Japanese-Style California Beach House

Anthony and Shannon Demma’s House is steps away from East Cliff Beach at Santa Cruz, California. Anthony had bought it as a spec home — something that he planned to remodel and sell. But as he and wife Shannon started the remodeling process, they fell in love with it and could not let it go.

Both are accredited green contractors. Together they own Living Design (Shannon handles the layout, side and Anthony the structure ) and he also owns A D Structure. They worked together to unite Shannon’s modern aesthetic with Anthony’s Craftsman design. “It was not easy, and it required a great deal of compromise,” says Shannon. “There were times when we were saying,’no way!’ To every other.” The family lived here for five decades. The home is their Santa Cruz beach getaway and a holiday rental.

at a Glance
Who lives here: Shannon and Anthony Demma
Location: East Cliff Beach, Santa Cruz, California
Size: 1,200 square feet; two bedrooms, 2 baths

Shannon Malone

The few had the option to make a second narrative, but that could have meant getting rid of the studio at the back. They decided to stick with the design along with the studio, which is currently Shannon’s mother’s house. “It’s nice to not have a monster home,” says Shannon. “It’s a wonderful scale for the area, and I have people come up to me all the time telling me just how much they love it.”

This cherry blossom tree, red door and matching outdoor furniture hint at Shannon’s love of Japanese style.

Shannon Malone

The home before the remodel.

Shannon Malone

Anthony wanted every facet of the house to feel private and hand-crafted, therefore that he created a Craftsman-style picture invisibly with custom elements. The cement tiles of the porch had been hand-cast by Anthony, along with the front terrace was custom made by Albert Borges of Studio64 Ironworks.

Shannon Malone

Shannon loves to mix comfortable, cozy pieces with more modern decor. These vintage tufted heirloom chairs are some of Shannon’s treasured bits. “I love them,” she says. “They’ve been re-covered like, four times.”

The accent cushions, from a Santa Cruz store, are also some of her favorites. The light was custom made by Johnson Art Studio in neighboring Watsonville.

Couch: Couch Potato; rug: Modern Life

Shannon Malone

The couple’s color palette and layout are substantially influenced by a Japanese aesthetic. The house is filled with thematic adornments and heavy red hues. Local artist Glenn Carter and Lucas Carter of Definitive Nice Painting painted the red living room wall. The fan over the TV has been passed down to Shannon from her grandma.

Shannon and Anthony wished to raise the roof and ceiling to give the home more space within the guidelines of the county’s construction restrictions. At the time, many of the choices were gruesome, till they found that the Japanese farmhouse style. The few were drawn to the Japanese style due to its own woodworking and joinery. “The lines are easy, yet there’s a sophistication and thoughtfulness to the way everything comes together,” says Shannon.

Shannon Malone

The kitchen has plenty of closets, drawers and built in closets, maximizing storage space so that everything has a location and the space is not cluttered.

The few used reclaimed Douglas fir and redwood throughout the house.

Shannon Malone

Anthony had the Sub-Zero appliances built into the cabinetry, allowing the beautiful timber to be the middle of attention.

Bar stools: Crate & Barrel

Shannon Malone

Among the couple’s next projects is building a bench below the dining room window to make a cozy space to enjoy the surroundings. “This will be my new favorite spot in the home once it is completed,” says Shannon.

Dining table and chairs: Crate & Barrel

Shannon Malone

Shannon provides this advice to remodelers:”Think about it a great deal before you build anything. I truly wish we’d sat down and thought about it more before we started; it would have focused us.”

Shannon Malone

The windows were created by Anthony and handmade using reclaimed Douglas fir.

The few chose to utilize a very dark brown color on the walls to draw attention to the windows along with their craftsmanship. “Dark colors draw your eye into the windows and place emphasis on the facts,” says Shannon.

Paint: Mink, Benjamin Moore

Shannon Malone

The silver foliage at the living room ceiling has been another customized addition done by Glenn and Lucas Carter.

Shannon Malone

Because the house is a holiday home, the beds don’t have any frames, making them easy to move about and maintain.

Duvet cover: Crate & Barrel

Shannon Malone

The master bath was an addition made by the couple to give the space a more luxurious feel. Its spacious layout and sliding door allow it to feel large and inviting. The timber detailing on the ceiling is another nod to Japanese style.

Shannon Malone

The few waited months to get their stone order for the master tub but say it had been well worth the wait.

