Christmas Trees

It's that time of year again, Christmas. Decorating a tree and house for the holiday stresses some people out. They think you have to have a theme. Theme trees are pretty, but if you don't have the money to redecorate every year (I sure don't) I suggest buying bulbs in your desired color and ornaments that you can use again or get a really good deal on.

Some ideas for theme trees -

Colors: white, Blue and silver, red, green, red and gold, green and silver, red and white,  pink, purple etc.

From the Better Home and Garden web site

Picture from the Green Head.com

Or Objects: birds, bears, angels, snowmen, etc.

The first year I moved to Arizona I had nothing (I had left my Christmas decorations at my parents)  so I bought a tree (fake pre lit),  used small stuffed animals that I already had as ornaments and bought plastic bulbs, and made ribbon bows in red, red and gold, and used a table cloth for a tree skirt.

The majority of the time on Christmas I use ornaments from my childhood.  I love the memories associated with  each ornament. Porcelain ones Grandma Lila made me, ones Aunt Monie bought me (one every year), ones mom picked out for me or we bought together every year.

I like the eclectic look for a Christmas tree. The key is to spread the colors out evenly.  Don't put all your blue ornaments next to each other. Spread them out so when you look at the tree you see all the colors. I use all colors but my main color is red. This goes good with my living room.  My furniture is red and I use red and blue throughout the house. The front door has a wreath with red ribbon and two snowmen in blue stand at the right of the door in the entry. If you have green use that as your primary color.  

Ceiling Treatments

Ceiling types are: 

Flat (most common) Drywall and plaster construction.

Picture from http://www.houzz.com

Panel - Planks or panels are precisely cut, installed side-by-side and then stained or sealed to adorn flat or vaulted ceilings. They provide an elegant or cozy cottage feel;

Beamed - Exposed beams or joists, often in a dark finish to contrast with a white ceiling. They're arranged horizontally and generally intersect at various points. They provide a masculine or rustic elegance;

Picture from http://www.njestates.net/Resources/custom_homes

 Coffered - Considered by some designers to be an "Old English" touch, these ceilings often are found in home libraries or studies. This architectural finish actually has its roots in the stone coffers of ancient Greece. In today's homes, coffered ceilings contain sunken panels, often squares or rectangles;

 Picture from http://brillanteinteriors.blogspot.com/2012/05/ceiling-is-limit.html

Cathedral - With tall, steeply pitched angles that meet symmetrically at an overhead crease, these ceilings take on the shape of a traditional church interior. They offer a dramatic, airy feel;  

Picture from http://www.houzz.com

Cove - A gracefully curved arch that unites the ceiling and the upper walls and corners, eliminating sharp transitions and offering soft lines;

Drop - Also known as a false or suspended ceiling, a drop ceiling features a grid of thin metal channels filled with lightweight, 2-foot-wide tiles;  

Tray - This ceiling has a recessed midsection that's higher than the perimeter, which provides a sense of spaciousness. This style has a clean, simple finish with an extra layer of crown molding. It can be dressed up with recessed lighting and other features;

Bulkhead - drops the ceiling down about a 12" or more but only in currant areas. Usually seen in kitchen above cabinets or like the below picture gives interest to the ceiling in this study;

Barrel Vault - also known as a tunnel vault or wagon vault, is commonly seen in home wine cellars, can be a very unique architectural feature. Think of the curved section you'd have if you cut a barrel vertically into sections - this resembles the curve of a barrel vault;

Picture from http://www.estestinc.com/residential-interior-design/old-world/old-world-residence-6

Groin Vault Ceiling - A groin vault or groined vault (also sometimes known as a double barrel vault or cross vault) is produced by the intersection at right angles of two barrel vaults.^[

 Picture from http://www.houzz.com

Shed - A shed ceiling has a flat surface that slants upward on one side. These ceilings are typically seen in Cape Cod-style homes with dormers or in homes where the attic has been extended to create additional living space

Picture from http://www.homedsgn.com/2012/11/01/ralston-avenue-residence-by-urrutia-design/

Dome - a rounded vault forming the roof of a building or structure, typically with a circular base.

Ceiling materials:

Drywall with plaster (smooth and/or textured) see Flat Ceiling picture for example

Popcorn ceiling - These lumpy off-white or gray ceilings were commonly sprayed on from the 1950s through the early 1980s., wood (planks and/or paneling);

Metal or Tin  - metallic, ornate finish in the late 1880s. Traditionally, sheets of thin tin plates are stamped with a design and snugly meshed. Today, a faster way to achieve the tin look is to use a hand-painted finish or aluminum or plastic panels.;

Gold or Silver Leaf -  can add interest

Moldings/Trims -  Applied molding on the ceiling to add interest.

Picture from http://www.houseofturquoise.com

 Tongue and Groove -  Wood planking commonly used on walls can also add interest to a room’s ceiling.

Grass Cloth - commonly used on walls can add  warmth to a room by adding it to the ceiling seen in powder rooms, bathrooms, and bedrooms.

Picture from http://glucksteinhome.tumblr.com/page/2

Brick - Rustic look used in French Country and Tucson style homes.

