When you hear the word recliner, the words elegant, modern, or chic might not be the first that come to mind. For many design-oriented folk, the classic La-Z-Boy recliner has always been something of an eyesore a super comfortable one, sure, but still something meant to be hidden away in a man cave, basement or at least a den separate from the living room.

We used to have this saying, that you could always tell how much a wife loved her husband by how ugly the recliner he was allowed to buy was, says Mark Wilson, Director of Merchandising at Comfort Design with a laugh.

While the clunky recliners and motion furniture of 20-plus years ago could be something plucked out of an interior designers nightmares, todays motion furniture is telling a different story. Thanks to improved technology and a response to changing consumer lifestyles, motion manufacturers are creating designer-friendly pieces with sleeker silhouettes, improved functionality and stylish fabrics that are perfectly at home displayed proudly in the living room.

Motion used to look like a big clunky piece of furniture, and now with the advancements in technology, motion has started to look more and more like stationary furniture, says Spencer Bass, Creative Director at American Leather.

In fact, Bass said hes often seen people walk into the American Leather showroom and take a seat in what they presume is a high-back stationary piece, only to show a look of surprise when they realize theyre sitting on motion furniture.

So what changed? One piece of the puzzle is technological innovations in the hardware that makes motion furniture move. Motion furniture inherently requires more bulk to hide all of the mechanics and metal components that make it work. But as motors and mechanisms have become smaller over the years, its become easier to upholster around them for a sleeker finished product.

The introduction of power motion also offers todays consumers the option of an unobtrusive button tucked into the arm or side to control the furniture instead of the manual crank that used to be standard.

Wilson says at Comfort Design, hes seen chair arms, in particular, size down with the advent of smaller electronic parts.

Ive now got the the control system down to where I can make a 2.5-inch-wide arm, where in the past that had to have a 4- to 4.5-inch-wide arm to make it big enough to hold the components, Wilson says. So now I can do it with a 2.75- or 3-inch arm, which looks more sleek and substantially cleaner and nicer.

Its not just the improved, smaller components alone that allow for sleeker motion pieces, Wilson adds. Its also increased acceptance and interest in sleek motion on the part of consumers that drives the volume needed for manufacturers to see the benefit of mass-producing units of component pieces.

Theres now more focus on making a better, nicer-looking chair that still performs those comfortable functions, and since theres more emphasis in that category, the guys who are developing the mechanisms are much more in tune to it and theres more volume involved. That makes it profitable for the guys making the component pieces to help develop mechanisms and components that more easily lend themselves to a better-looking, more functional and sleeker piece. So its not really that they cured cancer, its just that there are more people accepting the category. That makes it beneficial for those guys to stamp out those types of mechanisms.

Along with technological advances, shifting consumer lifestyles have also given rise to a thriving market for stylish motion furniture. Where many homes used to have a formal living room meant for entertaining and a family room or den where the TV was (and where the family actually spent time), todays homes are moving toward open floor plans with one main living room featuring a TV.

American Leather is designing product with this in mind, Bass says.

We literally designed the sofa with the idea of, if there was a TV in front of me, how can the headrest articulate to get the perfect seating position to watch television, he says. This is the sofa for the living room with the TV now, not the sofa for the living room with the occasionallysat-in sofa.

These changing floor plans reflect less formal attitudes among consumers, Wilson notes.

With the consumer being more casual in their attitudes and their lifestyle, its becoming much more acceptable to be comfortable in your home, and kicking your feet up has always been a staple of that environment, Wilson says.

With the rise of streaming services, consumers are staying in to watch movies in the comfort of their home, and want to create a comfortable experience without compromising on style.

You dont have to give up comfort to get the look that youre looking for, and thats really what were striving for, Wilson says.

Founded in 1990, American Leather has been in the motion business for about 20 years and Bass says its grown to be the companys largest product segment. The most popular product is its Comfort Sleeper, a sleeper sofa offered in 15 styles that features a construction with no uncomfortable bars or springs. Along with its own product offering, the company also makes sleeper sofas for retailers such as Restoration Hardware and Room & Board.

Over the last few years, American Leather has launched three categories of its Style in Motion series of sofas and chairs, the newest of which just launched at the fall 2019 High Point Market. The Style in Motion A-series features pieces with a solid back for a more stylish look from every angle a benefit for consumers who want to float sofas in an open floor plan. Customers can also customize with three different arm styles and nine different back options, along with their choice of 177 fabrics or 100 leathers. Bass says a goal of the new A-series was to continue to offer a range of product, both in terms of price point and styles ranging from transitional to modern.

Somebody who likes contemporary may not respond to transitional, and somebody who likes transitional may not respond to contemporary, he says, so its about having all the different lifestyles of motion that your retailer can cover. What a store in Aspen or in Denver might carry would probably not be the same thing somebody in Miami carries.

Introduced about a year ago was American Leathers I-series, inspired in part by 1960s Italian mod sportscars. The Turin chair, with peekaboo welt detailing and metal sled legs, earned the company a Pinnacle Award at falls High Point Market. Across all of the styles offered, Bass is proud to offer sleek motion upholstery delivered in just 30 days.

At Comfort Design, launched in 2009 as a higher-end offshoot of Klaussner, a new partnership with designer Stacy Garcia is helping the company reach interior designers. Announced before last falls High Point Market, Garcia will debut a stylish new line with Klaussner and Comfort Design at the upcoming market in April.

With Garcias eye for pattern and color and Comfort Designs customization capabilities (they offer a variety of nail and cushion options along with more than 300 leathers and thousands of fabrics), Wilson says the partnership is moving the company in a promising direction.

The recent trend toward more transitional looks has made it easier to style motion furniture in a way that fits each consumers aesthetic, Wilson says. Twenty years ago, he says a recliner line would likely feature hardcore traditional and hardcore contemporary styles, offering little room for customizability.

