DIY outdoor Valentine’s Day decoration ideas
Outdoor Valentine’s Day decor
TV on easel
It is very artful to place the TV on an easel
Jules Hardouin-Mansart
Jules Hardouin-Mansart was the chief architect of France under the reign of Louis XIV. He earned his fame by his marvelous plans, exactitude and versatility.
He was born in Paris in 1646. He took the name of his uncle, the architect François Mansart, he even studied under his uncle after whom the mansard roof was named. He was worked for directly the king since 1677 and became First Architect of the King in 1681 was also raised to the nobility in 1682.
His buildings were perfectly fit for the requirements of the baroque era and the grandiose visualizations of the Sun-king. He was a versatile architect, since he designed castles, urban squares, churches, just like private houses and pavilions. He demonstrated an ability to adapt, modify, enlarge and rehabilitate, without losing the character of the original building, but adding his own original variations on the theme. His architecture is characterized by large smooth spaces, the repetition of arcades and detached columns – he used these to give an air of grandeur to the interiors. He selected very well the collaborators to work with during a building (e.g. Le Notre, Le Brune, Cotte). He keenly used the mansard roof also. His main works: Les Invalides, Grand Trianon, Place Vendôme, Palace of Versailles.
He died in Marly-le-Roi in 1708.
For Chinese New Year
Chinoiserie for Chinese Lunar New Year
House name
It’s kind to name our house
Mudroom
So-called mudroom is a common room in houses with garden in many countries. It is a useful area which helps to separate the inner parts of the house from the outdoor dirt.
The mudroom is placed near the backdoor of the house. It’s worth to create one in the case of a lifestyle in which intensive garden works, animal welfare and walking on the neighboring fields or forests has an important role.
Since it is for getting rid of dirt and mud here, it is important to make it easily cleanable. The floor has tile pavement: it is covered with ceramic tiles, bricks or natural stones. Walls are covered to dado level or at least painted with washable wall paint.
There is enough storage space (hangers, shelves, boxes) for the took-off dirty clothes, boots, umbrellas etc. Commonly it is staffed with a sink also where not only hands can be washed but even the freshly picked flower bouquet can be arranged. It is common among dog owners that this is a built-in washing basin where the pet can be washed after a long walk, before the dog enters the house with them.
Let’s treat it as a real room. It should have a window and proper lighting. Don’t neglect its furnishing, the design, it should be connected with the other part of the house.
If there is not enough space for a separate mudroom, it can be jointed with other rooms, for example, the back part of the laundry room. If the house has only one entrance door, the windshield at the front of the hall can have this function. If there is an entrance from the garage, one of its corners can be used for this also.
Ask for help of an interior designer for creating your country house.
My project 27.
My prior work: waterside weekend house’s living room (furnishing plan for an exam)
Mattress
Never buy a bed mattress by someone’s opinion/recommendation! Always try the different types of mattresses and choose the most comfortable one.
Home office
Creating a home office requires great care. Several facts have to be considered for that our health and private sphere don’t get injured.
If we need a place only for a short time of surfing on the internet, writing letters or reviewing bills – which takes about 1-2 hours per day from our free time – then a working corner is perfectly enough for that. This can be created as a part of another room (living room, kitchen, corridor etc.) or hiding for example in a wardrobe.
A home office is needed for those who work at home, so would spend most of the day (or every weekends) there. In this case, it is reasonable to create an individual room – of course, only if there is enough space and possibility for it.
If we have a job which requires receiving clients, it’s worth to place the office near the entrance door, with a small lavatory not far from it. This way, clients won’t go through the private rooms. In an ideal case, the office can be created in an outbuilding (garage, shed etc.) but this is possible only for few people.
Desk is one of the most important furniture. Its size has to be chosen to get enough space on its top even if all the needed equipments are set out. The ideal height is 70-73 cm, its depth has to be at least 60 cm (in the case of types with superstructure, this grows with the size of the superstructure). Don’t sit back to the window because the light reflects in the screen and we drop shadow to the working area from the natural light before ourselves.
The ergonomics of the office chair is very important for our health. Anyhow, it has to be comfortable, possibly with adjustable height, adjustable backrest, arms and rolls. It’s worth to pay more for these. Take care for choosing the one that properly rolls on the cover, so a sagging carpet is probably not the best choice. Never use a spare dinner chair for this purpose!
The computer is an average working tool. A different space is required by a laptop and by a PC with monitor. Think it over which kind of accessories will be needed for it: keyboard, mouse, printer, scanner etc. These all need space, so this has to be considered when planning the furniture, not only for the amounts of files and papers have to be stored. Keep the storage areas within reach of frequently used items.
The proper lighting is essential for efficient work. It is good to have natural light, this means a window. A desk light is also required beside the central, diffused lighting. These have to be chosen that way the light doesn’t hurt our eyes, don’t be reflected in the monitor and there has to be a proper lighting in every seasons/time of the day. For those who write/draw a lot by hand, it is important to get the light from the opposite side of the dominant hand.
Outlets are never enough. Count it how many devices need electrical power and don’t forget those which has to be connected in the socket only occasionally (charging mobile tools). If there will be a landline phone or TV, their connections have to be built also.
The job defines the needed fixtures and stationeries for working, since there are different requirements of an accountant, a programmer or a sewer. Ask for help of an interior designer for planning your home office.
LP storage
Storage ideas for vinyl records, so we can take pleasure in them