Tile (usually in showers)

Picture from http://www.houzz.com

Acoustical tile - Often utilitarian. These ceilings are typically covered with muted, light-colored square tiles. Of course, this ceiling feature isn't about "look" as much as it is about absorbing noise in a home theater, gym or office.

Picture from http://dirtt.net/public/resources/gallery/index.php?pg=10

Keep in mind that patterns, dark or bright colors, textures, horizontal bands or beams, will lower the feel of the height of the room. Smooth surfaces or light, pale, or dull colors, angled ceilings with beams or band will visually lift the ceiling height.

Color Theory

Color Theory

Basic Terms:

                Hue: basic color on the color wheel

                Tint: adding white to a hue to lighten it

                Shade: adding black to a hue to darken it

                Tones: adding grey to a hue to "tone" it down

Color Wheel:

(picture from http://fivestarpainting.com)

                Primary Colors: red, blue, yellow

                Secondary Colors: green, orange, and purple

Tertiary Colors: yellow-orange, red-orange, red-purple, blue-purple, blue-green, and
yellow-green

Color Schemes:

                Analogous:  any three colors side-by side on the color wheel

(picture from http://www.sensationalcolor.com)

(picture from http://homesynchronize.com)

                Complementary: any two colors directly across from each other  on the color wheel

(picture from http://www.sensationalcolor.com)

(picture from http://www.nurserynotations.com)

                Triadic: any three colors that are evenly spread around the color wheel

(picture from http://www.google.fr)

                Split Complimentary:  a base color and two colors adjacent to its direct complement 

                      

(picture from http://www.sensationalcolor.com)

(picture from http://prepfection.com/)

                Tetradic: two sets of complementary pairs

                                                (picture from http://www.sensationalcolor.com)

                Square: four colors spread evenly around the color wheel

                Monochromatic: varying shades, tints, and tones of one color

 

(picture from http://design-seeds.com)

                Nature: gray, browns, beige, white

(picture from http://www.flickr.com)

(picture from http://design-seeds.com)

                Warm Colors:  Red, Orange, Yellow

                Cool Colors: Blue, Green, purple

Color Facts:

            Red: is energetic, attention-grabbing, exciting, and aggressive; encourages appetite; Feng shui recommends painting the front door red to invite prosperity to the residents;

(picture from http://09am.com/)

            Orange: stimulates activity, stimulates appetite, and encourages socializations; is warm and welcoming, so it makes guest feel at home;  playful, childlike, happy, modern.

            Yellow: is psychologically the happiest color in the spectrum; stimulates mental processes; stimulates the nervous system; activates memory; encourages communication; Good for classrooms; most likely to strain eyes or cause eye fatigue. Bright yellow is known to make baby's cry so do not use it for a nursery.

            Green: is calming, refreshing, relaxing mentally and physically, and good for family room or bedroom.

            Blue:  Calms and sedates; is seen as trustworthy, dependable, and committed; is the least gender specific color; most used color for offices; curbs appetite

            Purple: uplifts, calms the mind and nerves, offers a sense of spirituality, encourages creativity, is an aphrodisiac so it's great for the bedroom

            White: aids mental clarity, encourages us to declutter, evokes purification of thought or actions, enables fresh beginnings;  makes room feel bright, simple and clean; good for hospitals and schools; there are more colors of white commercially than any other color

            Pink: romantic, soft, tender; is a natural calming color so it's perfect for a nursery; encourages friendliness while discouraging aggression and ill-will so it’s used in holding cells in prisons

(picture from http://www.hgtv.com)

            Brown: is bold and burly great for the man cave; Beige is classic and neutral

            Gray: unsettles, creates expectations; intellect, knowledge, and wisdom; long-lasting, classic, sleek, refined; natural color

            Black: is the lack of color; evokes power, sophistication and intelligences so it's good for the office

           

                

Bath Remodel

                When dealing with bath remodels try to give clients choices.  In this project when first talking to the client, I thought they wanted to keep the existing cabinets and refinish them; but later they said they wanted to replace them.  I presented them with a new, slightly altered, cabinet configuration. However, the budget became an issue so we decided to go back to the existing cabinets and just refinishing them.

                In both options we needed to replace the existing  toilet, sink, countertop, and tub surround, which were in a mauve color. We also were replacing the light pink carpet with a neutral tile.

                The client decided that they wanted a cottage look with white wainscot on the walls with a light blue paint above.

                Another option for the walls is to have a chair rail and paint the bottom white and the top light blue. This is a budget conscious option.

                                Another issue that came up for this project was the existing tub/shower surround was one piece which was installed during construction of the house. For remodeling purposes in order to get through the existing doorway, we will need to go with two pieces:  a tub with tile or a tub with a separate surround.  

                                Another option is to refinish the existing tub and surround in white (this is usually done by a certified company). This is a less expensive option than replacing the whole tub and shower surround. 

Stove Hood Vents

Stove hoods can be stainless steel, plaster, plaster with tile, tile, wood, and a microwave/vent.                 

                               

Stove hoods can be against the wall or floating in the middle of the room for islands and peninsulas.  When they are floating in the middle of the room they usually referred to as free standing or floating hoods.  Another type of vent is a down draft which is usually used for island cook-tops.

                     

All hoods should be vented to the outside either through the roof or outside wall.