Wednesday, October 8, 2008
NY Home Improvement Blog Patrol
Bailout Protest down on Wall Street, photo by Ol SlambertWestchester County and the Lower Hudson region in general boast some of the most beautiful private gardens this side of the English countryside. The Journal News and their companion site LoHud.com have interviews and pictures from some of the most spectacular gardens and their owners. Of the 5 gardeners profiled, we were most impressed with the thousands of bulbs planted by came the 92 year old "Grande Dame" of Westchester gardening Henriette Suhr of Chappaqua. Its never too early to start thinking about spring planting (they start advertising Christmas in August these days after all!)
LoHud Great Gardeners
Back for the 4th year, Apartment Therapy's Fall Colors Contest is in full swing with photos from every region of the country posted on their site. The rules are pretty loose, you must simply live in the residence and have images of your home that really show off your color choices and creativity. Work done by professional painters and designers is allowed as well, so let's see if New Yorkers can take some prizes. Up to $2500 in CB2 gift cards and AT Books are up for grabs.
Fall Color Contest 2008 on AT.
According to Red Dot Online, one of the hottest interior design trends in the world for 2008 and 2009 is the color White. Sleek and shiny whites are appearing everywhere from furniture to fabric. Red Dot discusses the continued influence on Apple's iPod launch of 2001 and cites the fact that in Germany, for example, 70% more white cars were sold this year compared to last year and the trend is still up. The only problem we can forsee with the white movement is our proclivity for Grey Goose and cranberry juice...it'll never come out!
Red Dot on the White Trend
Labels: 10005, Interior Designers in NYC, Paint Colors for Fall, Westchester Gardeners, White Trend
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
NY Home Improvement Blog Patrol
Manhattan Bridge Photo by Bob JagendorfSave your sawdust? Charles & Hudson is advocating just that today with their 17 Uses for Sawdust post. The uses they list for sawdust range from the practical (fill holes and defects in wood) to the absurd (mix it with white paint to make fake snow). Either way, worth a look, especially if you've recently done renovations that have involved any kind of carpentry.
17 Uses for Sawdust
There are designers and then there are DESIGNERS, and every once in a while you get a chance to see a New York City residence get transformed into a masterpiece. We believe this gallery on Remodelista fits that description. The interior designer in this instance is Fernlund + Logan and they've turned this NY Townhouse into a mod wonderland using both classic and cutting edge pieces throughout.
Fernlund + Logan Townhouse
As the weather in many parts of the country gets bananas around this time of year, look no further than Apartment Therapy for tips on restoring your home after a flood or major water damage event. Included is a great disinfectant solution.
AT on Repairing Flood Damage
Labels: Carpentry in New York, Flood Damage, Interior Designers in NYC, New York City Townhouse
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
NY Home Improvement Blog Patrol
NYC Subway Concert Photo by MorizaOk, Gossip Girl fans, and we know you exist based on the ratings...here's your opportunity to get the design looks of your favorite show's interiors. From faux-marble flooring to wallpaper to quilts, the CW has graciously allowed CasaSugar to post a slideshow with each image from the show accompanied by the product used on the set. Serena would be proud of your efforts to decorate your home just like the family's decorator did!
CasaSugar Breaks Down the Gossip Girl Design Look
The prolific Tom Kraeutler has posted an excellent Q&A on his AOL Home Improvement Tips blog focused on the home improvement projects that offer the best return on your investment. The host of The Money Pit suggests concentrating on smaller improvements in the current environment like reconfiguring storage space. He also points readers to Remodeling Online's 2007 Cost vs. Value Report.
Tom's Advice on Remodeling Investments
Minimalism in the bathroom is one of the most enduring design trends extant and Remodelista's got a great gallery showcasing the Dutch version of it. The pic's are from a photographer named Rene Mesman and really make you long for the Dutch Minimalist look in your own home. For help getting this look, visit this list of Bathroom Remodelers in NY on cityhammer.com.
