Mandarin residents are just starting to see the massive changes in the landscape along their part of Interstate 295.

Thousands of trees have been torn down to make way for a SunPass toll lane or express lane between the Buckman Bridge and the I-95 interchange.

Unfortunately, Mandarin residents wont be able to use it.

Im really ambivalent about the express lane because I wont be able to use it anyway, said Leah Tincher, whose home in the Sweetwater neighborhood on Greenland Road now sits in view of the interstate.

Though many homes along the interstate are losing their natural barrier, along with the does, bucks and yearlings that could often be seen at night nibbling on the grass along the woodline southwest of the interchange, there will be no entrance points to the toll lanes anywhere in between leaving Mandarin residents in the three traditional lanes of traffic.

Im just glad theyre finally putting in a sound barrier, Tincher said.

After the last round of widening on that section of I-295, Tincher was mortified. When I bought this house, you couldnt hear the interstate and you couldnt see the interstate, she said. Now I can wave to people from my pool.

Bike Week is especially bad, she said.

You cant talk on the phone or hear the television, she said.

The interstate now is coming even closer.

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Mandarin residents see I-295 edge closer to homes; bypassed by benefit of new lanes

Her work transforming an awkward, cramped kitchen into an inviting space ideal for entertaining has earned a Pittsburgh newcomer national attention.

Interior designer Lauren Levant Bland, 32, of Lawrenceville won for Most Dramatic Transformation in HGTV's Fresh Faces of Design competition identifying the Top 10 American designers under age 35.

I was really thrilled says Levant Bland, owner of Lauren Levant Interior. I always like it when I know the design I've done pleases the client, and to think it's also been intriguing for other people to see is a wonderful honor.

In their search for the newest crop of up-and-coming talent, HGTV invited designers from all over the country to submit their work. A panel of industry leaders then selected finalists for awards in 10 categories, and the public voted to select the winners.

Levant Bland's work turning the bright-yellow, country-style kitchen into a warm, more natural space for a client in Washington, D.C., will be featured across the HGTV family of websites, mobile apps and in HGTV Magazine. The opportunity to reach so many people with her work is exciting for the young designer.

There are probably at least a few projects that I will never know of or see that have been inspired in some way by that, she says. When people save it to their idea books and talk about it, your design keeps going, and that's really cool.

The original space was disjointed and cramped, with an off-center window and an oddly peaked roof. Levant Bland brought in wood beams to help unify the ceiling and bring in more consistent lighting. She created a more cohesive workspace with a peninsula and prep sink piece, upgraded equipment and a more neutral color scheme.

Homeowner Helen Beckner says, because her family loves to cook, they put a great deal of thought into what their dream kitchen would include. Levant Bland helped make that vision a reality, she says.

Because the space has some quirks to it, we knew that we needed someone with creativity and vision to design a kitchen that was functional as well as beautiful, she says. Before hiring Lauren, I met with seven other kitchen designers. Lauren was the only one to come up with a solution to our issues on the spot in our first meeting before I even hired her.

Lauren has a keen eye and a unique ability to visualize a space when she enters it. She knew the minute she walked into my original kitchen that the space needed beams to unify it.

Link:
Lawrenceville interior designer gets some fresh recognition from HGTV

Coral Springs, FL (PRWEB) January 05, 2015

Perla Lichi joins well-known hosts Dr. Jane Greer from Shrink Wrap, James Currie from National Geographic, Lori Wilk of Successipes and many more when shooting begins for her new interior design series on BYL Network, Inc.

Perla Lichi will be on location in Hollywood Florida on Thursday January 8th. Editors are invited to meet Perla and interview her and the BYL team about the show which is set to premier April 6th, 2015 on BYL Network, Inc.

Perla Lichi is a renowned interior designer whose completed repertoire encompasses hundreds of luxury homes, villas and palaces throughout the USA, Central America, the Caribbean, Europe, the Middle East, Asia and Africa. She is a specialist in art history, color and space planning and creates sumptuous, richly detailed interiors that many refer to as having "The Perla Lichi Look."

Perla Lichi Design is a full service interior design company headquartered in Coral Springs, Florida. Perla Lichi Gallery is a full service interior design company headquartered in Dubai, UAE. Perla Lichi, ASID, established a successful design practice in South Florida in 1990 where it enjoyed phenomenal success that eventually called for worldwide expansion.

Perla Lichi's name is synonymous with luxury and represents high quality and great attention to detail. "We are all about analyzing existing spaces, helping each client develop their own unique vision, and coming together to create unique spaces designed for today's lifestyles," says Ms. Lichi.

The BYL Network channels and new programming is updated every Monday morning at 8:00AM/EST with original and syndicated programming from experts, celebrities and everyday consumers from around the world. We live in an ever-changing world of content overload and consumers want programming that is on-demand, personalized, free of charge and available on an array of multiple devices. BYLs technology reflects this change, said co-founder Danielle Silverman, who has developed more than 150 network television programs for ESPN, the Food Network, Lifetime Television, CNBC, CBS, NBC and Fox.

