Sculptures and artwork by a Chinese-Lithuanian artist in Hackney, which are beautifully displayed throughout his home, have been put on sale two years after his death.

Ron Hitchens was born in Poplar in 1926 and died peacefully in November 2019 at the age of 93. He was brought up in Pennyfields, the original Limehouse Chinatown to a Chinese father and a Lithuanian mother.

He spent his life working in a variety of fields, including as a tailor, a coal miner and a ceramicist but was well known for being a flamenco dancer and a sculptor. He had a passion for flamenco dancing, and even presented Ken Russells The Light Fantastic (1960), participating in and commenting on the dance sequences featured.

Hitchens was an exceptional artist, and even took the time to cover the walls in his home with stunning sculptures, and created art out of his furniture. He was known as the 'Naked Sculptor' as he 'disliked the heat of casting his pieces'. Now, his estate is selling off the contents of his house in Hackney, including his numerous pieces of art.

His art pieces have previously sold for between 100 to 400. Every part of his house is a piece of art, as doors and even his bed is made out of artwork tiles.

An account on Instagram has now sprung up dedicated to chronicling Hitchens' work, and a short documentary about his life is available to view on Vimeo.

MyLondon has put together a gallery of images inside the impressive art-filled home.

Read more here:
Inside the Hackney home of artist who covered the walls in stunning sculptures - MyLondon

If you want to learn how to build in Valheim like the worlds best Vikings, youve come to the right place. Building can be a tricky task for new players as Valheim leaves a lot for you to discover on your own fortunately weve done all the hard work for you. Constructing a solid base might seem like an impossible task at first, but the tools in Valheim are surprisingly robust, allowing you to build the home of your dreams, eventually.

Unlike a lot of survival games, Valheim has strict requirements when it comes to building structures that you must adhere to, including an overall structure strength and adequate ventilation. When you first land in the Viking afterlife, you need to craft a hammer from rogue branches you find lying around the Meadow biome. This allows you to build structures and more importantly, a Valheim workbench, which needs a roof before you can use it. This is just the beginning of why you need to build a base, as you gradually add items such as chests, beds, and eventually a blast furnace. Your base also protects you from the external elements such as a drop in temperature at night and severe weather conditions, as well as prowling enemies.

If youre just starting out in Valheim, or looking to brush up on your building skills, this guide covers some of Valheims building quirks, whether youre lacking the tools for the job, or youre trying to squeeze as many items as possible into your little Viking home. Heres everything you need to know about building in Valheim.

To live as the Vikings once did, each base must have a chimney to accommodate your indoor campfire. You can tell if your base is in desperate need of ventilation as the structure fills with smoke that cant escape through the roof, the thick grey clouds are a dead giveaway here. . Without any ventilation, you slowly take damage until you inevitably die.

The obvious solution to this is to remove a roof panel so the smoke has somewhere to go, however, this can easily let in rain which will extinguish your campfire. Instead, select a roof panel in the usual spot but rotate the panel to have it angled towards the sky. This stops any rain from entering the building while allowing the smoke to escape.

Wondering why strong gusts of wind are blowing out your campfire in the middle of the night? Its important to use the correct tiles when constructing a base. This might seem obvious, but Valheim gives you the option to use any building structure that fits when constructing a roof. While this may work visually, using floor tiles in place of roof tiles will cause you problems in the long run. Real roof tiles protect your base from windy weather, whereas floor tiles do not.Level the terrain

Valheims building mechanics can feel unintuitive, and thats mainly due to the structure strength mechanic. Its important to build a base on a flat surface this might sound easy, but the game doesnt make it clear when a surface is uneven. The hoe tool is perfect for levelling any uneven terrain, making it suitable for building a structure. You can craft a hoe at a workbench for five wood and two stone.

Though its technically possible to build on hilly terrain, this is not advised, as parts of your structure can become weak due to the lack of a solid foundation. If you built a symmetrical building but some of the panels appear to be structurally weaker on one side, double check your foundation is touching the ground. What usually happens is only half of the pieces are embedded into the ground, but this can easily be fixed by levelling the area off with the hoe.

