How To Care For A Freshly Cut Christmas Tree

Keep your tree looking lush until the last ornament is packed away, with these tips for watering, stands and siting

Therese Ciesinski - Houzz contributor.

 

Artificial trees may have increased in popularity, but for the purist, only a real tree will do. No matter how realistic it looks, an artificial tree can’t compete with the scent and feel of a real evergreen. It’s a living part of nature that, for a short time, we give a place of honor in our homes.

And no matter which kind of tree it is — spruce, fir, pine or cypress — once it’s indoors, the goal is to keep the tree fresh and green. This means keeping the needles pliable and on the tree until the holidays are over. And the only thing that does that is water, lots of it. Think of it like a big, green pet: Just as a dog or cat needs fresh water every day, so does a fresh Christmas tree.

Laura Collins Design

Get the tree in water immediately. Once you get your tree home, put it into water as soon as possible, within eight hours. If the trunk wasn’t freshly cut at the place where you bought the tree, then saw an inch or two off the bottom of the trunk and put it in a tree stand filled with fresh water. If you’re not ready to set it up, put it in a bucket of water in a cool place. The water temperature doesn’t matter.

Holly Marder

Use the right stand. It should comfortably fit the diameter of the trunk. Whittling the trunk down will only dry the tree out faster. The National Christmas Tree Association recommends that a tree stand should provide 1 quart of water per inch of stem diameter. Be sure the tree stand you choose has a large water reservoir. A tree can take up a gallon of water in its first few hours in the stand.

Lord Design

Water, water, water. Big trees mean lots of agua. Watch that the cut part of the trunk stays below the waterline. Adding aspirin, lemon soda or other concoctions to the water won’t extend the tree’s life, but it might sicken pets or children if they drink out of the water reservoir.

Once indoors, a live tree’s branches will relax and open. Allow enough space when siting the tree for the lowest branches to fall open and not get in the way of foot traffic.

Whitney Lyons

Keep the tree cool. To an evergreen that spent years growing in a field, your house is as dry as the Sahara Desert. And where do Christmas trees often look best? Centered in front of windows, where the sun streams in, or tucked into a corner near air vents or baseboard heaters.

Dillard-Jones Builders, LLC

Position the tree out of the sun and away from heat sources. Keep the temperature in the room as low as is practical.

Elite Staging and Redesign, LLC

As magical as it seems to come home to a sparkling tree, don’t leave the tree’s lights on overnight or when no one’s in the house.

Regina Gust Designs

Even with daily watering, cut trees will eventually dry out. When needles drop when you touch them, and branches droop so low that ornaments are hitting the floor, it’s time to take off the lights and decorations, wrap the tree in an old sheet, and take it outside.

You can saw off some of the tree’s branches and cover garden beds with them to protect plants, or turn them into mulch with a chipper or shredder. If you have the acreage, drag the tree to an out-of-the-way spot for birds and animals to use as cover. Most communities now collect spent Christmas trees and make mulch or compost from them, which they offer back to residents. The saddest end for a tree is for it to be hauled off to a landfill, instead of being turned back into soil — allowed to decompose and feed living creatures, the way nature intended.

Have You Heard the Hues? 15 Colours You May Not Know About.

By Charmean Neithart: Houzz Contributor. I love interior design and all things houses. It has been my great privilege to create spaces over the last eleven years to a varied and loyal clientele

 

You never know when you might need to pump up your vocabulary. With the holidays fast approaching, you might soon find yourself in a friendly game of Scrabble or having cocktail conversation at some swanky party. Why not impress your friends and random strangers with extensive color knowledge?

In my work week, I get introduced to colors that I have never heard of fairly regularly. I like to learn about them because there is usually some history lesson involved, and it helps me to understand the undertones of color. For example, there are hundreds of shades of blue. If a blue fabric is described as smalt, I would know exactly what to expect even without a visual. Here are some colors you probably have never heard of but will love to get to know.