Because its all blending, now a lot of the styles are going to fit in more environments, and the consumers themselves are also much more eclectic, Wilson says.

With different fabrics, nails and other design components, a motion chair with the same silhouette can be customized to fit any environment. When motion doesnt have to look just one way as it may have in the past, the consumer appeal becomes broader.

Along with aesthetic styles, Comfort Design also offers a range of motion options. Any given chair starts with manual, then graduates up to single power (a single button to power recline), then graduates up to power recline with a power headrest, and then graduates up to power recline with power headrest and power lumbar. The next version has all of these features plus a new heat and massage system that Wilson says gives a great massage and uses inductive heating technology that doesnt damage the fabric. Out of all of these features, Wilson says power recline and power headrest functions have become a given, so much so that theyll develop pieces with these features before creating the manual version.

With all of the innovations and style options available in motion today, the question remains: Are consumers aware of all that the motion world has to offer? Wilson says its hard to tell, since people only really pay attention when theyre in the market for a new piece of furniture. As consumers and designers alike continue to catch on, todays manufacturers will continue making motion thats fit for everyone, from the Archie Bunkers to the Frasier Cranes.

See the original post:
Motion Furniture Gets an Upgrade in Technology and Style - Furniture Lighting & Decor

Anne Rippy/Digital Trends

Tulsa, Oklahoma is having a moment, and the world has taken notice. From being honored as home to one of Time Magazines Worlds 100 Greatest Places to the second round of Tulsa Remote opening to new applicants, the city is in the midst of a renaissance. But its the buildings of the past that have architecture lovers most excited. With some of the finest Art Deco designs in the country, a major push to restore long-neglected buildings, and the increased interest and participation of renowned architects, Tulsa is the place to be in 2020.

The last few decades have seen significant changes in the Buckle of the Bible Belt. Tulsa was among the first to change Columbus Day to Indigenous Peoples Day to recognize the critical role Native American tribes played and continue to play in shaping the city. And for over 20 years, the city has hosted massive celebrations for Juneteenth and Pride Day, embracing the diversity that makes this town unique.

But its the amazing architecture, restoration, and revitalization thats drawing design lovers from around the world to this central U.S. city. Thanks to the oil boom of the 1920s, Tulsa became the wealthiest city in the world. Construction took off as tycoons rushed to leave their mark on the town. While myriad influences from many different styles can be found in buildings around the area, it was Art Deco that architects truly embraced. Today, Tulsa has one of the countrys largest collections of original Art Deco architecture.

So just how many Art Deco buildings are there in Tulsa? The Decopolis Tulsa Art Deco Museum lists 63 total, with another 24 buildings that were demolished over the years. So to say the city abounds with Art Deco is an understatement. Everywhere you look, in every neighborhood, elements of the style can be seen. And we cannot talk about Art Deco in Tulsa without looking at Bruce Goff, one of the most prolific architects of the style.

Perhaps the most recognizable of all the citys Art Deco buildings, Boston Avenue Methodist Church was completed in 1929. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the church is carefully positioned at the end of Boston Avenue, making for a dramatic sight when viewed from the historic downtown business district. The 255-foot central tower is capped by four shards of deco glass, making it a striking focal point of the citys skyline.

For many decades, Bruce Goff alone was credited with the churchs design. But records show that the plan was originally drawn by his mentor and instructor, Adah Robinson. Today, Robinson is credited with coming up with the original sketches that Goff then based the design off of.

Early on, Goff worked closely with Robinson, who began her career as the first art teacher at Tulsa High School. Goff was one of her very first students, and perhaps this was how he became the designer of her own home. Working with Joseph A. Koberling, Jr, Goff designed the home in 1924. At first glance, it may be hard to see the Art Deco elements of the Robinson House, but they are there. Windows are geometric and elongated, there are terrazzo floors throughout, and the home is covered in stucco (a common material for Art Deco homes at that time).

The Tulsa Club Hotel is a prime example of the citys modern revitalization. Built in 1927, the Tulsa Club was an upscale gathering place for the citys elite. Designed by Bruce Goff, the 11-story building spent many years abandoned and neglected. Water damage from a leaky roof and fire hoses (the building experienced four fires in just one year) resulted in ceilings and walls beginning to rot. Luckily one developer saw potential in the building and set to work restoring it. Thanks to Ross Group, Tulsa Club Hotel is now a showcase for historic Art Deco elegance with a fun contemporary twist. Stepping into the lobby feels like a Great Gatsby party could break out at any moment.

After its construction in 1914, Brady Theater was remodeled by Bruce Goff in 1930. Adding plenty of Art Deco details, Goff designed everything from custom acoustical ceiling tiles to gilded air conditioning grilles. The new details effectively turned the simple barn-like convention hall into an elegant and breathtaking theater. It may have received some contemporary updates since then, but that amazing Art Deco ceiling is still there for all to admire.

Among all of Tulsas Art Deco designs, The Philcade Building truly stands out. Built in 1931, it was one of the many new structures lining Boston Avenue as oil tycoons sought to leave their mark on the city. Designed by architect Leon Senter, the Philcade was one of two towers commissioned by Waite Phillips. Located directly across the street from the already built Philtower, the Philcade represented Phillips dominance in the oil industry. Done in the Zigzag Art Deco style, the Philcades seemingly simple exterior belies the lavish interior, including the stunning lobby with an arched, hand-painted ceiling.

Tulsas countless Art Deco buildings arent the citys only architectural style worth admiring. In the downtown area alone, visitors will spot a range of iconic styles from Gothic to Contemporary and everything in between.

Boston Avenue, running through the center of downtown, showcases some of the citys most notable buildings, including the Kennedy Building, the Mid-Continent Tower, and the Philtower Building (connected to the Philcade through an underground tunnel), culminating at the BOK Tower at the top of Boston Avenue. Each building has its own unique look and its own story to tell. For architecture nerds, there are niche tours that have been built around these marvels.