BYL Network, Inc. (Better Your Life) is a multi-channel broadcast network on a mission to educate, entertain, and better the lives of consumers throughout the world. BYL Network, Inc. features 24-hour live broadcast stream of 30-minute weekly programs across six channels about and for: Women, Men, Money, Home & Travel, Sports & Entertainment, and Late Night. Perla Lichi will be featured in the third season of new programs in April 2015. The second season of new BYL Network programs begin January 5, 2015.

For more information on BYL Network, call Danielle Silverman at 561-487-3690. For more information on Perla Lichi or to set up an interview on January 8 or any time, call Janet Verdeguer, Perla Lichi Director of Marketing, at 954-732-1188.

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Interior Designer Perla Lichi Shooting for Her New Series on The Home and Travel Channel by BYL Network in Hollywood ...

Monday, January 5, 2015, by Spencer Peterson

Photo via Princess and the Geek

Airbnb is very invested in its listings looking nice. Since 2008, the company has offered free professional photography to rooms that meet a certain level of tastefulness, because good-looking, professionally photographed interiors are rented more often, which means more service fees for Airbnb. Now, Bloomberg reports that Airbnb is taking that idea a step further, using "the same magic that Google has"machine learning with big sets of user datato not only pair users with rooms they might like, but to find and push the most "attractive" listings. One day, they might even have a "digital interior designer" to help you spruce up that guest room.

Via Bloomberg:

Eventually, Airbnb may offer a digital interior designer that predicts ways to enhance listings and spruce up homes to increase bookings. "Maybe you should improve your images; maybe you should provide these amenities that are popular," Charkov says. "We want to bring the insights back to the host."

Any day now, future Nate Berkus will arrive in the present, sent back through time by the human resistance to prevent this machine-driven homogenization of taste.

Big Data Knows When You're Going to Quit Your Job Before You Do [Bloomberg via Architizer]

Continue reading here:
Sharing Economy: Airbnb Programmers Want to Build a 'Digital Interior Designer'

Goh with winners Labacanacruz and Caballes

MANILA, PhilippinesA University of San Carlos (USC Cebu) student, who incorporated a garden in her design of the interiors of an imaginary home, is the first Filipino winner for interior design in the Nippon Paint Young Designer Award (NPYDA).

Kristine Caballes, who received P50,000 for her winning entry, also got an additional P5,000 when her design was named Best Green Innovation. Caballes design impressed the judges so much she got a rating of more than 90 percent while the runner-up got less than 80 percent.

Jason B. Labacanacruz of Technological University of the Philippines (TUP Manila) won the gold and P50,000 as the first Filipino winner in the architecture category of NPYDA.

He also received P5,000 for winning the prize for Best Color Choice.

VERTICAL garden (left) in Caballes winning dining room design

Aside from the cash prize and trophy, the winners will each receive a six-month internship at Lor Calma & Partners and a fully paid trip in March to Osaka, Japan, to compete with the winners from Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia, Pakistan, China, Japan and Hong Kong for the regional title.

They will also participate in the Japan Learning Program, an exclusive workshop for NPYDA winners that will feature internationally renowned architects and interior designers as speakers and resource persons.

USC Interior Design professor Adrian del Monte, Caballes adviser, and TUP Architecture professor Elpidio Balais, Jr., Labacanacruzs adviser, each received P10,000. The winners schools each got P10,000 in cash and P10,000 worth of paint voucher.

NPYDA was launched in 2008 but was brought to the Philippines only last year. The competitions theme was Re: Think. Re: Create. Our Community, Our Home.

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Green-ness marks winning entries in design contest

Sunnyvale, CA (PRWEB) January 05, 2015

iSmart Alarm, Inc., the two-year old US-based company focused on wireless Smart Home and DIY Home Security products, today announced new wireless devices and technology including Smoke Alarm, Z-Wave Compatibility, water sensors, and more.

The iSmartAlarm ecosystem offers users advanced smart home control, security and automation using the iPhone or Android Apps at a fraction of the cost of traditional security companies. The company's flagship product is the iSmartAlarm, which puts a 21st century spin on traditional security systems by offering a self-monitored, self-controlled home security system that is designed to be expandable, mobile and DIY, with no wiring necessary. Families can use and expand the system without worry, and without monthly fees or contracts of any kind.

With our current product line, as well as the Smoke Alarm and upcoming home automation products, iSmartAlarm is uniquely positioned to provide customers with great new solutions in 2015 and beyond, said Raymond Meng, CEO and Co-Founder, iSmart Alarm, Inc. Our goal has always been to provide the best possible home security and home automation products with no contracts and no fees, and we are growing quickly to be even more.

The new iCamera KEEP on-demand streaming and video-recording home security camera offers HD visibility, audio and motion sensors, and no-cost video recording in case of break-ins. The Smart Switch allows iSmartAlarm users to control lights, electronics, and appliances. Both began shipping to Pre-Sale customers in December, and are currently available. The iSmartAlarm App provides seamless access to all approved users in the family.

The iSmartAlarm Smoke Alarm is for use as a stand-alone smoke alarm or in conjunction with the iSmartAlarm home security system. Photoelectric sensors minimize false alarms, and receive audible alarms throughout the home. Users will receive notifications of smoke and fire-related emergencies to your smartphone as well, anywhere in the world.

