Pergolas - The Ultimate Garden Structure

What is a home garden without an outdoor structure that is a multifunctional and multi-seasonal addition that not only offers you protection from different types of weather but that also defines your space in style? Extravagant features like pergolas are what designers, architects, and homeowners are raving about nowadays. 

Pergolas vs Other Outdoor Structures 

Outdoor structures are the easiest and inexpensive way to transform your dull home garden into a luxurious living space. However, the structure that you end up choosing depends on the vision that you have for your space. You can choose these several different types of outdoor structures for your garden.

Pergolas

A traditional Pergola design can trace its roots back to the Italian Renaissance. Pergolas are typically large outdoor structures that are attached to the house to serve as protection, link pavilions, or extend from the back door onto an open garden feature such as a pool. This versatile outdoor structure can also be freestanding to provide a sitting area like a patio to offer much-needed protection from the sun. They are commonly mistaken for Arbors and Gazebos. 

Arbors

This is a structure very similar to pergolas, but the difference is that they are relatively smaller and simpler in their design. Unlike pergolas, arbors are never attached to the house, they are always freestanding or attached to a fence to house a gate. They are generally used to define an entry point, divide outdoor rooms, or frame a focal point in your garden. 

Patio Covers

These are structures that are attached to the house and can either be built with a trellis or lattice or they may have a solid roof. They are a lovely way to add more space to your outdoor entertainment area while preventing the heat from messing up with your relaxation in summer. 

Gazebos

Sometimes there is confusion between Gazebos, Pergolas, and Arbors. Gazebos are freestanding, typically octagonal structures that have a solid roof and open sides. They provide ample shade and allow you to enjoy uninterrupted views making them the perfect outdoor structures to entertain. They can also be used to host intimate dinners.

Pavilions

Bigger than both Gazebos and Pergolas, pavilions are designed with entertaining larger large crowds in mind. The roof is solid and covered to make sure that even the heaviest rain cannot interfere with your hosting plans.

You don’t need to spend a lot of money in the city in a picturesque place to have your lunch, you can turn your home garden into an exquisite oasis with outdoor structures like pergolas. They are the most common additions to outdoor spaces because of their flexibility with design and size.

Pergolas will accentuate the quality of your home garden with their aesthetically attractive design without being obtrusive in your garden. They are made from simple materials such as treated wood. It is easy to build your own from scratch if you are the type who wants to erect your structure and possess intermediary building skills. There are loads of DIY hacks for pergolas online that include ways to waterproof your wood.

How To Maintain and Care for Pergolas

Like many outdoor structures, pergolas need to be maintained and cared for to increase their lifespan. Since they can be made from different types of wood, it’s important to know how to take care of them.

• Using a high-pressure hose helps to give it a thorough cleaning and eliminates any dirt that may cling to the surface and harder to reach areas.

• Wash and rinse any visible stains on the wood with a recommended cleaning solution. It’s important to know the characteristics of the wood to avoid any unintentional damage.

• Pergolas need a bit of touching up and repair work after some time. A home kit and paint will do the trick. Some wood like cedar changes color over time. If you want to preserve its color it needs a sealant to be sprayed on it. Clean it well and spray it with some oil, leave it to dry and then apply a sealant to it.

• If you’re the kind that enjoys growing creepers on pergolas because you love the touch of greenery for ambiance, you need to remember to trim your vines. It will lessen the amount of weight on the pergola. 
  
  
  

It's a Pergola Lifestyle 

Pergolas are the right kind of outdoor style accessories with a practical purpose. They not only offer the right amount of shade, contrast, color, and privacy to your home garden, they are also easy to maintain, add value to your property, and can be added anywhere you see fit. So, if you want to enhance the quality of your outdoor living experience by giving it more visual appeal pergolas are the perfect solution to your design needs.  

The Interesting World of Skirting Boards In The UK

Skirting boards are typically overlooked when planning interior, renovating, or even when buying a home. The truth of the matter is, that they actually provide not only protection to walls but that they also add an additional design flair to any room. 

These wooden or vinyl features are actually much more interesting than you might think. In this article, we will look at the interesting world of skirting boards in the United Kingdom. 

What is a Skirting Board? 

Also known as a mopboard, baseboard, skirting, base molding, or floor molding, the skirting board is a vinyl or wooden feature that covers the part of the wall closest to the floor. It can be cut into different lengths to fit the room’s layout and are typically screwed, nailed, or glued to the wall. 

First designed in the Victorian era as the elite’s decorative pieces for their homes. Because the area where the floor and the wall met would usually have bad painting jobs and uneven brick textures, the area would be covered with moldings to create a more luxurious and appealing look. Watch this video to discover more about the history of these underrated pieces: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=75sQvwZ_PIA&feature=emb_logo. 