Before building a permanent base, create a flat area using the hoe tool and immediately place floor tiles down as the foundation. Again, this might seem like an obvious tip but its extremely annoying to fix down the line. A small base might do the trick for the first few hours of the game, but as you begin to make progress youll soon find yourself trapped within the confines of your tiny home.

To Valhalla:Read about the best Viking games on PC

As you progress through the game, youll need more space to store heavy inventory and keep portals nearby, all while maintaining a fortified area to protect against nearby threats. Having a dedicated zone for your base allows you to build within your means while giving you room to spread out once you feel comfortable.

Chests become vital in the mid to late game, giving you a way to stash your precious resources. When building a large base, you need plenty of wood and stone on hand at any given time this is where chests come in. Ideally you should have a room dedicated to chests in order to keep all of your materials in one place.

If you dont have the room to spare, or you want to make things tidier, you can stack chests using the 11 wood floor tile. Place this wood tile directly above a chest on the ground, creating a shelf that can hold more chests. Once the chest is on the shelf, you can destroy the shelf and the chests will continue to hover in mid-air. You can stack up to four chests in one column if youre looking to maximise your space. Check out YouTuber Schmidtdudes video embedded above to see how its done.

And thats all you need to know about building in Valheim. If you need some more tips, check out our guide on the Valheim workbench to find out how to use this complex crafting station. Theres a lot more to this survival game than simply building a base have a look at our guide on Valheim bosses to discover the games progression system.

Original post:
Valheim building guide learn the basics of construction - PCGamesN

TikTok is a brilliant resource for home improvement hacks, and one TikTok user revealed how she created a unique pattern on her kitchen tiles with stencils and paints. The video posted by@homechroniclesgot more than 141,000 likes and other TikTokers flocked to the comment section to find out how they can achieve a similar look.Express.co.ukchatted to DIY and upcycling expert for ITVs This Morning, Georgina Burnett (also known as The Home Genie), to find out how to create a pattern on your tiles with stencils.

A home improvement blogger,@homechronicleson TikTok, has shown off her impressive DIY skills in a short video clip.

The video, which has racked up more than 2.2 million views, shows the blogger take her kitchen tiles from drab to fab with just a few licks of paint.

She starts by painting the marble-look tiles white with a paint roller brush and then paints over this with black paint.

READ MORE- 9 headboards for an easy and stylish bedroom makeover

Once that dried, she placed down some Moroccan-esque mosaic stencils and painted over this with white paint.

The bloggers end result was stunning, but we couldnt help but wonder whether the final look would last long.

TikTok users expressed their concerns in the comments about the paint flaking off, soExpress.co.ukhas asked a DIY and upcycling expert for her views.

Georgina Burnett, aka the Home Genie, has revealed how to paint your tiles correctly.

Once totally dry, roller on tile paint primer that will be appropriate for the topcoat you will eventually use.

Georgina said: Start at the opposite end of the room, make sure theres plenty of ventilation and no little feet around!

You may need two coats for sufficient coverage, so stock up on enough paint to get the job done in one go.

The colours you choose are up to you, but if you want to copy the TikTok video you need white and black ceramic paint.

Let the primer dry and then roll black ceramic paint over the entire floor, following the instructions on the tin.

Dont miss a patch of the floor and make sure you paint over the grout.

Georgina said: You will probably need two coats so you will want to lightly sand and clean in between coats.

Once the black paint is totally dry, its time to put your stencil in place. Georgina said: Place your stencil on the tile furthest away from the entrance, you can either use masking tape to hold it in place at the corners or press down.

Then, roller white ceramic paint over the stencil and carefully lift before it totally dries, to avoid the paint from peeling away with the stencil.

Wipe the stencil of any paint and repeat on the next tile until all tiles have been decorated.

To ensure your handiwork stays in place and lasts as long as possible, Georgina recommends finishing with an appropriate sealant.

