Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

The direction is social distancing, which seems to be defined as staying out of crowds and at least six feet away from any individual persons. No one but me has been in my car in a couple weeks, so ...

A few evenings ago, well after the pandemic had been declared but before shoppers locally had begun hoarding toilet paper, I was finishing a project for the Resident Interior Decorator and found myself in need of a wood chisel. I had one, but they apparently became lonesome and ran away from home.

Thinking to share some financial love with a local business, I drove to the nearby hardware store, which doubles as a guns and ammo store. The firearms portion of the establishment was filled with customers.

Are you expecting a big event? I asked one young fellow as he finished paying and picked up his case of ammo. I hope not, he replied.

I mentioned the crowd of customers to the clerk who took my money for the chisel.

With all thats going on, theyre stocking up on ammunition, she said.

No trees have yet been accused of stealing toilet paper or transporting illicit coronavirus that has us humans so frightened. I drove to my favorite relaxation location any place where the nearest house is at least a quarter mile away, across a field or forest, preferably invisible.

Im sitting in the car, trusting that it did not go out on its own last night to party with strangers. In the surrounding wetlands minor small depressions filled with waterlogged roots and cattails Red-winged blackbirds announce their presence, a few tentative calls at a time. They are the scouts; the main tribe has not yet arrived.

At the top of a nearby bush, partially hidden in the web of budded branches, a solitary Red-wing looks over his domain. Bored with his solitude, he jumps to a more open vantage issues a call to any young lady interested in collecting amorous verses. Hearing none, he flits back to a lower branch and regains his post.

At the far end of the pasture, a bird races across the view, too far to identify. Likely an accipiter of some sort, maybe, but too light-colored to be a Red-winged hawk. A fellow photographer drove up, stopped to ask through his window whether I had seen the harrier, and drove off.

The distinctive rumble of a Yellow-winged Stearman biplane grows louder over the north ridge. It turns a few cartwheels over the pasture before returning whence it came. The air once again quiet, a Mourning Dove calls to a mate.

Cardinals are in the backyard, and I got a picture of about two dozen robins aerating my neighbors lawn, poking among the grass blades for worms.

But no bluebirds, or mockingbirds yet.

So far (it is Wednesday evening as I write these thoughts), there is no coronavirus reported in our county, but it is to our east and north. Right now, we seem OK just staying away from each other, but there is no telling how long that will last.

Meanwhile, I will wander in the woods as often as I can, self-dosing copious amounts of woods therapy. A study out of Stanford University, published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, reported people who walked for 90 minutes in a natural area saw significant reduction in depression.

So if you see me out in the forest, wave. Ill know, even without talking or shaking hands, we are sharing some of the best medicine there is.

John Messeder is an award-winning environmental columnist and social anthropologist, and lives in Gettysburg, PA. He may be contacted at john@johnmesseder.com.

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No Corona in the woods (opinion) | Covid-19 - Gettysburg Times

(MENAFN - IANS)

Mumbai, March 20 (IANS) Bollywood's livewire star Ranveer Singh shared a major throwback image that disclosed that he had tried his hands at theatre before his Bollywood debut role in "Band Baaja Baaraat".

Before Bollywood, Ranveer had worked in an English play called "Carry On At The Keyhole". It was a comedy directed by Dinkar Jani.

Sharing a poster of the play on social media, the actor said: "This is a poster for a small play in which I had a small part and the story goes that I used to be a struggler and I used to sit at Prithvi theatre with two or three others like me. We used to just sit there every day, look for odd jobs. One of them got the information that an audition is happening in a college in Andheri for a small role in a small play and nobody wanted to go -- I said I'll go because I didn't have anything at that time!"

Ranveer added: "I thought to myself -- 'acting acting hoti hai, koi bada chhota kya hota hai' (acting is acting, nothing big or small about it). I went for the audition , I got the part and they were very impressed by my acting. When we put up the performance - I remember one was at St Andrews and even then I felt proud when I was performing at St Andrews stage because I used to perform on St Andrews stage as a student when I was in school."

"So, you know, we had a few performances, I had the role of an interior decorator who was posing to be a homosexual man in order to attract more business and it was an old English double-meaning comedy play that was headlined by Darshan Jariwala and directed by Dinkar Jani," Ranveer recalled.

Ranveer claimed whoever came to watch the play used to be be impressed by his performance.

"I really took it very seriously and I gave it everything. I used to wear some of my own clothes and most of the people who came to watch the play were just friends and family whom I had informed that I am doing this performance and to come and see it, he said, adding: "I remember meeting Yogesh Sanghvi (the producer of the play) at an awards show last year which is when we re-connected and it was a very emotional moment for him and for me - to meet after all those years - just to see his moist eyes , the pride in his eyes - 'tu kahan se kahan pahuch gaya mere dost' and I was also getting a bit emotional when I met him because he used to really like me, he used to be very kind to me."