Kim Armstrong

Smalt is a deep blue pigment typically used in ceramics. Smalt is a glass that is created when cobalt salts are added to molten glass. It has a very subtle purple undertone but is better described as a pure blue. Much like cobalt, it has a luminescent quality, making it look backlit. This wall is a good example.

amanda nisbet

Byzantium is a vibrant shade of purple that can be confused with fuchsia. While fuchsia is a bold color derived from pink, byzantium is derived from purple and is deeper. A natural for sharing the stage, byzantium looks great with yellow, gray, blue and black.

Design Associates - Lynette Zambon, Carol Merica

Cordovan is a rich shade of burgundy/brown, most commonly used to describe leather. These leather sofas are a perfect example of cordovan. The name originates from the city of Cordova, Spain, which is known for its production of fine leather.

Jeffers Design Group

Vermilion is a bright red to reddish orange. These gorgeous lamps are a classic shade of vermillion, which is also called Chinese red because it's used in making Chinese lacquerware.

Ply Gem

Sienna is a reddish brown earth color. The color originates from Siena, Italy, and describes a clay that consists of iron oxide and manganese oxide.

Charlie Simmons - Charlie & Co. Design, Ltd.

Gamboge is a deep mustard yellow. This color gets its name from the gamboge tree, which excretes a sap that is mustard yellow. This pair of sofas is the perfect shade of gamboge.

Garrison Hullinger Interior Design Inc.

Fulvous is ultimately a variation of brown but can be described as having yellow undertones, like these painted walls. Fulvous is inspired by the feathers of ducks and birds.

Digs By Katie | Katie Leede & Company

Pavo is an electric blue that refers to the feathers of a peacock. Best described as between royal blue and deep turquoise, pavo is seen here in the sofa pillows.

Jason Arnold Interiors

Verdigris is a shade of green that describes copper when it is exposed to a moisture element. This vessel sink is a classic verdigris, which has been known to represent nobility.

Z Gallerie

Aubergine is a deep brownish purple inspired by the exterior color of an eggplant. I love to see a bold aubergine with gray or turquoise.

The Sky is the Limit Design

Lichen is a murky shade of gray/yellow green, like in this kitchen wall color. Lichen recently received attention as Pantone's top color for fall 2013. This mellow shade of green is inspired by the plant-like fungus that grows in shady spots especially around tree trunks.

Malachite is a vibrant green that is very similar to emerald. The main difference is the undertone of gray, which emerald does not have. Malachite is an earth color that scientifically is a copper carbonate hydroxide mineral.

Tracy Murdock Allied ASID

Aureolin is a bright, vivid yellow that's also sometimes referred to as cobalt yellow. Here is aureolin in art and flowers. This sassy shade of yellow looks great with blues and grays.

Harrell Remodeling

Bole is a brownish-red hue that really looks like chocolate to me. I think bole, seen here on the walls, looks great with other neutrals and black.

Laura U, Inc.

Fallow is a tannish brown and is inspired by the light brown fur of a deer's back. This gorgeous shade, selected here for the carpet, pairs well with white and black.

12 Ideas to Make a Great Entrance

Set the right tone for your house right off the bat by creating an entryway that caters to function but speaks to style

By Charmean Neithart: Houzz Contributor 

You get only one chance to make a first impression. That old saying applies to houses as well as people. It doesn't matter if your house is big or small; the entry can set the tone for the full house experience. I may be guilty of being too emotional about houses, but I love the way a house can evoke a feeling. Decorating is my preferred vehicle of expression; much like music or literature, thoughtful design can create a mood.

So picture your entry as the first few notes of a great song or the opening line of a poem. Ensure that it makes a good first impression. Make a statement that will entice guests to look further or will welcome loved ones home. Here's how to say, "Come on in and make yourself at home." 

 

Scott Sanders LLC

Casual is good. Make your house urge guests to come on in and hang their hats. Put them at ease by creating an informal vignette of well-used furniture and a place to hang items like a hat or sweater. This wooden bench with its scratches and patina adds character while creating a sculptural base for a row of hooks.

