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Sunday, May 24, 2015

The Most Overlooked Places to Clean in Your Home


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Your bed is always made, toilet bowl polished, and coffee table styled just so, but is your house really
clean? Filth can quietly build up in unexpected places, from the decor
to the appliances. Read on to discover the most overlooked spots to
clean — and to learn how you can get them back in tip-top shape.


  • Coffeemaker
  • If your morning java is starting to taste funky, it's probably because your coffeemaker is in need of a cleaning. Hard-water deposits and brewing residue can take over your machine if you don't wash it every month or so by running a 50-50 mix of white vinegar and water through the brew cycle. Turn off the machine halfway through brewing, and let it sit for an hour before turning it back on to complete the cycle. Then run fresh water through it a few times until the vinegar smell is gone. The carafe and filter can be cleaned in the dishwasher.
  • Throw Pillows
  • You know it's important to clean your bedroom pillows, but what about those stylish throw pillows on your sofa? Whether you're using them to prop up your feet after a long day or rest your head during a Netflix binge, they're collecting the same (if not more) dead skin, dust mites, and filth. Be sure to run the vacuum's upholstery attachment over pillows when cleaning the living room, and remove pillow covers for periodic laundering according to the care instructions.
  • Kitchen Trash Can
  • Is that foul odor lingering even after you take the trash out? It could be leftover food debris and bacteria that have made their way into the trash can. Get it clean by hosing out any gunk before spraying with a disinfectant and an odor-eliminating product and giving it a thorough scrub down.
  • Curtains and Upholstery
  • They might look clean to the naked eye, but curtains and upholstery trap everything from pollen and dust mites to bacteria and mold. Take the vacuum to them regularly, and for especially dirty fabrics, check the label to see if washing or professional cleaning is an option.
  • Dishwasher
  • This one might seem counterintuitive, but even dish-cleaning machines require cleaning. Dishwashers get clogged with food debris, soap scum, hard-water deposits, and even mold. Start by cleaning out the filter of the dishwasher — yes, your dishwasher has a filter, and if this is the first time you're learning of it, odds are yours is clogged with old food particles — and then run a heavy-duty cleaning agent through the wash cycle. We're partial to baking soda bombs.
  • Bathroom Decor
  • From the cup you hold your toothbrush in to the glass jars atop the toilet, you would be surprised how bacteria spreads around the bathroom. Give all your bathroom accessories a good antiseptic rubdown when you're cleaning the bathroom.
  • Washing Machine
  • If you've ever noticed that your clothes smell less than fresh after being washed, then it's probably time to clean your washing machine. With all the water and damp clothes that go through them, these machines are especially susceptible to mold and mildew. You can clean your washing machine by running a mix of white vinegar and baking soda through the hottest cycle available.
  • Knobs, Handles, and Switches
  • Based on the number of dirty hands grabbing at them, knobs, handles, and light switches seem like an obvious place to disinfect, but they're frequently overlooked. Don't forget to address these bacteria hot spots when wiping down places like the kitchen and bathroom.

Source: POPSUGAR Photography

 | POPSUGAR Home

Wednesday, May 20, 2015

Best Weekend Bags Baggu Everlane Kith & Kin Kantha

The Pike Bag

• $99.95


Time to get away for a spring weekend and your weekend bag is
your mobile home. It's got to be light, roomy (but not too big), easy to
carry on your shoulder and express your style. Whether you are heading
out of town for the holidays this weekend or prepping for a busy summer,
these weekenders will get you around, looking good. And if you're
thinking about the weekend, you should check out this awesome song by The Weeknd.


Above is the Pike from a super cool company called Krochet Kids,
a unique crocheting design venture based in Uganda. It comes in five
colorways/patterns, is cotton canvas lined and has vegan leather straps.
More choices below!


Take the survey!

Which do you like best?



















From Baggu, here's a classic cotton
weekender, made out of 100% recycled cotton, the WB has an exterior
pocket, two sets of handles and comes in the colorways. I like stripes.

Svelte for yoga kit and more, this Kantha covered duffle is designed by Will out of Eugene, OR. Each duffle is totally different: "Raw Found Silk Quilting, Bridle Leather Trim, WILL Leather Logo Patch."