You will need to tread very carefully even after the paint is dry.

Georgina added: Follow the instructions on the paint tins, but Id be tempted to only replace furniture after a week or so, and avoid tap dancing for a few weeks!

See the rest here:
DIY stencilled floor: How to create a pattern on tiles with stencils - Express

This year, a favorite Michael Jordan quote of mine, Dont aspire to be the best on the teamaspire to be the best for the team, fueled my journey of using simple, practical leadership and team-building tactics to connect our remote and on-site culture at Mercury Mosaics.

When I looked for the gaps, my goal was to understand what systems we needed in place so more people could shine. We place a lot of focus on building a place that creates careers. And last year, we had zero layoffs and actually created jobs. A team approach was driving my focus to sharing leadership responsibilities. Im always saying many hands make light work.

Forty percent of our team has been working remotely since March 2020.

Sixty percent of our team has been in-studio. Most of them had no access to technology, because our existing methodology was mostly analog.

This created a clear divide and disconnection.

2020 revealed that we had been spoiled by being under the same roof (while having cute dogs running around). I was forced to ask, How do I keep people feeling connected, empowered, and ensure access to our good vibes?

Microsoft Teams was an easy setup for us. Additionally, we got everyone a company email address. This made us feel together, and being able to have specific cohorts within Teams created ways for smaller units to collaborate remotely. We started an area for announcements, and soon it became a channel for our production team to share their studio life.

What became incredibly clear to me was how many people were needed to execute various initiatives. Every part of the company, during 2020, was overhauled, as in many other organizations, Im sure. To make it more of a game, we used Asana. This empowered us to turn our cannots into can dos, dreams into plans, and on top of it all, get er done.

So many projects we had hoped to work on suddenly presented themselves as opportunities. I realized that I needed to strengthen the foundation of Mercury Mosaics, and this was a key tool for doing so.

Im a chart aficionado. If you can make a flowchart or something visual, Im all in. Having a visual chart showing the key groups and when they have recurring meetings made a big difference.

When you dont see everyone, this chart is comforting because it provides awareness of what is going down in all areas.

Weekly bulletins: One of our Mercury Mosaics traditions was potlucks. These were tough to replace during COVID-19. Id honestly compare the weekly bulletins we now roll out to some of the good vibes of a potluck (minus the satisfaction of a great meal). Having a spot to connect and shareespecially the variety of visuals that roll out from week to weekis the sweetest community builder. Ive seen people really step up to highlight the positive accomplishments of fellow teammates. The synergy from this is another important layer in our internal community building.

Quarterly meetings: We needed to come up with a way to bring remote and on-site employees together, especially as we planned to open a second manufacturing location. So we kicked off quarterly meetings in June and have had three so far.

In them, we shared shout-outs among the core teams to highlight our values in action, and each division leader shared updates in their sector. I quickly saw that with the size we had grown to, it didnt feel right for me to be out there somewhere; rather, I needed to help coach the smaller teams. This allowed me to get more clarity for my vision for Mercury Mosaics.

With more intentional systems to connect my teams, I started to see magic. At our fourth quarterly meeting, I shared a personal interview between me and one of my mentors, and in 12 minutes my teams understood the why of Mercury Mosaics and provided a new layer of meaning to our collective journey of growth.

Strategic planning was the first major thing we did to kick off 2021. The new leadership cohort of eight got to work to incorporate all employees input to update our companys mission, vision, and values. We still have a few weeks to go before we finish the tactical side of the strategic planning. However, the power of simply having clarity around this element is going to help lead us into the future.

We can use these pieces to align, whether were all under one roof or expanded and scattered into new locations. These simple tools helped make a very real connection between remote and on-site employees possible. Tackling the dismantling of our life as we knew it in 2020 has allowed us to rebuild a better businessone that fosters our community to be much more cohesive. With this foundation in place, were truly able to focus on our mission of enhancing the world one handmade tile at a time.

Mercedes Austin is the founder ofMercury Mosaics.