Ranveer recalled there wasn't much money in theatre but whatever the producer made, he would give to him very generously.

"He was always very fair and kind to me. So it's a very, very fond memory of mine from my struggling days," he summed up.

--IANS

dc/vnc

MENAFN2003202002310000ID1099887763

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Ranveer Singh recalls his tryst with the stage - MENAFN.COM

Dear AD Pro,

My client is sentimental about her furniture and possessions. She wont get rid of anything! How do I exercise some KonMari decluttering (and maintain my vision!) while being respectful of her cherished items?

Reluctant Minimalist

The client is always right except, of course, when the client is wrong. Nearly every designer has come up against a truly terrible heirloom piece (or three) a homeowner is intent on saving.

Even so, as decorator Patrick Mele pointed out to AD earlier this year, Its rude to get rid of peoples things. Clients have led a life before they work with you, so to dictate what should be thrown away is not the best approach.

Manhattan interior designer Josh Greene of Josh Greene Design agrees: I have always said that sometimes you have to let the client win, even if you dont like the piece. Clients appreciate it when you accommodate them and it is an aspect of customer service. If the look is dead wrong, of course, then stick to your guns, says Greene. But if it can be reworked or used in a different room, you come out looking like a magician.

Chicago interior designer Summer Thornton typically takes a harder line: I help them understand that in order to achieve the things they have seen our firm design, it is simply not possible to reuse all existing pieces, she says. If those pieces were so great and worked well, after all, why are they calling me?

Others have had success getting creativeoften very creative. Manhattan interior designer Tina Ramchandani has grown to love, or at least appreciate, repurposing pieces of sentimental value. Many things can be revamped through reupholstering, restaining, or repositioning, she says. When that becomes a struggle, she tries to get the client to pick and choose. I explain that one stand-alone piece can anchor the room, and ultimately be much more impactful than forcing several pieces together that ultimately distract from the new look, she says.

Andrew Torrey, principal of Manhattan interior design firm B.A. Torrey, goes all in with difficult pieces, particularly art. I have the entire piece mounted on a linen board and encased in Plexiglas, he says. Twice Ive taken some gruesome artwork and given it a story, making it more important than it initially appears, and it has yielded incredible results.

Whatever you do, dont wait too long to have the conversation about how you really feel about those old corner breakfronts or the Swarovski crystal animal collection. By addressing the issue early on, Im usually able to include their most beloved possessions in an integrated way, says Boston interior designer Kathie Chrisicos, while also giving a client time to consider an alternative. Maybe theres another home, a basement or storage area, or a relative who might appreciate their cherished possessions?

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Your Client Wont Get Rid of Their Stuff. Now What? - Architectural Digest

Homeowners looking to renovate their residence often look to spruce up the bathroom as part of this work. An improved bathroom will be functional and beautiful, and can easily improve the home's value.

You might consider putting in a new bathtub so you can enjoy a peaceful soak whenever you need to relax. If so, you'll need to decide whether to get a built-in or freestanding tub. Both options have their advantages and disadvantages, and your choice should come down to your own taste and needs.

Built-in

Built-in tubs have water supplied by plumbing in a wall, so they need to be installed where a faucet can be easily located. The interior design site Homedit says they're unfinished on at least two sides and need to placed against a wall, in a corner, or in an enclosure.

Naturally, this limits the places where a bathtub can be placed. However, it can also lead to a more efficient use of space. Laurysen Kitchens, a Canadian company, says built-in tubs will be flush to a wall, opening up more space elsewhere in the room.

The efficiency of built-in tubs has generally made them a more common choice in bathrooms. The plumbing for the feature is also readily available, and the bulk of it is concealed within the wall.

Built-in tubs can easily serve multiple purposes. Homedit says they can be used for showering simply by installing a showerhead higher on the wall. It also tends to be easier to incorporate built-in shelving for storage.

One disadvantage to built-in bathtubs is their visual appeal. Laurysen Kitchens says there are usually limited options for built-in materials, and that the design options tend to pale in comparison to freestanding tubs.

You can still create an attractive surround to make more of a visual statement, but this can lead to other problems. Building, sealing, and mounting this feature will require more effort and cost. Audrey Bauer, writing for the home design site Apartment Therapy, says a bolder surround can also potentially take up more room, eliminating the benefit of efficiency.

Freestanding

Freestanding bathtubs are finished on all sides and can stand alone in the room. The flexibility of freestanding bathtubs is arguably their biggest advantage. The bathroom fixture line Moen says they can be located in the center of a room or anywhere else you'd like to place them.

Placing the tub anywhere you like also means it's easier to install. Built-in tubs usually require a contractor and decorator to create the tile, surrounds, and other features. Laurysen Kitchens says freestanding tubs just require a plumber to connect the water pipes.

The tub is designed to be a striking feature in the bathroom. Bauer says there are a variety of designs and materials available, and the bathtub may even be a focal point in the room. Freestanding tubs also tend to be a natural choice for creating a spa-like bathroom, as they provide plenty of room for a soak.

