Geometrics 101

Show Your Soft Side

"To ensure your patterns don't become too harsh or rigid, remember to add patterns with curves, such as concentric circles or waves, to patterns that are more structured, such as chevrons." In this small living room  a curvy zebra rug and circle-like honeycomb pillow was added to offset the sharp diamond pattern on the wall.

Size Things Up

"Scale is the most important part to keep in mind when introducing a geometric, or really any pattern, into a room."  If you pair, say, a large pillow pattern with a small one, the larger pattern will certainly overshadow the small. An easy rule of thumb: pair geometric shapes with the next largest or smallest pattern, matching the large stripes in a vintage print with slightly smaller ones in a pair of chevron stools.

Stay Neutral

This tiny powder room, designed by San Francisco-based Niche Interiors, is a study in bold design.  A slightly metallic ogee trellis wallpaper gives the space an element of surprise. When working with this much pattern, however, you'll want the palette and other elements to remain neutral. "It works because we kept the rest of the bathroom neutral — white moldings, wood floor and a mirror tie it all together.

Ground Your Graphics

Bold prints may win your attention when you enter a room, but your eyes inevitably need a place to rest. Create a few spots in between using a solid color. They'll help ground the geometric patterns and keep it from feeling overly busy, like in this tiled kid's room.

Advanced Geometry

Ready to take your geometric game to another level? Layer it on with other patterns. "I'm a huge fan of layering patterns, but it does take practice."  Blending and layering adds depth, as in the case of this floral window treatment and graphic pillow combo.  Plus, it's much softer and easier on the eyes than two geometric patterns paired together. The trick for making sure two patterns are complementary, "Imagine the pattern in black and white. How much contrast would the pattern have? Is it entirely mid-range or lots of very deep saturated colors contrasted against bright white? When layering, look for some of each."

Keep Your Balance

A common trick of the trade is to juxtapose modern shapes with more classic ones. This adds to a counterbalance of the elegant sophistication to this bathroom's carrera marble countertops. The mirror works as a mix between the two styles — mod with sophisticated lines.

 

Wall Tapestry

Establishing a Mood


The size of large art tapestries means they will set the mood of the room rather than compliment it. As a result, you want to select a tapestry that speaks the message you want heard. If you want a romantic setting in the room, perhaps for a bedroom, you should select a tapestry that exudes romance, such as one with a soft floral design or possibly a lover's scene.

Backdrop

If you have a theme to a room in your home, a tapestry may be the way to set the theme and be a backdrop for the other decor items that you are going to use to accent it. For example, if you want a world traveler theme, which is very popular these days, you may wish to choose a tapestry of beautiful old-world maps. This large tapestry of maps will be the backdrop for the items you have collected along your path of world travels.

Art for Beauty


Sometimes you don't really need a good reason to have a wall tapestry in place in your home, you can do it just because. When you choose a piece of art that you are in love with and have to have it, do you stop to think about if it will fit with the rest of your decor? Not likely. Art is special. Art can be it's own entity and will create it's own place in your home. Many wall tapestries are literally works of art. These have been hand crafted thread by thread to create a design or picture that speaks to you in the same way a painting or sculpture might.

No matter your style, decor preferences or home space, there is always room for an art wall tapestry to brighten up the environment, set the mood you want in play, or just to be a thing of beauty that can be admired by all who see it.

Cool Pools

Shore Inspired

Why We Love It: This unique tidal saltwater pool in Cape Neddick, Maine, embraces natural features for a seamless connection to the sea.

Modern Yet Timeless

Why We Love It: Crystal-blue water and Popsicle-color walls―enough said. The vibrant setting is simple, sophisticated, and fun.

Privacy, Please

Why We Love It: This small pool on the island of Mustique in the Grenadines gives renters a quiet spot to catch some rays, with the bonus of shade under the sturdy pergola. Dense tropical landscaping surrounds the retreat and offers a steady supply of oranges and figs.

A Perfect Fit

Why We Love It: These homeowners had to get creative when adding a pool to their small backyard, so they joined it to the house’s foundation. Folding doors in the family room slide back to reveal the water’s edge.

New England Luxury

Why We Love It: This Connecticut pool sits so close to the sea’s edge that you can cast a rod from one of the lounge chairs. It sports two poolside structures with ornamental roofs reminiscent of graceful, white sails.