Stone: Walker Zanger

Shannon Malone

The little guest bedroom employs every inch efficiently, with matching twin beds plus a bookshelf that doubles as a nightstand. The large windows and a skylight fill the space with light.

Duvet covers: West Elm

Shannon Malone

The 3form panel sliding doors, such as this one in the guest toilet, help light flow freely, and also the sheer panel produces a serene and soft atmosphere. They used the exact same style doorway between the kitchen and the laundry room.

Shannon Malone

The panel doorway fills the guest toilet with soothing light, ideal for relaxing following a day at the beach.

Shower and countertops: Fossil Green stone, Integrated Resources, South San Francisco

Shannon Malone

The sunny loft, now largely used for additional storage, is accessible only to the family.

Shannon Malone

The couple designed the tiny back patio with efficiency and scale in mind. They built in closets, with a surface hand-cast by Anthony, as well as a bench for additional seating. Mirrors across the fence give an illusion of more space.

Shannon Malone

Anthony doesn’t believe in wasting anything, so when he had some additional pieces of stone from another building job, he generated this chevron-patterned pathway adjoining to the home.

Shannon Malone

Shannon enjoys her cozy heirloom chairs.

Wide plank floors: Carlisle

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Guest Groups: A Scandinavian-Inspired Christmas

This season I am decorating my home for Christmas with a Scandinavian-inspired theme. I am always drawn to Scandinavian design, and I love to see how such homes are decorated for Christmas: typically simple and understated with lots of nature-inspired components, candlelight and a frequent color theme of reds, reds and wood tones. — Candice from The Style Boards

Sukima

Jul Candle Holders

Warm and cozy candlelight is the perfect mood lighting for cold and dark winter nights. These ceramic candle holders are perfect for displaying a large number of candles together.

Bodie and Fou

White Paper Star Decorations – GBP 16.50

Paper stars such as these would be an ideal accent to some Scandinavian-inspired Christmas. These are simple, understated and beautiful. I would hang them at different heights in front of a picture window.

Jamali Floral & Garden Supplies

2in Red & White Mushrooms Picks – $8.99

Red and white is a frequent color scheme in Scandinavian Christmas decor. These mushrooms are just so cute and tie right into the color scheme. They are on wires so you just wrap them around your tree branches, and they sit in the tree. I purchased these for my tree this season and I just can not get enough of these!

Terrain

Wicker Tree Skirt – $48

A frequent theme in Scandianvian homes would be to put the Christmas tree display in a beautiful basket or bucket. I adore this wicker basket from Terrain; it will surely add a bit of unexpected charm to your tree.

Jamali Floral & Garden Supplies

Antique Silver Cylinders – $7

These antique mercury glass vases cast a beautiful glow when filled with candles, or else they could be the perfect vessels for exhibiting winter branches.

Eclectic Candle Holders & Candelabra – GBP 14.75

I love the rustic feel of those lanterns. They are a excellent nature-inspired element to bring to some Scandinavian Christmas theme.

Sukima

Jul Ornaments

I am obsessed with these tiny ceramic ornaments. I think they are so simple and beautiful, and I love the white and red butcher’s twine they are hung with. They’d be a perfect touch to some Scandinavian-inspired Christmas tree.

Jayson Home

Lucite Antlers – $175

I love decorating with nature-inspired components such as deer antlers. You can hang ornaments or stockings off of these, and because they are white they blend perfectly with a Scandinavian Christmas color scheme.

West Elm

Papier-Mâché Reindeer – $39

Scandinavian Christmas decor always looks motivated by nature, which is why these papier-mache reindeer are a perfect addition to this theme. Display them along with some bottle brush trees for a gorgeous holiday display.

West Elm

Faux Fur Throw – $119

There’s no doubt that it gets cold in Northern Europe! Fur blankets are always on display in Nordic houses, and these faux-fur blankets from West Elm are perfect for keeping warm on cold winter nights.

Etsy

Dala Horse from Mid Mod Mom

The Dala horse is a traditional Swedish folk art piece. They are usually seen in white and red but can come in a range of colors. I love the white and red ones because they are perfect for Christmas, which is 1 thing that you are able to exit year-round.

Cox & Cox

Great Games Crackers – GBP 12.50

Christmas crackers are so much fun and such a fantastic tradition to add to your Christmas meal. I love these because they are white and red and motivated by Scandinavian folk art.