 

Patrick Sutton Associates

Traditional still really works. Just plain old simple and pretty may be all you need. The caned bench is at the center of the symmetrical vignette shown here — pretty enough to look at, but not too fussy to sit on. Consider hanging a grouping of prints in a pyramid formation to draw the eye up.

 

Crisp Architects

Utility can be nice to look at. If activity is your thing, and your day is about getting to the next thing on time, then just create mission control in the entry. Add color with a bright color, throw down a great rug that can take lots of traffic and include all the things that will allow you to exit the house with ease.

 

ZeroEnergy Design

Yes, we're all so vain. Hang a mirror right in the entry so you can do a last-minute hair check as you run out the door. If you have a small entry, the reflection from the mirror will help expand the area and add the impression of more light.

 

Schwartz and Architecture

Define the space. Does your entry open onto a large room? Create an entry area with bookcases, cabinets or a screen. Open shelves can be used for accessories, keys or family photos.

 

Cecilie Starin Design Inc.

Splurge on a living flower arrangement. Potted orchids or other flowering plants can be pricey, but they last longer than cut flowers. Some orchids if watered properly can last two months or more. They can really make a welcoming statement with color and scale.

 

Haute Design

Three perfect pieces. My favorite entry trio is a fabulous rug, a perfectly scaled console and great lighting. I suggest getting the best rug you can afford for your entry, because nothing warms up a home like a rug. Go bold with lighting and take advantage of three-way lightbulbs for light control during the day and evening.

 

Tony Crisafi / Drex Patterson

Display a collection. Notice the pottery collection front and center on the console. What better way to make a statement than to show guests an area of special interest?

 

Link Architecture, PC

Try this trick for narrow spaces. If you have a narrow entry, consider a wall-mounted piece of furniture. This shelf is just chunky enough to anchor a mirror and provide a display area. Adding textured split-face material on one side is a great way to trick the eye into seeing a larger space than really exists.

 

Katerina Tana Design

Make a color statement. Bold color in small doses can be fun and shocking in an entry. Although I'm not big on color matching, I do think it makes perfect sense here. Find a great rug and create your palette from there; it's much easier than the other way around.

 

Neumann Lewis Buchanan Architects

Place a table right in the middle. This works with all sorts of tables — round, rectangle or square. The entry is a great place for an antique table that's too precious to use every day for meals but perfect for a plant or flower arrangement.

 

Jennifer Weiss Architecture

Get charged up. Electronics are just a fact of life. Embrace cord management with a good-looking charging station right in the entry. This works particularly well for townhouses or lofts with an entry level on the bottom floor and public spaces and bedrooms above.

How to Work With Charcoal Grey

The most modern neutral, charcoal gray looks great in dining rooms, living rooms and even nurseries. Here's how to use it best

By Samantha Schoech - Houzz Contributor
Samantha is a former magazine editor specializing in travel and design. She just completed her first remodel, turning her crumbling 1941 kitchen into a beauty of grays, whites and natural wood. If she could, she'd sleep on the countertop. That's how much she loves it. You can also read her parenting blog on Baby Center http://blogs.babycenter.com/author/sschoech/

www.houzz.com

Charcoal gray may be a neutral, but it's also a statement. It's bolder than its lighter brethren; more modern than its neutral cousins, the beiges; and less dramatic than black. (I guess that would be Dad?)

As Texas designer Bex Hale from this season's Design Star says, "Charcoal gray is the little black dress of decor. Dress it up, dress it down — it's my go-to color."

True gray (or achromatic gray) is a mixture of black and white. It has equal values of red, green and blue (RGB), and thus no hue. Off-grays — what we most often use in decorating — have very subtle but important differences in the values of red, green and blue. Cool grays are noticeably blue, green or violet. Warm grays are noticeably pinkish or brown and may have yellow tones.

Charcoal off-grays have very subtle differences in the RGB values but remain true neutrals, making them the perfect complement for most colors, especially bright whites, warm citrus hues and pinks.

Because it appears so often in nature — think stones, storm clouds and the North Atlantic — it also works well in with natural materials like wood, marble and greenery.