Clear View

Why We Love It: A wavy shape nods to the nearby surf, and the infinity edge gives waders a seamless view out to sea―you can’t get much closer to beachfront than this!

This is my favorite design!!!!

Egg-Cellent

Easter Eggs for Your Table

Colorful natural containers pair prettily with classic silver pieces to create an elegant spring tablescape. Find out how to create your own table decorations.

Gather Your Supplies

1 dozen eggs
Pushpins
Spoon
Bleach
Wooden skewers
Craft foam
Brush & craft paint
Assorted pieces of silver (or pewter)

Crack the Shells

Gently tap a pushpin into the top of an egg with the bottom of a spoon. Work in a circle to create an opening the size of a quarter or bigger. To make this job easier, leave the egg in the carton.

Clean the Shells

Empty the contents of each egg into a bowl and discard. Mix 1 tablespoon bleach with a gallon of water, and use to rinse out the inside of eggs.  Return eggs to carton and allow to air-dry (about 15 minutes).

Paint the Shells

Stick wooden skewers into craft foam and set eggs atop to paint. When dry, fill with candy or flowers, like ranunculus, daffodils, hydrangeas, or viburnum. Display with silver down the center of your table.

My daughter-in-law subscribed me to Southern Living as a gift, I loved this article and idea.

Entertaining/Dinner Tonight

Many Cajun and Creole dishes are seasoned with the so-called holy trinity--bell pepper, onion, and celery. This Creole-style jambalaya has lots of tomato in it.

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Yield: Makes 6 to 8 servings

Ingredients

• 2  tablespoons  vegetable oil
• 1  pound  andouille or other spicy smoked sausage, sliced
• 1  large onion, diced
• 1  bell pepper, diced
• 3  celery ribs, chopped
• 4  garlic cloves, minced
• 2  bay leaves
• 1  teaspoon  dried thyme
• 1  teaspoon  dried oregano
• 2  teaspoons  Creole seasoning
• 1  (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes, with juice
• 4  cups  chicken broth
• 2  cups  uncooked long-grain rice
• 1  pound  shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 4  green onions, chopped

Preparation

1. Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add sausage, and cook, stirring constantly, 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove sausage with a slotted spoon; set aside.
2. Add onion and next 7 ingredients to hot drippings in Dutch oven; sauté 5 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Stir in reserved sausage, tomatoes, broth, and rice. Bring mixture to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, covered, 25 minutes or until rice is tender.
3. Stir in shrimp; cover and cook 5 minutes or until done. Sprinkle each serving with green onions.

Paul Prudhomme, K-Paul's. Paul Prudhomme and his restaurant K-Paul's are the driving force behind the national popularity of Cajun food, and have been for almost 30 years. This recipe blends together a whole bunch of different spices to give the chicken a surprising and unique flavor. If you don't have a grill, you can broil the marinated chicken pieces until a nice brown crust forms, then bake at 300º until cooked through.
Prep: 15 minutes; Chill: 6 hours; Grill: Breast 40 minutes, leg 35 minutes, thigh 42 minutes; Stand: 10 minutes.

Yield: Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

• 5  tablespoons  Cajun meat seasoning blend (for testing purposes, we used Chef Paul's Meat Magic Seasoning)
• 1 1/4  teaspoons  ground cardamom
• 1  tablespoon  plus 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1  tablespoon  plus 3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1  tablespoon  grated lemon peel
• 1  tablespoon  grated lime peel
• 1 1/4  teaspoons  ground cinnamon
• 1 1/4  teaspoons  ground nutmeg
• 1 1/4  teaspoons  ground savory
• 3/4  teaspoon  ground allspice
• 3/4  teaspoon  ground dried guajillo or pasilla chile pepper (1/2 pepper)
• 1  tablespoon  plus 1 1/2 teaspoons soy sauce
• 1  (3- to 4-pound) chicken, cut into 8 pieces
• 4  bay leaves
• 1/4  cup  unsalted butter

