Author Archive
Truth and Chatter / Custom Home Builders
Posted by Michelle in Truth and Chatter on August 13th, 2010
I feel a special affinity for those custom home builders who chug along this not-so-stable economic road and do their best to keep beautifying lives and neighborhoods. With a relative in the building business, I get a close-up view of what integrity means for the general contractor and how important it is. Standing behind one's word when developing a buyer's dream home is what gains you a good reputation. Forging trust is so important and must be maintained throughout the project.
I am completely in awe of those patient souls who work with homebuyers and lead them through the haze of options. This is where an interior decorator makes life easy/easier/a breeze.
I plan on adding a category which features custom home builders across North America. Have a recommendation? I'm listening!
www.inmyfourwalls.com
Floors to adore with Limited Edition
Posted by Michelle in Flooring and Rugs on August 11th, 2010
Looking back at my very first introduction to carpet care, I realize how naive I was to think that it's all about vacuuming. Certain life scenes with the fabulous rose colored carpet as its backdrop were just not in my imagination bank. How could I possibly picture that one day I'd feed my baby her first bite of peas baby food right in the living room? Like, who in their right mind… Of course, it landed/splatted all over the floor. So, I took to blotting and cleaning and scrubbing and spot cleaning those irresponsible stains.
Why the rose color? My love-at-first-sight house had been redecorated shortly before we bought it, with the sellers making a quick decision to pack up their life into an RV and hit the road. Seriously. So the carpet – it was new, it was clean, it was plush, it was cheerful and we kept it. And then, a few years and some gray stains later, we just ripped it out and opted for something more child-friendly. Living in a ranch house with 3 growing children requires a pinch of practicality, you think!?
Limited Edition carpets are very unique. Firstly, they're from Belgium.
They also come with very detailed maintenance instructions, including preventative measures, daily maintenance, and a stain removal guide. Somehow, that moves me.
A kaleidoscope of rugs made of wool, bamboo, silk, goat hair and other luminous yarns bring you a world of choices for your flooring. Limited Edition carpets are available worldwide, with showrooms in France, Belgium and Germany. Founded in 1992 by Katia de Witte, the family managed company is committed to offering superior quality, sustainable production and a luxurious line of flooring to grace the finest of homes.
www.inmyfourwalls.com
Alno Mirror Cabinets – In Your Four Walls
Posted by Michelle in Medicine Cabinets, Wall Decor on August 9th, 2010
When I went house-hopping (or shopping) with my real estate agent many moons ago, it was a love-at-first-sight story. I knew intuitively that this house would be mine one day and it was only a matter of how soon. The sellers delighted in my smile each time I came by and were glad to give over their precious possession to someone who appreciated it as much as they did. As it happens, the nicest room in the house was the Bathroom. Why, of course! It was graced with a skylight, step-up whirlpool tub, marble floor, pedestal sink, and matching accessories.
(That's not what sold the house, though. It was the beautiful green outdoors, the screened in porch and comfy outdoor furniture… Back to ALNO now!)
So where do ALNO Mirror Cabinets fit in? Right above the pedestal sink! I discovered that the simple, splendid, oval mirror actually was a medicine cabinet, too!
Loved its secret and loved its message – see me but don't see through.
ALNO proudly graces homes around the globe and have beautified many projects. ALNO bathroom mirror cabinets feature a solid stainless steel body and heavy duty hinges, for added support and smooth motion. Designed to maximize space, ALNO mirror medicine cabinets are available in a variety of styles, pleasing a variety of tastes and budgets.
Understand ALNO. It's right behind the door.
www.inmyfourwalls.com
Ava – an accessible tub by Aquatic
Unbeknownst to the majority of active residents of this planet, there are those of us whose bathing experience is more an experience than a bath. When movement is strained, needs calculation or fine-tuning, the challenge of finding the right position for entry and exit of the bathtub and of maneuvering once inside can be daunting. These hardships are completely eliminated with the wonder tub, Ava, by Aquatic. A new twist to the walk-in tub concept, Ava raises the bar for the line of accessible bathroom tubs.
Aquatic's state of the art technology brings the automated door down for easy transfer to bathtub. Specialized design allows for a roomy bathing area and perhaps the best part – no need to wait more than 30 seconds for water to drain! Unique holding tank under tub allows water to drain later, after swift evacuation from bathing well. Ease of access to the Ava tub assures that the important benefits of hydrotherapy will not be diluted by poor structure of a tub.
Ava is available as a soaker, whirlpool or airbath. What a relief for the seeker of accessible bath fixtures.
Ava by Aquatic
an exceptional accessible
- Ava by Aquatic
Vola Faucets for Kitchen & Bath
Posted by Michelle in Bathroom Faucets, Kitchen Faucets on August 4th, 2010
VOLA is one manufacturer that maintains its design integrity throughout each of its many products. No, your eyes are not playing tricks on you. There are actually lots of different VOLA faucets, quite similar in style yet unique in essence. A proud family business located in Denmark, VOLA has been at the forefront of faucet technology for over forty-five years.
