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Kitchen Designs Ideas 2011 by Candice Olson

Thursday, June 30, 2011

Function meets style when designer Candice Olson creates a gathering place for the whole family in the kitchen.




Open Yet Divided





To create visual separation between the kitchen and family room, Candice designs a light and airy look for the kitchen. The main cabinets are painted cream with a strie finish and topped with cream quartz countertops. A backsplash in handcrafted, multicolored glass tile is the perfect complement and adds a bit of excitement to the space.





Industrial Chic





Candice creates a large open-concept kitchen with a system of wooden posts and beams with steel joinery, which are not only crucial for support, but also give the room an open, loft-like feeling. Shaker-style cabinets, a grey-green glass tiled backsplash and polished quartz countertops that has the appearance of concrete keep with the industrial look.





Practical Style





Rich cabinetry, state-of-the art appliances and a host of contemporary fixtures and finishes create a kitchen that's a mix of style and function. A large, square island is the focal point of the kitchen and can be used for preparation and eating.





Streamlined Elegance





The focal point of this kitchen is the stunning backsplash comprised of chocolate, coffee and cream mosaic glass tiles. Espresso cabinets and white quartz countertops contrast well with the stainless steel appliances and hardware. A 14-foot-long kitchen island serves two functions, a lower section features a built-in sink and storage for a bar area and the higher section functions as the dining area.





Classic Meets Modern





The L-shaped kitchen is a blend of traditional and contemporary, particularly in the island, which is an antique wooden cabinet topped with classic Carrara marble. White shaker-style cabinets and sleek quartz countertops are combined with stainless steel appliances and fixtures, while green glass tiles are used for the backsplash and to add a bit of color above the cabinets.





Mid-Century Charm





To pay homage to the home's mid-century modern design, the kitchen layout maximizes the outdoor view and features streamlined zebra-wood cabinetry with white quartz countertops. Vintage-style pendants and funky barstools add a retro touch.





Blend of Function and Fashion





Cream cabinetry with mushroom countertops is combined with travertine floor tiles for a functional yet stylish kitchen, and bold wallpaper is a stunning focal point behind the workstation. Lit by two crystal chandeliers, a dark wood island with creamy quartz countertop houses a recycling center, a dishwasher and sink, as well as doubles as an eating space.





Serenely Blue





The backsplash is the perfect area to inject personality into your kitchen. Glass tiles that complement the grey-blue walls create a clean, contemporary backdrop between the contrasting black and white cabinets.





Warm and Welcoming





Custom cabinetry in a creamy shade and mushroom-colored quartz countertop set the tone for this functional kitchen, while the island takes center stage with espresso cabinetry and cream countertops. Eco-friendly cork flooring grounds the space and is perfect for a space where you're standing all the time. Brushed bronze finishes add a traditional touch to the kitchen.

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Home design ideas of the month - June 2011 Edition


  1. Beautiful 1637 Sq. Ft Villa Plan and Elevation

  2. 2761 sq.feet semi circular shaped villa

  3. Home plan and elevation 2678 Sq. Ft

  4. 2200 sq.ft Villa with fine line elevation

  5. House plan and elevation 2165 Sq. Ft


  6. House Plan and Elevation - 2292 Sq. Ft.

  7. Single Floor House Plan and Elevation - 2400 Sq. F...

  8. Home plan and elevation 1431 Sq. Ft

  9. Home plan and elevation - 1789 Sq. Ft.

  10. Room colors ideas

  11. Cardboard Furnitures

  12. Creative Teapots

  13. Beautiful Home elevation 2250 Sq.Ft

  14. Home plan and elevation 2266 Sq. Ft

  15. 2563 Sq. Ft. Contemporary and Kerala Style Archite...

  16. Home plan and elevation 1800 Sq. Ft

  17. Home elevation design in 3D

  18. Home plan and elevation 2430 Sq. Ft

  19. Home plan and elevation 2000 Sq. Ft

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After Raised Bed Gardens

After Raised Bed Gardens
After Raised Bed Gardens

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Local food and thanks to farmers

Fresh garlic needing to be cleaned
I've been cleaning a lot of garlic, potatoes, and onions lately.