Many freestanding tubs are made of heavy materials, such as cast iron or marble. Moen says this quality, combined with the weight of the water when filled, means you may need to reinforce the floor to ensure that it can handle the weight.

While freestanding tubs have more flexibility in where they can be placed, they also typically take up more room. Homedit says the tub usually needs to be supplied by a plumbing fixture coming out of the floor instead of one that can be efficiently built into the wall.

Unless you're taking a bath every day, a freestanding tub may not be too practical for your daily bathing needs. It's more difficult to store soap, shampoo, and other items unless you use a bath shelf or nearby freestanding storage option like a shower caddie. Laurysen Kitchens says it's also more difficult to mount a shower to a freestanding tub, and that installing a shower curtain makes the setup look considerably less appealing.

Freestanding tubs also tend to be less friendly to those with mobility issues. It's much more difficult to get into and out of freestanding bathtubs than it is with built-in tubs.

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Built-in bathtubs vs. freestanding ones - News from southeastern Connecticut - theday.com

Open up the pages of any home decor magazine and youll see a seaside dream house: huge windows overlooking the water, airy open layouts, an ocean-inspired palette of blues, greens and neutrals. You can practically feel the salty breezes blowing as you read.

In a perfect world, youd wake up every morning to the sound of the waves and the sun peeking through your pristine white shutters. But in the real world, its not actually all that hard to achieve the same feeling, even if you dont live by the shore.

Lauren McBride, a Connecticut-based blogger who writes about raising her family and creating an effortlessly stylish home, has just launched her first home decor collection, Lauren McBride x QVC. The exclusive line of home accessories includes lamps and lanterns, decorative throws and pillows and accents like baskets and trays, all under $100. While you definitely wont find any seashells or lighthouses in the chic collab, you will find a subtle beach influence throughout the pieces. And its this serene aesthetic that has helped McBride to amass over 270,000 followers on Instagram, where she pulls the curtain back on her cottage by the shore lifestyle.

I live by the water, but not everyone does, McBride tells Yahoo Lifestyle, The whole line has this little bit of a coastal vibe to it, but not too close to where it won't fit into your home.

The palette mostly comprises the whites and neutrals she loves in her own home, and has hints of sea greens and blues. She points to the lamps in the collection, one of which is a vivid cobalt, while the other has a layered wooden base.

That blue lamp is just so gorgeous and makes such a statement. Its so on trend right now. But if its not for you, we have another gorgeous neutral lamp, says McBride.

The lanterns, which come in two finishes, can be used indoors or outdoors, and have flameless candles controlled by remote timers. Theyd look just as at home outside on a wicker patio table as they would inside on a granite mantle. The same with the set of baskets, which could hold beach blankets or firewood, and the marble accent tray.

This is the first collection that I've actually been able to hands-on design, McBride says. That's always been a passion of mine. My mom is an interior designer, so I feel I got that gene from her. Its always been something thats intrigued me.

In fact, her wildly popular lifestyle blog started as a way to show relatives across the country her DIY home decor projects, while she and her husband were newlyweds and living on a tight budget. That foundation is definitely present in this line. I tried to focus on pieces that were frequently switching around in our homes, explains McBride, and can make a big statement without spending a ton of money.

The two styles of throw pillows wool striped and solid designs are also the kind of neutrals that will beautifully complement any home decor style.

The same with the two blankets: the spring knit throw with tassels is a subtle light blue, and the other spring knit throw is neutral with either blues or earth tones woven in as accents. Even though theyre light, theyre also easy to clean.

My kids are 6, 4 and 2, and Im a mom first, she says. I love my house to look pretty and feel welcoming, but I need things to be accessible and functional for them too. Almost everything in the collection can be cleaned in the washing machine, except for the wool pillow, which can be spot cleaned.

I wanted the pieces in this line to be something your family can come in and actually use instead of feeling like you cant touch it, says McBride. My own house is set up this way, and I feel this line is too.

This article was paid for by QVC and created by Yahoo Lifestyle's custom content team. The Yahoo Lifestyle editorial staff did not participate in the creation of this content.

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Lauren McBride's budget-friendly decor secrets earned her Instagram fame and a new home collection on QVC - Yahoo Lifestyle

Twinkle Khanna shared this image. (Image courtesy: twinklerkhanna )

Twinkle Khanna sprinkled a dash of her signature humour on her Twitter profile on Tuesday. The 46-year-old author, in her post, wrote that she wanted to stab her eye with a fork after a three-hour-long session with her daughter, sorry, we mean her "teacher" Nitara (all in good humour, of course). Mrs Funnybones' post came with an unusual analogy between her daughter Nitara and her Wi-Fi connection. "3 hours into day I of virtual learning with my first grader and I want to stab my eye with a fork. It doesn't help that my Wi-Fi connection has the same attention span as my child, which means, they both take a break every five minutes," wrote Twinkle. She added the hashtag #TeachersAreAClassApart.

