Ideas & Inspiration

8 Ways to Enhance a Compact Entry (10 photos)

1. Add a statement coat rack. A sculptural tree silhouette fills this space beautifully while providing plenty of room for scarves, hats, bags and coats. It’s a minimalist move that works.

The natural slate tile floor adds texture and defines the entry. It’s also durable enough to stand up to high traffic and snowy boots.

2. Tuck away furniture. A glass console table takes up little visual space while providing a handy surface in this entry. The clear table allows the custom bench to be the star, its colorful serape upholstery setting the tone for the home. It can be pulled out with ease for putting on or taking off shoes and tucked out of the way underneath the table when not in use.

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3. Go narrow. This tidy cabinet, only 8⅝ inches deep, has tilt-out drawers that hold eight pairs of shoes. The top provides a handy spot for keys and mail.

Cabinet: Hemnes, Ikea

Designer Krista Salter swapped out the hardware to add a playful touch to the cabinet. A coat rack mirror can hold hats, scarves and jackets, and it allows for one last face check before walking out the door.

4. Max out the wall space. This birch installation creates a functional art piece on the wall. By incorporating wooden dowels, it serves as a long coat rack.

5. Infuse it with personality. In this London entry, the designers glued the pages of vintage magazines to the walls and covered them in a clear varnish. If you try this as a DIY project and the quality of the paper is delicate, you can use color copies of the pages.

If you have an older home, consider using issues published the same year that your house was built.

6. Look up. If you’re lacking in any clear floor space, make a statement with a bold light fixture or artwork. In this home, white walls, trim and ceiling are punctuated by bright color, setting a lively tone for visitors.

7. Welcome with a rug. This lovely area rug is just the first dash of red people will see at this house, both inside and out. When choosing a rug for an entryway, be sure to pick something that can take a beating from high traffic and dirty shoes, and use a carpet liner to keep it from sliding around.

8. Spread out. Here we have a separate entry vestibule just inside the front door marked by cheery wallpaper and a checkered floor. A simple coat rack keeps current outerwear right next to the door. But there was no need to cram everything in here …

pillargc November 30, 2016 Ideas & Inspiration

Collecting Christmas Ornaments That Speak to the Heart (7 photos)

As an adult, I find it surprising that she continued as long as she did and that none of her children persuaded her to stop. Maybe they tried and she ignored them. Grandma could be stubborn. She shopped for bargains all year long, and many of us helped her with the wrapping, but it was still a huge and costly undertaking. As time passed, her ability to handle all of it began to wane. It was the year she gave one of my Indiana uncles a dress shirt with ¾ sleeves (obviously an irregular bought at a discount store) and forget to buy a present for one of my Wisconsin cousins, that her children realized two things: 1) Grandma was slipping and 2) perhaps it was time for her to stop buying presents for 31 people every year.

And yet gift giving was so much a part of the family culture, they and she were reluctant for her to give it up entirely. I don’t know who thought of it, but someone suggested Grandma should give Christmas ornaments. Everyone (and by this I mean Grandma and the aunts) agreed it was a wonderful idea, and for a few more years Grandma enjoyed the relative simplicity of looking for that year’s ornaments. She usually chose one for all her children, and for the grandchildren she selected one for the girls and another for the boys. It was the year she began having conversations with herself in the mirror that the aunts took over buying the ornaments on her behalf, which they continued until her death.

My mother and several of her sisters already gave an ornament every year to each of their children, and they began to go out the day after Christmas to area boutiques to buy deeply discounted ornaments for the following Christmas. It was a fun and practical tradition. The kids liked it, too. My siblings and I had our own little box of ornaments. One by one we hung our ornaments and remembered Christmases past. By the time I set up a home of my own, between my Grandma’s and my parents’ annual gifts, I had dozens of beautiful and unique ornaments. My mother, my sister and I have continued the tradition with our children, who love it, too.

If you want to make collecting ornaments a part of your Christmas traditions — and I really think you should — here are just a few suggestions.

Ornaments make great souvenirs. Here you can see mementos from my mother’s trip to England (Big Ben) and my husband’s trip to Munich (the little wooden couple, top center.)

Consider interests and collections. For a while I collected St. Nicholas decorations and ornaments. The pink one in the front is from my sister-in-law Dawn and is one of my favorite ornaments of all time. In the back is a Santa, shaped like a top, that my mother gave me. After several years of receiving only Santas, I asked my mother to please expand her choices, which she happily did.