Much is destined for fresh use in the next couple of weeks, rather than storage, but preparing vegetables for either requires work - removing dirt, extra foliage and roots, sorting out for drying, taking all of the clippings out to the compost pile, etc.

I'm quite certain I didn't appreciate the effort required in producing a bag of onions in the grocery store before I started growing them myself.

Maybe they bounce down a river of clean water in industrial agriculture, but someone still needs to trim their roots and stems and remove their tops (maybe this is a subject for a web search-- Hmm... check out this article about onion cleaning procedures on a small farm).

Fresh onions are totally delicious, of course, being juicy and succulent when cooked.  Quite a different vegetable than the cured ones for long-term storage.  Ditto with garlic.  And fresh potatoes are exceptionally tasty, too.  But, it's worth considering what it takes to have a bag of red potatoes at the grocery perfectly cleaned and ready to take home. 

This is about as big as my carrots ever get.
I'm not complaining, really, but am glad for the experiences which remind me how fresh food, grown locally (or far away), ultimately depends on the folks who grow, harvest, clean, and package fruits and vegetables.

And whether we buy at a tailgate market or at a supermarket, it's well worth thinking about who grew those vegetables and how, and what it took for you to be able to put them in your shopping basket.

Cleaning a couple of bushels of small onions has reminded me to be (more) grateful for folks who grow our food.

(Here were some previous thoughts along the same subject, but focusing on greens).

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7 Ways to Add Sensory Beauty To Your Home

Simple and easy ways to scenting your home!

Article taken off joyfuldesignsinsoy.com

7 Ways to Add Sensory Beauty To Your Home

Adding various methods to scent your home or office or even car is so soothing and relaxing to the senses, There are a myriad of methods to accomplish this, so today we'll be exploring a few.

1. Carpet Freshener - Very easy to make your own, take about a pound of pure baking soda and mix to it a few drops of essential oil or fragrance oil and blend it up in a food processor. Then pour this out on a shallow tray to allow to dry for a couple of hours, stirring occasionally. After this has dried, put in an airtight container.

This carpet freshener can either be sprinkled on your carpets directly, left a few minutes and vacuumed up, or simply put some in your vacuum cleaner bag and you'll get scent as you vacuum your carpets.

2. Simmer a scent by taking a saucepan on your stove and adding apple cider, cinnamon sticks, cloves & some orange peel. Simply let this simmer on low, adding small amounts of water as necessary so it doesn't run dry. This is a very homey, comforting scent that's so easy to do.

3. Try scenting a centerpiece. Here's an idea, bake a fresh bundt cake then take a small jar and fill it with fragrant flowers and then set this small jar of flowers in the center of the bundt cake. Experiment with different scent combinations. Lemon is beautiful with honeysuckle for example.

4. Perfume your pillows. Either by lightly misting with your favorite perfume, although be sure to test color fastness first on a hidden out of the way area to make sure it won't ruin the fabric. You can also use a purchased linen spray for the same purpose and is safer for the fabric in general. Another way to scent the pillow is to insert a small amount of potpourri inside a small sachet bag and either pin it to the side of the pillow, or insert it into the pillow case.

5. Scent your linen drawer or closet by tucking dried sprigs of lavender in between the layers of towels and sheets. You can also tuck them near the sides of the linens directly in the closet. Lavender not only provides a soothing, calming scent to those linens, but also works as a moth and insect repellant as well.

6. Scent seashells for your bathroom. If they are small shells, simply soak the shells for a few minutes in olive oil with a few drops of essential oil. For larger shells, add a few drops of essential oil right into the middle of the shells. Then set the shells on some type of decorative tray or basket in your bathroom or bedside table for a sight & smell treat.

