Design for a Beautiful Life » Outdoor Living

Cozy Furniture and Decorating Ideas – How to Make a Room Cozy – House Beautiful

Joyce — Thu, 27 May 2010 20:23:35 +0000

The Perfect Outdoor Escape

Matching Sunbrella upholstery and a round indoor-outdoor rug from Couristan unify an assortment of vintage rattan porch furniture into an open-air living room suite. Behind the chaise longue, a grand hooded basket chair — handed down and restored for generations — presides over a massive table and lightweight French park chairs.

I especially love the huge basket chair! Wouldn’t that be fun to snuggle in? I am so ready for summer!

Cozy Furniture and Decorating Ideas – How to Make a Room Cozy – House Beautiful

Technorati Tags: Outdoor Living,rattan furniture,open-air,Sunbrella,Couristan

Surfaces Series – Eldorado Stone Surfaces for Your Home

Joyce — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 21:59:31 +0000

Here’s Eldorado’s latest video showing how their stone can transform the look of your home indoors and out. I especially love the wine cellar and the niches in the stone wall for candles in the spa bathroom.

So tell me – which is your favorite application of their beautiful stone? Here’s a few examples from their site of different ways to enhance your home with stone. Gorgeous!

Stone gives such a warm stability and permanence to your walls, flooring and exteriors.

Give us a call and we can transform your spaces with natural, inviting stone to give you a new look to your environment!

Technorati Tags: stone surface,stone wall,Eldorado Stone,video

Misters Cool Down the Heat

Joyce — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 18:20:55 +0000

Misters Cool Down the Heat

by Marcia Blake

I am spending a few days in Phoenix, while my mother recovers from surgery. It is hot outside, the temperature hovers near 107 degrees. The weather report warns of a heat wave coming this weekend, the prediction is 111 to 115 degrees. This is not the type of heat that encourages outdoor living, however, a strategically positioned misting system will cool the temperature by ten to twenty degrees. Enough to make spending time outdoors more comfortable, desirable and realistic in the hot dry heat of the desert.

The misters spray a cloud of tiny water droplets which lay suspended in the air. Before any moisture reaches you, it evaporates, yet cools the surrounding area. The best location for misters is the outside wall of a patio overhang, this way the entire patio enclosure receives the benefit from the misting system.

Just like a jump in a pool will cool your body temperature down, these misters do the same. The piping that delivers the water vapor to the air come in many different colors to coordinate with the patio cover, house color, store or restaurant awning or any other area that will benefit from this cooling system. Even when not in use, the misters blend nicely with their surroundings and don’t stand out.