See the original post here:
How to encourage teamwork in a hybrid workforce - Fast Company

Ahead of the launch of Android 12 Developer Preview, which may be around the corner, heres a recap of all of the Android 12 leaks weve seen so far.

Normally, we learn the bigger picture features of the next version of Android when the first Developer Preview builds release, with smaller tweaks appearing in subsequent updates. This year, a significant amount of information about Android 12 has leaked out or appeared in public source code ahead of the Developer Preview, likely to begin sometime this month.

To help keep tabs on whats coming with the next release of Googles mobile operating system, weve collected all of the various Android 12 leaks into one hub, which well keep updated.

Every major release of Android, since Cupcake in 2009, has used a dessert name that starts with a subsequent letter of the alphabet. While this practice stopped publicly with Android 10 which would have been named Queens Cake Google has continued to use these dessert names internally. For example, Android 11 was Red Velvet Cake a fact that came up in a fun easter egg of Googles virtual Android statue for 2020.

As reported by XDA, Android 12s internal dessert name is Snow Cone. Do with that information as you will.

More interestingly, mockups have leaked out depicting what Android 12 should look like, and what we see is a fairly radical redesign. You may see images from this leak sprinkled throughout this post, but its important to note that we dont know for certain whether these depict what Android 12 will look like when we finally see it. These are not screenshots, but are instead simply artist renditions of a particular design that Google is considering.

One thing you may notice throughout the leaked Android 12 design mockups is that instead of the usual white or black colorways used on Pixel phones, we find a primary color best described as sand. This is due to an in-depth theming system that is set to debut with Android 12.

Android 12s theming system should offer you a few different primary colors to choose from, from which your theme will be built. Most interestingly, Android app developers will be able to retheme their app based on your chosen themes color, if they so choose.

Of course, theres far more going on in the Android 12 design mockups than just a theming system. Theres also a massive collection of smaller tweaks like notification cards with much rounder corners, new shapes and spacing for quick settings tiles and more.

According to XDA, these may come together to form a larger whole referred to internally as Material NEXT. From what we can piece together, its possible that this may point to a third generation of Googles Material Design following the 2014 original and the 2018 Material Theming revamp. Its also possible that this Material NEXT could simply refer to updates to the use of Material Design by Androids built-in apps and UI.

Another aspect that jumps out in the leaked mockups is that Android 12 may add special Conversations widgets for use on the home screen. Each of these widgets seems to represent something like a friend who you havent talked to in a while, or a missed call you should probably return. Details are a bit scarce for now, but it seems right in line with Googles efforts toward making a People-focused operating system.

For those with taller phones, Android 12 may be bringing a native One-handed mode that will shrink down your phones screen vertically, bringing everything well within reach of your thumbs. However, unlike most versions of one-handed mode that scale down both the height and the width, it seems Android 12s may only scale down the height.

Taking cues from iOS, Android 12 seems to be working on a variety of improvements to help you be more aware of your privacy. In the top-right corner, youll reportedly find a privacy indicator that can appear in orange or green, letting you know that an app is using or has used your camera or microphone recently.

Along with the privacy indicator, its been leaked that Android 12s Settings app will get a revamped Privacy page where you can outright disable your phones camera, microphone, and location sensors.

In 2019, Google confirmed that scrolling screenshots where your phone takes a screenshot, scrolls down, takes another, and stitches the two (or more) together would indeed be coming to Android as a native feature. So far, this hasnt happened with Android 10 or 11, but according to XDA, Google has been hard at work on scrolling screenshots, which may be ready to launch with this years release.

With Android 11, Google added the ability to resize your floating picture-in-picture window by grabbing onto the corner and dragging. For Android 12, according to XDA, picture-in-picture windows will be able to be pinched to resize with precision or double-tapped to quickly jump to maximum size.

Additionally, its been leaked that picture-in-picture windows may offer a way to stash the window most of the way off-screen so that you can see more of your currently active app. With a simple tap, your stashed window will pop back out.