7. Scented powder puff. Get some of your favorite scented powder, or even baby powder if that's your preference. Get one of those luxurious powder puffs, and take a long bubble bath. After the bath, pamper yourself with these beautifully scented powders applied with the soft powder puffs. The scent stays with you a long time and is one of those small ways to feel truly pampered and distressed.

Beautiful scents can be so calming in today's rushed, stressed filled lives. Finding ways to incorporate different scents, textures, sights & sounds can truly help relax and remind us to slow down and to enjoy life. Sometimes these simple things help us to refocus and not stress so much about those things we cannot change.

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How To Choose A Tiled Kitchen Backsplash

How To Choose A Tiled Kitchen Backsplash

How To Choose A Tiled Kitchen Backsplash

The kitchen is more than likely the main part of the house that we spend our time in these days, and thats more than likely not just for cooking and cleaning. It is no longer a place where we just cook and go. The kitchen is seen and a premium area of the house nowadays, so its has become more important that it looks rather stylish as people dont just want to feel good about their food they want to feel good about where they are preparing it. Thats why many are opting to modernise their kitchen by having a nice shiny kitchen backsplash installed or fitting one themselves.

Pebble tile with tiled backsplashes kitchen kitchen pictures

Maybe you already have a pretty good looking kitchen but you are getting tired of your current design. Your kitchen might be missing something so maybe is it time to really change how the kitchen looks. Backsplashes can really complement the kitchen, so maybe you need to consider some of the following simple backsplashes ideas for the kitchen that can help lighten and brighten your kitchen.

How to Tile a Backsplash

There are some definite ideas that you need to consider in creating your backsplash designs. Start with a strong theme and move forward from there. Decide on a color scheme to be used and then move on to the other elements planned. Your choice of materials and texture is really important, with use of imagination being the secret to success in choice of the perfect design.

Choose your glass tile kitchen backsplash ideas keeping in mind that

When choosing or designing your new backsplash you have the choice of so many differing styles colours and materials. You can consider a mural on your backsplash tiles. For example you could get an artist to create your own kitchen backsplash design by custom hand painting you a mural on ceramic tiles by hand to order. They will usually be able to do this in any pattern, style, theme or colour. Or maybe you can get a picture printed onto individual tiles that then make one glorious picture when the tiles are stuck up on the wall.

news Thanks to choose kitchen backsplash Designs How to Design a Tile Kitchen Backsplash

You should also study the colors of your current kitchen accessories or consider the purchase of new items in the kitchen before you make your choice, otherwise it might not work. Backsplashes can be very bold if thats your style or they can be extremely plain and simple.

subway tile in kitchen backsplash

The backsplash area is possible the busiest and hardest working place in your kitchen, that is likely to acquire food stains from all the various kitchen activities. So its definitely a place that could do with sprucing up and making less functional. So redesign your kitchen backsplash to bring together the entire kitchens kitchens design. Add a new sense of character and flair to bring your old drab kitchen space into the trends of today and turn that very standard and function area into the main centre stage for your kitchen. You may just want to update your kitchen backsplash to make your kitchen look shiny bright and new.

ceramic tile backsplash in your kitchen or

Take the time and effort create a beautiful kitchen backsplash for your kitchen and you will be well rewarded. Your imagination is your first tool for designing an new lok for you kitchen so make the most of it. With so many choices of designs its amazing what you will be able to think of for your backsplash.

Learn how to choose a kitchen tile backsplash

Materials to choose from for your modern design for your backsplash range from glass, ceramics, metal, steel, tin or other such materials. Sometimes people choose themes when embarking on a design for a backsplash and when bouncing around ideas, choosing colors and looks. Accompany these with some clever designs and you can create a backsplash that really stands out.

Kitchen Update: Add a Glass Tile Backsplash. Adding a high-end glass

Traditional backsplashes can be made from marble, or unusual materials for today such as earth colored chipped tiles which would give a more traditional look in the kitchen. These are the little touches that make all the difference.