From San Francisco's Everlane, this
weekender has a crisp 100% water-resistant cotton twill exterior,
leather straps, gunmetal feet and comes in three colorways.

A bit smaller for a short weekend with many small things! From Johnson Benjamin Goods in
Mississippi, this heavy duty field bag is made of 15oz Plied Yarn
Canvas, 12oz canvas lining, Solid Brass Hardware, Reenforced Seams, and
Thick Cotton Webbing.

I love this design from Lo & Sons.
Super simple, made of sturdy 20-oz pre-washed cotton canvas that's
machine washable, it has an open top design that's easy to get into and a
lower zipper pocket that allows separate storage for shoes, toiletries
or dirty clothes.

From AwlSnap in Virginia, the
Hotshot has a really nice rolldown upper design that makes it quick and
easy to pack with a lot or a little. Made from super durable materials:
"Premium aniline leather bottom in BLACK, Waxed cotton canvas upper in
OLIVE GREEN, Bridle leather carry straps in COGNAC BROWN, Matte black
metal buckle closures, Hammered copper rivets for extra durability,
Fully lined in a black and white pinstripe cotton."

Just one more from Johnson Benjamin in
Mississippi, this lightweight and affordable tote is big enough for a
weekend with no bells or whistles. Made with a water resistant #10
cotton duck exterior: "Features cotton webbing handles just long enough
to go over a shoulder if needed, and an interior hang pocket. This tote
is unlined and features french seams and seam binding for strength. This
tote is designed to endure the heaviest of loads while remaining
elegant."
(Image credits: Kith and Kin; Baggu; WILL; Everlane; Johnson Benjamin; L&S; AwlSnap; Johnson Benjamin)


 | Apartment Therapy

Monday, May 18, 2015

Modern Home Design Reflecting the Owners' Personalities: Golf House in Australia

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Developed by Studio 15b for a retired couple, the Golf House
in Brisbane, Australia is a modern residence overlooking a beautiful
golf course. The project was planned on a single level, with no internal
stairs. This idea was driven from the clients’ request of having a
user-friendly home they could feel comfortable in for a long period of
time: “The final result is one of light filled luxury, with a relaxed
natural feel of stone, timber and glass that takes advantage of a
beautiful treed outlook. It has been purposed designed to take this
retired couple long into their life with plenty of space to entertain
along the way while making the most of the golf course lifestyle”,
explained the architects.

The
golf course is the protagonist around which the house layout was
creatively imagined: “Visitors are welcomed with a view from the entry
directly down the centre of the exterior swimming pool and the treed
outlook beyond. The entry space divides the home between the private
spaces such as bedrooms and bathrooms from the public zones of open
planned living, dining and kitchen. The polished timber floor of the
entry also delineates the public and private spaces and continues,
following the view, externally to the pool decking.” We love how this
home design derived from the owner’s love for golf brings the whole
family together in a relaxed, healthy environment! [Photos by: Christopher Frederick Jones]

Saturday, May 16, 2015

Observation Towers Worth Climbing

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From Canal Street in New Orleans to a nature preserve in Latvia,
these diverse observation towers look out over everything from bird
sanctuaries to Formula One race tracks. With designs that stand out for
both their brilliance and quirks, these 12 viewing decks in the sky
provide unparalleled views of both urban and rural settings.


Phoenix Observation Tower by BIG Architects
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Arizona’s capital city will soon get a 70,000-square-foot addition to
its skyline, a spiraling walkway stretching toward the clouds. Three
glass elevators lead to the helical apex, with retail, exhibition and
recreation spaces at the base. BIG Architects
envision it as a pin on the map, which “becomes a point of reference
and a mechanism to set the landscape in motion through the movement of
the spectator.”


Floating Observation Deck for Grand Central Terminal by SOM
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A floating ring slides up and down two supporting towers right over New York City’s Grand Central Terminal in this design by SOM.
The moving deck preserves the original 100-year-old station while
rethinking the available space around the building, turning it into a
landmark with 360-degree views of the city.


Leaning Tower of Belgium by Ateliereen Architecten
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There’s only one angle from which Ateliereen Architecten’s observation tower
in Belgium looks like it’s standing up straight. Everywhere else, the
30-meter steel and timber tower draped with ribbons of rope appears to
be leaning. The ropes reference the nearby sand dunes in the nature
preserve in which the tower is set.