Remember a little collection can become too much fast. A friend liked Coke memorabilia, and after only a few years of his family’s focused generosity, his tree looked like it had a corporate sponsor.

Buy vintage. “They don’t make them like they used to” is true of so many things, including ornaments. Simple vintage bulbs bring beautiful color and character to a tree. You can find them the cheapest at thrift stores and garage sales, but even antiques stores price them reasonably.

Growing up, we were always given our ornaments on Christmas morning. With my own children I give them the night we decorate the tree. It’s the first present, and they get to enjoy it the entire season.

Your turn: Is giving ornaments part of your Christmas tradition? Please share a favorite in the Comments.

pillargc November 30, 2016 Ideas & Inspiration

Houzz Tour: A Humble but Welcoming Beach House in New Zealand (18 photos)

Photos by Oliver Weber

Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: A city couple and their extended family
Location: Tata Beach, Golden Bay, New Zealand
Size: 2,314 square feet (215 square meters); three bedrooms, two bathrooms
Architects: Richard Carver and Brad Beazley of Redbox Architects

The family wanted a simple and relaxed beach house and not a show house. They did, however, want to maximize the views of the beach and make use of the private side yard.

BEFORE: The external footprint of the house was fine, but the exterior was dated and unwelcoming. It was hard to find the front door, and when visitors entered the house, dark corridors blocked the view. In the remodel, the guest area over the garage would stay, but new siding and windows were on the owners’ wish list.

AFTER: The architects wanted to break up the mass of the garage, so they wrapped it in vertical shiplap and gray aluminum siding to suit the beach setting. “Shutters on the dining room window create a shadow line, as well as giving privacy, while the extra-large column marks the front entry,” Carver says. A glass balustrade to the deck off the upstairs rumpus room was installed after these photos were taken.

The architects’ redesign linked the facade of the garage and main wings.

Carver and Beazley rearranged the entrance to the house so the front door is more open and welcoming, and the beach is in view from the moment you arrive at the house. They continued the slope of the old roof in a single pitch over the kitchen and used deep reveals, cedar louvers and high clerestories to admit light and provide privacy from the street.

They reconfigured the living area floor plan to open the entrance to the back of the house and expose previously dark interior spaces to the light. Because the house is on the beach, they endeavored to shelter the living room from passers-by with a generous fireplace. They also tucked a sheltered courtyard to the side on a previously unused corner of the site.

To keep the house relaxed, the architects exposed the macrocarpa trusses on the new kitchen and dining room. “We wanted to break up the room and define the space,” Carver says. “It uses the volume of the ceiling, plus borrows light from the west. We extended the exterior cedar through the entry to enhance the relaxed [beach house] atmosphere and gained a sense of space by removing corridors.” The striking blue front door, seen here to the right, is one of the few variations from the natural and neutral palette chosen by the owners.

The kitchen was originally positioned this way so people working at the kitchen island could admire the view. At one point during the design process, it was swung 90 degrees toward the cedar wall, but as building progressed, client and architect agreed that the beach-facing view had to stay. The cabinets and island, built by Ezy Kitchens, are low-cost laminate, but the cedar, pine and macrocarpa create warmth and texture.

The architects broke up the sitting room wall with a substantial fireplace to provide some privacy from the beach while still allowing the views out. Insulation and window glazing make the home comfortable year round.

The master suite sits on the other side of the living room. All the bedrooms in the home are simple and minimally furnished. In the master bedroom, the architects tucked in a window seat to provide a quiet spot away from the busy living areas.

The home’s two bathrooms were also upgraded in the renovation, but their design and decoration were kept simple.

An exterior staircase at the other end of the house leads up to the guest area above the garage, which is currently being used as extra storage space for the family.

Carver and Beazley punched out lantern lights and long slit windows into the stairwell to pull light into the center of the house and frame views of cliffs and islands.

Back in the main living and dining areas, large windows and doors open the house to the beach, but the overhang, column and slatted fence help keep these areas private. To the right of the kitchen is a sheltered courtyard.

“The owners are private people, so were keen that the courtyard for outdoor dining be private and closed in, but still get the sun,” Carver says.