Pottery Barn

Live Paperwhite Bulb Kit in Gold Leaf Cachepot – $49.50

Paperwhites are these beautiful accents this season. They are lovely on display in front of a window and such a wonderful touch of greenery throughout the coldness of the winter.

TOAST

Christmas Stocking – GBP 12.50

I adore these stockings! I purchased them for my house this season and they are amazing. They look so cute hanging up near the tree. The white and red color palette is perfect for a Scandinavian-inspired theme, and the simple fact that they are knit adds to their charm.

Paper Source

Nature is a frequent theme throughout Scandinavian Christmas decor, and that’s precisely why this faux bois wrap paper is a superb option. I am using this season and garnished with pine cones, evergreen and twine.

Terrain

Swedish Star Lantern – $82

What else could say Scandianvian Christmas such as this beautiful Swedish lantern with a folk art style? Hang it in a picture window or entryway to welcome visitors in your home.

notonthehighstreet.com

This wrapping paper is indeed charming, cute and motivated by traditional Scandinavian design. It’ll be the perfect accent for under the tree.

Modern Seasonal Decorations – GBP 4.50

This clay ornament with a Swedish folk art design is the perfect touch to some Scandinavian-inspired Christmas theme. I adore pieces like those hanging off of door knobs or cabinet pulls to bring a little touch of Christmas through the whole residence.

Mr Yen

Mr Yen Christmas Tape – GBP 4.50

When wrapping gifts, I enjoy using plain papers and dressing them up with vases such as this white and red holiday tape with a Scandinavian feel.

Folksy

Lino Print Tree Decorations – GBP 3.50

Among the things I adore about Scandinavian design is your folk art. These tree decorations are a beautiful representation of traditional folk art and are perfect for Christmas.

Next:
Scandinavian Style with a Twist

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Give Your Space a Leg Up

Some individuals are so taken by means of a chair’s seat base or back or a table’s smooth surface they completely forget to look at what is supporting the entire structure. Short and slender or muscular and towering, the ideal table or chair leg can truly add that extra oomph into a space. Have a look at those gorgeous examples and collect ideas about how best to bridge function and fun at your home by selecting the most appropriate furniture leg to your area.

Marla Schrank Interiors

Complement and contrast with wood. These Cherner pub stool legs provide just the ideal amount of curve and contrast to the angular floating cabinets and kitchen countertop surface. “The Cherner chairs mention the organic world in both form and substance. Their glistening brown color and feminine stance appeal to the eye and also juxtapose from the masculine traces of the kitchen island,” says home stager Robin DeCapua.

The curves of the tanned stool legs also echo the curves of the ceramic vases and headboard crystal. From that standpoint the stools look like three women along with their backs turned, standing side by side. “The curves and streamlined nature of the wood add a feeling of lightness into the room and match the hard lines of the modern kitchen,” says interior designer Allison Jaffe.

Echo parts of the space. In this area, the dining table’s curved leg shape speaks into the conventional paneling and decorative molding in interior designer Mikel Irastorza’s bright and lofty apartment. “Pairing the dining table with new, white contemporary chairs makes the space sing. Even though the other components in the space speak eloquent contemporary, the table does a lot of the heavy compositional lifting by yanking the space together,” states DeCapua.

jamesthomas Interiors

Throw in a few spins . This oenophile’s tasting package is full of lines and right angles: Just take note of the storage racks, Philippe Starck Kong Barstool thighs and sliding balcony door framework. What better way to contrast this angular and modern space than using the accession of a twisted cocktail table? Its twisted shape and weather-beaten look add an entirely new shape to the otherwise sleek suite.

Emily McCall

Take a curvy shape. This warm and airy dining area is predominantly rustic and vintage in style. But instead of adding more lines into the room by means of wooden chairs or chairs, or by pairing the dining table with upholstered seats, contemporary Panton chairs were utilized by the homeowner, adding whimsy and a touch of playfulness into the room.

DeCapua reminds us that”too many straight legs leaves a room start to resemble a picket fence.” Take heed and throw your space a curve every now and then.

Catherine Cleare

Remove visual interruptions. The use of Lucite chair and seat legs retains the visual plane in this area from being interrupted and enables the distinct white and blue pattern scales to shine.

The Clear Choice: Lucite Chairs

DKOR Interiors Inc.- Interior Designers Miami

In this living space, the Lucite coffee table gives the illusion of a floating java table and reveals a patterned carpet without developing a visual disturbance.

