Call it one part Adirondack lodge, one part Boy Scout den. The bedroom Heather and Dave Thibodeau put together for their 3-year-old son, Hudson, demonstrates yet again how DIY can really deliver. "He's got a lot of spunk, and now his room reflects that," says Heather.This Old House
BHG.com
The Big Idea: Take inspiration from the surrounding landscape to infuse your tree with festive spirit and local flavor. The setting for this tree is Sullivan's Island, South Carolina, and that shows proudly with a profusion of palm fronds, oyster shell accents, and a palette of gold, burnt orange, and chartreuse that matches the interior. Tweak the look to suit your own home.Southern Living
Simplicity is key in this living space. Designers David Bromstad and Danielle Hirsch covered up old brick with a distressed wood facade, while staining the remaining brick to match the warm colors of the room. Built-in firewood racks add convenient storage space and style, with tea light candles on the mantel for a finishing touch to this remodeled fireplace.
Whether you own a tiny home lacking closet storage, or you are trying to organize the space you have—the first step is to get building. Here are 37 projects that are sure to help you manage your messes or conceal items out of use. From putting together your own built-in window seat to making an outdoor bench that hides tools, TOH brings you detailed step-by-step instructions, shopping lists, and tool lists to do it all yourself.
Are you having problems coming up with design ideas for your fireplace? If you are looking to allure
nature indoors, installing a stone fireplace could be a step in the right direction. For today we gathered 30
ideas that can help you bring warmth into your crib, the elegant way.
Cozy white built-ins lighten the look of this focal point slate fireplace. A wood mantel nods to wood tones elsewhere in the room, but its simple design keeps the focus on the stunning slate. The sofa faces the French doors to maximize the views beyond, but it's also still a comfy spot to take in the fireplace and view TV.
Mirrors above the mantel make any space feel larger. The black wall contrasts with this white marble and brick fireplace for a vintage modern style. Design and photography by Anna Dorfman of Door SixteenHGTV
The combination of mid-century modern mixed with traditional design creates a unique, eye-catching aesthetic. Stronger blues, like blue-violet iris, mixed with vintage brown tones add drama to gathering spaces. Designed by Ana Donohue
Fireplaces reign supreme in rustic – albeit often luxurious – lodging and hotels, and that's certainly obvious at these spots across the USA.USA Today
3. Host a fireplace s’mores bar. “Create a spread of ingredients in your living room,” says Colorado chef Kelly Liken. “You can use all different kinds of chocolates and cookies to spice things up. It’s a great way to gather around the fire with friends and family after a great meal.”
Comfortable and formal collide in this vibrant living room. A traditional mantel juxtaposes the whimsical decor.
Use architectural details, like the cedar ceiling beams in this room, to help visually divide and define the rooms in the open space of a great room.
With natural gas and propane prices continuing to rise, you'll likely be looking to the old fireplace this winter to help cut your home-heating bills. But before you spark up the logs, take heed that fireplaces and chimneys are involved in 42 percent of all home-heating fires. So first make sure yours is up to snuff by following these seven safety tips.This Old House
3. Cap the chimney. A cap fitted with wire-mesh sides covers the top of the chimney and keeps rain, birds, squirrels, and debris from entering. Replace or repair a cap that's missing or damaged.This Old House
"If you go into a house and there's tension in the air, you can practically taste it. Don't get edgy with family members if the food, table, or flowers aren't perfect. It's the spirit of your home that will linger with people long after they forget what you fed them. I'm not suggesting it's okay to serve a tasteless turkey in a sloppy home, but give yourself permission to have fun from the start — no matter what happens — and it will be a lot more fun for your guests." —DANNY MEYERHouse Beautiful
Try this recipe for sweet cinnamon roast peaches from Miss Dahl's Voluptuous Delights, written by Sophie Dahl. Plus, don't miss our exclusive interview with her.