Android 12 set to revamp split screen with App Pairs

Given the rise of foldables and dual-screen devices, Android 12 has been leaked to include a new form of split screen called App Pairs. In the App Pairs system, you should be able to treat two separate apps as one task in your recent apps view, allowing you to quickly switch from a pair of apps to another single app. Its unknown if Android 12s App Pairs will also offer quick shortcuts to a particular pair like Samsungs App Pairs.

Our team has created a mockup of what we believe the Android 12 App Pairs system may look like.

Between the variety of games offered through Google Play Games and the growing wealth of game-streaming services like Stadia and Xbox Game Pass, gaming on Android has never been bigger. To match that growth, Android 12 could be bringing a dedicated game mode option, according to XDA. More specifically, a GameManager has been discovered, which is listed as a service to manage game-related features. For now, Android 12s potential game mode is still something of a mystery.

As a minor tidbit, XDA has reported that Android 12 will gain a Reduce Brightness tile in quick settings. From whats been discovered, Reduce Brightness seems to be an accessibility feature aimed at those with visual impairments.

While flagship phones are ever scaling up in storage space, not everyone in the world has the luxury of an expensive phone with a high capacity. To help reduce the amount of storage used on your phone, its been reported that Android 12 could introduce a way for apps to be hibernated when they arent being actively used. Details are still a bit scarce on how this hibernation will work.

This particular tidbit is not a leak, but its still a welcome improvement to Android. Google shared last year that they were listening to feedback from Android app developers and would make it easier to use a third-party app store something that isnt the Play Store or Galaxy Store, such as the Epic Games Store on Android 12.

Google hasnt shared any specifics on how this would work, but its expected to be a good compromise between Androids open nature and Googles desire to keep people safe from malware.

In addition to the broader Android 12 features that should become available for owners of essentially any phone that gets the update, Google seems to have prepared a suite of exclusive features for their Pixel phones.

The biggest leaked improvement for Pixel phones is that Android 12 should bring the double-tap gesture that we previously saw in development with Android 11. Codenamed Columbus, the Android 12 double-tap gesture should let you do things like open the Google Assistant, play/pause music, open the notification shade, and more.

Pixel phones should also gain a new option for Auto-Rotate in Android 12, which uses the camera to check which way your face is turned. Essentially, if youre laying down on your side and holding your phone sideways, your face and phone should be facing the same way, and Android 12 will know that you want to be in portrait mode.

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Heres what has leaked about Android 12 so far - 9to5Google

WICHITA, Kan. (Press Release) Winter weather poses unique challenges to people faced with bitter cold, snow, ice and power outages.

The American Red Cross has steps you should take to stay safe if you are in the path of winter storms.

Cold weather is here to stay, especially during the overnight hours, said Brittney Rochell, regional communications director of the American Red Cross of Kansas and Oklahoma. Whether facing power outages, trying to keep your home warm or having to be outside in the coldest hours, you can follow these steps to keep your home and family safe.

POWER OUTAGE TIPS

Sudden power outages can be frustrating, troublesome and even dangerous. If a power outage is two hours of less, you need not be concerned about the loss of perishable foods. However, for prolonged outages, there are steps you can take to keep all members of your household safe and comfortable (More home power outage safety tipshere):

HEATYOUR HOME SAFELY

Its that time of year when many people resort to space heaters and other sources to keep their homes warm.To reduce the risk of heating related fires, the Red Cross recommends these steps (More home fire safety information availablehere):

STAY SAFE DURING WINTER WEATHER

For more safety tips: American Red Cross of OklahomaandAmerican Red Cross Kansas

For other Red Cross Safety tips:

You can also download the Red Cross Emergency App for instant access to weather alerts. Expert medical guidance and a hospital locator are included in the First Aid App. Both apps are available to download for free in app stores or atredcross.org/apps.

