Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

When one thinks about ones childhood home, the house that contains ones earliest memories, in whose rooms one passed ones formative years, different images come to mind. For some, a kitchen filled with steaming pots carries the aroma and experiences of their initial domestic life. For others, a grand piano that once resounded with long-forgotten tunes is the object that represents the soundtrack of family life. Still others associate their first years with a beloved pet or with a ball they kicked around the backyard with their siblings.

But for artist Fatma Shanan, whose exhibition Works 2010- 2017 is on display at the Tel Aviv Museum of Art, the object that has dominated her perception of her family, her childhood and her identity is the Oriental carpet.

Indeed, the painter, who hails from the Druse village of Julis, seems to have spread the carpet as far as it could stretch, creating dozens of renditions of the typical Oriental rug and placing them in different settings. The numerous paintings she has crafted illustrate Shanans evolution as a painter, but they also tell a personal story, the intimate tale of a young woman tracing her roots back to their starting point.

In the exhibition, curated by Doron Lurie, Shanan takes an unabashed look at herself and the different elements that weave together the story of her life. The act of telling, the artist seems to imply, doesnt coincide with a political dialogue. Her conversation with herself and her past is acutely personal, even if some might tout the warm reception shes receiving from the mainstream Israeli art scene as a victory for the local Druse community.

The painters self-portraits are some of her strongest and most bewitching pieces, and they are almost impossible to look away from. Two of them, placed side by side, Self-Portrait and a Carpet 1 and Self-Portrait and a Carpet 2, show an Oriental rug in earth tones spread out vertically. But hiding among the biblical-looking illustrations of figures and animals are outlines of the artist herself. She looks as though she could be stepping into the carpet or, alternately, merging with it until she becomes one with the fabric and fades into its folds.

One portrait has warmer shades, with its paler twin looking like the negative of a photograph. Through the paintings, the artist seems to be raising questions about the importance and weight our surroundings have on the shaping of our personalities, at times to the point that they could swallow us whole. She seems to be debating whether ones home is a safe zone, a shelter, or rather a suffocating place from which one should try to break free.

Another oeuvre, Self-Portrait and a Carpet 3, suggests that the answer to this question is at least as complex and multifaceted as the carpets the artist is so drawn to. In this demurely honest painting, Shanan depicts herself kneeling down with her head bowed, her face touching a carpet and hidden from view. Perhaps intentionally, she is positioned at an angle that Muslim worshipers use during prayer. Is the carpet, symbolic of her background, a source of solace? Is she seeking comfort in it or giving in to the power of her origins? In other moving works, the artist uses the carpet as a means to bridge inner turmoil and the outside world. Portraying young girls standing on carpets in unlikely settings such as an open field or a backyard in works like Lara and Mia, Shanan tests the thin boundaries between girlhood and womanhood, the safety of home versus the arbitrariness of the outside, youth and adulthood. The young women seem to be extensions of the artist herself as she revisits her old stomping grounds from the perspective of time.

In other paintings, carpets are rolled out on village rooftops, with an aerial view of children playing.

She juxtaposes the richness and beauty of the carpets with the dirt and claustrophobic density of the village homes, looking at them from high above. These paintings are especially intimate, so much so that it seems that the artist had no choice but to paint them from afar so as to keep the memories at arms length, a safe distance away.

Some of the works are playful and liberating, even humorous.

One such painting, called Stepping on Watermelon Seeds, shows a pair of barefoot legs stomping on a field of watermelon seeds. Its portrayal of the unmitigated joy that lies in the act of letting go is so straightforward and uncomplicated that it tempts the viewer to step right in. But Shanans unflinching gaze also rests on a carpet she places in the backyard of a decrepit old village home surrounded by the electrical wiring of an air conditioner.

Here and throughout many of her creations, the artist displays a casual understanding of the almost impossible balance of esthetics. The elegance and affluence emanating from the carpets are strong, but theyre there to offset the dank and sad surroundings.

Sigmund Freud divided the psyche into three personality components: the id, the ego and the super-ego. The first is in charge of the uncoordinated desires and instincts of the personality. In that sense, Shanans carpets are her id.

