Come with me to the Casbah!Written by Debbie Rodgers
A ripe persimmon is a thing of beauty – sweet, succulent and an amazing shade of orange-red. Orange and red continue to be popular colors in decorating this year but 2004’s shades are softer and more vibrant, like ripe persimmons and pomegranates. Don’t limit these jewel-tones to inside of your house. They can be incorporated into a beautiful outdoor theme by using rich and exotic influences of Morocco. •In countries such as Morocco, which line balmy Mediterranean, curtains are often used in place of doors to allow breezes to circulate freely. Use gauzy fabric such as mosquito netting or scrim, a light, sheer, loosely woven cotton or linen cloth used for upholstery lining. Since it’s inexpensive, you can install luxuriously full draperies without going broke. •If you’d rather not have curtains, consider using same fabric as a tent over a table or a chaise. Some nettings come with a center hanging unit, or you can easily make one of a 2’ square piece of plywood and some rope. •Intricate latticework is another element often seen in Morocco. You can emulate look by edging pieces of plain lattice (the closer weave, better) with old carved porch posts. Paint roughly with turquoise or azure and then further distress finish with sandpaper. Alternatively, you can install a carved wooden room screen. •Wood furniture will give you most authentic Moroccan look. Don’t have wood furnishings? Try constructing a simple low-slung chaise from a used solid core door with six fence post tops screwed into bottom. Paint or stain it to look like rich wood and top with a thick cushion (use an 8” foam mattress cut to measure). Use a heavy-weight fabric for cushion cover and make sure it’s a bright orange or red color!
| | So You've Decided to Finish Your Basement!Written by Patrick Condon
When a family decides to finish a basement space, there are so many factors to consider it can seem overwhelming. What does your family want to achieve within new basement? Are you looking for a play area, a family room, a work-out room, home theatre, bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, wet bar, etc? Do you have square footage required to accomplish what you want? How do you get started and how long will it take? How much will it cost and is it worth money? What if there is a huge beam in center of you basement? Do you have to have a building permit? Do you have to remove items you currently have stored in your basement?If these questions make your head swim, try this approach: look for right team of design/build consultants to navigate you through these waters. People often know they want their basement finished, but don't know how to put it all together, whether they have necessary space, or even how to get started. Specialty design/build consultants are able to assess your needs and, after accurate measurements are taken, will design various blueprints to fit your requests. From these drawings you can choose ideas that best suit your requirements and come up with a final blueprint. With this final blueprint in hand, your designer/builders will be able to determine what cost of basement finish will be, and provide a start-to-finish timeline on when project will draw to a close. When determining whether finishing your basement is going to be a worthwhile investment you should consider several variables. Are there comparable homes in your area with finished basements? How long do you intend to live there? Will homes there increase in value, and if so, how fast? With a little bit of research you will be able to answer these questions, and decide if finishing your basement is right for you.
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