The most inviting draw for your home during cooler weather? A fireplace! Kitchens are natural gathering spots with the hostess and food, however, a fireplace is a natural draw. With comfortable seating for family and friends, you can create a welcoming and relaxing area for memorable moments. Many options are now available to make this easier. It is hard to top a real fire but there are pollution restrictions and messy clean ups. Gas logs have long been an option and they have become very real looking. The popular lineal fires are an entirely different and very popular look. Napoleon Fireplaces’ lineal fires have options that may be utilized in remodeling or specified in new builds because they can take less than 6” to being part of a build out that looks deeper. Venting options make it versatile enough to start with design placement and then figure out where the heat will vent. Explore the cozy options on my Pinterest board – Fireplaces!
What To Do With Those Old Railroad Tie Steps
What to do with those old rotted railroad tie steps? Here is a great option that I completed with the help of Felix, my trustworthy tile installer. You frame the steps, pour concrete and add the pavers! Voila! A new look replacing a dirt pile and concrete blocks!
Home maintenance is time consuming. It helps to know a good handyperson or several different ones depending on the job. My clients routinely have painters, floor finishers, etc. for a continually well maintained home. Make a list, set a date and go for it!
Home Gym
Thinking of New Year’s resolutions? A home gym may be at the top of the list! Maybe a designated room, a specific area or a scattering of temptations throughout your home. An iPad for your elliptical can entice you to enjoy a program while exercising. Other options are easy to use weights or a foam roller by the television. AND there is a new Mirror! It is an interactive fitness coach allowing users to stream live workouts and get feedback from trainers! Check this out! If you need to add a mirror for full length inspection anyway, you might want to consider this Mirror which allows streaming as well. A home gym can become an easier option than going to the gym!
Holiday Tables
Are you planning a holiday table for a special dinner? Whether a gourmet feast or a pot luck, setting the mood for the gathering can be achieved with a table that says “I’m excited you are here!” From table linens, china, centerpieces, even chairs, the key is color! Repetition of color is what you notice first! It gives the setting continuity. Not enough dinner plates from your china pattern? Every other place setting can be from two different sets or every other one can be a totally unique plate. Once you have used coordinating dishes for a unique look, matched dishes will look boring! The challenge is using variety while maintaining the color theme. The personal details on the table can lead through family history, travels or collections. Adding a garland of fresh greens is aromatic. Candlelight is flattering. If children are coming, provide a craft activity and extend the table to include them! Have appetizers ready before guests arrive and a use a simple menu to enable the hostess to enjoy the guests. Many dishes are fine at room temperature. Here’s to a happy holiday season! #Champagneforall #HolidayDining
Dining During the Holidays
Recently I was working with clients with an insurance claim who were starting over with furniture! It was a similar situation to many home owners when they move here without the baggage of past homes! Over numerous years working for a design studio that was within a furniture store, it was quite interesting to see the continuity achieved when we weren’t dealing with existing furniture.
Whether you are replacing or starting over, some consider key furniture pieces as keepsakes to treasure forever! Others in today’s world, consider everything disposable and just want a fit for the current location! Therein lies the challenge of acquiring dining room furniture. During the holidays we’re looking for family dining areas. After the holidays, we’re looking for free space.
After a lot of entertaining, designing custom homes and working on spacing issues in remodels, my favorite solution is the least expensive and easiest! I combine light weight outdoor tables or folding tables (not necessarily the same size and width but square or rectangular) into as long of a table as we need usually in adjoining spaces. Matching or coordinating tablecloths are added for unity. Use whatever you have in abundance for the centerpieces – candles, fruits, pumpkins, squashes, small limbs with foliage or flowers to create a one-of-a-kind table. It is more flexible than a big table that never accommodates the exact number of spaces we need for a given group. Sometimes existing furniture has to be moved for the day but it is always festive and inclusive. #FriendsfortheHolidays! #HolidayDining
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