They weave together the contrasting and conflicting joy and pain, sorrow and triumph that are part of growing up and looking back on what has made a person into who he or she is.

A video installation at the entrance to the exhibition catches the artist and the children on the rooftop in the act of unfolding the carpets. Carpet on a Flat Rooftop takes the viewer to the limit of the physical act of rolling out the rug.

Watching it on repeat, one can almost smell the dust and sweat wrung out of the fabric. Again and again, the carpet fills up the screen until it loses all meaning, and all one can wish is to join the artist as she covers every free surface of her world, carpet after carpet.

The exhibition is on display until October 28 at the Tel Aviv Museum of Art.

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The carpet as the id, the carpet as a home - Israel News - Jerusalem ... - The Jerusalem Post

Home improvement projects can resemble a military maneuver one miscalculation and everything is lost. I didn't want my decision to recarpet our stairs, hallway and bedrooms to be my Waterloo, so we prepared for the new carpet installation like we were preparing for battle. As everyone knows, winning a battle takes discipline, organizational skills and a plan. Unfortunately, I don't have any of those things. But I do like being in charge and giving orders, so I made myself general and rallied the troops to clear out the stuff that had accumulated in the bedrooms over the years.

It did turn out to be a battle a battle over where to put everything. When I ordered the carpet, I was told to expect installation in three to four weeks. Normal people would have used that time to sort through their things in order to avoid a last-minute rush. My family understands the concept of normal people, we're just not sure how it applies to us. That's why we waited until three days before D-Day before we started moving things out of the bedrooms.

OK, we didn't really start until two days before D-Day because the first day we talked about it a lot, then we looked at everything in the rooms and agreed it was going to be a ton of work. Actually, if I'm going to be perfectly honest, we only gave ourselves one day to prepare because two days seemed like more than enough time and we like to think we do our best work under pressure. I'm sure that's what Eisenhower would have done.

I didn't think it would be a problem, though, because I'd made a brilliant tactical decision to not have the master bedroom recarpeted. That would give us a place to put everything from the other bedrooms. The tactic seemed slightly less brilliant when our bedroom quickly filled up and we had a lot more things to clear out. So we made dozens of trips up and down the stairs carrying our treasured possessions, until the dining room and then the living room were filled. At least Hannibal got to use elephants.

Still, we soldiered on. Well, most of us did my son went AWOL a few times to play video games but we were making progress. Closets were emptied, bookcases were cleared and refugee stuffed animals were relocated to a safe spot. Ideally, all the outgrown clothes and toys would have already been donated, so we wouldn't have to waste a lot of our time and energy moving them around. Ideally, I also wouldn't wait until the last minute to do everything.

That night it was hard to sleep, surrounded by all the stuff from our kids' rooms, including Felicity an American Girl doll from the Revolutionary War period. She stood sentry while I slept, her vacant, soulless eyes unreadable beneath her tricorn hat. I doubt George Washington had to sleep under such difficult, and creepy, conditions. If he had, the Revolutionary War may have turned out differently and today we'd all be speaking English.

We suffered a surprise attack the next morning when the installers arrived an hour earlier than expected. Didn't they know I needed every minute I could get to clear out the stuff that I forgot was under the beds? I had no idea where I was going to put those things and was about to wave a white flag, when I remembered the bathtub had yet to be used as a storage space. Problem solved.

There was a momentary setback when the installers moved the bookcase from my daughter's room to reveal a very dark area on the carpet that was, I'm sure coincidentally, the exact same size and shape as the bookcase. Within the rectangle there were a variety of small twigs, pebbles, bits of fluff and press-on jewels. The installers looked at me, waiting for orders on how to proceed with an area capable of harboring a village of tiny lifeforms. I summoned my inner William Tecumseh Sherman and ordered them to spare nothing and rip it up from wall to wall. I chalked up the potential deaths of hundreds of innocent dust mites to collateral damage.

Now that most of the upstairs has new carpet, I'll eventually want new carpet in the master bedroom, too. But that means repeating the process and I'm not sure it's worth it. Floor is hell.

