A light at the end of a dark tunnel

Status of Avant-Garde

After a month of not writing in my blogs due to unforeseen circumstances, Avant-Garde is back stronger then ever. Due to issues with our CFO, who not only stole thousands of dollars from the company and all of the money in our business account,  she through the company out for a loop.. After investigations, FBI involvement, and other actions, we finally have gotten to some agreement with her and her family where we can recuperate some of our funds and get the company going again. She is now back in Seatle and away from Avant-Garde

With stronger then average Christmas sales, we are finally back on track.. So this my first blog posting since then I have a variety of items I am sharing ith all of you.

Enjoy the pics and post...

The HemLoft: A Modern Tree House!

he origin of this modern tree house starts out in quite the unique way, well, actually, we’ll let the builder, Joel Allen, say it in his own words: “I’m just going to come out and say it. I tried to retire at the age of 26 and failed. What does this have to do with the tree house? Well, my attempt at retirement seems to be the critical link between my former career as a software developer, and my new career as a carpenter.”

 

Who would have thought that such a stunning piece of architecture would come from such an unlikely turn of events? Just goes to show you, when one door closes, another one that leads to a tree house might open.








You can find more photos and all the information on how this unlikely piece of architecture was made on Joel Allen’s website.

Lake|Flato Architects’ Leon Springs Residence

San Antonio-based Lake|Flato Architects are a great, modern firm that focuses on creating beautiful spaces, whether for public, commercial or residential use. This 3,600 square-foot LEED Platinum-certified residence is the home of a hip, modern-minded professional couple in Leon Springs, Texas, which is located near San Antonio. The clients had simple needs: a sustainable home, a home that celebrated and revered the outdoors, that was energy efficient, that was able to harvest rainwater and provided enough room to have guests.

The space is just beautiful. Warm woods of all species and color tones mix and match and play and mingle in the space, creating a color palette that is at once energizing as it is relaxing. But color and materials aren’t the only things contributing to relaxation; so is the space planning: “There are three main forms that combine to create several outdoor spaces where the clients enjoy morning coffee, outdoor meals, and relaxation.”

The site the home sits on is lovely and slightly sloped, with some stunning views competing with the views of the inside of the home. “The roofs slope with the site, creating a low profile and allowing rainwater to naturally feed the home’s 17,000-gallon collection system.”

What a lovely place! So many great angles in this space. Really would love to see more. Spotted on the Lake|Flato Architects’ Facebook page.

Luce Quadra Lighted Coffee Table

closed

opening

 

 

 

Lit

Nighttime options

  

Updating your kitchen: Keeping it on trend for 2013

 

Kitchens have taken on a whole new social life recently, changing from a designated “behind the scenes” work area to a room often more lived in than our lounges or dining rooms. Modern styles have come to reflect that, using contemporary designs and appliance integration to create a clutter-free living space that’s suitable for dining and entertaining as well as cooking. While there are a number of practical ways in which we can achieve this new trend, we’re going to focus on some of the easier design aspects, giving you the opportunity to give your kitchen a refresher without having to spend a fortune.

Changing the color scheme of the walls and floor is one of the fastest and most effective ways to update your kitchen. Modern designs tend to go for minimalist look, so pale hues with bold contrasting features are definitely the way forward. White or off-white with a border of black tiles definitely gives this effect, creating a bright yet stylised design.

Backsplashes over the counters are traditionally created with tiles, but the grouting can sometimes be difficult to keep clean. Glass backsplashes are the latest trend, reducing workload by only requiring a quick wipe-down once in a while. The extra bonus is that you can place an intricate design or tile pattern behind the glass front, keeping your creation clean and beautiful!

Updating the flooring in your kitchen can take a little more work, but makes a huge difference to the look and feel of the room. Your choices are almost endless, but make sure you go for something that matches the rest of the room. Wood or bamboo looks impressive and is bang on trend right now, but if the rest of your kitchen is already very bright or is particularly large, it can give it a washed-out look. If this is the case, large dark tiles create a heavier base to the room, and as a bonus they’re also incredibly durable.

The bigger bed the better sleep

 

Is your other half relentlessly tossing and turning over in the middle of the bed at night? This might sound familiar to every couple who shares a bed together as our darling partners’ bad sleeping habits are the number one bedroom complaint that leads to poor sleep.



Getting a larger blanket could certainly solve the problem of your partner holding the edge of the duvet and rolling away to the other side, but for everything else, considering a bigger bed might be a better solution. Below we have listed 5 interesting facts that show many reasons why you should increase the size of your bed:

1. The British Sleep Council have shown in a recent study that the size of the bed has a significant effect on the quality of your sleep. Obviously, if you have more space to sleep and rest it is less likely that you will be disturbed by your partner’s midnight shufflings.
2. A standard double bed which is 135cm wide only gives each sleeper about 67cm of sleeping space. When you think about this number the individual space given by a double mattress is way less than the total width of small single bed (small single beds are 75cm wide)
3. Americans notoriously like to super size things and this is true of their beds as well. Even our more conservative European neighbours are more clued up on this and a prevalence of kingsize beds over double beds on the continent proves they are ahead of us when it comes it bed space.
4. Contrary to the common belief, a superking bed or king size bed doesn’t cost a lot more than a double bed. Adding a few pounds is a small compromise considering the fact that you will be sleeping in a big bed for many years to come.
5. The last reason, but far from the least, is that you will spend almost one third of your life in bed sleeping and who knows how many years more you will spend reading, watching TV and doing other activities.

There you have it first looks and ideas for 2013..

Hope all of you had a good new years day holiday...

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