The Z-Stick provides all iSmartAlarm families the ability to expand their system to include Z-Wave devices, and will launch with a multi-tone and LED strobe Satellite Siren, Water Leak Sensor, and indoor/outdoor Multi-Sensor (Temperature, air quality, humidity, and light sensors built-in). New devices and sensors will be announced in the near future as well.

All iSmartAlarm products and services are part of the continued growth of the iSmartAlarm home control ecosystem, offering users a new level of control, security, and connectivity, allowing anyone to monitor, manage, and secure their home, property and family using their iPhone and Android devices.

iSmartAlarm will be demonstrating new products and future plans at PepComs Digital Experience! Show January 5, 2015 at the Mirage Hotel in the Mirage Events Center, B&C. iSmartAlarm will be showcasing at CES booth #20336 in the South Hall on Level One January 6-9.

About iSmart Alarm, Inc. iSmart Alarm, Inc. was founded in Silicon Valley in 2012 on the principles of safety, beauty, and intelligence. They designed and developed the best smartphone-enabled home security and home control system, winning multiple App and design awards along the way, with high ratings from CNet, PC Mag, TechHome, SecurityGem, and others. The sleek, sophisticated system utilizes a free and simple smartphone and tablet app to put home security and home control in the palm of its users' hands. iSmartAlarm products are cool, simple to use, and affordable to everyone. iSmartAlarm protects your home intelligently.

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iSmartAlarm Showcasing New Devices, Smoke Alarm, and Z-Wave Compatibility at CES January 6-9, 2015

Alberta #39;s Home Warranty Registry - YourAlberta
http://619.be/enie for Free Home Warranty Information. Your Warranty Process Your Role as a Homeowner Alberta #39;s Home Warranty Registry Your Builder and Warra...

By: QualityInformation Products

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Alberta's Home Warranty Registry - YourAlberta - Video

How a Home Warranty Protection Plan Works for You - HSA - HSA Home Warranty
http://619.be/enie for Free Home Warranty Information. Your Warranty Process Your Role as a Homeowner Alberta #39;s Home Warranty Registry Your Builder and Warra...

By: QualityInformation Products

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How a Home Warranty Protection Plan Works for You - HSA - HSA Home Warranty - Video

American Home Shield: The Home Warranty Leader - American Home Shield
http://619.be/enie for Free Home Warranty Information. Your Warranty Process Your Role as a Homeowner Alberta #39;s Home Warranty Registry Your Builder and Warra...

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American Home Shield: The Home Warranty Leader - American Home Shield - Video

Retailers selling home appliances and electronics goods typically make 15-20 percent profit from these products but realize more than 200 percent profit from selling extended warranties for them. A new study that appears in the January issue of Marketing Science, a publication of the Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences (INFORMS), finds that even though selling warranties through independent firms will lower extended warranty prices, the consumers may actually be worse off.

The research, Risk Preferences and Demand Drivers of Extended Warranties, was conducted by Pranav Jindal, assistant professor of marketing at Pennsylvania State University's Smeal College of Business.

Combining conjoint analysis, one of the most widely used market research tools, with economic models, Jindal analyzed stated choices of more than 550 consumers drawn from an online panel, and addressed two key questions -- "Why do consumers buy extended warranties?" and "Why do consumers pay such a high premium for extended warranties?"

"Paying $500 for a new laptop is not the same as paying $500 for repairing or replacing a laptop you already own," Jindal said. "Consumers view paying for repairs as a loss. Consumers feel it hurts 3-4 times worse than paying the price of the product itself. This hurt drives consumers to buy extended warranties."

This behavior of consumers is called loss aversion.

Through an online survey, the author collected data on consumer choices for washing machines and extended warranties to show that loss aversion along with peace of mind are the key reasons why consumers buy extended warranties for their products.

"Consumers search for low product prices but do not search for low warranty prices," says Jindal. "So, they are locked in by retailers selling appliances and electronic goods. Conventional wisdom says that extended warranties should be sold through independent firms selling only warranties, which will make extended warranties cheaper and consumers better off. But according to this new research, obtaining extended warranties through independent firms may be cheaper but it does not make consumers happier."

This unexpected result is based on the finding that retailers discount the price of home appliances and electronic goods and in turn charge consumers a premium for extended warranties. If these retailers are not allowed to sell extended warranties, then prices of home appliances and electronic goods will go up, although extended warranties (now sold through independent retailers) will become cheaper. On average, however, consumers lose more from the increased product prices than they gain from lower extended warranty prices.

While the study focused on the role of losses, it acknowledged that other factors such as over-predicting failure rate, lack of information about repair and replacement policy, and financial constraints may also result in consumers purchasing extended warranties.

"Consumers may buy a warranty for a variety of reasons. Controlling for others, this study shows that consumers' perception of potential losses and peace of mind are important factors, and have important implications for how extended warranties should be sold," Jindal concluded. "Moving forward, it would be really interesting to get into the consumer's mind and understand when they think a product will fail and how much they believe it will cost them to repair or replace the product."

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Selling extended warranties via independent companies lowers price but hurts consumers