Cool evenings make fires a must, even in summer. "There's a camping-out feel that's very attractive," designer Markham Roberts says of this living room in a Pacific Northwest home. At rafter height, galvanized-steel light fixtures with botanical cutouts, designed by the original architect James Cutler, cast a gentle glow on Douglas fir timbers. The custom corner table holds an antique vintner's bottle lamp from James Sansum Fine and Decorative Art — also the source for the African drum between the chairs — while a Cedric Hartman swing-arm lamp hits a classic modern note. Chaise, B&B Italia.House Beautiful
6. Control pond algae. One tablespoon per 1,000 gallons adds enough potassium to strengthen other aquatic plants that compete with algae, slowing its growth,This Old House
7. Pump up tomatoes. For the calcium-loving plants, McGrath places 1/4 cup right in the hole when planting,
Gas fireplaces come in three types: inserts, for folks who want to retrofit a wood-burning firebox with something more convenient and efficient; built-ins, for those who want a fireplace where there isn't one now; and log sets, basic burners that sit in existing, open fireplaces. Both inserts and built-in fireplaces are reliable heat producers, filling your room with a mix of warm air and radiant heat. Log sets are usually more for looks than warmth. With each type, you have a choice between models that vent the flames' fumes outside or vent-free versions that discharge all their heat, and exhaust, into the house.
The Getaway: Your basement home theater has to be big enough to accommodate a crowd, but you don't want to sacrifice anything in the way of sound or video quality. That means a high-definition digital projector, 75-inch (or larger) screen, and at least 5.1-channel surround-sound speakers. For comfort, you need ample plush seating, and for convenience, a built-in bar complete with taps for your favorite suds.
A few smart design choices will give your traditional living room a fresher feel without sacrificing the overall warmth or veering into "modern" territory. In this room, a bold couch and spicy cinnamon accent pieces are tempered with cool sage green and neutral cream tones. A collection of framed artwork above the mantel is a new take on the usual single, bold piece.
With Halloween quickly approaching it’s time to get all your scary props ready to go. A giant Grim Reaper in your doorway is just what you need to spook the neighbors, or perhaps a ghost popping up will give them a good fright. For those of you that really want to get creative, learn how to make an animatronic gravedigger. Get these tutorials and more in these 10 Terrifying DIY Props for Your Haunted House…
A soaring stone fireplace is an impressive and rustic focal point in this living room. To reduce the scale of the stone and add interest, a long mirror is placed above the mantel. Candice also uses the fireplace as a jumping off point for the room's palette, by selecting the hues of sage, stone, taupe and caramel from the fireplace stones.
Snuggling just became incredibly chic. A fireplace in the bedroom always takes "cozy" to a whole new level, but with clean lines, ample space and panoramic views, RMS user TK does it in the most sleek and modern way.HGTV
Is it getting hot in here? This year's Reader Remodel Contest brought in a bunch of amazing fireplace renovations, ranging from rustic stone hearths in kitchens to more-traditional living room fireplaces surrounded by elegant woodwork and space for entertainment gear. Here are a few outstanding examples.This Old House
There's definitely a bit of a chill in the air, and soon you'll be swapping out your bedding for flannel, closing the windows and lighting your fireplace. There's really no better way to cozy up your home for the cooler months ahead than with a great fire. And of course, it doesn't hurt if the structure is pretty swoon-worthy. That's why we've rounded up ten fierce fireplace ideas that are sure to get you in the mood for a relaxing night at home.
Most pellet stoves require electricity -- about 100 kilowatt-hours per month -- which adds about 171 pounds of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere, on average (it depends on your source of electricity, of course). That also means that if the power goes out, your pellet stove does, too, though some have battery backup to help keep them going.Read More At TreeHugger
Open the damper as wide as possible to increase the amount of air to the fire. This will improve combustion and increase the amount of heat the fire produces, but it will make the wood burn faster. The damper handle is usually just above the fireplace opening, and you slide it to the right to open it.SF Gate Home Guide
Huffington Post
- Arrange two parallel rows of two or more courses of firebrick broad sides down toward the front of the fireplace or on the fireplace "apron". Shovel or hoe a layer of embers between the two rows, then rest a frying pan, griddle, Dutch oven, or even a soaked cedar plank on the bricks. Yes, the wood smoke will curl over the edge of the pan, infusing the food with smoke flavor.