Add stability using a stylish stump. Consider surrounding a huge trunk base with chairs that provide contrast. In this contemporary dining area, the Ferruccio Laviana UFO oval dining table is encompassed by Saarinen armchairs; the skinny, tubular steel legs of the contemporary chairs lessen the heavy visual weight of the hefty table base.

Modern Icons: Saarinen’s Executive Chair

Elad Gonen

Create an illusion. A three-legged dining table with just two legs, the Noguchi table adds a sculptural and illusory effect for this perfectly styled and polished midcentury-modern living area. At a space where all the other furniture legs are directly and predictably come in fours, the free-form sculptural base legs of the iconic, tasteful low table seem to beg everyone to not take themselves too seriously.

More:
Six Tips for Choosing the Fantastic Sofa
10 Things to Consider when Deciding on a Coffee Table

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12 Prepped-Out Patterns

Playful preppy designs have always been a personal favorite. In fact, I have met people at conventions who recall me years after “Becky with all the whale pants.” If you prefer to rock some Vineyard Vines style on your laundry, odds are you’d enjoy preppy patterns around the home. Following is a peek at a dozen prints that won’t ever go out of prepster style.

Tobi Fairley Interior Design

Plaid. Whether it’s from a prep school uniform, either a Scottish clan or the Burberry store, plaids will always be preppy. Here designer Tobi Fairley has added a lively plaid (and a monogram; more on that later) for this very tailored bedscape.

Elizabeth Dinkel

Paisley. First introduced to the Western world by the East India Company, this British colonial import brings a preppy look that could go from crisp to wild, depending upon the colour palette.

Vielle and Frances

Leigh Settee by Lilly Pulitzer – $2,500

All things Lilly. If it’s a Lilly Pulitzer tag, it’s mechanically preppy, no matter the print. Did you know if you look hard, you can view “Lilly” hidden within any Lilly Pulitzer print?

Forum Phi Architecture | Interiors | Planning

Herringbone. Most frequently seen on a prep’s sportcoat, herringbone patterns have spread across floors, more than furniture and up walls. It’s a more preppy routine compared to its cousin chevron.

Kayron Brewer, CKD, CBD / Studio K B

Houndstooth. This lively checked pattern jazzes up the preppy look. A small-scale pattern similar to this one is the preppiest form of houndstooth, however it’s fascinating to have any fun with it by blowing it up.

See more houndstooth round the house

Elizabeth Dinkel

Trellises and lattices. These patterns remind preps of their outside armature that affirms the climbing roses in the actual or imagined family compound on Nantucket.

Tamar Schechner/Nest Pretty Things Inc

Faded florals. Talking of roses, they are a preppy British import when it comes to fabrics. Some of these preppiest floral fabrics come from the studios of Cath Kidston, Kathryn Ireland and Laura Ashley.

Schranghamer Design Group

Stripes. While there are many types of preppy stripes out there, this enlarged ticking stripe pattern in a nautical palette is the preppiest of them all.

Witt Construction

Madras. “If there’s one fabric that is quintessentially Preppy, it’s madras,” says The Preppy Handbook.

Authentic madras is vegetable dyed and stems from Madras, India. It’s most often seen paired with khakis and loafers, but it also functions with Ugly Dolls and Angry Birds.

CapeRace Cultural Adventures

Gingham. This lively type of plaid is always as fresh and clean as Gilligan’s Island‘s Mary Ann.

See more gingham round the house

RLH Studio

Polka dot. Some polka dots are more preppy than others. Those rendered in a medium green and cream, and paired with a gorgeous scalloped cream valance trimmed in green are additional preppy. This room looks like it came right off preppy design muse Dorothy Draper’s drawing board.

Monograms. “Preppies have known it for years: Who needs LV or YSL if you can lay claim to your discreet EBW III?” States The Preppy Handbook.

Monograms are not actually a pattern, however they’re a quintessential preppy stamp that goes on all from canvas ship bags to leather wastebaskets.

See more monograms round the house

More:
So Your Design Is: Preppy

Old-School Prep and Modern Prep

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The Advantages & Disadvantages of purchasing a Second Home

Owning a second home is a dream for many and also a reality to get a relative few. It’s easy to visualize yourself enjoying holidays whenever you want, retiring to a place you love or even generating revenue for a landlord. There are loads of reasons why purchasing a second house is a good idea. However there are also some considerations that should make you think carefully before making your move.

