All Entries in the "HOME EXTERIORS" Category
10 Lantern Types to Illuminate Your Outdoors
Lanterns have been a source of light from the ancient times.
Even to this day they continue to adorn our abodes. Here are 10 lantern types you can choose from to illuminate to your outdoors.
1. Shimmering Lanterns
Antique barbed glass lanterns are a rage these days especially in the patio decoration models. They can be easily hung anywhere and when lit up shimmers and gives out an elegant glow. They are available in bottle green, scarlet and royal blue shades.
2. DIY Lanterns
Reminiscent of pickle jars, these lanterns exude an earthy demeanor. They can be easily crafted with materials available in your garage. These are usually found in the patios of country side homes.
3. Cane Lanterns
Lanterns made of cane are particularly popular in coastal areas. They not only look chic and elegant but are also eco-friendly way of lighting up your home.
4. European Lanterns
Ceramic and terracotta lanterns are very characteristic of European culture. Including them in your patio décor will give your home a colonial feel.
5. Wrought Iron Lanterns
4 Best Decorative Accents for Home Exterior
When looking for decorative elements for your home you shouldn’t forget about the decorative accents for home exterior.
The small details like mantels, shutters, door surroundings, moldings, gable vents and mounting blocks will add the finishing touches that all homes need.
1. Louvered shutters
It doesn’t really matter whether your home is made of stone, brick, siding, wood or stucco, one of the prettiest accents that you can add to your home is a louvered shutter or raised panel shutter around the windows. In case you are looking for something unique, you should opt for the raised panel shutter.
The good thing about this one of the decorative accents of the home exterior is that it has clean lines that add a special profile and that bring the windows into focus. On the other hand, if you want your home to have a more classic look, you should go for the louvered shutters.
2. Utility vents
Although this might not seem to be one of the most important decorative accents for home exterior, having the right gable vents can really change the look of your home. Besides the gable vents you will also need utility vents that keep your garage, range hoods, and foundations ventilated.
Building a Summer Fire Pit! Learn All About It
One of the trendiest features of a garden at the moment is the fire pit. This is great for the chilly summer nights when you can sit on a chair besides the fire to warm up and maybe also melt some marshmallows. Such activities can improve your idea of quality family time.
Lay the blocks
Place the blocks in a circle where you want to have the pit. In order to have the perfect fit it is possible that you will have to cut the blocks. This can be easily done with the help of a brick hammer and a chisel. To make sure that the block won’t crack, you should place it on hard surface.
The pit location
The joints of the blocks should be lined up and they should also be tight. Take a spade and make a circle in the ground an inch from the blocks. Count the blocks and then put them aside. It is also a good idea to take a photo of the circle so that you will know the order of the blocks.
Level trench
Stylish Tips for Summer Outdoor Dining
There is nothing better than having dinner in the garden in the warm summer nights. Eating outdoors doesn’t mean that you have to give up comfort; in fact it means that you should have everything you need, in a different setting.
A canopy
All you have to do is to sink four poles in the ground and have a large fabric that you can secure to them. This way you can be protected against the rays of the sun. To secure the poles you could be using tent pins. This way you can be sure that not even the wind will damage your canopy.
Kitchen set
When it comes to outdoor dining you don’t necessarily have to think about a picnic. You could have a table and some chairs, not to mention that you could even think about decorations, such as a vase with some summer flowers.
Runners
To add life to the entire setting you should go for runners in vibrant colors. Instead of a runner placed lengthwise, you could have three runners laid across. You could make these three runners of the same fabric. You could cut up one runner and then stitch the sides.
Useful Tips to Refresh the Look of Your Deck
One of the best things about living in a house with garden is that you have the possibility to have a deck. If you take care of it, it could become a wonderful feature of your home. You should know that the care for the deck is an ongoing job and you constantly have to maintain it.
The finish
When thinking about the finish for the deck, there are three main aspects that you have to take into consideration: practicality, aesthetics and protection. If you are in favor of any of them, you will have to give the other two up. The most popular finish is the semitransparent stain that is easy to maintain.
Wash the deck
You should wash the deck on an overcast day when evaporation is slower. Remove everything from the deck and trim back the branches that might be touching it. During the process you should be wearing rubber boots and rain pants. Use a garden hose to wash off all dirt and dust from the deck.