A rainbow of colors spread out for your personal choice, a large product family for coordination and accessories, a top-notch company which pursues excellence in all areas – such wonderful qualities for a favorite four letter word – VOLA!
Art Designed by Nature – Root 52 Gallery
Rosewood
Tigerwood
Blackwood
Teak
Roots so vibrant
Hear them speak!
Cachimbo
Quebracho
Cedar
Fustic
Unearth the treasures
rare and rustic
Deep in the Costa Rican rainforest, tree roots, otherwise left for naught, are carefully harvested and used in the most creative ways by artisans who speak the language of roots.
Root52 Gallery, located in New York’s Catskill Mountains right off Route 52, displays the most amazing collection of bowls, vases, tables, chairs, and even jewelery, all carved from hardwood roots. The wood species mentioned above are only a partial list of types that are represented at Root52.
With the recognition of each species’ character and the talent to explore the roots’ messages, artisans in Costa Rica handcraft unique and exotic creations for Root52 that are in synch with the environment and ecologically responsible.
www.inmyfourwalls.com
Truth and Chatter
Posted by Michelle in Truth and Chatter on August 1st, 2010
There. Once in a while we can expand our walls to include some chatter, with but a smattering of truth. Be it about design, be it about fixtures or fun-ctures. Junctures or Functions. Fixation or fiction. We can expand our walls to include more of the stuff that talks to us. Not just the stuff that talks to them about us.
And for your information, fun-cture is not a word, except if you count this. For me fun-cture is all about fun. How we each define fun is too diverse, so we won’t go there. But for fun there must be time. Life’s just too stressful without a good laugh.
How do you keep your sanity (not sanity-ware) all week?
www.inmyfourwalls.com
3 Toilets by Duravit
DURAVIT
a perfect
fit
Whatever the shape
Whatever your style
Duravit complements it.
Who hasn't heard of Duravit, with its solid reputation and countless products? Duravit has been around for close to 200 years – that's TWO HUNDRED YEARS !! – with ceramic fixtures and matching furniture for the bathroom. Here are three deliciously simple and sleek toilet styles that captured my eye – each so different yet singular in beauty. Which captures you?
Happy D. , on top left, is a series based on the letter D – simple as that, and smiley, too. Next, the 1930 Series toilet is a classic octagonal shape that is still popular and beloved. Finally, the Caro toilet – my favorite of the three – is a study in simplicity. Baring the design down to a minimum, all fixtures in the Caro series reflects purity and reductionism.
With world-famous designers on board their ship, Duravit is at the forefront of the latest in bathroom design featuring over forty series in their catalog. Shaping the bathroom as a personalized room, with quality fixtures and up-to-date styles is what Duravit does best.
Happy D.
1930 Series
Caro
www.inmyfourwalls.com
MB Quart – Vanishing TV Mirror
Posted by Michelle in Bathroom Accessories, Wall Decor on July 28th, 2010
Was it YOU who MB Quart had in mind when masterminding the Hidden Reflections Vanishing TV Mirror? I am busy wondering if it was, perhaps, designed for me. Truthfully, I am a laid back soul who prefers to catch up on the news at my own leisure. I enjoy the solitude of my dressing room, the bubbles of a tooth-brushing ceremony and a me, myself and I shower.
But I am a gal who enjoys a framed mirror atop a fireplace – the clean look of a wall-mounted LCD – and the convenience of not having to choose the perfect spot for the TV. When you think of the two-for-one that MB Quart is running, you can understand why the Hidden Reflections Television Mirror appeals to the masses. It answers the call of those who seek an entertainment option for bathroom space or a sleek hideaway for their TV. MB Quart offers TV Mirrors in assorted sizes and custom options, along with a waterproof remote and self-contained speakers for the brightest and clearest viewing of yourself and TV.
Time to re-think our question – for whom doth the mirror sing?
www.inmyfourwalls.com
CaesarStone Quartz Countertops
Posted by Michelle in Architectural Elements, Kitchens on July 27th, 2010
After viewing a chart so clear convincing there really isn't much more to say. But to those of you who enjoy reading for reading's sake (and the back of the cereal box is not available right now…) let's talk. CaesarStone is made of quartz, one of the world's hardest surfaces. No sealing EVER necessary sounds too good to be true, but so t'is! Virtually care-free and a shocking beauty, CaesarStone has captured the heart of leading kitchen and bathroom designers and was chosen to be featured in House Beautiful's Kitchen of the Year in 2009 & 2010.
Available in multiple textures and in over forty colors, your quartz countertops can be customized with the best surface on the market to suit your taste and your home style. Gaining popularity across North America, CaesarStone takes pride in their impeccable customer service, as well as their GreenGuard certification and stringent environmental standards.
CaesarStone might be just the element your room is craving.
courtesy: thekitchendesigner.org
www.inmyfourwalls.com