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Red Cross offers ways to stay safe during severe weather - KSN-TV

Nak Armstrong transformable rose earrings

When Nak Armstrong offers up hearts and flowers, they are not just simply hearts and flowers. They resemble miniature captivating mosaics and speak to a creative tapestry of Armstrong's influenceshis travels to Italy, his affinity for Art Deco pieces and his first career in textile design. Although his collection is ever-evolving and he has continually pushed the boundaries into alluring realms of the imagination, honing his craft, I thought it was befitting on Valentines Day to offer a peek into his more delicate designs that have resulted in some of the most profoundly creative medleys of multi-gemstone jewelry.Inspired byRoman tile work, and the characteristically imperfect beauty of ancient ruins mixed together with the precision of the Art Deco style of combining a variety of gem cuts into one piece, he has created three-dimensional garden variety florals, lush tropical botanicals and leaves and most recently, a intricate and intriguing collection of hearts.

Nak Armstrong Strapped Heart Pendant

I began working on this particular collection approximately two years ago, says Armstrong who launched his eponymous label Nak Armstrong in 2011 after closing his prior company Anthony Nak, which he co-owned with a partner and held the position of creative director for 12 years.

Armstrongs textile design background, so prevalent in the Anthony Nak line, which evoked the feeling of flowing fabrics that moved with the body, continues to inform the Nak Armstrong collection but with an eye towards innovating new techniques in gem cutting, motifs and patterns. This first led to what he refers to as Ruffled Hardware a collection of ruched and draped rings, hoop earrings and pendants and his Origami collection which includes pieces that take on the tactile appearance of pleats, ribbons and folds. Within these collections, he creates shapes that combine the movement and fluidity of fabric by working with undulating and tapered baguettes and other propriety cuts so that they also impart mosaic-like patterns. These are designed in either monochromatic total hues or single vivid gemstones of emeralds, rubies, tourmalines and sapphires.

Nak Armstrong ruched Tanzanite ring

Triple ruched ruby ring

Nak Armstrong Ethopian opal fold earrings

While I was designing these textile based styles,I had also wanted to create something suggestive of the magnificent ancient architecture that I saw in Romeparticularly the ruins that were there for centuries. I was awed by the splendor of the facades and ceilings of buildings, and how even when broken down or faded, they still revealed these amazing patterns of different tile work.

He continues, For as long as I can remember, I have also been attracted Art Decofirst in the architecture and then in the jewelry. The mix of different cuts of gems and diamonds which form geometric shapes within other shapes in wide bracelets and other pieces was revolutionary during the time it was designed. I wanted to create something that captured both of these in concept, without ever being exact in my interpretation.I consistently push myself to design pieces that give a nod to aspects I love, yet are unexpected and hopefully always undeniably modern.

Nak Armstrong Peony Ear Cuffs

Armstrong has achieved this sense of surprise and current vibe within all of his collections. He has ingeniously created the flowers to take on more of the mosaic feeling, and the hearts, more Deco and precise in the cuts and how they fit together. To accomplish this, he created a range of new proprietary cuts and construction for both of these collections. Roses, tulips, peonies, irises and a variety of exotic blooms and leaves comprise much of the florals which feature more pixelated color ways while the hearts are more of an explosion of vivid hues and color blocking.

Nak Armstrong Iris Ear Cuffs

Nak Armstrong blue zircon Banana Leaf earrings

All of Armstrong's designs are engineered to take on a three-dimensional effect that is much lighter weight than the pieces appear.

Diamond Strapped Heart

His early designs for Nak Armstrong were originally set in silver and were also based on tile work but in more muted or monochromatic colors, set with his exclusive cuts.Within this collection, he created riviere necklaces, tennis bracelets, cuffs and hoop earrings that also touched on the architecture of the duomos in Italy and the facades of buildings in other European cities. To create an easier shopping experience for his customers and a collection with more accessible price points, he pulled these pieces from the main collection and decided to create a spin-off line which he has named Nakard. In this collection, he has also recently added heart motifs in oxidized silver with enamel trim around the heart shapes.