Check out Twinkle Khanna's post here:

Last week, Twinkle Khanna shared a lovely picture with Nitara and she wrote: "Nothing better than lying down next to each other, engrossed in our own book, but still together. The greed to capture this moment of joy, to preserve it for a stage when memory will invariably be shrouded by the cobwebs of time, was overwhelming. #MeAndMine #loveinthetimeofcorona."

Take a look at the post here:

Twinkle Khanna, a former Bollywood actress, is a celebrated columnist. She has authored three best-selling books. Her first book Mrs Funnybones was a compilation of her columns. Her second book - The Legend Of Lakshmi Prasad was an anthology of short stories, while her third book Pyjamas Are Forgiving was a novel.

Twinkle is also an interior decorator, the owner of The White Window, and a film producer. Her last project as a film producer was the National Award-winning film PadMan, which starred her husband Akshay Kumar in the lead role.

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Here's What Twinkle Khanna Wanted To Do After 3-Hour Session With "Teacher" Nitara - NDTV News

In a letter penned in 1782, the Marquis de Sade claimed that he knew enough about architecture [] to decide if anidea is beautiful or not. Indeed, De Sade constructed at leasttwo complex literary edifices. The torture-sex rituals of 120 Days of Sodom (1785) are convened by a clique of libertines in the Chteau de Silling an inescapable fortress with rooms dedicated to specific activities, such as desecrationof the cross or narration of tales of past debauchery (to be violently re-enacted upon victims). The monastery of Sainte-Marie-des-Bois, imagined for De Sades 1791 novel Justine which, unlike 120 Days of Sodom, was published during the authors lifetime is less infamous than the Chteau but somewhat more cruel. The only means of entry or exit is through a winding underground passage, and the complex is further secured by a series of thorn-encrusted hedges, an additional wall and a moat. Overgrown with vegetation, the structure is indistinct, if not invisible, from the exterior. Everyone inside can hear you scream; those outside perceive a thicket or a bosky hill. Theres a nod tothe notion of the folly that thrill of Enlightenmentgardens but Sainte-Marie-des-Bois is not a private building; it is a communal retreat for libertine monks, who maintain stable-like dorms for the objects of their interests, whom they segregate by gender. Precise order reigns throughout this corporate seraglio. Like the Chteau, Sainte-Marie-des-Bois evinces a fascination on De Sades part with, as architectural historian Anthony Vidler has written, the impossible coincidence between imprisonment and liberty.1 Certainly, it unites De Sade with the utopian social philosopher Charles Fourier, who similarly proposed, as Roland Barthes notes in Sade, Fourier, Loyola (1976), a communitarian lifestyle in which all functions necessary for life, including coitus, are as communal as they are minutely regulated.

Although De Sades interiors precede the technologicaltransformations of the industrial revolution, which transferred the means of manufacture from the home to industrial spaces during the 19th century, they do offer a vision of production that pre-empts the Victorian model. Like the meticulous, fanciful architectural drawings of his contemporary Jean-Jacques Lequeu, which concern themselves with elaborate monuments to classical spirits and genital-shaped grottos sown with smelly flowering plants, De Sade represents spaces so total, so awesome and so expansive that, once we are inside them, there really is no other place to go. In De Sades world, there is nothing but fantasy and ceremony, no way to wake up from the dream and absolutely no privacy not even for the apparently empowered libertine. As for De Sade and Fourier, so for Lequeu: his structures would be impossible to realize in real life but, in the artists projections, currently on view in the exhibition Jean-Jacques Lequeu: Visionary Architect at New Yorks Morgan Library & Museum, bodies are effortlessly conveyed through space,combined, created and destroyed, in a sensuous narrative that seemingly for no reason beyond personal preference partakes synthetically of logics borrowed from the church, the abattoir, the bedroom, the classroom, the theatre, the kitchen and the prison, both past and future.

A different kind of sensuousness took hold in the Victorian era that followed. According to design historian Peter Thornton, the mid-1800s marked:

the age of the crapaud of the toad, the disrespectfulbut apt nickname given by the French to the standard, mid-19th-century, heavily stuffed, deeplybuttoned and elaborately trimmed easy chair. This object, together with its sisters the sofas, confidantes, ottomans, pouffes and so forth, were the subjectof derision [] but such seat-furniture embodiedthe true spirit of the period and was to be seeneverywhere, modified ad infinitum.2

This was a period of seat-furniture, structures designed for sinking, fainting, zoning out, lingering, posing,pining and attending the inevitable: death. Dense massing of decorative objects and upholstery fashionable in Europe and the US between the 1860s and the 1890s added clutter and clashing to rooms duly padded, as if to soften the blow. A craze for drapes and fringing seems to have celebrated the increasingly extreme feminization of the private sphere with symbolic labia: indications of mysterious concealment and delicate sensations to be found only within the vessel of the home.