Betsy Bitner is a Capital Region writer. bbitner1@nycap.rr.com.

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Days of work done in last-minute maneuvers - Albany Times Union

Interface (NASDAQ: TILE) and Interface (NASDAQ:IFSIA) are both consumer discretionary companies, but which is the superior stock? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their dividends, risk, valuation, earnings, analyst recommendations, institutional ownership and profitabiliy.

Analyst Recommendations

This is a breakdown of current ratings and recommmendations for Interface and Interface, as reported by MarketBeat.com.

Interface presently has a consensus target price of $19.00, indicating a potential downside of 0.26%. Given Interfaces higher probable upside, equities analysts plainly believe Interface is more favorable than Interface.

Institutional and Insider Ownership

92.2% of Interface shares are held by institutional investors. 1.9% of Interface shares are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, endowments and hedge funds believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term.

Earnings and Valuation

This table compares Interface and Interfaces revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

Interface has higher revenue and earnings than Interface.

Profitability

This table compares Interface and Interfaces net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

Dividends

Interface pays an annual dividend of $0.24 per share and has a dividend yield of 1.3%. Interface does not pay a dividend. Interface pays out 30.8% of its earnings in the form of a dividend.

Summary

Interface beats Interface on 9 of the 10 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Interface

Interface Inc. is engaged in design, production and sale of modular carpet, also known as carpet tile. As of January 1, 2017, the Company marketed its modular carpets in over 110 countries under the brand names Interface and FLOR. The Company operates through three segments: Americas, Europe and Asia-Pacific. The Company distributes its products through two primary channels, including direct sales to end users and indirect sales through independent contractors or distributors. The Company sells an antimicrobial chemical compound under the trademark Intersept that the Company incorporates in all of its modular carpet products. It also sells its TacTiles carpet tile installation system, along with a range of traditional adhesives and products for carpet installation and maintenance that are manufactured by a third party. It also provides turnkey project management services for national accounts and other customers through its InterfaceSERVICES business.

About Interface

Interface Inc. is engaged in design, production and sale of modular carpet, also known as carpet tile. As of January 1, 2017, the Company marketed its modular carpets in over 110 countries under the brand names Interface and FLOR. The Company operates through three segments: Americas, Europe and Asia-Pacific. The Company distributes its products through two primary channels, including direct sales to end users and indirect sales through independent contractors or distributors. The Company sells an antimicrobial chemical compound under the trademark Intersept that the Company incorporates in all of its modular carpet products. It also sells its TacTiles carpet tile installation system, along with a range of traditional adhesives and products for carpet installation and maintenance that are manufactured by a third party. It also provides turnkey project management services for national accounts and other customers through its InterfaceSERVICES business.

Receive News & Ratings for Interface Inc. Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Interface Inc. and related companies with Analyst Ratings Network's FREE daily email newsletter.

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Reviewing Interface (TILE) & Interface (NASDAQ:IFSIA ... - TheOlympiaReport

The Hoover Public Library has closed its childrens and nonfiction departments for a month to allow for installation of new carpet.

Those two areas, which are on the left side of the main hallway that goes through the library, were made inaccessible to patrons on Monday, Aug. 7. Library officials hope to reopen those areas on Friday, Sept. 8, said Carrie Steinmehl, the librarys technology coordinator, who is overseeing the project.

While those departments are not accessible physically, patrons still will be able to receive service from those departments at the teens desk and circulation desk, Steinmehl said. Each department also will offer a small browsing collection, she said.

The technology hub also will be closed for a day or two next week (sometime during Aug. 13-19) as book shelves are moved, Steinmehl said.

It was just two years ago (August and early September 2015) that much of the library was closed for a renovation and makeover, but that project included new carpet only for the technology hub and fiction and teen departments, which are on the right side of the main hallway, Steinmehl said.

The carpet replacement was divided into two phases due to budget and time constraints, she said.

This years carpet replacement is costing just under $144,000, Steinmehl said. Commercial Floor Systems and Brians Flooring and Design are doing the installation work, while Florida Library Designs is moving the shelves, she said.

