Home › Archives for September 2009

Unique wall shelving system for your house plans

I ran into this interesting new wall shelving system the other day and thought I would let you in on it. The product is called Vita and it is produced by an Italian company name MDF Italia. It is a modular system made from medium density fiberboard (mdf). The system includes wall panels, shelving units and cabinet boxes. You can seemingly produce endless configurations based on how you put the modular components together. I think it is very cool and would be a great way of dressing up one of those blank walls in your house.



For more information on this see MDFITALIA VITA. Go to "products" and then find to "Vita".

The wall system is obviously quite contemporary but I think it would look great in a number of the Simply Elegant Home Designs house plans including the "scandia modern cottage" and the "marine farmhouse".

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Three ways to wrap a chord instructional video

Fine Homebuilding has a series of instruction videos that I find interesting. Many of the videos are intended for professional carpenters. They illustrate tasks that the average layperson is not likely to run into. But they also have some videos that are good for the weekend carpenter or the handi-man. I'll post a few of these as I run into them.

The first one I will post a link to is "Three ways to wrap a chord". I like this one because it is one of the most frustrating things for a man in his garage. Check it out below.

3 Ways to Wrap Cords and Hoses

Three ways to wrap a chord
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Another New Garage Apartment Plan Unveiled!

Simply Elegant Home Designs is unveiling "The Minnetonka Garage Apartment"; the second in a new series of Garage Apartment Plans that they are developing.

The idea of an above garage apartment is not new, but it seems especially appropriate for the times we are in. Families are struggling with reduced income, or are looking for alternative housing solutions for their aging parents. An apartment garage plan can be a perfect place to house the still active mother-in-law, or it can used as an income generating rental unit.

The Minnetonka Garage Apartment as seen below incorporates a studio apartment space above a generously sized three car garage. The apartment plan accommodates a kitchen, eating area, living / media zone, bed area, storage and a full bath. The dormer placements create distinct spatial zones for the kitchen and sleeping areas. Bead-board paneling used as a wainscot and within the cabinetry brings a cottage charm to the interior. The exterior is a modern interpretation of the shingle style incorporating clapboard siding, cedar shingles and a metal roof. For more information on this plan click the following link:

Simply Elegant Home Designs will be developing additional garage apartment plans over the next several months so stay tuned.
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polaroids return


: : polaroids are coming back. I'm sure this makes many, many people happy. .the impossible project. bought up all the equipment and are hoping to release cameras and film next year! only sold through urban outfitters.
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decals


: : .dosfamily. says it's easy to make your own decals. all I want to do is make decals this weekend. especially since I just put up these little .birdie friends. in yellow in my studio. they're good company.

happy weekend!
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New Garage Apartment Plan Unveiled

Simply Elegant Home Designs is unveiling "The Marine Garage Apartment"; the first in a new series of Garage Apartment Plans that they are developing.

The idea of an above garage apartment is not new, but it seems especially appropriate for the times we are in. Families are struggling with reduced income, or are looking for alternative housing solutions for their aging parents. An apartment garage plan can be a perfect place to house the still active mother-in-law, or it can used as an income generating rental unit.

The Marine Garage Apartment as seen below incorporates a studio apartment space above a generously sized two car garage. The apartment plan accommodates a kitchen, dining area, living / media zone, bed area, storage and a full bath.
Simply Elegant Home Designs will be developing additional garage apartment plans over the next several months so stay tuned.
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ace hotel palm springs










: : .the ace hotel palm springs. I don't think I have to say more, these photos say it all. i NEED to go stay here. I've known of the ace hotel in Portland and Seattle, but never Palm Springs. I first saw it on the awesome .flashdance. blog which directed me to .sarah yates. amazing photography blog. aren't these amazing photos? and if it's true what she says;
"did I mention they make alcohol infused sno cones and have a ridiculously fun bartender (Christian) who cruises around the pool making deliveries on a longboard?!?!"
then I really, really NEED to go to this place.
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flash dance





: : this is some of the most beautiful wedding photography I've ever seen. I am currently obsessed with .flashdance. they are an ubercool group of friends "consisting of 2 couples, (Jess & Whit, Michael & Elizabeth) one little man, one little girl, three dogs and a lot of love!" who will photograph and dj at your wedding, are all around creative in general and participate in a lot of other fun events . pick up some music and photo inspiration on their blog. I heart .flashdance.
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little doe


: : beautiful soft photos and headpieces by .little doe.
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a drop of water


: : this little guy is brilliant. it fills up your watering can and stores rainwater for later.
by .bas van der veer design.
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Bark Siding

I just ran across this new product that is really very old - Bark Siding. It is made from bark that is harvested off of trees that are felled for other purposes. The bark is then flattened and kiln-dried and that's it. No preservative treatments or special coatings. You install the siding and leave it alone. See photos below.


The look is definitely on the rustic side, so it's probably not a great candidate for your urban infill projects. But it does look at home in a wooded setting, which might make it a good choice for your cabin plans.

The product is touted as being long lasting and sustainable, although I am always wary of manufacturer claims. You can check this out at the manufacturers website Bark House Siding

Anybody have any experience with bark siding? Please throw your two cents in.



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so very swedish





: : love these images by .sasa antic. for .kungliga tekniska högskolan.
so very. swedish.!
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royal copenhagen element




: : .royal copenhagen. has released some new colors of their element series. oh, how I would love a few plates of the orange and turquoise. As a matter of fact, I would take any color, I just want a few plates. they are so beautiful!

via .kurbits.
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lotta in the Stockholm subway


: : .Lotta Kühlhorn., is one of my favorite Swedish designers. I like that she draws inspiration from root vegetables and that there are always lots of colors. Her patterns are currently being exhibited in the subway in Stockholm. According to their homepage Stockholm’s Metro is said to be the longest art exhibition in the world - 110 km long.

photos and information from .tiffany. at .from sthlm.

oh, the Boston T......if only....
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Saturday in Union Sq.

: : after a nice hike in the Fells this past weekend, we stopped by to check out the .Grand design store. in Union Sq, .somerville. It opened about a year and a half ago, in a neighborhood where you wouldn't expect to find a hip design store. But the word is spreading quickly and more and more people are finding their way to Grand. Go check it out if you have time, they have a great collection of design pieces. Or shop their products online .here. Make a day out of it and stop at .Bloc 11. for lunch.
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House Plans_ Good Design Illustrated 1

Last week we announced we are now selling house plans designed by Ron Brenner Architects in Stillwater, Minnesota. We think that these designs are special in the way they cleverly pack function and convenience within a fairly modest floor plan. In order to convey that idea I am today beginning a series of postings on planning features. The idea is to illustrate good design principals by highlighting features on the plans. So this will be the first in the series.

The floor plan shown below is the Prescott Cottage, designed by Ron Brenner Architects. My comments are shown right on the plan. You can get a little better look by going to the Simply Elegant Monthly Newsletter.
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