By extending the mono-pitch roof overhang in two directions — to the east for the dining court, and the north to the beach — the architects joined the two sheltered spaces. They lined the soffit with the same plywood used inside and sheathed a storage cupboard for deck chairs and beach paraphernalia in the same vertical cedar as the house. This created a hefty column that anchors the roof. The overhang allows winter sun in to passively warm the house but creates shade from high summer sun.

The design team sheathed the chimney in aluminum to bring in a vertical element. The finish was repeated on the bay window of the master bedroom on the far right.

Low decks and wide stairs lead from the house to the lawn and beach. Planting will eventually soften the boundary between house and dunes.

The house is embedded into its site, achieving the owners’ aim of a real beach home, not a show home.

“The end result is a light and airy informal bach that fits the context of its beach setting,” Carver says. “It’s a casual yet comfortable base for family holidays.”

Builder: Jamie Soper of Asset Builders

pillargc November 30, 2016 Ideas & Inspiration

Calm Swedish Home with Gray and Silver Sage Tones

I really like the atmosphere in this apartment. The way how is the kitchen connected with the living area creates an amazing opened space. As the home uses a very subtle color palette, it has a very clean look and the chosen decor suits it very well. Kitchen is definitely an eye catcher here, with the tiles up to the ceiling, minimalistic cabinets and interesting lighting. While the most of the place shows grayish colors, you can see a nice silver sage color used in the bedroom which has a very nice refreshing effect.

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pillargc November 29, 2016 Ideas & Inspiration

Tips on How to Arrange your Living Room Furniture

Domino released its second book not long ago, and this time it features a few tips on how to arrange your living room furniture. Domino’s first design book had previously turned into a kind of bible for all interior designers and now is back with a second edition Domino: Your Guide to a Stylish Home.

14 easy ways to have a modern kitchen

Trying to modernise a kitchen that’s already in place isn’t always an easy task, but we’ve compiled some tips (kitchen planner-approved, of course) that will make it far less of an uphill task.

You can obviously change your door fronts, or upgrade certain items that will always be on show, but we identified those key installations that drag a kitchen down from fab to drab.

If you’ve got a bit of budget saved up to give your kitchen a more modern feel, see which of these great tips would have the biggest impact in your home!

pillargc November 29, 2016 Ideas & Inspiration

23 pictures of kitchens you'll love!

There are so many ways to get your modern kitchen looking stylish and elegant and today we will look at 23 awesome and amazing kitchen ideas that will help you achieve just that. So, whether you’re up for the most minimalist style, considering a vibrant choice or even thinking about a country inspired cooking space with rustic charm in mind, then continue reading this homify feature. The interior designers definitely catered for even the spiciest tastes in decor and we cannot wait to see what they picked out for us today, so without further ado…

pillargc November 29, 2016 Ideas & Inspiration

Things you neglect that would make your kitchen better | Interior Design

If you hit the nail on the head with your kitchen design the first time around, you’re in the fortunate minority, as so many of us are suffering the ignominy of having not got it quite right.

Fortunately, we may have just simply failed to give a couple of minor details as much thought as they deserved, which can be easily rectified if you read this article.

We’ve looked at what kitchen planners prioritise when they create a new design and learned what can make or break the perfect kitchen. So if you have a nagging feeling that your space could be a tiny bit better, memorise these key tasks and get to work!

1. Choosing a defined colour scheme

by Vanessa Santos Silva | Arquiteta

Even if you are a little more eclectic, you will have a ‘base’ colour scheme for your kitchen so try to make it far more defined. Keep accent hues as just that and serve to draw attention to the shades that really dictate things, such as your cabinet choices.

For example, this white kitchen looks amazing as it makes no bones about its scheme!

pillargc November 29, 2016 Ideas & Inspiration

21 Insanely Genius Ideas To Decorate The Kitchen In Christmas Spirit For Free

.. – 21 Insanely Genius Ideas To Decorate The Kitchen In Christmas Spirit For Free is today news for you.

Have you started with decorating the homes for the Christmas and the upcoming holidays? If not, it is certainly time to start to think about how to decorate your home for the next holiday. In the absence of time to produce creative and interesting ideas for decorating, usually people are buying Christmas decorations. If you do not want your home looks like any other, or to watch the ornaments that adorn almost every house, it requires creativity and some free time.

