Well, no one said this blog doesnt get into detailed technical issues from time to time.  And heres one: how your residential community water provider maintains your potable drinking water supply.  If you have a well, you can probably ignore; but then again, maybe not.

This online article has much to do with piping materials used underground, so that could probably apply to anyone that has underground clean water serving their home and that probably means 99.99% of people, even those in highrises.

Okay, so whats this all about?  In a nearby location, we recently notice the street being dug up and about 5 guys working.  We came to discover that this all started when someone noticed water bubbling up right through the street!  How odd.  Proof positive that asphaltic concrete is porous.  After contacting the local office of the potable water utility company, several trucks were dispatched to see what was happening underground.

1.   A co

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Although its architecture is 19th-century Greek Revival, designer Darren Henault’s country home in Millbrook, NY, displays a rusticity that is mindful of the area’s locality and charm. Part of a 47-acre Christmas tree farm dubbed ‘Turkey Hill Farm,’ it encompasses a 200-year-old house that was tastefully renovated for modern convenience and expanded to include a new bathroom that brims with bucolic appeal and simple elegance. Converted from a shed located behind the main house, the bathroom was appended to complete a new bedroom suite. “To turn the former library into a bedroom, we needed to add an accessible bathroom,” said Henault. “The only way to do it was to break through a solid brick wall and turn the shed on the other side of the wall into a bathroom.” To maintain an intimate feel, the resulting structure uses the existing high ceilings and one side of the original brick wall. The 10 ft. by Read more…

The Fashion Icon Oscar goes to Jane Fonda in stunning canary yellow Versace giving all the starlets a run for their money.

The Next Level Oscar goes to…Best Original Screenplay Winner Quentin Tarantino.

The Fantasy Girl Oscar goes to the ever lovely Jennifer Lawrence in Dior Haute Couture (also won Best Actress).

The You Give Us Goosebumps Oscar goes to Adele (Skyfall).

The Dandy Oscar goes to Samuel L Jackson.

A garden is more than a collection of plants. A deck is more than a stack of wood. Instead these outdoor areas—along with paver patios and fire pits, hammocks and pergolas—are extensions of the home. They offer the needed space and style to enjoy every day.

Too often, however, the setting sun leaves these areas ignored. Families hurry inside to avoid the dark and yards (no matter how inviting or perfectly kept) are abandoned. Outdoor living seems impossible when the night arrives.

There is a simple solution to this problem, though, and it involves fixtures from Outdoor Lighting Perspectives.

Landscapes: The Importance of Illumination

A dark landscape is an overlooked landscape. Lighting options, therefore, are essential. The

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Project included renovation and reorganization of three-storey foyer of the cinema which was a typical commercial multiplex before. Key ideas of the designing process were based on openness and exibility. The main goal was to create the place where the intuition and preferences of the user determine the space. That is why all the equipment was designed as diverse, mobile and easy to rearrange objects.

Because of the independent nature and limited budget of the whole project both the design process as well as the renovation works were shortened in time to a minimum. The design of the interior and equipment was developed in 4 weeks and the renovation took just 6 days.

Therefore, the architects who were responsible for managing the entire process chose available but not obvious material solutions.

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Last week the online design world was abuzz over photos of Lee Radziwill’s Paris apartment that were recently featured in T Magazine. As the younger sister of Jackie Kennedy, a royal princess, prominent socialite, style icon and friend to luminaries like Truman Capote and Andy Warhol, Radziwill, 79, is a truly fascinating figure. Her inspiring Parisian apartment where she lives part-time is ultra-feminine with elegant French furnishings, pops of pink, chinoiserie florals and gilded bronze accents. Check out the mood board we put together below for ideas on how to get this look!

1. The Snowdrop Sofa in Raspberry Brushed Linen | 2. Leaf Botanical Wall Art, Set of 9 | 3. Chloe Coffee Table | 4. Scallop

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Some people are just naturals when it comes to handiwork and fixing things around the house. Others…not so much. This week and next, we’ve got a little something for everybody, whether you’re Handy Andy or his not-so-handy helper. And for those of you who are a little less handy, many of these ideas and projects are great starter tasks for those who want get a bit more comfortable around the toolbox. Let’s get to it with our Top 10 List of DIY Home Improvement Tips and Tricks.

Number 10: Think Vertically.
So often, our home improvement projects are really home organization projects. More specifically, they’re about fitting as much as possible in small spaces without a big mess. The answer, quite often, is to Think Vertically.
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