It was an era of the blossoming of a certain social format:the so-called separate spheres, which had emerged at the beginning of the 19th century, after the revolutions and early stirrings of industrialization. In this organization of society, domestic space pertains to the woman of the house, while the man enters into public in order to work and make known his name. The domestic arena is the site of childrearing, decor, material culture, religion andsentiment, while the public realm is a locus of action, reason, money, politics and history. Alexis de Tocqueville, who travelled to the US from France to observe the relationsbetween men and women there, writes in a chapter on How the Americans Understand the Equality of the Sexes in Democracy in America (1835), that although the women of the United States are confined within the narrow circle of domestic life, and their situation is in some respects one of extreme dependence, I have nowhere seen women occupying a loftier position. If our contemporary conception of privacy was popularized, if not exactly invented, during the 19th century, then it fell to women to groom and nourish this valuable civic substance. They hung it with drapes, planted it with ferns and, in the process, became enclosed and obscured along with it.

The modern object or room, by contrast, seems topartake, at its most strenuous, of an ideology of limitation: form follows function and function itself is exhaustively knowable. Thus, there can be no need for the chicory of rococo, with its folds and undulations, nor the drips, points and bead-like embellishments of the gothic, nor Victorianas endless tufts and patterning. The industrial aesthetic moves indoors. The new woman has dispensed with frills, wears trousers, cuts her hair short, practises photography, smokes. The visibility promoted by modernism is remarkable: surfaces are free of encumbrance and, where not strictly administrative, work is intellectual and creative (since, in theory, much physical labour is done by machines), meaning it can take place, once again, within the home.

This said, the ideology of the separate spheres has proved stubborn, if not invincible; even as we have drifted far beyond a historical moment that can reasonably be termed modern, it remains with us. Perhaps this has something to do with the style of privacy that began to emerge in the 20th century along with the advent of mass media. As architectural historian Beatriz Colomina puts it in her book Privacy and Publicity (1994): Privacy is now what exceeds the eyes. In Colominas reading of modernist design, interior space is often exposed to the exterior in what amounts not to a revelation of the private but, rather, a re-invention of public space on what were apparently private grounds. Modernity, she notes, coincides with the publicity of the private. We need only think of the floor-to-ceiling windows, so prevalent in contemporary architecture, which provide an unobstructed view of a pristinely curated (and pointedly crapaud-free) interior.

Such was the historical trajectory of interior design. Yet, as a spate of current and recent exhibitions attests, there have always been exceptions. A number of 20th-century artists resisted the Victorian doctrine of separate spheres even as they did not fit within the massively influential paradigms proposed by the utopian era of republican revolutions or high modernisms rejection of the purely decorative. These artists perform a sort of ambiguous installation work, designing interiors that are neither solely for aesthetic contemplation nor for autonomous living but that engage moods of monumentality, esoteric ritual and even entombment, just as they give place to ecstatic forms of daily life that cannot be reduced to work or leisure.

Two artists who lived on opposite coasts of the US during two different halves of the 20th century, Florine Stettheimer (18711944) and John Boskovich (19562006), developed a deeply weird decorative grammar that not only escapes the logics of work and privacy entailed by the ideology of the separate spheres, but also managesto differentiate itself from libertinage as well as modernism. Stettheimer, who wrote poetry and painted elaborate encrusted scenes, usually of flowers and wispy figures and fauns, was also an extraordinary decorator, favouring copious quantities of lace and doilies alongside a new translucent material: cellophane. As a mature artist, Stettheimer painted in her apartment, layering the space with various crystalline textiles in the midst of which she displayed her works, along with her collection of George Washington figurines and images. Similarly, Boskovich altered arented Los Angeles house, presumably at significantexpense, to house artworks that were also furnishings. His custom Prada-themed fridge, his use of koan-like excerpts of poems on objects and walls, along with his inclusion of religious iconography as well as medical and industrial items, gave the space, which he termed his Psycho Salon, the quality of a large mausoleum or period room for atime in history that had not yet fully come to pass. The relative obscurity of his practice at the time of his death further contributes to a masonic air of hidden ritual about the place, even as its growing fame in art-world circles contributes to its ongoing public-ness.

In his catalogue essay Playing with the Truth (1988), Jeremy Gilbert-Rolfe sees a narrative of both accessibility and arcane reference in Boskovichs pristine framed juxtapositions of image and text, in which he culls language from such poets as e.e. cummings, John Keats and Octavio Paz and sets it alongside found and altered photographic imagery. Boskovich, according to Gilbert-Rolfe, is at once emphatic about transparency and the idea of its opposite, or presentation and therefore the possibility of what is not present. In his work, one category does not succeed in transforming or overwhelming the other; rather, they open up to each other in a relation not of exclusion but ofaddition.

