New This Week: 3 Dining Rooms Boost the Mood With Modern Decor (3 photos)

2. Midcentury Mix

Designer: Amber Sokolowski of Soko Interior Design
Location: Long Beach, California
Size: 300 square feet (28 square meters); 15 by 20 feet

Homeowners’ request: For her own home, designer Amber Sokolowski wanted to take a few risks and have some fun. She and her husband honed in on a style that’s “midcentury, eclectic and a little glam,” she says.

Special features: Vaulted ceiling; cement tile surround; custom wood beam mantel; oversize lantern-style light fixture; abstract artwork; midcentury-style table and chairs with a walnut finish

Why the design works: “I wanted to bring attention to the height and grand scale of the room, which is why I added the large Darlana lantern and a large abstract piece of artwork to draw the eye up,” Sokolowski says. “The space is so open, and with the vaulted ceiling and all-white walls, it took a while to make it feel complete. The addition of the artwork and accessories like plants really helped to make the room come together.”

Designer secret: “Updating the lighting made a huge difference,” she says. “It’s amazing what a dramatic difference this one change can make.”

Also on the team: Rod Hand Craft (mantel); Amy Bartlam (photography)

Wall paint: Snowbound, Sherwin-Williams; Strata I fireplace tile: Cement Tile Shop; large Darlana lantern: Circa Lighting; midcentury expandable dining table: West Elm; Tracy dining chairs (similar): Modway via Houzz; Targa buffet in carbon gray: Carrera collection, Lexington Home Brands via Houzz; Trussell vintage-style rug (similar): Safavieh via Houzz; “Blue Strap” art: Sara Brown, Z Gallerie

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Sourced by "Home Hacks". Scouring and supporting the art of DIY home projects by sharing links and information provided by numerous active reputable DIY veterans and company's. Any projects you start please be of proper age, follow all required safety measures, and use the required protective equipment when handling any chemicals, power tools, or during any construction project. If you need advice regarding your next project we suggest visiting Contractor Talk.

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Green Lunch with... Novozymes' Peder Holk Nielsen

BusinessGreen joins the Novozymes chief executive at Grain Store in London's King's Cross to talk biofuel, food security, and sustainability while sampling some 'veg-centric' dining

It is a coincidence, but Grain Store is a strangely apposite venue for lunch with Peder Holk Nielsen, chief executive of Danish biotechnology giant Novozymes. The converted grain warehouse on the banks...

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Sourced by "Home Hacks". Scouring and supporting the art of DIY home projects by sharing links and information provided by numerous active reputable DIY veterans and company's. Any projects you start please be of proper age, follow all required safety measures, and use the required protective equipment when handling any chemicals, power tools, or during any construction project. If you need advice regarding your next project we suggest visiting Contractor Talk.

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Mini Project: How to Get a Live-Edge Barn Door (6 photos)

Height. “This is important to know to make sure the piece of wood comes all the way down to the floor to meet up with the glider,” Gatto says.

For this project, Gatto hung her barn door track 5 inches above the door opening to accommodate her slab, which, after cut to size, came out to 7 feet, 2 inches tall. “It’s always best to wait and cut the door height on-site so you can verify the wood hits right above the floor,” she says.

Thickness. You will need to know what thickness of wood will work with the track you’ve selected. In this case, Gatto brought the track specifications to the millworker where she bought the slab, and had the slab planed and refinished at an additional fee to fit the track. “Bring the specifications with you of the track you are using while shopping for your wood piece to verify they are compatible,” she says.

Species. When selecting the species of wood, “ask for a lighter-weight wood to verify your track can support the weight,” Gatto says. “Again, refer to the track you have selected for optimal weight.”

Lightweight species include ash and alder, which Gatto used. It’s best to ask a professional at your lumberyard what will work best for your needs and track system.

Hardware and stain. Depending on your preference and the style of your home, you can choose whether to stain and finish the door, and whether to add hand pulls and locks. In her project, Gatto wanted a natural, modern look, so she applied a clear coat on the wood to bring out its natural beauty.

“The piece can be finished from the vendor prior to bringing it on-site,” Gatto says. “Or, if you have a crew, they can finish it on-site. Depending on the wood quality and how much sanding and finishing is needed, you can do it prior to installing or after. It is easiest to do it on a flat surface prior to installing, though. Hand pulls are done after the wood is installed. In my case, I did not use hand pulls.”

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Sourced by "Home Hacks". Scouring and supporting the art of DIY home projects by sharing links and information provided by numerous active reputable DIY veterans and company's. Any projects you start please be of proper age, follow all required safety measures, and use the required protective equipment when handling any chemicals, power tools, or during any construction project. If you need advice regarding your next project we suggest visiting Contractor Talk.

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Houzz Call: Show Us Your Bygone Home Features (4 photos)

Houzz Editorial Staff. When I'm not writing about cool homes and the talented people behind them, you can find me crafting, practicing calligraphy, taking photos, watching gymnastics and sending lots of snail mail.

Houzz Editorial Staff. When I'm not writing about cool homes and the talented people... More

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Sourced by "Home Hacks". Scouring and supporting the art of DIY home projects by sharing links and information provided by numerous active reputable DIY veterans and company's. Any projects you start please be of proper age, follow all required safety measures, and use the required protective equipment when handling any chemicals, power tools, or during any construction project. If you need advice regarding your next project we suggest visiting Contractor Talk.

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Scotland region will be 100% powered by kites within a decade

In parts of Scotland, one response to the need for renewable energy is to go fly a kite. No, really. In just under 10 years, kites will generate power for an entire region of Scotland, thanks to efforts by a British company named Kite Power Solutions. Their “kytoons” (hybrid kite-balloon power systems) look like parachutes, and fly on the jet stream at 20,000 feet elevation, moving up and down in the wind currents to generate hundreds of megawatts of energy for a super low cost.

Kite Power Solutions will soon install a 500-kilowatt system of kite-supported power stations at the Ministry of Defense’s West Freugh Range, near the town of Stranraer. By 2025, the company expects the offshore kite station to be up and running, generating clean renewable energy from the jet stream. KPS says their system is so affordable that it won’t need any of the tax-based government subsidies other renewable energy projects tend to rely on. The project will be backed instead by Royal Dutch Shell oil company and the UK government.

Related: TwingTec’s high-flying wind turbine generates power in hard-to-reach places

Each high-flying kite measures approximately 131 feet (40 meters) wide and is capable of generating up to three megawatts of electricity. That’s similar to the output of a single 328-foot (100-meter) wind turbine. One of the big advantages to a kite-based power system is that they can be put to use in places where a traditional offshore wind turbine would be difficult to install, and they require much less maintenance over time, making them less expensive to operate. KPS says a ‘farm’ of just over 1,000 kites could produce as much electricity as the planned Hinkley Point C nuclear power station.

Because Scotland is very windy, the kites will be generating power most of the time. David Ainsworth, business development director of Kite Power Solutions, estimates there will be fewer than 10 days a year when the kytoons not generate energy. During those periods, a fan will keep the kites up in the air until the wind picks up again.

Via Motherboard

Images via Kite Power Solutions

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Sourced by "Home Hacks". Scouring and supporting the art of DIY home projects by sharing links and information provided by numerous active reputable DIY veterans and company's. Any projects you start please be of proper age, follow all required safety measures, and use the required protective equipment when handling any chemicals, power tools, or during any construction project. If you need advice regarding your next project we suggest visiting Contractor Talk.

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