Renovation & Design
Renovation & Design
Order and opulence
If you’re tired of tapestries, taxidermy and other crafty kitsch that have taken over mass retail, you’re not alone. The defining design trend of the past five years — a feminine mix of California bohemian and mid-century modern that’s ubiquitous on blogs and Instagram — may have crested.
"It’s everywhere. It’s too everywhere," Bethesda, Maryland designer Marika Meyer says. "We’re about to see a call for the masculine again, for something more structural and modern."
What fits the bill? One theory is art deco, a style characterized by geometric shapes, strong arches and angles, and high-contrast color schemes. It first became popular after the First World War and was a reaction to art nouveau’s whimsical ornamentation and floral motifs. Deco, which conveyed strength and industry, was seen as glamorous and bold.
"If you think about what’s going on in our country politically, it makes sense that we’re seeing it come back," Meyer said. "A sense of uncertainty tends to drive people to seek structure and stability. Art deco has that."
The style will have modern adaptations. Expect its signature sense of opulence — often evoked in sweeping marble staircases, pinstriped wallpapers and high-gloss paints — to be toned down in favor of high-tech or sustainable materials. And too much of one look can feel thematic, so designers predict people will stick to a few key pieces.
"Focus on the smaller moments, like a cocktail table or a tray," said Mat Sanders, who runs the Los Angeles-based Consort Design with Brandon Quattrone and counts Jimmy Kimmel and Jessica Alba as clients. "These pieces are like jewelry for a room and the easiest way to make a statement. No need to overdo it."
Even in small doses, though, it’s important not to confuse boldness with flash. Tim Barber, a Los Angeles architect who specializes in art deco (he’s perhaps best known for helping Moby renovate a 1920s castle in the Hollywood Hills), said the style is often misunderstood as luxe or over the top. "It’s under the top," he said. "It’s about scale and exaggerated forms. You’d be surprised at how much drama you can achieve just by playing with proportions."
Art deco posits that there’s power in the unexpected. A low coffee table, such as West Elm’s Metal Drum Coffee Table (US$399, westelm.com), can make a neutral room feel artistic and modern. A black steel table with strong angles (US$425, consort-design.com) looks confident against a white wall. For added visual interest, consider a mirror so tall it almost touches the ceiling (US$372, bedbathandbeyond.com) or a club chair that curves like a shell. Of course, antiques stores are gold mines for authentic treasures if you’re willing to pay big bucks.
If you aren’t ready to invest in larger pieces, try playing with patterns and textures. High-contrast ceramic tiles liven up a kitchen backsplash or bathroom floor, and unusual fabrics such as velvet or mohair spice up canvas sofas and chairs.
Wallpaper is an opportunity to experiment with classic deco motifs, such as fans and sunbursts, and to add a hint of glamour. Meyer recently designed a powder room in a Maryland farmhouse for a client who wanted a blend of deco and Moroccan. She used a metallic pearl wallpaper called Lantern from Clarence House that was subtle and sleek.
Art deco’s biggest hurdle may be that it doesn’t have enough hard guidelines or rules to follow. There’s no catalogue to pull from or uniform to fall back on, and lots of room for interpretation.
"There’s definitely a challenge to it," Meyer said, "but I think we’re ready for that."
— The Washington Post
Renovation & Design
Birds will flock to this backyard feeder
With summer here, you’re probably spending more time outdoors, so why not add a pop of colour to your backyard and invite some birds to join you?
Materials:
Empty coffee can with plastic lid
Can opener
Spray paint
Scissors
Duct tape in various colors
Yarn
Birdseed
Glue (optional)
Directions:
1. Clean the empty coffee can and use a can opener to remove the bottom piece.
2. Cut the plastic lid in half, spray paint both halves and let dry. It may need two coats. (I tried craft paint but the coverage was poor. Spray paint worked better for me.)
3. Decorate the can with the duct tape. Have fun with it!
4. Attach a half-lid to both ends of the can. You may need to glue them on if they’re too loose.
5. Wrap yarn through the opening a couple of times (I did it three times), making sure it’s long enough to hang at your desired location. Fill with birdseed and enjoy the show!