If there is too much in Boskovich and Stettheimers rooms, it is not because there are too many things. Rather, all the items have been so obsessively placed, fixed, altered, caressed and framed that their esoteric natures, far from being domesticated, have been exactingly preserved intact and are, therefore, liberated to act upon the eyes and emotions of the resident or guest. Stettheimer was, like Boskovich, a connoisseur of the frame and had a number of lace-like frames constructed for her paintings that also matched her frothy custom furniture designs. Walking into her apartment must have been like entering an amusement parks rendition of an ice palace, with the difference being that Stettheimers glittering false ice (lace, cellophane, painted wood) was not intended for public consumption and reflected her highly rarefied personal taste. Her decor pointed toward a monumental elsewhere that, in spite of her adoration for George Washington, was not exactly or uniquely nationalistic, institutional or religious in nature even if it was devotional. Rather she, like Boskovich, seemed to be preparing for a voyage to another plane, an alternate universe or an eternal party in her honour.

Both Stettheimer and Boskovich appeared to aspire to a sort of celebratory translation of surface, an extension of reflection that shone or sparkled or glowed dimly without exactly being mirror-like, which served to externalize acomplex series of moods and affinities that were not merely or purely personal in nature. Like the winding and uneven mosaic encrustations of the artist Niki de Saint PhallesTarot Garden (1998), the surfaces they created were often engaged in plays of light and shade, as much as with material substance itself: Boskovichs remarkable combinations of citric hues with powdery reds and ingenious recessed lighting being a particularly memorable manifestation of this shared tendency. In contemplating these maximalist practices of decor the grammars of darkness and light, the hyper-precise framing, the obsessive strategizing of every surface I am struck by their reliance on qualia, geometric form and what we might term, punning on architectural historian Lisa Heschongs beautifully titled book Thermal Delight in Architecture (1979), photic delight. The resonances with the miniaturized landscapes and figures of amusement parks (which often allegorize fantastical worlds), as well as the sparkling gloom we might associate with chapels and shrines, suggest that we would do well to view these homes less as enclosures than as portals. These rooms indicate possibility: here and now and soon; also, elsewhere.

This article first appeared in frieze issue 210 with the headline The Ecstatic Home

1Anthony Vidler, The Writing of the Walls: Architectural Theory in the Late Enlightenment, 1987, Princeton Architectural Press, p. 105

2 Peter Thornton, Authentic Dcor: The Domestic Interior 16201920, 1984, Crescent Books, New York and Avenel, p. 216

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How Artists Have Transformed Their Homes Into Other Worlds - frieze.com

Cross Plumbing is a plumbing service offering unmatched plumbing service to customers in South Brisbane and Logan City.

Repairing a damaged roof is never a task that should be delayed. By the time that most individuals discover a roof leak, its already done considerable harm to the integrity of the structure. M.A. Cross Plumbing specializes in roofing that keeps homes and businesses dry, along with gutters that aid in preventing damage to basements and foundations.

Roofs can sustain damage from high winds, nearby tree branches, hail, blocked gutters, and a former installation that was performed improperly. When water enters from the roof, it runs down to surrounding surfaces. With a blocked gutter, the water is forced under the eaves. Both situations can result in rotting of roof joists and other structural elements. Theres also the potential for mold growth that can make people ill.

The company also specializes in installing, repairing, and maintaining gutters. Many home and business owners consider a gutter system an unnecessary expense, but gutters perform an important function. When rain falls directly off a structure, it affects the surrounding soil and can result in cracking and heaving that damages basements and foundations. A plumber in Logan can install, repair, and maintain gutter systems, along with providing leaf-free guards that eliminate clogged gutters.

M.A. Cross Plumbing has been an industry leader for over 30 years, providing traditional plumbing services, environmentally-friendly, and sustainable solutions that save time, money and resources. The company responds to emergencies and has maintained exceptional standards of excellence as a member of the Master Plumbers Association of Queensland.

About M.A. Cross Plumbing

Michael Cross is able to assist you with products and solutions that best fit your needs. We are fully qualified trades people and we are here to offer you sustainable solutions while delivering quality workmanship and expert advice. Weve been a member of the Master Plumbers Association for more than 30 years. We were sponsors of the first Sustainable House Brisbane built at Seventeen Mile Rocks in 2007.

Media Contact

Michael Cross

Phone: 427749786

7 Jambi Court

Tanah Merah

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Press Release: MA Cross Plumbing Creates Customized Roofing and Gutter Solutions - PRWire

National Association of the Remodeling Industry

A homeowners motivation for taking on a remodeling project can vary greatly, but theres one universal rule of thumb: home upgrades should add value, function or both. This step-by-step guide can help ensure you get the maximum return on your investment and make the most of your remodel.

Step 1: Identify reasons for remodeling

Deciding whether to undertake simple aesthetic changes or a full remodel can be difficult. One of the best ways to decide is to figure out why you are remodeling in the first place, whether its to make your new house feel more like home or to update an outdated kitchen.