The nonfiction carpet will match the carpet in the teens and fiction department, and the carpet in the childrens area will match the blue carpet in the starred hallway that leads to the youth programming room, Steinmehl said.

We appreciate your patience during this time and look forward to a fresh new look in September, she said.

For more information, call the library at 444-7800.

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Hoover library blocks off two departments for month for carpet ... - Hoover Sun

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Dunrite Heating and Cooling is a Michigan Heating, Cooling, Air Conditioning, and Furnace Repair, Service, Replacement, Installation and Maintenance Company located in Wayne, Oakland, and Washtenaw Counties. Dunrite employs only the best technicians for air conditioner repair and, furnace repair as well as all air conditioner replacement, furnace replacementin Ann Arbor MI, Belleville MI, Berkley MI, Beverly Hills MI, Birmingham MI, Bloomfield MI, Bloomfield Hills MI, Canton MI, Clawson MI, Dearborn MI, Down River MI, Eastpointe MI, Farmington MI, Farmington Hills MI, Ferndale MI, Franklin MI, Hazel Park MI, Huntington Woods MI, Lathrup Village MI, Livonia MI, Madison Heights MI, Milan MI, Northville MI, Novi MI, Oak Park MI, Plymouth MI, Royal Oak MI, Saline MI, South Lyon MI, Southfield MI, Sumpter MI, Taylor MI, Wayne MI, West Bloomfield MI, Westland MI, Ypsilanti MI. So when you ask to find "A good heating and air conditioning repair or service company near me," you've come to the right place. Dunrite services all furnace, AC, humidifier, filter, thermostat and water heater brands including Carrier, Bryant, Payne, Trane, Lennox, Rheem, Ruud, Amana, Crown, Frigidaire, Gibson, Goodman, Lochinvar, Maytag, Weil McLain, AO Smith, Kohler, American Standard, GeoExcel, General, Aprilaire, Honeywell,Daikin, Mitsubishi, Fujitsu, White Rodgers, Dynamic, Skuttle and many more.

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Dunrite Heating & Cooling Systems, Inc.

Since 1937, the name Capital Heating & Cooling has been synonymous with quality sheet metal work. When they added heating and cooling services to their business in the 60s, they became known in the HVAC industry for the same dedication to quality and to their customers. Now, 80 years later, they are still leading the way in innovation, customer service and giving back to the community that they have called home for generations.

Caring for our residential customers and business clients has always been at the heart of everything we do, Dean Schmidtke, grandson of the founder of Capital Heating & Cooling, William Schmidtke. And it really is why we have stayed in business all these years.

Having been in business for eight decades, the Schmidtke family has seen a lot of changes in their industries over the years. When they first started, customer information was stored on index cards Dean says. Then, they had an Apple 3 with a 200kb hard drive. Now, they are leading the way in customer service using innovative technology that will change the way you will view the service industry forever.

Lets face it, we all hate calling a repair person. You make an appointment and they tell you they will be there sometime between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Capital Heating & Cooling values your time and doesnt want you to have to wait.

We have a program now that texts the customer when the technician is on their way with a link that takes them to a real-time Google Map allowing them to track the technician to their house, explains Chuck Schmidtke, Service Manager. No more waiting around for the tech. You can go run errands, pick up the kids, go to the gym and head back when you know the tech is on their way. Its convenience at its best.

This same program will text you a photo of your repair person, to help the customer feel safer. Then, you can give feedback of your service from your cell phone as well fast, simple and easy for the customer.

Capital Heating & Cooling serves both residential and commercial customers, something not all heating and cooling businesses offer. With involvement on the commercial side, they see new innovations sooner. For example, Dean says a new HVAC system is being tested that will send a direct message to the service shop if there is a problem. Each component of the system will have an IP address that will send a message if its not running properly, before the customer even knows theres a problem. Its available now in commercial systems, Dean says. One huge upside to this means the tech can come to your home prepared, with the parts he needs, instead of making two trips to your home one to diagnose and one to fix.