Tuscan tile beautiful picture of kitchen backsplash How To Choose A Tiled Kitchen Backsplash

Remodel Kitchens

Glass Tile Backsplash Ideas

How To Choose A Tiled Kitchen Backsplash

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Labels: Bathroom Design

Labels: Bathroom Design
Labels: Bathroom Design

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Strike Day.

My whole blog just disappeared into the ether so here's a precis: sunny, teachers on strike, not me - can't afford to loose the pay. Rich privately educated government with personal fortunes, untouched generous pensions and fat consultancy fees to look forward to have decided to recoup some of the money lost by their banker pals by making public servants work until they are 68, pay more into their pensions and loose up to half the expected pension. Spent 5 hours sat at a PC in my classroom working on my reports. Nearly but not quite finished. Small cat spent day at vets being castrated. Happily playing at my feet now.

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Pretty Henrietta Paint

This is Henrietta, Annie Sloane's pinky purple colored chalk paint.
 It hasn't been seen much around blogland
but it is a color that I really like. 
Henrietta is even on the cover of Veranda this month!
I will admit I thought it was going to be more pink.
 When I opened the can I was kind of surprised at how purpley it looked. 
One of my upcoming projects is a non-paying job~
decorating my son Colin's college apartment.
He asked me if I could decorate it using an oriental rug
 and artwork he hopes to get from my mom's house,
where he is living this summer. 
He found a closet full of rugs and asian art from our world traveling days.
Colin was excited to find all of these unused treasures, 
and I thought it would make for a cool looking apartment. 
First on the list was transforming this tv console
 into something with a Moroccan vibe. 
I created a template and got out Henrietta and started painting.
 First I painted the drawers and the area on the end with the template. 
Wimbledon is on the tv~I love watching that
 championship series the week of the 4th of July.
 Then I used a gold acrylic paint and 
my trusty stencil to make a pattern on top of the purple area.
The middle eastern bohemian decor incorporates lots of deep jewel tones. 
We will be using reds, oranges, and golds.
 This little bit of purple will give it just the right touch of Middle eastern flair.
 After that I added turquoise dots to give it a henna tattoo look.
I think it will be getting some distressing and 
some dark wax to make it more mysterious.
While I was creating (winging) this bohemian style console, 
I realized that Henrietta seems to be similar to my pillars outside.
There were a couple of unpainted sections and
 I grabbed the can and went outside hoping for a close match.
 Indeed, the color was very close.
So I patched up a bit on the pillars and got carried away.
The iron bed got Henrietta-ed....
 The rusty finial stakes got Henrietta-ed...
 The broken water fountain window got Henrietta-ed...
 This bed was meant to be in Henrietta.
 The bird house got Henrietta-ed too. 
The little white conservatory is going to get some Henrietta as well.
This little can of paint is pulling together my garden in a very nice way!
Look what I found on Craiglist...
a three thousand dollar Pella window for $200.
 This window is 6 feet long~what a statement 
that would make over a sliding door. 
 I told Mr. Maison Decor that I walked all around the house 
and cannot find a place to install this window~our ceilings are too low. 
He then brilliantly suggested we start building 
our garden house with this pretty window! 
Woo Hoo! I called and offered the seller half price, and he said sold!
 So that will be in our possession by night fall! 
My dream garden and the little house is coming along...
I did a sketch of how it could look with the new window, 
an old stained glass window I have in storage,
and Henrietta pink plank doors and shutters.
***~~~~~~~~***
I'll keep you posted on the latest with my garden house

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Label: Bedroom

Label: Bedroom
Label: Bedroom

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Modern Small Bedroom

modern small bedroom
modern small bedroom

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Modern Bedroom Designs

Modern bedroom designs
Modern bedroom designs

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living room decorating ideas make you rich

Apartment living room decorating ideas
Contemporary living room decorating ideas
Living room decorating ideas
Living room wall decorating ideas
Small living room decorating ideas

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Bedroom Design Ideas | Bedroom

Bedroom Design Ideas | Bedroom
Bedroom Design Ideas | Bedroom

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