Create a Family Home Away From Home

Second-home buyers are normally within their mid-40s and 50s — the ages where many of their parents perish and their children venture out in their own to start their families. Absent and far-flung family members mean disruptions to long-held family customs. A second house produces a gathering place where fresh conferences are born. And, like Mark Patterson notes on the “U.S. News & World Report” site, that family holiday home may eventually become your family legacy.

Prepare for Retirement

Purchasing a second home in the place where you wish to retire decades from today provides you amazing vacation opportunities and lets you set up community ties that make for a smooth transition later. It may also persuade you to retire elsewhere. Think about it a trial run that gives you a chance to build friendships, get involved in neighborhood activities and decide for sure whether that’s really where you wish to spend your golden years.

Financial Benefits

Though some blanch at the cite of real estate as an investment after the housing crash in the first decade of the 21st century, there is no reason to believe your second house won’t value over time, especially if you purchase in a resort area likely to keep its popularity. Even small appreciation over several years of ownership may be acceptable, especially because the other benefits of second-home ownership are so attractive. However, if you want more bang for your buck, then you can make investment income by renting the property when you are not using it. And, whether your second house is an investment property or strictly for private use, it’ll provide you some tax write-offs.

Tougher Financing Standards

Although many second-home buyers pay cash, there is a good chance you’ll have to fund your purchaseprice. You’ll likely require a bigger down payment, perhaps up to 35 percent, than on a loan to your principal house, and you’re going to pay more in interest compared to a primary-home mortgage. You’ll also require a higher credit score and substantial income to qualify. New rules often prevent investment real estate buyers from using anticipated rental income as qualifying income for their loans. These days, you must claim at least a year’s worth of rental income in your tax return before lenders believe it.

Items Change

Changing family and work situations keep some second-home owners from their holiday places for many years, and sometimes years, at a time. Common reasons for protracted vacancies include inability to take time off from work, waning interest among almost-grown children and the death of a spouse. Additionally, a job relocation or a change in financing due to a job loss may compel the sale at an inopportune time or direct one to convert the house to a investment property to cover expenses.

Upkeep

Second homes require maintenance. If yours is situated in a spot with extreme circumstances, such as the beach or the mountains, or you rent it when you are not using it, then it may require a good deal of maintenance — generally at the most inconvenient times. You’ll also have to prepare for raising property tax and, in case you’ve got a condo or homeowners association, fees and assessments.

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Ice Maker Water Pressure Regulator

An in-line Water pressure regulator can protect your fridge’s automatic ice maker against damage brought on by excessive water pressure. These pressure-limiting devices are usually installed in the water line between your refrigerator and the spigot supplying water into your fridge. Some makers offer whole-house pressure regulators a plumber can put in between the incoming water supply line and house plumbing.

Incoming Pressure

Refrigerator manufacturers typically suggest an incoming water pressure for ice makers of 40 to 60 pounds per square inch, but a few makers permit incoming clogs up to 120 psi. In-line pressure regulators have been intended to reduce household water pressures that are above recommended maximums down to recommended limits. The pressure regulators utilize fittings to connect to plastic or copper supply tubing. Precise setup instructions vary among manufacturers, but a few units can be installed by the homeowner.

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How Many Inches of Topsoil Do I Want for Grass?

Topsoil comprises most of the dirt action — it is where organic matter decays and beneficial microbes dwell. This creates a healthy atmosphere for grass roots to prosper over the less busy but often mineral-rich subsoil. When starting a new lawn, you can use your existing topsoil if the top 4 to 6 inches are rich with the organic matter that supplies nutrients and drainage, or you’ll be able to purchase a better quality topsoil if your garden soil is heavy clay or too sandy. Adding and preparing the topsoil properly can help establish a healthy, problem-free lawn.

The origin of the problem

The subsoil beneath the loose, nutrient-rich layer of topsoil doesn’t usually hold moisture or nutrients well. It may suffer from poor aeration, which prevents the roots from obtaining oxygen, or it may be heavy in stone, clay or salts that could damage or slow bud development. Grass only sets down superficial roots in a thin a layer of topsoil, which could lead to thin growth and nutrient deficiencies. It can also also make the lawn more susceptible to drought stress or need more frequent watering. Grass roots grow between 4 and 6 inches long, so a layer of topsoil that is 6 inches deep supplies enough space for the roots to grow.