The Tulsa Foundation for Architecture, formed in 1995, offers walking tours on the second Saturday of every month. Following a different theme each month, the tours center around everything from the impact of Route 66 on architecture to exploring the citys hidden underground tunnels. Its a unique chance to get an insider look at the architecture and designs that shaped the city for more than a century.

The city is also home to a one-of-a-kind Csar Pelli design. The BOK Center shows off Tulsas contemporary side and its love affair with art of all kinds. As a testament to how seriously this city takes its buildings, it rejected Pellis original (and admittedly boring) concept for the flagship arena. It wanted more than a basic rectangular box, so city planners demanded the world-renowned architect go back to the drawing board and come up with a more contemporary design. The result is the smooth, undulating silver swirl building that resembles a tornado when seen from above, a cheeky nod to Oklahomas wild weather.

Architecture not your thing? Dont worry, Tulsa still has you covered. From music to ballet to street art, Tulsa is one seriously creative community. Museums abound, each offering a different tidbit on the areas rich history. While not all of that history is something to be proud of (the Tulsa Race Massacre depicted in the opening scene for HBOs Watchmen really happened), locals dont shy away from any of it. A stop at the Tulsa Historical Society and Museum is a must. It gives the full picture of how far this city has come after the devastating attack on Black Wall Street in 1921. From there, you have a variety of museums to choose from to get your art, history, or music fix.

If you consider food to be art, youre in luck there, too. Incredible restaurants can be found in every corner of Tulsa. In 2018, the city took its food game up a notch with the opening of Mother Road Market. While it is dubbed a food hall, Mother Road Market is more of an experience, getting visitors up close and personal with local chefs, sampling unique cuisine, and socializing with fellow food lovers on the outdoor patio.

Speaking of the Mother Road, a stretch of Route 66 runs right through town, letting you get a healthy dose of nostalgia. From classic diners to the famous Golden Driller statue, you can get your fix of the vintage kitsch the road is known for. Be sure to check out Buck Atoms Cosmic Curios for the true Route 66 experience.

Once youve had your fill of impressive architecture, endless art, delicious food, and a stroll through Gathering Place, be sure to stop at the Center of the Universe before leaving town. Yep, Tulsa has that, too.

See original here:
Why Design Lovers Need to Head to Tulsa in 2020 - The Manual

I am an all-time architecture content consumer and nothing fascinates me more than seeing concept homes designed for the future! While we imagine it to be all Jetsons and some Avatar, designer Ivan Venkov has created a concept home that makes me curious is this what homes would look like if Elon Musk was in charge?

Venkov mentions that the original idea was for the modular aspect to only be included in the interior spaces, but the exterior sculptural look could also be shaped differently if desired this means only the interior foundation and platform will remain as is. His aim was to make modular spaces more than just functional, Venkov wanted it to be striking without costing a fortune to execute. The aesthetic is based on pillars of modern, minimal and calming design while still catching your eye. I particularly love the wide glass stairs leading up to the house, it gives such an airy and spacious feeling especially because it is only one floor allowing the trees to tower over you and build the view.

The illustration by Venkov includes stock imagery and his original concept designs for details as well like the Nebula lounger out on the porch and also the automobile parked up in the front. This concept home is a high-end prefabricated unit resting in a forest, but I imagine it can be assembled in other settings as well. I am sure this Tesla-esque abode will be built to be a smart home. Would you move into a home like this in 2040?

Designer: Ivan Venkov

Read the original here:
If Tesla designed houses, this is what they would look like - Yanko Design

Ill be honest, this product is not something you need but it is certainly something you will want. How cool will it be to have an air purifier that also steams irons your shirt for work? That is exactly what this steam and clothes manager does in a nutshell! The design concept for this home accessory aims to solve the issue of using space inefficiently when you have an air purifier and a clothes manager.

This one device serves both functions as we know so all you need to do to switch from air purified to clothing manager is slide up the top. A hanger will emerge and a sliding curtain to allow for effective deodorization when steaming in a closed space. It is relatively smaller when compared to the traditional clothing manager and because of its dual functionality, it becomes a smarter choice especially for the urban homes.

The steam manager has won various awards for its concept already Korea Design Exhibition Award Special Prize (2019), Winner of International Busan Design Award (2019), and was the finalist atD2B Design Fair (2019). Designer Jiheon Song has already patented the concept and we are excited to see it on the market! I, for one, am ready for cleaner air, cleaner clothes and a cleaner decade.

Designer: Jiheon Song

See more here:
Get wrinkle-free clothes and a smell-free home with one device! - Yanko Design

It is the kind of house that would kindle hot pangs of desire in even the most imperturbable editor at Dwell magazine: Clean, horizontal lines. Walls made of Betn brut concrete. Floors and ceilings from fine-grain hardwood. There is a pristine island kitchen with an induction cooktop and temperature-controlled wine storage. Plus, near the entrance, a graceful internal courtyard harbors a cluster of bamboo trees illuminated, of course. (Uplighting vegetation is the design tic of the bourgeoisie.)

If the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences were to grant an Oscar for architecture as a character in a movie, the Minimalist manse inhabited by the well-to-do Park family in Bong Joon Hos Parasite would certainly be the lead contender. The home, which in the film is designed by a fictional starchitect named Namgoong Hyeonja, hits all the markers for tasteful displays of wealth, from the Minimalist furnishings to the Minimalist soaking tub a desire for less-is-more that applies to everything except scale.

But as design critic Kyle Chayka writes in The Longing for Less: Living With Minimalism, his newly released book about the desire for less, Just because something looks simple does not mean it is; the aesthetics of simplicity cloak artifice, or even unsustainable excess.