Fiorella Design

Cool charcoal pairs well with bright white trim and works with most wood floors. In a house like this, with period details and nice bones, it highlights the architecture while modernizing the room.

 

Avenue B Development

Warm charcoal above the bright white wainscoting adds a lot of drama to this dining room but doesn't get too flashy about it. "A common mistake people use in selecting gray is using a 'cold' gray for a wall color. Grays with brown undertones can really warm up a room," says Hale.

Cool charcoal pairs well with bright white trim and works with most wood floors. In a house like this, with period details and nice bones, it highlights the architecture while modernizing the room.

Warm charcoal above the bright white wainscoting adds a lot of drama to this dining room but doesn't get too flashy about it. "A common mistake people use in selecting gray is using a 'cold' gray for a wall color. Grays with brown undertones can really warm up a room," says Hale.

BROWN DAVIS INTERIORS, INC.

In this eclectic living room, warm-tone charcoal provides the backdrop for different colors, patterns and lines. It gives the room a nice weight and feels a bit more formal than white would. "Art jumps off gray walls," Hale says.

 

Webber + Studio, Architects

Using cool charcoal as an accent in a lighter gray room is the perfect way to create a focal point. "Light gray walls feel crisp and airy, while darker tones create a sultry, sexy, cozy mood," she says. 

 

Mark English Architects, AIA

Charcoal with citrus: The warm gray sets off this bright orange, making it stand out even more.

 

thirdstone inc. [^]

The high-gloss gray cabinets from Ikea set off the white and give this kitchen a nice visual landing place that white cabinets would not provide. This gray is about as achromatic as it comes.

 

Chelsea Atelier Architect, PC

The Lava Teak melamine chipboard by Cleaf from Italy and launched by Poggenpohl is both modern and earthy (think Big Sur). Notice the warm yellowish tones?

 

Miller & Wright Architects

Charcoal grout with white subway tile adds texture to this perfectly neutral bathroom.

 

Urrutia Design

And the reverse: Charcoal tile with white grout also creates pattern from contrast, with a little more depth. 

 

Cynthia Lynn Photography

"Invest in a charcoal gray sofa and you'll have it forever," Hale says. "I recommend one dark enough to hide spills — my sofa cushions are filled with merlot-stained goose down feathers."

 

Charles Luck Stone Center

A citrus-yellow sofa with charcoal piping against a charcoal accent wall. "Nearly any bright color pops against gray," Hale says. "I'm loving the gray-orange-cream combo now — hot in fashion too — and gray with hits of bright yellow."


Next, two charcoals that will work with both warm and cool colors.

 

BEHR

Evening Hush, Behr

Evening Hush is very dark but has nice warm undertones. It almost looks as if the sun is setting on it. (See those yellows?)

 

 

 

 

Low-VOC Paint, Steel, Serena & Lily - $45

This steel color is a beautiful example of a cool gray. Notice the violet tones?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you're going to use the cool gray, say, in a nursery, you may want to warm it up with some yellows or pinks. If the room were all violets and blues, it might look too cool.

View the original blog at:

http://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/2530680/list/Color-Guide--How-to-Work-With-Charcoal-Gray

Smaller Scaled Furniture

It seems at this recent High Point Market in North Carolina, the emphasis was on smaller scaled furniture for those downsizing to condos, smaller homes or even folks looking for some nice second bedroom furniture.

At Almira, we've been working with a Collection called Perfect Balance for over a year now and the customers choosing it have all been very happy with the items they have purchased.

 The Perfect Balance Collection is scaled to smaller rooms and offers Traditional, Transitional and Contemporary designs in your choice of finish and your choice of hardware. The scale is also great for youth bedrooms too.

The beds are the big story with this collection. While the standard bed is offered, you can also get beds with storage drawers on one side of the bed rails, two sides of the bed rails or even a lift bed, where the whole mattress lifts to provide complete hidden under bed storage. Great for keeping seasonal items in a smaller apartment.

In addition to Perfect Balance, Almira offers a number of other smaller scaled items including occasional furniture and upholstery. Plan to visit and see all that is available.