They are not only made from different materials, but they can also be found in many different designs and molds. Depending on the design you are going for, baseboards can measure up to a height of 1.5 meters high. These higher skirting boards are named wainscots and covers between 1-1.5 meters of the lower part of the wall. 

Characteristically, baseboards cover only up to ankle height (less than 20 centimeters) of the wall.  

Skirting Material 

Materials used for baseboards vary between price, durability, texture, and color. Here is a list of the most typically used materials when manufacturing them: 

• PVC: The most commonly used plastic when manufacturing baseboards is PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride). It is used because it is hard, flexible, and durable.  These designs are typically found in white or other shades of white. Owners do have the option to paint and repaint vinyl models too. They are a popular choice because they can fit any kind of wall, no matter the uneven texture, compared to wood which isn’t as flexible.
  
  Because they are glued to the wall with strong adhesive, they can be difficult to replace and remove. Regardless, Vinyl is durable and can last for a very long time without any maintenance. Furthermore, they are much more affordable than expensive timber types.
  
  

• Wood: Traditionally, wood was used to create different molds in Victorian homes. Today, it’s still a material of choice for many builders and home owners. The type of wood used to create these baseboards are usually softwoods like Pine, Spruce, Cedar, Cypress, and Yew. Hardwoods like Birch, African Blackwood, Maple, Oak, Teak, and Walnut can be bought raw to be stained or lacquered.
  
  Boards made from wood are either sold as one single piece or are finger jointed to create a longer unit. Recently, more home owners have
  
  

• Engineered Wood: Different woods that are engineered and combined like plywood, wood-plastic composite, glue laminated, hardboard, MDF (Medium-density fiberboard), cross-laminated, and OSB are also popular material choices.
  
  

Function

Its main function is to provide protection to the area of the floor where the wall and the floor meets. This area can easily get damaged because of walking, furniture being pushed against it, abrasion, and accidental kicks against it. When left unprotected, the area can easily look unpleasant. Floorboards, carpet, or tiles can lift up and will need to be replaced much more often if there isn’t any skirting protecting that area. 

Furthermore, it can also be used for decorative purposes. Either casing the door or windows, crowning the area between the ceiling and the wall, as well as placed running through the middle of the wall as a chair rail. Check out this illustration for an example of its different decorative molding purposes. 

Different Treatments

To treat the skirting boards in order for them to fit a specific design aesthetic, manufacturers use different treatments. The treatment of the skirting will have an effect on the overall price. Different treatments can include: 

• Oil

• Paint striped

• Thermal 

• Varnish

• Waxing

• Adhesive

• Heat bending

• Wood stain

• Wood preservation, finishing, and drying

• Steam bending

• French polish

Design 

The United Kingdom is known for different design and architectural eras. Derived from these different eras, skirting is usually named according to the era in which it was designed. Periods like the Edwardian and Victorian eras are popularly used in modern designs today. 

There are loads of different wooden and plastic designs available for home owners, interior designers, and builders to choose from. Here is a list of the most popular designs available:

• Chamfered: This design features a subtle rounded middle that is sleek and polished. It remains a go-to design because of its simplicity and clean shape. They are popularly used in the UK.
  
  

• Bullnose: Another very popular design is the bullnose. It features a thick top and a gradual decline to the floor. It’s popular in many modern homes because of its simplicity and adaptability to any design aesthetic.
  
  

• Torus: The Torus is an ornate skirting board that features a half circle design at its top and an angular downward cut to the floor. This design looks great in MDF material, like the ones found at Metres Direct skirting boards.
  
  

• Ogee: Perfect for all classically styled dining rooms, living rooms, and bedrooms, the ogee is an extremely ornate design that can be made from hardwoods, softwoods, and engineered woods. 

Additionally, designers and builders can choose different architrave designs to add an extra touch of design to door and window frames. Just like skirting boards, architraves are made from all kinds of materials and can be customized to fit the shape and size of any room. 

When you are planning to renovate an old room or design a new room’s interior, be sure to add skirting boards to the plan. 

Top 5 Ways To Make Your Upholstery Last

You've invested a lot of money in your upholstery. You spent time doing your homework on Joybird reviews furniture to choose just the right sofas and chairs. Now it's time to take good care of them.

image credit

1. Vacuum Regularly

You should vacuum dirt and pet hair away from your upholstery about once per week. Use a vacuum attachment with a brush that is made for furniture. This will keep dust, soil and hair from getting stuck in the weave of the fabric.

2. Revive and Flip Cushions

If possible, shuffle the cushions on your couch once in a while to make sure that they are each used consistently. Flip other cushions and pillows regularly to ensure that they wear equally on both sides. These items will eventually become flat or stretched from use. Hit cushions gently with your hands to get them back in shape and keep the furniture you found through Joybird reviews comfy.

image credit

3. Use Stain Protectors

Purchase a fabric protector spray as soon as you get new upholstery. Make sure that you follow the instructions and perform a color test on an unseen part of the fabric before spraying the entire piece. This coats the fabric and makes it repel stains. 

