As any avid reader knows, finding the perfect reading nook is essential for enjoying your favourite books. Whether it's curled up in a cozy armchair with a cup of tea, or stretched out in a sunny spot in the backyard, having a place to escape into your book is necessary.

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Hardcovers, paperbacks, and cocktail table tomes get the attention they deserve

This may be Alameda's most-photographed house. It's in the "Painted Ladies" book.

tumblr.com Women have been running down them....... (touch pic if gif isn't working) and being carried up them for ages. Grand Staircases I love staircases, those fabulous bridges between floors. The are usually the first impression that a home makes when guests enter. When we deck the halls during the Holidays, they usually get our utmost attention as we garland, light, and tie them up in beautiful ribbons and bows. We stand on them for family pictures, slide down their banisters, brides descend them, and if you are like me, even fall down them a time or two. The purpose of this post is more about how to decorate staircases in exciting ways. Your staircase may not be as big in size, but it can still be grand in how it's decorated. I have a normal sized staircase that I recently painted in a faux marble treatment. Now it makes a statement and is more impressive. Use art, harlequin patterns, faux stone (see My Faux Limestone Project - July 2012) or marble treatments, paint murals, stencil, use paneling, wallpaper, furniture placement or beautiful runners. It may be on a smaller scale but by all means make your guests say "WOW" when they enter your home. All styles are beautiful to me. I adore simple, primitive stairways. French country entrances with unpretentious yet elegant staircases causes my heart to skip a beat. While this post is dedicated to their grander cousins, stay tuned for a post about them too. Enjoy these architectural beauties from private homes and palaces and be inspired! google.com Muralists can paint beautiful scenes or there are wallpapers you can use to create a look like this. google.com I love the mural painted on the back of this curved staircase. So much more interesting that just paint. You could also paper this area. Anything to add interest and elegance. It might be a pattern, stone treatment, or they make wonderful stencils now. It's not that hard, just takes time. The end result is well worth the effort! georgianadesign.tumblr.com The perfect place for a piano, or a chaise, or settee. The space NEEDS something! info.asmarainc.com This staircase has the perfect runner for this beautiful entry and the wallpaper really makes this area gorgeous! google.com Intricately carved and painted newels and baluster makes this staircase incredible. google.com I am not sure, but this looks like faux marbling and tromp l'oeil painting on these walls. I faux marbleized the newels, risers and decorative trim work of my staircase and LOVE it. Remember there are so many creative ways to bring the WOW factor to your stairways. indulgy.com L-shape designed stairway with raised paneling and wallpaper. Please no plain white walls ladies! petitcabinetdecuriosites.tumblr.com Freestanding curved staircases have no support from underneath, and aren't attached on either side to a wall. This unseemingly stable structure is kept rigid by the staircase's engineering. Kensington Palace You might not have black marble steps like these, but you can still find ways to make YOUR palace more interesting.I painted my steps black in an old home I restored. Then layered coats of polyurethane to seal it good. They were beautiful. lindalumdebono.blogspot.com It you are a fan of wood staircases, this should definitely make you smile! Steps can be made of wood, marble, or stone like these. indulgy.com See these black marble newel posts. You can do the same thing with a faux marble treatment. Many grand staircases have elaborate lighting topping their newel posts. pinterest.com Another amazing example of a staircase with illuminated newel. This was so fabulous I just had to include it. thingssheloves.tumblr.com A gorgeous iron baluster. Consider iron instead of wood. If you don't have limestone walls, create them! (See July's Faux Limestone Project post) google.com Main hallway of Chatsworth House, a stately home in England. stylemepretty.com I love interesting walls so of course I love to paper above the raised paneling. onelondonone.blogspot.com Harlequin floors are stunning entrances and make stairs look so elegant. tumblr.com Beautiful, intricate, stairway with an exotic flair. google.com Another beautiful free standing staircase. This one also has a balcony. If you are going with all white, make sure your flooring is interesting. This area work well because of the windows and how they bring interest to the staircase. I do, however, think some interior landscaping is called for here. sheilazellerinteriors.com I thought you might be interested in seeing the grand staircase at Althorpe, the ancestral home of Diana, Princess of Wales. I love interesting ceilings! google.com bourbonandpearls.tumblr.com Lovely staircase with a double bullnose (last step design) and two volutes (sets of curved balusters). google.com Over the top, but stunning!!! bseidshop.com Beautiful raised paneling surrounds this staircase giving it a grander appearance. thearchitecturalist.tumblr.com A radius attached staircase is attached on one side to a wall, and can be freestanding or have support underneath. The collection of architectural elements gives this staircase interest. Do you collect something that could be displayed on the walls of your stairway? thearchitecturalist.tumblr.com This is called a flare staircase. The steps flare out at the bottom. I thing staircases are the perfect area to display a tapestry. Staircase at Petit Palais - Paris. Gorgeous sweeping curves! lord-of-hahn.tumblr.com Beautiful wood staircase with decorative paneling. Display a collection of art or a few LARGE pieces. Your stairs need to be decorated. vmburkhardt.tumblr.com laceandtea.com An incredible example of the spiral staircase design. oldhouseonline.com Lovely detailed staircase. tumblr.com And we all recognize this scene and the staircase it is spotlighting. Titanic One of the most iconic grand staircases. Part of a cherub lamp fitting from the grand staircase has been recovered and is on display at a Titanic museum in the eastern United States. Enjoy decorating YOUR grand staircase!