Observation Tower in Jurmala by Arhis Architects
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Observation decks jut out from this lookout tower in Jurmala, Latvia
like balconies from a skyscraper, providing a variety of vantage points
from which to enjoy Dzintaru Park. Consisting of an open-air cage, the
structure reaches to 124.6 feet at its pinnacle.


page 2
Article by Steph, filed under Cities & Urbanism in the Architecture category.

i360 Observation Tower for Brighton by Marks Barfield Architects

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While most lookout towers are positioned in parks, nature preserves and
other natural areas, this one is in a distinctly urban location – the
city of Brighton. Looking out onto both the cityscape and the sea, the
531-foot-tall i360 Tower
will be Britain’s highest observation tower outside of London. The
glass pod that slides up the pole base can accommodate up to 200 people
at a time and takes around 10 minutes to reach the peak.

Rainforest Guardian Skyscraper for the Amazon
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Could this lotus-shaped tower (or, as proposed by a team of Chinese
designers, dozens of them) protect vulnerable rainforests from fire? The
Rainforest Guardian
also functions as a lookout tower, weather station, scientific research
center and educational laboratory. The tower features ‘aerial root’
piping systems that absorb, store and deliver water when a fire is
detected. The design of the base intends to have the smallest possible
impact on the land.


Nature-Inspired ‘Fibrous Tower’ by SOMA
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Dozens of individual tubes make up the basic structure of the Fibrous Tower by Soma,
overlooking the Taichung City Museum in Taiwan. The design is based on
the genetic algorithms of natural growth processes and functions much
like the fibers in a tree trunk or individual stands of muscle that come
together into a strong whole. It’s powered by rooftop solar panels and
features ‘ducts’ for looking out onto the landscape.


Double-Helix Gondola Tower for New Orleans by Perez
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Proposed for Canal Street in New Orleans, the Tricentennial Tower
features a double-helix design with individual glass gondolas spiraling
up to the top 320 feet in the air. The movement of the gondolas as well
as the final view in the glass pod provide 360 degree views of the
city. Inspired by the Seattle Needle, the project is envisioned as a
popular tourist attraction, with the goal of being complete by New
Orleans’ 300th birthday celebration in 2018.
page 3
Article by Steph, filed under Cities & Urbanism in the Architecture category.

Bird Observation Tower in Germany by GMP Architects



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An angular observation tower made of Siberian larch evokes the shape
of a bird with just a few triangles suggestive of beaks and feathers.
Located at a seaside resort on the Graswarder peninsula in Germany, the Bird Observation Tower by GMP
is a favorite place for both ornithologists and casual travelers to
watch all of the avian activity on the preserve without disturbing the
birds.


Recycled Steel Orbit Tower in London by Anish Kapoor
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Sculptor and architect Anish Kapoor added quite an unusual shape to London’s skyline for the 2012 Olympic Games. The twisting ArcelorMittal Orbit tower
is made of 60% recycled steel and reaches a height of 114.5 meters (376
feet). Britain’s largest piece of public art, the tower was inspired by
both the Tower of Babel (with Kapoor stating that he wanted to a
structure with “something mythic about it”) and the movements of an
electron cloud.

Circuit of the Americas Tower by Miró Rivera Architects
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The city of Austin got a 251-foot-tall tower overlooking
not a nature preserve or even the city itself but rather the 3.4 mile
track at Circuit of the Americas, the nation’s first purpose-built
Formula 1 Grand Prix facility. Red tubes cascade down the side of the
tower to form the roof of the Amphitheater stage, and frame the Main
Grandstand. The lookout at the top features a glass floor and glass
railings, and can hold up to 75 people at a time.

Za’abeel Park Observation Tower by XTEN Architecture
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Designed for the ThyssenKrupp elevator competition in Dubai, this tower by XTEN Architecture
juts into the sky from a cultural park just off one of the city’s
busiest streets. The site plan is based on a traditional Islamic
geometric pattern, while the tower itself is comprised of six 30-meter
diameter tubes that act as a ‘circulation system’ containing elevators
and stairways. The tubes expand into three petal-like shapes which
function as open-air observation decks cantilevering 70 meters in each
direction at the top. | Urbanist
 
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