Step 2: Consider timing

Many variables can impact the timing of your project, including the climate and exact nature of the job. For example, foundation work is easier when the ground is cold during winter. Spring tends to be busy for the construction industry, so you might pay premium rates for labor and materials, but its also the perfect time to get a project done that you can enjoy throughout the summer. Summer months are ideal for indoor projects out of the heat. Also consider factors such as personal or professional obligations, or even an event for which you need the project completed.

Step 3: Set your budget

Every home is unique in structure, age, quality and craftsmanship, which all impact the price of a remodel. Since no one can see through walls before demolition, the quote you receive may not be 100% accurate. However, a qualified remodeling company will be forthcoming about potential challenges. Account for these adjustments by planning for a 10% cushion, just in case.

Step 4: Hire the right team

To help ensure you find the right company for the job, do your research. Referrals from friends and family are one way to find a remodeler. Resources like the National Association of the Remodeling Industry provide unbiased information that can help you find qualified, certified remodelers in your area. With more than 5,000 member companies, the organization represents professional remodelers who adhere to a strict code of ethics. Many hold certifications in remodeling, kitchen and bath design and lead carpentry.

Step 5: Establish a written agreement

Most companies insist on a contract to protect their own interests, but if they dont, you should. In addition to defining the scope of work and budget, a contract ensures all parties are on the same page with expectations about factors like timing, liability in the event of an accident and other practical matters. Contractors also often provide guarantees of workmanship, so find out what they cover for how long and include this information in your work agreement.

Step 6: Understand the plan

Keep the lines of communication open between you, the remodeling contractor and the work crew. Dont be afraid to ask questions. Let them know your familys schedule and circumstances that may affect their work, such as pets. Make sure to specify the best way to reach you and how often you wish to communicate about your project.

Step 7: Complete the project

When the remodel is almost finished, walk through the area and note any adjustments that need made while the contractor is still on site. You should also take another look at the contract and confirm you have signed permits, receipts, change orders, lien waivers, warranties and manufacturers guides at your disposal.

Find more remodeling advice and contractors in your area at remodelingdoneright.com.

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The unprecedented circumstances surrounding COVID-19 are having an effect on not only U.S. companies, but businesses around the world. Many employees are now working from home, manufacturing operations have slowed or stopped entirely and stringent germ-fighting tactics are being implemented.

How dramatic an effect the virus is having on businesses depends somewhat on where companies are located and the type of work involved. While many firms are able to have all employees work remotely without so much as a blip, others especially those that are focused on product manufacturing and social interaction are in flux. Some of the latter companies are feeling the sting already, while others have experienced little impact. Regardless of where they are in the chain, most firms concur that a ripple effect will be felt, though hopefully short term.

Almost everything is affected, notes Jodi Swartz, owner/principal designer, KitchenVisions in Natick, MA. Clients children are home from college or out of school, hampering selection timelines. People are concerned about spending and scaling back or pushing off projects. Manufacturers have little stock. And employees are not showing up, and cutting back on employee hours. Trade shows, awards ceremonies and any event where a crowd is expected are getting canceled.

Its like the Twilight Zone, Swartz continues. The phone has stopped ringing with prospective clients and instead were just answering calls with problems, issues and alarming current events. That is somewhat maddening.

Indeed, many kitchen and bath dealers and designers, as well other industry professionals, are concerned about delays that might result from the worldwide pandemic. While many projects will continue as planned with few delays or problems, the booking of future work is a bigger concern.

Appointments are being cancelled for sales and installations, and home shows and community events are being cancelled, which is affecting leads, offers JT Norman, director of business development, Kitchen Magic, in Nazareth, PA.

I thought I would be able to meet with more clients if everyone was working from home, but that is not the case, adds Richard Barr, senior designer/president, Plumberry Designs, in Florham Park, NJ. Our meetings are being postponed and some projects cancelled for financial reasons.

Jeff Koontz, designer, Chicago Custom Kitchens in Chicago, IL, reports that two of their clients have put their kitchen remodels on hold because of the impact on their ability to earn money.

We have a client who wanted to remodel two bathrooms and owns a travel agency, but because of the virus she has lost customers for the past three weeks canceling trips. The client may now cut out one or both of the bathrooms, adds Greg Ulrich, president/owner, KGT Remodeling, in Naples, FL.

Cathy Norman, owner, Kitchen & Bath Design Center in Fort Collins, CO, also notes that they have had two to three projects put on hold. The impact this is having on the stock market is the issue, she stresses.

I do see a slowdown, not necessarily from the virus itself, but from the stock market, agrees LuAnn Flores, Plumbing Sales Professional Department lead, WDC Kitchen and Bath, in Agoura Hills, CA. People who have planned major remodels or total builds are now waiting to see what the next few months bring.