In the case of the Park home, the simplicity cloaks a disquieting secret in the basement.

A scene from Bong Joon Hos Parasite showcases the Minimalist home of the well-to-do Park family.

( Neon / CJ Entertainment)

Each of the best-picture nominees for the 92nd Academy Awards employed architecture and urbanism to help tell stories.

Martin Scorsese offered an epic take on a mobsters regret-filled life in The Irishman, a picture redolent of clubby, Old World restaurants. Ford v Ferrari and Once Upon a Time ... in Hollywood traveled to the 1960s, a world of Space Age neon, wood-paneled executive suites and ranch-style houses. Noah Baumbachs Marriage Story remained firmly in the present, offering a realistic view of a crumbling relationship set against blandly tasteful middle-class domestic settings and the barren Los Angeles apartment inhabited, at one point, by Adam Drivers character, a setting whose principal design feature is beige wall-to-wall carpet.

The two best-picture films that take place in wartime are among the most intriguing for the ways in which they employ architecture and its absence. So it is little surprise that both also received Oscar nominations for production design.

Taika Waititis Jojo Rabbit, which takes place during World War II, tells the fantastical tale of a German boy and his imaginary friend who happens to be Hitler.

The exteriors (shot in the Czech Republic) evoke a Baroque German city. But the interiors of the home, where much of the action takes place, features Modernist, Art Deco design flourishes and boldly colored wallpapers as if this home were a cocoon against everything happening outside. (A cocoon that happens to be hiding a young Jewish woman.)

Hitler, for the record, hated Modernism.

Quite different in its approach to architecture is Sam Mendes riveting 1917, set on the Western Front during World War I. This war epic shows little in the way of architecture but when it does, it is the stuff of nightmares.

There is the design of the trench, where so much of the film takes place, and where countless lives come to an end in a soup of mud and waste. But the most memorable scene shows George MacKay as Lance Cpl. Schofield running for his life through the bombed-out French village of coust-Saint-Mein at night, flares and bombs illuminating the wreckage of this once picturesque settlement.

It is a hellscape. The end of architecture. Its crumbling ruin seeming to contain only the last vestiges of human life.

George MacKay as Schofield dashes through a destroyed French village at night in 1917.

(Universal Pictures)

Taken collectively, however, the best-picture nominees deploy architecture in ways that tell compelling stories about the ways in which the poor and the wealthy divide.

Greta Gerwings Little Women is about the March sisters wrestling with the life options available to them in Civil War-era Concord, Mass. options that seem to sit on a continuum between getting married and thwarted attempts at a creative life. But the film also tells a story of class and the ways in which women aspire to it.

The home belonging to the kindly and well-to-do Mr. Laurence, a Georgian Revival mansion played by the Nathaniel Thayer Estate in Lancaster, Mass., sits right within view of the March familys more humble abode, a 17th century colonial farmhouse painted a dreary shade of brown. The drafty home of the poor Hummel family down the road highlights the social classes even further. In the Laurence home, the wood trim sparkles; in the March house, the surfaces have a genteel worn-out-ness, with flowered wallpaper that has dulled over time. The Hummels can only dream about wallpaper.

Those details are hardly incidental. The March home is based on author Louisa May Alcotts Massachusetts home, where she wrote the novel upon which the movie is based. Our version of the March house is a bit broken and run-down on the outside, production designer Jess Gonchor told The Times last year, but the interiors have this flow of positive energy and color.

But they are interiors, as the March sisters are keenly aware, that constantly speak to their status.

Saoirse Ronan (clockwise from top left), Laura Dern, Emma Watson, Florence Pugh and Eliza Scanlen, at home as the March family in Little Women

(Wilson Webb / Columbia Pictures)

Quentin Tarantinos Once Upon a Time ... in Hollywood, which is also up for an Oscar for production design, likewise offers some interesting juxtapositions of rich and poor.

The camera lovingly dwells on the creature comforts of the Hollywood Hills home that belongs to actor Rick Dalton, played by Leonardo DiCaprio, including a full bar and a turquoise swimming pool with L.A. views. Cut to the home of Brad Pitts barely employed stuntman Cliff Booth, a banged-up trailer behind the Van Nuys Drive-In. It is stuffed with decidedly unfancy clutter: the dishes in the sink, the dirty dog bowl in the corner, the television on a teetering TV tray.

We wanted to put Cliff in the realm of a drive-in, production designer Barbara Lin told the Hollywood Reporter of the concept. I love that whole environment for Cliff, putting him in such a different world from the [glamorous one] in which he serves as stuntman.

The disheveled trailer belonging to Cliff Booth (played by Brad Pitt) in Once Upon a Time ... in Hollywood.

(Andrew Cooper / Sony Pictures)

Todd Phillips Joker goes beyond individual environments.

The film opens with Joaquin Phoenix, as Arthur Fleck, applying clown makeup in a gloomy, industrial room as radio news reports talk about Gothams garbage crisis. Shortly thereafter, he is assaulted by a group of teens in an alley. Thus begins a spiral that puts the emotionally unstable Fleck on the path to becoming the Joker. And part of that path is the one of a society afflicted by rampant economic inequity all conveyed by the crumbling prewar apartment building that Fleck inhabits, with its flaking paint and dire hallways.

It is also conveyed by the city itself, a rat-filled, crime-saturated Gotham that evokes the New York City of Bernhard Goetz, the vigilante who shot four African American teens on the New York City subway in 1984. A similar scene occurs in Joker, in which Fleck shoots at a pack of bratty financiers who bully him on the train. (In a case that made national headlines, Goetz was found not guilty on all charges except for carrying an unlicensed weapon.)

The film is every paranoia about the urban rendered on screen: a vision of cities as festering sites of crime and filth, evocative of the Ford to City: Drop Dead New York of the 1970s and the ways Donald Trump talks about Chicago today. All of it is paralleled by the wealthy moguls who seem untouched by the decay.