your votes are in white: 50 beige: 5 other: 2 darn, I should have done one of those little polls on the sidebar; I've always wanted to on datenight we took one last spin in the old neighborhood to search for a color we do know how to have a good time, don't we? this was my favorite in the beige/tan colors but nothing to get too excited about we spotted this pretty little lady turret heaven and I found this image on pinterest Yes, I've been dabbling a bit, on pinterest (just what i need is another place to get lost out there) (my friend Becky's house that I just adore) and this one on Facebook (thanks, Debbie) yes, these make my heart skip a beat so, white it shall be here we are as of Saturday A.M. come on, hurry, isn't it ready, yet (kindof like are we there yet?) paint already, will you...there can't be more loose paint, can there? I don't sound like an impatient kid, do I? and...Saturday afternoon this is just primer our trial run to see what we think we are now discussing minute amounts of colorant to get just the right shade of white oh, brother.c.r.a.z.y. come on back later in the week I am working on a post showing the progress and story of our gal and you just have to see what else is new here... linking here: links on sidebar

When you think of indoor pollution, those grotesque, blown-up images of dust mites might come to mind. Tiny bugs living in our mattresses are only one source of pollution, however. Different types of indoor pollution include air and water pollutants, cleaning products and cosmetics. Most of us think of our home as a haven - a safe place where we are protected from the rest of the world. But sometimes extra care needs to be taken to create a healthy home. What Causes Indoor Air Pollution? While we might be wary of smog and acid rain, outdoor pollutants probably don't affect us nearly as much as indoor pollutants do. Concentrations of indoor pollutants are 25 to 62 percent greater than outdoor levels. Because Americans spend 80 to 90 percent of their time indoors, they're at risk for serious health problems. Sources of air pollution include wood-burning stoves, tobacco smoke, cooking and heating appliances, and vapors from building materials, and furniture. Paints, sealants, and other finishes can also be harmful. Radon, a radioactive gas that's released from inside the earth, is also a pollutant, and can be found concentrated in some basements. Reducing Indoor Air Pollution Many of the products we use every day generate indoor air pollution. One of the best ways to improve indoor air quality is to eliminate the sources of the pollution. Choose non-toxic furnishings, flooring, finishes and supplies. Eliminate toxic household cleaners from your home. Seal or enclose asbestos-coated sources. Provide adequate ventilation by opening windows or using fans. Switch to an environmentally-safe dry cleaner. Add some houseplants. Discourage smoking indoors. Have air ducts cleaned. Have lead-based paint professionally removed. Vent clothes dryers to outdoors. Remove water-damaged carpets. Test basements for radon gas. Natural Pollutants Biological contaminants are another type of pollutant that affects the indoor environment. Pet dander, dust mites and other microorganisms that occur naturally can settle in carpets and other fabrics. Bacteria, molds, mildew and insect or rodent droppings are also dangerous. These allergens can trigger allergies and sometimes lead to serious illnesses such as asthma in some people. Use flooring options like wood, cork, tile, stone or bamboo to reduce the number of allergens in the home. These flooring materials don't emit fumes or harbor microorganisms and are easier to keep clean than carpeting. Air purifiers and mechanical ventilation systems can help keep indoor air healthy. They can reduce levels of humidity, which creates a breeding ground for bacteria, mold and mildew. The Environmental Protection Agency recommends keeping humidity levels below 30 to 50 percent. Check out WheatonHomes4Sale.com to browse official listing information of homes listed for sale in your area or to find out how much your home is worth.