The paneled enclosure for the living-room fireplace and chimney incorporates a pantry on one side and stereo cabinets on the other.This Old House
Q: When the fireplace is lit, my upstairs rooms get smoky. I've been told that my fireplace needs to be relined. Is that right?
You will need a spit: a revolving horizontal wrought iron rod with a pair of sliding meat keepers that is rigged to be raised and lowered over the fire or fixed in place so you must continually replenish a coal bed beneath it. The motorized spits sold for charcoal grills are ready-made for the use, though you can have one made of wrought iron to the old patterns by a blacksmith.
With natural gas and propane prices continuing to rise, you'll likely be looking to the old fireplace this winter to help cut your home-heating bills. But before you spark up the logs, take heed that fireplaces and chimneys are involved in 42 percent of all home-heating fires. So first make sure yours is up to snuff by following these seven safety tips.This Old House
• Don't forget the vegetables. Chef Russell Moore describes an improvised dish of eggplants roasted directly on the embers, then mashed with olive oil, mint, garlic and lemon juice. With the added smoky flavor of the fire, this sounds so simple yet divine.
Earlier, a friend had come over to share this momentous occasion with us, and as the three of us waited for the fire to die down a little, somehow our discussion turned to couples she knew who'd "fallen out of love." As I listened to her tales of heartache — and a searing story of midnight calls from a desperate married man — I kept an eye on the fireplace. Soon I saw that the wood had burned down to what I thought was the right size. Stories of infidelity had to take a back seat to dinner.Read More At NPR
Read More At Wikihow
- Start a nice hot wood fire in your fireplace. It will give off more heat if you use hard wood and let it burn a while before cooking to develop a nice core of hot glowing embers at the base of the fire.
All wood pellet stoves require the same kind of fuel - the wood pellet. These pellets are the byproduct of sawmills and are made from recycled sawdust and wood shavings. The wood pellets look a lot like rabbit food and are considered eco-friendly because they're cheap and easy to manufacture. Plus, they have a very low pollution rate. You can also buy pellets made of grass and corn, but they're not intended for use in stoves specifically designated for wood pellets.Read More At HowStuffWorks
Installation also involves dropping a steel tube lining down an existing chimney, fireproofing the hearth area and making good any plaster work. Typical costs range from between £750 to £2,000, depending on the exact work required.
Make your memories last by creating a scrapbook. With a few key materials from a craft store (a scrapbook or blank album, glue, and accessories like decorative-edge scissors, colorful paper, and glitter), you can share your family's story and personality in a fun and easy way. Collaborate on the first two pages and then let each person decorate his own page with movie tickets, artwork, or other mementos. Add stickers, write captions, and let your inspiration rule. Don't forget to dig out old family photos as well as newer ones, and include snaps of you and your husband as teens—the kids will get a kick out of Mom's and Dad's funny clothes and hair.Read More At Family Circle
Read More At Lifehacker
- Once you've got a small fire going, you can start adding your bigger logs. You can usually just lay these across the grate lengthwise, then stack one or two on top diagonally. Remember: you want to leave enough room for oxygen to flow so everything catches fire easily.
A year ago I wrote an article extolling the environmental and financial benefits of these stoves, so it seemed foolish not to follow my own advice - especially as we have a house tailor-made for one.
The look, smell and feel of a wood burning fireplace can soothe the soul while generating a deep, penetrating and relaxing warmth within a home. And with other great benefits, wood fireplaces make a great addition to any room.