Flecks sickly mother is hopeful that one of those moguls, Thomas Wayne, whom she once knew, will rescue her and her son from their grinding poverty.

That, however, is not in the cards. As Flecks counselor tells him, after funding is cut for his mental health services, They dont give a ... about people like you, Arthur. And they really dont give a ... about people like me either.

Joaquin Phoenix as Arthur Fleck in Joker navigates a trash-covered street evocative of 1970s New York.

(Niko Tavernise / Warner Bros. Pictures)

But it is ultimately Parasite that uses architecture to tackle the topic of inequity in the most direct ways: a tragicomic story about the parallel lives of the wealthy Park family and the poor Kim family that work for them in an array of household jobs jobs acquired through various ingenious scams. But even before the plot has begun to unfurl, the architecture in the film has already articulated the class tension.

The Parks inhabit a state-of-the-art estate. The Kim family lives in a style of semi-basement apartment that is common to Seoul, where the film is set. Known as banjiha in Korean, this style of housing offers little in the way of creature comforts such as daylight. Contrast that to the Parks large picture window, which overlooks a vast, manicured garden.

It is the Kims banjiha that opens the film: with socks drying before a row of four grimy windows. Milk crates stacked high against walls burst with clutter. The wires that provide electricity are visible as they run along ceilings and walls. A tiny bathroom features not a soaking tub, but a toilet set on an elevated platform (presumably a way to flush waste without having to dig any deeper for plumbing).

Park So Dam (left) and Choi Woo Shik in their semi-basement bathroom in Parasite.

( Neon)

In an interview with Indiewire last fall, Lee Ha Jun, who nabbed an Oscar nomination for his production design on the film, described the toilet as a temple of excrement. It is no wonder the Kims will do whatever it takes to worm their way into the Parks sumptuous home. None of it, however, results in what they imagine.

Those pristine magazine homes? It turns out they have plenty of room for skeletons in their capacious, walk-in closets.

See the original post here:
How the Oscars' best-picture nominees used architecture to tell stories of inequity - Los Angeles Times

The Real Housewives of New Jersey cast members are known for flipping tables and major family blow-ups. Aside from their drama, they are one of the flashiest franchises.

With mega-mansions and blinged-out jewelry, viewers wonder how they live such flashy lives when their major stars have had serious financial issues. The season 10 cast are ringing in major cash as far as their salaries on the show, adding to their growing net worth.

For a short time, Giudice was a paid contributor to PEOPLE Magazine where she blogged on the site regarding the show. Her books have become New York Times Best Sellers, which include four cookbooks Skinny Italian, Fabulicious!, Fabulicious Fast & Fit, and Fabulicious!, and On the Grill and several memoirs, Turning the Tables: From Housewife to Inmate and Back at It Again, and Standing Strong. She also had her own jewelry line of costume accessories called TG Fabulicious and a line of dessert wines with Fabellini.

Her net worth was once estimated to be about $11 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth. Despite the success of her businesses, she and her husband filed for bankruptcy in 2011, claiming to be more than $11 million in debt. Legal documents revealed that she took home large advances and royalties from her books including a $250,000 advance for Skinny Italian and $30,000 in royalties, according to Earn The Necklace. They were found guilty in 2013 of fraud charges after a guilty plea, with them both serving separate jail sentences. With the bankruptcy filing, loss of income from her business and legal fees, her net worth took a hit. Luckily, she has the show. Reality Blurb reported that shes paid $62,000 per episode, putting her salary at a little over $1 million for Season 10.

Gorga has had her own success since joining the show in season 3. In her first season, she released a pop single, On Display, which charted on iTunes. She released her first book in 2013, Love Italian Style: The Secrets of My Hot and Happy Marriage, where she shares her secrets to a lasting and happy relationship. In the book, she gives the four ingredients that she believes contribute to a good relationship respect, honesty, loyalty, and passion mixed with old school values.

Gorga took her love of fashion and all things glitz and glamour to another level when she opened her New Jersey boutique, Envy. The business has not been without its ups and downs. Her former business partner sued her and the store closed for a few months before reopening with just Gorga. She was also accused of selling counterfeit Chanel purses and accessories, which caused a backlash in 2017. The store is now doing well.

She and her husband allegedly had issues, including owing their former mortgage company and fans suspected that like her sister-in-law, shed file for bankruptcy. They attempted to sell their Montclair, New Jersey mansion. They now live in a mansion in Franklin Lakes, New Jersey.

Whatever money troubles she may have had have now seemed to be resolved. Shes said to be paid $600,000 per season and is worth an estimated $1.5 million.

Aydin has been on the show since season 9 and has flaunted her wealth. She dons Chanel in almost every episode and has a lavish home to match her flashy fashion choices. Her massive New Jersey mansion is equipped with 18 bathrooms. The home is 12,000 square feet with an 8,000 square feet basement that holds nine bedrooms.

The mother of five relies on her plastic surgeon husband to bring home the bacon while she takes care of their home and family. Their family business is Aydin Plastic Surgery in Paramus, New Jersey. Aydins husband Bill specializes in aesthetic cosmetic surgery of the face and body, including minimally invasive procedures and reconstruction of breast cancer survivors, and traumatic injuries, including hand surgery, according to the offices website. Due to her husbands plastic surgery business, shes worth an estimated $7 million.

Goldschnieder famously revealed on the show that in addition to her previous life as a lawyer, she has family money and declared herself as the richest cast member. Her parents invested their money well and set up a trust fund for her to access when she grew older. When she decided to use withdraw money from the trust, she took a note out of her parents book and invested in real estate. She owns a home in the Hamptons, which she rents out for $50,000 a month. She also has properties in New York and runs a real estate management company.