Bill Schmidke is the commercial project manager and explains how customers appreciate their full-service options. We can create turnkey systems, he explains, from design to installation, we are able to create custom solutions for customers, often for less money as we can do it all in one location. Commercial projects include small offices and cafes up to massive projects like schools and entire building complexes. Recent projects include the new North Thurston High School expansion, Saint Martins University Abbey, Evergreen State Colleges Lab 1 and Briggs Silverleaf, an new 55+ active living community.

Bill and his team utilize the most cutting edge technology and are responsive to customer needs. We have the ability to fabricate and install the ductwork ourselves which is often faster and offers better quality control for customers, Bill shares. Whether you simply need an exhaust hood for a commercial kitchen or 30,000 square feet of HVAC work, the commercial team can help.

In both commercial and residential, innovations in technology are creating convenience, but also questions. With the internet, customers can do their own research, which we encourage, but it has caused a lot of confusion, Dean explains. Customers get overwhelmed with the amount of information, so its still worth their while to have someone who knows the industry visit them in person and help them sort out their choices. I think thats one thing we do really well.

Part of their dedication to customer service includes a no-pressure environment, including the consultation for free. Educating people and helping them find the best solution for their expectations and their budget is the goal.

Capital Heating & Cooling started out as a sheet metal company and has never stopped creating quality products for use on their customers projects. And not just HVAC systems, either. They can make or fix pretty much anything from tables and counter tops to repairing boats and horse trailers.

Their full-service sheet metal shop helps them deliver quality products for commercial and residential customers. Every project requires custom duct work to fits into the buildings framework. Deans says 3D modeling has innovated this process as well, helping complete jobs quickly for less money as they are less likely to need to remake pieces.

Three generations of Schmidtkes have owned and operated Capital Heating & Cooling. Since the very beginning, the family has been involved in giving back to the community. William Schmidtke was involved in United Way decades ago and the family has continued his legacy of community service ever since.

In the past, now, and in the future, giving back has and will be a priority for us, Dean says. They are a drop-off location for the Thurston County Food Bank and they support Homeless Backpacks, Student Orchestras of Greater Olympia and Spring Arts Walk, to name a few. Our customers are our neighbors and we really appreciate them. We think supporting some of these organizations is a way to not only give back, but a way to make our community a good place to live and thats important to us.

To have Capital Heating & Cooling help you with your HVAC or sheet metal needs, contact them via the Capital Heating & Cooling website or call 360-491-7450.

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Capital Heating & Cooling Celebrates 80 Years of Innovation and Service - ThurstonTalk

KINGSTON, N.Y. >> The city will borrow $1.37 million more to fund repairs and upgrades to the sewage treatment plant on East Strand.

During a Common Council meeting Tuesday, aldermen adopted three resolutions related to the borrowing and awarding of contracts for the repair and upgrade work at the plant. Each of the resolutions was adopted by a vote of 8-0.

Alderwoman Nina Dawson, D-Ward 4, was absent.

The $1,371,798 in additional funding will go toward general construction, electrical, and heating, ventilation and air conditioning work at the wastewater treatment plant. The total project is estimated to cost $3,276,250, but much of that is expected to be reimbursed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

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The council had previously authorized borrowing approximately $1.9 million for the project.

The funding approved Tuesday by the council would also provide the city with money for construction inspection services and cover any contingency expenses.

City Engineer Ralph Swenson had previously told aldermen that Kingston received a general construction bid totaling $2,028,000 for work at the plant under the FEMA project. He said that bid includes reconstruction of the citys pump station and work on the exterior walls of some of the buildings.

The electric work under the FEMA project totals $717,000 and would include wiring, pump replacement, controls, and preparation work to upgrade the plants generator, Swenson said. He said the bid for heating and cooling totals $142,500 and would include new boilers for the plant.

Some of the planned repairs and upgrades are necessary because of flooding during Superstorm Sandy in October 2012, which is also why FEMA is pitching in financially.

The general construction work will be performed by William Schultz Construction, while the electrical work will be performed by Stilsing Electric and the heating and cooling work by D&E Contractors and Plumbing.

The treatment plant, close to the citys Rondout Creek waterfront, is the citys only such facility and serves approximately 30,000 people. Most of the plant was built in the 1940s, but its been upgraded roughly every 10 years.

