MINIMALIST ELEGANT HOME DESIGN: March 2011

Sunday, March 27, 2011

Home Office Desk: Campton Smart Technology Office Armoire

Home Office Desk - Computer Desk

Overview:
Our artfully crafted armoire works well in rooms of all sizes. Deeply paneled doors wrap around to the sides to reveal a generous workspace.

41.5" wide x 19.5" deep x 73" high
Handcrafted with a kiln-dried hardwood frame.
The space above has six reconfigurable slots and two cubbies with adjustable shelves.
A Smart™ strip in the main compartment provides a centralized plug-in point for laptops, cameras and more.
The cabinet below has a pullout keyboard tray; Adjustable shelves on the left can be removed to accommodate a CPU; on the right, there’s a pullout printer tray with a lateral file.
Hand finished in lacquer that is distressed and weathered for a timeworn patina.
Wood swatches, below, are available for $25 each. We will provide a merchandise refund for wood swatches if they're returned within 30 days.
Fitted with blackened ring pulls.
Tip resistant kit included.
Catalog / Internet only.

Source: potterybarn

Saturday, March 26, 2011

Desk Furniture: Whitaker Vanity Desk

Desk Furniture

Overview:
American country furniture of the 17th and 18th centuries is prized by collectors for its sturdy craftsmanship and graceful design. This desk features all of the best details, such as turned legs, decorative brackets and rosette-style ring pulls.

55" wide x 24" deep x 30" high
Crafted with gracefully turned solid wood legs.
Equipped with spacious drawers with rosette-style ring pulls.
Use as a desk or a vanity.
Finished by hand using our exclusive multistep technique for exceptional depth of color.
View and compare with other collections at Bedroom Furniture Facts.
Simple assembly.

Source: potterybarn

Friday, March 25, 2011

Home Office Desk: Kiera Project Table

Home Office Desk

Overview:
Rich in character and generous in scale, this table is the perfect place to spread out and create. With its long, narrow silhouette and convenient counter height, it also makes a great kitchen island.

80" wide x 33" deep x 36" high
Crafted from pine with a deeply weathered finish that hints at many years of use.
Wood swatches, below, are available for $25 each. We will provide a merchandise refund for wood swatches if they're returned within 30 days.
Catalog / Internet only. To design and price info please see here.

Thursday, March 24, 2011

Home Office Desk: Printer's Office Suite

Home Office Desk - Office Computer Desk

Overview:
A vintage printer’s cabinet with dozens of small drawers for storing type was the inspiration for our newest home office collection. Designed for ultimate versatility – at an exceptional value – its components can be combined in any configuration to create your perfect workspace. To create a configuration ideal for your space, click here to view our Build Your Printer’s Set Tool.

96" wide x 20" deep x 69.5" high
Includes one keyhole desk, one file cabinet pedestal, one cabinet pedestal, two bookcase hutches, one large hutch, one letter file hutch, and two single tops.
The Tuscan chestnut finish is hand applied in layers, with distressing and burnished edges that give the collection the look of a well-loved antique.
Fitted with antique bronze cup pulls.
Wood swatches, below, are available for $25 each. We will provide a merchandise refund for wood swatches if they're returned within 30 days.
Watch a video about the versatility of our Printer’s Collection.

For the purchase of the Home Office Desk information please see here.

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Home Office Desk: Printer's Writing Desk

Home Office Desk

64" wide x 32" deep x 30" high
The writing desk has a single drawer with a drop-down front.
The Tuscan chestnut finish is hand applied in layers, with distressing and burnished edges that give the desk the look of a well-loved antique.
Wood swatches, below, are available for $25 each. We will provide a merchandise refund for wood swatches if they're returned within 30 days.
Watch a video about the versatility of our Printer’s Collection.

For pricing info and design Home Office Desk, please see here.