Preparation

1. Combine first 11 ingredients in a large bowl. Remove 1/4 cup mixture, and set aside. Add soy sauce to remaining seasoning, and stir well to form a paste. Place chicken pieces and bay leaves in a large bowl, and rub chicken evenly with paste. Cover tightly with plastic wrap, and chill 6 to 8 hours.
2. Remove chicken from refrigerator about 1 1/2 hours before grilling so it reaches room temperature. Melt butter, and stir in reserved 1/4 cup seasoning mixture. Set aside.
3. Prepare a hot fire (400º to 450º) by piling charcoal on one side of grill, leaving other side empty. If using gas grill, light only one side. Place chicken pieces over cooler side, and grill, covered with grill lid, 25 minutes for breasts and 30 minutes for thighs and legs.
4. Transfer chicken to hot side, and grill, turning several times and basting with reserved butter mixture, until internal temperature reaches 175º, about 7 1/2 minutes per side for breasts, 3 1/2 minutes per side for thighs, and 2 1/2 minutes per side for legs. Remove from grill, and let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Wood Flooring

The economy may be keeping a lid on spending, but when it comes to flooring, it’s driving trends. That’s because today’s cost-conscious consumer is more demanding of value than ever.

“There’s definitely been a shift from spending to savings, “ says Chris Davis, the president and CEO of the World Floor Covering Association. “But that doesn’t mean consumers aren’t buying flooring: it means they’re looking for value and comfort. They might not be moving up right now, but they’re still into feathering the nest.”

Flooring manufacturers are getting the message. As a result, they’re keen on providing more bang for the buck — reining in high-end marketing and concentrating on products that are sensible, low-maintenance and easy on the budget.
 

 

Tools and Materials:
measuring tape
level
paint roller
paint tray
paint
paintbrush
steel wool
paint extender
Steps:

1. Prepare the area. Select paints, keeping your color scheme and the surfaces in mind. The surface you will paint on will determine the paint sheen for your project.

Clean your surface, then measure off the area for your rug and place painter's tape to keep paints from mixing.

To keep paint lines crisp, we used a utility knife and a level to cut straight lines through the painter's tape.

2. Paint the base coat. With your borders laid out, pour your base paint into a paint tray.

Load the roller with your base paint. Remove any excess paint from the roller onto the ribbed tray.

Begin rolling base paint in your designated area, continuing until the area is completely painted. Touch up any necessary areas, and let the base coat dry.

3. Add the second layer. For the next layer of our rug, measure for placement.

Put down painter's tape to mark the boundaries and paint within the original borders.

After the second layer is dry, take up the painter's tape and lay more down to protect the layers and prepare for the faux fabric finish.
4. Add the faux fabric technique. Mix one part paint extender with four parts paint, and mix well. Pour the extended paint into a tray, remove excess and begin rolling onto the area in small sections.

Before the paint dries, have a partner follow behind with a steel wool pad, dragging it lightly over the paint, creating the faux fabric finishing touch. Continue painting and dragging the steel wool pads until you feel the faux finish looks complete.

5. Finish the rug. Once you've covered the entire rug area, remove the painter's tape.

Consider using a design stencil to add a final decorative finish, and a border design intended to mimic a rug fringe. Allow the paint to dry fully.

Patios/Garden Escapes

The owners of this Venice, California, home needed places to eat and to relax in their renovated yard. A floating bench and a fire bowl, created from a colored concrete planter, make up the new living space. Blue bamboo helps screen the dining area.



A nap on this ship-shaped daybed, inspired by a Chinese boat, may just feel like a journey across the ocean. It turns a simple backyard corner into a perfect lounging spot.



This traditional porch near Palmetto Beach, South Carolina, employs coastal-style architecture to give this new home old Southern charm with shutters that reach all the way to the ceiling. The folding shutters can be opened to let in light and air or closed for more privacy. The slats can be adjusted to let air circulate.


A large stone fireplace is the centerpiece to this screened porch that sits in a wood cabin along Lake Michigan. Fire logs are nestled in a silver drink tub next to a slipcovered ottoman with a floral and fruity pattern.



Two lounge chairs and a fountain make this patio a great place to hang out with friends or take a nap. The lounge chairs are upholstered with chocolate brown fabric, which can stand up to outdoor conditions and easily hide stains.



Just outside this home's kitchen is a patio for casual meals. Paved with saltillo tile, it overlooks the courtyard, with its cooling custom-designed fountain