After retiring from her life as a real estate attorney, she found a new passion as a freelance journalist and newspaper columnist. Her writing credits include Good Housekeeping and Huffington Post along with her own blog, The Mummy Brain. Her accumulated wealth prior to joining the show was an estimated $2 million.

A graduate of New Yorks Fashion Institute of Technology, Josephs used her degree to become a fashion designer and entrepreneur. She worked as a dress designer before starting her own line with the Macbeth Collection lifestyle brand. For almost 20 years, her business boomed. Her net worth was an estimated $50 million before experiencing money trouble in 2019.

She was sued for $200,000 from two former friends who claimed she owed them money from a loan. She also owed backed taxes and then declared bankruptcy within her business when Vineyard Vines sued her for $12 million claiming her company copied their logo design. Page Six also reported that her house was in foreclosure in 2018.

Catania makes roughly $60,000 per episode, with Celebrity Net Worth estimating her to be worth $4 million. While most of her revenue comes from RHONJ, she has used the show to venture into real estate.

Her and her ex-husband, Frank Catania, are in the home flipping businesses. They buy homes, rebuild them and sell them for a higher profit. They also build custom homes, as shown on the current season of the show. Catania also does sponsored social media posts.

Read more:
RHONJ: Which Cast Member Has The Highest Net Worth? - Showbiz Cheat Sheet

Ecology and heritage park plans

A heritage park with archaeological viewing platforms, and interpretation boards, a community hub and an edible corridor are among the plans for a 1,600 home development in Birchington which will go on public display this month.

Ptarmigan Land and Millwood Designer Homes will show masterplan images for the 194 acre site on the south of the village running from Quex up towards Minnis at a consultation event on February 14.

The event, taking place at The Centre in Alpha Road from 1pm to 8pm, precedes an expected submission of an outline planning application to Thanet council this Spring.

The proposal, which could see the village swell from 10,000 residents to almost 15,000, includes developing agricultural fields on the perimeter of Birchington an issue that has caused anger and prompted a petition objecting to the scheme signed by 2858 people.

The petition launched by resident Gary Fowler questions why grade one land is being used when the development could instead incorporate grade 2 and 3 land further west.

Concerns over the increase in population, stretched medical services and the loss of countryside and paths are also raised.

Aims to develop the site are contained in the draft Thanet Local Plan a blueprint for housing, business and infrastructure on the isle up until 2031. A vote aimed at retaining aviation at Manston airport in 2018 resulted in a reallocation of properties, including a further 600 homes for Birchington, making a total of 1,600.

Olly Buck from Ptarmigan Land said the aim is to engage Birchington residents and introduce a scheme that will deliver benefits.

He said: 1,600 houses in a new community is inevitably going to bring substantial change and not everyone is going to be in favour of that. The reason these schemes are being delivered up and down the country is the government drive to increase housing. Our job is to very much engage the community to make sure they are armed with the facts and to set out how it will affect them.

Sometimes the impact that some think will be negative can actually bring a whole range of benefits. This scheme will deliver economic and community benefits. When you do a job right it improves an area rather than having a detrimental impact.

Ptarmigan and Millwood say the planned link road extending from Minnis Road and the A28 will alleviate traffic congestion in the village and improve air quality in the main square and that 26 HA of open space more than double to 12 HA requirement will include the heritage park and archaeological finds, all age leisure facilities such as a skate park, community orchards, growing areas and coastal trails.

Mr Buck said: There will be a Quex to coast heritage walk which will be a fantastic resource with wayfinding interpretation boards and various things along the route to celebrate the heritage of the area. It is quite exciting.

He also outlined plans for the edible corridor in the Minnis Road area with growing points, bee friendly planting and rewilding, adding: Agricultural land in intensively farmed so although we are taking away a landscape we are putting elements in that will reconnect nature and wildlife even in an urban area.

A two-form entry primary school, 70 bed retirement home and financial contributions towards expanding facilities at Birchington Medical Centre are included in the scheme.

A community hub including flexible office space, three acre sports field and leisure space also feature.

Jeremy Handel, from Ptarmigan, said: The key things are healthy living and healthy lifestyles. There are 19 different play areas, six equipped, for all age groups. The skate park will be designed into the landscape with areas suitable for small children and older kids.

Homes will be a mix from one bed to five bed with 30% earmarked as affordable, including shared ownership/help to buy scheme properties and social rented homes.

The proposal has a 10-15 year phased build out with the aim of starting construction in early 2022 and first occupations at the end of that year.

Boards showing the new designs will be on display at the consultation event.

The volume of housing planned for the village and the agricultural land location lay at the heart of opposition to the scheme.

According to Thanets draft local plan a total of 17140 new houses are allocated for the isle from 2011-2031.

But resident and campaigner for Birchington action group against TDC Local Plan Craig Solly says the development numbers are a nonsense.

He said: The housing need is wrong; Thanet will not build in total 17140 houses in the 12 years left in the local plan. The plan in the last 5 years will build over 1300 houses a year. This has not happened in the data I have found since 1980.

If the housing numbers were sensible we wouldnt have this level set out for Birchington and Westgate.

He added Losing the UKs finest farmland to housing is not the way to deliver housing in the future, especially when there is passion to protect the environment and global climate. It is a sad reflection of these times to destroy the arable soils that have provided food for generations. Thanet and the UK has brownfield land which the focus of house building should prioritise, especially when national policy states it to do so.

District and parish councillor for Birchington, Phil Fellows, says farmland should not be used when there are other available sites.

He said: Ive always been against any development on Grade I agricultural farmland. There are enough empty properties and brownfield sites in Thanet; the last resort should be building on farmland.

The developers have seen this land has been put into the local plan and these developers are just here to make as much profit as possible. We shouldnt be fooled that they have our interests at heart. Weve got a medical centre at breaking point, one primary school and a secondary school that are oversubscribed.

