House Architecture

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Harry Longmore — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 00:53:56 +0000

Were asking on Facebook today what, in your opinion, is the most romantic type of lighting? Candlelight? Sunset? A cityscape at night?

Here are a few photos to inspire:

Vote!

Meet The Material: Chicken Wire

Dominic Hellyer — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 23:01:16 +0000

What is chicken wire? Chicken wire, also called poultry netting, is a mesh of thin, flexible galvanized wire with hexagonal gaps (Wikipedia). The wire is woven together by a massive loom called a Gambion machine, which makes oddly musical, hypnotically rhythmic sounds as it weave its magic.

What are some of the cool properties of chicken wire? It can stop lightning! Chick

Read full post…

Tips On Choosing The Best Moving Company In Austin

admin — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 09:58:40 +0000

Do you know what it takes to choose the best moving company in Austin, Texas? There are a lot of things that you can do to choose the best moving company in Austin but before you do anything you need to figure out who other people recommend. The reason why you want to know who is the most recommended moving company is because that is probably the best person for the job. Although this is not always 100% accurate, it is most of the time and that should be good enough for you.

One tip that I have is to ask your friends and family who they would recommend for you and why. Once you get enough people to answer this question you can then make an informed decision on your own. Read full post…

DIY Tips and Tricks: Part 1

Amber Higgs — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 06:26:44 +0000

Some people are just naturals when it comes to handiwork and fixing things around the house. Others…not so much. This week and next, we’ve got a little something for everybody, whether you’re Handy Andy or his not-so-handy helper. And for those of you who are a little less handy, many of these ideas and projects are great starter tasks for those who want get a bit more comfortable around the toolbox. Let’s get to it with our Top 10 List of DIY Home Improvement Tips and Tricks.

Number 10: Think Vertically.
So often, our home improvement projects are really home organization projects. More specifically, they’re about fitting as much as possible in small spaces without a big mess. The answe

Read full post…

Landscape architecture tree stamps

Harry Longmore — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 12:30:27 +0000

Tree stamps were once a key technology for landscape architects

On my first day in a landscape architecture office the kind lady at the drawing board behind mine asked What have you done before?. I told her, modestly, degrees in philosophy and landscape architecture. Ah, she said, wisely and with a soft Scots accent,an apprenticeship in the post office would more use the main thing we do here is tree stamping. So, in memory of that happy day, I give you a scan of a very high-class set of tree stamps, which belonged to my former colleague Michael Lancaster.

Read full post…

Growths on Oak Trees Concern Residents

Dominic Hellyer — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 18:34:30 +0000

Oak trees are often full of lumps, furry balls and leaf-like growths sprouting from their leaves, stems and trunks. According to the University of Florida

Knot-like gall on oak tree

about 60 percent of the known galls occur on oak trees. Most are caused by small aphids, psyllids, midges and wasps which are seldom seen affecting the trees.

Galls do raise concern but even though unsightly cause little harm.

Read full post…

How to Stage your Home

Amber Higgs — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 16:53:16 +0000

This guest post was provided by Central Austin homes maven, Allison Allen.

One of the most steps to selling your home is making it attractive to prospective buyers. Showing the house is one thing, but showing it well is a whole different ball game. Even the most seemingly insignificant adjustments can transform your cluttered clamor into the house of people’s dreams. Here are some tips to help you get started.

The first thing to do: remove clutter. Nothing hurts home showings worse than clutter and disorganization and there are plenty of easy ways to de-clutter.

Turn unsightly household objects into home buying appeal. If

Read full post…

Small Bathroom Vanities- Good Choice For Homes With Space Constraint

Harry Longmore — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 07:40:09 +0000

When it comes to the styling of your bathroom, there are multiple factors that you need to understand. One of the most important factors that you need to note is your bathroom is an integral part of the house and it deserves equal importance like any other sections of the house. If you want to make the bathroom appear spacious and at the same time elegant, you need to devote sufficient time for the renovation work or the decoration work of your bathroom. When you are engaged in the beautification work of your bathroom, you should at first select the right type and size of bathroom cabinets.

Read full post…

What’s the best way to paint concrete walls?

