Happy Fourth!

Irwin Weiner ASID - This is the year (hopefully) that I make the transition from legal alien status as a South African citizen living and working in the United States to full-fledged United States citizen (actually duel citizenship, but that's a fine point). What a wonderful country this is! I came here 26 years ago to study, and have stayed ever since. No regrets, only praises to sing. So the July Fourth holiday celebrations, picnics and BBQs and fireworks, stir my soul and make me glad for my great, good fortune. Happy fourth to you all - and enjoy this video of fireworks from NYC's incredible Macy's display on the Hudson River from 2009.

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Update on June 29, 2011 by Design2Share

Super King Size Leather Beds: We just found a great collection of sleek leather bed designs. They add sophistication, whether your bedroom decor is traditional or modern. 

Featured Project: DIY Painted Headboard 

Now is the perfect time to think about freshening up your interior space. With a splash of color here and a new piece of furniture there, it's easy to redecorate. Here's a quick, budget-conscious DIY design idea to help get you started.

Paint Your Own Headboard

Chances are if you if you purchased your bed frame as part of a bedroom set, the headboard is already included. If you don't want to put forth the extra cash, especially after paying for a pricey mattress, no problem! Painted headboards are a great way to add a pop of color to your bedroom.

Step 1: Measure the width of the head of your bed and mark it with blue painter's tape from floor to ceiling. Now, choose your color based on your desired color scheme. You obviously don't want it to be the same shade as your walls, but it should complement that color.

Step 2: Once you have your color, paint the wall, staying within the blue painters tape. Once the paint dries, if you choose to do so, you can detail with paint or with some removable wall decals from a company like Blik. For as little as $40, Blik makes easily removable wall decals in fun shapes like bookshelves, chandeliers, birds, etc. If this sounds like too much work, don't worry and leave your wall a solid color.

Step 3: Simply position your bed up against the painted wall, prop up some decorative Euro pillows in coordinating colors and patterns, and you have yourself a headboard. You might want to take this opportunity to invest in a new comforter or duvet in fun, light, spring colors. You'd be surprised at what a little bit of paint and some new bedding can do for your space!

Contemporary vanities and more at Decor Planet for your bathroom needs.

Mother Nature Gave These New Homes Good Bones

Photo: Art GrayIrwin Weiner ASID - The homes you decorate always start from what we like to call "the bones." These are the architectural features of the house, from the walls and ceilings to the floors, doors, windows, and room shape. One of the first jobs in interior design is to "get the bones right," or to make sure that any weaknesses in the architectural decisions are addressed. It helps when a home is newly made, but even new construction can be a nightmare for decorators, e.g. open-plan spaces need to be better defined by their function and still maintain good flow with the rest of the house. We admired theseAndersson-Wise "natural houses," new-construction spaces that celebrate nature through the use of beautiful building materials and clean lines. The natural homes in this video are what we mean by good bones!

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Hong Kong Panoramic Timelapse Video

Irwin Weiner ASID - While I've never visited Hong Kong, I have a strong urge to see this amazing metropolis one day. When I first came to the U.S. from South Africa, I worked for the late interior designer Gloria Ren, who had a close friend she would visit around Christmas each year. From her temporary Hong Kong base, she would import beautiful Chinese and Korean antiques and accessories for her clients. When I saw today's featured video, a glorious outdoor time-lapse video portrait of Hong Kong's sights (visit HD Timelapse Footage for more), I thought about Gloria and the visits she always looked forward to making - like clockwork - each year. Enjoy this video view of one of the most architecturally interesting cities on the planet. 

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Thick as a Brick

Irwin Weiner ASID - Remember when you first became aware of bricks? It might have been your Legos or building block sets, and the wonderful sense of accomplishment as you stacked these little rectangular units to form walls and whole structures. My partner Jay grew up in a brick house in Peoria, Illinois and has fond memories of it; his mother kept the family's brick tradition going when they moved to Iowa, putting up a brick front porch with "sloppy mortar" squeezing out between the bricks like whipped cream. 

It's fascinating to see the way architecture for both homes and commercial structures is evolving with brick as the primary construction material or external cladding.This video shows off the best of brick-inspired architecture, and you'll see everything from an amazing home in the German countryside (see above photo) to a brick museum that I wouldn't mind moving into! Thanks to Wienerberger, the UK company that's the largest manufacturer in the world of bricks and their annual Brick Awards.

 Click here to subscribe to our daily design videos.

Update on June 17, 2011 by Design2Share

Super King Size Leather Beds: We just found a great collection of sleek leather bed designs. They add sophistication, whether your bedroom decor is traditional or modern. 

Featured Project: DIY Painted Headboard 

Now is the perfect time to think about freshening up your interior space. With a splash of color here and a new piece of furniture there, it's easy to redecorate. Here's a quick, budget-conscious DIY design idea to help get you started.

Paint Your Own Headboard

Chances are if you if you purchased your bed frame as part of a bedroom set, the headboard is already included. If you don't want to put forth the extra cash, especially after paying for a pricey mattress, no problem! Painted headboards are a great way to add a pop of color to your bedroom.

Step 1: Measure the width of the head of your bed and mark it with blue painter's tape from floor to ceiling. Now, choose your color based on your desired color scheme. You obviously don't want it to be the same shade as your walls, but it should complement that color.

Step 2: Once you have your color, paint the wall, staying within the blue painters tape. Once the paint dries, if you choose to do so, you can detail with paint or with some removable wall decals from a company like Blik. For as little as $40, Blik makes easily removable wall decals in fun shapes like bookshelves, chandeliers, birds, etc. If this sounds like too much work, don't worry and leave your wall a solid color.

Step 3: Simply position your bed up against the painted wall, prop up some decorative Euro pillows in coordinating colors and patterns, and you have yourself a headboard. You might want to take this opportunity to invest in a new comforter or duvet in fun, light, spring colors. You'd be surprised at what a little bit of paint and some new bedding can do for your space!

Contemporary vanities and more at Decor Planet for your bathroom needs.