If they were to build a new medical centre, secondary school and primary school first it would be easier to swallow. It has to be infrastructure first otherwise our residents already here will suffer.

Find the petition here

Find information boards from the Ptarmigan/Millwood consultation last October here

Related

Visit link:
Consultation event to include masterplan images for 1600 home Birchington development - The Isle of Thanet News

Weatherly Stroh added her home to the 2015 Birmingham Home Tour.

Home tours give participants a chance to see how other people in their community have styled their interiors.

File photo by Donna Agusti

Strohs Birmingham home features many pieces of her artwork.

File photo by Donna Agusti

Advertisement

BIRMINGHAM/BLOOMFIELD Theres only so much inspiration we can garner from the pages of design magazines.

For a fresh take on interior design, sometimes it takes the real thing. Thats exactly what home tours provide for their guests the chance to peek at others creativity and spark some of their own.

From contemporary to colonial and every style in between, home tours with multiple locations offer a variety of looks for visitors, with something to appreciate at every one, according to Birmingham resident Rose Pochmara Bolyard, the co-chair of The Community Houses annual Birmingham House Tour for the past two years.

The first time I went on the Birmingham House Tour, I really appreciated the fact that I could experience such diverse home designs and styles all in one event. It gave me a deeper appreciation of each, she said. I realized that even if a home wasnt necessarily my style, I could appreciate the quality craftsmanship showcased, and exquisite attention to detail.

The 33rd annual Birmingham House Tour to benefit The Community House will take place in the early fall of 2020, and as always, proceeds will go to benefit the nonprofits outreach efforts for families in need in the area.

We estimate approximately 600-900 attendees each year attend the tour. Many are searching for inspiration for their next project or home improvement, while others simply enjoy a fun day out on the town with their friends, family and colleagues to support a great cause, Bolyard said. The tour also presents a wonderful platform for local architects, builders, designers, building suppliers and contractors to reach a greater audience where their products or hard work can speak for itself. Its a win-win.

Kathie Ninneman, senior director of guest and volunteer services for The Community House, said without a doubt the kitchens are a favorite of visitors, with the latest and greatest appliances and trends.

Second to that, she said people love to see the inside of homes in their neighborhood built by well-known architects like Albert Kahn and Frank Lloyd Wright.

Giving designers the chance to shine is what George Bulanda, marketing and communications director for the Michigan Design Center, loves about the centers well-known home tours. The Michigan Design Centers annual home tour will now be hosted every other year as to not interfere with the Junior League of Detroits biennial home tour in the spring. It will be back in 2021 with more one-of-a-kind design concepts from well-known experts.

To me, the tours underscore the difference a professional designer can make, Bulanda said. The furnishings, the tiles, the lighting a lot of it comes from the design center too. People invariably ask, Where did that sofa come from? and were happy to point them in our direction. But sometimes we feature the designers own home, and people want to see more than anything how designers curate their own space. Those are always really popular.

Since variety is the spice of life, one of the biggest tasks for home tour organizers is to make sure each space is markedly different.

Our last tour we had transitional, traditional, one with modern art, just a ton of different styles of homes. If you go see four or five ranches, its likely youre going to forget what you saw, because they all look the same, Bulanda said.

Sure, home tours are a fun day for attendees who get to peek into their neighbors unique and thoughtfully designed spaces. But homeowners enjoy themselves too. After all, whats the point of putting in all that time and effort to create the perfect house, if no one sees it?

Its a lovely way for homeowners to share with others the pride they have in their home, said Ninneman. Weve had homeowners tell us that when they come home after the tour, they found the house spotless with no indication hundreds of people had been through that day.

Advertisement

View post:
Open the door to inspiration - C&G Newspapers

While many people will work remotely on occasion for their full-time or part-time jobs, others have embraced the full work-from-home lifestyle, starting their own businesses in the comfort of their own homes.

This is because the need and desire for flexibility are fast overtaking the importance of a big pay package. Whether its looking after children, caring for a sick or elderly family member, having an injury or illness yourself, or simply wanting to embrace a more nomadic lifestyle, working from home is fast becoming a normal and acceptable way to earn a primary or secondary income.

If you have a flair for words or can write significantly faster than the average typing speed, a job in writing may be the way to go. There are dozens of ways to make money in writing, whether its blogging, ghostwriting, editing, or proofreading.

You might not be aware of this, but there are also hundreds of transcription jobs. Many writers will interview people for articles or books, and theyll need help transcribing the conversation. Medical transcriptionists are also in demand as its quite a niche area to work in.

To do this job, you need to understand the medical jargon, be able to decipher the different medical conditions and type at an exceptionally accurate level. Medical transcriptionists are also important when it comes to digitizing patient records and recording healthcare regulations.

Many graphic designers choose to work for themselves, and its quite an easy profession to do from home. A lot of communication with clients can be done either over the phone or via email, and templates can be created to ensure briefing is done efficiently and properly.

Whether its designing logos or company collateral, t-shirts or clothing, being a graphic designer from home allows you to work with multiple clients and on multiple projects at once, meaning your job is interesting.

The term virtual assistant can encompass a lot of different roles, from looking after a clients calls and diaries to bookkeeping and ensuring email correspondence is dealt with in a timely manner. Of course, the services you can offer will depend on your own personal training and experience. Never agree to provide a service youre not skilled in, and if theres a particular service thats required, commit to doing some training before taking it on as part of your job.

Virtual assistants need exceptional organizational and time management skills. Excellent communication skills are also a prerequisite. Being a virtual assistant from home means youre not bound to one particular company or client as well, which can be a wonderful way to ensure your job has variety.

Being a professional massage therapist may mean working for a company or another individual, but it can easily also mean working for yourself, which really is the beauty of the profession. Whether youre just starting out or looking for a change, setting up a massage therapist business from home isnt as hard as you may think.