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Kingston borrows $1.37 million to repair, upgrade sewage treatment plant - The Daily Freeman

Two new businesses one focused on auto sales and the other focused on auto repair have opened at 740 S. Janesville St.

Milton Auto Sales LLC is owned by Harold and JoAnn Estep of Milton. Links Auto Repair LLC is owned by their grandson, Link Decker Jr.

The businesses, though they are located in the same building and complement each other, are separate.

For sale on the Milton Auto Sales lot are five vehicles. Estep says he plans to have about 10 used vehicles on the lot altogether.

His business philosophy, which he has handed down to his grandson, is to treat people fairly.

"When people are buying a vehicle, they should have confidence in the people theyre buying from," Estep said.

When it comes to buying vehicles to sell, Estep said he is picky.

"If theyve got a problem, I wont buy them," he said, adding he has a large knowledge of vehicles.

Estep first started H&J Auto Sales and Service in 1970 in Highland Park, Ill.

He and his wife moved to Milton in 1984 and the following year, he opened a night club at 4952 N. Wright Road (now Fagan Truck and Trailer). When that wasnt going as well as hed hoped, he built a shop in the back and again started H&J, which relocated to 406 W. High St.

Link Jr. grew up around vehicles and started helping his grandfather and father around the shop at a young age.

The Esteps in 2006 retired and sold the business to their then-son in law Link Decker, who today owns the business with his wife Deborah Rozelle.

Prior to starting his own business, Link Jr. worked at H&J.

The Milton native graduated from Milton High School in 2013, then graduated from the Blackhawk Technical College Automotive Technician program. He has Automotive Service Excellence certifications in suspension and steering, brakes, electrical/electronic systems, heating and air conditioning, and engine performance.

After working for his father, Link Jr. decided he wanted to have a shop of his own and approached his grandfather to see if he wanted to get back in the business of selling used vehicles.

"We definitely work well together," he added.

Both also said they have a goal of offering quality service at a fair price.

"Theres definitely enough that goes wrong with vehicles to make money. You dont have to lie about anything," Decker said. "You dont have to go out of your way to try to upsell a lot. Just be honest."

Rather than telling people what they need repaired, he said he likes to show them and explain what needs to be done.

The Janesville Street location has been a repair shop before. For six years, Rock Diesel of Milton LLC was located at 740 S. Janesville St. At the end of 2016, Rock Diesel joined Automatic Transmission Service (ATS) at 4365 Milton Ave., Janesville.

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Grandpa, grandson open related auto businesses - hngnews.com

Officials have released a rendering of the renovated West Carrollton library branch. (Photo: Dayton Metro Libraries)

WEST CARROLLTON, Ohio (WKEF/WRGT) - The West Carrollton branch of the Dayton Metro Library will be closed beginning September 2 at 6 p.m. as port oft he countywide improvement project.

Officials are planning to add 5,000 square feet to the building, and add in few features that include a quiet reading room, a large community room and group study rooms, a fireplace and dedicated spaces for children and teens.

The project is part of Libraries for a Smarter Future, where multiple branches are getting renovations as part of a bond issue Montgomery County approved in 2012.

We have completed eight new or renovated Branches as well as the new Main Library in downtown Dayton, Jayne Klose, Dayton Metro Librarys Community Engagement Manager, said. Now its time to begin major work at the West Carrollton Branch Library, so that we can to provide state of the art Library service in that community.

A groundbreaking ceremony on the expansion will be September 12 at 2:30 p.m., and officials expect the renovated branch will be re-opened in the fall of 2018.

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West Carrollton library branch to close for expansion and remodeling - WRGT TV Fox 45

Dayton Business Journal

Another Dayton-area library branch to undergo expansion, remodel Dayton Business Journal 2 to begin an expansion and remodeling. The West Carrollton project expands the library from 10,000 to 15,000 square feet, while remaining connected to the Civic Center. Features of the new library include a quiet reading room, a large community room ...

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Another Dayton-area library branch to undergo expansion, remodel - Dayton Business Journal