Pergolas for the great outdoors

Over the last few years, the backyard living concept has evolved from a deck or patio area with a pool to true outdoor living spaces complete with full kitchens, eating, sitting and living areas. With this rise in the popularity of outdoor living spaces, it's no surprise that outdoor structures such as gazebos, arbors, trellises, pergolas are also more in demand. "People aren't looking for a simple outdoor space anymore. They're thinking in terms of defining spaces with walls, ceilings and roofs, but only in an open sense to blend with the outdoors," says Ernie Sears, president and owner of Backyard America in Virginia. Sears began his business as a building contractor specializing in outdoor structures, but since 1998 has been providing design services and fabricating kits for customers all over the country. "Pergolas have really taken off over the last few years," says Sears.

Likewise, Michael Mendelsohn, owner of Mendelsohn Construction in Scottsdale, Ariz., is also seeing his business grow as a result of more outdoor structures. "Every home I'm doing, we're enlarging the back patio areas — even after the plans are done. People want more multi-use living centers with TVs and full kitchens."

Most outdoor structures are some sort of variation or combination of a deck, patio, pergola, arbor, trellis or gazebo, and sometimes they may be of a custom design or even go by different names to reflect their function or region of the country (lanai, palapa, veranda). "These structures are all about expanding use," says Sears. "People want to get more useful hours per day and more useful days per year from the outdoor living spaces."

The same basic principles of design and construction apply as to the outdoor structures as it does the main house: use materials and design similar to those of the home to blend the two structures, make sure you follow all codes — especially those regarding setbacks and electrical/gas hookups, and choose materials and build carefully so that the structure will stand up to the elements. Where wind load is a concern, like it is in Florida, the structure needs to be properly anchored to the ground.

The Sanctuary found at luxury hotels

Imagine a hotel...
where you don't need to search for an electrical outlet to charge your cell phone on arrival because they put The Sanctuary in every room, a place for you to drop your wallet, watch and key card and also charge all your electronic devices.

The Keating- San Diego's latest chic hotel has been designed with a cultivated eye for detail. In the Pininfarina tradition, the environment is characterized by pure, clean, ergonomic design, where breathtaking form meets function in every possible detail. All guest rooms & suites have extensive custom designed rooms and up to the minute amenities, including Bang & Olufsen’s Beo Vision entertainment, LavAzza espresso machine by Pininfarina, ......and of course The Sanctuary from Bluelounge.

The rooms are conceived without interior walls to create a new interpretation of space, taking away the traditional division of the warm and wet zones, bed and baths.

Arched window coverings

Arched windows are a delight -- until you try to cover them. More so when you are working on bedroom decor and blackout will be a necessity. I follow suit to the architectural details of a home, working to enhance such details adds layers to the focal point of the design. On this white dining room the drapery rod's carved crest draws the eye to gracefully arched window. Yet since the dining rooms sits on the street side of the home the draperies are fully drawn when privacy is wanted. The faux sheer curtain is an effect created to add more light and is sewn on the leading edges of the blackout drapery to lighten the look.

In this Florida room the main focal point was the two-story high arched window. A curved rod follows the shape of the arch further accenting the unique detail. For a bedroom a curved cornice can also cover the top portion of the window with a drape drawn behind.

The curved cornice follows suit to the architecture while providing full blackout for sleeping. Choose like colors for the drapes as for the walls thus allowing the light to shine throughout the room. Dark colored drapes often soak the light make it harsher on the eye to accept the contrast of light and dark.
Further, blending a variety of same tone hues creates an illusion of grandeur when space is limited which is the original intent of the arched window.