Of course, youll need the relevant qualifications, a business name before you even start taking on clients. Its also worth creating a website and social media presence so you can connect with clients. The best part of being a work-from-home massage therapist is that you can choose to either set up shop in your home or head to clients to provide your services.

There are so many work-from-home options in the online world that it can be hard to keep up. Whether youre a website developer, website tester or tech support specialist, theres a wealth of opportunity out there for those who are tech-savvy.

For web developers, youll help create or manage websites for other companies. Website testers are paid to test websites or mobile apps in their development stage to ensure all issues are ironed out before they go live. Tech support specialists are often hired by businesses to be on-call should their technology fail in-house. Often, youll enter their hardware or software remotely so you can sort out the problems, meaning you can be anywhere in the world and still able to do your job.

Whatever your reasons for working from home, there are plenty of job opportunities, especially as businesses are recognizing the value of using freelancers. Whether its communications, service-based, assistance work or even online tutoring, there are so many job opportunities beyond those discussed above, and it can be hard to figure out which one to stick to. Just remember to go with your strengths and if you really want to try something new, dabble on the side rather than committing from the get-go.

Excerpt from:
5 of the Best Jobs for Working From Home - BBN Times

Making room for a family doesnt necessarily mean extending. For many of us, making the most of what we have is the most affordable or practical way forward. Whether youre limited by budget or just want to preserve the period character of a house, working within the footprint of your property can be as satisfying a project as any extension.

For Catie and Nick, turning their small, north-facing kitchen into a family room has been transformative for them all. Deciding against a kitchen-diner extension, theyve reaped the benefits of the large, sunlight-filled room they already had. Simple features and a white scheme emphasise the garden views, while a carefully curated selection of artwork adorns the walls and adds personality. Here, Catie takes us through the steps to their new family space

Want to transform your kitchen? Go to our kitchen ideas hub page and find lots of design ideas and expert advice on how to do it.

The design was exactly to our brief simple and subtle, to make the outside view the main focus, says Catie. We approached several kitchen companies but the designer at Magnet completely understood what we wanted. Kitchen, Magnet. Driftwood flooring, Karndean. Pendant light, Grok

(Image credit: Douglas Gibb)

The owners Catie Wearmouth and her husband, Nick, a home audio specialist, live here with their three children.The property A five-bedroom Victorian detached house in West Lothian.Project cost 37,000.

We lived here for three years before we started altering it, Catie says. Our children were born during that time so our needs kept changing and we didnt want to rush into anything. There was a perfectly serviceable kitchen at the back of the house that we seriously considered extending into a kitchen-diner, but we decided against it in the end and its now our utility room. Once wed lived there a while, we found we were strongly drawn to the sunnier, south-facing front of the house for the kitchen space instead.'

'The rich tone of the zebrano wood worktop is so tactile and adds warmth to the scheme, Catie says. We wanted a material that was both natural and beautiful. Extractor fan, Elica. Walls painted in French Gray, Farrow & Ball

(Image credit: Douglas Gibb)

We hired architect Tom Young, a family friend, to discuss the plans. He was all for an extension at the back, but, in the end, we decided it wasnt right for us. Having the light was our priority, so we preferred the dining room option a room at the front of the house that had been Nicks mums underused sitting room. Shed lived with us for a couple of years when we first moved in.

Its a lovely sunny room that overlooks the garden and we realised it would be perfect as the kitchen. We decided to turn the small bathroom behind it into an adjoining scullery to hide things like the fridge-freezer. We also wanted to add a door at the back for that much-wanted garden access.'

We dont have wall cupboards, just two tall cupboards in a couple of corners, Catie says. One houses the oven and the other is a larder.Roller blinds and scatter cushions, made by Bric Interiors with Voyage fabric

(Image credit: Douglas Gibb)

To get that connection to the garden and bring in as much light as possible, we added two windows to the south wall alongside the existing bay window. We thought about floor-to-ceiling windows, but it would have meant having more units opposite, and we wanted to preserve the wooden panelling on that wall. I also felt that floor-to-ceiling windows might make the room too modern. We very much wanted to respect the period integrity of the house when making all of these improvements to the layout.

For a similar bread bin, try The Emporium Direct . For a similar tap, try the Swan 2 Lever kitchen tap in Brushed Nickel, John Lewis & Partners

(Image credit: Douglas Gibb)

The kitchen is deliberately simple to make the garden the focal point. We wanted to be able to enjoy the sun and watch the children playing. We opted for a minimal white kitchen the only added ornament is the subtle floral fabric for the blinds and cushions in the window seat. We were tempted to get an Aga but felt it could end up dominating the room.

Ive kept all of the kitchen paraphernalia minimal and placed the hob on the island unit so I can join in with conversation while Im cooking. The island itself is the main feature. It has a lot of storage, which we needed because we dont have wall cupboards we felt they would have made the room feel more enclosed than we wanted.

Wallpaper (in utility), Birds by Louise Body

(Image credit: Douglas Gibb)

(Image credit: Future)

Catch up on fabulous house renovations, style updates and advice with a monthly subscription

Living in the house throughout the project was challenging, but we were able to use the old kitchen, now our utility, and we have a bathroom upstairs, so there was no real hardship.

'This was our third major renovation weve been through a lot worse! The noise and dust are stressful, but so is moving out, and it was only for a short period. The whole thing was completed in 12 weeks.

The space now is a family room first, then a kitchen. I love sitting at the table in the bay window. Ive hung my favourite paintings here because we spend so much time in this room.

'The additions and alterations look as if theyve always been there. Were already gearing up for our next project landscaping the garden we so enjoy looking out over from our kitchen.

(Image credit: Douglas Gibb)

Architect TM Young Chartered Architect,0131 226 3390Builder JESKitchen Magnet

Read more from the original source:
Real home: a bright new kitchen with lovely views is transformed - Real Homes