4. Clean Stains Immediately

Just like you did with the stain protector spray, test upholstery cleaning spray on a hidden part of the furniture or curtain. Do not allow the stain to dry before you clean it up.

5. Utilize Yearly Professional Cleaning

Even if you keep up with the regular maintenance of your upholstery, there is no substitute for a professional cleaning service. You should have this done every year or two. A qualified cleaner will have special equipment and cleaning products to take care of stains and buried dirt that you cannot get rid of on your own. They can make your upholstery look new and apply a powerful stain protector.

How to Choose the Best Slipcover for Parsons Chairs - Guest Post

A slipcover may not seem important, but it can make the difference between a professional look for your sitting room and a design that is made just for the sake of it, without too much effort. Most times, the attention to details is the one that pays off, and this is true especially for interior design. Even if you don’t work in this domain, it’s not hard to get the right slipcovers for your room. But if you need help with this, read on.

Where to Get Slipcovers for Parson Dining Chairs?
There are lots of places to get slipcovers, but as usual, the most interesting things are found in hard to reach stores and in garage sales where people don’t need their stuff anymore. You should start by going to the local shops found near you, since there are high chances to find what you need. However, the easiest thing to do is to search online for some great items. Try Amazon and Ebay, and you can even find some serious sales there.

Read Reviews
If you are buying online or if you know the brand and the material of the slipcover, then you should totally read the reviews. These are important from several points of view. On the one hand, it’s great to know what type of material you have there, how resistant it is etc. On the other hand, it is particularly useful to see how other people incorporated the respective slipcover into their own design. For example, you might think a yellow slipcover is awesome (and maybe it really is!), but does it match your red parsons chairs in the room?

Check the Size
Not all slipcovers may fit your particular type and size of chair, so you should make sure you are buying the right size for you. If needed, then you can write down the size your chairs have and then check before buying anything. It is quite easy to get tricked about the space and size, especially if the colors are somewhat odd.

Test the Possibilities
If you’re not sure how the slipcovers will look, there’s nothing wrong with testing them before. Regarding the size, you can test it with any slipcover you have around (or you can borrow one): pay attention to the corners, the size, length and so on. About the color, you can test the way in which the slipcover will be integrated within the design with any material in that color. Place the material on the chair and step back in order to see the final effect. If the blanket, shirt or dress you are using to replace the slipcover don’t really match the rest of the room, you should probably reconsider it.

How to decorate a Southwest Styled House

What does a Southwest Style House look like?
A Southwest-styled house is specially made to give an inviting and gorgeous look to guests and visitors. You can recognize a Southwest-styled house with some prominent features such as flat roofs, its covered porches, stoned pillars and walls, smaller windows, large wooden doors and lower roof when viewed from inside. It has patterned tile work creating a cool environment. Another feature which is noticeable is the use of stucco walls.

Stucco walls are made by applying thick layer which hardens when dried. These houses are usually found in single story homes. Such houses are commonly found in Southwestern areas of America (like Phoenix, Las Vegas, California, etc.). These houses have also embraced current trends in decoration along with old traditional wooden style.

History
Southwest Style house plans have a historical background after which it was known all over the world. In earlier times, Southwest style houses were also known as Pueblo Revival Style. This design was taken up from Spanish mission in New Mexico. Its popularity increased during the 1920s and 1930s. The main features of such houses at that time included the use of bricks and concrete on walls and flat roofs. This style was very famous in New Mexico, Arizona, and Colorado in earlier times.

Tips to decorate your Southwest Style house

• As you will start decorating your house, you will also color its walls. Southwestern styled houses are painted with bright and vibrant colors (including yellows and oranges). On the other hand, those colors should not be extra bright that it irritates your eye. The color chosen should be warm. Shades of yellow, orange, golden and blue are in tradition with this style. Paints denote natural colors of the sky.
• Use of wood should be easily seen. Using different kinds of wood such as pine, oak, maple, birch, etc. can indicate Southwestern style. Bold wooden furniture is also encouraged. New Mexico was famous for more use of wood.
• If you do not feel like using more wood in your house, you can go for metalwork. Furniture made from metal is also found in Southwestern styled house. You can set up wrought iron tables and chairs or railings.
• Add creativity to your walls by either making it with stones or stucco. Textured walls are more liked in such houses. You can enhance the interior by putting spiritual content on the walls.
• Every house has pillars inside it. Making it out of stonework will look more inspiring. It will then look more like a Southwestern styled house.
• Simple wooden flooring will not sound like a house of such category. Therefore, adding art will help you. You can either use stones or rough planks and brick. To add beauty, you can also place rugs all over the floor with different designs. Southwest house designs have variety, so you could also add mosaic tiles on the floor.
• Include more of Spanish decoration. Guests should find more Spanish details. Pottery of different shapes and sizes are promoted.