Window seats and little corners can beautifully transform interior design and decor, and add comfortable reading nooks to rooms with large windows

we make furniture, one piece at a time, it's true, but, we also sometime make spaces, often intimate and personal spaces, that can have a deep meaning for us and for the clients we work with. i visited the space in the photo above yesterday, to discuss some new work in an upstairs office, and was struck by the peacefulness and beauty of it. the client was the designer and she has an impeccable eye. we applaud her taste in custom furniture. the two pieces we made in the photo, the large kas tv cabinet in the background, (back when big tvs were still big), and the custom pool table in the foreground, both look great over 10 years later. both were challenges on a lot of levels, but looking at them now i remember the challenges as both fun and considerable. click the photos to enlarge them ... this piece was for another special client who was, to say the least, a collector. he pointed me to set of random shelves with items arranged lineally and told us to, as i recall' 'make them make sense'. the individual shelves are lit, the objects are all in original finishes, and while almost all were antiques, there were some most arresting, contemporary, maria martinez pieces in the mix. the duck decoys are all 'top shelf' and represent just a tiny part of his 100 plus piece collection displayed throughout other areas of the house. it was also my first experience of seeing diebenkorns, milton averys, stuart davises, and georgia o'keefe paintings in a private home. and in preparation for a recovery from a hip transplant, we created this round and tapered tv stand in a corner of the bedroom. this was one of the first flat screen tvs i had ever seen and he encouraged me to stretch a little outside the box on the design. the next four images, including the greene and greene style desk and chair above, are for a husband and wife who are long time (25 years) clients, and for whom we have done many, many pieces. there's generally a discussion or two, a sketch or two, and then a negotiation or two, and than we do it .. in the end, the pieces always seem to feel just right for their spaces. table and chairs, 1987 coffee table, 1989 ... the challenge here was to not obscure the amazing carpet. i saw it this holiday season and the rug is as vibrant and arresting as ever. we took our main design cue from the 'ram's head' detail in the carpet design .. loyal readers have seen this one before, but it's from the same house as the three photos above. in this kitchen we took our cue for the stools from the verticals on the island face, using a frank lloyd wright inspired stool design and a cherry counter top with a walnut and curly maple stripe down the center. and in the next room, we built an entire greene and green inspired dining room with a custom sideboard and mirror, some wall sconces, an expanding table with 8 chairs, a hanging lantern and a corner cupboard that you can see reflected in the mirror. this work was all done in 2003, and the client liked it so much, we did another very similar version of this room in 2008, for another house he built in greenwich, ct. the detailing of the sideboard construction for that dining room was our most popular blog post ever. in 2003, we also created this double chest in quartered sycamore, along with a bed , side tables and a reclaimed chestnut tv piece. this cherry and burl dining room set was another commission that created an intimate dining room on long island. and, working with the manager at the equinox hotel in manchester a few years back, we designed and fabricated this lighted corner display case where the hotel features its events. sometimes a little used, awkward corner space can become highlight of the area. and this piece was another 'ambiance piece' for a local hotel, the dorset inn, where it lived for almost 20 years until the inn changed hands recently and it went off to the former owner's home, one of, i believe, the only pieces she retained when the inn was sold. and sometimes, folks just want to have fun .... why not have your own custom home bar. we would have liked to make the stools too, but i think that would have been a stretch after the bar project. one of the most rewarding things we get to do in our work is to work with clients to produce their visions, and then visit those spaces later, after the fact, to see how they use and enjoy them ... are we interior designers? not really, and certainly not all the time, but occasionally we get to start from nothing and create a warm and personal space for our clients with our designs, and that is a most rewarding experience. below is an intimate dining table in a park avenue apartment that the clients helped me to design and they tell me still that they use it 'every day' .. more on interior design and a brief discussion of the influential book 'a pattern language' by christopher alexander at this link "At the core... is the idea that people should design for themselves their own houses, streets and communities. This idea... comes simply from the observation that most of the wonderful places of the world were not made by architects but by the people". —Christopher Alexander, A Pattern Language, front bookflap another good one i'm reading right now is 'at home..a short history of private life' by bill bryson. my own office at work a custom home office, danby, vt entry hall, manchester, vt