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Home Office Desk: Printer's Keyhole Desk

Home Office Desk

64" wide x 32" deep x 30" high
The keyhole desk has a drop-down keyboard tray flanked by a file drawer on the right and two smaller drawers on the left.
The Tuscan chestnut finish is hand applied in layers, with distressing and burnished edges that give the desk the look of a well-loved antique.
Fitted with antique bronze cup pulls.
Wood swatches, below, are available for $25 each. We will provide a merchandise refund for wood swatches if they're returned within 30 days.
Watch a video about the versatility of our Printer’s Collection.

For pricing info and design Home Office Desk, please see here.

Monday, March 21, 2011

Interior Design Degree and Programs

A bachelor's degree is recommended for entry-level positions in interior design because it is a technical occupation with keen competition for jobs. Career training programs from professional design schools, colleges or universities usually take between two and four years.

Home Office Desk - Ava Desk

Home Office Desk

Overview:
Thick glass and angular cross-beam supports of silver nickel offer an aesthetic complement to traditional furnishings. Our desk's geometric simplicity and neutral tones layer easily into existing decor, while offering a refreshing style update.

52" wide x 28" deep x 30" high
Crafted from solid spruce with a tempered-glass top.
Finished by hand in our exclusive espresso stain.
Simple assembly.

For pricing info and design Ava Desk please see here.

Sunday, March 20, 2011

Design Bedford Home Office Modular Components

Home Office Desk

Build Your Own - Design Bedford Home Office Modular Components

Overview:

Customize a spacious, organized workspace for all your creative endeavors with the hardwood-framed pieces in our Bedford Collection. The Modular Desk Components can be used alone or combined with others to form a desk, a console or a wall of storage. To create a desk set that’s ideal for your space, click here to view our Bedford Desk Set Tool.

The long desktop fits atop two file cabinets to create a desk, or atop three to make a console.
The Smart Technology™ hutch expands your storage options.
Corner desk includes 1 corner desktop and 2 file cabinets.
Bookcases can be used individually or stacked to create a 4-shelf unit.
Stack the bookcase on the lateral file cabinet to create a hutch.
Pair 2 bookcases with our project tabletop to create more than 12 square feet of workspace.
Available in Antique White or Black finish with brushed-nickel bail pulls, or Espresso stain with matte-brown bail pulls.
Wood swatches are available for $25 each. We will provide a merchandise refund for wood swatches if they're returned within 30 days. Please see available swatches below. See all furniture with wood swatches available.
Select items are Catalog / Internet Only.

To price and design home office desk please see here.

Saturday, March 19, 2011

Design Bedford Corner Desk Set

Home Office Desk

Every piece in our expertly built Bedford Collection can be used singly or combined with others to form a desk, console or wall of storage. The Corner Desk Set provides a spacious work area between two file cabinets and has a support leg for maximum stability. To create a desk set that’s ideal for your space, click here to view our Bedford Desk Set Tool.

The 2-drawer cabinet holds legal- and letter-sized files; the 3-drawer version has 2 sections for supplies and one for files.
Available in Antique White or Black finish with brushed-nickel bail pulls, or Espresso stain (shown) with matte-brown bail pulls.
Includes 1 corner desktop with a corner top and 2 wings, one 2-drawer file cabinet and one 3-drawer file cabinet.
To create your own Corner Desk Set, please view our Modular Components.
Wood swatches, below, are available for $25 each. We will provide a merchandise refund for wood swatches if they're returned within 30 days.

For the price of a home office desk design please see here

Friday, March 18, 2011

Design Bedford Rectangular Desk Set

Home Office Desk

Overview Bedford Rectangular Desk Set

Customize a spacious, organized workspace for all your creative endeavors with the hardwood-framed pieces in our Bedford Collection. The Rectangular Desk Set can be used singly or combined with other modular components to give you the ultimate flexibility in creating a workspace that’s ideal for you. To create a desk set that’s ideal for your space, click here to view our Bedford Desk Set Tool.