Dutch Minimalist Bathroom
Labels: Cost and Value Improvements, Gossip Girl, Interior Designers in NYC, Minimalist Bathroom, Spring Home Improvement Tips
Monday, July 28, 2008
Tools of the Trade: New York Interior Designers Use Punch! Software
CAD for the Home by Punch!What is Punch! Software? Very simply, its the top-selling software product for interior design, landscape architecture, cabinetry design and more. With Punch's programs like Home Design Platinum, Architectural Series 5000, and the Super Home Suite, professional designers can draft visual ideas and plans for almost every room in the house.
Punch! was founded in 1998 by a team of software executives who wanted to bring more realism and higher quality graphics to the interior design field in a software product for professionals.
Many professional designers in the New York area use Punch! for creating original designs that conform to the space available in a particular room and incorporate the materials they want to use to create the look they are aiming for.
Each program is different, but in some of the bundled packages, the user can do a "hollywood-style walk or fly-through" as well as design ceilings, try out trims and styles for mantels, see aerial and 3D views of each room, manipulate surface areas, add reflections to objects and floors to add realism, redraw on the fly, and much more.
The next time an interior designer or architect shows you a schematic or proposal for your home improvement project, don't be surprised if they've used Punch! to put it together.
To learn more about the software products and the company that makes 'em, Click Here!
Punch! was founded in 1998 by a team of software executives who wanted to bring more realism and higher quality graphics to the interior design field in a software product for professionals.
Many professional designers in the New York area use Punch! for creating original designs that conform to the space available in a particular room and incorporate the materials they want to use to create the look they are aiming for.
Each program is different, but in some of the bundled packages, the user can do a "hollywood-style walk or fly-through" as well as design ceilings, try out trims and styles for mantels, see aerial and 3D views of each room, manipulate surface areas, add reflections to objects and floors to add realism, redraw on the fly, and much more.
The next time an interior designer or architect shows you a schematic or proposal for your home improvement project, don't be surprised if they've used Punch! to put it together.
To learn more about the software products and the company that makes 'em, Click Here!
Labels: Interior Decor New York, Interior Design New York, Interior Designer NYC, Interior Designers in NYC, NY Architect
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Janovic Starts a Blog
Photo by Scott Keddy
Back in 1888, when Emil Janovic began delivering paint in his horse-drawn carriage, he probably couldn't have imagined that one day, his eponymous company would grow to include 20 stores around Manhattan and LI, and a 55 thousand square foot warehouse.
He also wouldn't have been able to foresee the marketing potential of blogging, but lucky for us, the folks running Janovic get it and they added a blog to their site in April. Its only a few posts deep but the contributing bloggers they've lined up are Janovic.com Editor Pamela Bloom, Senior Color Consultant Paul Mutimear, and Dr. Toby Israel Ph.D. who is the founder of a new field called Design Psychology.
Sounds to us like there'll be a ton of interesting stuff coming from this team that we'll be sure to share. Unlike most local businesses that are owned by big, national corporations, Janovic's ownership by Berkshire Hathaway and Benjamin Moore hasn't diminished their knack for staying ahead of paint and window dressing trends here in New York and their website and articles are far from being generic, homogenized filler. The content is fresh, inspirational and often features the work and ideas of local designers working here in New York City. Let's hope they keep that up with the Janovic Design Notes Blog.
Good Luck, Guys!
He also wouldn't have been able to foresee the marketing potential of blogging, but lucky for us, the folks running Janovic get it and they added a blog to their site in April. Its only a few posts deep but the contributing bloggers they've lined up are Janovic.com Editor Pamela Bloom, Senior Color Consultant Paul Mutimear, and Dr. Toby Israel Ph.D. who is the founder of a new field called Design Psychology.
Sounds to us like there'll be a ton of interesting stuff coming from this team that we'll be sure to share. Unlike most local businesses that are owned by big, national corporations, Janovic's ownership by Berkshire Hathaway and Benjamin Moore hasn't diminished their knack for staying ahead of paint and window dressing trends here in New York and their website and articles are far from being generic, homogenized filler. The content is fresh, inspirational and often features the work and ideas of local designers working here in New York City. Let's hope they keep that up with the Janovic Design Notes Blog.
Good Luck, Guys!
Find New York Painters on cityhammer.com
Labels: 10128, Interior Designers in NYC, Janovic, New York Painters