Nakard labradorite riviere

At first, this heart collection presented a test for me I am continually challenging myself to defy conventional jewelry techniques and come from an intuitive place. The less complex the design, with less moving parts, the harder it is to create something fresh and contemporary. It all came together in cabochon cut hearts contrasted against his signature oxidized background with the addition of enameling, which lends a sense of volume and dimension . I learned that the simplicity of this collection allowed me to play with more colors, add more whimsy andhave a lot of fun. Armstrong says.

Nakard Oxidized Silver, enamel and moonstone heart cabochon earrings

Whats most alluring for Armstrongs customers is that the collections can be worn together intricate Nak Armstrong mosaic floral earrings combines easily with a Nakard scalloped bracelet or cabochon heart necklace. An Art Deco-inspired colored blockedNak Armstrong heart with half-moon and baguette shapes can layer with a Nakard riviere necklace in a muted tone to allow the heart to pop or both can be worn in vivid colors to create more of an eye catching statement.

Nak Armstrong Sakura earrings

Nakard ruby scalloped tennis bracelet

The self-taught Armstrong creates intriguing departures from the traditional by circumventing the constraints of fine jewelry and by continually experimenting and developing pieces that are fast becoming collectors items. These are the type of pieces that inspire the enchantment of seeing something new or unique every time you look at a piece, much like when you are among the legendary mosaics and ruins in Rome, always finding a captivating new aspect of design.

Nak Armstrong Botanica earrings

Nakard Ethopian Heart riviere

Read more:
Nak Armstrong: Hearts, Flowers And A Profoundly Original Approach To Jewelry Design - Forbes

Located just across the street from the bay, it not only has all kinds of space to accommodate a variety of pursuits, but a large swimming pool with a waterfall, a spa, a basketball court, and three wood-burning fireplaces!

The homes luxuriant living room is graced by a spiral staircase and a magnificent floor-to-ceiling stone hearth that surrounds one of its three fireplaces.

A cheerful dining area is bathed in natural light from a wall of windows that overlook the pool.

The outdoor basketball court is a perfect place for amateur hoopsters to practice everything from layups to free throws.

The expansive in-ground pool, shielded by juniper trees, has plenty of room around it for sunbathing.

BILL BONVIEFor The Press

If ever a house seemed made to order for the times were living in, its the luxury three-story, five-bedroom, five-bath, recently renovated residence for sale at 7506 Bayshore Drive in Margate at an asking price of $2,450,000. That is to say, its the ideal setup for both working and vacationing at home on a year-round basis.

Not only does this property offer all kinds of interior space for individual family members to engage in their own pursuits without getting in each others way (including recreation rooms and bedroom alcoves), but it includes the kinds of advantages usually found in resort retreats, which have now become more desirable than ever in a home environment. As the current owner puts it, the house is one that lends itself to recreational activities.

The most impressive of these features is a huge, heated in-ground pool, complete with its own waterfall, surrounded by a fenced-in, tiled patio shielded by juniper treesthe ideal place for both daily swims in summer and outdoor pool parties. Another aquatic-therapy amenity is an outdoor whirlpool/hot tub on the rear porch.

Theres also a basketball court, complete with professional measurements and weather-resistant rubber flooring thats a perfect place for hoop-dream hopefuls to compete with each other and practice their layups, jump shots and free throws, as well as for older family members to try and resurrect the slam dunks of their youth or simply stay in shape.

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If youre looking for an ideal place to work and play, this Margate luxury home may be your rainbow's end - Press of Atlantic City

Highland Community News contributor Paul Prado recently gave a presentation to the Highland Area Historical Society on historic locations in Highland that can still be visited by residents today. Following is a timeline of many of the points of interest he mentioned.

The Patton Train Depot on Highland Avenue east of Victoria Avenue was demolished recently in mid-December. It was constructed of wood in 1893 and rebuilt in 1896. The depot was closed in 1938 and sold in 1948. In the 1990s, it was used as a fruit stand. During Halloween, it was a pumpkin patch.

Hunting deer was a common activity in Highland during the time of the Santa Fe East Highlands train depot.