70" wide x 23" deep x 30" high
Set includes 1 desktop, one 2-drawer file cabinet and one 3-drawer file cabinet.
Hutch (sold separately) is fully equipped with 2 outlets, a phone jack, an ethernet connection and 2 USB ports. Set the hutch atop the desk to expand your storage options.
Available in Black or Antique White finish with brushed-nickel bail pulls, or Espresso stain with matte-brown bail pulls.
Wood swatches are available for $25 each. We will provide a merchandise refund for wood swatches if they're returned within 30 days.

For info and other desk price please see here

Thursday, March 17, 2011

Bedford Design Small Desk Sets

Bedford overview small desk sets

Desk Set can be used singly or combined with other modular components to give you the ultimate flexibility in creating a workspace that’s ideal for you. To create a desk set that’s ideal for your space, click here to view our Bedford Desk Set Tool.

52" wide x 23" deep x 30" high
Set includes a small desktop and a 3-drawer cabinet or an open cabinet.
Pair it with your choice of Bedford File Cabinet Bases (sold separately) to create a work surface with room to store all the essentials.
Top the desk with our protective sheet made of thick clear acrylic (sold separately)
To create your own Small Desk Set, please view our Modular Components.
Wood swatches, below, are available for $25 each. We will provide a merchandise refund for wood swatches if they're returned within 30 days.
Select items are Catalog / Internet Only.

For the price of desk and other features please see here

Is Home Insurance Required by Law

Home insurance isn't required by law, but all mortgage companies absolutely impose you to have homeowners insurance coverage, otherwise they won't finance your home.

It's a security measure for them to recover their money in case your home burns down or in case of other disasters.

If you live in an area subject to floods the mortgage lender will probably require you to purchase a flood insurance, that isn't usually included or bundled with a standard home insurance.

You're not required to have home insurance if you don't have any mortgage, but you should really consider buying it: if you don't have a home insurance you would be paying for every repair, or worse for a full reconstruction.

There's no need to say that probably you couldn't afford to rebuild your house.

A homeowners insurance will also pay for living expenses you should sustain while your house is being repaired: hotel and other expenses until you can go back to your house.

Purchasing a home insurance policy is a smart choice, you'll always wish that you'll never need to use it, but it's worth the feeling of knowing that, even in case your home received major damages, you'd be backed by your insurance.

If someone accidentally hurts on your property you might be brought to court: you would have to pay for their medical care and provide them income while they're recovering. Home insurance will cover this case too.

In conclusion, home insurance isn't required by law, but you should really consider purchasing one, the benefits you might have from it are enormous if compared to how much it will cost you.

Best Homeowners Insurance Companies

There is not one best homeowners insurance company for every home owner. For one thing, insurance plans are regulated at the state level, and premiums are set at local levels. Your rates could be very different than your brother's rates if he lives one zip code over. Other factors matter too. Some people may benefit because they qualify for home insurance discounts that a particular company offers, while those premium reductions may not benefit his neighbor. So we cannot tell you which specific company is best for all consumers.

But you can find the insurer that is best for you. You can do this by comparing some features that are common to all of the best insurance companies.

Customer Satisfaction - Spending money on a policy will not help you if your insurer does not have your back when you have to make a claim! Find out about the claims process, and find out how well current customers were treated when they needed their insurer's help.
Policy Features - A normal homeowners policy is actually a bundle of protection. You should have your actual building and land covered. You should also have your personal property insured. Beyond that, homeowners need liability in case somebody makes a damage claim on your property. And one final feature that can really come in handy is the location assistance. This will give you a temporary place to live if your home is damaged or destroyed. It is important to understand how these homeowners policy features work if you need to make a claim.
Premiums - Of course, nobody wants to pay too much. Your actual premium will be set by your location, value of your home, policy amounts, and what discounts you qualify for. But insurers do vary, and they are not all the same. You can save a lot of money by comparing home insurance policy premiums.
Discounts - A large property insurance company that covers homes and autos may offer popular discounts if you move all of your business to them. Some insurers will offer discounts for anti-theft or safety features too. You will want to find the insurer who will give you the best deal for things you already do, or that you could do. Many of the discounts that insurers offer are for things that are wise to do anyway. Insurers keep a lot of statistics, and they believe these actions, like installing smoke detectors, helps cut claims and saves lives.

