Many accidents involving babies and toddlers on staircases are the result of one of the parents tripping up on loose or worn carpet as they are carrying their child up or down the stairs. Staircases are another obvious danger, you should fit gates at both the top and the bottom so that your baby can’t use them whether they’re downstairs or up. Also, it’s useful to check that all your stair carpet fits properly.

Go native and relax with the Tribe in this substantial hexagonal Thatched Gazebo, based on traditional African hut designs. Manufactured from solid, machined round, pressure treated timber uprights with matching side panels and an easy to lay sectioned deck floor base. The attractive thatched roof is hand crafted from South African Reed, which offers excellent protection from the weather, allowing you to relax and enjoy your gazebo and garden at just about any time of the year. Ideal as a shady retreat on the patio, or as a hideaway in a quiet corner in the garden, the Thatched Gazebo comes complete with full assembly instruction and fixing kit. Or let us do it for you with our home delivery and assembly facility.

Traditional & unique Bali Gazebos are cool and breezy with Alang Alang (thatched) or shingle roofing for canopy. All gazebos products are knock-down from wood or bamboo construction for easy reassembly at your location. Available in a variety of woods & bamboo, shapes and sizes up to 7 meters diameter with or without floor. We use kiln dried termite treated timber for the construction of our Balinese Gazebo Products. Visit exbali.com

Gazebos canopy belong to a variety of garden structures with similar functions, that include pagodas, pavilions, kiosks, belvederes, follies, alambras, pergolas, and more. As the etymologies of those names suggest, such structures were (and are) quite popular in warm and sunny climates. They are well-attested in the literature of China, Persia, and many other classical civlizations, going back to several millennia. Examples of such structures are the garden houses at Montacute House.

The word gazebo was first used by British architects William and John Halfpenny in their book Rural Architecture in the Chinese Taste (1750). Plate 55 of the book, titled “Elevation of a Chinese Gazebo” shows “[…] a Chinese Tower or Gazebo, situated on a Rock, and raised to a considerable Heighth, and a Gallery round it to render the Prospect more compleat”.

The origin of the word is unknown, and has no cognates in other European languages. Several false etymologies have been proposed, such as the French expression Que c’est beau (”How beautiful”) and the Macaronic Latin gazebo (”I shall gaze”). L. L. Bacon proposed a derivation from Casbah, a Muslim quarter around the citadel in Algiers[1]. More recently, W. Sayers proposed that the name comes from Hispano-Arabic qushaybah, attested in a poem by Cordoban poet Ibn Quzman (d. 1160)

Practical minimalism

Every historic period has left its characteristics on design, which were most often linked with that period`s lifestyle. Today, we are living at a fast pace, striving towards what is practical and simple in all aspects of our lives. Therefore, it is logical that minimalism leaves its trace on interior design.

Pure lines in design, easy-maintenance materials, implementation of segments in space as fast as possible are the common denominator of most modern requirements.

Still, living in a space is a very individual thing and a line of demands need to be met to make the space functional and harmonious. An important segment is the environment in which you live. Respect it and introduce the genius loci, the spirit of the place, into decorating!
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Pay attention to personality. Most people hire an architect only once in their lives. Searching for one is akin to finding a financial planner, architects say. Look for an architect who has designed projects that are similar in style and scope to yours. “There’s no substitute for experience,” says Todd Strickland, a partner with Historical Concepts, an Atlanta architectural firm. Because designing a home is such a personal project, it’s important that you feel able to communicate with your architect.

Liza Nugent, 41 years old, and her husband needed an architect to combine their apartment on Manhattan’s Upper East Side with a neighboring unit; they got referrals from friends. The first person they called made a snippy remark about how “unsophisticated” co-op boards in buildings on side streets such as theirs make renovations difficult. “I thought, with that kind of attitude, we definitely wouldn’t get along,” Mrs. Nugent says. After calling two more architects and interviewing three others, the Nugents picked a longtime acquaintance who had creative design solutions for their project. Read more…

Masters Touch, a one stop interior design and home improvement shop based in Medfield, recently announced a new Building and Construction Division to better serve a fast growing clientele who desire larger scale building and renovations.

From high-end design and build projects; exterior painting, roofing and siding projects to flooring, interior painting and decorating projects, Masters Touch has been catering to homeowners throughout the Metrowest area for a decade.
Masters Touch has a design, construction and installation team of more than 50 in their Building and Construction Division. They can easily handle the “big jobs” including new home construction, additions, kitchen and bathroom remodeling, custom built-ins, crown molding, custom stairs, decks, roofs, dormers, farmers porches, finished attics, finished basements, home theaters, kitchens, porticos, siding (cement board, vinyl, wood), trim repair and replacement, wine cellars and new and replacement windows and doors. Read more…

Concerns about the environment are coming in from the cold.

As a result, interior designers say they are seeing more green solutions for the great indoors than ever before.

“The selection of eco-friendly products has definitely increased,'’ said Megan Middendorf, 24, interior designer at the Mansion in Des Moines.
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The city of Seattle will cement its place as one of the world’s most renowned centers for design when the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) presents four of the highest awards in landscape architecture to local projects and landscape architects. The presentation will take place during ASLA’s annual meeting in San Francisco, October 6-9.
“Seattle is one of the most beautiful cities in the world, and this is reflected in the number of projects and landscape architects receiving top honors year after year,” said Patrick W. Caughey, FASLA, president of the Society. “This year’s awards continue that tradition with private organizations and public places incorporating thoughtful, innovative designs for Seattle residents to enjoy.”
Philips Farevaag Smallenberg will receive a national honor award in design for the 17th-floor Washington Mutual Bank’s roof garden. The green roof provides decks and pathways showcasing views across Elliott Bay, all while integrating elements that tell a story about the bank, its local origins, and the community it serves. Read more…

As energy prices continue to rise, more and more housing consumers in the U.S. are looking for ways to save money on home energy costs. VOA’s Jeff Swicord reports on an environmentally friendly, green building movement in the United States.

From high-rise apartment buildings to single-family homes, so-called “green building” is the hottest trend in architectural design today. Simply put, green building takes into account the energy efficiency of the design and the environmental sustainability of the materials used.

Susan Piedmont-Palladino is an architect and curator at the National Building Museum in Washington D.C. She explains the concept of green building. “Green building is thinking about where it comes from and where it goes. That goes for the material as well as the energy. How are you getting the energy, what systems are you using to heat your house and cool your house? And where are the waste products going to end up?”

The National Building Museum has assembled part of a green house designed by California architect Michele Kaufman as part of its exhibit on green building. Susan Palladino points out some of its green features. “The first one to notice is this generous overhang.” Read more…