Minimum Requirements

High-quality topsoil should feel slightly gritty when you rub it between your fingers, which suggests mineral content, while being dark to almost black in colour, which signals the soil is also rich in organic matter. Poor topsoil may feel and appear sandy, or it may have deep clay particles that induce it to clump and harden as it dries. The layer beneath the topsoil, called the subsoil, doesn’t usually contain as much organic matter and typically is not as high quality as topsoil, often being more rocky or sandy compared to the desirable dirt on top. If you have poor topsoil, you can buy topsoil so your lawn has a better prospect of growing well.

Work With It In

Placing topsoil straight on top of this subsoil produces a drainage issue. Prior to putting the topsoil, until the top two to three inches of the subsoil to loosen it, and level the lawn surface. Grading means leveling the lawn area to eliminate any low spots while sloping the lawn gently away from buildings and driveways. Apply the topsoil within a 4- to 6-inch layer and then until it to the loosened subsoil. This gives the grass a deeper rooting zone, while the more slow change to the indigenous subsoil allows water to drain and soak more deeply to the ground. If the lawn has reduced places, fill them using topsoil before inserting the regular 4- to 6-inch layer on top so the whole lawn has a level, gentle slope. After applying the topsoil, rake to grade the lawn again so it’s level and ready for seeding.

Some Improvements

Your garden soil may want the boost of additional organic matter, which you can supply by blending it with a 1- to 3-inch layer of compost. Clay topsoil is hefty and can impede drainage, while sandy topsoil drains too quickly and doesn’t support nutrients well. Mix the compost to the top 4 to 6 inches of existing topsoil. If you bring in fresh topsoil, add the compost in addition to putting it above the lawn area, and then until the compost and the topsoil to the top 2-3 inches of subsoil.

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How to Change the Colour of Pressed Wood Particle Board

It’s uncommon to see exposed particleboard as a building material; it’s more common to see that it covered with a plastic or wood veneer. There’s no rule against making tables and cabinets with exposed particleboard, though — although its shade when unfinished is somewhat unattractive. You can change that using a stain. Particleboard is quite porous, so it’s vital that you seal it to permit the stain to soak in evenly.

Clean out the particleboard with detergent and waterand rinse it with clean water and let it dry. You do not need a strong detergent — 1 oz of dish soap in a gallon of water will do.

Don safety glasses. Sand the surface, including the borders, with an orbital sander and 120-grit sandpaper. Clean off the surface using tack cloth when you’re done.

Ventilate the area. Don a face mask. Mix a 50-50 solution of varnish and turpentine to use as a sealer. Paint one coat of the sealer on the surface using a paintbrush and then wait for it to dry immediately.

Apply your selection of gel or liquid stain. Wipe it on liberally using a rag, let it soak in for approximately five minutes, then wipe off the excess with another rag.

Paint a coat of water- or even oil-based varnish, shellac or brushable lacquer to repair the stain.

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How to Clean Marker Composing From Leather Chairs

You might view a leather seat as a cozy place to sit down, but to a young kid, it is an art canvas. Writing, scribbles and stains left by markers can be removed from leather in many cases, particularly when the material is still new. It might take several options to take out the ink, depending on the leather and the type of marker.

Disappearing Ink

Blot marker ink up as quickly as possible, especially if it is fresh. Dab — don’t wipe — a paper towel over the composing to consume as much of the material as possible, followed with a damp paper towel. If the marker ink is dry, rub on a cotton ball in rubbing alcohol, then rub the needle, again following the course of the ink line to avoid smearing it. Swap the cotton for a brand new ball since it absorbs the needle. Examine the alcohol in an inconspicuous area of the chair by leaving an alcohol-soaked cotton ball on the leather for many minutes.

Ink Remover Remedy

If the alcohol doesn’t fully remove the ink, a special ink remover designed for leather, and available from many furniture retailers, might be used instead. Pour the ink-removal fluid onto the tip of a cotton swab, and then gently blot the cutter, replacing the cotton swab with a new one as it becomes covered in ink. Dab a bit of the fluid onto a sponge to blot up any remaining needle on the leather.

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How to Artfully Construct a House on a Hillside

If you’re thinking about building a house on a sloped site, allow me to indicate this headline:”No house should ever be on any mountain… It ought to be of the hill, belonging to it, so hill and house could live together each the happier for the other.” This notion from Frank Lloyd Wright continues to direct many architects challenged by a home under construction on a steep terrain. The target is to sit the house inside the landscape, as a portion of it, as opposed to controlling it. The hillside itself inspires the concept of the home.