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

History of Area Rugs Part II - Area Rugs in the West

The art of area rug making and the taste for wool area rugs spread across Europe with her contact with Islamic civilization. The earliest European rugs were made in Spain, and some of these pre-date the Muslim invasion. The Synagogue rug, a wool area rug dating from the 14th century, is the earliest extant example of this ancient style. The Armorial carpets, another well-known remnant of this style, has birds and flowers motifs and depictions of Spanish Christian families. This style gave way to the Renaissance style with its silk designs and wreath and pomegranate motifs as the land was re-conquered from the Moors.

In early seventeenth century, France began producing wool area rugs at Savonnerie in the style of Persian rugs. These were densely ornamented with flowers, and were characterized by architectural framing and mythological scenes. The most famous of these were a set of 105 carpets produced under the direction of Charles Le Brun for the palace at Louvre.

Area rug making came to England in late 16th century AD. The 14 extant specimens are called "Norwich carpets" after the town in Northern England where they were produced. These are adaptations of Oriental rug making, especially of the Indo-Persian art. In the coming centuries, the carpet manufacturers Exeter, Moorfields and Axminster became prominent in England. The heart of English area rug manufacture was at Kiddernminster in Worcestershire, where, to this day, a majority of the population is engaged in the industry.

1791 saw the beginning of area rug manufacturing in the United States with William Sprague's first woven carpet mill in Philadelphia. Other such manufacturers sprung up in New England, and the Beattie Manufacturing Company in New Jersey of that era lasted until 1979.

The revolutionary power loom was invented by Erastus Bigelow in 1839. Area rug making doubled and then tripled in the next few years due to the impact of the power loom. Various enhancements and modifications began to be made, and new companies sprung up based on each such modification. Alexander Smith and sons, which was based on the Skinner powerloom, was founded in 1845 and grew to become the largest manufacturer of area rugs in the world by 1929.

At around the same time, in 1926, Marshall Fields, the well-known Chicago retailer, had a traditional Axminster loom modified to create an unprecedented area rug - a wool rug that was woven through the back like Oriental carpets and with the same sort of color variations as an Oriental. These area rugs were called Karastan rugs, and they are still widely manufactured and fawned upon by carpet-lovers.

Another development took place in Dalton, Northern Georgia, where a young woman named Catherine Evans Whitener invented a new method for weaving wool area rugs - this was called tufting and mainly used for making bedspreads. This became widely popular throughout the US and elsewhere, and Dalton became known as the Bedspread Capital of the World.

Meanwhile, wool area rugs also began to mature as an industry. Various new finishing processes were invented by manufacturers in a bid to give their area rugs a more antique, oriental quality. The creation of a faded, vintage patina, much like the grayed photographs of old days, began to gain a sophistication which made it hard to tell an ancient oriental area rug from a present-day rug manufactured by the likes of Karastan. Using chemical dyes, wool area rugs made in present day USA could be given the same texture and appearance that a fabulously ancient Persian rug using vegetable dye could have. The ancient industry seemed to have come full circle.

Pottery Barn: DIY Version Desk

Nicole wants to build a new table that mimic the look of his inspiration Pottery Barn. When Nicole fell in love with Pottery Barn desk he knew he could not, he decided to create their own DIY version. Using the tables on them Effektiv from IKEA and two wooden file cabinet he found on Craigslist.

Nicole painted the desk and filing cabinets (only $75 for the pair) in Timid White by Benjamin Moore. She removed the legs from the Effektiv desk and created mental metal braces to attach the pieces of the desktop together and to secure it to the wall in the corner. The side portions of the desktop simply rest on the top of the file cabinets. The change between the before and after is dramatic, and Nicole's finished product is a DIY inspiration.