Pool Maintenance for Summer 2012
There is nothing better during the summer than to take a swim in the pool, but for this you have to make sure that your pool is in order. Although the majority of the owners hate to do pool maintenance, this way you can be sure that your pool is clean and safe.
The debris
In order to get rid of the debris you just have to remove the floating debris and to empty the skimmer basket. Make sure that you dispose of the waste so that it won’t be able to get back into the pool. If you have bushes or trees close to the pool you might want to trim them back.
The vacuum
In order to make sure that you will see the bottom of the pool clearly, you should direct the nozzles of the jets downwards so there will be fewer ripples. Connect the hose to the vacuum and then have the vacuum head suspended over the water. Use a jet nozzle to fill a hose and the water will pour out the vacuum.
Vacuuming the pool
Design Challenge for Spring – From Screen Porch to Living Room
When it comes to big houses, the porch is often neglected. A lot of people use it to store shoes or other items that they don’t have place for inside the house. All this may seem strange if you consider that this is the first part of your home that visitors see. Considering this aspect, there is a lot you could do for your porch.
From maintenance to design
Clean it up
If you would like to make a change, the best thing you could do is to clean out the porch. Make sure that there is no junk left when you start remodeling.
Furniture details
The next step is to pick a color theme for the porch. Naturally not everybody has a large budget for this project. If this is the case, you could opt for cushions and pillows that are less expensive.
Another option you have is to get some wood furniture. This could have any color and it could look modern or rustic. It is more expensive than the plastic furniture but it lasts longer.
If you would like to make a statement make sure that you have some strong contrasts in the room. For instance, you could have black furniture with turquoise accents.
How to Make Exterior Paint Last Longer?
We all want the paint we use for the exterior of the house to withstand blistering summers, freezing winters, the bombardment of UV rays and soaking rains. For good results you need high quality products that most probably are more expensive than the large majority you can find in shops.
(photo credit: www.thisoldhouse.com)
The choices you make
DIY or a professional
No one says that you can’t paint your house. Nonetheless the majority of the people don’t really have time for such activities or they simply don’t have the patience to do such a thing. If this is your case, you should opt for the services of a professional.
When to paint
The timing of the activity is also important. It is best to get the job done when there are between 50 and 90 degrees outside. The humidity should also be low. If the paint has the right conditions, it will brush out evenly and also dry evenly.
It’s all about the paint
Acrylics
These kinds of paint are considered to be the best one on the market. However you should know that they also differ according to the manufacturer and brand.
15 Outdoor Shower Designs for a Refreshing Summer Shower
– Just a look at them will cool your eyes!
Showering is perhaps one of the most basic activities anybody does daily. With the summer here and all the heat in the air, it feels natural to want to shower outside. Also, you can install vanity sinks outside for convenience.
Come, have a look at the coolest shower designs that make showering an exclusive experience.
1. Shower Wave
Designerzeit has a unique new outdoor shower. Designed for use by a pool, the Wave brings a touch of the contemporary outdoor art world right to your poolside.
Now the kids can wash off the sweat and dirt from playing in the yard before getting it in your pool. With Shower Wave, you can turn your ordinary pool into an extraordinary one.
2. Cascade Shower
The Cascade outdoor shower is versatile, functional and aesthetically pleasing. It features a base made from acacia wood that makes it comfortable to stand on.
There is a tube connected to the base that carries water to another, horizontal tube which then drops the water down onto you in a waterfall like style.
Revamp Your Patio the Smart Way
Bring your patio alive! In case you have a patio, but you aren’t satisfied with it, for example because it is too small, there are some good ideas through which you might make a change.
The size of the patio shouldn’t be a problem. In order to save some money, you might use what you have, and make some extensions. If you have to deal with sloping surface then you might have to create a retaining wall.
This might cause some problems when raining, so you should place plastic flexible tubing along the wall to drain the water.
Increasing the size of the patio means that you will have to excavate a certain amount of dirt and then to place the new concrete patio surface.
To do a high quality job, it might be a good idea to fill the excavated surface with crushed limestone and with paver base. In order to achieve a smooth finish, you could rent a hamper and run over the new patio.
The next step is to lay down the concrete pavers and it might be a nice idea to fill the crack between the tiles with river rock. In case you have to cut the tiles to a certain size, you might find a stone dealer to do this job for you.