I also feel that reduced stock portfolios and home equity will have a profound negative impact on our business, remarks Larry Rosen, President, Jack Rosen Custom Kitchens, in Rockville, MD.

But Krista Agapito, director of sales, S&W Kitchens, in Winter Park, FL thinks that while COVID-19 is creating some uncertainty, new clients are still calling in, asking for design and construction services.

SHOWROOM TRAFFIC

It is expected that showroom traffic would slow down, but that hasnt necessarily been the case. Thus far, traffic is still very steady, comments Elise Miller, designer, Curtis Lumber, in Ballston Spa, NY.

My showroom is open, but people meet with me by appointment, and I am finding that more people are making appointments to come in! observes Maria Stapperfenne, manager, Tewksbury Kitchen & Bath, in Whitehouse Station, NJ. Is it because when they come in, there arent throngs of others here? Maybe but my schedule is filling up with people who are willing to take the time to come see me during the day because theyre telecommuting!

Just like with snow storms, I expect that once banks and schools start closing, we will see more traffic in our showroom, adds Courtney Smith, office director, Rogers Kitchens, in Norwich, CT. But, she notes, I suspect it will be more tire kickers than potential jobs.

The slow-down has come for many, however, and very suddenly. Showroom traffic was still good until today, notes Rick Beahm, president, Beahm and Son Ltd., in Evans City, PA, talking about last week. It was down about 60% today.

Beth Siegfried, showroom manager at a plumbing supply house in Akron, OH, reports that traffic late last week was markedly slower than weeks previous. But, she has found the silver lining in the slow down. This dramatic drop-off in traffic for the moment feels like a much needed break in the action to catch up with a backlog of work. Still, she believes its only the beginning.

And while John Lang, owner, Langs Kitchen & Bath, in Newtown, PA has not seen an impact yet, we are expecting a 60-day period of little to no traffic.

THE SUPPLY CHAIN

The concern on the customer side is matched by the consternation on the supplier side. A few supply lines have hit significant bumps, partially due to issues that preceded COVID-19. But, overall, delays have been minimal thus far. For many, preparations for the future are being put into place.

I reached out to my main distributor for panel products for our cabinet shop and asked about availability of our main products, and he said at this time there was plenty in stock and several containers on their way from Europe, assures Beahm.

So far no vendors have closed their doors, so jobs are anticipated to be on schedule, states Agapito. That can easily change, of course, and we are handling things day by day as we receive more information.

Some of our product choices have changed since they were coming from abroad, and some projects are on hold as we await for shipping containers to be cleared to dock and unload, adds Barr. He notes that, while his clients are extremely reasonable and understand the severity of the health crisis, he believes their patience may grow thin the longer the projects are delayed.

Coming off a year of tariff delays, some of these new problems seem just like more of the same, says Siegfried. She notes that they just received the first alert that some of their Italian products never shipped weeks before the national shutdown. Of course, all future shipments are a big question mark.

It is likely that there will be issues as materials stocked in the U.S. run out and cant be replenished due to government restrictions, concurs Rich Doud, A&D sales rep., Vestal Tile Distributors in Vestal, NY.

And, while Erich Russ, president, Stone Harbor Hardware, in Appleton, WI has moderate concern about delays in their supply chain and potential softening demand in the near term related to the virus, I remain confident in the industrys strength, especially when we enter the summer season.

BUSINESS OPERATIONS

Most kitchen and bath designers and others note that their businesses will be unaffected short term because of the number of jobs booked and being worked on. Many have full schedules for six months or more, and can continue to work through the slow down. However, keeping employees on the job and healthy is a major concern, both for the company and clients.

We are moving to phone and digital conferences for sales meetings and have met with our employees to reiterate the need to stay home if they feel sick, to keep their work areas clean and to wash their hands frequently, says Kathryn Constantine, v.p., Brown Wood Inc., in Lincolnwood, IL.

We are adding a no hugs or handshake precaution to our practices, reports Agapito. Sanitizing of the showrooms before and after each meeting, and at the beginning and end of each day, is important for us all.

I am working with clients through remote conferencing in addition to an abundance of emails, adds Barr. We have sanitizer at the door for clients who do come into the showroom. We have asked our delivery guys not to enter the showroom and leave all packages at the door.

We have clients with serious medical conditions and compromised immune systems, and we are taking their health concerns seriously, stresses David Bannasch, senior project manager/design consultant, Bearded Builders, in Baltimore, MD. We have attached a message with all outgoing client emails requesting that anyone having signs of a cold or fever reschedule their appointments. Weve also notified our clients that any of our employees who have signs of a cold or fever are required to stay home or work from home as applicable. This includes both office and construction personnel.

Twice a day we wipe down light switches, microwaves, water coolers and other common surfaces, offers Tath Hossfeld, owner, Tath Hossfeld Designs, in Seattle, WA. Will continue to do so till we run out of product.

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Industry Pros Discuss Challenges of COVID-19 on Business - Kitchen and Bath Design News