This group is dedicated to recording past and present photographic images of homes designed by the late nineteenth century, pattern book architect, George F. Barber. Although Barber practiced out of Knoxville Tennessee, thousands of Barber designed homes were built throughout the USA and Canada, stemming from several different pattern books and other publications that he published between 1887 and 1908. If you know of, or come across a house that you know is a Barber design, or is similar to the ones you see here, please be sure to send me a FlickrMail message with any info (address) about the house you discovered. Thanks.

It's that time of year where the DIY projects start expanding to the great outdoors. You can see my post on How To Create The Perfect Outdoor Space {Here}. Today we are talking about curb appeal. I'm going to be honest, I rarely focus on the outside of our house. I have this handsome guy who lives with me that loves being outside and getting down in the dirt while doing projects outside. & I'm usually inside covered in paint & glue doing something messy creative. But once in a while I like to get outside with the hubs & make

I’ve decided to do some random posts of just some favorite things of mine. I’m going to start with cabins. I have a thing about cabins. I love them. I especially love log cabins. The more rustic they are, the better. I have a Pinterest board of just cabins. I love to watch movies that have them in it. I drive everyone crazy watching the movie with me with my making remarks about the cabin and things in it. It’s my hands down favorite type of home……a cabin or rustic style home. I also love farmhouses too though. They are my second choice of home styles. But....today.....I hope you'll indulge me and come along and enjoy these cabins with me……….I pulled many of these from my Pinterest board (yes, I have an entire board of Cozy Cabins). :) This one below was Jack Hanna's cabin. Love it! This is the same one in the snow....I'm in love with this one! And I could go on and on.....get the picture of my favorite style? Maybe next time I'll take you on an inside tour of my favorite cabin features! So what's your favorite cabin shown here? And what's your favorite style home.....your taste in a dream home? Thank you for stopping by! :) Have a great day! ♥ Tammy ♥

Because books are wonderful. (all pictures have been found on Tumblr. If one of these pictures are yours, please let me know so I can credit you :) )

Cape May, NJ

Take my money. All of it.

Your garage is a warehouse, a toy shop, a workshop, and maybe even your favorite place to hang out. This collection of great space saving tips will help you maximize your garage space.

...anything lovely, of good report or praiseworthy... *Disclaimer/ all images are copyrighted to their respective owners.*

This blog is for the inspiration of being a Thrifty-Steamer, Couture Steampunk Enthusiast, Dieselpunk Daydreamer and Whimsycal Gypsy Romantisism. I do not own nor did I create most of these images, if you want to find the source of an image I recommend reverse image searching. Thanks for following!