Home is where the heart is.
Isamu Noguchi was a Japanese American sculptor who utilized a variety of substances and drew inspiration from a range of works across the world. Trips to Japan affected how he looked at light, particularly a visit to Gifu, where he admired lanterns made from mulberry bark paper (washi paper) and bamboo that fishermen used at…
As I type this, Hurricane Sandy is currently making its way around the shore of New Jersey, over a hundred kilometers south of New York City, where I reside with my spouse and daughter. We’re at a two-unit, brick apartment building in northwest Queens, tucked between neighboring houses of comparable size and construction. Since only…
Since Habitat for Humanity’s founding in 1976, the nonprofit and its volunteers have assembled over 500,000 homes internationally. Nevertheless the ambition to provide shelter for those in need has not always been fulfilled with equal architectural ambition. Most of the homes are traditional in terms of construction and form, originating from the places where they’re…
Linoleum is a really enjoyable and inexpensive flooring material. It is sold as tiles and in sheet, wears well, is recyclable and can work with any style. Perfect for high-traffic areas and wet rooms, like kitchens and baths, linoleum floors may be an perfect substitute for wood, tile or carpet. What I enjoy the most…
Decorating seasonally does not have to mean turning your living space to a pumpkin patch every autumn (unless you want to). The trick is to mention the disposition of the season but with a brand new twist — warm up your walls using the classic feel of Instagram photos, make a purposeful display using your…
Anyone who is familiar with Ottawa’s winters will probably tell you: It gets cold in those parts. So when Andrew Reeves’ clients came to him later deciding on a plot of land for their dream home, they expressed visions of a shelter from the biting cold that didn’t detach them from character, along with a…
My design style is traditional, blending contemporary and vintage pieces and a few quirky accessories thrown. This diverse mixture of design components can create a fashionable home with a fun, classy vibe. While I’m always on the search for accessories, fabrics and furniture to bulge my home’s design quotient, more often I look for gems…
Apache plume (Fallugia paradoxa) is a gorgeous, lively wild thing that’s certain to make your heart glow. A dizzy bulk of fine-textured branches, ever-blooming white flowers and gaudy plumed seed heads make this native shrub a yearlong advantage for dry landscapes and landscapes. Jocelyn H. Chilvers Botanical name: Fallugia paradoxaCommon name: Apache plumeUSDA zones: 3…
At a recent interview with Anderson Cooper, Olympian swimmer Michael Phelps revealed that he retains his eight gold awards in the Beijing Olympics in his mother’s makeup case. Having a promising Olympic run (or make this swim) ahead of him, Phelps will need more trendy — and protected — screen choices for the medals he’ll…
A chandelier hangs amidst a grove of ficus trees. The trees were a part of the home’s unique design by Fernando Castillo Velasco, a renowned Chilean architect who built the home 27 decades back. The four ficus trees (and one almond tree) in the home’s interior courtyard are a part of what drew Katz to…