Local hunters like S.K. Bacon and Wally Wattenbarger would bring their harvested deer and pose for pictures along the river rock wall at the depot.

On Boulder Avenue, north of Greenspot Road, you can see two orange tractors. These tractors worked at the Harvest Barn Strawberry Patch. The patch used to be the Yakamura Strawberry Patch.

Baseline Burgers, 25578 E. Base Line, has been a place of friendship and family dining for years. What is unique about the plaza is that the wood that was used to construct the buildings was shipped by train from San Francisco, hence the name San Francisco Plaza.

At Village Lakes on Greenspot Road, there is a small rock monument by one of the ponds. It shows a picture of the Cram House. The monument speaks of the Cram family and its planting of experimental orange trees in 1857.

In East Highlands, a historic neighborhood south of Greenspot Road at Church Street, affectionately called El Ranchito, there used to be a Filipino camp. The workers from the camp helped the local growers harvest their crop along with workers from Cone Camp on Greenspot Road. The camp was north of St. John Bosco Church.

The Beaver Medical Urgent Care, 7000 Boulder Ave., in Highland has a stone monument of El Molino. It is located right when you pull into the drive. El Molino was the Highland Lumber Company. They used shook, scraps of wood cuttings, for the orange boxes in the groves. The plaque features an etching a mule team, a train and the packinghouse.

The Belle, 6917 Palm Ave., in Highlands historic business district, has the original bell from the East Highlands Train Depot and the depot sign. There is also a poem from the time of the lumber days rewritten and framed on the wall.

Remnants of the Highland Train Depot are on the northeast corner of Palm and Pacific Street. There remains a concrete platform that has steps and a partial rail. On the platform sits green tile work, possibly from a washroom.

The Stone House, or Rock House, at 7136 Club View Dr. also stands as a reminder of what life was like before the orange groves disappeared. The East Highlands Ranch was established by James S. Edwards in 1887. The Stone House was constructed in 1926 as a social gathering place for the workers of the ranch.

Aurantia Park, 29624 Greenspot Road, is home of a section of the Plunge Creek Bridge. The bridge sits near the rear of the park. The park is significant because it was created by the generosity and foresight of local citrus grower Elizabeth McLean Kiel to preserve the history of Highlands citrus industry. The park has a playground, hard-packed, low-impact trails and two dog parks.

St. John Bosco Church, 28991 Merris St., has been a refuge for prayer, fellowship and celebrations for generations. The church was built on Aug. 13, 1941. Henrietta Aguilar Chavez has been the matriarch of the church for decades. Families move away from the section of Highland, but they return to enjoy its quiet and serene way of living.

The city of Highland has many hidden gems.

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Hidden historic gems throughout the city of Highland - Highland Community News

Theres no doubt that this two-bedroom, one-and-a-half-bathroom bungalow near The Grove makes a statement with its unique exterior look, which combines green trim, red gutters, and tuck-pointedbrick. Built in 1884, the home has been completely refurbished to exude a modern, minimalist touch.The house is located just off of Manchester Road, near The Groves trendy restaurants, nightlife, and murals.

The home has undergone significantrenovations and now boastsa sparkling kitchen with quartz counters and stainless-steel appliances. The bathrooms havecustom tile work; the mainlevels bathroom includes agorgeous marble shower.Theopen shotgun floor plan is cozy. The house's warm hardwood floors and 9-foot-tall barn door are original to the house. Paired with bright white cabinetry and nude walls, the house is minimalist and clean.

The lower level is partially finished and offers additional hangout space such as a den area, which could be utilized as a second bedroom. Underneath the staircase is a chic home office with exposed pipes and a painted brick wall. The basement also has a half-bathroom.

The back of the house hasa large cement patio, making it the ideal spot for hosting get-togethers.

Address:4335 Swan Avenue

Price:$269,900

Realtor:Lisa Tricamo, Real Living Real Estate, 3142939339

Design STL's On the Market posts are editorial. Featured properties are selected by editors.

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Don't need a lot of space? Consider this adorable home in The Grove - St. Louis Magazine