Below you will learn more about how to manage building on a website with a slope. We will also look at many different completed project examples in which a home has successfully been nestled into the topography.

Jen Dalley ||||||||||||||

Strategies for Building on a Slope
out it. Once you’ve discovered the mountain that you dream about, have a fantastic look at where it makes the most sense to split a space for a home. Go sit in your website for hours at a time. Camp overnight if you can. Talk to the website (it’s fine, nobody is viewing ). Where will the constructed structure meld most elegantly with the natural surroundings? Can this also align with the project’s other objectives, such as orientation for solar and views? Figuring out each of these ideas and observations.

The sketch shows a balance in reducing earth excavation, allowing natural water flow round the construction, preserving great southern exposure and providing opinions into the hills outside. Whew! That is a lot, right? Your architect is there to help.

Jen Dalley ||||||||||||||

Minimize cut and fill. Once the house is approximately placed, it’s time to find the best place that reduces excavation. A survey will accurately identify the amount ground removed (cut) and ground added (fill). Doing your assignments to research how to minimize excavation will imply less cost and a more joyful hillside.

Be ready to hire big-kid toys. Take a little time to think about the equipment required to move ground. Backhoes, loaders and rammers are crucial to excavating, filling and compacting soil. More time and energy is involved in preparing a steep site than a horizontal one. An extra area close to the website may be necessary to keep the excavated soil in until it’s required for backfill.

Arterra Landscape Architects

Strategy to re-landscape. When you are camping you leave no trace behind, right? Just take this same stance on your home as well. All the construction trucks and material deliveries may require staging areas and possibly temporary streets. After a project is complete, replant in the areas disturbed by construction. Patience is required here, because it can be a couple of years until the hillside appears natural .

Feldman Architecture, Inc..

Cases of Houses Successfully Melded With Hillsides
Terraced concrete outdoor paths create a cascading transition zone prior to flowing into the vegetated landscape . Alternating strips of concrete and grass allow natural and constructed environments to merge.
The top patio is perfectly set up, extending effortlessly into the rugged mountainside.

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House + House Architects

Dark materials on the outside, especially enjoy this wood, further aid a home blend with its environment. The landscaping wood chips create a soft buffer between the house and natural grasses, while concrete retaining walls peel out of the house and hold the back the hillside.

The house itself can perform the heavy lifting keeping the hill in place. The base walls of this home double as retaining walls, allowing the ground to adopt the structure.

The grassy berms lead your eye toward a cleverly placed window on the lower level.

Feldman Architecture, Inc..

Although a challenge, a substantial grade change might provide easy access to rooftops. Roofs constructed adjacent to a mountain could result in complete expanses of occupiable vegetated landscapes. The entire footprint of this house, originally borrowed in the hillside, has been restored on the roofing.

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Bernard Andre Photography

Even if the roof soars horizontally above floor level, the foundation and a stepped retaining wall might help ground the home and connect it with the land.

Notice how the light-colored exterior material stands out against the landscape. This comparison is something to think about, along with seasonal changes, based on your location. The overall setting for your home’s appearance can differ radically in winter and summer.

Rockefeller Partners Architects

In a compact, urban scenario, an extra benefit of sloping sites is that they can allow for many levels lit by natural light. The smallest level of a home can have access to a wealth of daylight.

In this case the steep site and the setbacks required by code also help neighbors have views of the ocean.

Remick Associates Architects + Master Builders

Terraced strips of plant on the outside match the pattern of measures on the inside of this home. With translucent glass, this association between the exterior and interior is beautifully apparent and clear.

Daniel Marshall Architect

Small, easy architectural slices in the landscape can give clues to the site’s unique form. Inserting a concrete shelf within this hillside supplied a ledge for seats while recognizing the ethics of the grade change.

Wheeler Kearns Architects

Landscape immersion can affect terraced levels of dwelling spaces and give a way to incorporate playful elements, such as these staggered light fixtures at the stair risers.

Tate Studio Architects

With any slope, whether dramatic or gradual, architecture has the ability to reinforce the natural website. When the constructed environment coexists with the natural surroundings, if seems as if the construction has grown from the website, and we then feel more connected to the ground.

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