The idea usually missing when it’s needed most, and because of that we will help help you by making you walk through our photo gallery, where you will have the opportunity to see a variety of interesting solutions and interesting Christmas decorating ideas, that will help you equip your kitchen and every other room to get festive atmosphere. No matter how much space you have in your home, with great tips you can make a beautiful home atmosphere during the holidays! Do not go overdo with the wishes and decorations and, of course, be resourceful. We suggest you to look at the following great ideas that we have prepared for you, to convert your kitchen into beautiful and pleasant space decorated in the spirit the upcoming holidays!

21 Insanely Genius Ideas To Decorate The Kitchen In Christmas Spirit For Free

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pillargc November 29, 2016 Ideas & Inspiration

A Dangerous & Dated Kitchen Gets a Much Needed Makeover — Makeover

(Image credit: Submitted by Nadya )

Project by: Nadya
Location: Brisbane, Australia

Our small home was built in 1959, and when my husband and I bought it, I really thought I could deal with the “charming” old galley kitchen. We quickly found out how impractical the old kitchen was; the fridge was in the hallway, there was barely enough space for a cutting board beside the stove and the narrow countertop on the other side couldn’t be used as food preparation space at all because the upper cabinets hit you in the head! Not to mention the asbestos floor tiles, and water damage behind the sink which meant that entire cabinet was literally coming apart at the seams.

(Image credit: Submitted by Nadya )

We lived with it for a year while working out what we wanted our new kitchen to look like and how we wanted it to function. We both wanted a traditional, cozy kitchen that would fit with the character of the house, and not feel like a modern intrusion on an older home. We considered IKEA but none of their pieces fit properly into our odd space, so we went with a custom-built kitchen from Kitchen Gallery – a local business. The design process was smooth, they offered good suggestions, and it was so easy for them to fix minor issues on installation day as they had replacement shelves and parts to us within minutes!

(Image credit: Submitted by Nadya)

I initially wanted wooden bench tops but was talked out of it by our design consultant as wood would have entailed more maintenance than I was prepared for, so we decided on wood-grain-look laminate countertops instead – same look and much less hassle.

(Image credit: Submitted by Nadya)

And, I was especially happy to incorporate a little open shelf for my tea collection. The large painted Russian plate above the tea shelf was a lucky thrift store find, and the big canvas print is a reproduction of my favorite artwork by 19th century Russian artist Ivan Shishkin, printed by The Canvas Art Factory. It really adds a sense of space to the hallway wall and shows my Russian heritage.

(Image credit: Submitted by Nadya)

The asbestos flooring was professionally removed, but because of some remaining asbestos blackjack permanently stuck to the floor, we couldn’t simply polish the floorboards as we did in the rest of the house – so we decided to add cork flooring, which was the last thing to be completed. The doorway to the dining room was widened to open up the space and let more light in.

The old stove went and the new electric stove was installed on the other side, leaving us with so much useful counter space where there was none before! The fridge ended up next to the new stove, and the pantry next to that, so the hallway to the rest of the house could open up and function properly. Also, yay, we even had room for a dishwasher!

(Image credit: Submitted by Nadya)

It is really amazing how this same space that was previously so impractical could become such a user-friendly and sensible kitchen for both of us. It’s the heart of our home and we love it.

Thanks, Nadya!

• Are you interested in sharing a decorating or renovating project with the Apartment Therapy readers? Contact the editors through our Makeover Project Submission Form.

pillargc November 29, 2016 Ideas & Inspiration

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8 Ways to Enhance a Compact Entry (10 photos)

Collecting Christmas Ornaments That Speak to the Heart (7 photos)

Houzz Tour: A Humble but Welcoming Beach House in New Zealand (18 photos)

Calm Swedish Home with Gray and Silver Sage Tones

Tips on How to Arrange your Living Room Furniture

SEE ALSO: Take Your Living Room Design to the Next Level: Accessorize

SEE ALSO: Take Your Living Room Design to the Next Level: Accessorize

14 easy ways to have a modern kitchen

23 pictures of kitchens you'll love!

Things you neglect that would make your kitchen better | Interior Design

1. Choosing a defined colour scheme

21 Insanely Genius Ideas To Decorate The Kitchen In Christmas Spirit For Free

A Dangerous & Dated Kitchen Gets a Much Needed Makeover — Makeover