Dominic Hellyer — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 19:32:23 +0000

John, although painting an interior concrete wall is almost as simple as painting interior sheet rock, there are a few extra steps needed to insure a good looking finish that will last. The initial step is to clean the concrete wall with some TSP (trisodium phosphate), which should remove any dirt or grease on the wall. If the surface is in really bad shape, then you may need to use a cleaner specially made for masonry surfaces.

Once the surface is clean, then you will need to seal the concrete using a concrete sealing product. You may first need to use a wire brush to remove any loose particles before you can properly seal the wall.

Read full post…

Viva Victorian: The Return of Downton Abbey

Amber Higgs — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 21:01:48 +0000

With January here, many of us are dreading winter’s long, dreary onset. It means shorter days, longer nights and spending time indoors reading, knitting or sitting fireside and catching up on movies. Dreaded nights be damned, as the Crawleys of Downton Abbey have returned to our midst. With the Great War upon them, we’re anxiously awaiting if Mr. Bates’s past will be unearthed and if Anna will accept him; whether Thomas will be revealed as a scheming cad and war dodger; and, most important, will Matthew and Lady Mary finally get it together? To co

Read full post…

Is the Dyson Hot space heater full of hot air?

Harry Longmore — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 11:15:00 +0000

If you’re new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!

I have to admit, the Dyson Hot space heater is a good looking heater, and it damn well better be at $400 a pop!

Read full post…

Got a chronically wet yard? Dig a drainage trench

Amber Higgs — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 00:15:11 +0000

Got a chronically wet yard? Dig a drainage trench Q. I live on a slight grade, and my yard is very wet when we get days of rain or after the snow melt in early spring. I sometimes wonder if theres a spring in my yard. Is there an affordable way to dry out my yard so it becomes something other than a mud pit? Why are some yards well-drained and others are not?

A. Youve come to the right place for this advice. My college degree was in geology, and two of my favorite subjects were geomorphology and engineering geology. Suffice it to say, I know a little bit about landforms and what you can do to intercept and divert the flow of underground water. Read full post…

Real Lighting Projects: A Kitchen Transformation

Harry Longmore — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 09:16:14 +0000

Get ready for some unbelievable before and after pictures.

Todays post features a kitchen remodeling project from Robs Remodeling, Inc. After talking with Rob on the phone, I wished I lived closer to Northbrook, IL (where Robs Remodeling, Inc. is based) so I could hire him for any future remodeling projects I might have. Hes the nicest guy, and hes clearly passionate about doing quality work. I dont do this for the money, he told me. I just love what I do.

Rob says he uses Pegasus Lighting products whenever he can. His favorite under cabinet lighting fixture is the Xenon Triangle Light, and he is a perfectionist about making sure clients cannot see any wires once theyre installed. Bes

Read full post…

A Casual Tablesetting Idea for the Holidays and Beyond

Dominic Hellyer — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 10:10:04 +0000

Maybe it’s because red and green just does not ‘go’ with my living room color palette or maybe it’s because I like things that multitask, but in recent years, I’ve grown tired of the same old red-and-green color combination that appears all over the place this time of year. Don’t get me wrong, I love both of these colors, I love them together, and I do love them at Christmas, some years I just want to go in a different direction with my own Christmas decor. This happens to be one of those years.

While hurrying through the parking lot of Home Depot, I spotted some bright purple-and-green ornamental cabbages that were so exquisite! The colors

Read full post…

House Architecture

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Meet The Material: Chicken Wire

Tips On Choosing The Best Moving Company In Austin

DIY Tips and Tricks: Part 1

Landscape architecture tree stamps

Growths on Oak Trees Concern Residents

How to Stage your Home

Small Bathroom Vanities- Good Choice For Homes With Space Constraint

What’s the best way to paint concrete walls?

Top 10 Most Read Articles of 2011

Viva Victorian: The Return of Downton Abbey

Is the Dyson Hot space heater full of hot air?

Got a chronically wet yard? Dig a drainage trench

Real Lighting Projects: A Kitchen Transformation

A Casual Tablesetting Idea for the Holidays and Beyond