— The Orange County Register
Renovation & Design
Repair concrete once, the right way
Question: I enjoy your column every week. I do hope you can advise me on a problem. I have a concrete driveway that started to crumble. It would cost $6,000 to $8,000 to fix it. I’m afraid I don’t have the cash. I went to the home and garden show and saw a product designed to restore concrete. The representative said they could fix it for $1,200. When the job was completed, the driveway looked nice. Then after a couple of years, it started to shale. I got a hold of this company, and to make a long story short, they finally came out and fixed the problem. But they really just put a Band-Aid on it. It is shaling again. I cannot get a hold of the company, and they will not return calls.
Is there a product I can use to coat over it so it doesn’t shale? Would you have the time to come and inspect this driveway, or perhaps point me in the right direction on how to fix it?
— Sincerely, Debbie Roy
Answer: In the marketplace, there are always products or services that appear to be miracle repairs for common home deterioration problems, like your spalling driveway. While some of these actually can prolong the life of partially deteriorated components, many are simply temporary cosmetic items that can be costly and largely disappointing in their performance. It is often better to save your money and budget for a proper repair, which in this case is replacement of your damaged driveway with new concrete or paving stone.
Patching the surface of your damaged concrete driveway to keep the surface from crumbling further is about the only thing I can recommend. As you have experienced, the temporary fix of bonding something to the surface of the old driveway looked good for short period of time but still continued to deteriorate. The reason you may not be able to get in touch with this company is because they are likely out of business. That is common with these quick-fix type of contractors, who may make a small splash when they first appear to have a miracle cure to an age-old problem. What typically happens is they are exposed as a temporary solution, and business drastically falls off until they pack up shop. While there are better quality products for your issue, they are often only used in commercial applications because the cost and effort of application outweighs the value.
In my three-plus decades of doing renovations and inspection I have seen dozens of products or procedures that have made outrageous claims for cheap, relatively easy fixes that negate the need for replacement of older, deteriorated house components. Some, such as the bathroom reglazing for tubs and showers, seem to have survived despite mediocre results at best. Others, such as the famous "Never Paint Again" exterior wall coverings fall quickly out of favour as the unhappy customers pile up when their homes look worse after a couple of years than they did before the treatment. Likewise for your driveway, the only long-term repair that will survive is replacement with new concrete, or better yet, paving stone, which can be relayed if excessive movement occurs.
While the $1,200 you spent on the new finish for your driveway was only a fraction of the cost of replacement, it only lasted a couple of years. If you look at the life expectancy of a properly installed new driveway, which will be several decades, the money you have spent is not good value. The better option is to put away some funds each year until you have enough for a proper job. Even if your driveway is crumbling, it may still function properly for you to park your vehicles or gain access to your garage. While it may look bad, it can still serve its purpose until you have the resources to replace it with a professionally installed new driveway.
While it could be useful to have a registered home inspector such as myself come and inspect your driveway, my conclusion would likely be exactly the same as my advice here. I don’t think you should waste your time or money having anyone tell you there is little you can do other than replacement. Calling a masonry or paving contractor to look at it may be a better bet, and then you will know the cost of proper replacement. If they tell you there is a solution that does not involve complete replacement, ask how long it will last and ask for references and addresses where you can look at the product that has been in place for several years. Or, you could just send them packing and call a reputable concrete contractor that will give you a proper estimate for replacement.
While there are lots of products available to repair or temporarily halt the deterioration of building components in homes, many are not worth the effort or expense. When it comes to deteriorated concrete outside your home, saving the cost of a temporary repair will put you closer to your budget for a proper job.
Ari Marantz is the owner of Trained Eye Home Inspection Ltd. and the past president of the Canadian Association of Home & Property Inspectors — Manitoba (cahpi.mb.ca). Questions can be emailed to the email address below. Marantz can be reached at 204-291-5358, or check out his website at trainedeye.ca.
trainedeye@iname.com
