sharing them with millions of individuals. Thus, it’s no real surprise that the book is chock full of inspiration and information.

Becker and co-author Joanna Copestick watched the globe for inspirational spaces to exemplify their many tips, including floor plans, furniture arrangement, and advice from leading designers, stylists, layout authors, event planners, florists, musicians and much more. Just released this year, the book is currently in its third printing in the U.S. and is rapidly spreading around the globe.

When you haven’t picked up a copy yet, I highly suggest it. You will find well-presented ideas clarified in a practical way, and the photography capturing a wide range of rooms and styles is absolutely magnificent. Here is a teaser to whet your appetite.

Amazon

Decorate: 1,000 Design Ideas for Every Room in Your Home – $23.79

If you are judging this book by the cover, then the disco ball around the ground of the U.S. edition cover is a big hint to each the delights and surprises inside.

Chronicle Books

When redecorating, how to start? One way is exactly what the authors call “White Space Design.” This refers to a blank piece of paper for a strategy and “removing all the elements out of your room, either physically or mentally, by drawing up a totally new floor plan.” The effect in this dining area are light walls that keep the room bright and also help the warm hardwood floors glow. Each bit in this group of iconic mid-century modern furnishings makes a significant contribution to the overall look and feel of the room.

Chronicle Books

However, don’t allow the first few pages fool you! The book quickly moves into a wide array of styles, including this brilliant explosion of roses wallpapered in a modern kitchen. “Decorating using floral themes … can be a fantastic excuse to go daring,” compose the Becker and Copestick.

Decorate Tip: “Papering only one wall in the kitchen leaves the remainder of the room devoted to displaying objects, china and lights in a huge collection of cheerful and bold colors that dance against the wall.”

Chronicle Books

Much more vibrancy abounds; this diverse room produces a geometric rug along with a hot pink and white Chinoiserie bedspread sing. Instead of grounding the bed with a big headboard, the homeowners opted for a daring bit of artwork.

Decorate Tip: “Layer textures to produce a feeling of opulence, such as a shiny satin bedspread topped with a mohair throw, or bright white Egyptian cotton finished with a delicate necklace fringed throw.”

Chronicle Books

An experienced work-from-homer, Becker knows how to make an inspirational and effective workspace. She recommends using a separate or different space for work.

Decorate Tip: “Make yourself at home by displaying photographs, cherished items, and reference materials” on your workspace.

Amazon

Outdoor spaces carry on a life of their own, whether the look of those rooms require you away to Morocco, The Greenbrier, Palm Springs or Key West. The authors recommend optimizing outdoor areas for use as outdoor rooms.

Decorate Tip: Emulate this space, where “throw rugs layered on the surface heat it up the area, making it an inviting extension of the apartment.”

Chronicle Books

If it comes to modern glamour, the authors suggest plucking items from a range of eras and styles. This room’s large statement comes from the white and chocolate geometric trellis cloth, while a wide range of textures (cowhide rug, shag cushions, lacquered bench, ceramic stools, metal chandelier) add to the glamour without overpowering the room.

Decorate Tip: Have a cue from the Palazzos, that designed this chamber, and “use a daring mixture of shades and textures, instead of a particular style, as a beginning point” on your layouts.

Chronicle Books

Behold the tub! The authors advocate thinking outside the usual toilet fixtures box. This toilet certainly does this, with a stacking bookshelf full of reading material, eye-catching brass fittings, a black ceiling along with the fanciest shampoo stand I’ve ever noticed. I wonder what sort of jar is worthy of such a perch?

Decorate Tip: “Mix and match colors, styles, and size of tiles to change the influence on the room or go for blanket coverage for a tidy, cohesive texture.”

Chronicle Books

The book doesn’t miss a detail; the authors made certain to include an whole section on flower arrangement. Here, glass bottles in a variety of sizes, heights and shapes produce a pleasing composition of blossoms.

Decorate Tip: “Presenting flowers in pleasing containers is as important as choosing inspirational blossoms in the first location. Always keep an eye out for vibrant, unusual, vintage or plain vases, pitchers, or bowls that can set off all manner of unique blooms.”

Chronicle Books

Currently a resident of Hanover, Germany, Becker will likely be flying stateside in about a week to set out on a whirlwind book tour in Anthropologie stores in Boston (8/20), Chicago (8/23), San Francisco (8/25), L.A. (8/26), Philadelphia (8/29) and New York (8/30). Check with your local shops for locations and times, and follow the link below for information about how to RSVP.

Order your own copy of Decorate: 1,000 Professional Design Ideas for Every Room in Your Home

More:
Book Tour: The Happy Home Project
Book Tour: Salvage Secrets

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Best Exterior Siding Options

Best Exterior Siding Options

Exterior siding is capable of giving your home an attractive appearance while providing the protection your home needs from potential problems. Because choosing an exterior siding Denver, CO to use is difficult and time-consuming, you can use the following information we’ve compiled to make an informed decision.

Vinyl Siding

Vinyl siding is popular among homeowners because it’s an affordable option. It’s also available in your local home improvement stores. On top of that, it’s durable and it requires less maintenance. Since its color is baked, it’s long-lasting and it won’t chip like a painted surface. There are many colors that you can choose from as well.

Although vinyl siding has excellent water resistance, it’s NOT waterproof, which means water can leak in the siding. It’s also likely to accumulate stains and dirt if it’s not maintained properly. Fortunately, lots of guides and tips are now available online, which will teach you the proper way of cleaning vinyl siding installation Denver, CO.

Fiber-Cement Siding

What we love about fiber cement is the fact that it’s very stable from sudden weather changes such as wind, moisture, and temperature swings. It’s fireproof and resistant to rotting and insects, and as for its maintenance, it doesn’t require much. Most manufacturers offer a warranty on their products up to half a century because of the material’s durability.

Of course, everything is a double-edged sword, which means it also has its own share of cons. Fiber cement siding often requires repainting, which can be tricky for homeowners. Labor costs for the installation can also be higher compared to vinyl.

Wood Siding

Wood siding will give your home a look that feels authentic and natural. What’s more, it is environmentally friendly, which is good news for homeowners who want to stay “green.” It is also easier to stain or paint in any color, excellent for those looking into adding a personal touch to their exterior Denver, CO vinyl siding. Overall, it’s a good option for you if you want to increase your home’s value.

Wood is a bit pricey compared to any other type of exterior siding as it’s high in value. Also, its maintenance can be hard because the weather and insects make the material susceptible to cracking and decaying. Furthermore, it requires regular repainting and upkeep to ensure it stays looking fresh and new, which can take up money and time on your end.

Choosing the Best Siding Material for Your Home

There are many ways for you to achieve the look that you want for your home’s exterior. Weigh all the advantages and disadvantages of every single type of siding that we’ve mentioned, so you can select the option that fulfills all your needs and wants. Take your time and explore your options, and we guarantee that you will be able to get your hands on the exterior vinyl siding Denver, CO that’ll give your home a lasting and dynamic appearance.